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Temple
Deep in the jungles of Peru, the race of the century is underway. A race to locate a legendary Incan idol - an idol carved out of a strange kind of stone. A stone which in the late 20th century could be used as the basis for a terrifying new weapon. The US Army wants it - at any cost - but they are not alone....
The only clue to the idol's final resting place lies in a 400-year-old manuscript. Enter Professor William Race, a brilliant young linguist, who is unwittingly recruited to translate the manuscript and lead the Army team to the idol. And so begins the mission that will lead Race and his companions to a mysterious stone temple hidden in the foothills of the Andes. A temple seething with menace and danger. But it is only when the temple is opened that Race and his team discover that they have broken a golden rule: Some doors are meant to remain unopened.
From the author of Ice Station comes a sensational new adventure that will literally leave you gasping for air.
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Matthew Reilly
81 books6,397 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 794 reviews
May 27, 2026
Timid Professor William Race of New York University, an expert in ancient Latin, is late for work as usual, it will be his last dull moment for many days. Colonel Nash head of an army unit, greets Mr. Race at the office and has a little job for him, a simple translation of a 500- year -old manuscript. A copy from the original taken from a French monastery in the Pyrenees by Germans, brutal criminals, Nazis, the famous Alberto Santiago one (a Spanish Monk). The problem, he can only read the writing on an airplane heading for Peru. The forceful Col. Nash, persuades the not very brave professor, how vital this is for national security. Promises that Mr. Race will be back home soon, not even leaving the plane! Can we say this is not what happens. When he finds out a former girlfriend in college Lauren O'Conner, (William still has feelings for) is part of the group how can he say no? Mr. Race grows weak when he first talks to Lauren but she is married ...They're after an Inca idol, a foot high that originated in the distant Pleiades a star cluster 425 light- years from Earth. So the rare Thyrium -261 element, which the beautiful but fearsome idol is made from took a very long, long time to get here millions of years, the Incas found the rock and carved The Spirit of the People, shaped like a cat's head from the black , purple stone and made it their symbol . Translating, he soon discovers where the object is located. However they're not the only ones interested Nazis, domestic terrorists from Texas, even the rival U.S. Navy would kill to get their hand on the Thyrium and do. Why? A Supernova device has been stolen from the military, put the two together, the Idol and the weapon and no more World ( some crazies would like that). Landing in Cuzco the former Inca capital, the team's six well trained soldiers (Green Berets) and six nervous scientists, immediately head for the rainy jungle, a remote unknown deserted citadel Vilcafor where the towering temple is, built by the Indians surrounded by a lake. The lost idol is hidden inside says the manuscript, put there by an Inca Prince Renco Capac, escaping the relentless conquistadors led by the ferocious Hernando Pizarro ( Francisco's brother, he had three) helped by Santiago and Bassario, a thief from a good family. But wait, complications angry Indians descendants of the Incas protect the temple arrows are shot the mythical , massive and hungry black cats Rapas, not so much any more they like to eat human flesh guard the area too. The Nazis arrive, kill many people flee on the nearby river in an armada with the idol followed by Col. Nash's team , exciting battles commence bullets fly planes are shot down, bombs explode boats destroyed amazon caiman reptiles eat a lot, then the terrorists and U.S .Navy also come not to mention his brother Marty working for the other side. All would kill for the idol, blood flows like the river nobody can be trusted and an unexpected hero appears, would you believe... Mr. William Race? Ticking doomsday clocks... two a falling giant tank , wrestling with crocodile like animals caiman ( close relatives of alligators actually) he struggles with these numerous challenges. Can he stop the madness before the madness stops the world? Superior action- adventure that never... ceases the frenzy.
August 25, 2015
I wouldn't normally have picked up a book like Temple on my own, but it was recommended to me by a student and he even lent me his own copy of the book. The result? I am considering pressing charges against the student for submitting me to cruel and unusual punishment. Let me point out that I am not beyond dumb thrillers. If it is handled well enough, I can't get enough of them. But I do have a problem with thrillers that make me laugh (not intentionally), then wince, then groan, and then finally lock inside a room with a nuclear weapon and detonate it (which, basically, happens in the book, and which, amusingly enough, the protagonist survives).
Where do I start? Some of the first things that set me off was the back story of a Spanish priest in the Inca kingdom at the time of conquest. Usually I would be quite open to such a tale since I am an amateur historian of this era, yet when the Reilly shows the story of the priest being written in the exact same, annoying style that he writes the rest of the novel, you begin to wonder why he even put on the pretext that this was an ancient document. Either that or we are to believe that Reilly is a descendant of Spanish priests and that the bad writing is simply hereditary.
