#Review - The Tournament by Matthew Reilly #Thriller #Historical

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Historical

The year is 1546, and Suleiman the Magnificent, the feared Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, issues an invitation to every king in Europe: You are invited to send your finest player to compete in a chess tournament to determine the champion of the known world.

Thousands converge on Constantinople, including the English court’s champion and his guide, the esteemed scholar Roger Ascham. Seeing a chance to enlighten the mind of a student, Ascham brings along Elizabeth Tudor, a brilliant young woman not yet consumed by royal duties in Henry VIII’s court.

Yet on the opening night of the tournament, a powerful guest of the Sultan is murdered. Soon, barbaric deaths, diplomatic corruption, and unimaginable depravity—sexual and otherwise—unfold before Elizabeth’s and Ascham’s eyes. The pair soon realizes that the real chess game is being played within the court itself…and its most treacherous element is that a stranger in a strange land is only as safe as her host is gracious.  

Matthew Reilly's The Tournament is a historical thriller that takes place in 1546. The story features Queen Elizabeth I, who at the time was just Elizabeth Tudor (1533-1603), and not yet in the minds of anyone in the of succession let alone the people of England. Suleiman the Magnificent (1494-1566), the feared Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who has come close to conquering a large part of Europe, has issued invitations to the finest chess players in Europe and the known world:  

 You are invited to send your finest player to compete in a chess tournament to determine the champion of the known world.

Thousands will eventually converge on Constantinople, including the English court’s champion, Gilbert Giles, and his guide, the esteemed scholar Roger Ascham (1515-1568) who has been Elizabeth's tutor. Seeing a chance to enlighten the mind of his student, Ascham brings along Elizabeth, a brilliant young woman not yet consumed by royal duties in Henry VIII’s court, or involved in any political machinations. After a long, and tedious voyage across Europe, and with assassin attempts waiting in the wings, Elizabeth, Roger, Giles and Bess's watcher, Elsie, finally arrive with some minor set backs.

The Sultan's chess tournament features guests like Michelangelo, as well as the boy who will later become Ivan the Terrible. Yet on the opening night of the tournament, a powerful guest of the Sultan's is murdered and Roger is asked by Suleiman to help identify the killer or killers. Soon, barbaric deaths, diplomatic corruption, and unimaginable depravity—sexual and otherwise—unfold before Elizabeth’s and Ascham’s eyes. The pair soon realizes that the real chess game is being played within the court itself…and its most treacherous element is that a stranger in a strange land is only as safe as her host is gracious.

Aside from the fact that Reilly spends way too much time with Elsie and her sexcapades, one of the biggest question is whether or not this Chess Tournament actually took place. In my mind, this was fictional yet entertaining. There is also a distinct hatred towards the Catholic Church, yet I am not going to spend a whole time defending the history of the Church. No one should. The story beings, and ends as the Queen, who has never married, nor had any children, is on the cusp of dying and she tells a tale to her best friend Gwinny Stubbes.

The Tournament uses a magnificent chess championship with bitter rivalries, to highlight issues prevalent at the time, such as politics, philosophy, intrigue, spies, religion and culture. One could legitimately say that Elizabeth's journey through in the novel, although fictional, played an important role in the long term, shaping many of the decisions she made whilst on the throne. It's curious that Elizabeth and Ivan remained cordial even when he was terrorizing his own country. I also think that Elizabeth took lessons from Suleiman in ensuring that she knew what was coming before it raised its ugly head.

Reilly is really good at writing thrillers, but this story let me down. Not because the mystery was done badly. Not that I found the characters to be over the top and unrealistic, but Elise's desire to catch a prince and thus become Queen was nauseating. I know this was supposed to make Bess, aka Elizabeth, understand what sexuality was, and why it shouldn't be looked down on, but cherished, and celebrated.    

