Nestled deep within an uncharted valley of the Himalayas is a legendary utopia of untold beauty and peace.
Jack Reilly’s next mission will be his most daunting one yet. The retired Delta operator is whisked away to the Nepali capital of Kathmandu to investigate the outrageous claims of an impossibly old, seemingly deranged Sherpa. The hospitalized man has delivered a confusing and provocative warning to his caretakers, cautioning them to be wary of the “curse of Shangri-La.”
Rumors of a mystical mountain paradise have circulated throughout history for centuries. It is said that a supernatural enchantment is responsible for the excellent health and prolonged lives of the domain’s residents. But is it really magic? And what of the curse?
It becomes even more imperative for Jack to uncover the long-veiled location after a Chinese biotech company with government contracts joins the hunt. As a result, one of the world’s greatest mysteries is in danger of being pillaged, and the people who call it home, inhumanly experimented on and butchered.
Fans of Indiana Jones, Uncharted, and Tomb Raider love Jack Reilly!
THE UNDYING KINGDOM is the fourth book in international bestselling author Matt James’ action-packed archaeological thriller series, The Jack Reilly Adventures.
MATT JAMES is the international bestselling author of over thirty-five action-packed titles, including the fan-favorite Jack Reilly series, The Cursed Thief, and The Blood King. He specializes in globetrotting thrillers that fans of James Rollins, Steve Berry, and Ernest Dempsey will devour!
He lives twenty minutes from the beach in sunny South Florida with his amazing wife, three beautiful children, a lovable pitty, and an overly dramatic black cat.
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This story was a solid adventure; one cut above the average for the genre typically found in the airport newsstands to pass the time while traveling. The audible narration was also better than average and made the whole story a lot of fun. The fourth of the series, I started here and I want to go back get the rest … although that is by no means required since it appears that each adventure stand on its own …
Jack, the titular character, teams up with two others in a race to the legendary Shangri-La ahead of a powerful Chinese cabal … and comes face to face with a few other myths along the way. Despite the predictable {feel good) action … it was well done and fun as they followed the clues and dodged the bad guys in a roller coaster ride to paradise.
I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Kathmandu, Nepal. Dr. Binsa receives a dehydrated patient in her emergency room who says his name is Dhonu Thapa, he was born in 1865 and escaped from Shangri-La.
Shanghai, China. Biotech CEO billionaire David Cho has just found out he has cancer and 6 months to live. Then he hears about Dhonu Thapa.
TAC agent Jack Reilly is sent to Kathmandu to meet up with a former Chinese MSS agent Wu to work together searching for the truth about Shangri-La.
I love the Blood Dragon! I had a hard time keeping into the story (not sure why) until the ending, then wow! Great storyline. Some fantastic fighting maneuvers.
Footnote: 1) My youngest son died during a swim in a freezing lake. He was an athlete, 6.2, 185pds and just turned 18. May’s very, very lucky.
2) I hate when the bad guys get upset because the ones they attacked defend themselves or get retribution. They bring it on themselves. It’s two-way street.
Fave scenes: Jack & May under the bridge, Jack’s sheep friend, Jack’s ‘collateral damage’ remark to Shenlong and the large flaming bolt.
Whew! A rather lengthy adventure tale involving Jack Reilly and May Wu attempting to find the Himalayan Shangri-La. On the positive side, there are many archaeological locations that Jack and May visit that are both interesting and add to the strength of the story. In addition, the addition of an added (detached) person aimed at derailing the various enemy agents was a creative touch. There were a few parts of this story that reminded me of another recently written novel, Where Horizons End by Ernest Dempsey.
However, on the less than positive side, I thought that the content of the dialogue between Jack and May, especially in the first half of the story, was more like squabbling teens. Much of this "teenage-level" banter didn't really elevate the story--it added pages without adding substance. In terms of who drove the story, this seems to be May Wu's story. Overall, she seemed to be more focused on the tasks at hand.
I hope stepping into the middle of the Jack Reilly Adventures series doesn't come back to haunt me. With that being said, my first forray into Mr. James's writing was rather fun. Thinking back on the story, I don't think there were any references to previous "adventures," so I think I am safe. There is a lot of action packaged into this tale. What I like about this book is Mr. James didn't bog down the progress with tons of details. Yes, there are some battles that had the protagonists and villains going through complex situations and locations, even to the point of getting a bit confusing. But, I only found I had to go back and re-read one section of a battle, which I didn't mind. Overall, this is a really neat story with a believable plot. One criticism: I felt like the bad guys' personalities were a bit thin. But it does not detract from the overall action, excitement, and enjoyment.
This is my 2nd Matt James book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading another Jack Reilley adventure. Fast paced, good storyline, great characters. This author kept me interested during the whole book. This book wasnt filled with pages full of angst, and long-winded descriptions about everything.... I fully recommend giving Mr. James's Jack Reilly series your attention.
Having read Lost Horizons as a youth, I had high expectations for this Matt James retelling. It is a modern thriller version, complete with complex narratives, military tactics and engagements, and mysterious monuments with a legend revealed.
As a stand-alone thriller it is true to the genre, generally well written, though a bit ragged in pace and indifferently formatted.
This is the first time I’d read through a novel by this author, and I’ll hold future readings to a clean slate.
This book was great. I've read each of the Jack Reilly series so far and this book is so good. I had a hard time putting it down. The search for Shangri-La has been covered in so many books and movies, but the way Matt went about having that storyline put together was just awesome. Some of the one liners and movie quotes had me giggling. Can't wait to read the next one.
Join Jack Reilly, May Wu and others as they race to find the mythical Valley of Shangri-la. Along the way they must fight against mercenaries, the weather and Chinese military. What they find will amaze you. Another fantastic journey from Matt James.
A Chinese spy, a former Russian assassin, Chinese special forces, and a biotech company, and of course, Jack, all search for the elusive Shangri la. Action, adventure, romance, and humor all set in the spectacular Himalayan mountains. It was a great read and would make a even better movie! Loved it.
Brilliant narrations from Matthew Crow. He brings out the action, humour, angst and great characters. Perfect.
Jack Reilly and May Wu race to find the mythical Valley of Shangri-la. Fight against mercenaries, the weather and Chinese military. Action, adventure, romance, and humour. With plot twists that will keep you glued and all set in the spectacular Himalayan mountains.
This is a great series, well crafted by Matt James. Jack Reilly is a great character, brave but amusing, a real smart ass. The story slowed down a bit in the middle after a fast start, but finished well. Interesting look into a few more well known myths, an exciting read.
Fascinating adventure with good values, imagination, keeping the story line true. Good combination of battle warriors, respectful and honorable parties from different cultures.
Simply too much superfluous details in the stories. I do believe of the author narrowed the focus to the plot and reduced the detailed explanations of everything the content would be more enjoyable and flow much better.
This story was packed with action and adventure from the first page, to the last page. With ever changing plot twist and turns it keeper me glued to the story. I really like this book and I highly recommend it.
It was incredible from the start to the end. I couldn’t have guessed what dips and turns this story would have. It combined the plot,the characters, and the locations. All in all, an excellent book. Kudos to Mr. James!
If you want the thrill of adventure with a lot of twist and turns and leaves you breathless? This book will give you that wild ride! Read it and expect to be thrown off your favorite comfortable reading chair.
This story took me to places I've always wanted to go. To meet the real, live characters I've read about as myths. Thanks for an edge of my seat thriller!