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Jack West Jr #6
The Two Lost Mountains
AN INCREDIBLE VICTORY
BUT AT A TERRIBLE PRICE...
Against all the odds, Jack West Jr found the Three Secret Cities but at a heartbreaking cost.
His beloved daughter Lily, it appeared, was slaughtered by Sphinx in a cruel ancient ritual.
TO THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FALL!
With his rivals far ahead of him, Jack must now get to one of the five iron mountains-two of which have never been found-and perform a mysterious feat known only as 'The Fall'.
Although what is this object on the moon that is connected to it?
A NEW PLAYER ARRIVES
Amid all this, Jack will discover that a new player has entered the race, a general so feared by the four legendary kingdoms they had him locked away in their deepest dungeon.
Only now this general has escaped and he has a horrifying plan of his own...
BUT AT A TERRIBLE PRICE...
Against all the odds, Jack West Jr found the Three Secret Cities but at a heartbreaking cost.
His beloved daughter Lily, it appeared, was slaughtered by Sphinx in a cruel ancient ritual.
TO THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FALL!
With his rivals far ahead of him, Jack must now get to one of the five iron mountains-two of which have never been found-and perform a mysterious feat known only as 'The Fall'.
Although what is this object on the moon that is connected to it?
A NEW PLAYER ARRIVES
Amid all this, Jack will discover that a new player has entered the race, a general so feared by the four legendary kingdoms they had him locked away in their deepest dungeon.
Only now this general has escaped and he has a horrifying plan of his own...
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2020
637 people are currently reading
2413 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Reilly
68 books6,251 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 505 reviews
April 5, 2025
The mission was a success, but it came at a cost. A prize Jack West Jr was not willing to pay. But then his team realizes the truth about the sacrifice.
Meanwhile, the mission to save the world continues. Five mountains serve as the keys to entering the labyrinth, in which their final challenge awaits and the future of the world will hang in the balance. Some of the mountains have been lost, so the team needs to find these lost mountains to stay in the race as their enemies will do everything they can to stop them.
The main antagonist wants to save the world too, but he also wants to use this opportunity to gain an enormous amount of power and rule the world. So instead of racing for the finish, he makes a little detour.
During their escape from Erebus, someone else managed to slip out of the royal prison too. And the only thing he still wants in life is to watch the world end.
Matthew Reilly is in a league of his own. This is the sixth book in a seven book series and the pace still hasn’t slowed down one bit. Jack West Jr is total nonstop action personified. The plot moves so fast, you literally fly through the pages. This book starts where the previous one ended. It is once again action-packed from the get-go, adrenaline is pumping from the first sentence to the last in a blistering explosive race to the finish.
The action is elevated by the historical settings. The way Matthew Reilly weaves together fascinating historical facts and fiction to the point where you don’t even question what’s real and what’s not, proves his ability as a master storyteller and is a testament to the amount of research he does to elevate this series to the next level.
This does feel like a transitional novel though. The Three Secret Cities was off the charts, so it was always going to be hard to follow that one. Especially with the big twist at the end. And this book is all about laying the groundwork for the next one, setting things up for the final challenge yet to come. So the plot of the mountains feels more like the last thing standing in our way of the big satisfying finale. To Matthew Reilly’s credit though, it barely feels like it. He keeps us on the edge of our seats the entire time with quite a lot of action scenes.
Matthew Reilly is setting the bar very high as we approach the epic conclusion of this amazing series and he’s getting himself ready here to knock it out of the park.
Meanwhile, the mission to save the world continues. Five mountains serve as the keys to entering the labyrinth, in which their final challenge awaits and the future of the world will hang in the balance. Some of the mountains have been lost, so the team needs to find these lost mountains to stay in the race as their enemies will do everything they can to stop them.
The main antagonist wants to save the world too, but he also wants to use this opportunity to gain an enormous amount of power and rule the world. So instead of racing for the finish, he makes a little detour.
During their escape from Erebus, someone else managed to slip out of the royal prison too. And the only thing he still wants in life is to watch the world end.
Matthew Reilly is in a league of his own. This is the sixth book in a seven book series and the pace still hasn’t slowed down one bit. Jack West Jr is total nonstop action personified. The plot moves so fast, you literally fly through the pages. This book starts where the previous one ended. It is once again action-packed from the get-go, adrenaline is pumping from the first sentence to the last in a blistering explosive race to the finish.
The action is elevated by the historical settings. The way Matthew Reilly weaves together fascinating historical facts and fiction to the point where you don’t even question what’s real and what’s not, proves his ability as a master storyteller and is a testament to the amount of research he does to elevate this series to the next level.
This does feel like a transitional novel though. The Three Secret Cities was off the charts, so it was always going to be hard to follow that one. Especially with the big twist at the end. And this book is all about laying the groundwork for the next one, setting things up for the final challenge yet to come. So the plot of the mountains feels more like the last thing standing in our way of the big satisfying finale. To Matthew Reilly’s credit though, it barely feels like it. He keeps us on the edge of our seats the entire time with quite a lot of action scenes.
Matthew Reilly is setting the bar very high as we approach the epic conclusion of this amazing series and he’s getting himself ready here to knock it out of the park.
July 11, 2021
Holy crap.
This was all kinds of batsh*t insane.
WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the previous books in the series.
As we all know, the last book ended in a painful cliff hanger that led to an excruciating two-year wait. Thankfully, this book jumps straight into clearing things up for us - although, let's face it - chances are you had it worked out already.
This book begins in Russia, and it's quick to take on all kinds of trouble from a host of bad guys, meaning Jack is very much on the back foot from the beginning. Frustratingly, this book leaves him trailing further and further behind. Poor bastard.
I can't describe how painful it was for me that Jack was always so far behind. He's always been great at coming from the back to take the win but this book makes it feel almost impossible - the odds are just so ridiculously stacked against him.
This feels very much like an 'in-between' sort of novel; there's a lot of allusion to a labyrinth which was never going to make it into this book, so it feels like it spends a lot of time setting up that final challenge, rather than focusing the attention on the adventures of the lost mountains. It annoyed me a little, but only because I know I've got another wait before that conclusion which I know is going to be all kinds of epic. It also felt a little lacking in all the ancient puzzle-solving that I've enjoyed so much in the other books. The Lost Mountains of the title didn't actually feel that important to the whole progression of this particular episode.
Lots of planes and other vehicles which I always take with a grain of salt - these things don't hugely interest me but I really love the enthusiasm that comes through the writing. The creepy psycho statues are back, too, and are wreaking plenty of havoc.
The team is still split in all kinds of directions and I really miss them all working together. It adds to Jack's desperation that he seems to have to deal with so much of it by himself, but it does also give us some epic moments when characters come together again after a long and/or tense separation. But I'm very much looking forward to some serious teamwork in the last book.
Overall, I really enjoyed how crazy this adventure was, but it was also seriously fkn depressing. It was just so hard for me to read about how dire things looked for Jack at every single turn. So I guess the emotional factor messed with me a little too much to make it a 5-star. They've always been such fun novels but suddenly the drama is real and the consequences are too extreme and things just feel so damn helpless throughout this book. It hurt my heart.
Tell ya what, though. The final book is going to be all kinds of insane and I honestly can't wait. I am ready for everything in this series to come together like the most incredible tapestry ever woven. I AM READY.
...aaaaaand impatiently waiting. Again.
With thanks to Macmillan for my ARC
This was all kinds of batsh*t insane.
WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the previous books in the series.
As we all know, the last book ended in a painful cliff hanger that led to an excruciating two-year wait. Thankfully, this book jumps straight into clearing things up for us - although, let's face it - chances are you had it worked out already.
This book begins in Russia, and it's quick to take on all kinds of trouble from a host of bad guys, meaning Jack is very much on the back foot from the beginning. Frustratingly, this book leaves him trailing further and further behind. Poor bastard.
I can't describe how painful it was for me that Jack was always so far behind. He's always been great at coming from the back to take the win but this book makes it feel almost impossible - the odds are just so ridiculously stacked against him.