Amazon | Audible

#Review - The Three Secret Cities by Matthew Reilly #Thrillers

Series: Jack West Jr # 5
Format: E-Book, 448 pages
Release Date: December 4, 2018
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers

A shadow world behind the real world

When Jack West, Jr. won the Great Games, he threw the four legendary kingdoms into turmoil.

A world with its own history, rules and prisons

Now these dark forces are coming after Jack...in ruthless fashion.

That is reaching into our world...explosively

With the end of all things rapidly approaching, Jack must find the Three Secret Cities, three incredible lost cities of legend.

It’s an impossible task by any reckoning, but Jack must do it while he is being hunted...by the greatest hunters in history.

 

Hell hath no fury like Four Kingdoms scorned. The hunt for Jack West Jr has begun. 

The Three Secret Cities is the Fifth installment in author Matthew Reilly's Jack West Jr series. This story picks up right where The Four Legendary Kingdoms left off. Protagonist Jack West Jr. managed to somehow survive the Great Games, but in the process, triggered events that will have long lasting implications for Jack, and everyone that he loves. Family and friends are no longer safe. The world is on the brink of disaster. Jack has changed history, but now it's time to find a way to prevent the end of the world.

A secretive group called the Knights of the Golden Eight has accepted an assignment to kill Jack, & capture Lily and Alby Calvin. Meanwhile, the surviving King of Land, Orlando, has a major vendetta against Jack and every single person who stood with him during the Games including his sister Iolanthe. Orlando was supposed to receive the mysteries to unlocking the universes secrets until Jack stopped him. Thankfully, Jack has his own allies including his wife Zoe, his mother Mae, Lily, Alby, Sky Monster, Hades and a new character named Aloysius Knight who joins the adventure. Plus Pooh Bear and Professor David "Nobody" Black who readers may have met in previous installments.

West must find the three lost cities of legend, three immortal weapons, and save the world. It's the usual rollicking yarn, but there's a depth to it, and an ending that will perhaps make you rethink everything you took for granted about his books. The action scenes are outlandish in the extreme and you really have to toss out your preconceived notions that nothing like this could possibly happen. The author once again returns to his days of Jack frolicking around the globe searching for clues that will lead him the the three secret cities. 

This includes destroying major cities like New York, Vienna, and London. Jack is the ultimate heroes hero. He will drop everything to save those he considers family. He will literally fight for his last breath, which has indeed happened in this series. When all is said and done, this book will leave readers with a stunning and emotional ending. The bad part is that the Internet is saying the next book won't release until 2020. That's a major soul crusher.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

#Review - The Four Legendary Kingdoms by Matthew Reilly #Action #Adventure

Series: Jack West, Jr # 4
Format: E-Book, 448 pages
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Action & Adventure

The thrilling new novel featuring Jack West, Jr. from the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author! A RUTHLESS KIDNAPPING

Jack West, Jr. and his family are living happily on their remote farm when Jack is brutally kidnapped and he awakes in an underground cell to find a masked attacker with a knife charging at him.

THE GREAT GAMES

Jack, it seems, has been chosen—along with a dozen other elite soldiers—to compete in a series of deadly challenges designed to fulfil an ancient ritual.

With the fate of the Earth at stake, he will have to traverse diabolical mazes, fight cruel assassins, and face unimaginable horrors that will test him like he has never been tested before.

TO HELL AND BACK

In the process, he will discover the mysterious and powerful group of individuals behind it all: the four legendary kingdoms.

He might also discover that he is not the only hero in this place..

 

The Four Legendary Kingdoms is the fourth installment in author Matthew Reilly's Jack West Jr series. This is a series that you should definitely be prepared to throw out all preconceived notions, and just enjoy the freaking ride. The author tends to go all in with over the top action, adventure, shocking twists and turns, and lots of bloodshed. Right out of the gate, Jack, who has been retired and off the grid for years now, is kidnapped along with his adopted daughter Lily, family friend Alby, Jack's friend & pilot Sky Monster, along with Jack's two dogs as they visit a top secret base. 

