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Jack West Jr #1
Seven Ancient Wonders
Matthew Reilly, the "New York Times" bestselling author and "pedal-to-the-metal action novelist Publishers Weekly, is back in high gear on the greatest treasure hunt of all time -- a headlong race to find the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.In ancient times, a Golden Capstone was placed atop the Great Pyramid at Giza during a rare solar event called the Tartarus Rotation. Once every 4,500 years, a superhot sunspot -- the Tartarus Sunspot -- aligned itself with Earth and caused immense worldwide flooding and sun-scorching. It is said that when the Capstone sat atop the Great Pyramid, no such flooding or solar damage occurred. And, according to legend, whosoever places the Capstone on the pyramid at the next Tartarus Rotation will gain absolute power over Earth for the next 1,000 years.
In 2006, the Tartarus Rotation will come again, but the Capstone is nowhere to be found.
With the fate of global dominance hanging in the balance, nearly every world power sends forth its troops to locate the Capstone. Among them are the United States, the European Union, Israel, ruthless terrorists, and one other unusual force: a coalition of seven smaller nations that have decided that the Capstone is too powerful for any one country to hold.
So they band together against all odds and send an eight-man team to take on all the great forces in the chase. Led by an Australian super-soldier named Jack West Jr., the team includes a Canadian professor, two crack Irish commandos (one of whom is female), a Spanish paratrooper, a Jamaican soldier, an Arab commando, and a daredevil New Zealand pilot. And with them always is a little girl named Lily, the ten-year-old daughter of the Oracle of Siwa-- one of only two people in the world who can decode an ancient text that leads to the Capstone.
This stalwart group embarks on a global journey filled with booby-trapped mines, stupendous ancient wonders, gigantic evil forces, and adventure beyond imagination.
From the Colossus of Rhodes to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, from the Lighthouse at Alexandria to the Great Pyramid itself, fasten your seatbelts and hang on as the author of Ice Station and Scarecrow takes you on the adventure of your life!
527 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2005
1447 people are currently reading
19913 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Reilly
76 books6,358 followersBorn in Sydney in 1974, Matthew Reilly was not always a big fan of reading. It was only after he read To Kill A Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies in Year 10 that he realised reading could transport you to another world. Following this revelation, Matthew soon began creating stories of his own and set about writing his first novel, Contest, at the age of 19 while still at university studying law.
Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.
In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!
Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.
His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.
Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.
Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.
He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.
Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.
(source: Amazon)
Following rejections from all the major publishers, Matthew self-published Contest in 1996, printing 1000 copies. He produced a big-budget-looking novel which he sold into bookshops throughout Sydney, one shop at a time.
In January 1997, a Commissioning Editor for Pan Macmillan Australia walked into Angus & Robertson's Pitt Street Mall store and bought a copy of Contest. The editor tracked Matthew down through his contact details in the front of the book. Interestingly, those original self-published editions of Contest have now become much sought after collectors' items. One recently sold on eBay for $1200!
Matthew Reilly is now the internationally bestselling author of the Scarecrow novels: Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and the novella Hell Island; the Jack West novels: Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The Four Legendary Kingdoms, and The Three Secret Cities; and the standalone novels Contest, Temple, Hover Car Racer, The Tournament, Troll Mountain, The Great Zoo of China and The Secret Runners of New York.
His books are published in over 20 languages with worldwide sales of over 7 million copies.
Since Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005, Matthew's novels have been the biggest selling new fiction title released in Australia for that year.
Matthew has also written several short stories, including Roger Ascham and the King's Lost Girl, a special free prequel to The Tournament which is available online. Other short stories include Time Tours, The Mine and the hyper-adrenalised romp, Altitude Rush.
He owns and drives a DeLorean DMC-12, the car made famous in the Back to the Future movies. He also has a life-sized Han Solo in carbonite hanging on the wall of his office! When not writing or penning a film script, Matthew can be found on the golf course.
Matthew Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles.
(source: Amazon)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,541 reviews
September 7, 2018
OH - GOOD - GRIEF.
That's all I can say here. I started out with an open mind, I was looking forward to this book, I like action adventure and I'll forgive a lot if the book has a good action feel. Also, I'm a fantasy fan so I'm practiced at "suspending disbelief", I'll swallow a lot with a shrug and an "oh well" if it makes a good story.
This time...it didn't.
I've never read anything by Mr. Reilly before. Here he seems to have taken a page from Bullwinkle J. Moose's book. He combined Peabody's Improbable History and Fractured Fairy Tales and got some seriously fractured history. Interestingly if this had been the only problem, I think (again) I could have shrugged it off and gone on, but it was just "one bridge too far".
Most of the reasons this book ended on the "discard" pile I'll put under a spoiler warning, but a couple of things show up as the book opens. The book begins with a "portentous" opening concerning the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, primarily the capstone of the Great Pyramid. From there we launch into the book with what is obviously an expedition to obtain . The first "huh" moment is quick in coming. These tough, seasoned, experienced adventurers have brought along as a member of their crew...a little girl. You see there's something she can do and they "couldn't come up with any way to handle it", that didn't involve bringing a little girl into a "place" rife with death traps, crocodiles and other humans who will stop at nothing to get to "the item" before them...killers. Okay, right. I had a "bad movie flashback moment" there. I flashed on the Schwarzenegger movie, Last Action Hero, in which a "kid" keeps trying to convince the "action hero" that they're really in a movie. When the police captain assigns the boy to the cop as a "punishment" the "kid" (Austin O'Brien) shouts that in "real life" they'd never assign a kid as his partner they'd call Social Services. It doesn't make a dent. Same here.
Okay we brought a small child into deadly danger, cool. I'll grin and move on.
Next we get the silly. Since we have a little girl on the team, we can't have nasty threatening call or code names for the other team members, no they're called things like Big Ears and Pooh Bear...
Okay, again I could live with it, but things went from bad to worse. From here I go under a spoiler warning. So, bottom line for you who don't want a spoiler, I hope you like it better than me. I was disappointed and finally put it aside as I have a lot of books waiting to be read and this isn't one I want to put my time into nor can I recommend it.
So as noted if it's your cup of tea, enjoy, I'm happy for you. Again really, I mean it, enjoy. To each their own. There's no accounting for taste AND any and all other cliches that are applicable. I'll just move on. Thank you....
Allow me to add a quote attributed Dorthy Parker which I've used before:
"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly.
It should be thrown with great force."
That's all I can say here. I started out with an open mind, I was looking forward to this book, I like action adventure and I'll forgive a lot if the book has a good action feel. Also, I'm a fantasy fan so I'm practiced at "suspending disbelief", I'll swallow a lot with a shrug and an "oh well" if it makes a good story.
This time...it didn't.
I've never read anything by Mr. Reilly before. Here he seems to have taken a page from Bullwinkle J. Moose's book. He combined Peabody's Improbable History and Fractured Fairy Tales and got some seriously fractured history. Interestingly if this had been the only problem, I think (again) I could have shrugged it off and gone on, but it was just "one bridge too far".
Most of the reasons this book ended on the "discard" pile I'll put under a spoiler warning, but a couple of things show up as the book opens. The book begins with a "portentous" opening concerning the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, primarily the capstone of the Great Pyramid. From there we launch into the book with what is obviously an expedition to obtain . The first "huh" moment is quick in coming. These tough, seasoned, experienced adventurers have brought along as a member of their crew...a little girl. You see there's something she can do and they "couldn't come up with any way to handle it", that didn't involve bringing a little girl into a "place" rife with death traps, crocodiles and other humans who will stop at nothing to get to "the item" before them...killers. Okay, right. I had a "bad movie flashback moment" there. I flashed on the Schwarzenegger movie, Last Action Hero, in which a "kid" keeps trying to convince the "action hero" that they're really in a movie. When the police captain assigns the boy to the cop as a "punishment" the "kid" (Austin O'Brien) shouts that in "real life" they'd never assign a kid as his partner they'd call Social Services. It doesn't make a dent. Same here.
Okay we brought a small child into deadly danger, cool. I'll grin and move on.
Next we get the silly. Since we have a little girl on the team, we can't have nasty threatening call or code names for the other team members, no they're called things like Big Ears and Pooh Bear...
Okay, again I could live with it, but things went from bad to worse. From here I go under a spoiler warning. So, bottom line for you who don't want a spoiler, I hope you like it better than me. I was disappointed and finally put it aside as I have a lot of books waiting to be read and this isn't one I want to put my time into nor can I recommend it.
So as noted if it's your cup of tea, enjoy, I'm happy for you. Again really, I mean it, enjoy. To each their own. There's no accounting for taste AND any and all other cliches that are applicable. I'll just move on. Thank you....
Allow me to add a quote attributed Dorthy Parker which I've used before:
"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly.
It should be thrown with great force."
May 22, 2020
To the person who wrote this PoC™ slightly not very good story: who the fish are you, and what have you done with the guy who wrote Ice Station?! You cannot be Matthew Reilly. That is just impossible. Because, seriously, this book here? It feels like it was written 30 years ago. By my 13-year-old niece. Who doesn't speak a word of English. Yep, that's right. This ain't no Pulitzer prize material, my Little Barnacles.
Wait. Before I roll out my Deadly Arguments of Mass Book Destruction (DAoMBD™), I have a message for the lovely person who was hilarious enough to suggest I read this book: my dearTrish anonymous friend, I love you, but send me another rec similar to this one and you're dead meat. Then again, you might not like me a great deal after reading my DAoMBD™, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much about you contacting me. Ever. Again. Oh well. It was nice knowing you, anyway!
Soooooo. Where were we? Oh yes, I-can't-believe-you're-Matthew-Reilly's high-quality writing. Such awesomeness there. It's bloody brilliant. I love it. Which loosely translates to mean: it's outdated. It's simplistic. It's repetitive.It's crappy. It's OTT. It's an insult to the Grammar Gods. It's slightly (if only a little bit) subpar. Kind of. Somewhat. And it makes me wonder if anyone bothered to edit the freaking book. I mean, what editor in their right mind would let an author get away with such a deadly onslaught of exclamation points? I'm telling you, my Little Barnacles, this is the stuff of legend. I'm a pretty open-minded girl (sometimes) and I've never had anything against these poor, innocent punctuation marks, but there is only so much forced excitement the little heart I don't have can take. And no matter how super uber tough and nefarious I am, I could barely survive some of the paragraphs in this book. I kid you not. Don't believe me? Very well. Read this and try not to choke (this is not for the faint of heart, people, so I'll use spoiler tags to spare the feeble and the weak):
Multiply this ↑↑↑ by the 544 pages in this book and you get mass punctuation-induced suicides. So tragic.
Please, person-who-is-supposed-to-be-Matthew-Reilly, listen to Marky Mark here, the guy knows his stuff. It's high time for you to stop mistreating exclamation marks in such a shameful way. What did they ever do to you, anyway? And what about these poor italics? Did you really need to brutalize them like that? AND don't get me started about the italicized interjections with built-in exclamation points *shakes head in utter desperation*
Whoosh!
Whap!
Boom!
Ahhhh!
Zing-smack! (my personal favourite)
Whump!
Such clever, resourceful writing. Come to think of it, reading this book kind of feels like reading abad comic. Without the graphics. And that's pretty cool, if you ask me ← this might or might not be a slightly sarcastic comment on my part. And I may or may not have felt like this while reading this book:
I ain't naught but a crappy, harebrained reviewer. Yes, I am sadly aware of that very unfortunate fact. And yet, I shall be so bold as to give you afriendly piece of crustacean advice, person-who-is-supposed-to-be-Matthew-Reilly: your readers are not stupid (well most of them, anyway). You DO NOT need to use freaking exclamation marks and freaking italics every two freaking seconds to make sure they get how they are supposed to feel. They might be nothing more than lowly barnacles, but they have one or two grey cells, and they WILL eventually get the point all by their little selves.