Then, as if this ridiculous back story weren't enough, all of the sudden we have these mythic gigantic panthers enter the story. It was almost as if he thought ... well, I've stretched my credibility quite a bit already, but how can I really blow it off the charts? Then we have double climaxes, both of them involving a nuclear weapon capable of blowing up the world (which, frankly, is hard to explain, credibly, why any country in the world would legitimately want to make), and both of them involving ridiculous escapes by our wannabe Indiana-Jones-esque protagonist (complete with old hat that survives all of the improbable escapes, cleverly disguised as a Yankees cap instead of a fedora, of course).
Some of my favorite (laugh out loud) moments, were when Reilly felt like he had to accentuate his action scenes by throwing in an exclamation point at the end of the sentence, as if saying, well, if the image I'm describing isn't getting you thrilled enough, then I'll just force you into it with a shocking exclamation point thrown in at the end. An example would be something like this. Race saw a giant panther come out of the mist! (I am paraphrasing the ridiculousness by the way, but please do not think that it in any way diminishes how ridiculous it is.) At times the exclamation point isn't enough and he feels justified in italicizing the sentence as well.
Now I understand that picking apart any thriller is an easy thing to do, since most of them are based on pretty shady premises to start out with, so let me try to address this diplomatically. I think that Reilly tried to pack waaaay too much into one novel. One of the aspects would have been enough: world-destroying weapon, giant panthers, ancient Inca treasure, modern day Nazis, Armed Forces conspiracy, to name a few. All of these together make for a fascinating train wreck, but a terrible novel all the same. The other suggestion would be for Reilly to stick to his field of expertise. It seems to me that he seems pretty well versed in military equipment and forces. But his knowledge of history is laughable and embarrassing. Besides the non-ancient style of the priest's writing, there are the Incas riding horses as if they are Plains Indians, yet they've never known horses until Pizarro brought them to Cuzco.
Sigh. I must stop myself before I wear out my fingers. However, let me say, to Reilly's credit, that I did enjoy one action scene that he showed on a river. It was, of course, unbelievable, but in the fun way that thrillers are supposed to be. Why did it work? I can't say exactly, but I suspect that it has something to do with the lack of world-destroying weapons, giant panthers, ancient Inca treasures ... well, I think you got the idea. So, here is my final recommendation: the next time you see Matthew Reilly's Temple, run away screaming! (Please imagine that last sentence in an intense italics.)
Where do I start? Some of the first things that set me off was the back story of a Spanish priest in the Inca kingdom at the time of conquest. Usually I would be quite open to such a tale since I am an amateur historian of this era, yet when the Reilly shows the story of the priest being written in the exact same, annoying style that he writes the rest of the novel, you begin to wonder why he even put on the pretext that this was an ancient document. Either that or we are to believe that Reilly is a descendant of Spanish priests and that the bad writing is simply hereditary.
Then, as if this ridiculous back story weren't enough, all of the sudden we have these mythic gigantic panthers enter the story. It was almost as if he thought ... well, I've stretched my credibility quite a bit already, but how can I really blow it off the charts? Then we have double climaxes, both of them involving a nuclear weapon capable of blowing up the world (which, frankly, is hard to explain, credibly, why any country in the world would legitimately want to make), and both of them involving ridiculous escapes by our wannabe Indiana-Jones-esque protagonist (complete with old hat that survives all of the improbable escapes, cleverly disguised as a Yankees cap instead of a fedora, of course).
Some of my favorite (laugh out loud) moments, were when Reilly felt like he had to accentuate his action scenes by throwing in an exclamation point at the end of the sentence, as if saying, well, if the image I'm describing isn't getting you thrilled enough, then I'll just force you into it with a shocking exclamation point thrown in at the end. An example would be something like this. Race saw a giant panther come out of the mist! (I am paraphrasing the ridiculousness by the way, but please do not think that it in any way diminishes how ridiculous it is.) At times the exclamation point isn't enough and he feels justified in italicizing the sentence as well.
Now I understand that picking apart any thriller is an easy thing to do, since most of them are based on pretty shady premises to start out with, so let me try to address this diplomatically. I think that Reilly tried to pack waaaay too much into one novel. One of the aspects would have been enough: world-destroying weapon, giant panthers, ancient Inca treasure, modern day Nazis, Armed Forces conspiracy, to name a few. All of these together make for a fascinating train wreck, but a terrible novel all the same. The other suggestion would be for Reilly to stick to his field of expertise. It seems to me that he seems pretty well versed in military equipment and forces. But his knowledge of history is laughable and embarrassing. Besides the non-ancient style of the priest's writing, there are the Incas riding horses as if they are Plains Indians, yet they've never known horses until Pizarro brought them to Cuzco.
Sigh. I must stop myself before I wear out my fingers. However, let me say, to Reilly's credit, that I did enjoy one action scene that he showed on a river. It was, of course, unbelievable, but in the fun way that thrillers are supposed to be. Why did it work? I can't say exactly, but I suspect that it has something to do with the lack of world-destroying weapons, giant panthers, ancient Inca treasures ... well, I think you got the idea. So, here is my final recommendation: the next time you see Matthew Reilly's Temple, run away screaming! (Please imagine that last sentence in an intense italics.)