Jack wakes up and is immediately forced to fight for his life against a Minotaur straight out of mythology. He's not the only one. There are 15 others who were also taken to a secret location to participate in a once in 5,000 year competition called the Great Games which has seen winners such as Osiris, Gilgamesh, and Hercules. What makes matters worse is that all of he competitors are rigged with explosions, and each competitor has hostages that are being kept in hostage chambers. If the competitor falls, the hostages are killed in the most brutal way possible.

Jack's last adventure was in a book called The Five Greatest Warriors. Jack learned that according to ancient prophecy, he is the 5th Greatest Warrior along with Moses, Genghis Khan, Napoleon and Jesus Christ. Now, he has to face another challenge that could end up killing his entire group if he fails to advance and win a gladiator like challenge with top level competition from all over the globe. The Great Games will have several levels of competition, based on the labors of Hercules, leads to a final match where winner takes all.

One of my favorite parts of this story was the appearance of another of the author's characters Shane Schofield aka Scarecrow. I have to say I absolutely did a happy dance when Jack and Shane finally team up together. It's been a long time coming. Some of Shane's people also show up in this book. Shane appears in Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the spin off Hell Island. Schofield's legendary reputation as a Marine, revered by the Marines that serve under his command and known for his high-risk tactical maneuvers.  

The outcome, naturally, to save the world from a runaway galaxy that is tearing its way to the Milky Way and Earth. There's also the curious conspiracy where 4 legendary kings of land, sea, sky and the underworld rule the world just adds to the intrigue and fun of the story.  The author does something that I found interesting. Jack's mother plays a curious role in this story along with Jack's friends Pooh Bear and Stretch. But, he also uplifts Lily to a role of observer so readers can see through her eyes as Jack fights for his life. Lily is a curious character. She was adopted by Jack, but she's also the last Oracle which puts her in a category all her own. Ladies, just as an FYI, this is a testosterone filled story. 

There's not a whole lot of women who are secondary characters. There are some as I've already indicated Jack's mother, and Lily, as well as Iolanthe Compton Jones who has been an enemy of Jacks's as well as his ally but who is responsible for Jack being in this situation in the first place. She just can't help herself. Also, Jack's wife Zoe doesn't make an appearance until the final page of this book. She's off on her own adventure throughout this book. 

This is a series that began with Seven Deadly Wonders (2005), The Six Sacred Stones (2007), and The 5 Greatest Warriors (2009). Apparently, this is the first book in the authors new trilogy beginning with this book, then proceeding to The Three Secret Cities, with the final book releasing in 2020. **I actually received this book, along with the Three Secret Cities from the publisher in lieu of a review** I waited 7 years for this book, so hell yes I absolutely recommend that you pick it up and read it!

Jack West woke with a lurch, startled and gasping for air.

He was alone and in darkness.

He didn’t know where he was, how he’d got here or how long he’d been here.

The air was cool and moist, like in a deep cave. The floor was dusty. The wall against his back was solid stone.

He was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, but no shoes.

His head was sore. He touched it . . . only to pull his hand away in shock.

His hair had been shaved off—

With a piercing shriek, the rusty iron door of his cell swung open and light flooded in.

A horrifying silhouette filled the doorway.

The outline of a bull-headed man.

A minotaur.

Or at least a man wearing a bull-shaped helmet.

He was well muscled, with knotty biceps and a stocky chest. While his upper body—save for the bull mask—was bare, on his lower half he wore modern black army-issue cargo pants and black combat boots.

I must be dreaming, Jack thought.

He didn’t have time for a second thought because right then, with a roar, the “minotaur” charged at him.

A serrated hunting knife appeared in the masked man’s right hand and it came slashing down at Jack.

Instinct kicked in.

Half rising, Jack grabbed the minotaur’s knife-hand, twisted it and threw the man to the side, springing to his own feet as he did so.

