The Last Odyssey is James Rollins' 15th Sigma Force thriller. I have read each and every one of them and love this series. However, this book was bizarre. Here is the publisher's summary to help you see what the story involved:
"For eons, the city of Troy - whose legendary fall was detailed in Homer's Iliad - was believed to be myth, until archeologists in the nineteenth century uncovered its ancient walls buried beneath the sands. If Troy was real, curses and miracles - the Iliad and the Odyssey - could also be true and awaiting discovery.

In the frozen tundra of Greenland, a group of modern day researchers stumble upon a shocking find: a medieval ship buried a half mile below the ice. The ship's hold contains a collection of even older artifacts - tools of war - dating back to the Bronze Age. Inside the captain's cabin is a magnificent treasure that is as priceless as it is miraculous: a clockwork gold map with an intricate silver astrolabe embedded in it. The mechanism was crafted by a group of Muslim inventors - the Bay Musa brothers - considered by many to be he Da Vinci's of the Arab world - brilliant scientists who inspired Leonardo's own work.

Once activated, the moving map traces the path of Odysseus's famous ship as it sailed away from Troy. But the route detours as the map opens to reveal a fiery river leading to a hidden realm underneath the Mediterranean sea. It is the subterranean world of Tartarus, the Greek name for Hell. In mythology, Tartarus was where the wicked were punished by the monstrous Titans of old imprisoned.

When word of Tartarus spreads - and of the case of miraculous weapons said to be hidden there - tensions explode in this volatile regions where Turks battle Kurds, terrorists wage war, and civilians suffer untold horrors. The phantasmagoric horrors found in Homer's tales are all too real - and could be unleashed upon the world. Whoever possesses them can use their awesome power to control the future of humanity.

Now Sigma Force must go where humans fear to tread. To prevent a tyrant from igniting a global war, they must cross the very gates of Hell."

I thought this was an odd book. Why would the Sigma Force be involved in a search that would require proving various Greek mythologies to be true? The plot seemed preposterous as did the scientific facts supporting it. While the Author's Note tells us what parts of the story were true, I still couldn't believe any of it. I am not a fan of mythology to begin with but The Last Odyssey went overboard with its suspension of belief. Underground bronze cities with bronze monsters? I can't go there.

The characters were off their mark presumably because they were not fighting their typical adversaries. Instead, we have a secret group called the Apocalypti. The group members are from various faiths but they all believe that an apocalypse that will end the current violent world in favor of a new paradise must be helped along by their efforts. Why would governments, and their spies, care about such a group?

I can't believe what I am about to say about a James Rollins novel: it was boring. I couldn't wait to finish reading it. My rating is shocking (to me). 2 out of 5 stars. Let's hope Rollins returns to the spy business for his next book. ( )

James Rollins has always been the author I turn to when I need some escape from reality, and I’ve never needed more escape than right now in the middle of the pandemic. And I got so much more from it than I expected.

There’s usually an equal amount of historical and scientific themes that play out in a Sigma Force novel but this was slightly different and I found that refreshing. This book takes the mythological route, concentrating on Homer’s The Odyssey and various other Greek myths and reimagining if they were all actual historical events that took place. We also get to know about some of the most acclaimed scientists and inventors of the Arab world and their creations were definitely very eye opening. I found the idea that innovations that happen in one kingdom/civilization are then used by others to build up on and that’s how more innovation propagates across the world fascinating to read about. When we are talking mechanical inventions, Leonardo da Vinci can’t be far behind, so his addition was fun. There is also a theme about the different versions of the coming apocalypse across religions and the zealots among them who want to do everything they can to bring it on sooner. I loved the way the author weaved all these threads together to create such an entertaining adventure tale. And as usual, all the locations that the characters are jet setting to are wonderfully described and I always wish I could jump into the pages to visit them myself.

It’s always very comforting meeting these characters because I’ve known them for almost a decade and they feel like my friends now. And after all this time, seeing Gray and Seichan as parents felt surreal. They are still struggling with their new found parenthood which actually made them feel more human than the usual badass persona they always project. Kowalski also gets a great arc to shine in this book and he always comes across as gruff and grumpy but we get to see how much of a heart of gold he has and what lengths he will go to protect his team. There are also many other new side characters and I was amazed by how I could never guess who among them was trustworthy and who was a villain. The author kept hitting me with betrayal after betrayal and I was happy to be shocked.

To conclude, this was a lot of fun and just the bit of relief I needed at this tense time. If you have followed this series since the beginning and have ever thought the storylines had become repetitive, then I promise you that you’ll find this book to be refreshing and a lot more adventurous. I don’t know if I can recommend it as a stand-alone but if you wouldn’t mind taking on a huge series that is a mix of great action, lots of history, and some very cool advanced science and tech stuff, you should totally start from Sandstorm. ( )

Gray and Seichan are home with their newborn, when all hell breaks loose in Greenland. A centuries-old dhow is discovered and an exploratory team is attacked by automations and green fire. Joe Kowalski, his girlfriend (Maria), and a local teenager stage a daring rescue but their primary objective Elena (scientist) is taken hostage and whisked away by a submarine by unknown foes. Sigma is scrambled by Elena's father, a U.S. Senator, and Gray/Seichan head off to the Vatican's summer palace, where they try to piece together. James Rollins has once again mixed history and legends (in this case Homer's Iliad and The Odyssey, as well as some of the Dark Age, when Arabs led the world in science and innovation. The bad guys are looking to cleanse the world by opening the gates or Hell (Tartarus), ending in a fertile valley in Morocco, having traipsed through the Mediterranean, following the path of Odysseus and tectonic plates. Always interesting is Rollins explanation at the end, separating fact from fiction. ( )

I hate to give low stars for Sigma Force, but I can't get into The Last Odyssey. ( )

A large piece of ice falls off a Glacier in Greenland revealing a large Arab dhow of Medieval vintage. When the Sigma team starts their investigation, they discover ancient weapons plus mysterious jars of an oil and a map made of gold that seems to show the route of Ulysses on his trek home from the Trojan War.

When some of jars are damaged and strange creatures come out of them with the intention of killing anyone close, experts in archeology and ancient history are contacted. There is also a sinister group who wish to bring the world to an end who are interested in the gold map and how it will lead them to Hell.

Fast moving and gripping narrative. ( )