This feels very much like an 'in-between' sort of novel; there's a lot of allusion to a labyrinth which was never going to make it into this book, so it feels like it spends a lot of time setting up that final challenge, rather than focusing the attention on the adventures of the lost mountains. It annoyed me a little, but only because I know I've got another wait before that conclusion which I know is going to be all kinds of epic. It also felt a little lacking in all the ancient puzzle-solving that I've enjoyed so much in the other books. The Lost Mountains of the title didn't actually feel that important to the whole progression of this particular episode.
Lots of planes and other vehicles which I always take with a grain of salt - these things don't hugely interest me but I really love the enthusiasm that comes through the writing. The creepy psycho statues are back, too, and are wreaking plenty of havoc.
The team is still split in all kinds of directions and I really miss them all working together. It adds to Jack's desperation that he seems to have to deal with so much of it by himself, but it does also give us some epic moments when characters come together again after a long and/or tense separation. But I'm very much looking forward to some serious teamwork in the last book.
Overall, I really enjoyed how crazy this adventure was, but it was also seriously fkn depressing. It was just so hard for me to read about how dire things looked for Jack at every single turn. So I guess the emotional factor messed with me a little too much to make it a 5-star. They've always been such fun novels but suddenly the drama is real and the consequences are too extreme and things just feel so damn helpless throughout this book. It hurt my heart.
Tell ya what, though. The final book is going to be all kinds of insane and I honestly can't wait. I am ready for everything in this series to come together like the most incredible tapestry ever woven. I AM READY.
...aaaaaand impatiently waiting. Again.
With thanks to Macmillan for my ARC
April 25, 2021
This book should come with a warning - it will raise your blood pressure and flood your body with adrenaline. Also you will not want to sleep until you have finished. If food is at hand you may well eat it but you will not want to waste time preparing anything. This book is relentless! I’m not going to say much about the plot - where would I start? If you haven’t read the previous 5 books it will be confusing anyway and if you have read the previous books I don’t want to spoil a single thing because you are in for a treat.
In this penultimate book of the series Matthew Reilly has pulled out all the stops! Jack West Jnr and his motley crew of helpers must stop something called “the omega event” to literally save the world. Jack must complete a challenge called “the fall” (yep it’s as bad as it sounds) to then be able to make his way through some supreme labyrinth, no doubt booby trapped to the gills as well. In this episode the baddies are badder, there are more of them and the challenges they must overcome are more extreme. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe - it was so tense.
This not exactly fantasy although it has elements of mythology. It’s not science fiction although there are some pretty out there things going on. No this is pure adventure! Undiluted 100% sheer thrills (or in my case, at times, terror). The odds were always against Jack and his cohorts. Yes, I know it’s all very fantastical but that’s what makes it so engaging.
One thing that really impressed me was the level of research that Reilly had done to lend substance to his outlandish tale. I started wondering about Saint Michel Island off the coast of France, the way it was described made it sound so amazing so I googled it. It does exist and it looks exactly as described and it is an amazing place. Check it out! So then I started fact checking many of the other plot elements and, to my surprise a lot of places and historical facts, like Einstein’s letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, are the real thing. We covered a lot of territory in this book too. It started in Moscow and ended in Egypt and there were many stops in between.
Around these real places and people and facts Reilly has woven his epic story. But hold onto your hats folks, there is one more book to come (around Christmas 2021 is the plan) and it promises to be a blinder! A huge thanks to a Netgalley, Pan Macmillan Australia and Matthew Reilly for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
And I just want to add that I’m a little bit in awe of Matthew Reilly. He is one of only 2 authors whose books I have re-read. Although I did read Gone With The Wind twice in high school, I suspect I wouldn’t enjoy it today. Reilly’s books are not literature but he writes to entertain and in that he excels. I hope he keeps writing for a long time! This last para did not go to Netgalley in case you were thinking I’d lost the plot.
And I just wanted to share this picture of Mont Saint Michel which was mentioned in the book. I keep looking at it, I thinks it’s stunning! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Sa...
In this penultimate book of the series Matthew Reilly has pulled out all the stops! Jack West Jnr and his motley crew of helpers must stop something called “the omega event” to literally save the world. Jack must complete a challenge called “the fall” (yep it’s as bad as it sounds) to then be able to make his way through some supreme labyrinth, no doubt booby trapped to the gills as well. In this episode the baddies are badder, there are more of them and the challenges they must overcome are more extreme. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe - it was so tense.
This not exactly fantasy although it has elements of mythology. It’s not science fiction although there are some pretty out there things going on. No this is pure adventure! Undiluted 100% sheer thrills (or in my case, at times, terror). The odds were always against Jack and his cohorts. Yes, I know it’s all very fantastical but that’s what makes it so engaging.
One thing that really impressed me was the level of research that Reilly had done to lend substance to his outlandish tale. I started wondering about Saint Michel Island off the coast of France, the way it was described made it sound so amazing so I googled it. It does exist and it looks exactly as described and it is an amazing place. Check it out! So then I started fact checking many of the other plot elements and, to my surprise a lot of places and historical facts, like Einstein’s letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, are the real thing. We covered a lot of territory in this book too. It started in Moscow and ended in Egypt and there were many stops in between.
Around these real places and people and facts Reilly has woven his epic story. But hold onto your hats folks, there is one more book to come (around Christmas 2021 is the plan) and it promises to be a blinder! A huge thanks to a Netgalley, Pan Macmillan Australia and Matthew Reilly for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.
And I just want to add that I’m a little bit in awe of Matthew Reilly. He is one of only 2 authors whose books I have re-read. Although I did read Gone With The Wind twice in high school, I suspect I wouldn’t enjoy it today. Reilly’s books are not literature but he writes to entertain and in that he excels. I hope he keeps writing for a long time! This last para did not go to Netgalley in case you were thinking I’d lost the plot.
And I just wanted to share this picture of Mont Saint Michel which was mentioned in the book. I keep looking at it, I thinks it’s stunning! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Sa...
October 12, 2020
This is a story about a brave dedicated adventurer who has to pass a series of tests in a breathless and exhausting race to be the first to complete a very important mission... but enough about me getting my review onto GoodReads 😹
Seriously, this is the sixth book in the epic Jack West Jnr series which began in 2005 with Seven Ancient Wonders, and has been counting down, so we all know this is the penultimate book. Reilly is the only author I buy in hardback (luckily they usually come out around my birthday) but that still seemed a long way away, so my squeal of excitement when I saw it was available on NetGalley, and then repeated when I was actually approved, was probably heard over in Australia. I dropped my current book and fully intended to stay up all night reading, but the Siren Bell must’ve knocked me out, so this has engaged me for most of today instead. I really think it’s the best one yet. (You absolutely have to read this series in order.)
The last book ended with the devastating sacrifice of Jack’s adopted daughter Lily in a secret ceremony under the Rock of Gibraltar, one of steps necessary for the salvation of the universe. An epilogue hinted that perhaps it wasn’t Lily after all, and this opens with the revelation that she is indeed still alive but in big trouble, tied up on the steps of the Kremlin. Evil megalomaniac Sphinx has hatched a plan to subjugate the whole world under his rule, which means completing a death-defying challenge called The Fall in one of five hidden mountains around the world, then navigating the labyrinth to get to the throne. He’s not the only one - we meet other dastardly villains with their own plans for the world. Jack West is also set on getting there, but he only wants to save the universe from the pending Omega event - and they’re running out of time. Can Jack and his family of friends and allies solve the ancient riddles and hold off the terrifying baddies before it’s too late?
Matthew Reilly may not be the world’s greatest writer, but he is arguably one of it’s best story-tellers. The way he is able to come up with ever more original predicaments for Jack and his team to escape from, to play with our emotions as characters we’ve come to adore face almost certain death, only to be rescued at the last second by the unlikeliest heroes, but not always - there are also some gut-wrenching losses in this one, make him one of my absolute favourite authors. “The voice had a distinct accent, one that Jack knew well. A New Zealand accent.” was a line to make my adopted Kiwi heart sing.
Somehow he constructs the most elaborate challenges out of real places and names from history, throwing in detailed drawings so you can picture exactly what he means. He also comes across as a genuinely nice guy. This is not serious literature, but it is seriously good fun. I think I enjoyed this even more than the last few because for a change Jack is doing the chasing and rescuing, rather than being trapped and beaten, and also because of the fantastic female characters in this one, some from before and some new - especially the brilliantly kick-ass potty-mouthed nuns! Oh and those dogs...
Obviously this is not the end, but it finishes at the perfect place to set us up for The One something something, due to come out Christmas 2021. It’s going to be a long wait. Meanwhile The Two Lost Mountains is published in Australia on October 13th. An enormous thank you to Matthew Reilly, NetGalley, and Pan MacMillan Australia for the ARC which allowed me to give my honest review (and be first, yay)! Matthew, I can honestly say, “‘Mmmm, that was satisfying. I enjoyed that.”
Seriously, this is the sixth book in the epic Jack West Jnr series which began in 2005 with Seven Ancient Wonders, and has been counting down, so we all know this is the penultimate book. Reilly is the only author I buy in hardback (luckily they usually come out around my birthday) but that still seemed a long way away, so my squeal of excitement when I saw it was available on NetGalley, and then repeated when I was actually approved, was probably heard over in Australia. I dropped my current book and fully intended to stay up all night reading, but the Siren Bell must’ve knocked me out, so this has engaged me for most of today instead. I really think it’s the best one yet. (You absolutely have to read this series in order.)
The last book ended with the devastating sacrifice of Jack’s adopted daughter Lily in a secret ceremony under the Rock of Gibraltar, one of steps necessary for the salvation of the universe. An epilogue hinted that perhaps it wasn’t Lily after all, and this opens with the revelation that she is indeed still alive but in big trouble, tied up on the steps of the Kremlin. Evil megalomaniac Sphinx has hatched a plan to subjugate the whole world under his rule, which means completing a death-defying challenge called The Fall in one of five hidden mountains around the world, then navigating the labyrinth to get to the throne. He’s not the only one - we meet other dastardly villains with their own plans for the world. Jack West is also set on getting there, but he only wants to save the universe from the pending Omega event - and they’re running out of time. Can Jack and his family of friends and allies solve the ancient riddles and hold off the terrifying baddies before it’s too late?
Matthew Reilly may not be the world’s greatest writer, but he is arguably one of it’s best story-tellers. The way he is able to come up with ever more original predicaments for Jack and his team to escape from, to play with our emotions as characters we’ve come to adore face almost certain death, only to be rescued at the last second by the unlikeliest heroes, but not always - there are also some gut-wrenching losses in this one, make him one of my absolute favourite authors. “The voice had a distinct accent, one that Jack knew well. A New Zealand accent.” was a line to make my adopted Kiwi heart sing.
Somehow he constructs the most elaborate challenges out of real places and names from history, throwing in detailed drawings so you can picture exactly what he means. He also comes across as a genuinely nice guy. This is not serious literature, but it is seriously good fun. I think I enjoyed this even more than the last few because for a change Jack is doing the chasing and rescuing, rather than being trapped and beaten, and also because of the fantastic female characters in this one, some from before and some new - especially the brilliantly kick-ass potty-mouthed nuns! Oh and those dogs...
Obviously this is not the end, but it finishes at the perfect place to set us up for The One something something, due to come out Christmas 2021. It’s going to be a long wait. Meanwhile The Two Lost Mountains is published in Australia on October 13th. An enormous thank you to Matthew Reilly, NetGalley, and Pan MacMillan Australia for the ARC which allowed me to give my honest review (and be first, yay)! Matthew, I can honestly say, “‘Mmmm, that was satisfying. I enjoyed that.”
March 24, 2024
The sixth book in the Jack West jr series picks up where book 5, The Three Secret Cities left off and the Omega Event, i.e. the total annihilation of the entire universe, is only a matter of days away. The only way it can be avoided is by finding two lost mountains of iron and solving the most diabolical of labyrinths. And in Jack West’s case, also avoiding a group of the most bloodthirsty killers who all have him on their radar.
As the name of this volume of the Jack West series implies, Jack and his team need to find some mountains that are important to their quest. In particular, they need to find two mountains that are not yet known as being important. These are the lost mountains that hold the key to the world’s continued existence.
Once again what is already a very difficult task is made infinitely harder by the bad guys, some of whom have been dogging him since book 3, The Five Greatest Warriors. Whenever there’s a reward of untold power and huge riches the dregs of humanity make an appearance and in this case, those dregs are also some of the most evil villains ever to walk the face of the earth.
Chief amongst them is a man known as Sphinx and he has managed to position himself as the new ruler of the earth. He has now become Jack’s main rival and, annoyingly, is constantly ahead in the race for the labyrinth and is always holding the aces. Jack has to continually use his death-defying tricks to get himself, Lily, Alby and the rest of his intrepid crew out of life or death situations.
As with the entire series so far, the action is furiously fast-paced, the deadline is extremely tight and there are new dangers imaginatively introduced by Matthew Reilly to keep the cliffhanger-infested narrative fresh and exciting.
This series is your typical good vs evil battle and, as its progressed, the guys representing evil have become more odious and ruthless. By contrast, we have been given greater insights into the motivation behind Jack’s actions, not to mention his general outlook at life, particularly through the course of this book.
There’s a side to Jack that we’ve come to be aware of and that’s his utter loyalty towards his closest friends. He explains why when asked by one of them why he cares so much about his companions:
Jack smiled. ‘There’s an old saying, “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family.” You can choose your family. Because “family” are those people who lift you up, who help you reach the heights you can’t reach by yourself. Why should that group be arbitrarily limited to blood relatives? Life is short, Easton, so it’s best spent with those you love.’
So, with five very important iron mountains to locate and only three of them appearing on the maps of ancient documents, there are two still to identify. But everyone’s looking for the mountains where they’ll be able to perform a task that will give them a key to enter and, perhaps, complete the great labyrinth.
The race is on but, as ever, Jack always seems to be at the back of the pack and the odds are stacked heavily against him.
This action series takes bits of myth and legend and bends it to its will to create an alternate reality. And then, when combined with some of the most notable figures in history and rare and ancient documents provides us with further “evidence” that this whole Omega Event (the end of Everything!) is actually quite possible. But, naah, park your overdeveloped sense of reality, sit back and enjoy the ride because, once again, Matthew Reilly has given us yet another totally entertaining thrill ride that never takes its foot off the accelerator pedal.
As Jack would say, though, ‘I didn’t come this far just to come this far.’ I will be continuing on to the seventh and final book in the series The One Impossible Labyrinth. (I’m already guessing that, because Jack West’s involved, it won’t prove to be “impossible”).
As the name of this volume of the Jack West series implies, Jack and his team need to find some mountains that are important to their quest. In particular, they need to find two mountains that are not yet known as being important. These are the lost mountains that hold the key to the world’s continued existence.
Once again what is already a very difficult task is made infinitely harder by the bad guys, some of whom have been dogging him since book 3, The Five Greatest Warriors. Whenever there’s a reward of untold power and huge riches the dregs of humanity make an appearance and in this case, those dregs are also some of the most evil villains ever to walk the face of the earth.
Chief amongst them is a man known as Sphinx and he has managed to position himself as the new ruler of the earth. He has now become Jack’s main rival and, annoyingly, is constantly ahead in the race for the labyrinth and is always holding the aces. Jack has to continually use his death-defying tricks to get himself, Lily, Alby and the rest of his intrepid crew out of life or death situations.
As with the entire series so far, the action is furiously fast-paced, the deadline is extremely tight and there are new dangers imaginatively introduced by Matthew Reilly to keep the cliffhanger-infested narrative fresh and exciting.
This series is your typical good vs evil battle and, as its progressed, the guys representing evil have become more odious and ruthless. By contrast, we have been given greater insights into the motivation behind Jack’s actions, not to mention his general outlook at life, particularly through the course of this book.
There’s a side to Jack that we’ve come to be aware of and that’s his utter loyalty towards his closest friends. He explains why when asked by one of them why he cares so much about his companions:
Jack smiled. ‘There’s an old saying, “You can choose your friends but you can’t choose your family.” You can choose your family. Because “family” are those people who lift you up, who help you reach the heights you can’t reach by yourself. Why should that group be arbitrarily limited to blood relatives? Life is short, Easton, so it’s best spent with those you love.’
So, with five very important iron mountains to locate and only three of them appearing on the maps of ancient documents, there are two still to identify. But everyone’s looking for the mountains where they’ll be able to perform a task that will give them a key to enter and, perhaps, complete the great labyrinth.
The race is on but, as ever, Jack always seems to be at the back of the pack and the odds are stacked heavily against him.
This action series takes bits of myth and legend and bends it to its will to create an alternate reality. And then, when combined with some of the most notable figures in history and rare and ancient documents provides us with further “evidence” that this whole Omega Event (the end of Everything!) is actually quite possible. But, naah, park your overdeveloped sense of reality, sit back and enjoy the ride because, once again, Matthew Reilly has given us yet another totally entertaining thrill ride that never takes its foot off the accelerator pedal.
As Jack would say, though, ‘I didn’t come this far just to come this far.’ I will be continuing on to the seventh and final book in the series The One Impossible Labyrinth. (I’m already guessing that, because Jack West’s involved, it won’t prove to be “impossible”).
July 6, 2021
This series is The Fast and Furious version of books. The book is one long action sequence. Each book gets more and more ridiculous. Yet, they are packed with action and just plain fun. I love how Reilly incorporates the world's ancient civilizations and figures out ways to turn mythology into reality into his books without using magic. Jack West, Jr. is the kind of hero you can easily root for while the villains are not just vile but also very smart and always two steps ahead. This novel is the bridge novel between Three Secret Cities and the final novel One Impossible Labyrinth. So as a bridge novel, it's all about setting up for that final book. The risks are higher (the fate of the world). It's all about getting what he needs to enter the labyrinth (and determine where it's even at).
October 15, 2020
Guest reviewer - my husband, who loves Matthew Reilly books like I love Michael Connelly books!
Well, where do I start - at the beginning I guess and that means you should too. The Jack West Jnr series - Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The 4 Legendary Kingdoms and The Three Secret Cities all lead to this fast paced epic, The Two Lost Mountains - book 6. Jack West Jnr is completing an ancient trial to prevent an Omega event, the end of everything.
In traditional Matthew Reilly style, the book reads like an action movie, bouncing across the globe with characters that you will love and those that you will hate. Filled with action, the ancient worlds meets the modern, which leaves you at a crossroads at times, wondering how on earth people are going to escape certain death - and with a clever, get out clause, they usually do.
Without spoilers, we gain new characters but also lose some, and Mr Reilly loves to swing the axe at your heartstrings. It makes it tricky to review without giving anything away - so when you get your copy do not read the chat with the author at the end until you have finished.
This is an enjoyable romp across Europe and Africa and is leading into "One Something Something"
Thank you to MacMillian Australia for sending my wife a copy of this book for me to read and review.
Well, where do I start - at the beginning I guess and that means you should too. The Jack West Jnr series - Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, The 4 Legendary Kingdoms and The Three Secret Cities all lead to this fast paced epic, The Two Lost Mountains - book 6. Jack West Jnr is completing an ancient trial to prevent an Omega event, the end of everything.
In traditional Matthew Reilly style, the book reads like an action movie, bouncing across the globe with characters that you will love and those that you will hate. Filled with action, the ancient worlds meets the modern, which leaves you at a crossroads at times, wondering how on earth people are going to escape certain death - and with a clever, get out clause, they usually do.
Without spoilers, we gain new characters but also lose some, and Mr Reilly loves to swing the axe at your heartstrings. It makes it tricky to review without giving anything away - so when you get your copy do not read the chat with the author at the end until you have finished.
This is an enjoyable romp across Europe and Africa and is leading into "One Something Something"
Thank you to MacMillian Australia for sending my wife a copy of this book for me to read and review.
September 22, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and Publishers Pan Macmillan for this electronic ARC of The Lost Two Mountains by Matthew Reilly for my honest opinion and review.
Another action packed thriller from this fabulously creative author. The book is fast paced with events and characters that hold the reader's attention in constant alert, a hard to put down book. While it is part of a series it stands alone well.
Lily, inside a ceremonial chamber in the heart of the Rock of Gibraltar is preparing to die and awaits for the inevitable when all of a sudden there are pistol shots, the Sphinx is wounded but to her dismay she recognises her saviour who now would be the one to be sacrificed. The chamber reveals with the strange light from the bloodstained water the Word of Thoth and with Lily able to translate reads the events and actions that will prevent Omega and where the Supreme Labyrinth with the ultimate throne as Emperor at its core awaits, only available in the first instance by performing the Fall at an Iron Mountain to acquire the Mark. It further describes the possible use of armies and the Siren Bells.
Now, within the chamber five rings of red gems are also revealed. Taking the largest one, Sphinx is now in control of the armies of Bronzemen automatons. Not content, Sphinx wants control of the Siren Bells that would make the world's inhabitants wherever necessary his slaves.
Moscow: Jack West Jnr is desperately dragging the bodies of Stretch, Aloysius and Lily, in their Siren Bell induced sleep while being pursued by the Bronzemen.
From here on the pace really picks up with the reader taken on an amazing journey including the Vatican, Mont Saint Michel, Jerusalem and Egypt with Jack conceding that he is being beaten at every stage by his rivals until finally with still more automatons in pursuit he and his companions drop into the Labyrinth entrance just as the door is sealed.
Another action packed thriller from this fabulously creative author. The book is fast paced with events and characters that hold the reader's attention in constant alert, a hard to put down book. While it is part of a series it stands alone well.
Lily, inside a ceremonial chamber in the heart of the Rock of Gibraltar is preparing to die and awaits for the inevitable when all of a sudden there are pistol shots, the Sphinx is wounded but to her dismay she recognises her saviour who now would be the one to be sacrificed. The chamber reveals with the strange light from the bloodstained water the Word of Thoth and with Lily able to translate reads the events and actions that will prevent Omega and where the Supreme Labyrinth with the ultimate throne as Emperor at its core awaits, only available in the first instance by performing the Fall at an Iron Mountain to acquire the Mark. It further describes the possible use of armies and the Siren Bells.
Now, within the chamber five rings of red gems are also revealed. Taking the largest one, Sphinx is now in control of the armies of Bronzemen automatons. Not content, Sphinx wants control of the Siren Bells that would make the world's inhabitants wherever necessary his slaves.
Moscow: Jack West Jnr is desperately dragging the bodies of Stretch, Aloysius and Lily, in their Siren Bell induced sleep while being pursued by the Bronzemen.
From here on the pace really picks up with the reader taken on an amazing journey including the Vatican, Mont Saint Michel, Jerusalem and Egypt with Jack conceding that he is being beaten at every stage by his rivals until finally with still more automatons in pursuit he and his companions drop into the Labyrinth entrance just as the door is sealed.
March 1, 2021
This series started in 2005 when I was 16 and I remember really digging the first few books. I have been a loyal Matthew Reilly reader since starting as a teenager, but the last 3 titles in this series and his recent output haven’t been memorable for me.
I’m not sure if it’s my age or if the writing has always been like this but I find the characters and dialogue extremely shallow and soppy, and the plot is beyond far-fetched.
Whenever someone is in a pickle- surprise! here’s someone in a state of the art aircraft arriving with exactly the weapon or intel required to remedy the situation. There is a huge suspension of disbelief required to follow the action and plot, and to follow the pseudo science/history
Somehow I still looked forward to jumping back into this of a night, and I still like the diagrams of ancient mega structures and underground caverns and temples that are a big part of the series. It prompted me to do some research on the pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. The ancient falling temples were also a cool concept.
I’ve always liked the extra info provided by the interviews at the back of these books but this time I became aware that it’s probably just Matthew asking himself the interview questions and answering them which is kind of self indulgent if true.
I will still read the final book in this series when it comes out to see how it ends but I feel it will be predictable and cliché. I need to go back and check if Temple and Contest are as good as I remember.
I’m not sure if it’s my age or if the writing has always been like this but I find the characters and dialogue extremely shallow and soppy, and the plot is beyond far-fetched.
Whenever someone is in a pickle- surprise! here’s someone in a state of the art aircraft arriving with exactly the weapon or intel required to remedy the situation. There is a huge suspension of disbelief required to follow the action and plot, and to follow the pseudo science/history
Somehow I still looked forward to jumping back into this of a night, and I still like the diagrams of ancient mega structures and underground caverns and temples that are a big part of the series. It prompted me to do some research on the pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx. The ancient falling temples were also a cool concept.
I’ve always liked the extra info provided by the interviews at the back of these books but this time I became aware that it’s probably just Matthew asking himself the interview questions and answering them which is kind of self indulgent if true.
I will still read the final book in this series when it comes out to see how it ends but I feel it will be predictable and cliché. I need to go back and check if Temple and Contest are as good as I remember.
January 21, 2021
I don't know if it is the books themselves or the time between books, but this book just didn't do it for me. It is kind of upsetting to have loved a series of books so much to get to the second last one and you realise it might be time to move on. The first book came out in 2005, we are now in 2021 and we are only on book six. Talk about a long time between books.
Reilly does his best to remind you what had come before but there is only so much of that he can do given all of the details in the previous books.
I had forgotten who some of the main characters were. For heavens sake it took me a few chapters to realise when Jack said Nobody mentioned XYZ, that he was referring to an actual character!! I think that says more about me than Reilly actually. I am torn between going back and reading the first five again and throwing in the towel.
Just remember if you decide to read this book that Nobody is not in fact Nobody, Nobody is actually somebody, although I am yet to figure out who. I am off for a Panadol my head hurts.
Reilly does his best to remind you what had come before but there is only so much of that he can do given all of the details in the previous books.
I had forgotten who some of the main characters were. For heavens sake it took me a few chapters to realise when Jack said Nobody mentioned XYZ, that he was referring to an actual character!! I think that says more about me than Reilly actually. I am torn between going back and reading the first five again and throwing in the towel.
Just remember if you decide to read this book that Nobody is not in fact Nobody, Nobody is actually somebody, although I am yet to figure out who. I am off for a Panadol my head hurts.
April 1, 2021
This felt more like a placeholder than a book. The titular mountains are deceivingly a mere subset of a group of five; none of the five is unique making for repetitious and fairly boring set-pieces, several of the plot points require frankly absurd behavior by the antagonists in light of their already performed actions (For one instance, if you are willing to nuke an entire mountain to keep people out, why don't you set a few C-4 charges to completely block a passel of maze entrances rather than leaving them just 'guarded'? Sure, without it, no plot, but it's just stupid, and stupid enemies are wholly uninteresting.) All in all, a cash grab more than a novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2020
I'm a Matthew Reilly fan and have been eagerly following this series since randomly buying The Six Sacred Stones over a decade ago (yes, it's been that long, and yes I read the first two out of order). I remember the early books as being utterly un-put-downable. I feel like I've lost that a bit as the series has gone on... This book, which Matthew describes as the middle book of a trilogy, definitely has that middle-b00k feel. A lot of things going on, some building on previous plot points, some clearly setting up for future ones. Some just kinda happening.
If you haven't read the rest of the series, it probably won't make a lot of sense - the characters and most aspects of the plot are all very well established at this point (so you do need to head back to the Seven Ancient Wonders).
While the action was non-stop, I found the fact that the heroes were always at the back of the pack and couldn't get a break to be a bit wearing, some of the emotional moments were a bit rushed or pushed aside in favour of dashing off somewhere else, and there were just a few too many players, making the story feel very choppy to me, only building momentum in the last few pages.
With the final book looking like it's going to be largely contained in one location, with the mythology pouring back in, and a contained set of actors, and getting ready to pull together all the loose threads that have been left hanging in previous books, I'm excited for The One something something... more excited, unfortunately, than I was about The Two Lost Mountains. I enjoyed it, but, for me, it didn't quite live up to the expectations I've come to develop for Matthew's books.
If you haven't read the rest of the series, it probably won't make a lot of sense - the characters and most aspects of the plot are all very well established at this point (so you do need to head back to the Seven Ancient Wonders).
While the action was non-stop, I found the fact that the heroes were always at the back of the pack and couldn't get a break to be a bit wearing, some of the emotional moments were a bit rushed or pushed aside in favour of dashing off somewhere else, and there were just a few too many players, making the story feel very choppy to me, only building momentum in the last few pages.
With the final book looking like it's going to be largely contained in one location, with the mythology pouring back in, and a contained set of actors, and getting ready to pull together all the loose threads that have been left hanging in previous books, I'm excited for The One something something... more excited, unfortunately, than I was about The Two Lost Mountains. I enjoyed it, but, for me, it didn't quite live up to the expectations I've come to develop for Matthew's books.
February 10, 2021
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За мен издаването на всяка една книга от поредицата приключения на Джак Уест е празник. Въпреки всичките налични поредици в блога ми, тази е най-най-най-любимата ми, която следя вече и аз не знам колко години… 15?
Единственият минус е, че всяка следваща книга ни доближава до големия финал, защото, за разлика от други автори, Матю е от хората, които казват, че не искат да пишат отново и отново за Джак, а иска да сложи финала там, където го е видял в началото и да го остави така, за да може самият той да премине на следващото приключение. Това е едно от нещата, които много ми харесват у него. Няма да ви казвам към колко поредици и автори съм загубила интерес, защото са решили да пишат една поредица 25 години, че и повече. Не харесвам поредици с по над 10 книги, пък какво остава за 20 и нагоре. Харесва ми и това, че Матю е от авторите, които проучват до дупка. Ровят се в митологии, консултират се с историци, политици, военни и т.н., за да може, макар и почти невъзможните ситуации (да си го кажем невъзможни) в книгите му, поне да имат логика и реални исторически и други данни.
И докато господин Райли прави проучванията си в Австралия за финала на поредицата, който хем искам, хем не искам да идва, но той така или иначе ще се случи безмилостно в края на тази година, ние или в частност аз, препускаме със затаен дъх с Джак Уест и екипа му.
За моя най-голяма радост Алойзиъс Найт е отново в редиците на Джак, сигурно вече сте забелязали афинитета ми към второстепенни герои и за това, когато Алойзиъс за първи път се появи в поредицата за Плашилото, буквално подскочих от радост, когато видях, че е мигрирал и при Джак. А и нека сме честни – човек като него ще е нужен на групата и начинанието им.
Всичко е въпрос на живот и смърт, но този път не просто за Джак и екипа му, на карта е буквално целият свят. А аз отново съм пред чуденката как да ви говоря за шестата книга, без да ви напълня със спойлери за предишните.
Но нека кажем така, ако в тази книга Джак се провали в мисията си, това може да е краят на играта за всички, събитието Омега или иначе казано моментът, в който Вселената ще се свие сама в себе си и бум, няма никой вкъщи.
Естествено, за да се стигне до там трябва да се минат много изпитания за изключително кратко време. И този път обаче Матю е безмилостен към героите си, не се свени да ни раздели с някой, да ни събере с друг, но като казвам, че е безмилостен, то е към всички. Въпреки адската скорост, с която се движат, знанията и обединените усилия на Джак и екипа му, все нещо не достига. Врагът винаги е този, който е с едни гърди напред и прави мисията на Джак почти невъзможна, но той няма особен избор, трябва да извърши Падането и да намери Великия лабиринт, за да предотврати Омега или превръщането на целия свят в роби на един себичен и откачен за власт човек или иначе казано Сфинкса.
Поемането на дъх, докато човек чете Райли, е трудно, почти невъзможно, книгите му наподобяват едно от тези влакчета, които те засилват и обръщат с главата надолу, карайки те да пищиш и да затаяваш дъх точно преди голямото падане. И да, може да има неща, които по никакъв начин в реалния свят не биха се случили, но нали за това са книгите и приключенията им? А ако искате приключение, което ще ви кара да препускате по страниците, като Юсеин Болт след изстрел за старт, и да ви кара да стаявате дъха си, то бих препоръчала да хванете първата книга от поредицата за Джак Уест „Седемте смъртоносни чудеса“ или просто да опитате дали стилът на Матю ще ви допадне с индивидуалната и самостоятелна книга „Храмът на инките“.
Ще се радвам да чуя мнението ви за поредицата, докато аз, треперейки, чакам последната, защото за нея имам доста лошо предчувствие, но ако то се сбъдне, ще уважавам Райли два пъти повече като автор отколкото в момента, ако това изобщо е възможно.
За мен издаването на всяка една книга от поредицата приключения на Джак Уест е празник. Въпреки всичките налични поредици в блога ми, тази е най-най-най-любимата ми, която следя вече и аз не знам колко години… 15?
Единственият минус е, че всяка следваща книга ни доближава до големия финал, защото, за разлика от други автори, Матю е от хората, които казват, че не искат да пишат отново и отново за Джак, а иска да сложи финала там, където го е видял в началото и да го остави така, за да може самият той да премине на следващото приключение. Това е едно от нещата, които много ми харесват у него. Няма да ви казвам към колко поредици и автори съм загубила интерес, защото са решили да пишат една поредица 25 години, че и повече. Не харесвам поредици с по над 10 книги, пък какво остава за 20 и нагоре. Харесва ми и това, че Матю е от авторите, които проучват до дупка. Ровят се в митологии, консултират се с историци, политици, военни и т.н., за да може, макар и почти невъзможните ситуации (да си го кажем невъзможни) в книгите му, поне да имат логика и реални исторически и други данни.
И докато господин Райли прави проучванията си в Австралия за финала на поредицата, който хем искам, хем не искам да идва, но той така или иначе ще се случи безмилостно в края на тази година, ние или в частност аз, препускаме със затаен дъх с Джак Уест и екипа му.
За моя най-голяма радост Алойзиъс Найт е отново в редиците на Джак, сигурно вече сте забелязали афинитета ми към второстепенни герои и за това, когато Алойзиъс за първи път се появи в поредицата за Плашилото, буквално подскочих от радост, когато видях, че е мигрирал и при Джак. А и нека сме честни – човек като него ще е нужен на групата и начинанието им.
Всичко е въпрос на живот и смърт, но този път не просто за Джак и екипа му, на карта е буквално целият свят. А аз отново съм пред чуденката как да ви говоря за шестата книга, без да ви напълня със спойлери за предишните.
Но нека кажем така, ако в тази книга Джак се провали в мисията си, това може да е краят на играта за всички, събитието Омега или иначе казано моментът, в който Вселената ще се свие сама в себе си и бум, няма никой вкъщи.
Естествено, за да се стигне до там трябва да се минат много изпитания за изключително кратко време. И този път обаче Матю е безмилостен към героите си, не се свени да ни раздели с някой, да ни събере с друг, но като казвам, че е безмилостен, то е към всички. Въпреки адската скорост, с която се движат, знанията и обединените усилия на Джак и екипа му, все нещо не достига. Врагът винаги е този, който е с едни гърди напред и прави мисията на Джак почти невъзможна, но той няма особен избор, трябва да извърши Падането и да намери Великия лабиринт, за да предотврати Омега или превръщането на целия свят в роби на един себичен и откачен за власт човек или иначе казано Сфинкса.
Поемането на дъх, докато човек чете Райли, е трудно, почти невъзможно, книгите му наподобяват едно от тези влакчета, които те засилват и обръщат с главата надолу, карайки те да пищиш и да затаяваш дъх точно преди голямото падане. И да, може да има неща, които по никакъв начин в реалния свят не биха се случили, но нали за това са книгите и приключенията им? А ако искате приключение, което ще ви кара да препускате по страниците, като Юсеин Болт след изстрел за старт, и да ви кара да стаявате дъха си, то бих препоръчала да хванете първата книга от поредицата за Джак Уест „Седемте смъртоносни чудеса“ или просто да опитате дали стилът на Матю ще ви допадне с индивидуалната и самостоятелна книга „Храмът на инките“.
Ще се радвам да чуя мнението ви за поредицата, докато аз, треперейки, чакам последната, защото за нея имам доста лошо предчувствие, но ако то се сбъдне, ще уважавам Райли два пъти повече като автор отколкото в момента, ако това изобщо е възможно.
August 3, 2022
3.5 out of 5.
This is the 6th book, to get the most out of it you need to read the others first, and if you liked them, you will like this
This is the 6th book, to get the most out of it you need to read the others first, and if you liked them, you will like this
November 26, 2020
I give every star there is and then some.
I'm a big fan no doubt and biased but to me
they are so ridiculously amazingly good that I finish them so fast I have ages to wait until the next one and I don't even care.
I always say to myself now take your time with this one, savour it but it's impossible.
Well it is for me anyway.
Mathew Reilly is a master storyteller and can have you spellbound from Start to finish.
The world building is extraordinary. The detail that goes into his books is astounding and very clearly the result of his extensive research. As a librarian that will always get a massive tick from me. But how he manages to do this with what is going on around the characters at a million miles an hour is beyond me. Truly great writing. Everything is so vivid and so realistic that you are transported right there. Not just watching but right there as every thing goes on around you.
The characters are also perfect and all of them add just the right balance and depth to the story. Jack West JR is the focal point but there's so many other great characters too. Zoe, Lily, Alby, Iolanthe are brilliant as always and the villains are truly truly villainous and there's a few which also gives great depth. There's also a couple of nuns who make an appearance to look out for.
The plot is hectic and crazy and barely stops for a breath but when it does it's captivating as well. The historical detail is again meticulously researched and it's almost impossible to tell when it's fiction or fact. A master storyteller no doubt. There's twists and turns and heart in mouth moments as well as some sad and poignant ones too.
No spoilers here but it's got every emotion and then some.
And special mention to the gadgets and vehicles as well. They are stupendous in their complexity but told with a simplicity that even the most non technical reader could get.
Another Matthew Reilly book another sure fire No 1 bestseller. Like I said he knows his craft beautifully and can write to his readers like no other. This series has been awesome from the start and this just raises the bar again.
And the next one while a long way away is worth the wait no doubt.
If you haven't read this series start it.
If you haven't read any of his books then do so.
So highly recommended it's off the charts.
I'm a big fan no doubt and biased but to me
they are so ridiculously amazingly good that I finish them so fast I have ages to wait until the next one and I don't even care.
I always say to myself now take your time with this one, savour it but it's impossible.
Well it is for me anyway.
Mathew Reilly is a master storyteller and can have you spellbound from Start to finish.
The world building is extraordinary. The detail that goes into his books is astounding and very clearly the result of his extensive research. As a librarian that will always get a massive tick from me. But how he manages to do this with what is going on around the characters at a million miles an hour is beyond me. Truly great writing. Everything is so vivid and so realistic that you are transported right there. Not just watching but right there as every thing goes on around you.
The characters are also perfect and all of them add just the right balance and depth to the story. Jack West JR is the focal point but there's so many other great characters too. Zoe, Lily, Alby, Iolanthe are brilliant as always and the villains are truly truly villainous and there's a few which also gives great depth. There's also a couple of nuns who make an appearance to look out for.
The plot is hectic and crazy and barely stops for a breath but when it does it's captivating as well. The historical detail is again meticulously researched and it's almost impossible to tell when it's fiction or fact. A master storyteller no doubt. There's twists and turns and heart in mouth moments as well as some sad and poignant ones too.
No spoilers here but it's got every emotion and then some.
And special mention to the gadgets and vehicles as well. They are stupendous in their complexity but told with a simplicity that even the most non technical reader could get.
Another Matthew Reilly book another sure fire No 1 bestseller. Like I said he knows his craft beautifully and can write to his readers like no other. This series has been awesome from the start and this just raises the bar again.
And the next one while a long way away is worth the wait no doubt.
If you haven't read this series start it.
If you haven't read any of his books then do so.
So highly recommended it's off the charts.
March 1, 2021
As much as I like the characters in this Matthew Reilly series, this particular book in the series bugged me.
Spoiler coming: The whole story was predicated on a pretty thin premise and could have been a lot shorter, or different anyway, if instead of going where everyone else was, Jack and co had skipped mountains 1, 2, and 3 and went straight for the win. But of course, if he had there wouldn't have been this book. I went back just to be sure, but nope, no reason to do the Falls in any particular order.
This book felt obligatory. He had to come up with a 2 something somethings to continue his series. All the way through the teeth clenching, jaw tightening, tense fight scenes that he is known for, I kept thinking "Well, don't do that, Jack! (exclamation point used sarcastically)."
Yes, the book was trademark Matthew Reilly: Lots of short sharp chapters, history turned on its head in creative ways, tons of exclamation points and italics to aid in the tension (unnecessary in my opinion), and the loss of characters we love. Shocking losses. I appreciate that he's not afraid to alienate his readers. Kuddos for that. Two particular losses actually had me in tears. Such is the potential of this writer.
It's a shame he fell short in the most basic of ways. A faulty premise sets up the entire series of events. Still, I am looking forward to the final book in the series, the 1 something something. Here's hoping he'll pick the ball back up for the final show down.
Spoiler coming: The whole story was predicated on a pretty thin premise and could have been a lot shorter, or different anyway, if instead of going where everyone else was, Jack and co had skipped mountains 1, 2, and 3 and went straight for the win. But of course, if he had there wouldn't have been this book. I went back just to be sure, but nope, no reason to do the Falls in any particular order.
This book felt obligatory. He had to come up with a 2 something somethings to continue his series. All the way through the teeth clenching, jaw tightening, tense fight scenes that he is known for, I kept thinking "Well, don't do that, Jack! (exclamation point used sarcastically)."
Yes, the book was trademark Matthew Reilly: Lots of short sharp chapters, history turned on its head in creative ways, tons of exclamation points and italics to aid in the tension (unnecessary in my opinion), and the loss of characters we love. Shocking losses. I appreciate that he's not afraid to alienate his readers. Kuddos for that. Two particular losses actually had me in tears. Such is the potential of this writer.
It's a shame he fell short in the most basic of ways. A faulty premise sets up the entire series of events. Still, I am looking forward to the final book in the series, the 1 something something. Here's hoping he'll pick the ball back up for the final show down.
January 11, 2021
As with the previous entries into this series, The Two Lost Mountains reads as one long action sequence with emotional intermissions and glimpses into the human side of the protagonists (who by now read like comic book superheroes, rather than explorers into ancient mythology). Whilst entertaining and hard to put down, the formula is wearing thin, there's only so much extraordinary and impossible possible moments I can suspend my belief for. Still a worthwhile read but not the strongest in the series.
June 18, 2023
First Read 2020
Oh Matthew Reilly you have done it again!! Our Australian hero West takes us on another fast paced thrill seeking adventure and what a way to end this book! So many emotions while reading this. I can't believe there is only one book to go! 😭 🇦🇺
Second Read 2023
Oh Matthew Reilly you have done it again!! Our Australian hero West takes us on another fast paced thrill seeking adventure and what a way to end this book! So many emotions while reading this. I can't believe there is only one book to go! 😭 🇦🇺
Second Read 2023
January 20, 2021
Matthew Reilly is one of my favourite thriller writers (I love Scarecrow and I'm longing for his return) and we're drawing to the end now of this corker of a series! The world is beginning to feel the impact now of the approaching end of the world - only Jack West can save it. We have one final book left after this one and even though this leads on to that it's a fantastic thriller in its own right. The archaeologist in me did have to look away in places, though.... no relic is sacred in Jack's mission to save us all. Fabulous! Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
February 7, 2021
An exciting story with many twists and riddles. I loved this book and I'm so looking forward to the final book of this series! Mathew Reilly is a genius.
January 18, 2021
Trigger warnings: death, violence, plane crash, blood, gun violence, misogyny, explosions, destruction of holy sites, death of a loved one.
Here's the thing about these books: when you're reading them, you FLY through them and they're incredibly gripping because they're so fast paced. But the second you finish the book, it's like leaving the theatre after watching an aggressively mediocre Dwayne Johnson movie - you know you enjoyed it but the credits just rolled and you've already forgotten the details apart from the fact that the whole thing required you to not just suspend your disbelief but to yeet your disbelief into the sun, never to be seen again.
This one was all of that. BUT. It also felt like 400+ pages of set up for the final book in the series. This felt like watching Deathly Hallows Part 1 - there was plenty of action, but zero answers and I was left wanting to know what happened next.
Anyway. It was fine. But I need the last book to come out ASAP so that I can be done with the second half of this series once and for all. (That said, Reilly clearly listened to my criticisms about female characters from a couple of books back because here he introduces a group of very sassy, very sweary nuns and I was here for it)
Here's the thing about these books: when you're reading them, you FLY through them and they're incredibly gripping because they're so fast paced. But the second you finish the book, it's like leaving the theatre after watching an aggressively mediocre Dwayne Johnson movie - you know you enjoyed it but the credits just rolled and you've already forgotten the details apart from the fact that the whole thing required you to not just suspend your disbelief but to yeet your disbelief into the sun, never to be seen again.
This one was all of that. BUT. It also felt like 400+ pages of set up for the final book in the series. This felt like watching Deathly Hallows Part 1 - there was plenty of action, but zero answers and I was left wanting to know what happened next.
Anyway. It was fine. But I need the last book to come out ASAP so that I can be done with the second half of this series once and for all. (That said, Reilly clearly listened to my criticisms about female characters from a couple of books back because here he introduces a group of very sassy, very sweary nuns and I was here for it)
January 1, 2021
3.5 stars
For some reason I struggled with this novel. In fact I only became fully invested in the last third when Jack and his team reached Egypt and was enjoying their race to the Supreme Labyrinth when the book ended! As usual, like all of Reilly's books, The Two Lost Mountains was action packed and stretched all credibility but it just seemed the same old, same old. It also annoyed me that Jack was always behind his enemies and trying, unsuccessfully, to catch up. However, I was thrilled that the maghook made a quick appearance in this instalment.
Having followed Jack West Junior's journey over the past fifteen years, I am very interested to see how Matthew Reilly will end Jack's story. I just hope Reilly doesn't kill him off - my heart will be broken!
For some reason I struggled with this novel. In fact I only became fully invested in the last third when Jack and his team reached Egypt and was enjoying their race to the Supreme Labyrinth when the book ended! As usual, like all of Reilly's books, The Two Lost Mountains was action packed and stretched all credibility but it just seemed the same old, same old. It also annoyed me that Jack was always behind his enemies and trying, unsuccessfully, to catch up. However, I was thrilled that the maghook made a quick appearance in this instalment.
Having followed Jack West Junior's journey over the past fifteen years, I am very interested to see how Matthew Reilly will end Jack's story. I just hope Reilly doesn't kill him off - my heart will be broken!
March 24, 2023
The second last Jack West Jr novel doesn't disappoint. Non-stop action and adventure. A truly exciting story that is bound to lead into a nail-biting conclusion.
June 20, 2021
*Disclaimer: I have been kindly gifted a copy of this book by Jonathan Ball Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
THE TRIAL OF THE MOUNTAINS
Five iron mountains. Five bladed keys. Five doors forever locked.
But mark you, only those who survive the Fall,
May enter the Supreme Labyrinth
And look upon the face of the Omega.
The Two Lost Mountains by Matthew Reilly is the sixth novel in the Jack West Jr series and what a rollercoaster of danger and adventure it is! I’m not familiar with this series, but after finishing this book I immediately searched the previous books and where to buy them. This series is definitely worth a read!
This book starts with a quick recap, refreshing the reader’s memory, and then the opening scene kicks off with Lily West sitting on the steps of the famous St. Basil Cathedral in Russia, Moscow, bound to a chair with two headless nuns on either side. There is a note attached to one of the nuns, You will wake as slaves. From here on the globetrotting begins.
We meet Jack West as he flies in from Australia to rescue Lily in Moscow, while part of his team is flying from eastern France. Scattered all over the globe, Jack and his team need to rescue Lily and find out what Sphinx’s next quest is after he completed the Trial of the Cities. The Omega Event is nearing and Jack needs a place in this race. After discovering the next quest, The Trial of the Mountains, Jack realises Sphinx is still one step ahead, leaving whole cities asleep in his wake. Sphinx is serious about winning, he kills anyone who stands in his way, the Pope isn’t even an exception.
There are five iron mountains and only three of these mountains’ identities are known. The Fall takes place at any of these mountains at a certain time and Jack and Sphinx are in a race to complete the Fall. Let me just say the Fall is brilliant, the author did an amazing job planning and describing this quest. The famous sword Excalibur also appears on the scene and plays an important role in Jack and his team’s survival against Sphinx’s army of bronzemen.
Adrenaline pulses through the reader’s veins as we go to places such as Mont Saint-Michel in France, the Vatican in Rome, Jerusalem and Egypt. The stakes are high and it seems that Sphinx has all the power. A new player arrives on the scene and throws everyone. With military vehicles and planes, the bullets are raining rapidly. There are maps and illustrations which I really enjoyed; it makes the story more authentic and real. The way the author describes certain scenes almost seems real and I feel like these things could have happened. If this story was real, life would have been a whole lot more interesting. I started reading this book expecting one thing, but I was surprised by a whole series of events. There was NEVER a dull moment, never. Every page kept me at the edge of my seat, the adventure is on another level. This story is so action-packed and thrilling that while I was reading I completely forgot about my surroundings.
If you are in a reading slump, get this series! I can’t begin to explain everything that happens in this book, but I can say you won’t regret reading this!
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.c...
THE TRIAL OF THE MOUNTAINS
Five iron mountains. Five bladed keys. Five doors forever locked.
But mark you, only those who survive the Fall,
May enter the Supreme Labyrinth
And look upon the face of the Omega.
The Two Lost Mountains by Matthew Reilly is the sixth novel in the Jack West Jr series and what a rollercoaster of danger and adventure it is! I’m not familiar with this series, but after finishing this book I immediately searched the previous books and where to buy them. This series is definitely worth a read!
This book starts with a quick recap, refreshing the reader’s memory, and then the opening scene kicks off with Lily West sitting on the steps of the famous St. Basil Cathedral in Russia, Moscow, bound to a chair with two headless nuns on either side. There is a note attached to one of the nuns, You will wake as slaves. From here on the globetrotting begins.
We meet Jack West as he flies in from Australia to rescue Lily in Moscow, while part of his team is flying from eastern France. Scattered all over the globe, Jack and his team need to rescue Lily and find out what Sphinx’s next quest is after he completed the Trial of the Cities. The Omega Event is nearing and Jack needs a place in this race. After discovering the next quest, The Trial of the Mountains, Jack realises Sphinx is still one step ahead, leaving whole cities asleep in his wake. Sphinx is serious about winning, he kills anyone who stands in his way, the Pope isn’t even an exception.
There are five iron mountains and only three of these mountains’ identities are known. The Fall takes place at any of these mountains at a certain time and Jack and Sphinx are in a race to complete the Fall. Let me just say the Fall is brilliant, the author did an amazing job planning and describing this quest. The famous sword Excalibur also appears on the scene and plays an important role in Jack and his team’s survival against Sphinx’s army of bronzemen.
Adrenaline pulses through the reader’s veins as we go to places such as Mont Saint-Michel in France, the Vatican in Rome, Jerusalem and Egypt. The stakes are high and it seems that Sphinx has all the power. A new player arrives on the scene and throws everyone. With military vehicles and planes, the bullets are raining rapidly. There are maps and illustrations which I really enjoyed; it makes the story more authentic and real. The way the author describes certain scenes almost seems real and I feel like these things could have happened. If this story was real, life would have been a whole lot more interesting. I started reading this book expecting one thing, but I was surprised by a whole series of events. There was NEVER a dull moment, never. Every page kept me at the edge of my seat, the adventure is on another level. This story is so action-packed and thrilling that while I was reading I completely forgot about my surroundings.
If you are in a reading slump, get this series! I can’t begin to explain everything that happens in this book, but I can say you won’t regret reading this!
This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.c...
March 2, 2022
I’m not in anyway prepared to write a review for this book because I can’t. I’m too attached to this series and even when bizarre and impossible things happen, I only squeal with joy because I’m all fired up, cheering for my favorite characters.
In the interview at the back of the book, the author says that the first book was published in 2005 and it has been a long journey for him. But it’s also been for me because I discovered this series in 2008 and completely fell in love. And even when there was a six year gap between the publication of the third and fourth books, and an eight year gap between my reading them, my love for Jack West Jr. and his family and his mythological adventures never went away.
I’m in awe how the author connected the myths of the Sirens, more mysteries surrounding Imhotep and the Great Sphinx, some absolutely jaw “dropping” moments and a few devastating deaths. Through it all, Jack has to power through when all his enemies are more powerful, more connected and always way ahead of him. He has now got three different factions of villains ahead of him on his next quest and I am feeling quite scared.
Overall, I know this review is a mess but what can I say. I enjoyed it thoroughly, I flew through the book and even loved enjoyed parts of it on audio which was wonderfully narrated. The odds seem stacked against my heroes for the finale and because I can’t bear to wait anymore, I’m gonna put my very long planned TBR of March aside and start the final book of this beloved series immediately. Let’s see what the Labyrinth has in store for everyone.
In the interview at the back of the book, the author says that the first book was published in 2005 and it has been a long journey for him. But it’s also been for me because I discovered this series in 2008 and completely fell in love. And even when there was a six year gap between the publication of the third and fourth books, and an eight year gap between my reading them, my love for Jack West Jr. and his family and his mythological adventures never went away.
I’m in awe how the author connected the myths of the Sirens, more mysteries surrounding Imhotep and the Great Sphinx, some absolutely jaw “dropping” moments and a few devastating deaths. Through it all, Jack has to power through when all his enemies are more powerful, more connected and always way ahead of him. He has now got three different factions of villains ahead of him on his next quest and I am feeling quite scared.
Overall, I know this review is a mess but what can I say. I enjoyed it thoroughly, I flew through the book and even loved enjoyed parts of it on audio which was wonderfully narrated. The odds seem stacked against my heroes for the finale and because I can’t bear to wait anymore, I’m gonna put my very long planned TBR of March aside and start the final book of this beloved series immediately. Let’s see what the Labyrinth has in store for everyone.
October 16, 2020
There are only three authors whose books I finish in record time from release date. Jim Butcher, Joe Abercrombie, and Matthew Reilly. Even with all the bullshit going around in 2020, all three released their books nearly in sync with each other. Hell, Butcher released two books this year and I have been happy as a sailor in a whorehouse.
That said, Two Lost Mountains is the penultimate book in Jack West Jr. series and it doesn't deviate from the formula of deep history, breakneck action, and impossible odds. Here's the thing about Matthew Reilly books. You don't go in to see the wonders of language or quick phrases, or even a complex story line, what you go in for is a Hollywood action blockbuster with impossible things happening on every page. That's what these books are and they make no apologies for them.
I, for one, loved the action in this one. And I loved how Reilly manages to weave ancient myths into the story while moving it ahead at a pace that is faster than a bullet train. The pages fly! The research he has done into these books is immense and it ties up really well with the narrative.
Satisfying story!
Now I want him to finish the Jack West books so we can have more Scarecrow books!!
That said, Two Lost Mountains is the penultimate book in Jack West Jr. series and it doesn't deviate from the formula of deep history, breakneck action, and impossible odds. Here's the thing about Matthew Reilly books. You don't go in to see the wonders of language or quick phrases, or even a complex story line, what you go in for is a Hollywood action blockbuster with impossible things happening on every page. That's what these books are and they make no apologies for them.
I, for one, loved the action in this one. And I loved how Reilly manages to weave ancient myths into the story while moving it ahead at a pace that is faster than a bullet train. The pages fly! The research he has done into these books is immense and it ties up really well with the narrative.
Satisfying story!
Now I want him to finish the Jack West books so we can have more Scarecrow books!!
October 17, 2020
The penultimate book in the Jack West Jr. series, and this has all the ingredients for which I love this series. Not for the language or complex plot, but for breakneck speed, impossible odds and larger-than-life action. There is no one like Matthew Reilly who can weave ancient myths into a action-packed storyline while moving it ahead at a pace that is faster than a bullet train with lots of cool military gadgets. The action sequences are so over-the-top that it is ridiculous, but that's preciously the point.
This is hugely entertaining and enjoyable romp across Europe and Africa and is nicely leading into "One Something Something". I hope Jack West Jr. will go out with a Big Bang.
This is hugely entertaining and enjoyable romp across Europe and Africa and is nicely leading into "One Something Something". I hope Jack West Jr. will go out with a Big Bang.
October 15, 2020
Lots of action as usual, huge 'area-of-effect' compared to the previous books. Lots of rushing from one set piece to another but not much trap-solving. Sadly not much mythology and world-building. I feel my interest in this series slowly waning.
May 23, 2025
Well things are coming to an end very quickly for Jack and his crew. I’m really enjoying these books they have great characters and are fast paced.
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