So. Now that I've brilliantly established how delightfully written this book is, let me tell you about the fascinating story itself. Wait. Have I already told how fascinating this story is? I have? Oops, sorry about that. It's just that the exquisitely intricate plot made such a big impression on me that I need to rehash a bit to make sure you realize how awesome it was. I could use exclamation marks to get my point across, too! But I'm not like that! Oh no! Not me! You're so lucky, my Little Barnacles! No OD'ing on punctuation today!
But I digress. This book? Let's see…Take the worst Indiana Jones rip-offs you've ever seen/read/whatever, throw in a bunch of slightly clichéd and a tinsy bit stereotyped military types, make them go through the very same quests/trials/adventures every other chapter (same shit, different location. It's all delightfully refreshing), add a dash of never-before-seen-and-oh-so-suspenseful scenes (think ceiling-coming-down-on-the-good-guys, rolling boulder booby traps and the like), a bunch of beautifully complex ☢ sarcasm alert ☢ characters, and you get this gem of a captivating story. It's all pretty glorious, if you ask me.
And now for the icing on the cake! Presenting the one and only, the invincible, the mostest awesomest {cue drum roll} Jack West! He is pretty much perfect! He can do no wrong! He is superiorly clever (well not quite as Einsteinian as I am, but almost)! He has mysterious secrets! His all-encompassing knowledge about ancient stuff is seriously all-encompassing! And he kicks major ass, too! I'm telling you, my Little Barnacles, Superman and Spiderman combined are useless, brainless wimps compared to this guy. Damn. Why didn't I lock him up in my harem when I had the chance?! I should know a HOT, BADASS DUDE when I see one! I think I might be losing my legendary touch. Double damn.
➽ And the moral of this Most of my Friends Loved this Book They Must Therefore Be Slightly Insane Review (MomFLtBTMTBSIR™) is: death by exclamation point is horrific, slow and abominably painful. So stay away from the murderous punctuation marks, my Little Barnacles, for they are treacherous and up to no good.
Wait. Before I roll out my Deadly Arguments of Mass Book Destruction (DAoMBD™), I have a message for the lovely person who was hilarious enough to suggest I read this book: my dear
Soooooo. Where were we? Oh yes, I-can't-believe-you're-Matthew-Reilly's high-quality writing. Such awesomeness there. It's bloody brilliant. I love it. Which loosely translates to mean: it's outdated. It's simplistic. It's repetitive.
Multiply this ↑↑↑ by the 544 pages in this book and you get mass punctuation-induced suicides. So tragic.
Please, person-who-is-supposed-to-be-Matthew-Reilly, listen to Marky Mark here, the guy knows his stuff. It's high time for you to stop mistreating exclamation marks in such a shameful way. What did they ever do to you, anyway? And what about these poor italics? Did you really need to brutalize them like that? AND don't get me started about the italicized interjections with built-in exclamation points *shakes head in utter desperation*
Whoosh!
Whap!
Boom!
Ahhhh!
Zing-smack! (my personal favourite)
Whump!
Such clever, resourceful writing. Come to think of it, reading this book kind of feels like reading a
I ain't naught but a crappy, harebrained reviewer. Yes, I am sadly aware of that very unfortunate fact. And yet, I shall be so bold as to give you a
So. Now that I've brilliantly established how delightfully written this book is, let me tell you about the fascinating story itself. Wait. Have I already told how fascinating this story is? I have? Oops, sorry about that. It's just that the exquisitely intricate plot made such a big impression on me that I need to rehash a bit to make sure you realize how awesome it was. I could use exclamation marks to get my point across, too! But I'm not like that! Oh no! Not me! You're so lucky, my Little Barnacles! No OD'ing on punctuation today!
But I digress. This book? Let's see…Take the worst Indiana Jones rip-offs you've ever seen/read/whatever, throw in a bunch of slightly clichéd and a tinsy bit stereotyped military types, make them go through the very same quests/trials/adventures every other chapter (same shit, different location. It's all delightfully refreshing), add a dash of never-before-seen-and-oh-so-suspenseful scenes (think ceiling-coming-down-on-the-good-guys, rolling boulder booby traps and the like), a bunch of beautifully complex ☢ sarcasm alert ☢ characters, and you get this gem of a captivating story. It's all pretty glorious, if you ask me.
And now for the icing on the cake! Presenting the one and only, the invincible, the mostest awesomest {cue drum roll} Jack West! He is pretty much perfect! He can do no wrong! He is superiorly clever (well not quite as Einsteinian as I am, but almost)! He has mysterious secrets! His all-encompassing knowledge about ancient stuff is seriously all-encompassing! And he kicks major ass, too! I'm telling you, my Little Barnacles, Superman and Spiderman combined are useless, brainless wimps compared to this guy. Damn. Why didn't I lock him up in my harem when I had the chance?! I should know a HOT, BADASS DUDE when I see one! I think I might be losing my legendary touch. Double damn.
➽ And the moral of this Most of my Friends Loved this Book They Must Therefore Be Slightly Insane Review (MomFLtBTMTBSIR™) is: death by exclamation point is horrific, slow and abominably painful. So stay away from the murderous punctuation marks, my Little Barnacles, for they are treacherous and up to no good.
February 9, 2017
I say it's SF, but that's only because I haven't bothered to add an Action/Adventure category.
For this is what it is! Yeah, robot arms and flying suits and all, but best of all, and adventure to pick up your 5000 year old Legos or Amon Ra is gonna smite you!
Say what? Is that even in this book? Well, sortof.
What we do have is a rollicking adventure that aims for the sort of pure WOW and AWE factor that is generally missing from today's literature, taking us on a tour through all the Seven Wonders of the World, or whatever is left of them, and doing it without much care in the world for little things like logic. Who needs it?
The book is BIG and Wild and Emotional and best of all, it's full of ancient traps. I'm not kidding. It almost overwhelms the page. As I read this I might as well have been watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on steroids. There's even a little kid. All these burly men in the midst of gun-porn have no problems laying their lives down for her. It's odd but it resolves itself because she's mystically special.
Hell, the whole book is mystically special. :) Add heavy Dan Brown-ish conspiracy theories, wild ancient stories, the Giza Pyramid's capstone, and you'll have a wild feel like the original GI Joe cartoon when they were all on that mystical quest stuff.
Don't get me wrong. I like a good and kooky comic book feel culminating with evil Masonic Americans and evil Catholic Amon Ra worshipers in Europe. I especially love being transported into great pacing, almost non-stop action, and never-ending tests of skill, capture, and pathos. It's kinda perfect for any action movie fan. :) Just turn off the brain and flow with it.
This is the definition of popcorn fiction. And I thought that UF's had it going, lol. I swear I saw Chuck Norris in here.
For this is what it is! Yeah, robot arms and flying suits and all, but best of all, and adventure to pick up your 5000 year old Legos or Amon Ra is gonna smite you!
Say what? Is that even in this book? Well, sortof.
What we do have is a rollicking adventure that aims for the sort of pure WOW and AWE factor that is generally missing from today's literature, taking us on a tour through all the Seven Wonders of the World, or whatever is left of them, and doing it without much care in the world for little things like logic. Who needs it?
The book is BIG and Wild and Emotional and best of all, it's full of ancient traps. I'm not kidding. It almost overwhelms the page. As I read this I might as well have been watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on steroids. There's even a little kid. All these burly men in the midst of gun-porn have no problems laying their lives down for her. It's odd but it resolves itself because she's mystically special.
Hell, the whole book is mystically special. :) Add heavy Dan Brown-ish conspiracy theories, wild ancient stories, the Giza Pyramid's capstone, and you'll have a wild feel like the original GI Joe cartoon when they were all on that mystical quest stuff.
Don't get me wrong. I like a good and kooky comic book feel culminating with evil Masonic Americans and evil Catholic Amon Ra worshipers in Europe. I especially love being transported into great pacing, almost non-stop action, and never-ending tests of skill, capture, and pathos. It's kinda perfect for any action movie fan. :) Just turn off the brain and flow with it.
This is the definition of popcorn fiction. And I thought that UF's had it going, lol. I swear I saw Chuck Norris in here.
August 5, 2024
An alliance of “small nations” attempts to do the impossible: work together and save the world. They're not the only ones trying to save the world, but the others are thwarting one another’s attempts as they’re only in it for their own gain. For the nation that saves the world will have a thousand years of peace or power according to the ancient prophecy.
The alliance consists of strong military types who go by cute nicknames like Pooh Bear and Princess Zoe. Because among them is a ten year old girl. And she’s the key to solving an ancient mystery that has the team searching all over the globe for the seven ancient wonders.
How many times have you ever come across a story where the good guys are a mix of people from relatively small countries on a global scale? That’s one of the things that immediately stands out from the get go. It’s this mix of cultures that creates a bit of tension between the underdog allies. But it’s overcoming those differences that helps them bond so quickly, and shines a light on one of the core themes of this series: friendship. This story basically shows us the difficulties but also the very large benefits that come from working together with people from other countries and cultures.
A big part of what makes this book so enjoyable is the interesting parts of ancient history we get to read about here. Having the seven ancient wonders as settings really elevates the story and makes it a story of undeniably epic proportions. You can tell the author did quite a bit of research about the seven ancient wonders. And what Matthew Reilly does really well is combining facts with fiction to the point where you can’t tell what’s fiction and what’s not anymore, to really make these fascinating ancient wonders come to life.
To say that this book is fast-paced and action-packed would be an understatement. This book is like pure adrenaline from start to finish. And it’s literally from the very first page, as we’re immediately dropped right in the middle of the story. This is what Matthew Reilly does best, and he’s at the top of his game here.
Re-reading this book also makes me feel a bit old. Not because I’m reading it again after so many years, but because the font is quite small in my mass market paperback edition of this book. And I can see just how much my eyesight has deteriorated over the years. That and the pages themselves have also noticeably deteriorated quite a bit. So I might have to buy a new copy if I ever want to read this one again in the future.
Easily one of my favorite books of all time. It’s like Indiana Jones but on such an epic scale, you’d need the biggest budget ever in cinema history to truly do it justice. It’s like an action movie blockbuster like Die Hard. But so fast and furious, it keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Add in some outrageous and amazingly fascinating bits of history reminiscent of The Da Vince Code, and you’ve got this book.
The alliance consists of strong military types who go by cute nicknames like Pooh Bear and Princess Zoe. Because among them is a ten year old girl. And she’s the key to solving an ancient mystery that has the team searching all over the globe for the seven ancient wonders.
How many times have you ever come across a story where the good guys are a mix of people from relatively small countries on a global scale? That’s one of the things that immediately stands out from the get go. It’s this mix of cultures that creates a bit of tension between the underdog allies. But it’s overcoming those differences that helps them bond so quickly, and shines a light on one of the core themes of this series: friendship. This story basically shows us the difficulties but also the very large benefits that come from working together with people from other countries and cultures.
A big part of what makes this book so enjoyable is the interesting parts of ancient history we get to read about here. Having the seven ancient wonders as settings really elevates the story and makes it a story of undeniably epic proportions. You can tell the author did quite a bit of research about the seven ancient wonders. And what Matthew Reilly does really well is combining facts with fiction to the point where you can’t tell what’s fiction and what’s not anymore, to really make these fascinating ancient wonders come to life.
To say that this book is fast-paced and action-packed would be an understatement. This book is like pure adrenaline from start to finish. And it’s literally from the very first page, as we’re immediately dropped right in the middle of the story. This is what Matthew Reilly does best, and he’s at the top of his game here.