Read
September 15, 2019DNF at 2 and a half hours into the audiobook.
I don't know why but I just keep zoning out listening to this. Might try it again physically some other time, but for now, i GOTS OTHER STUFFS TO READ.
I don't know why but I just keep zoning out listening to this. Might try it again physically some other time, but for now, i GOTS OTHER STUFFS TO READ.
July 21, 2009
I’ve been having problems working on my review of this one… I had in mind to write one of those reviews where I explain what actually goes down in this book without saying “fuck” “shit” “OMG” and “WTF” and not talking about the weird shit that happened around me while I was trying to read this book… but instead I was going to talk about the non-stopping action, plot twist that left me completely surprised… I was planning on talking about the Nazis!!! I mean Nazis!!!! You have any idea of how hard it is not to say OMFG NAZIS!!!!!! Nazis with super machine guns?? Dude, is really really hard!!! And then the giant cats!!! Rapas!!! Rapas are awesome!!! giant Nazi eating cats!! Can I say shit??? please!!! Let me say shit!!! SHIT!!! NAZI EATING GIANT CATS!!!! THAT’S FUCKING AWESOME!!!!! and then can I take a few lines of my “review” to mention that I saw standing in front of me for like 10 minutes something that can only be described as an Epic Booty!! Dude that chick was like 6 feet tall and was wearing these nice pants… and dude… you should have seen it!!! it was epic!!! I know it has nothing to do with the book… but dude!! I’m telling you it was worth mentioning... still man, the book was what you promised… after I finish reading that book I felt so manly that I decided to go to a steak house and order the biggest more manly piece of meat on their menu… but then I saw a subway and end up eating just a veggie patty sub… booo!!! But still!!! When I got home I told my cousin to be a doll and cook me some steak and potatoes… she laugh at me and told me to be a bitch and make her some yaniqueues… and I made em!!!! Wtf!!! I’m a failure as a man!!!!
March 22, 2009
This book hurt. "At that exact same moment" I lost count of the number of times I would have thrown a physical book away. It is a mess. The bad guys are worse than cardboard. Their motivations are either non-existent or just plain ludicrous. The central premise of the Thyrium and the Super Nova were handled so badly, it was clear Reilly doesn't know much about nuclear physics. Although from the action scenes he is well versed in Hollywood Physics.
There were some interesting scenes. The falling tank would have been a great scene if I hadn't already grown to despise the book and just wanted to get to the end so that it would just be over.
One bonus is that I can be much more confident in my own writing, knowing that something like this can actually get published.
There were some interesting scenes. The falling tank would have been a great scene if I hadn't already grown to despise the book and just wanted to get to the end so that it would just be over.
One bonus is that I can be much more confident in my own writing, knowing that something like this can actually get published.
March 2, 2023
A precious Incan idol carved from a rare stone not found on Earth could potentially mean the end of mankind. It’s a power people would kill for. A monk’s manuscript details the journey to the idol. Military forces collide, fighting over the manuscript while professor William Race tries to find the idol before it gets into the wrong hands. But military killers and hostile natives aren’t the only ones stopping him from getting to the idol.
The plot is quite gripping with the race to the idol being fast paced and absolutely brutal. Though some action scenes can be a bit too complex at times. While the focus is mostly on the military action scenes and the details of the military weapons and equipment, I actually enjoyed the dangers of the jungle itself more. And the mini storyline in the past detailing the monk’s journey is also quite a fun treat, interwoven with and elevating the story in the present.
Temple is one of Matthew Reilly’s early books and one can tell it isn’t as polished as later novels but this is still a powerhouse of a book. It’s a pulpy blockbuster movie kind of story filled with epic and complex action scenes. A little bit reminiscent of Indiana Jones I would dare say, though with a faster pace and a lot more over the top.
The plot is quite gripping with the race to the idol being fast paced and absolutely brutal. Though some action scenes can be a bit too complex at times. While the focus is mostly on the military action scenes and the details of the military weapons and equipment, I actually enjoyed the dangers of the jungle itself more. And the mini storyline in the past detailing the monk’s journey is also quite a fun treat, interwoven with and elevating the story in the present.
Temple is one of Matthew Reilly’s early books and one can tell it isn’t as polished as later novels but this is still a powerhouse of a book. It’s a pulpy blockbuster movie kind of story filled with epic and complex action scenes. A little bit reminiscent of Indiana Jones I would dare say, though with a faster pace and a lot more over the top.
September 10, 2014
People hate on Matthew Reilly something fierce. Yes, he isn't the best writer in the world, but he doesn't have to be to do what he does; he writes fast-paced, actiony schlock, and it is brilliant; if you expect realism or sensible plots, I think you've wildly missed the point.
