"The Hot Gate" is the third book of the Troy Rising series by John Ringo. It's not Shakespeare but it is a lot of fun. You should read the other books before you read this one or you'll lose a lot of the impact.The story: Earth continues it's rise in military space power. A second and third battle station are nearly complete so they take the Troy offline for upgrades. "Comet" Parker is transferred to the new battle station and the story is mostly about how Parker whips these lazy Latinos into shape. Problems with the book? Well... now that I ask... I was a little disturbed about the author's treatment of the Latin America world. Myself being a Latino (I actually call myself a Mexican-American) I was a little worried that the author would venture into racism. In fact what he is criticizing is the aristocratic class structure of Latin America and seems to be drawing a parallel between the seemingly mindless competitive violence of the fans of soccer matches and the competition to bring the new battle station's Myrmidon ships on line. So... OK. I guess that makes sense. I forgive him. I know the author wants to make the point that a constant seeking of understanding and forgiveness of the idiosyncrasies of various cultures can lead to certain death in space....and by extension leads to an abandonment of excellence and precision in performance. He makes this point regarding the building of the ships by the "fabbers" as well.There is some sex in the book, not described in any detail. It's more like "She took off her blouse and said, "I've only got 3 hours." It is obviously non-marital sex but it is not promiscuous. There was also an allusion to masturbation in a joking manner. If you find this review disturbing, you will be glad to know that the book would be less disturbing to you.This is not a book for kids. Maybe teens with the warnings above in mind. Certainly it is no worse than Prime Time TV.There is less action in this book though there is a lot of action at the end. I am longing for the next book... not written and at this point not likely to be written. The author admits he is thinking about it but he's written himself out of places to go with the story aside from expansion into the spiral arm.I would read this book again. Great series. My Rating Scale:1 Star - Horrible book, It was so bad I stopped reading it. I have not read the whole book and wont2 Star - Bad book, I forced myself to finish it and do NOT recommend. I can't believe I read it once3 Star - Average book, Was entertaining but nothing special. No plans to ever re-read4 Star - Good Book, Was a really good book and I would recommend. I am Likely to re-read this book5 Star - GREAT book, A great story and well written. I can't wait for the next book. I Will Re-Read this one or more times.Times Read: 1One of the better and more interesting stories about alien contact and space flight. Ringo does a good job of telling you a story that you can get into. The main character is excellent and the aliens are interesting. I really enjoyed this story.Characters - The main character is developed superbly. I really liked the main character. I also liked how the aliens were developed. Very good characters. Story - This was a good story that kept you interested. It had some great ideas and strategies. I was sorry the story had to end. I can't wait to get the 2nd book. Overall - A good book. I would recommend this book and the other books in this series. Read them in order for the best enjoyment.
What do You think about The Hot Gate (2011)?
Classic Ringo, a good read and the third in a trilogy
—Alzira
Solid conclusion to the series. highly recommend.
—ceri86