Re-reading this book also makes me feel a bit old. Not because I’m reading it again after so many years, but because the font is quite small in my mass market paperback edition of this book. And I can see just how much my eyesight has deteriorated over the years. That and the pages themselves have also noticeably deteriorated quite a bit. So I might have to buy a new copy if I ever want to read this one again in the future.
Easily one of my favorite books of all time. It’s like Indiana Jones but on such an epic scale, you’d need the biggest budget ever in cinema history to truly do it justice. It’s like an action movie blockbuster like Die Hard. But so fast and furious, it keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Add in some outrageous and amazingly fascinating bits of history reminiscent of The Da Vince Code, and you’ve got this book.
January 3, 2014
This book was so completely terrible, so absolutely lacking in anything resembling worth, that I simply had to talk about it. It is so bad that I couldn't believe it, and kept reading with the sole purpose to find out how bad it could really get, and so I could tell everybody I knew how totally, completely, wholly bad it was. The only other books I have ever even started to read that were this bad were a few cheesy romance novels, and I wondered how even those could get published.
Where to begin? I suppose if I had to explain why this book was so amazingly awful in a few words, I could simply point out that the characters were flat, uninteresting stereotypes, the plot was a sad, lame attempt at copying an Indiana Jones movie smashed together with a Dan Brown novel, and the writing itself was so incompetent that a seventh grade teacher would be hard-pressed to give it a good grade.
Then there's the fact that the motivations of characters and events are told to us with embarrassing clumsiness, major plot points are illogical to the point of absurdity (even beyond the suspension of disbelief you need for a story that revolves around the magical power of the Great Pyramid), and sweeping generalizations based on nationality are made at every turn, with the Evil Americans heading the pack.
But there's so much more to the horrific tragedy that is this book!
The plot is basically this: the missing top of the Great Pyramid of Giza has magical powers that will give one country on Earth supreme power if they put some dirt in it on a certain date. But of course, the missing pieces are missing, aren't they? They have been cleverly hidden in the seven wonders of the ancient world, to prevent some a-hole nation from gaining too much power. Guess which a-hole nation is trying to steal power a week before the special day? Also, if the missing pieces aren't put back on top of the Pyramid by noon on the special day, a big sunspot will melt everybody on the planet. Or something.
The heros of our story are trying to stop all the bad stuff from happening, naturally. We're given an awkward alliance of nations that the rest of the world doesn't seem to think are important - Ireland, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Israel (Israel? really?), Jamaica, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. Oh, and there's a little girl, on whom everything rests. The bad guys are the Americans, who stomp around killing people, stealing things, and being uniformly evil, and the European Union, with an evil Italian priest, the little girl's evil twin, and a whole bunch of French guys who are also uniformly evil, if devoid of distinction.
And that's about it for depth of story. Everything is cobbled together directly from Indiana Jones, with a healthy dose of Dan Brown conspiracy (complete with Freemason US Presidents and Catholic Church sun-worship) and the Australian version of Dirk Pitt from Clive Cussler's adventure novels. We're given a load of ancient wonders which have been hidden for millennia but which are easily found thanks to some ancient documents and scrolls. Each one has a load of "traps" which are always easily and quickly neutralized by our heroes, but which kill hordes of faceless bad guys. There's plenty of action all over the globe, from robbing the Louvre to cave-diving in Egypt to breaking into Guantanamo Bay to trekking across the Iraqi desert to murder on the plains of Kenya, but all of it takes place within a week and requires a private plane with unlimited fuel (stolen from Saddam Hussein) and a cheeky Kiwi pilot who apparently never needs to sleep.
The characters are so poorly drawn that the soullessly wicked Americans aren't even the worst offense (although the main evil one is named Judah - come on!). A couple of chapters in to the book, convinced that Reilly must hate Americans with an unholy passion, I skipped to the Q & A with the author at the back of the book, where he says that he doesn't hate Americans - heck, he's even met some and a few of them are actually quite intelligent! - but that he just needed a villain and they were so convenient. I then realized that Reilly is just totally incapable of characterization. Our main hero is presented as cool, detached, and lethal, but with a soft spot for the little girl - but this all has to be told to us (over and over) because the character's actions are completely inconsistent. The other characters have no distinction whatsoever, and are only delineated by goofy nicknames given to them by the little girl and by their adherence to the stereotypes of their given nationality.
By far the worst insult to the intelligence of the reader, however, is the extremely atrocious writing. There is an excessive use of demonstrative punctuation: exclamation points, italics, random paragraph and sentence breaks, the hyphen trail-off followed by a combination of all of the above. There is the recurrent use of sound-effect words, too, so one is constantly left with the feeling that the author is trying to describe a movie he saw once, but is too drunk to command an adequate vocabulary.
I could go on and on about how truly abysmal this book is (and yes, I did have to check the thesaurus for more ways to say "bad"), but really, I've already spent too much time on it already. Please, for the love of God, don't read this book.
Where to begin? I suppose if I had to explain why this book was so amazingly awful in a few words, I could simply point out that the characters were flat, uninteresting stereotypes, the plot was a sad, lame attempt at copying an Indiana Jones movie smashed together with a Dan Brown novel, and the writing itself was so incompetent that a seventh grade teacher would be hard-pressed to give it a good grade.
Then there's the fact that the motivations of characters and events are told to us with embarrassing clumsiness, major plot points are illogical to the point of absurdity (even beyond the suspension of disbelief you need for a story that revolves around the magical power of the Great Pyramid), and sweeping generalizations based on nationality are made at every turn, with the Evil Americans heading the pack.
But there's so much more to the horrific tragedy that is this book!
The plot is basically this: the missing top of the Great Pyramid of Giza has magical powers that will give one country on Earth supreme power if they put some dirt in it on a certain date. But of course, the missing pieces are missing, aren't they? They have been cleverly hidden in the seven wonders of the ancient world, to prevent some a-hole nation from gaining too much power. Guess which a-hole nation is trying to steal power a week before the special day? Also, if the missing pieces aren't put back on top of the Pyramid by noon on the special day, a big sunspot will melt everybody on the planet. Or something.
The heros of our story are trying to stop all the bad stuff from happening, naturally. We're given an awkward alliance of nations that the rest of the world doesn't seem to think are important - Ireland, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Israel (Israel? really?), Jamaica, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. Oh, and there's a little girl, on whom everything rests. The bad guys are the Americans, who stomp around killing people, stealing things, and being uniformly evil, and the European Union, with an evil Italian priest, the little girl's evil twin, and a whole bunch of French guys who are also uniformly evil, if devoid of distinction.
And that's about it for depth of story. Everything is cobbled together directly from Indiana Jones, with a healthy dose of Dan Brown conspiracy (complete with Freemason US Presidents and Catholic Church sun-worship) and the Australian version of Dirk Pitt from Clive Cussler's adventure novels. We're given a load of ancient wonders which have been hidden for millennia but which are easily found thanks to some ancient documents and scrolls. Each one has a load of "traps" which are always easily and quickly neutralized by our heroes, but which kill hordes of faceless bad guys. There's plenty of action all over the globe, from robbing the Louvre to cave-diving in Egypt to breaking into Guantanamo Bay to trekking across the Iraqi desert to murder on the plains of Kenya, but all of it takes place within a week and requires a private plane with unlimited fuel (stolen from Saddam Hussein) and a cheeky Kiwi pilot who apparently never needs to sleep.
The characters are so poorly drawn that the soullessly wicked Americans aren't even the worst offense (although the main evil one is named Judah - come on!). A couple of chapters in to the book, convinced that Reilly must hate Americans with an unholy passion, I skipped to the Q & A with the author at the back of the book, where he says that he doesn't hate Americans - heck, he's even met some and a few of them are actually quite intelligent! - but that he just needed a villain and they were so convenient. I then realized that Reilly is just totally incapable of characterization. Our main hero is presented as cool, detached, and lethal, but with a soft spot for the little girl - but this all has to be told to us (over and over) because the character's actions are completely inconsistent. The other characters have no distinction whatsoever, and are only delineated by goofy nicknames given to them by the little girl and by their adherence to the stereotypes of their given nationality.
By far the worst insult to the intelligence of the reader, however, is the extremely atrocious writing. There is an excessive use of demonstrative punctuation: exclamation points, italics, random paragraph and sentence breaks, the hyphen trail-off followed by a combination of all of the above. There is the recurrent use of sound-effect words, too, so one is constantly left with the feeling that the author is trying to describe a movie he saw once, but is too drunk to command an adequate vocabulary.
I could go on and on about how truly abysmal this book is (and yes, I did have to check the thesaurus for more ways to say "bad"), but really, I've already spent too much time on it already. Please, for the love of God, don't read this book.
July 23, 2020
**Re-read 07/20**
Not gonna lie - Reilly's writing is completely outrageous.
I am 100% here for it.
It's so over-the-top and action-packed and full of miraculous moments and impressive saves and I FKN LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
This book introduces us to one of my favourite fictional heroes: Jack West Jr. He's basically a badass blend of John McClane, Indiana Jones and Aragorn from LOTR - some of my faves right there - and he's accompanied by a hardcore team of warriors from around the globe as they race to find pieces of an ancient artefact that was long ago divided into seven parts and hidden in the seven ancient wonders of the world. Along for the ride is Lily - a vital piece of the puzzle, despite the fact that, apart from an uncanny gift for languages, she's a pretty normal ten-year-old.
It jumps straight into the action, with the team racing against vicious opposing forces to conquer an ancient system of traps to recover the first segment. The traps are wonderfully creative throughout the entire novel - as are the solutions to overcoming them. This is pretty consistent throughout the series - always interesting puzzles to solve! Naturally, not everyone gets out alive ... and we get some nice graphic depictions of these deaths. I mean, what's the point in having a pit full of crocs if no one is going to fall in, right?!
I love the sheer madness of the adventure and the creativity of the traps and deaths and the puzzles of the ancient wonders. I love the history that is integrated, and how real, factual information has been twisted to fit the story so neatly. I particularly love the pictures and diagrams that allow me to understand the locations and visualise everything so much better.
Jack's team is also full of some really lovable characters. Reilly's writing style means none of them are safe, but that makes the risk-taking that much more exciting, and you really do pick your faves and hope they make it out okay. There are also some beautiful moments seeing these hardcore warriors reveal their softer sides in their dealings with young Lily, who is a very clever kid. There's a bird, too - speaking of clever.
It's not particularly realistic by any means but it is fast, fascinating, and action-packed. There are no boring bits, and there are plenty of heroes and villains and violent deaths. There's a bit of mystery surrounding the puzzles of the pieces and the ancient history adds a depth to all the gung-ho that makes it a more intellectual offering perhaps than Reilly's other popular Scarecrow series.
It's also a complete adventure on its own while still leaving plenty of desire for a sequel. (Lucky for us there are already five more, with the sixth book in the series coming out October this year and a promised 7th to conclude the series.)
Honestly I love this series so it was so much fun to go back and re-read the story where it all began! Highly recommend for the action-lovers, the treasure-hunters and those who enjoy ancient history with a side of modern violence. How can you not want to read it with that plug, am I right?
**Original review 08/15**
Another brilliantly ridiculous, action-packed novel by Matthew Reilly. Firstly, if you enjoy realistic situations, forget it. There is far too much coincidence for anyone looking for realism. On the other hand, if you like fast and hard action with fascinating variety and an element of mystery, this delivers. Great collection of characters doing batsh*t insane things in crazy situations with very little reprieve. I really enjoyed the overall story of the ancient wonders, and I think it's this theme that makes me prefer this introductory novel to Ice Station. Can't wait to read the next one!
Not gonna lie - Reilly's writing is completely outrageous.
I am 100% here for it.
It's so over-the-top and action-packed and full of miraculous moments and impressive saves and I FKN LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
This book introduces us to one of my favourite fictional heroes: Jack West Jr. He's basically a badass blend of John McClane, Indiana Jones and Aragorn from LOTR - some of my faves right there - and he's accompanied by a hardcore team of warriors from around the globe as they race to find pieces of an ancient artefact that was long ago divided into seven parts and hidden in the seven ancient wonders of the world. Along for the ride is Lily - a vital piece of the puzzle, despite the fact that, apart from an uncanny gift for languages, she's a pretty normal ten-year-old.
It jumps straight into the action, with the team racing against vicious opposing forces to conquer an ancient system of traps to recover the first segment. The traps are wonderfully creative throughout the entire novel - as are the solutions to overcoming them. This is pretty consistent throughout the series - always interesting puzzles to solve! Naturally, not everyone gets out alive ... and we get some nice graphic depictions of these deaths. I mean, what's the point in having a pit full of crocs if no one is going to fall in, right?!
I love the sheer madness of the adventure and the creativity of the traps and deaths and the puzzles of the ancient wonders. I love the history that is integrated, and how real, factual information has been twisted to fit the story so neatly. I particularly love the pictures and diagrams that allow me to understand the locations and visualise everything so much better.
Jack's team is also full of some really lovable characters. Reilly's writing style means none of them are safe, but that makes the risk-taking that much more exciting, and you really do pick your faves and hope they make it out okay. There are also some beautiful moments seeing these hardcore warriors reveal their softer sides in their dealings with young Lily, who is a very clever kid. There's a bird, too - speaking of clever.
It's not particularly realistic by any means but it is fast, fascinating, and action-packed. There are no boring bits, and there are plenty of heroes and villains and violent deaths. There's a bit of mystery surrounding the puzzles of the pieces and the ancient history adds a depth to all the gung-ho that makes it a more intellectual offering perhaps than Reilly's other popular Scarecrow series.
It's also a complete adventure on its own while still leaving plenty of desire for a sequel. (Lucky for us there are already five more, with the sixth book in the series coming out October this year and a promised 7th to conclude the series.)
Honestly I love this series so it was so much fun to go back and re-read the story where it all began! Highly recommend for the action-lovers, the treasure-hunters and those who enjoy ancient history with a side of modern violence. How can you not want to read it with that plug, am I right?
**Original review 08/15**
Another brilliantly ridiculous, action-packed novel by Matthew Reilly. Firstly, if you enjoy realistic situations, forget it. There is far too much coincidence for anyone looking for realism. On the other hand, if you like fast and hard action with fascinating variety and an element of mystery, this delivers. Great collection of characters doing batsh*t insane things in crazy situations with very little reprieve. I really enjoyed the overall story of the ancient wonders, and I think it's this theme that makes me prefer this introductory novel to Ice Station. Can't wait to read the next one!
May 31, 2022
Still so fucking good
May 10, 2012
Seven Deadly Wonders introduces a new character by Matthew Reilly to me, Jack West Jr. It's very hard to follow in the footsteps of Shane 'Scarecrow' Schofield, because, well, he's the man! But I have to say I really do like Jack. What's not to like about him? He's a fun character. Honorable, intelligent, athletic, dedicated, daring, and lethal to the bad guys. And being a girl who grew up on Indiana Jones, and wanted to be her own version of the adventurer, Jack has an Indiana Jones in a modern setting appeal.
I thought this story was a clever idea. I had watched a documentary on The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and they inspired a great awe in this history buff. To read a story in which our intrepid heroes track down these wonders, not for selfish reasons, but to save the world, was both interesting and exciting. This is one of those books I could not read quietly, which makes me happy I wasn't trying to read it in mixed company. It is full of scenes where I gasped out loud regularly, verbally and under my breath yelled insults at the bad guys, cheered and laughed. This is the brilliance of Matt Reilly. He is one of those writers that engages you and gives you a fun read that takes you out of your regular world and into danger and adventure. It's not always without loss or risk, because sometimes you lose characters you grew fond of along the way. In the end though, I know that good will win out. If it didn't in these books, I wouldn't be a Matt Reilly fan anymore.
I liked the found family that I met with Jack and his team. I am a tremendous sucker for a father figure hero. Even though Jack isn't the touchy-feely type, you can tell he loves young Lily like crazy, not as a mere means to an end or a mission.
I have to say, I liked that Reilly wasn't afraid to make the Americans the bad guys. In his Q&A, he explained his reasonings and made it clear he has nothing against Americans. I wasn't mad at him anyway, but I tell you, I was hating on the bad guys something fierce. But honestly, he spread some of the bad guy yuck around evenly.
Warning: If you are a Christian, don't take some of the stuff about the Catholic church and the so called origins of some of the tenets of the church (indirectly Christianity) seriously. Before I started getting annoyed, I just rolled my eyes. It's a fiction book, and I am not trying to take offense at that stuff, and I don't think Reilly was trying to criticize or devalue Christianity itself. He has bit of the Illuminati thing going on, but doesn't call them that. Suffice it so say, if you have any conspiracy theory leanings, you will appreciate some of the elements about secret societies in this book.
The writing style isn't erudite or lofty. It's serviceable and casual. I just went with it, and I have to say that it fits the story. I like that Reilly writes fun books. He's not worried about being a member of the literary elite (which is fine with me because I hate book snobbery). At the same time, I felt like he worked hard to deliver a good quality read, and a lot of plotting went into this story. I appreciate the diagrams and illustrations, because I would have given myself an aneurysm trying to visualize a lot of it.
If you have any ancient history geek leanings like myself, here is a writeup on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It's exciting stuff, if you're a nerd, anyway.
As usual, there is some blood and violence. That's sort of Reilly's thing, but he doesn't focus as much on it in this book as in the others I read by him because this is more adventure than action. There are a lot thrills as they navigate dangerous ancient traps and pitfalls to get to the artifacts. Good stuff! I don't like gore much, I did the excitement of the over-the-top action scenes. Some parts had me laughing because they were so crazy!
Final Thoughts:
If you want a fun and educational in a 'doesn't take itself to seriously kind of way' read, with a lovable, larger than life (but rather humble) hero, and a great ensemble, with a cute but highly intelligent little girl thrown in, look no further! (Warning: Run on sentence!) If you like ancient history but want to have fun at the same time, this book is for you. If you watched Indiana Jones a lot and still haven't moved on, check out Seven Deadly Wonders!
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars
I thought this story was a clever idea. I had watched a documentary on The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and they inspired a great awe in this history buff. To read a story in which our intrepid heroes track down these wonders, not for selfish reasons, but to save the world, was both interesting and exciting. This is one of those books I could not read quietly, which makes me happy I wasn't trying to read it in mixed company. It is full of scenes where I gasped out loud regularly, verbally and under my breath yelled insults at the bad guys, cheered and laughed. This is the brilliance of Matt Reilly. He is one of those writers that engages you and gives you a fun read that takes you out of your regular world and into danger and adventure. It's not always without loss or risk, because sometimes you lose characters you grew fond of along the way. In the end though, I know that good will win out. If it didn't in these books, I wouldn't be a Matt Reilly fan anymore.
I liked the found family that I met with Jack and his team. I am a tremendous sucker for a father figure hero. Even though Jack isn't the touchy-feely type, you can tell he loves young Lily like crazy, not as a mere means to an end or a mission.
I have to say, I liked that Reilly wasn't afraid to make the Americans the bad guys. In his Q&A, he explained his reasonings and made it clear he has nothing against Americans. I wasn't mad at him anyway, but I tell you, I was hating on the bad guys something fierce. But honestly, he spread some of the bad guy yuck around evenly.
Warning: If you are a Christian, don't take some of the stuff about the Catholic church and the so called origins of some of the tenets of the church (indirectly Christianity) seriously. Before I started getting annoyed, I just rolled my eyes. It's a fiction book, and I am not trying to take offense at that stuff, and I don't think Reilly was trying to criticize or devalue Christianity itself. He has bit of the Illuminati thing going on, but doesn't call them that. Suffice it so say, if you have any conspiracy theory leanings, you will appreciate some of the elements about secret societies in this book.
The writing style isn't erudite or lofty. It's serviceable and casual. I just went with it, and I have to say that it fits the story. I like that Reilly writes fun books. He's not worried about being a member of the literary elite (which is fine with me because I hate book snobbery). At the same time, I felt like he worked hard to deliver a good quality read, and a lot of plotting went into this story. I appreciate the diagrams and illustrations, because I would have given myself an aneurysm trying to visualize a lot of it.
If you have any ancient history geek leanings like myself, here is a writeup on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It's exciting stuff, if you're a nerd, anyway.
As usual, there is some blood and violence. That's sort of Reilly's thing, but he doesn't focus as much on it in this book as in the others I read by him because this is more adventure than action. There are a lot thrills as they navigate dangerous ancient traps and pitfalls to get to the artifacts. Good stuff! I don't like gore much, I did the excitement of the over-the-top action scenes. Some parts had me laughing because they were so crazy!
Final Thoughts:
If you want a fun and educational in a 'doesn't take itself to seriously kind of way' read, with a lovable, larger than life (but rather humble) hero, and a great ensemble, with a cute but highly intelligent little girl thrown in, look no further! (Warning: Run on sentence!) If you like ancient history but want to have fun at the same time, this book is for you. If you watched Indiana Jones a lot and still haven't moved on, check out Seven Deadly Wonders!
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars
November 18, 2010
A few weeks ago someone in my apartment building left a bunch of old magazines and recipe books in the lobby on a shelf that acts as a kind of internal charity shop. Amongst the 2008 editions of Marie Claire magazines was this book. Judging the book by its cover I assumed it would be god-awful pop fiction riding the Dan Brown bandwagon, so I of course picked it up and read it today on a return trip to Oxford.
I confess, the book isn't terrible. I'm used to suspending my sense of disbelief when reading, but I wasn't aware when I started it that Matthew Reilly books require the reader to completely disregard the physical rules of our universe, maybe if I'd been forewarned I'd have enjoyed the book more. But like I said: it wasn't terrible.
There are some issues with the book and I'll get them out of the way quickly. First, Matthew Reilly loves italics. I got the distinct impression he read his first draft and decided there just weren't enough slanty letters, so dropped italic dust all over each page, oftentimes on words that don't even need emphasis.
He also has a thing for exclamation marks. I'm honestly not used to seeing these outside of speech. If something dramatic happens in a book I assume I'll notice, I don't really need an exclamation mark to tell me.
Another punctuation mark of choice is the ellipsis. Far too many times something dramatic started happeneing…
… and then was resolved on the next line. If this were a tv series and those dots represented seven days between broadcasts then they would invoke a lot of tension, but when they involve dropping my eyes to the next line, something they have to do every dozen words anyway, all it does is irk.
The three issues above are infused in a sentence of comedic genius about half way into the book. I present my favourite sentence in Seven Ancient Wonders:
They were being attacked…
…from the golf course!
A perhaps misplaced issue I had with the book is the presence of schematic diagrams of the various places visited in the text. They kind of give the impression that the author doesn't quite trust in his ability to describe the current location, or the reader's ability to imagine it.
Finally, and most anally, there's a lot of Egyptian writing mentioned in the book. At their first appearance Reilly called the symbols hieroglyphs, and I rejoiced. Then the next time he said hieroglyphics, and I died a little. He couldn't seem to figure out which one he should use so did what I used to do on French exams and used them both alternately, figuring he'd get at least half of them right. On a similarly pedantic note, at one point he describes a cross shaped room as being "cross shaped", then later describes an identically shaped room as being "†-shaped". Why?
Despite all that the book zips along at such a pace that by the time any of these things annoyed me it was already a few pages passed. It's sillier than Da Vinci Code but, as the author says in an interview at the end of the book, the book is more Indiana Jones than Robert Langdon. Which I'd guessed the nineteenth time the heroes triggered a trap that sent a massive boulder chasing them down a slope…
… and then they dived out of the way just in time!
I confess, the book isn't terrible. I'm used to suspending my sense of disbelief when reading, but I wasn't aware when I started it that Matthew Reilly books require the reader to completely disregard the physical rules of our universe, maybe if I'd been forewarned I'd have enjoyed the book more. But like I said: it wasn't terrible.
There are some issues with the book and I'll get them out of the way quickly. First, Matthew Reilly loves italics. I got the distinct impression he read his first draft and decided there just weren't enough slanty letters, so dropped italic dust all over each page, oftentimes on words that don't even need emphasis.
He also has a thing for exclamation marks. I'm honestly not used to seeing these outside of speech. If something dramatic happens in a book I assume I'll notice, I don't really need an exclamation mark to tell me.
Another punctuation mark of choice is the ellipsis. Far too many times something dramatic started happeneing…
… and then was resolved on the next line. If this were a tv series and those dots represented seven days between broadcasts then they would invoke a lot of tension, but when they involve dropping my eyes to the next line, something they have to do every dozen words anyway, all it does is irk.
The three issues above are infused in a sentence of comedic genius about half way into the book. I present my favourite sentence in Seven Ancient Wonders:
They were being attacked…
…from the golf course!
A perhaps misplaced issue I had with the book is the presence of schematic diagrams of the various places visited in the text. They kind of give the impression that the author doesn't quite trust in his ability to describe the current location, or the reader's ability to imagine it.
Finally, and most anally, there's a lot of Egyptian writing mentioned in the book. At their first appearance Reilly called the symbols hieroglyphs, and I rejoiced. Then the next time he said hieroglyphics, and I died a little. He couldn't seem to figure out which one he should use so did what I used to do on French exams and used them both alternately, figuring he'd get at least half of them right. On a similarly pedantic note, at one point he describes a cross shaped room as being "cross shaped", then later describes an identically shaped room as being "†-shaped". Why?
Despite all that the book zips along at such a pace that by the time any of these things annoyed me it was already a few pages passed. It's sillier than Da Vinci Code but, as the author says in an interview at the end of the book, the book is more Indiana Jones than Robert Langdon. Which I'd guessed the nineteenth time the heroes triggered a trap that sent a massive boulder chasing them down a slope…
… and then they dived out of the way just in time!
August 24, 2024
Matthew Reilly's "Seven Deadly Wonders" is akin to reading a 90s action B-movie. Unfortunately, the novel fails to deliver a compelling narrative, with both the plot and characters lacking believability. While Reilly attempts to blend high-octane action with historical mysteries, the result is a muddled execution that leaves much to be desired.
From the outset, the characters come off as one-dimensional and unconvincing. They are supposedly a diverse group from various backgrounds, but this diversity is sadly superficial. This oversight detracts significantly from the novel, creating a sense of sameness that undermines the story's potential. For instance, Big Ears dangling precariously over a ledge is a moment ripe with tension but falls flat due to clichéd dialogue and character interactions:
»Big Ears was dangling over the edge of Level 1 directly above her, helpless. ‘I can’t get to her!’
‘And I can!’ another voice called.
West.
He never missed a step.
Running full tilt, he just leapt off the edge of Level 1 and sailed in a high curving arc through the air toward the croc-lake below.«
The plot is convoluted with numerous loose ends and implausible scenarios. The novel struggles to maintain a coherent storyline, often feeling episodic rather than a unified narrative. This lack of cohesion disrupts the reading experience and makes it difficult to remain invested in the characters' exploits. The plot includes a vividly gruesome yet ridiculous depiction of a Caesarean delivery performed during a volcanic eruption.
»A gruesome yet urgent image: flanked by the encroaching lava and the steadily lowering ceiling, the two men perform a Caesarean delivery on the dead woman’s body using West’s Leatherman knife.«
Reilly's attempts at infusing the story with historical conspiracies come across as overly extravagant and eye-roll-inducing. The portrayal of the Cult of Amun-Ra, linked to various historical and modern figures, borders on the absurd. This inclusion feels less like a testament to thorough research and more like desperate embellishment.
»This Cult of Amun-Ra has endured to the present day, under many guises. For instance, the Knights of St John of Malta, and some sections of the Catholic Church.
‘The Freemasons, too, have long attached great significance to the Great Pyramid—and are often accused of being a thinly-veiled reincarnation of the Cult of Amun-Ra. Indeed, one very famous Freemason, Napoleon Bonaparte, was initiated into the order’s highest ranks inside the King’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid.«
Ultimately, "Seven Deadly Wonders" reads like a cheap piece of bubble gum – initially somewhat fresh but quickly becoming bland and boring. The novel fails to deliver on its intriguing premise, leaving readers with a disappointing aftertaste. With its numerous flaws and lacklustre execution, this novel does not live up to the standards set by other works in the genre. If you’re seeking a quality action-adventure read, you might want to look elsewhere.
If you want an in-depth, detailed review, read https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... which absolutely nails it.
One star out of five.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
From the outset, the characters come off as one-dimensional and unconvincing. They are supposedly a diverse group from various backgrounds, but this diversity is sadly superficial. This oversight detracts significantly from the novel, creating a sense of sameness that undermines the story's potential. For instance, Big Ears dangling precariously over a ledge is a moment ripe with tension but falls flat due to clichéd dialogue and character interactions:
»Big Ears was dangling over the edge of Level 1 directly above her, helpless. ‘I can’t get to her!’
‘And I can!’ another voice called.
West.
He never missed a step.
Running full tilt, he just leapt off the edge of Level 1 and sailed in a high curving arc through the air toward the croc-lake below.«
The plot is convoluted with numerous loose ends and implausible scenarios. The novel struggles to maintain a coherent storyline, often feeling episodic rather than a unified narrative. This lack of cohesion disrupts the reading experience and makes it difficult to remain invested in the characters' exploits. The plot includes a vividly gruesome yet ridiculous depiction of a Caesarean delivery performed during a volcanic eruption.
»A gruesome yet urgent image: flanked by the encroaching lava and the steadily lowering ceiling, the two men perform a Caesarean delivery on the dead woman’s body using West’s Leatherman knife.«
Reilly's attempts at infusing the story with historical conspiracies come across as overly extravagant and eye-roll-inducing. The portrayal of the Cult of Amun-Ra, linked to various historical and modern figures, borders on the absurd. This inclusion feels less like a testament to thorough research and more like desperate embellishment.
»This Cult of Amun-Ra has endured to the present day, under many guises. For instance, the Knights of St John of Malta, and some sections of the Catholic Church.
‘The Freemasons, too, have long attached great significance to the Great Pyramid—and are often accused of being a thinly-veiled reincarnation of the Cult of Amun-Ra. Indeed, one very famous Freemason, Napoleon Bonaparte, was initiated into the order’s highest ranks inside the King’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid.«
Ultimately, "Seven Deadly Wonders" reads like a cheap piece of bubble gum – initially somewhat fresh but quickly becoming bland and boring. The novel fails to deliver on its intriguing premise, leaving readers with a disappointing aftertaste. With its numerous flaws and lacklustre execution, this novel does not live up to the standards set by other works in the genre. If you’re seeking a quality action-adventure read, you might want to look elsewhere.
If you want an in-depth, detailed review, read https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... which absolutely nails it.
One star out of five.
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Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
January 18, 2024
2024: Like a boys' own adventure, it's very much like reading an action-packed computer game. Lots of running, jumping, killing & surviving; a quest on a massive scale as we tear around the ancient wonders of Egypt with the aim of saving humanity from certain destruction, not so much a result of the natural disaster headed Earthwards, but from their own stupidity, cupidity, rapacity, call it what you will.
I love that it's the big world players that are the bad guys in this, it makes a nice change to see Jamaica on the winning team & Australia come up with the prize. I find amusing the equation of Catholic Church, Freemasons & Sun Cult, it has a ring of truth - all that secrecy & mumbo jumbo. Lily's re-naming of her squad & the swear jar is a bit twee, but I suppose she is just a little girl.
Easy-reading, fast-paced, adrenalin-packed: suspend disbelief & enjoy the ride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
2006: Great action, fast-paced, interesting characters, and a bit of a laugh at the end. For pure entertainment I haven't read a much better. It's made for the big screen but I can't imagine the yanks accepting themselves as one of the bad guys so I guess the hero will be USAn if it ever hits the box office.
blurb:
It is the biggest treasure hunt in history with contesting nations involved in a headlong race to locate the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 4500 years ago, a magnificent golden capstone sat at the peak of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was a source of immense power, reputedly capable of bestowing upon its holder absolute global power. But then it was divided into seven pieces and hidden, each piece separately, within the seven greatest structures of the age. Now it's 2006 and the coming of a rare solar event means it's time to locate the seven pieces and rebuild the capstone. Everyone wants it - from the most powerful countries on Earth to gangs of terrorists ...and one daring coalition of eight small nations. Led by the mysterious Captain Jack West Jr, this determined group enters a global battlefield filled with booby-trapped mines, crocodile-infested swamps, evil forces and an adventure beyond imagining.
I love that it's the big world players that are the bad guys in this, it makes a nice change to see Jamaica on the winning team & Australia come up with the prize. I find amusing the equation of Catholic Church, Freemasons & Sun Cult, it has a ring of truth - all that secrecy & mumbo jumbo. Lily's re-naming of her squad & the swear jar is a bit twee, but I suppose she is just a little girl.
Easy-reading, fast-paced, adrenalin-packed: suspend disbelief & enjoy the ride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
2006: Great action, fast-paced, interesting characters, and a bit of a laugh at the end. For pure entertainment I haven't read a much better. It's made for the big screen but I can't imagine the yanks accepting themselves as one of the bad guys so I guess the hero will be USAn if it ever hits the box office.
blurb:
It is the biggest treasure hunt in history with contesting nations involved in a headlong race to locate the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 4500 years ago, a magnificent golden capstone sat at the peak of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was a source of immense power, reputedly capable of bestowing upon its holder absolute global power. But then it was divided into seven pieces and hidden, each piece separately, within the seven greatest structures of the age. Now it's 2006 and the coming of a rare solar event means it's time to locate the seven pieces and rebuild the capstone. Everyone wants it - from the most powerful countries on Earth to gangs of terrorists ...and one daring coalition of eight small nations. Led by the mysterious Captain Jack West Jr, this determined group enters a global battlefield filled with booby-trapped mines, crocodile-infested swamps, evil forces and an adventure beyond imagining.
March 2, 2014
I couldn't cope with the appalling writing style.
He writes a line -
- and carries it on.
And I could have played bingo with the sheer number of the word 'suddenly.'
Worst crime?
Ending one chapter with: "Jack had made a terrible mistake"
And starting the next one with "No, he hadn't"
WHAT?!
He writes a line -
- and carries it on.
And I could have played bingo with the sheer number of the word 'suddenly.'
Worst crime?
Ending one chapter with: "Jack had made a terrible mistake"
And starting the next one with "No, he hadn't"
WHAT?!
December 17, 2009
Some time ago, I gave this book to a friend as a gift. Said friend is a big fan of the archaeological-mystery genre, and this looked to be right up her alley. Then, last weekend, I visited her home and found myself with a few hours to kill. I picked this up and started reading.
I owe my friend an apology.
Wow, what dreck. Or should I say, Wow! What dreck! The author's ridiculously breathless writing style, obviously intended to tell us that This! Story! Is supposed to be! Exciting! in case it slipped our minds, is rivaled only by the implausibility of the plot. The characters go around nearly-dying in nasty traps, complete with choppy exclamatory prose, only to breeze through other traps whenever the author wants to take the easy way out. The thing that finally made me shout audibly at the book was when a torch was falling toward a pool of oil, about to flambe the hero, and his freaking BIRD swooped in and carried the torch away. Unless the bird, whose name is Horus, is ACTUALLY THE GOD HORUS, I don't think so! Good grief.
I didn't make it much further than that. So, I must confess, I only followed Gary Stu--I mean Jack--to the first of the seven wonders. I don't think I can take six more wonders' worth of exclamation marks.
I owe my friend an apology.
Wow, what dreck. Or should I say, Wow! What dreck! The author's ridiculously breathless writing style, obviously intended to tell us that This! Story! Is supposed to be! Exciting! in case it slipped our minds, is rivaled only by the implausibility of the plot. The characters go around nearly-dying in nasty traps, complete with choppy exclamatory prose, only to breeze through other traps whenever the author wants to take the easy way out. The thing that finally made me shout audibly at the book was when a torch was falling toward a pool of oil, about to flambe the hero, and his freaking BIRD swooped in and carried the torch away. Unless the bird, whose name is Horus, is ACTUALLY THE GOD HORUS, I don't think so! Good grief.
I didn't make it much further than that. So, I must confess, I only followed Gary Stu--I mean Jack--to the first of the seven wonders. I don't think I can take six more wonders' worth of exclamation marks.
August 2, 2011
You either love it or hate it...
Reilly's writing style is reminiscent of the fight scenes in the TV Batman series of the sixties...
Bam-
He leapt onto the helicopter from the tree
-Zoom
Relentless, totally implausible high octane scene followed by well, ditto... and then once more and just when you need a breather you are plunged headlong into a crocodile infested pit on your way to saving the world from mysterious shadow organisations operating within governments... oh and of course the President is always one of these Freemasons who got to power solely to further his agenda... okay you get the picture.
Having said all that when I read, I occasionally like to be transported to a totally inane world full of aligators, missing Wonders of the World, treasures lost in antiquity discovered within minutes of said hero decipering parchments which have baffled experts for millennia, bullet evading technology, children who can deciper any language or text, impossible heists, breaking into impenetrable fortresses as easy as walking into a Wal-Mart and buying the next book in the series...
Great rollicking fun but leave your IQ and sense of reality at the door to the tomb of a thousand snakes...
Reilly's writing style is reminiscent of the fight scenes in the TV Batman series of the sixties...
Bam-
He leapt onto the helicopter from the tree
-Zoom
Relentless, totally implausible high octane scene followed by well, ditto... and then once more and just when you need a breather you are plunged headlong into a crocodile infested pit on your way to saving the world from mysterious shadow organisations operating within governments... oh and of course the President is always one of these Freemasons who got to power solely to further his agenda... okay you get the picture.
Having said all that when I read, I occasionally like to be transported to a totally inane world full of aligators, missing Wonders of the World, treasures lost in antiquity discovered within minutes of said hero decipering parchments which have baffled experts for millennia, bullet evading technology, children who can deciper any language or text, impossible heists, breaking into impenetrable fortresses as easy as walking into a Wal-Mart and buying the next book in the series...
Great rollicking fun but leave your IQ and sense of reality at the door to the tomb of a thousand snakes...
April 1, 2017
What do you suppose would happen if an adventure novel got viciously mugged by a big fish tale? Probably something a lot like this. Now listen, if you want paeans to technology, stick to Clancy. Odes to science? Crichton's your man (Miss you already, Michael). But for sheer exuberance, not to mention all the momentum of a monster avalanche, Matthew Reilly is definitely your go-to guy. He's not afraid to use mutant walruses, mutant jaguars, hell, mutant children.
But there are rules here: throw logic out the window, along with anything you may know about military training, basic psychology, or the physical laws of our local universe. None of that truly matters because what we have here is a smorgasborg of myth, conspiracy theory(my favorite), and Indiana Jones-style schlepping- think Temple of Doom, not Raiders- a confusion of kidnappings, sneakthievery, deaths, almost deaths, etc, etc. In short, possibly the tastiest, most addictive junk food you may ever be privileged to eat. Buy it quick before someone figures out the red dye could kill you.
But there are rules here: throw logic out the window, along with anything you may know about military training, basic psychology, or the physical laws of our local universe. None of that truly matters because what we have here is a smorgasborg of myth, conspiracy theory(my favorite), and Indiana Jones-style schlepping- think Temple of Doom, not Raiders- a confusion of kidnappings, sneakthievery, deaths, almost deaths, etc, etc. In short, possibly the tastiest, most addictive junk food you may ever be privileged to eat. Buy it quick before someone figures out the red dye could kill you.
June 12, 2017
The adventure of Indiana Jones
The exotic locations of The Bourne Identity
The underworlds of The Da Vinci Code
The action of James Bond
The mystery of Tomb Raider
The terror of The Mummy
An easy 5 stars.
The exotic locations of The Bourne Identity
The underworlds of The Da Vinci Code
The action of James Bond
The mystery of Tomb Raider
The terror of The Mummy
An easy 5 stars.
January 24, 2016
Executive Summary: This book is ridiculous. I'm torn between a 2 and 3 star rating because it's a solid 2.5. I have to round down because what started off pretty fun got so over the top by the end that I was constantly rolling my eyes.
Audiobook: William Dufris is a pretty good narrator that I've enjoyed from John Scalzi's Old Man War series. He does some voices and is easy to listen to. However, I kept waiting for the characters to start using their Brain Pals. It was a bit hard to separate Mr. Dufris from that series as I listened.
Full Review
As 2015 came to a close, I realized just how much fantasy I read last year. Now that's not unusual for me but I used to read a lot more mysteries and thrillers and didn't really get too heavy into fantasy until college.
I solicited some recommendations for non-SFF books to check out with the main criteria being light and fun. Apparently I picked the most ridiculous book to start with first. For me the main attraction was the Indiana Jones vibe/the mentions of Ancient Egypt. I loved Ancient Egypt as a kid. One of the main reasons I got in Stargate was its basis in Ancient Egypt.
This book is fun, don't get me wrong. However the writing was pretty bad. I also had believability issues. Not only in the "military" actions of some of the characters, but the politics. I get America is not everyone's favorite country. It's totally understandable. Still I have a really hard time believing that Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland (not the UK) will team up with Spain and the United Arab Emirates against the US. First off that seems a bit random. Second it shows a lack of understanding on the author's part about the nature of the relationship between the major English speaking nations.
Even that aside, I have a really hard time believing any nation, will just casually use soldiers as expendable test subjects for ancient traps. It just seemed silly. It wasn't just the Americans either. There was also the evil Europeans made up of France, Germany and the Vatican. What!? I know this is fiction, but seriously..did this guy not learn any world history growing up? I feel like he made his factions by using darts on a map or something.
Anyways in addition to the bad writing/unbelievable parts, most of the characters felt paper-thin and cartoonish. By the end I just wanted to be done. It's probably why after long thought I'm rounding my rating down.
That said, I did enjoy good chunks of this book. I liked the general premise of the plot, the exploration of ancient tombs/wonders and the various traps they encountered and had to overcome. I bet a better author could have made a really good story out of it.
It's too bad because I had pretty high hopes for this one, and since it's book 1 in a series, I figured I'd have a few to read. I just can't though. This author just apparently isn't for me. Still I'm glad I read the book. It's definitely the type of book I was looking to read. Hopefully the next non-SFF pick will go a little better.
Audiobook: William Dufris is a pretty good narrator that I've enjoyed from John Scalzi's Old Man War series. He does some voices and is easy to listen to. However, I kept waiting for the characters to start using their Brain Pals. It was a bit hard to separate Mr. Dufris from that series as I listened.
Full Review
As 2015 came to a close, I realized just how much fantasy I read last year. Now that's not unusual for me but I used to read a lot more mysteries and thrillers and didn't really get too heavy into fantasy until college.
I solicited some recommendations for non-SFF books to check out with the main criteria being light and fun. Apparently I picked the most ridiculous book to start with first. For me the main attraction was the Indiana Jones vibe/the mentions of Ancient Egypt. I loved Ancient Egypt as a kid. One of the main reasons I got in Stargate was its basis in Ancient Egypt.
This book is fun, don't get me wrong. However the writing was pretty bad. I also had believability issues. Not only in the "military" actions of some of the characters, but the politics. I get America is not everyone's favorite country. It's totally understandable. Still I have a really hard time believing that Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland (not the UK) will team up with Spain and the United Arab Emirates against the US. First off that seems a bit random. Second it shows a lack of understanding on the author's part about the nature of the relationship between the major English speaking nations.
Even that aside, I have a really hard time believing any nation, will just casually use soldiers as expendable test subjects for ancient traps. It just seemed silly. It wasn't just the Americans either. There was also the evil Europeans made up of France, Germany and the Vatican. What!? I know this is fiction, but seriously..did this guy not learn any world history growing up? I feel like he made his factions by using darts on a map or something.
Anyways in addition to the bad writing/unbelievable parts, most of the characters felt paper-thin and cartoonish. By the end I just wanted to be done. It's probably why after long thought I'm rounding my rating down.
That said, I did enjoy good chunks of this book. I liked the general premise of the plot, the exploration of ancient tombs/wonders and the various traps they encountered and had to overcome. I bet a better author could have made a really good story out of it.
It's too bad because I had pretty high hopes for this one, and since it's book 1 in a series, I figured I'd have a few to read. I just can't though. This author just apparently isn't for me. Still I'm glad I read the book. It's definitely the type of book I was looking to read. Hopefully the next non-SFF pick will go a little better.
January 13, 2017
What a Ride!
Matthew Reilly always brings an exciting thrill ride of a tale to the pages of his book, this was no exception.
I love how he obviously does his research so the theories etc become more believable.
In this book we are taken on a mythological ride with Jack West Jr an ex-SAS army dude with a bunch of international team mates trying to get ahead of the larger competition in collecting all the pieces of the famed 'Golden cap-stone' of the Great Pyramid.
There is non stop action, a bit of history, some characters to love and hate, blood and guts, amazing wonders.
I really don't know why I didn't pick this book up earlier to read!
I am giving it 4.5 stars & I cant wait to read the next tale of Jack West Jr in The Six Sacred Stones
Matthew Reilly always brings an exciting thrill ride of a tale to the pages of his book, this was no exception.
I love how he obviously does his research so the theories etc become more believable.
In this book we are taken on a mythological ride with Jack West Jr an ex-SAS army dude with a bunch of international team mates trying to get ahead of the larger competition in collecting all the pieces of the famed 'Golden cap-stone' of the Great Pyramid.
There is non stop action, a bit of history, some characters to love and hate, blood and guts, amazing wonders.
I really don't know why I didn't pick this book up earlier to read!
I am giving it 4.5 stars & I cant wait to read the next tale of Jack West Jr in The Six Sacred Stones
April 4, 2024
I always loved Matthew Reilly books, cuz it gives something else from other action books.
This was totally military fiction and chaos story.
You learn a lot with some false facts but its still a wonderful and fast read. Gonna read next in this series.
This was totally military fiction and chaos story.
You learn a lot with some false facts but its still a wonderful and fast read. Gonna read next in this series.
May 30, 2021
What can I say - I am officially a die-hard Matt Reilly fan! This was my second book by Reilly and it was as great as the first one! I look forward to reading many more.
This is an action packed adventure tale that doesn't slow down. With rough and tough soldiers and a 10 year old girl that has them all wrapped around her little finger - she changes their call-signs from the tough-guy names to cute, childlike names (Pooh Bear, Stretch, Big Ears) - and still this doesn't make the story any less of a thriller. It actually makes the team seem more like a wierd family and makes you care even more about the characters. At least that was the case for me!
It's a great story, with an Indiana Jones type flair and maybe a bit of Tomb Raider and a touch of James Bond action/inventions..... Is it realistic or true to history probably not, but it's fiction! Was Indiana Jones believable, nope!, but I still love him and his adventures! :-)
This is an action packed adventure tale that doesn't slow down. With rough and tough soldiers and a 10 year old girl that has them all wrapped around her little finger - she changes their call-signs from the tough-guy names to cute, childlike names (Pooh Bear, Stretch, Big Ears) - and still this doesn't make the story any less of a thriller. It actually makes the team seem more like a wierd family and makes you care even more about the characters. At least that was the case for me!
It's a great story, with an Indiana Jones type flair and maybe a bit of Tomb Raider and a touch of James Bond action/inventions..... Is it realistic or true to history probably not, but it's fiction! Was Indiana Jones believable, nope!, but I still love him and his adventures! :-)
June 23, 2017
First of all, I didn't finish the book. I simply couldn't. It started off on a positive note, like a lot of first dates I've been on. Unfortunately it ended with a fake phone call, sudden emergency, gotta run - it's not you it's me kind of ending. I'm actually surprised I made it to page 70.
I read this book because the author was recommended to me by a friend. Unfortunately the public library (which is also the high school library in my town) only had three of the authors books - none of which were ones my friend recommended. Still, I thought, heck - if the author wrote a couple other really good books, then this one is probably good too. Oops...wrong!
First, let's look at the writing style, which is choppy and fragmented and appears to be something the author had started when he was in 5th grade, and it sat in a drawer for a few years. Perhaps under duress from his publisher to push out another book that year, he just wrote a few final chapters to this 'masterpiece', when what it really needed was a complete rewrite - or to be re-filed in the round, grey circular bin under the desk.
Next, let's look at the genre. This is not High Fantasy, it's more of a Seal Team 6 meets Professor Landon meets Indiana Jones type novel set on this little planet called Earth - where unfortunately we understand and know the way physical objects are supposed to respond within the known dynamics of our universe. Had the author inserted two words early in the first chapter - Alternate Dimension - I would have overlooked the completely unbelievable way things (and people) behave.
I do want to honor my friends recommendation, so I will take another trip to the Little Library the Could and ask the frail, diminutive woman behind the counter if they can perhaps order a copy of the two books that were recommended. I can only pray they are better.
I read this book because the author was recommended to me by a friend. Unfortunately the public library (which is also the high school library in my town) only had three of the authors books - none of which were ones my friend recommended. Still, I thought, heck - if the author wrote a couple other really good books, then this one is probably good too. Oops...wrong!
First, let's look at the writing style, which is choppy and fragmented and appears to be something the author had started when he was in 5th grade, and it sat in a drawer for a few years. Perhaps under duress from his publisher to push out another book that year, he just wrote a few final chapters to this 'masterpiece', when what it really needed was a complete rewrite - or to be re-filed in the round, grey circular bin under the desk.
Next, let's look at the genre. This is not High Fantasy, it's more of a Seal Team 6 meets Professor Landon meets Indiana Jones type novel set on this little planet called Earth - where unfortunately we understand and know the way physical objects are supposed to respond within the known dynamics of our universe. Had the author inserted two words early in the first chapter - Alternate Dimension - I would have overlooked the completely unbelievable way things (and people) behave.
I do want to honor my friends recommendation, so I will take another trip to the Little Library the Could and ask the frail, diminutive woman behind the counter if they can perhaps order a copy of the two books that were recommended. I can only pray they are better.
March 15, 2018
بچه گانه بود!!!
چند تا ویژگی بد داشت.
1) این جور کتابها معمولاً یک پایههای تاریخی درست دارند که نویسنده سعی میکنه توی کتاب مطرح کنه. تاریخ واقعی. توی این کتاب این بخشها خیلی خسته کننده بودند. چون یک دفعه چندین صفحه، مثل کلاس تاریخ، پشت سر هم و به صورت مونولوگ نوشته شده بودند. عین کلاس درس. خسته کننده بود.
2) نویسنده حق داره نظرات سیاسی خودش رو توی کتاب مطرح کنه. ولی نه اینکه تلقین کنه. نه اینکه چندین صفحه پشت سر هم مسایل سیاسی رو بدون ظرافت خاصی، تو مایههای مرگ بر آمریکا بنویسه.
3) خالی بندی یکی از عناصر کلیدی این ژانر به حساب میاد. شکی در این نیست. ولی خالیبندی معقول، نه فیلم هندی. مثلا بویینگ 747 برای فرود به باند آماده و مجهز و طولانی نیاز داره. چطوری میشه با فاصله 15 دقیقه از کوههای زاگرس این هواپیما رو روی زمین عادی فرود آورد. ما که تو ایران دیدیم حتی هواپیماهای کوچیکتر هم توی اون ناحیه مشکل فرود دارند. یا مثلاً پنهانکاری همین هواپیمای 747 که هیچ رادای پیداش نمیکنه. حتی هواپیمای b2 که پنهانکارترین هواپیما هست هم همچین قابلیتی نداره. چه برسه به اینکه 747 رو رنگ کنی تا ضد رادار بشه. یا اینکه یه تک تیرانداز بتونه پشت سرهم موشکهای آرپیجی رو توی هوا بزنه!!!! چه خبره بابا؟ و خیلی چیزهای دیگه.
4) آخر داستان خیلی همه چیز خوب تموم شد. همه دشمنان کشته شدند. آدم خوبها با یه بوئینگ 747 و دو تا کلت، تونستند 1000 نفر نیروی ویژه آمریکایی با چند تا هلیکوپتر جنگی رو از بین ببرند. قدرت نهایی داستان هم به استرالیا رسید!!! اصلا هم ربطی به این نداشت که نویسنده استرالیایی بوده.
خلاصه به هیچ وجه توصیه نمیکنم. مگر برای رده سنی 10 تا 15 سال. شاید کمیک استریپ خوبی بشه از توش درآورد. شاید!
چند تا ویژگی بد داشت.
1) این جور کتابها معمولاً یک پایههای تاریخی درست دارند که نویسنده سعی میکنه توی کتاب مطرح کنه. تاریخ واقعی. توی این کتاب این بخشها خیلی خسته کننده بودند. چون یک دفعه چندین صفحه، مثل کلاس تاریخ، پشت سر هم و به صورت مونولوگ نوشته شده بودند. عین کلاس درس. خسته کننده بود.
2) نویسنده حق داره نظرات سیاسی خودش رو توی کتاب مطرح کنه. ولی نه اینکه تلقین کنه. نه اینکه چندین صفحه پشت سر هم مسایل سیاسی رو بدون ظرافت خاصی، تو مایههای مرگ بر آمریکا بنویسه.
3) خالی بندی یکی از عناصر کلیدی این ژانر به حساب میاد. شکی در این نیست. ولی خالیبندی معقول، نه فیلم هندی. مثلا بویینگ 747 برای فرود به باند آماده و مجهز و طولانی نیاز داره. چطوری میشه با فاصله 15 دقیقه از کوههای زاگرس این هواپیما رو روی زمین عادی فرود آورد. ما که تو ایران دیدیم حتی هواپیماهای کوچیکتر هم توی اون ناحیه مشکل فرود دارند. یا مثلاً پنهانکاری همین هواپیمای 747 که هیچ رادای پیداش نمیکنه. حتی هواپیمای b2 که پنهانکارترین هواپیما هست هم همچین قابلیتی نداره. چه برسه به اینکه 747 رو رنگ کنی تا ضد رادار بشه. یا اینکه یه تک تیرانداز بتونه پشت سرهم موشکهای آرپیجی رو توی هوا بزنه!!!! چه خبره بابا؟ و خیلی چیزهای دیگه.
4) آخر داستان خیلی همه چیز خوب تموم شد. همه دشمنان کشته شدند. آدم خوبها با یه بوئینگ 747 و دو تا کلت، تونستند 1000 نفر نیروی ویژه آمریکایی با چند تا هلیکوپتر جنگی رو از بین ببرند. قدرت نهایی داستان هم به استرالیا رسید!!! اصلا هم ربطی به این نداشت که نویسنده استرالیایی بوده.
خلاصه به هیچ وجه توصیه نمیکنم. مگر برای رده سنی 10 تا 15 سال. شاید کمیک استریپ خوبی بشه از توش درآورد. شاید!
November 7, 2014
Matthew Reilly ist mein neuer Lieblingsautor! Das nur mal vorne weg ...
Normalerweise bin ich nicht der Thriller-Typ, wurde am Mängelexemplar-Tisch aber auf "Das Tartarus-Orakel" aufmerksam (zunächst nur durch die auf dem Cover abgebildete Pyramide von Giseh) und entschied mich, es zu versuchen.
Was soll ich sagen? Schon nach wenigen Seiten packte mich die Spannung und ich konnte gar nicht mehr aufhören zu lesen!
Es stimmt zwar, was Kritiker über den Autor sagen - dass sein Schreibstil ganz anders und für "Literatur" vielleicht nicht so geeignet ist - aber was ist schon "Literatur"?! Ich mag ein Buch, wenn es mich auf mehreren Ebenen (Spannung, Emotionen, ...) mitreißen kann und das konnte dieses Buch definitiv! Auch die Charaktere kamen mir nicht zu kurz - im Gegenteil: Man wusste alles, was man wissen musste, der restliche Eindruck ergab sich durch ihre Taten. So sind mir einige der Leute ans Herz gewachsen.
Zumal ich ein Geschichts-Freak bin und fast alles liebe, was mit dem antiken Ägypten zu tun hat. ;-)
Somit war die Jagd um die Welt auf der Suche nach den 7 Weltwundern der Antike genau das richtige für mich.
Definitiv nicht das letzte Buch, das ich von diesem Autor gelesen habe ...
Normalerweise bin ich nicht der Thriller-Typ, wurde am Mängelexemplar-Tisch aber auf "Das Tartarus-Orakel" aufmerksam (zunächst nur durch die auf dem Cover abgebildete Pyramide von Giseh) und entschied mich, es zu versuchen.
Was soll ich sagen? Schon nach wenigen Seiten packte mich die Spannung und ich konnte gar nicht mehr aufhören zu lesen!
Es stimmt zwar, was Kritiker über den Autor sagen - dass sein Schreibstil ganz anders und für "Literatur" vielleicht nicht so geeignet ist - aber was ist schon "Literatur"?! Ich mag ein Buch, wenn es mich auf mehreren Ebenen (Spannung, Emotionen, ...) mitreißen kann und das konnte dieses Buch definitiv! Auch die Charaktere kamen mir nicht zu kurz - im Gegenteil: Man wusste alles, was man wissen musste, der restliche Eindruck ergab sich durch ihre Taten. So sind mir einige der Leute ans Herz gewachsen.
Zumal ich ein Geschichts-Freak bin und fast alles liebe, was mit dem antiken Ägypten zu tun hat. ;-)
Somit war die Jagd um die Welt auf der Suche nach den 7 Weltwundern der Antike genau das richtige für mich.
Definitiv nicht das letzte Buch, das ich von diesem Autor gelesen habe ...
April 10, 2020
It was the book that hooked me to the writing of Matthew Reilly. I mean WOW!! what a story and more than the story the pace and details with all those nifty little diagrams and all. As the description says it about 2 teams to find Seven ancient wonders before other so that they can rule the world for next millennium. Fast pace, totally over the top and above all great fun, recommended for all who love to read.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
June 6, 2014
I'm a huge fan of Matthew Reilly's books. Even with it's total lack of characterization and plot, it's insane over-abundance of exclamation points!!!, and the fact that it reads like something that came from the mind of a sugar-fed fourth grader with ADHD, Ice Station is still one of my very favorite books of all time. It was fun! And exciting!, and in a weird way, the fact that it was written rather poorly, kind of fit it , and added to the overall reading experience. This book, however, was a piece of crap. I think. I never got past the first 50 pages. Horribly, horribly written, and not in a good way. Unlike Ice Station, this book had a plot, but it sucked. It made a play at characterization, but the characters sucked. The overblown action scenes in Reilly's other books, which were long and ridiculous, and unbelievable (but fun!), were way too overblown in this one, and just ended up being stupid nonsense. I love Reilly's stuff, but this book sucked ass. But not in a good, "hey baby, we're gonna try something different tonight. I wanna toss your salad" way. Boo on this book.
June 2, 2016
There isn't a Matthew Reilly book that I haven't read yet that I haven't enjoyed.
If you like fast-paced, oh-my-God-I-can't-believe-this-is-happening type of books that are full of the literally unbelievable, then you'll also enjoy this book.
The described locations, such as Giza pyramid was just one of the amazing settings as a massive puzzle must be solved in order for our hero to save the world.
Jack West is one of my favorite characters by Matthew Reilly.
If you like fast-paced, oh-my-God-I-can't-believe-this-is-happening type of books that are full of the literally unbelievable, then you'll also enjoy this book.
The described locations, such as Giza pyramid was just one of the amazing settings as a massive puzzle must be solved in order for our hero to save the world.
Jack West is one of my favorite characters by Matthew Reilly.
April 10, 2021
'... The Adventure if a lifetime...'
বই এর ইংরেজি ফ্ল্যাপে লেখা কথাটা সম্পূর্ণ সত্য মনে না হইলেও আংশিক সত্য মনে হইসে। দুনিয়ার সব পরাশক্তি বিভিন্ন জোট বেধে একে অপরের সাথে লিপ্ত ইভেন মধ্যপ্রাচ্য,অস্ট্রেলিয়াও আছে কিন্তু শুধুমাত্র রাশিয়া নাই! পৃথিবীর বিভিন্ন প্রান্তের সাম্রাজ্যের, মহাদেশের ইতিহাস, ঐতিহ্য, সংস্কৃতি এসেছে শুধু রাশিয়ান বাদে। শেষে মনে হলো পৃথিবীর ইতিহাসে রাশিয়ান সংস্কৃতির কোনো ভূমিকা লেখক উল্লেখ করতে কি ভুলে গেসেন! এটাকে প্লটহোল বলা যায়। আর একশান গুলো জেসন বর্ণ কিংবা টম ক্রুজের হলিউড মুভির মতো কিঞ্চিত অতিরঞ্জিত। নাকি ভুল বললাম আসলে হলিউড মুভি তো উপন্যাস অনুপ্রাণিত ই! সাথে খ্রিস্টানিটি কে একেবারে ধুয়ে দিয়েছেন।
যাকগে এসমস্ত ব্যাপার ছাড়া প্রাচীন সপ্তাশ্চর্যের মেলবন্দন স্থাপন, ব্যবিলের শূন্য উদ্যান, আলেকজান্ডারের সমাধি ইত্যাদি মিথ এর জার্নিটা বেশ ভালোই লাগসে। মিথলজি, এডভেঞ্চার, ইতিহাস, কালচার ইত্যাদি বিষয়ে আগ্রহ জাগানিয়া। পুরো বই জুড়ে শত বছরের ইতিহাস, মিশরের রহস্যময় মিস্ট্রিগুলো স্থান পেয়েছে। অবশ্যই, ফিকশান আকারে। মাস্ট রিড না তবে, প্রাচীন মিশর মিথলজি এডভেঞ্চার প্রেমী হইলে ট্রাই করতে পারেন।
অনুবাদ এর অবস্থা জঘন্য। সাথে মিশর কে বাংলায়, মিকর হিসেবে এস্টাব্লিশ করে দিসেন অনুবাদক। ভাবানুবাদের বদলে আক্ষরিক অনুবাদে কশরত হয় পড়তে সাথে ভুল্ভাল অনুবাদ তো আছেই।
ওহ ব্যক্তিগত ' হোয়্যার টুই আই 'ম গোন্না ট্রাভেল' এক্সেল শিটে সাম্ভালার তিব্বতের পরে যুক্ত হলো গ্রীস!
বই এর ইংরেজি ফ্ল্যাপে লেখা কথাটা সম্পূর্ণ সত্য মনে না হইলেও আংশিক সত্য মনে হইসে। দুনিয়ার সব পরাশক্তি বিভিন্ন জোট বেধে একে অপরের সাথে লিপ্ত ইভেন মধ্যপ্রাচ্য,অস্ট্রেলিয়াও আছে কিন্তু শুধুমাত্র রাশিয়া নাই! পৃথিবীর বিভিন্ন প্রান্তের সাম্রাজ্যের, মহাদেশের ইতিহাস, ঐতিহ্য, সংস্কৃতি এসেছে শুধু রাশিয়ান বাদে। শেষে মনে হলো পৃথিবীর ইতিহাসে রাশিয়ান সংস্কৃতির কোনো ভূমিকা লেখক উল্লেখ করতে কি ভুলে গেসেন! এটাকে প্লটহোল বলা যায়। আর একশান গুলো জেসন বর্ণ কিংবা টম ক্রুজের হলিউড মুভির মতো কিঞ্চিত অতিরঞ্জিত। নাকি ভুল বললাম আসলে হলিউড মুভি তো উপন্যাস অনুপ্রাণিত ই! সাথে খ্রিস্টানিটি কে একেবারে ধুয়ে দিয়েছেন।
যাকগে এসমস্ত ব্যাপার ছাড়া প্রাচীন সপ্তাশ্চর্যের মেলবন্দন স্থাপন, ব্যবিলের শূন্য উদ্যান, আলেকজান্ডারের সমাধি ইত্যাদি মিথ এর জার্নিটা বেশ ভালোই লাগসে। মিথলজি, এডভেঞ্চার, ইতিহাস, কালচার ইত্যাদি বিষয়ে আগ্রহ জাগানিয়া। পুরো বই জুড়ে শত বছরের ইতিহাস, মিশরের রহস্যময় মিস্ট্রিগুলো স্থান পেয়েছে। অবশ্যই, ফিকশান আকারে। মাস্ট রিড না তবে, প্রাচীন মিশর মিথলজি এডভেঞ্চার প্রেমী হইলে ট্রাই করতে পারেন।
অনুবাদ এর অবস্থা জঘন্য। সাথে মিশর কে বাংলায়, মিকর হিসেবে এস্টাব্লিশ করে দিসেন অনুবাদক। ভাবানুবাদের বদলে আক্ষরিক অনুবাদে কশরত হয় পড়তে সাথে ভুল্ভাল অনুবাদ তো আছেই।
ওহ ব্যক্তিগত ' হোয়্যার টুই আই 'ম গোন্না ট্রাভেল' এক্সেল শিটে সাম্ভালার তিব্বতের পরে যুক্ত হলো গ্রীস!
Did not finish
January 20, 2023DNF at p. 87
I would probably have enjoyed this book, if I had read it when I was a teenager. This is a fast paced read, a sort of Indiana Jones movie in the written form: action, adventure and suspense, archaeological mysteries to decipher and treasures protected by ancient deadly traps hunted by competing teams of good and bad guys.
Although I still enjoy a good action/adventure book once in a while, I am DNFing this one. It was already feeling too much like reading a movie script, but then a succession of exaggerated scenes and incorrect facts just started ruining this read for me.
Suspension of disbelief is all very well but there’s a limit to it. Crocodiles everywhere (how do they go in and out of all these chambers?), green algae growing in caves that have received no light for thousands of years, a very specific flatworm presented as an instant killer when in reality it is one of the most prevalent parasites in humans, causing a not so spectacular tropical disease. The final drop was a big bull croc, charging at a child, only to be killed by a man, who landed on its back, gripped it in a headlock and twisted its neck. And this was it for me.
I would probably have enjoyed this book, if I had read it when I was a teenager. This is a fast paced read, a sort of Indiana Jones movie in the written form: action, adventure and suspense, archaeological mysteries to decipher and treasures protected by ancient deadly traps hunted by competing teams of good and bad guys.
Although I still enjoy a good action/adventure book once in a while, I am DNFing this one. It was already feeling too much like reading a movie script, but then a succession of exaggerated scenes and incorrect facts just started ruining this read for me.
Suspension of disbelief is all very well but there’s a limit to it. Crocodiles everywhere (how do they go in and out of all these chambers?), green algae growing in caves that have received no light for thousands of years, a very specific flatworm presented as an instant killer when in reality it is one of the most prevalent parasites in humans, causing a not so spectacular tropical disease. The final drop was a big bull croc, charging at a child, only to be killed by a man, who landed on its back, gripped it in a headlock and twisted its neck. And this was it for me.
May 24, 2013
3.5 Stars
This review is for the Audiobook version of the book.
What do you get if Laura Croft and Indiana Jones were to mate, have a child, and appoint the terminator as the child's Godfather? You get Jack West Jr., the Hero of the 7 Deadly Wonders. A brilliant yet deadly, tomb raiding, treasure hunting soldier with one mechanical arm.
Please pass this book by if you are looking for intellectual stimulation. This is not a thinking mans book. This was Die Hard for your reading (or listening) pleasure.
This is precisly the type of audiobook I like. I cannot read these action novels. I feel stupid reading them and somehow feel justified in listen to them.
Full of riduculous action and impossible escape and more than a few people hacked or killed by some ancient trap in a pyramid or ancient cave.
Pure escapism. 7 Wonders is sure to keep you listening, if not to see what treasure they find next, to see who is the next to die and by what ancient and deadly trap.
This review is for the Audiobook version of the book.
What do you get if Laura Croft and Indiana Jones were to mate, have a child, and appoint the terminator as the child's Godfather? You get Jack West Jr., the Hero of the 7 Deadly Wonders. A brilliant yet deadly, tomb raiding, treasure hunting soldier with one mechanical arm.
Please pass this book by if you are looking for intellectual stimulation. This is not a thinking mans book. This was Die Hard for your reading (or listening) pleasure.
This is precisly the type of audiobook I like. I cannot read these action novels. I feel stupid reading them and somehow feel justified in listen to them.
Full of riduculous action and impossible escape and more than a few people hacked or killed by some ancient trap in a pyramid or ancient cave.
Pure escapism. 7 Wonders is sure to keep you listening, if not to see what treasure they find next, to see who is the next to die and by what ancient and deadly trap.
March 19, 2011
I really enjoyed this book - so much so that I finished it in about a day and a half. I haven't read a book that was so fast paced in a while, the characters were engaging and the storyline was really interesting. I also thought that the illustrations were a good idea, helping to imagine the places described and adding to the story.
The only problem I had with the book was the author's extensive use of italics for emphasis. It fitted well in some instances, but for me it was over-used, becoming distracting and even a little annoying. It seems a little patronising to the reader to italicise a sentence whenever a dangerous trap was triggered or something unusual happened, which was quite a lot.
However, overall I REALLY enjoyed it! I'm not usually one to re-read books, but I'll definitely be going back to this one.
The only problem I had with the book was the author's extensive use of italics for emphasis. It fitted well in some instances, but for me it was over-used, becoming distracting and even a little annoying. It seems a little patronising to the reader to italicise a sentence whenever a dangerous trap was triggered or something unusual happened, which was quite a lot.
However, overall I REALLY enjoyed it! I'm not usually one to re-read books, but I'll definitely be going back to this one.
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