The minotaur tackled him, and they rolled, struggling, wrestling, ending up on the ground with the masked man on top, straddling Jack and pressing down with the knife.

Clenching his teeth and using all his strength, Jack gripped the hilt of the knife, keeping its blade at bay, two inches from his own throat.

The blade edged closer to his Adam’s apple, and in a faraway corner of his brain, Jack recalled that if you died in a dream, you woke up. He wondered if that would happen here.

Only what if it’s not a dream, Jack . . . ?

His opponent pushed harder and from behind the black bull mask, Jack heard the man inside grunting with exertion.

It’s just a man! his mind screamed. It’s just a man!

And every man can be beaten.

Energized, Jack shifted his weight and reverse-rolled, sending the minotaur smashing headfirst into the stone wall.

It was a sickening blow. A dull crack echoed out—the sound of the minotaur’s neck breaking—and the masked man slumped to the dusty floor and lay still.

Jack heaved for breath.

What a way to wake up.

Regaining his composure a little, he took in his cell for the first time.

The door was still open a little, letting in light. The cell looked exceedingly old: the walls were made of sandstone; the heavy rusted door sat on ancient iron hinges. As for what lay beyond the open doorway, God only knew.

On one wall of Jack’s cell were two images carved deep into the stone:



The first one Jack knew: it was the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph ankh, meaning “life.”

As for the second symbol, it looked like a swirling four-armed octopus. It was a variant of a rare and ancient symbol found in Hindu, Buddhist, and Neolithic cultures called a tetragammadion.

As he looked at it, Jack had the distinct feeling he had seen this symbol only recently, but he couldn’t recall where.

He blinked, trying to remember. But it was no use. His mind was still too groggy.

Instead he tried to recall the last place he had been before he had lost consciousness and woken up here.

Pine Gap, he thought.

The top-secret base deep in the Australian desert.

He’d gone there to attend a meeting, a high-level meeting.

Something about the SKA Array . . .

* * *

He remembered arriving at the base outside the remote town of Alice Springs with Lily, Alby, and the dogs, and being allowed inside by the armed gate-guards.

And he recalled being met outside the observatory lab at Pine Gap by the tall, bespectacled figure of General Eric Abrahamson, the genial yet whip-smart man who had replaced Jack’s longtime boss and friend, General Peter Cosgrove, after Cosgrove had been promoted to higher office.

They’d shaken hands and Abrahamson had introduced Jack to his soon-to-be replacement, a stern-faced general named Conor Beard. With his angular features and neatly trimmed red beard, Beard’s operational call sign had been a slam dunk: since his early days in the military, he’d been known as Redbeard.

“Glad you dressed up for the occasion, Jack,” Abrahamson had said wryly.

Jack had been dressed casually, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a blue shirt over an old white T-shirt. He wore a brown suede glove over his titanium left hand and a simple Casio G-Shock watch on his right wrist.

He’d smiled back at Abrahamson in the desert sun. “I don’t work for you anymore, so I get to dress any way I like.”

After exchanging greetings with Lily and Alby, Abrahamson bent down to pet the dogs. “Haven’t seen these two since they were pups.”

Jack said, “They own me now. Everyone owns me now. Zoe. Lily. The dogs. I was once the fifth greatest warrior, you know.”

Abrahamson laughed. “What about Horus? What does she think of the dogs?”

Jack whistled sharply and a moment later, his loyal peregrine falcon, Horus, previously soaring overhead, had landed lightly on his shoulder. Looped around her neck was a leather collar from which hung a GoPro camera. She glared at Abrahamson and Beard, as if peering into their souls.

“She tolerates them,” Jack said as Horus took to the air again.

“Come inside.” Abrahamson guided them through the doors of the lab. “I have something important to show you.”

And then nothing . . .

. . . nothing till he woke up here with a man dressed as a bull trying to kill him.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo