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Jack West Jr #5
The Three Secret Cities
Join one of the world's greatest adventure writers on a non-stop thrill-ride.
* * * * *
A SHADOW WORLD BEHIND THE REAL WORLD
When Jack West Jr won the Great Games, he threw the four legendary kingdoms into turmoil.
A WORLD WITH ITS OWN HISTORY, RULES AND PRISONS
Now these dark forces are coming after Jack... in ruthless fashion.
THAT IS REACHING INTO OUR WORLD ... EXPLOSIVELY
With the end of all things rapidly approaching, Jack must find the Three Secret Cities, three incredible lost cities of legend.
It's an impossible task by any reckoning, but Jack must do it while he is being hunted...
* * * * *
JACK'S BACK. Catch up with him in the rest of the international bestselling series.
SEVEN ANCIENT WONDERS
THE SIX SACRED STONES
THE FIVE GREATEST WARRIORS
THE FOUR LEGENDARY KINGDOMS
* * * * *
A SHADOW WORLD BEHIND THE REAL WORLD
When Jack West Jr won the Great Games, he threw the four legendary kingdoms into turmoil.
A WORLD WITH ITS OWN HISTORY, RULES AND PRISONS
Now these dark forces are coming after Jack... in ruthless fashion.
THAT IS REACHING INTO OUR WORLD ... EXPLOSIVELY
With the end of all things rapidly approaching, Jack must find the Three Secret Cities, three incredible lost cities of legend.
It's an impossible task by any reckoning, but Jack must do it while he is being hunted...
* * * * *
JACK'S BACK. Catch up with him in the rest of the international bestselling series.
SEVEN ANCIENT WONDERS
THE SIX SACRED STONES
THE FIVE GREATEST WARRIORS
THE FOUR LEGENDARY KINGDOMS
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2018
924 people are currently reading
3244 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Reilly
66 books6,303 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 689 reviews
September 24, 2019
You've got to love Matthew Reilly, he never lets you down. This latest book in the Jack West Jnr series is the usual whirlwind of a book, never letting up on the action, as Jack and his team race around the world finding the location of the Three Secret Cities of the title. As usual there is mayhem, baddies and we leave a trail of destruction in our wake. All in a days work for Jack West Jnr! This is one of my favourite series, Matthew Reilly mixing meticulous and extensive research with rivetting adventure and taking the reader on a rollercoaster ride through myth and legend. Highly recommended.
October 21, 2020
**Re-read 09/20**
Basically it's all the global adventuring fun of the first three books with all the fangirling fun of the fourth book. STILL GOOD.
I still lost my mind over the best bits. It's just that epic.
Also, 2020 is here and although it's mostly been terrible the silver lining is quite clearly that we finally get the next book in this series. <3 Patience is a virtue, friends.
**Original Review 10/18**
OH MY GOD I CAN'T DEAL.
And you're telling me I have to wait til freaking 2020 for the next one?!!
I don't even know how to process this.
This book has been my most anticipated read of 2018, and it did not disappoint.
There's the trademark action involving vehicles and guns, chases, puzzles and some seriously evil villains. Once again, Jack has to save the world with assistance from his friends, solving riddles and brushing shoulders with death. It's super far-fetched, so if you're one of those people who needs realism, this is probably not the series for you. Me, I personally love how outrageous things get, and I'm more than happy to suspend disbelief.
It picks up where The Four Legendary Kingdoms left off, with the Minotaurs having to face what comes out of the coffins, while Jack is back home, recuperating. I had to flick through the last half of 4LK to refresh my memory and it was well worth it. This is a definite continuation of that story, but its own contained arc of it.
This is back to the global scale of the first few novels, meaning we've got more characters as well. I was so happy to have the twins pop up again! I also LOST MY MIND when one particular character showed up that I wasn't expecting. I still grin maniacally thinking about that grand entrance. SO BADASS. *swoon*
I love the way these characters interact with one another, so I was sad they were all so spread out! They kinda clump in groups of two or three, but it does allow for fast action in multiple locations so it works.
The locations themselves were a lot of fun to puzzle out, as with any Jack West Jr book. Reilly does some meticulous research, then plays around with history wherever there's a gap and it's always a good time reading about all these myths and legends that have been turned on their heads. The scale is always big and he uses familiar legends and historical figures so that you're easily drawn in.
There was a teaser recently from the author that warned he did something terrible in this book, and it was in my mind the whole time. I was constantly wondering which of our favourites was gonna die, and if he was in fact going to kill someone or just teasing. That little teaser had me believing anything is possible, so all those fatal situations became so much more real! Because suddenly there's no, 'oh he can't kill off a main character' moments and it amps up the intensity instantly. (Read it for yourself to discover the Mystery of the Teaser :P)
SO MUCH INTENSITY.
I loved it, but it gave me mild anxiety on repeated occasions.
Safe to say, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It had everything I've come to love from Reilly's books, and it's just such a fun ride to lean back and enjoy. There's never a dull moment, but it has its emotions, too, so that you can really invest in these characters.
The cover is gorgeous, too, and the inside cover is also gorgeous but totally intriguing and confusing. I could study the pictures and diagrams in this book for hours.
Highly enjoyable, totally worth the wait, and absolutely ridiculous fun.
Matthew Reilly fans should enjoy this one immensely, and for people who love treasure-hunt-type action, get onto the first book, Seven Ancient Wonders so you can enjoy the journey properly.
Copious thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for my sneaky early copy.
Basically it's all the global adventuring fun of the first three books with all the fangirling fun of the fourth book. STILL GOOD.
I still lost my mind over the best bits. It's just that epic.
Also, 2020 is here and although it's mostly been terrible the silver lining is quite clearly that we finally get the next book in this series. <3 Patience is a virtue, friends.
**Original Review 10/18**
OH MY GOD I CAN'T DEAL.
And you're telling me I have to wait til freaking 2020 for the next one?!!
I don't even know how to process this.
This book has been my most anticipated read of 2018, and it did not disappoint.
There's the trademark action involving vehicles and guns, chases, puzzles and some seriously evil villains. Once again, Jack has to save the world with assistance from his friends, solving riddles and brushing shoulders with death. It's super far-fetched, so if you're one of those people who needs realism, this is probably not the series for you. Me, I personally love how outrageous things get, and I'm more than happy to suspend disbelief.
It picks up where The Four Legendary Kingdoms left off, with the Minotaurs having to face what comes out of the coffins, while Jack is back home, recuperating. I had to flick through the last half of 4LK to refresh my memory and it was well worth it. This is a definite continuation of that story, but its own contained arc of it.
This is back to the global scale of the first few novels, meaning we've got more characters as well. I was so happy to have the twins pop up again! I also LOST MY MIND when one particular character showed up that I wasn't expecting. I still grin maniacally thinking about that grand entrance. SO BADASS. *swoon*
I love the way these characters interact with one another, so I was sad they were all so spread out! They kinda clump in groups of two or three, but it does allow for fast action in multiple locations so it works.
The locations themselves were a lot of fun to puzzle out, as with any Jack West Jr book. Reilly does some meticulous research, then plays around with history wherever there's a gap and it's always a good time reading about all these myths and legends that have been turned on their heads. The scale is always big and he uses familiar legends and historical figures so that you're easily drawn in.
There was a teaser recently from the author that warned he did something terrible in this book, and it was in my mind the whole time. I was constantly wondering which of our favourites was gonna die, and if he was in fact going to kill someone or just teasing. That little teaser had me believing anything is possible, so all those fatal situations became so much more real! Because suddenly there's no, 'oh he can't kill off a main character' moments and it amps up the intensity instantly. (Read it for yourself to discover the Mystery of the Teaser :P)
SO MUCH INTENSITY.
I loved it, but it gave me mild anxiety on repeated occasions.
Safe to say, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It had everything I've come to love from Reilly's books, and it's just such a fun ride to lean back and enjoy. There's never a dull moment, but it has its emotions, too, so that you can really invest in these characters.
The cover is gorgeous, too, and the inside cover is also gorgeous but totally intriguing and confusing. I could study the pictures and diagrams in this book for hours.
Highly enjoyable, totally worth the wait, and absolutely ridiculous fun.
Matthew Reilly fans should enjoy this one immensely, and for people who love treasure-hunt-type action, get onto the first book, Seven Ancient Wonders so you can enjoy the journey properly.
Copious thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for my sneaky early copy.
April 2, 2025
I’ve had this book in my favorites shelf for years now, but I never reviewed it. Since I was starting to forget what happened in it, the timing seemed perfect to read it again and give it a proper review this time around. So, did this book hold up after so many years of putting it on a pedestal? Let’s find out!
The minotaurs are cleaning up the wreckage in the Underworld, now that the Great Games have ended, when they realize an ancient coffin has opened. An ancient army is waking up. And nothing will stand in their way.
Jack West Jr won the Great Games in the previous book, but the secrets to save the world weren’t revealed as intended. Hades has been stripped of his title as king of the Underworld, but he shares with Jack what he knows about the trials Jack and his team will need to overcome. First, he will have to find the three secret cities.
The Slave King is tasked by the new kings to hunt down Hades and Jack for what they did in the previous book, and imprison them in Erebus. It’s a job that has the Slave King salivating. Because he has a bone to pick with his brother, Hades.
And the Knights of the Golden Eight are coming after Jack and his team too. They’re hired by someone working in the shadows who’s thirsting for revenge.
The previous book in the series was basically the author pressing the reset button. That was all about trying something new and setting things up for one last big adventure to end the series on a high note. This is the fifth book in the series. After everything was carefully set up in the previous book, this book shifts gears again and then some. This whole series is non-stop action and adrenaline from the beginning to the end, and this is the most brutal, intense and shocking book of the series.
It’s once again a great blend of a modern action-packed thriller and some really fascinating ancient history, with a bit of creative freedom from the author to bring those two together in an entertaining story. Like the kings forming a shadow organization that’s been pulling the strings of global politics for such a long time, that their roots and stories have actually become legends in the real world. What I like is that in the previous book, we’re only told of this organization’s power because of the limited setting. Here, the story bursts out into the real world and we’re shown just how powerful they really are. Another thing I like is that actions have consequences. And what happened in the previous book has a huge impact on both the characters and the plot.
The settings also stand out here. When you have legendary cities to work with like Atlantis and El Dorado, it can be easy to take the legends as we know them now and just put them in a story. But Matthew Reilly made these settings his own and made them fit perfectly inside the bigger story. And even non-legendary places like Venice and Ischia island are well-researched and brought to life in these pages.
The main criticism you can give here are that realism doesn’t get in the way of a good story, which honestly is true for a lot of Matthew Reilly’s books. Some plot points can seem a bit convenient, but even the most convenient ones are subtly foreshadowed. The story also focuses a bit more on the characters, which means the main plot of the three secret cities takes a backseat for a while somewhere in the middle of the book. But there are so many fast-paced action scenes, you might not even notice it.
This is without a doubt a very strong book and one of the highlights of the entire series. Despite having the memory of a sieve, I was surprised to find that I still vividly remembered a lot of the big scenes and twists. While this might not always be optimal for a re-read, it does show just how memorable those scenes are in the first place. Though they can be very brutal at times.
The minotaurs are cleaning up the wreckage in the Underworld, now that the Great Games have ended, when they realize an ancient coffin has opened. An ancient army is waking up. And nothing will stand in their way.
Jack West Jr won the Great Games in the previous book, but the secrets to save the world weren’t revealed as intended. Hades has been stripped of his title as king of the Underworld, but he shares with Jack what he knows about the trials Jack and his team will need to overcome. First, he will have to find the three secret cities.
The Slave King is tasked by the new kings to hunt down Hades and Jack for what they did in the previous book, and imprison them in Erebus. It’s a job that has the Slave King salivating. Because he has a bone to pick with his brother, Hades.
And the Knights of the Golden Eight are coming after Jack and his team too. They’re hired by someone working in the shadows who’s thirsting for revenge.
The previous book in the series was basically the author pressing the reset button. That was all about trying something new and setting things up for one last big adventure to end the series on a high note. This is the fifth book in the series. After everything was carefully set up in the previous book, this book shifts gears again and then some. This whole series is non-stop action and adrenaline from the beginning to the end, and this is the most brutal, intense and shocking book of the series.
It’s once again a great blend of a modern action-packed thriller and some really fascinating ancient history, with a bit of creative freedom from the author to bring those two together in an entertaining story. Like the kings forming a shadow organization that’s been pulling the strings of global politics for such a long time, that their roots and stories have actually become legends in the real world. What I like is that in the previous book, we’re only told of this organization’s power because of the limited setting. Here, the story bursts out into the real world and we’re shown just how powerful they really are. Another thing I like is that actions have consequences. And what happened in the previous book has a huge impact on both the characters and the plot.
The settings also stand out here. When you have legendary cities to work with like Atlantis and El Dorado, it can be easy to take the legends as we know them now and just put them in a story. But Matthew Reilly made these settings his own and made them fit perfectly inside the bigger story. And even non-legendary places like Venice and Ischia island are well-researched and brought to life in these pages.
The main criticism you can give here are that realism doesn’t get in the way of a good story, which honestly is true for a lot of Matthew Reilly’s books. Some plot points can seem a bit convenient, but even the most convenient ones are subtly foreshadowed. The story also focuses a bit more on the characters, which means the main plot of the three secret cities takes a backseat for a while somewhere in the middle of the book. But there are so many fast-paced action scenes, you might not even notice it.
This is without a doubt a very strong book and one of the highlights of the entire series. Despite having the memory of a sieve, I was surprised to find that I still vividly remembered a lot of the big scenes and twists. While this might not always be optimal for a re-read, it does show just how memorable those scenes are in the first place. Though they can be very brutal at times.
December 4, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Man alive, was this one a roller coaster ride??? Oh wait, they all are. This one, though, might tear your heart out. There's torture and suffering and death.... but there's also a lot of fun classic Jack West adventure: crazy rescues, ancient cities, cool powerful artifacts, daring escapes, overwhelming odds, etc.
If you've not picked up any of Jack West's series, you should, starting with Seven Deadly Wonders. They're not deep literature, but they are absolutely fun as can be, especially if you go in expecting it to be cheesy and fun like most books can only aspire to be.
This is the fifth book in the series, so at this point, we're more invested in many of the characters... which makes some of the losses that much more painful. But I think you'll find the ride worth it. Join Jack West and his gang as they tear around the world, trying to save it YET AGAIN from both huge natural disasters and power-hungry villains, and you can be the newest part of his crew. :)
Man alive, was this one a roller coaster ride??? Oh wait, they all are. This one, though, might tear your heart out. There's torture and suffering and death.... but there's also a lot of fun classic Jack West adventure: crazy rescues, ancient cities, cool powerful artifacts, daring escapes, overwhelming odds, etc.
If you've not picked up any of Jack West's series, you should, starting with Seven Deadly Wonders. They're not deep literature, but they are absolutely fun as can be, especially if you go in expecting it to be cheesy and fun like most books can only aspire to be.
This is the fifth book in the series, so at this point, we're more invested in many of the characters... which makes some of the losses that much more painful. But I think you'll find the ride worth it. Join Jack West and his gang as they tear around the world, trying to save it YET AGAIN from both huge natural disasters and power-hungry villains, and you can be the newest part of his crew. :)
March 3, 2024
Jack West Jr continues to be called upon to save the world and, after succeeding in winning the Great Games and writing his name as the 5th Great Warrior, saving the world from annihilation in the process, he’s at it again. The Three Secret Cities carries on the story from where the previous book left off and charges ahead on yet another mission to ensure the world is safe from untold misery and destruction.
As has become the norm with the series, West, along with his band of intrepid heroes, must decipher cryptic clues, discover sites from myth and legend, battle a team of assassins and stave off his enemies who are all hellbent on ending his life.
The consistently great thing about Matthew Reilly books, and the Jack West Jnr series in particular, is that nothing is ever done by halves. When a bounty is placed on Jack’s head, the team of assassins lets nothing, and I mean nothing!, stand in their way in their efforts to take him out. If that means destroying half the buildings in Venice, fair enough. Cleaving a New York City building in half and dropping it into the Hudson? Seems reasonable. Using a helicopter to pick up a London bus filled with people and dropping it into the Thames to lure Jack into the open? Well, I wouldn’t expect anything less!
So, anyway, the fate of Earth and all who dwell on it is still sitting on a knife’s edge with the possibility of a cataclysmic event that can only be averted by placing three precious items in three pre-assigned slots within three secret cities. It’s up to Jack and his mates to avoid being killed, tortured or maimed by hideous reprobates and still get to the assigned locations within the ridiculously tight deadline schedule.
As we get deeper into the series, the stakes are getting higher and the chances of Jack’s allies getting through unscathed is diminishing. (There will be some serious time on the psychiatrists’ couches required after this little excursion, let me tell you).
To ratchet things up a notch, too, is a guest appearance from another character from Reilly’s other major series, the Scarecrow series, who manages to achieve some Jack West Jnr type of heroics in the course of this adventure. Fans of the Scarecrow series will be thrilled to see the return of this particular go-getter.
From New York to Venice, from London to Cornwall, the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela and Iceland the action never lets up with an all out battle between good and evil playing out across the entire world. Reilly’s endless supply of cliffhangers continues to know no bounds and there always seems to be a new adversary on hand to replace the previous one, more ruthless and dangerous than the last.
You’ve got to hand it to Matthew Reilly, his ability to incorporate myth and legend with the historical mysteries of mankind is impressive. The fabled El Dorado and Atlantis, the mythical Medusa, the fictional Excalibur are all given important roles in Jack’s universe.
As has been pointed out over and over throughout this series, you don’t read a Jack West Jnr book for the realistic scenarios and anything like believable feats of heroism. It’s all about the thrills, spills, a dollop of myth and perhaps within the neighbourhood of some real science and then it’s action, action, action. And The Three Secret Cities once again delivers the ultimate in escapist fiction.
As has become the norm with the series, West, along with his band of intrepid heroes, must decipher cryptic clues, discover sites from myth and legend, battle a team of assassins and stave off his enemies who are all hellbent on ending his life.
The consistently great thing about Matthew Reilly books, and the Jack West Jnr series in particular, is that nothing is ever done by halves. When a bounty is placed on Jack’s head, the team of assassins lets nothing, and I mean nothing!, stand in their way in their efforts to take him out. If that means destroying half the buildings in Venice, fair enough. Cleaving a New York City building in half and dropping it into the Hudson? Seems reasonable. Using a helicopter to pick up a London bus filled with people and dropping it into the Thames to lure Jack into the open? Well, I wouldn’t expect anything less!
So, anyway, the fate of Earth and all who dwell on it is still sitting on a knife’s edge with the possibility of a cataclysmic event that can only be averted by placing three precious items in three pre-assigned slots within three secret cities. It’s up to Jack and his mates to avoid being killed, tortured or maimed by hideous reprobates and still get to the assigned locations within the ridiculously tight deadline schedule.
As we get deeper into the series, the stakes are getting higher and the chances of Jack’s allies getting through unscathed is diminishing. (There will be some serious time on the psychiatrists’ couches required after this little excursion, let me tell you).
To ratchet things up a notch, too, is a guest appearance from another character from Reilly’s other major series, the Scarecrow series, who manages to achieve some Jack West Jnr type of heroics in the course of this adventure. Fans of the Scarecrow series will be thrilled to see the return of this particular go-getter.
From New York to Venice, from London to Cornwall, the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela and Iceland the action never lets up with an all out battle between good and evil playing out across the entire world. Reilly’s endless supply of cliffhangers continues to know no bounds and there always seems to be a new adversary on hand to replace the previous one, more ruthless and dangerous than the last.
You’ve got to hand it to Matthew Reilly, his ability to incorporate myth and legend with the historical mysteries of mankind is impressive. The fabled El Dorado and Atlantis, the mythical Medusa, the fictional Excalibur are all given important roles in Jack’s universe.
As has been pointed out over and over throughout this series, you don’t read a Jack West Jnr book for the realistic scenarios and anything like believable feats of heroism. It’s all about the thrills, spills, a dollop of myth and perhaps within the neighbourhood of some real science and then it’s action, action, action. And The Three Secret Cities once again delivers the ultimate in escapist fiction.
December 3, 2018
Despite the hefty page count, Matthew Reilly's books are super quick reads loaded with pure adrenaline - and the latest installment in the Jack West Jr. series is no different.
Whereas the previous book, The Four Legendary Kingdoms focused primarily on a single location, Hades, The Three Secret Cities marks a return to West's globetrotting adventures as he and his loyal friends attempt to save the world once more from certain doom.
By completing a complex set of ancient puzzles across multiple continents, the returning adventure-based action theme prominent in previous books proves to be a winner yet again.
My rating: 4/5, sure some of the action sequences felt a little repetitive at times and Jack West Jr. seems to have superhuman healing and fighting abilities but that's part of the fun with these books. They're well researched and loaded with manic action to provide a great form of escapism. I can't wait for The Two something something!
Whereas the previous book, The Four Legendary Kingdoms focused primarily on a single location, Hades, The Three Secret Cities marks a return to West's globetrotting adventures as he and his loyal friends attempt to save the world once more from certain doom.
By completing a complex set of ancient puzzles across multiple continents, the returning adventure-based action theme prominent in previous books proves to be a winner yet again.
My rating: 4/5, sure some of the action sequences felt a little repetitive at times and Jack West Jr. seems to have superhuman healing and fighting abilities but that's part of the fun with these books. They're well researched and loaded with manic action to provide a great form of escapism. I can't wait for The Two something something!
May 14, 2019
These books are just so much damn fun. Think Indiana Jones combined with the over the top-ness and the last few Fast & Furious movies. This takes place immediately after The Four Legendary Kingdoms. Unlike the last book that took place in one setting, Jack and his team return to their globe trotting adventures. I really like how Reilly has found a way to merge in all of these ancient Earth civilizations along with creating real world scenarios upon ancient myths were based on. I also really enjoy how Reilly is starting to bring characters from his Scarecrow books into these.
October 27, 2020
If you have not yet entered the Matthew Reilly universe, do not start with this book. This is the 5th book in the Jack West Jnr series and they must be read in order or you will be bamboozled by the many characters and the mash-up of myth/legend and history ‘facts’ and artefacts! Also, if you need plausibility, do not read this book (or anything by Matthew Reilly). His books are fantastical and completely implausible - but they are also high octane, adrenaline fuelled rides of pure escapist fun! I think the genre would be action thriller or similar.
In the previous book we learned that behind all the legitimate governments and monarchies of the world were the hidden four legendary kingdoms and kings that really run things. Of course all powerful people have enemies so there is also the royal jailer who runs a secret prison from which there is no escape. It has been thus for about 5,000 years! So the book - I suppose it’s a bit like Indiana Jones on steroids and in the modern era. There are 3 magical weapons that need to be activated at 3 secret cities and taken to a secret altar at another secret city to perform an unknown ritual to prevent the Omega event which will leave the world as a barren wasteland. Of course all these secret places are seriously hidden and inaccessible, are booby trapped and heavily guarded. Also Jack West Jnr and his merry band of helpers are being hunted by a secret band of warrior knights and the royal jailer is also after Jack!
I love it when authors bring characters from one series into another. We have already seen Scarecrow again and this book re-acquaints us with Scarecrow’s former arch nemesis, the Black Knight, who proves himself very useful! Now I think I mentioned that these books are not remotely plausible but Reilly does his research, and while most of this stuff is made up it’s not all made up and the rest of it smacks of possibility - if not probability. Now, while I don’t need my books to be plausible, I DO need the logistics to work and this is where I took off ½ point. There is a gaping plot hole in this story which may or may not be explained in the next book which (shivers with anticipation) is in my hot little hands. That will be coming up soon. I would be very keen to discuss this plot hole with anyone who is remotely interested. So 4.5 from me but still rounded up.
In the previous book we learned that behind all the legitimate governments and monarchies of the world were the hidden four legendary kingdoms and kings that really run things. Of course all powerful people have enemies so there is also the royal jailer who runs a secret prison from which there is no escape. It has been thus for about 5,000 years! So the book - I suppose it’s a bit like Indiana Jones on steroids and in the modern era. There are 3 magical weapons that need to be activated at 3 secret cities and taken to a secret altar at another secret city to perform an unknown ritual to prevent the Omega event which will leave the world as a barren wasteland. Of course all these secret places are seriously hidden and inaccessible, are booby trapped and heavily guarded. Also Jack West Jnr and his merry band of helpers are being hunted by a secret band of warrior knights and the royal jailer is also after Jack!
I love it when authors bring characters from one series into another. We have already seen Scarecrow again and this book re-acquaints us with Scarecrow’s former arch nemesis, the Black Knight, who proves himself very useful! Now I think I mentioned that these books are not remotely plausible but Reilly does his research, and while most of this stuff is made up it’s not all made up and the rest of it smacks of possibility - if not probability. Now, while I don’t need my books to be plausible, I DO need the logistics to work and this is where I took off ½ point. There is a gaping plot hole in this story which may or may not be explained in the next book which (shivers with anticipation) is in my hot little hands. That will be coming up soon. I would be very keen to discuss this plot hole with anyone who is remotely interested. So 4.5 from me but still rounded up.
November 21, 2018
This is the only author that I buy in hardback, but I must be getting old - normally that would be on release day, and I would finish it within 24 hours, but I didn’t feel quite the same urgency this time, and I’ve read other books in parallel with it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a rollicking good time, but it is very much the same formula as the four before it. Don’t even think about trying this if you haven’t read the rest of the series.
This one begins soon after the events of 4 Legendary Kingdoms, with poor Jack barely catching his breath before he has to embark on another mission to save the world. An ancient prophecy tells that unless a set of rituals involving three ancient weapons in three mythical places are completed, the world will come to a horrible end.
Racing from New York to London, Italy to Iceland, and Venezuela to Gibraltar, Jack and his friends and family have to battle all sorts of enemies, modern and ancient, some rather unexpected, some truly evil. There are some very sad moments, some good jokes, all the usual cliffhangers and impossible escapes, and a fantastic cameo. Somehow Reilly still manages to come up with new dangers, stunts, weapons, puzzles and threats, and work in all sorts of historical and legendary elements.
The ending, epilogue and interview with the author leave it in a satisfying place and the next book is due out in 2020, so not as long to wait as usual either.
This one begins soon after the events of 4 Legendary Kingdoms, with poor Jack barely catching his breath before he has to embark on another mission to save the world. An ancient prophecy tells that unless a set of rituals involving three ancient weapons in three mythical places are completed, the world will come to a horrible end.
Racing from New York to London, Italy to Iceland, and Venezuela to Gibraltar, Jack and his friends and family have to battle all sorts of enemies, modern and ancient, some rather unexpected, some truly evil. There are some very sad moments, some good jokes, all the usual cliffhangers and impossible escapes, and a fantastic cameo. Somehow Reilly still manages to come up with new dangers, stunts, weapons, puzzles and threats, and work in all sorts of historical and legendary elements.
The ending, epilogue and interview with the author leave it in a satisfying place and the next book is due out in 2020, so not as long to wait as usual either.
December 12, 2018
*SPOILERS*
This series has really lost its way, which is a real shame.
The first three Jack West novels were something else and all-time favourites of mine, a really incredible story with great characters. The Four Legendary Kingdoms I found pretty enjoyable, standard Reilly/Jack West - a non-stop thriller with crazy ancient history lore. But I found The Three Secret Cities to be terrible.
For a start, there's not an original idea in this book. The main plot recycles the premise of the earlier Jack West novels - yet again there's an ancient mechanism built into the planet that has to be activated in a few days' time to stop a catastrophic event. The 'secret cities' aren't really cities, they're the same principle as the Vertices from 6SS/5GW, basically Tomb Raider levels that can only be overcome via a code that someone conveniently found earlier on an ancient stone tablet. Ancient artifacts have to be found and placed in these cities - sounding familiar? Even the Greystone is just the same as Ice-9 from Cat's Cradle...
The action moves along so quickly there's no time for any sort of character development or depth. Reilly seems to eschew actually describing any of the locations in the book in favour of a Microsoft Paint diagram. Half the pages only have a few lines of text on them. Depth and substance seems to have taken a back seat for more torture porn scenes. Zoe, Stretch and Pooh Bear barely feature in this book (or the last one) despite being central characters in the first three. Even Hades, who I was looking forward to getting to know in this book, plays a pretty small role. The mystery and intrigue surrounding Aloysius Knight has vanished and he's just a gun-for-hire in this book.
And I know you don't read a Matthew Reilly novel if you want something realistic but the scenes set in the real world are somewhat outlandish and break the illusion a bit. For a start, having a scene involving a terrorist attack in London is in extremely bad taste given what's happened in the UK and elsewhere in the world over the last few years, and if this had happened, combined with a skyscraper being destroyed in New York and the battle in Venice, it would have placed the world into lockdown. And no mention is made of the effects of most of the world's royal families being massacred in the previous book - can you imagine what would happen in the UK if the whole royal family suddenly disappeared without explanation?
I think I'll stick with this series to see how the storyline ends. I really hope the next book is a lot better and back up there with the first three.
This series has really lost its way, which is a real shame.
The first three Jack West novels were something else and all-time favourites of mine, a really incredible story with great characters. The Four Legendary Kingdoms I found pretty enjoyable, standard Reilly/Jack West - a non-stop thriller with crazy ancient history lore. But I found The Three Secret Cities to be terrible.
For a start, there's not an original idea in this book. The main plot recycles the premise of the earlier Jack West novels - yet again there's an ancient mechanism built into the planet that has to be activated in a few days' time to stop a catastrophic event. The 'secret cities' aren't really cities, they're the same principle as the Vertices from 6SS/5GW, basically Tomb Raider levels that can only be overcome via a code that someone conveniently found earlier on an ancient stone tablet. Ancient artifacts have to be found and placed in these cities - sounding familiar? Even the Greystone is just the same as Ice-9 from Cat's Cradle...
The action moves along so quickly there's no time for any sort of character development or depth. Reilly seems to eschew actually describing any of the locations in the book in favour of a Microsoft Paint diagram. Half the pages only have a few lines of text on them. Depth and substance seems to have taken a back seat for more torture porn scenes. Zoe, Stretch and Pooh Bear barely feature in this book (or the last one) despite being central characters in the first three. Even Hades, who I was looking forward to getting to know in this book, plays a pretty small role. The mystery and intrigue surrounding Aloysius Knight has vanished and he's just a gun-for-hire in this book.
And I know you don't read a Matthew Reilly novel if you want something realistic but the scenes set in the real world are somewhat outlandish and break the illusion a bit. For a start, having a scene involving a terrorist attack in London is in extremely bad taste given what's happened in the UK and elsewhere in the world over the last few years, and if this had happened, combined with a skyscraper being destroyed in New York and the battle in Venice, it would have placed the world into lockdown. And no mention is made of the effects of most of the world's royal families being massacred in the previous book - can you imagine what would happen in the UK if the whole royal family suddenly disappeared without explanation?
I think I'll stick with this series to see how the storyline ends. I really hope the next book is a lot better and back up there with the first three.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2018
THE THREE SECRET CITIES by Matthew Reilly is the fifth book in the Jack West, Jr series, and I'm very late to the party as this is the first book I read in the series. Luckily, it was a very easy book to get into since it all begins with a summarizing of what happened at the end of the last book, THE FOUR LEGENDARY KINGDOMS. The story in this book picks up right away with Jack, the winner of the Great Games, realizing the world is about the end, and he and his friends must stop it from happening. However, first they must find the "Three Secret Cities." It's not easy, especially because they have a lot of enemies that are out to kill or capture Jack, his family, and friends.
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
March 29, 2019
I woke up at 3am and finished this book. Love Matthew Reilly books. This book is a continuation of The Four Lengendary Kingdoms. After Jack wins the trials he is now forced to face the same people to save the planet. This book leaves you with a cliff hanger so I have no doubt there will be another book pertaining to the same subject matter.
December 23, 2018
Wow what a thrilling ride. I’m so glad I picked this up right after finishing The Four Legendary Kingdoms, because this helped me remember all the juicy tidbits before diving into another Jack West Jr story. This book gave me all the feels that I first felt when I discovered The Seven Ancient Wonders but it was also very emotional and exciting at the same.
The best part of this book is that the author decides to go back to the original formula of telling Jack’s story - a globetrotting adventure with a looming deadline. It picks up right after the ending of The Four Legendary Kingdoms and gives no time for Jack to rest before he is off to save the world again. There is a lot of hopping between places - New York to London, Italy to Greece, Venice to Venezuela and many many more. Our favorite crew gets separated into teams to discover the three secret cities, so we don’t see all of them together much. Reilly also manages to device some very new torture methods we haven’t seen before and I just want to tip off my hat to his imagination. We get the usual story of figuring out the locations of the secret cities, finding the immortal weapons, some daring escapes and puzzling through booby trapped avenues while racing against time to perform another ancient sacrificial ritual to save the world.
What makes this book extra special is the emotional pull throughout. We see some beautiful moments between Jack and Lily, Alby, Zoe and even Nobody and the other members of the crew. After this feeling of joy, the author decides that we have been happy enough and we are shocked to our core by the deaths of some key characters and I just couldn’t believe that they happened. It just made the story all the more real and every scene felt like the harbinger of more death. Coming to the action side of it, we have one of the most inventive rescue by a beloved character from Scarecrow and that scene just delighted the Reilly fan in me. As always, the author manages to interweave the story of many myths and legends but I absolutely loved the way he utilized the symbolism of Medusa’s curse and how he turned the legend of the Knights of the Round Table on its head. And that ENDING..... it almost killed me and then gave me just enough hope to hang on to.
This book is a dream for any adrenaline junkie reader and fans of Jack West Jr and I promise, you will be thrilled on every page. And if you haven’t read this series, but love a jet setting adventure, a relentless hero, lots of mythology and the end of the world looming - what are you waiting for... Just go ahead and start this series from the beginning. As for me, it’s going to be a long wait till 2020.
The best part of this book is that the author decides to go back to the original formula of telling Jack’s story - a globetrotting adventure with a looming deadline. It picks up right after the ending of The Four Legendary Kingdoms and gives no time for Jack to rest before he is off to save the world again. There is a lot of hopping between places - New York to London, Italy to Greece, Venice to Venezuela and many many more. Our favorite crew gets separated into teams to discover the three secret cities, so we don’t see all of them together much. Reilly also manages to device some very new torture methods we haven’t seen before and I just want to tip off my hat to his imagination. We get the usual story of figuring out the locations of the secret cities, finding the immortal weapons, some daring escapes and puzzling through booby trapped avenues while racing against time to perform another ancient sacrificial ritual to save the world.
What makes this book extra special is the emotional pull throughout. We see some beautiful moments between Jack and Lily, Alby, Zoe and even Nobody and the other members of the crew. After this feeling of joy, the author decides that we have been happy enough and we are shocked to our core by the deaths of some key characters and I just couldn’t believe that they happened. It just made the story all the more real and every scene felt like the harbinger of more death. Coming to the action side of it, we have one of the most inventive rescue by a beloved character from Scarecrow and that scene just delighted the Reilly fan in me. As always, the author manages to interweave the story of many myths and legends but I absolutely loved the way he utilized the symbolism of Medusa’s curse and how he turned the legend of the Knights of the Round Table on its head. And that ENDING..... it almost killed me and then gave me just enough hope to hang on to.
This book is a dream for any adrenaline junkie reader and fans of Jack West Jr and I promise, you will be thrilled on every page. And if you haven’t read this series, but love a jet setting adventure, a relentless hero, lots of mythology and the end of the world looming - what are you waiting for... Just go ahead and start this series from the beginning. As for me, it’s going to be a long wait till 2020.
March 7, 2019
The grand set-pieces are here. The lost history and hidden mystery are here. The over-indulgent use of italics and exclamation points are here. But the scale and sense of urgency are both so large as to defy the suspension of disbelief necessary to have gotten this far in the series. Crisscrossing the Globe is a given at this point, but to cram the sheer volume of events into a single week as is done here beggars belief. Combine that with a few off-putting American political references that do nothing to enhance the story and only exist as an authors winking virtue signal, and you get a piece of brain candy, enjoyable while it lasts, but forgotten soon afterward.
Addendum - I've seen no one else mention this, but a fairly major plot device is swiped from Kurt Vonnegut, rather blatantly. Or maybe it's just me. Anyone who recognizes it please contact me to discuss.
Addendum - I've seen no one else mention this, but a fairly major plot device is swiped from Kurt Vonnegut, rather blatantly. Or maybe it's just me. Anyone who recognizes it please contact me to discuss.
November 13, 2018
Take all the stars Mr Reilly - take them all.
I had a copy of this and Thrawn Alliances in my hands to read and I chose this one. There is no other author that would be able to make me do that. One look at this and I had to read it first.
The world building is fantastic. For a book that is all go go go non stop action the level of detail is amazing. You are literally racing through the most amazing action sequences but also have to focus on the beautifully woven detail. Matthew Reilly is a master at this. The backstory and places the characters visit are so vivid and clear you truly are transported there.
The characters are amazing too. Jack West JNR is an amazing hero and focal point of the story. The other characters too are very well written and really add to the story. There's also a special guest who I won't mention but is a very welcome addition.
The plot is very sound and the pacing is manic but it works so so well.
You can't help but get enthralled in the action and swept up in a non stop roller coaster ride.
There's also a cliffhanger type ending and I love cliffhanger type endings.
I pick these books up and just know it will blow me away.
Matthew Reilly is just that good.
You wait all year for it, read it in three days, realize you have to wait twelve months for another one but you just don't care.
He is just that good.
If you haven't read any Matthew Reilly then, as the famous add says,
Just do it
I had a copy of this and Thrawn Alliances in my hands to read and I chose this one. There is no other author that would be able to make me do that. One look at this and I had to read it first.
The world building is fantastic. For a book that is all go go go non stop action the level of detail is amazing. You are literally racing through the most amazing action sequences but also have to focus on the beautifully woven detail. Matthew Reilly is a master at this. The backstory and places the characters visit are so vivid and clear you truly are transported there.
The characters are amazing too. Jack West JNR is an amazing hero and focal point of the story. The other characters too are very well written and really add to the story. There's also a special guest who I won't mention but is a very welcome addition.
The plot is very sound and the pacing is manic but it works so so well.
You can't help but get enthralled in the action and swept up in a non stop roller coaster ride.
There's also a cliffhanger type ending and I love cliffhanger type endings.
I pick these books up and just know it will blow me away.
Matthew Reilly is just that good.
You wait all year for it, read it in three days, realize you have to wait twelve months for another one but you just don't care.
He is just that good.
If you haven't read any Matthew Reilly then, as the famous add says,
Just do it
July 13, 2018
I have finally had some time to process my emotions after finishing this book. I can't believe I ended it with tears streaming down my face - that is not meant to happen with a Jack West Jnr novel. There are no tears in ancient warfare!!!
As always, well researched and planned out. I believe Reilly must have had the finish line planned when he started this series of books. In this fifth book we once again see a blending of characters with a very important support character making his drop in. We also get our hearts torn out, once, twice, may be more. As we get closer to the finish line, the intensity is heating up and keep us rooted in one spot as we continue to cheer for these great characters to show the world who they are.
We are introduced to new, heartless people in this book (because there hasn't been enough in this series). They are very ego-centric and struggle to understand the pure community based spirit that is Jack West Jnr. That is, until we meet Sphinx who admires Jack's loyalty to his team and the world as a whole. This does not mean he is a nice guy. In fact, he is just as ego-centric as the rest of them but with better planning.
I can't believe that there are only two books to go in this series. I can't wait to keep reading but I am saddened by the fact that I know the end is coming.
As always, well researched and planned out. I believe Reilly must have had the finish line planned when he started this series of books. In this fifth book we once again see a blending of characters with a very important support character making his drop in. We also get our hearts torn out, once, twice, may be more. As we get closer to the finish line, the intensity is heating up and keep us rooted in one spot as we continue to cheer for these great characters to show the world who they are.
We are introduced to new, heartless people in this book (because there hasn't been enough in this series). They are very ego-centric and struggle to understand the pure community based spirit that is Jack West Jnr. That is, until we meet Sphinx who admires Jack's loyalty to his team and the world as a whole. This does not mean he is a nice guy. In fact, he is just as ego-centric as the rest of them but with better planning.
I can't believe that there are only two books to go in this series. I can't wait to keep reading but I am saddened by the fact that I know the end is coming.
March 13, 2019
While I like the Jack West Jr books, I do not love them. Too PG-13 for me. I am a Die Hard thriller type of reader and these stories are too much kiddie adventure for me. I love Johnny Quest, but I am looking for Scarecrow type action. With West, it is more like Indiana Jones on steroids. But still, toned way down for young readers. Bless their hearts I was once a young reader myself, about a million years ago. Nothing wrong with that, if YA reading is what you really want to sink your teeth into. As a bonus, Matt Reilly (who threw us action readers a bone in the last book by featuring Scarecrow) this time around he finally brings back Captain Knight. My "all-right" moment for this book. I just hope sooner or later Reilly completes the Jack West Jr. stories and goes back to the pure action Scarecrow thrillers like "Ice Station" and "Temple"
March 5, 2019
I love Matthew Reillys novels. So much action and thrills. It reminds me of when I was a kid as during my high school days thats all I read. Jack is back, but this one we have the old school Reilly, more global adventures and puzzles to solve. Just think Indiana Jones x100. Some of the scenes are way over the top but you dont come into a Reilly book expecting deep thought. Its escapism at its best. Cant wait for the next
April 23, 2025
A rollercoaster of a ride with deep personal stakes and world-ending consequences
November 12, 2018
I was always going to enjoy this, but Matthew’s fast paced action still makes me smile.
This picks up right after Four Legendary Kingdoms so I did need to give myself a little reminder of how it ended 😂
I love the little ongoing relationship between Jack and Scarecrow 💙 tiny detail but so well done. And the (spoiler event!) is excellent as a result; I proper squealed.
I do feel that this series is getting even more outlandish and ridiculous but I love it. The eight, in particular, created an interesting scenario in how public they were willing to be with their search.
And then I don’t think you can talk about this book without taking about the deaths - especially with more promises to come. Not sure I can take that. There’s one in particular that I found very shocking, and another that I didn’t expect, even if I may have been right in the end (spoiler avoidant).
Amazing continuation :)
This picks up right after Four Legendary Kingdoms so I did need to give myself a little reminder of how it ended 😂
I love the little ongoing relationship between Jack and Scarecrow 💙 tiny detail but so well done. And the (spoiler event!) is excellent as a result; I proper squealed.
I do feel that this series is getting even more outlandish and ridiculous but I love it. The eight, in particular, created an interesting scenario in how public they were willing to be with their search.
And then I don’t think you can talk about this book without taking about the deaths - especially with more promises to come. Not sure I can take that. There’s one in particular that I found very shocking, and another that I didn’t expect, even if I may have been right in the end (spoiler avoidant).
Amazing continuation :)
December 6, 2018
I'm not crying, you're crying. Holy shit what an ending. We have to wait until 2020 for the sequel? ::::Head desk::::
October 12, 2018
Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
I give this book 3.5 stars. I chose this book because my husband read the fourth book in the series while I was in early labor with my first child. It was fun to listen to as my husband read it out loud to try and distract me - so I thought I would check it out.
The fifth book in the series begins where the last one left off. The action and events flow similarly to the prior books in the series, but are based on the new challenges that Jack faces. There is a more somber tone due to deaths of influential characters, which helped balance out some of the action.
The overall flow to the book allows for a quick and enjoyable read. For those fans who have enjoyed Matthew Reilly in the past, this will definitely be something they want to read. For the newer readers like myself, I am putting this series on my list to start from the beginning so I can get the entire backstory.
I wanted to give this a better rating, however the ending was a little bit too much of a 'gotcha'. I think it was not as genuine as it could have been - more to sell future books in the series than to elevate the series as a whole.
I give this book 3.5 stars. I chose this book because my husband read the fourth book in the series while I was in early labor with my first child. It was fun to listen to as my husband read it out loud to try and distract me - so I thought I would check it out.
The fifth book in the series begins where the last one left off. The action and events flow similarly to the prior books in the series, but are based on the new challenges that Jack faces. There is a more somber tone due to deaths of influential characters, which helped balance out some of the action.
The overall flow to the book allows for a quick and enjoyable read. For those fans who have enjoyed Matthew Reilly in the past, this will definitely be something they want to read. For the newer readers like myself, I am putting this series on my list to start from the beginning so I can get the entire backstory.
I wanted to give this a better rating, however the ending was a little bit too much of a 'gotcha'. I think it was not as genuine as it could have been - more to sell future books in the series than to elevate the series as a whole.
November 10, 2018
I suspect each time Matthew Reilly sits down to write a new book he asks himself the same question. “How can I push the action quotient further than I did last time?” The good news, from our perspective at least, is that he keeps managing it. I can sum up each new Matthew Reilly novel in four simple words – Bigger, Better, Faster, More. When it comes to pure, unadulterated mayhem I don’t think there are many who deliver as consistently as Reilly does. The Jack West Jnr series has been excellent since book one. Each book builds on the story that has come before and is creating an ongoing tale that is pretty damned epic in scope. We are onto book five now, and this latest adventure is just as fresh and exciting as it predecessors.
I don’t think I can stress this enough, the action in The Three Secret Cities is unrelentingly bonkers. I mean that as the highest of compliments. There are pitched gun battles all over the place, tower blocks collapsing in on themselves, death defying halo drops and world famous landmarks being obliterated. It’s all in a day’s work as far as Jack West Jnr is concerned. These action set pieces are outlandish in the extreme, and I loved every one. There is a constant sense of spectacle. Each time I thought I couldn’t be amazed anymore I was proven wrong. There are a handful of WTF! moments that are likely going to melt your brain. I dearly want to see Matthew Reilly’s work translate to the big screen. The Three Secret Cities is a literary action blockbuster, I want it to be a cinematic one as well. The only trouble I would have with that would be deciding who would be my dream cast.
Though the novel is chock full of excitement you would be wrong to think that it all there is. The author weaves an engaging plot between all the moments of derring-do. There are ancient puzzles to solve and clues to decipher. One of the things I really liked is that Reilly uses a unique interpretation of mythological stories to fit within his narrative, so they factor into modern events. This delivers a perfect counterpoint to all the explosions and shooting.
If you have read the rest of Reilly’s back catalogue you already know that Jack West Jnr exists within the same shared universe as his other action hero, Shane ‘Scarecrow’ Schofield. The good news is The Three Secret Cities further cements this link with the inclusion of a character who has featured in the Schofield novels. No, there will be no spoilers regarding that person’s name here, my friend. I would not wish to ruin that particular surprise. The only thing you need to know is that if you are fan of the other novels there are scenes in The Three Secret Cities that will make you grin from ear-to-ear.
Years ago, I read a magazine article that suggested there is no such thing as an original story. The author stated that all fiction can be traced back to ancient legends and their base concepts. To a degree, I think this is true. In many respects Jack West Jnr is a modern-day Odysseus, the indomitable hero. Nothing, or no-one, will stop West from achieving his goal. He will fight to his last breath for his friends. He will drop everything and travel half way across the planet, at a moment’s notice, to help those in need. These acts of selfless heroism make him a genuinely engaging protagonist. The other thing I think that is important is that West isn’t invincible. He doesn’t always succeed in everything he does. Sometimes he isn’t the one doing the rescuing. I would be horribly bored if he was that perfect.
West is part of a delightfully mismatched, extended surrogate family and most of these characters show up at one point or another. Any time Pooh Bear, Stretch or Sky Monster appear always makes me smile. Elsewhere the villains remain gleefully villainous. I’m sure you’ll be shocked when I tell you it turns out that religious zealots, clandestine secret societies and global shadow governments are all thoroughly nasty types. Whenever any one of these scumbags gets their comeuppance, you’ll find yourself having difficulty containing the urge to shout in triumph.
The Three Secret Cities delivers on every page. Rip roaring adventure at a breakneck pace does not get any better than this. If you are an action thriller fan, and you haven’t already, I strongly suggest you discover Matthew Reilly today.
I don’t think I can stress this enough, the action in The Three Secret Cities is unrelentingly bonkers. I mean that as the highest of compliments. There are pitched gun battles all over the place, tower blocks collapsing in on themselves, death defying halo drops and world famous landmarks being obliterated. It’s all in a day’s work as far as Jack West Jnr is concerned. These action set pieces are outlandish in the extreme, and I loved every one. There is a constant sense of spectacle. Each time I thought I couldn’t be amazed anymore I was proven wrong. There are a handful of WTF! moments that are likely going to melt your brain. I dearly want to see Matthew Reilly’s work translate to the big screen. The Three Secret Cities is a literary action blockbuster, I want it to be a cinematic one as well. The only trouble I would have with that would be deciding who would be my dream cast.
Though the novel is chock full of excitement you would be wrong to think that it all there is. The author weaves an engaging plot between all the moments of derring-do. There are ancient puzzles to solve and clues to decipher. One of the things I really liked is that Reilly uses a unique interpretation of mythological stories to fit within his narrative, so they factor into modern events. This delivers a perfect counterpoint to all the explosions and shooting.
If you have read the rest of Reilly’s back catalogue you already know that Jack West Jnr exists within the same shared universe as his other action hero, Shane ‘Scarecrow’ Schofield. The good news is The Three Secret Cities further cements this link with the inclusion of a character who has featured in the Schofield novels. No, there will be no spoilers regarding that person’s name here, my friend. I would not wish to ruin that particular surprise. The only thing you need to know is that if you are fan of the other novels there are scenes in The Three Secret Cities that will make you grin from ear-to-ear.
Years ago, I read a magazine article that suggested there is no such thing as an original story. The author stated that all fiction can be traced back to ancient legends and their base concepts. To a degree, I think this is true. In many respects Jack West Jnr is a modern-day Odysseus, the indomitable hero. Nothing, or no-one, will stop West from achieving his goal. He will fight to his last breath for his friends. He will drop everything and travel half way across the planet, at a moment’s notice, to help those in need. These acts of selfless heroism make him a genuinely engaging protagonist. The other thing I think that is important is that West isn’t invincible. He doesn’t always succeed in everything he does. Sometimes he isn’t the one doing the rescuing. I would be horribly bored if he was that perfect.
West is part of a delightfully mismatched, extended surrogate family and most of these characters show up at one point or another. Any time Pooh Bear, Stretch or Sky Monster appear always makes me smile. Elsewhere the villains remain gleefully villainous. I’m sure you’ll be shocked when I tell you it turns out that religious zealots, clandestine secret societies and global shadow governments are all thoroughly nasty types. Whenever any one of these scumbags gets their comeuppance, you’ll find yourself having difficulty containing the urge to shout in triumph.
The Three Secret Cities delivers on every page. Rip roaring adventure at a breakneck pace does not get any better than this. If you are an action thriller fan, and you haven’t already, I strongly suggest you discover Matthew Reilly today.
October 16, 2021
The Three Secret Cities is the fifth book in the Jack West Jr. series written by Matthew Reilly. It continues the quest of Jonathan "Jack" James West Jr. in preventing the Omega Event by seeking the three secret cities, while being hunted by the Shadow World.
Jack West Jr., representing Orlando Compton-Jones, the King of Land, has just prevailed in the Great Games held in the Underworld, becoming only the fourth such champion, joining Osiris, Gilgamesh, and Hercules. However, West did not get the prize for which he contended – the mysteries that would see the Earth safely through the Omega Event.
West is then targeted for death by the Knights of the Golden Eight, who have also been charged with capturing his daughter, Lily, and her friend Alby Calvin, setting up a wild ride as the trio try to remain safe.
The Three Secret Cities is written rather well. Reilly returns to form as the narrative returns to the high octane, worldwide adventure, artifact finding, assassination attempt avoiding, and secret societies with hidden agendas. Reilly wonderfully merges the hidden realities, ancient myths, and the manipulation of human history by powerful supernatural beings rather well.
All in all, The Three Secret Cities is written rather well and is a wonderful continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Jack West Jr., representing Orlando Compton-Jones, the King of Land, has just prevailed in the Great Games held in the Underworld, becoming only the fourth such champion, joining Osiris, Gilgamesh, and Hercules. However, West did not get the prize for which he contended – the mysteries that would see the Earth safely through the Omega Event.
West is then targeted for death by the Knights of the Golden Eight, who have also been charged with capturing his daughter, Lily, and her friend Alby Calvin, setting up a wild ride as the trio try to remain safe.
The Three Secret Cities is written rather well. Reilly returns to form as the narrative returns to the high octane, worldwide adventure, artifact finding, assassination attempt avoiding, and secret societies with hidden agendas. Reilly wonderfully merges the hidden realities, ancient myths, and the manipulation of human history by powerful supernatural beings rather well.
All in all, The Three Secret Cities is written rather well and is a wonderful continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
February 24, 2020
It took me a little bit to get into this Jack West edition... I feel that Reilly tries to one-up himself in each progressive book in the series, so sh%t just gets more and more ridiculous and in some cases simply unbelievable/inconceivable. Like I know this is fiction and it’s not meant to be real, however in order to be engaged it needs to be remotely possible.
In saying that, despite the ridiculousness (eg. there are literally three GROUPS of highly trained professional killers out to capture/kill Jack from the beginning), I came around as it progressed and things became (slightly) more realistic.
Another action-packed, heart-thumping page turner, and I really enjoy the combination of adventure, history/mythology and sci-fi in this series. It’s like Indiana Jones meets Star Trek (kinda).
The group of characters are awesome, especially the “goodies” who clearly have a strong bond, especially given this is their fifth book together for most of them. The antagonists are also well written and genuinely evil.
I find Matthew Reilly books are great for reading in between more heavy, slow and complex books, when I just want something quick, easy and exciting to read, and this one was no different.
I’ll definitely be going on to read the final two books in the series!
In saying that, despite the ridiculousness (eg. there are literally three GROUPS of highly trained professional killers out to capture/kill Jack from the beginning), I came around as it progressed and things became (slightly) more realistic.
Another action-packed, heart-thumping page turner, and I really enjoy the combination of adventure, history/mythology and sci-fi in this series. It’s like Indiana Jones meets Star Trek (kinda).
The group of characters are awesome, especially the “goodies” who clearly have a strong bond, especially given this is their fifth book together for most of them. The antagonists are also well written and genuinely evil.
I find Matthew Reilly books are great for reading in between more heavy, slow and complex books, when I just want something quick, easy and exciting to read, and this one was no different.
I’ll definitely be going on to read the final two books in the series!
November 17, 2018
I love Matthew Reilly's thrillers and Jack West is a great hero. This sixth book in the West series is a fine thriller. Hugely exciting, taking place across much of the globe and with some big shocks. As usual, the book is packed full of diagrams and charts that really add to the mood. Excellent! Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
January 8, 2019
What do you meannn I need to wait until 2020 for the next book?!
January 18, 2019
Good fun but certainly not to be taken seriously. Reilly is under so much pressure to stick to his theme of ancient wonders he is being forced to go to some very whacky places and cover all his bases again and again.
A typical conversation goes "Ahh Mr West, the Fifth great warrior and finder of the four legendary kingdoms. How fortunate to meet you here at one of the three fabled cities. Are you in possession of any of the three epic weapons or the six mystic cleansing stones? No? Well it doesn't look good for you. Mhahah. Mwahahaha. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH"
My favourite thing about this book was that it features the return of a favourite character from his Scarecrow series and that once again he manages to pull off some pretty epic set pieces. The action is always where it's at in these books.
I am destined to read this series until the end but to be honest it's been a while since I really loved one of these books.
A typical conversation goes "Ahh Mr West, the Fifth great warrior and finder of the four legendary kingdoms. How fortunate to meet you here at one of the three fabled cities. Are you in possession of any of the three epic weapons or the six mystic cleansing stones? No? Well it doesn't look good for you. Mhahah. Mwahahaha. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH"
My favourite thing about this book was that it features the return of a favourite character from his Scarecrow series and that once again he manages to pull off some pretty epic set pieces. The action is always where it's at in these books.
I am destined to read this series until the end but to be honest it's been a while since I really loved one of these books.
January 5, 2019
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Обичам Матю Райли и по-специално двете му поредици, посветени на Плашилото и Джак Уест, но някак си приключенията на Джак са ми по присърце, затова винаги се вълнувам когато излезе нова книга с негови приключения и с известна тъга се замислям, че краят на поредицата лека-полека наближава. Все пак е обявена за 7 книги, а не мисля, че Райли е от тези ламтящи автори, които да си променят думата само заради печалбата. Да не говорим, че има навика да задрасква главни действащи лица от дъската с лека ръка и не се знае до финала на поредицата какво ще се случи. Аз лично, след тази книга, си имам своите подозрения, но няма да ви спойлвам.
Оставихме Джак Уест в края на приключението му в игрите на Царате, където той някак си успя да избяга и да предотврати една несправедливост, но… може би направи кофти услуга на света, защото сега някой трябва да спре събитието Омега.
Естествено отново всички искат реликвите, които търси самият Джак заедно с хората си, но нещата стават още по-сложни, когато си ядосал някого и той иска главата ти… И я иска от Рицарите на Кръглата маса.
Едно от очарованията на Райли е да работи с митовете и легендите по такъв начин, че да не ги променя драстично, но успешно да ги пренесе в днешно време и ясно да покаже на читателя, че една история може много да се измени във времето, както се случва това с Тризъбеца, едно от трите оръжия, които Джак и хората му трябва да открият наред с шлема на Хадес и … Ескалибур.
Да, точно така, Матю Райли отново си играе с митологиите по един прекрасен начин. Самият той е воден от това, че читателите му винаги могат да потърсят информация в Гугъл и прави дълги проучвания преди да напише книгите за Джак, както исторически, така и географски и това е една от причините тази поредица да е толкова завладяваща и носеща духа на Индиана Джоунс, но поне за мен далеч по-чаровна и интересна.
И макар да беше едно безумно и диво приключение на висока скорост, тази книга е пълна и с много тъга, защото Матю е от онези безмилостни автори, които дори не се колебаят да убиват герои, с които хората са свикнали и които обичат. А най-лошото е, че обещава нещата да станат още по-трагични в следващата книга. Накъде още, бе!?
Истината е, че когото и да убие, ще продължа да го обичам, защото след години очакване, той върна един от най-любимите ми поддържащи герои, който май е и всеобщ любимец. Връща го по един брилянтен начин и съответно го поставя в опасност, та както се вика, не се привързвайте. За мен е късно, но за вас още не е.
Ако търсите приключения, които да ви държат на нокти, да не усещате, кога са минали 100-ина страници, да откривате изгубени светове и реликви, ако обичате всякакви приключения тип Индиана Джоунс, то Джак Уест и неговите приключения са вашето нещо, но не забравяйте да почнете от „Седемте смъртоносни чудеса“ и да карате подред. Защото, поне за мен, да се потопиш в свят на изгубени светове, реликви, тайни и мистерии, е нещо толкова различно и освежаващо. Екшън с елементи на история, митология и изгубени езици.
Обожавам как продължи историята след края на „Четирите Легендарни Царства“ и, естествено, разбрахме какво излезе от ковчега. „Трите тайни града“ се оказа зашеметяващо приключение, което не ме разочарова изобщо. Точно обратното, бях изненадана, смях се, затаявах дъх, подскачах от радост и тъгувах.
Ако сте фен на Райли и сте чели тази книга, много ми се иска в коментарите да обсъдим появяването на моя любим герой, който сега няма да спомена, за да не напълня останалите със спойлери.
Обичам Матю Райли и по-специално двете му поредици, посветени на Плашилото и Джак Уест, но някак си приключенията на Джак са ми по присърце, затова винаги се вълнувам когато излезе нова книга с негови приключения и с известна тъга се замислям, че краят на поредицата лека-полека наближава. Все пак е обявена за 7 книги, а не мисля, че Райли е от тези ламтящи автори, които да си променят думата само заради печалбата. Да не говорим, че има навика да задрасква главни действащи лица от дъската с лека ръка и не се знае до финала на поредицата какво ще се случи. Аз лично, след тази книга, си имам своите подозрения, но няма да ви спойлвам.
Оставихме Джак Уест в края на приключението му в игрите на Царате, където той някак си успя да избяга и да предотврати една несправедливост, но… може би направи кофти услуга на света, защото сега някой трябва да спре събитието Омега.
Естествено отново всички искат реликвите, които търси самият Джак заедно с хората си, но нещата стават още по-сложни, когато си ядосал някого и той иска главата ти… И я иска от Рицарите на Кръглата маса.
Едно от очарованията на Райли е да работи с митовете и легендите по такъв начин, че да не ги променя драстично, но успешно да ги пренесе в днешно време и ясно да покаже на читателя, че една история може много да се измени във времето, както се случва това с Тризъбеца, едно от трите оръжия, които Джак и хората му трябва да открият наред с шлема на Хадес и … Ескалибур.
Да, точно така, Матю Райли отново си играе с митологиите по един прекрасен начин. Самият той е воден от това, че читателите му винаги могат да потърсят информация в Гугъл и прави дълги проучвания преди да напише книгите за Джак, както исторически, така и географски и това е една от причините тази поредица да е толкова завладяваща и носеща духа на Индиана Джоунс, но поне за мен далеч по-чаровна и интересна.
И макар да беше едно безумно и диво приключение на висока скорост, тази книга е пълна и с много тъга, защото Матю е от онези безмилостни автори, които дори не се колебаят да убиват герои, с които хората са свикнали и които обичат. А най-лошото е, че обещава нещата да станат още по-трагични в следващата книга. Накъде още, бе!?
Истината е, че когото и да убие, ще продължа да го обичам, защото след години очакване, той върна един от най-любимите ми поддържащи герои, който май е и всеобщ любимец. Връща го по един брилянтен начин и съответно го поставя в опасност, та както се вика, не се привързвайте. За мен е късно, но за вас още не е.
Ако търсите приключения, които да ви държат на нокти, да не усещате, кога са минали 100-ина страници, да откривате изгубени светове и реликви, ако обичате всякакви приключения тип Индиана Джоунс, то Джак Уест и неговите приключения са вашето нещо, но не забравяйте да почнете от „Седемте смъртоносни чудеса“ и да карате подред. Защото, поне за мен, да се потопиш в свят на изгубени светове, реликви, тайни и мистерии, е нещо толкова различно и освежаващо. Екшън с елементи на история, митология и изгубени езици.
Обожавам как продължи историята след края на „Четирите Легендарни Царства“ и, естествено, разбрахме какво излезе от ковчега. „Трите тайни града“ се оказа зашеметяващо приключение, което не ме разочарова изобщо. Точно обратното, бях изненадана, смях се, затаявах дъх, подскачах от радост и тъгувах.
Ако сте фен на Райли и сте чели тази книга, много ми се иска в коментарите да обсъдим появяването на моя любим герой, който сега няма да спомена, за да не напълня останалите със спойлери.
January 20, 2019
‘For three whole days after the Great Games, the Underworld lay silent.’
And then, the action started. The Four Legendary Kingdoms are in turmoil. The world is doomed, unless Jack West Jr and his friends can save it. It’s simple, really, all they must do is find the three ancient weapons in three secret cities, complete a series of ancient puzzles within seven days and the world will be saved. One problem is that he first must identify the location of the three cities, another problem is that quite a few people are after Jack West. They want him dead.
So, what will Jack and his team do? Well, there’s plenty of travel, lots of danger to overcome and some incredible escapes.
This is the fifth book in the Jack West Jr series, and I love the adrenaline-filled action. Pure escapism for me, totally unrealistic but loads of fun. Mostly. I’ve become attached to a few of the characters along the way, and they don’t all make it to the end. Those who do make it seem blessed with superhuman powers: how else could they recover so quickly and fight so effectively?
This is a series where the reading order of the books is important. I’m now looking forward to the next instalment.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
And then, the action started. The Four Legendary Kingdoms are in turmoil. The world is doomed, unless Jack West Jr and his friends can save it. It’s simple, really, all they must do is find the three ancient weapons in three secret cities, complete a series of ancient puzzles within seven days and the world will be saved. One problem is that he first must identify the location of the three cities, another problem is that quite a few people are after Jack West. They want him dead.
So, what will Jack and his team do? Well, there’s plenty of travel, lots of danger to overcome and some incredible escapes.
This is the fifth book in the Jack West Jr series, and I love the adrenaline-filled action. Pure escapism for me, totally unrealistic but loads of fun. Mostly. I’ve become attached to a few of the characters along the way, and they don’t all make it to the end. Those who do make it seem blessed with superhuman powers: how else could they recover so quickly and fight so effectively?
This is a series where the reading order of the books is important. I’m now looking forward to the next instalment.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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