Temple is possibly the most absurd and campy novel that he's written, and I still inhaled the fucking thing and loved every minute of it. Lighten up or go back to your Tolkien.
Read for Aussie Readers' October 2013 "Exotic Location" Challenge
Temple is possibly the most absurd and campy novel that he's written, and I still inhaled the fucking thing and loved every minute of it. Lighten up or go back to your Tolkien.
Read for Aussie Readers' October 2013 "Exotic Location" Challenge
December 30, 2014
Part 3 in a four-book review of Matthew Reilly's novels
Contest -> Ice Station -> Temple -> Seven Ancient Wonders
<= Ice Station
.... couldn't believe it! This, I believe, is Matthew's third novel, and by now he had devolved almost to the level he attained in the only other of his books that I read.
But for now, let's stay with this one. True to his chosen trademark, Matthew creates a plot which is so far removed from reality that it cannot seriously be considered any more as a thriller. Fiction does not have to be realistic, but it does have to be internally consistent. For example, if I write a thriller featuring a crack soldier (not a superhero) who finds himself locked up in a steel chamber, I create suspense if I explore ways in which my character will be able to extricate himself from this predicament. It will not do if I portray my soldier to punch a hole in the steel door with his bare fist, and then leg it, having made short work of the problem. My character is a soldier, not a superhero. There is nothing wrong with fiction that involves superheroes, only the hero in my example was not one. That's what I mean with consistent, but not realistic.
But surely, Matthew would not do this? Well, let's see. At some point in this novel, William Race, our hero, finds himself inside an Abrams battle tank which has been dropped from a cargo plane and is hurtling freely towards the ground, its fall unbroken by parachutes. William manages to climb out of the truck while in free fall, and one second before it hits the ground is saved by his jetpack, which automatically ignites and gets him out of harm's way.
Oh really. Matthew is seriously inviting his readers to believe that this is possible? Just for a bit fun, let me explore what that would involve. We need a jetpack which is able to fire jets with a force sufficient to neutralise the speed of a falling tank. This force will be equal to the William's mass multiplied by the change in velocity required. Delta velocity, in this case, is the velocity of the falling tank one second before impact, as we require a force sufficient to make William just hover at a distance above the ground. And the velocity is the terminal velocity of an object falling through the atmosphere.
So, let's calculate the terminal velocity of an Abrams tank. To do this, we need the following ingredients:
(a) the mass of the object. Matthew says this is 67 tonnes
(b) gravitational acceleration g. This is 9.81 ms^-2
(c) the density of the fluid though which the object is falling. In the case of atmosphere near ground level, this is 1.25 kgm^-3
(d) the projected area of the object. Matthew says in the novel that the truck had tipped forward, so is falling vertically towards earth. An Abrams tank is 2.44m wide by 3.66m high, so that's 8.9m^2
(e) the drag coefficient. I guess an Abrams tank may look a little like a flat square if it comes hurtling towards you with the tip forward, and for such a shape Wikipedia informs me the coefficient is about 1.
Now we mash this together in the formula for terminal velocity and get 343ms-1. That is quite fast, actually. The speed of sound is 340ms-1 so William, sitting outside the tank, holding on to the turret with his bare hands at 1235km/h, will just a fraction of a second before his jetpack ignites have broken the sound barrier. Perfectly feasible of course.
And what force do we now need to break this fall? Matthew says that William's J-7 DARPA jetpack fired automatically when the tank was 27m above the ground, bringing him to a stationary hover 10m above the ground. So we need to apply a force capable of slowing a grown man plus his jetpack from the speed of sound to standstill over a distance of 17m.
Let's see. William is 1.75m tall and a fit guy. So let's say he weighs 80kg, all muscle of course. There actually were jetpacks designed for DARPA - these were unwieldy contraptions built by Bell Aerosystms in the 70s and weighed some 30kg. So let's run with that. From what we know, we can calculate the time it takes to travel 17m while applying constant deceleration to zero. Won't take long, as you can imagine - about 0.05 secs. Using F=m*a, and a=dv/dt it follows that we need a force in the region of 700-800 kN to achieve this.
Sounds abstract? Let me put this into perspective. A Merlin 1D rocket develops 650 kN thrust at sea level, and the Merlin 1D Vac engine generates 800 kN. What are these? They are rocket engines powering the Falcon 9 spaceflight launch vehicle operated by space transportation company Space X.
So here we have a jet pack with the force of a rocket used to lift satellites into orbit and a human passenger who is able to withstand this force with absolutely no problems.
I rest my case. No, thrillers do not have to be realistic. But they do have to work. This sequence is just stupid, and, worse, Matthew clearly believes that his readers are stupid.
So why did I pick up another one of his, years later? I am not really sure, to be honest. As I said, I like the idea of this sort of novel. I guess I was hoping that he may have gone back to the style of Contest when I picked up Seven Ancient Wonders. Instead, ...
=> Seven Ancient Wonders
Contest -> Ice Station -> Temple -> Seven Ancient Wonders
<= Ice Station
.... couldn't believe it! This, I believe, is Matthew's third novel, and by now he had devolved almost to the level he attained in the only other of his books that I read.
But for now, let's stay with this one. True to his chosen trademark, Matthew creates a plot which is so far removed from reality that it cannot seriously be considered any more as a thriller. Fiction does not have to be realistic, but it does have to be internally consistent. For example, if I write a thriller featuring a crack soldier (not a superhero) who finds himself locked up in a steel chamber, I create suspense if I explore ways in which my character will be able to extricate himself from this predicament. It will not do if I portray my soldier to punch a hole in the steel door with his bare fist, and then leg it, having made short work of the problem. My character is a soldier, not a superhero. There is nothing wrong with fiction that involves superheroes, only the hero in my example was not one. That's what I mean with consistent, but not realistic.
But surely, Matthew would not do this? Well, let's see. At some point in this novel, William Race, our hero, finds himself inside an Abrams battle tank which has been dropped from a cargo plane and is hurtling freely towards the ground, its fall unbroken by parachutes. William manages to climb out of the truck while in free fall, and one second before it hits the ground is saved by his jetpack, which automatically ignites and gets him out of harm's way.
Oh really. Matthew is seriously inviting his readers to believe that this is possible? Just for a bit fun, let me explore what that would involve. We need a jetpack which is able to fire jets with a force sufficient to neutralise the speed of a falling tank. This force will be equal to the William's mass multiplied by the change in velocity required. Delta velocity, in this case, is the velocity of the falling tank one second before impact, as we require a force sufficient to make William just hover at a distance above the ground. And the velocity is the terminal velocity of an object falling through the atmosphere.
So, let's calculate the terminal velocity of an Abrams tank. To do this, we need the following ingredients:
(a) the mass of the object. Matthew says this is 67 tonnes
(b) gravitational acceleration g. This is 9.81 ms^-2
(c) the density of the fluid though which the object is falling. In the case of atmosphere near ground level, this is 1.25 kgm^-3
(d) the projected area of the object. Matthew says in the novel that the truck had tipped forward, so is falling vertically towards earth. An Abrams tank is 2.44m wide by 3.66m high, so that's 8.9m^2
(e) the drag coefficient. I guess an Abrams tank may look a little like a flat square if it comes hurtling towards you with the tip forward, and for such a shape Wikipedia informs me the coefficient is about 1.
Now we mash this together in the formula for terminal velocity and get 343ms-1. That is quite fast, actually. The speed of sound is 340ms-1 so William, sitting outside the tank, holding on to the turret with his bare hands at 1235km/h, will just a fraction of a second before his jetpack ignites have broken the sound barrier. Perfectly feasible of course.
And what force do we now need to break this fall? Matthew says that William's J-7 DARPA jetpack fired automatically when the tank was 27m above the ground, bringing him to a stationary hover 10m above the ground. So we need to apply a force capable of slowing a grown man plus his jetpack from the speed of sound to standstill over a distance of 17m.
Let's see. William is 1.75m tall and a fit guy. So let's say he weighs 80kg, all muscle of course. There actually were jetpacks designed for DARPA - these were unwieldy contraptions built by Bell Aerosystms in the 70s and weighed some 30kg. So let's run with that. From what we know, we can calculate the time it takes to travel 17m while applying constant deceleration to zero. Won't take long, as you can imagine - about 0.05 secs. Using F=m*a, and a=dv/dt it follows that we need a force in the region of 700-800 kN to achieve this.
Sounds abstract? Let me put this into perspective. A Merlin 1D rocket develops 650 kN thrust at sea level, and the Merlin 1D Vac engine generates 800 kN. What are these? They are rocket engines powering the Falcon 9 spaceflight launch vehicle operated by space transportation company Space X.
So here we have a jet pack with the force of a rocket used to lift satellites into orbit and a human passenger who is able to withstand this force with absolutely no problems.
I rest my case. No, thrillers do not have to be realistic. But they do have to work. This sequence is just stupid, and, worse, Matthew clearly believes that his readers are stupid.
So why did I pick up another one of his, years later? I am not really sure, to be honest. As I said, I like the idea of this sort of novel. I guess I was hoping that he may have gone back to the style of Contest when I picked up Seven Ancient Wonders. Instead, ...
=> Seven Ancient Wonders
September 5, 2023
Πρώτη φορά διαβάζω βιβλίο αυτού του είδους, θα το χαρακτήριζα κινηματογραφική περιπέτεια.
Έχει άφθονη περιπέτεια που εξελίσσεται γρήγορα και με καλή γραφή.
Προτείνεται.
Έχει άφθονη περιπέτεια που εξελίσσεται γρήγορα και με καλή γραφή.
Προτείνεται.
October 31, 2012
I really respect Matthew Reilly from what I know about him through his books. He seems a likeable, intelligent person. I've also quite enjoyed his action novels. For thriller novels they're not your standard run-of-the-mill novel. They focus around one interesting and unique idea. I'll admit that the characters are often not overly free of cliché, but that said if you ever want to read something fast, fun and that reads like the explosive action of a blockbuster film then Reilly's your Australian.
In Temple I learned facts about Black Caimans*, read about mysterious pseudo-scientific ideas that while fake still sounded realistic enough, learnt about the power that grappling hooks can be as weapons and read about lots and lots of body counts. I think about one hundred people at minimum died (there may have been more...).
Temple, uniquely of all of Reilly's books that I've read, has a split narrative. One part of the action is set in the present and the other takes place in the past. Which was a slight meta-linguistic element to appease me as I was reading purely for the thrill and the fun of it. Oh now I've lost my train of thought...
Ultimately, a quick and fast paced 680 pages worth of story that went by quickly. In some ways there was too much story, in other ways the plotting wasn't Reilly's best but the ideas were interesting. Definitely worth reading if you are into thriller novels and unique action concepts.
*Apparently they may be larger than Saltwater Crocodiles (or at least similar in size) so that's 1 ton worth of crocodilian and seven metres length worth on average (Saltwaters can grow to 9 metres though so...)
November 6, 2008
It is hard to call this science fiction, even though Reilly is really big on technology. The only problem is... his technology has far too much "magic" in it, and really pushes his stories -- all four of those I've read -- into a really weird fantasy genre where pseudo-technology fills the role of magic.
In order to avoid spoilers -- and thus losing the chance to warn folks about how they might be disappointed by this book -- it will have to be sufficient to say that Reilly relies at numerous points on technology as a deus ex machina plot mechanism.
If you either care or know absurdly little about physics, probability, or just about anything -- well, then you might be entertained by the non-stop action and cliff-hanger twists and turns in Reilly's plots.
The first of his books, and the first I read, was Contest, and earned three stars for its over-the-top hyperactive attitude. But the others are all more absurd, more reliant on unrealistic technology and impossible physics, without plots that compensate.
In order to avoid spoilers -- and thus losing the chance to warn folks about how they might be disappointed by this book -- it will have to be sufficient to say that Reilly relies at numerous points on technology as a deus ex machina plot mechanism.
If you either care or know absurdly little about physics, probability, or just about anything -- well, then you might be entertained by the non-stop action and cliff-hanger twists and turns in Reilly's plots.
The first of his books, and the first I read, was Contest, and earned three stars for its over-the-top hyperactive attitude. But the others are all more absurd, more reliant on unrealistic technology and impossible physics, without plots that compensate.
July 6, 2015
I suppose I should begin by acknowledging that I completely understand why Reilly's books are so popular. I had a really high expectation because of it. The non-stop action and almost cinematic experience would appeal to many people - including myself.
BUT...(and there is a huge but)
There were several things about this book which completely ruined it for me, and as exciting as the events were, they just weren't enough.
FIRST COMPLAINT:
I could not get over the extraordinary use of italics and exclamation marks!
Sure, these techniques may add emphasis at the right time, but there is a time and a place. I'm the kind of person that adds voices to characters, but with all those italics, it sounded sarcastic the entire time! If the actual events weren't difficult enough to believe in the first place, it certainly doesn't help when you sound so bloody overdramatic!
I'm currently reading Ice Station and am disappointed that the same thing is happening (though considerably less, yay!).
SECOND COMPLAINT:
I by no means consider myself an expert on ancient South American cultures. Unfortunately, neither it seems is Reilly. I can appreciate what he was trying to do, but at no point did I feel that Inca culture was properly represented. It sounded like a perfectly Western culture situated in a jungle with some fancy foreign names thrown in for good measure.Warning: annoyance may cause some exaggeration
I think that if any writer wants to include piece of historical writing, then substantial research is needed, and the actual writing style needs to be convincing. Temple just didn't do that for me.
THIRD COMPLAINT:
Nazis.
FORTH COMPLAINT:
There were too many close calls. Sure, it's exciting the first fewdozen times, but eventually it becomes hard to be believe. Add the WAY they're resolved and after awhile I felt really disappointed. If I can't suspend my disbelief I can't get into the story. And if I can't get into the story, then I'm wasting my time.
CONCLUSION:
I was not impressed by this book, but I would see the movie. I might even pay money to do so.
BUT...(and there is a huge but)
There were several things about this book which completely ruined it for me, and as exciting as the events were, they just weren't enough.
FIRST COMPLAINT:
I could not get over the extraordinary use of italics and exclamation marks!
Sure, these techniques may add emphasis at the right time, but there is a time and a place. I'm the kind of person that adds voices to characters, but with all those italics, it sounded sarcastic the entire time! If the actual events weren't difficult enough to believe in the first place, it certainly doesn't help when you sound so bloody overdramatic!
I'm currently reading Ice Station and am disappointed that the same thing is happening (though considerably less, yay!).
SECOND COMPLAINT:
I by no means consider myself an expert on ancient South American cultures. Unfortunately, neither it seems is Reilly. I can appreciate what he was trying to do, but at no point did I feel that Inca culture was properly represented. It sounded like a perfectly Western culture situated in a jungle with some fancy foreign names thrown in for good measure.
I think that if any writer wants to include piece of historical writing, then substantial research is needed, and the actual writing style needs to be convincing. Temple just didn't do that for me.
THIRD COMPLAINT:
Nazis.
FORTH COMPLAINT:
There were too many close calls. Sure, it's exciting the first few
CONCLUSION:
I was not impressed by this book, but I would see the movie. I might even pay money to do so.
March 20, 2009
From page one, I found the urge to keep reading impossible to resist. Reilly has a very in your face style when it comes to violence, so a reader should be prepared. And good men do die in this book. One that characters I was so crushing on died and my heart was broken. The way he did was so abrupt and not pretty. But the sheer adrenaline kick of reading this book will keep you going. I liked William Race as a hero. He's almost the opposite of Shane Schofield. He's physically awkward, more of a mental giant than anything. He gets into situations where you think, surely he's a dead man, but he manages to pull it together at the end. There seems like there will be a relationship between him and a woman who goes along on the mission, and the way that it ends is sad. But I'm not sure Race can handle a relationship when this book ends. He has his hands full between the 'bad guys' he knows about and the ones lurking in the shadows. This book has human monsters and animal ones also. It's one of those books where you're holding your breath and hoping that most of the characters make it out alive. It's a very innovative storyline that combines a little bit of Indiana Jones with Tom Clancy and makes for a satisfactory result. Fans of the treasure-hunting genre will probably love this one, and if you're into ancient history, you'll also get a kick, especially if you like Latin American ancient history. If you want a good, fun, but bloody ride that will give you some hours of entertainment and keep your interest, I do recommend this book. Reilly is definitely an autobuy because this guy knows how to write an action book.
January 22, 2023
Took some time to finish it cuz it was a bit big book but it was good, fast faced with latest technology and fight scenes. Good experience
January 8, 2022
Trigger warnings: death, murder, gun violence, gore, animal death, mentions of rape, racial slurs, everything associated with the Spanish trying to conquer the Inca Empire, Nazis, mentions of the Holocaust, mentions of experiments in concentration camps, explosions, decapitations, cheating, probably a bunch of other stuff too tbh.
8/1/2022
Is this rating 50% enjoyment and 50% nostalgia? Absolutely. Did this book do a great job of distracting me from the fact that my niece has probably given me covid? Absolutely.
27/1/2019
4.5 stars. So here's the thing: reading this in 2019 is a trip. Because the gist of the story is that various branches of the US military are trying to find an Incan idol that's made out of stone from a meteorite. But also, a bunch of neoNazis - led by some literal Nazis from the first time around - are trying to get the idol because it can be used to power a device that will destroy the world. And when the good guys find this out, they're all "WTF?? NAZIS ARE A THING STILL???". And damn, I wish we were still in that place. Sigh.
Anywho. This book is utterly ridiculous in every single way, and I love basically everything about it. The characters are great, the flashbacks to the 16th century are great, the setting is great. It's nearly 700 pages long and I flew through it in a couple of hours. So.
16/4/2016
Look, this book is total airport fiction. It's fast paced, it's totally implausible, and there are limited female characters and several are damsel-in-distress types (although there *is* one who's pretty badass and saves the hero a bunch of times while he saves her zero times, so that's something). But it's such a fun concept and so action packed and fast paced that I don't really care about all the obvious flaws in the story.
Essentially? It's mindless fun. And sometimes, that's exactly what my brain needs.
1/11/2013
I love this book. Love it to the point where the pages are falling out. Sure, it's completely and utterly ridiculous and occasionally filled with massive pieces of contrivance. But it's fast paced, features archaeology and Incan history, and in typical Matthew Reilly fashion, isn't afraid to kill off/maim your favourite characters.
I don't think I loved the book QUITE as much as the last time I reread it, which was probably in 2010 or so. I guess I'm a more critical reader than I used to be, so things that I used to gloss over now make me go "Pff, sure" (for instance, ). But it's still completely enjoyable and filled with fabulous characters.
8/1/2022
Is this rating 50% enjoyment and 50% nostalgia? Absolutely. Did this book do a great job of distracting me from the fact that my niece has probably given me covid? Absolutely.
27/1/2019
4.5 stars. So here's the thing: reading this in 2019 is a trip. Because the gist of the story is that various branches of the US military are trying to find an Incan idol that's made out of stone from a meteorite. But also, a bunch of neoNazis - led by some literal Nazis from the first time around - are trying to get the idol because it can be used to power a device that will destroy the world. And when the good guys find this out, they're all "WTF?? NAZIS ARE A THING STILL???". And damn, I wish we were still in that place. Sigh.
Anywho. This book is utterly ridiculous in every single way, and I love basically everything about it. The characters are great, the flashbacks to the 16th century are great, the setting is great. It's nearly 700 pages long and I flew through it in a couple of hours. So.
16/4/2016
Look, this book is total airport fiction. It's fast paced, it's totally implausible, and there are limited female characters and several are damsel-in-distress types (although there *is* one who's pretty badass and saves the hero a bunch of times while he saves her zero times, so that's something). But it's such a fun concept and so action packed and fast paced that I don't really care about all the obvious flaws in the story.
Essentially? It's mindless fun. And sometimes, that's exactly what my brain needs.
1/11/2013
I love this book. Love it to the point where the pages are falling out. Sure, it's completely and utterly ridiculous and occasionally filled with massive pieces of contrivance. But it's fast paced, features archaeology and Incan history, and in typical Matthew Reilly fashion, isn't afraid to kill off/maim your favourite characters.
I don't think I loved the book QUITE as much as the last time I reread it, which was probably in 2010 or so. I guess I'm a more critical reader than I used to be, so things that I used to gloss over now make me go "Pff, sure" (for instance, ). But it's still completely enjoyable and filled with fabulous characters.
November 13, 2022
"What struck Race most about the carving was how alive it looked. Through a combination of skilled craftsmanship and the unusual nature of the stone itself, it seemed as if the rapa had somehow been imprisoned inside the lustrous black-and-purple stone and was now trying—manically, ferociously, rabidly—to force its way out of it. 'The stone,' Race thought as he gazed at the thin veins of purple that snaked their way down the snarling rapa’s face, giving it an extra level of anger and malevolence. 'Thyrium.'
If only the Incas had known what they were starting when they carved this idol..."
In order to enjoy any Matthew Reilly book, you must be willing to suspend all disbelief. Truth is, this was never hard for me, since I picked up Ice Station as a teen, but I can understand how many readers who want a serious, plausible thriller may be appalled by Reilly's over-the-top writing. There are plenty of books that are better suited to those people, and they are welcome to them, but for anybody who loves to be entertained and amazed by a story that's a little unbelievable but at the same time incredibly fun, pick up Temple.
I listen to most of Matthew's books via audio CD's while I'm working, so I don't exactly notice the exclamation marks he seems to favor, but I have read a few and while they do seem excessive at times, they're part of the charm for me. Kind of like a signature.
On audio, read by the fantastic Sean Mangan, Temple is a book that thrills, gives you chills and, more often than not, shocks you with its bold and cunning plot twists. From start to finish, this book is a roller-coaster of energy and intent, something that the dual perspective format only seems to emphasize as opposed to detract from.
On one hand, you have William Race, a Professor of Ancient Languages who is thrown head-first into a manhunt for a lost Incan idol. On the other hand you have Alberto Santiago, a Spanish monk from the Incan times trying to bring the word of God to the natives. Santiago meets Renco, the brother of the Incan king, who urges him to set him free from the prison that Santiago's countrymen have locked him in. Renco has a purpose - a divine one, if you will - in that he must take the Incan idol (the spirit of his people) away from Cuzco and to safety. Needless to say, Santiago helps him, and the manuscript he drafts detailing their travels is the very text William Race in the present must decode to help his team find it.
The above description is only the first few chapters or so, and doesn't even get to the action. You can imagine, then, how much Reilly packs into a novel. Again, this isn't for everyone and certainly not readers who value realism of any sort, but the 2-in-1 narrative works well, with both stories complementing one another. The events of the past effect events of the future, and is a source of great adventure and intrigue.
Temple is great for slow nights or tedious days at work. It keeps your blood pumping and your eyes wide in anticipation of what is to come.
→ 5 stars.
June 9, 2017
Quite amazing story.
An IDOL, which is carved from a meteorite and which can be used to create a Planet Killer ‘Super Nova’ a nuclear bomb.
Several factions of Bad Guys who is there to retrieve the IDOL and our hero Professor William Race, a linguist who believed that he working for the good Guys, Being part of team to translate an ancient menu script written by an old monk which tells an old story and thus, leads to the location of the hidden Idol.
Betrayal, Mythical Creatures, Action, and Suspense – which is quite a read.
And William Race, Saves the day… Being Hero from a mere professor.
Loved the story...
An IDOL, which is carved from a meteorite and which can be used to create a Planet Killer ‘Super Nova’ a nuclear bomb.
Several factions of Bad Guys who is there to retrieve the IDOL and our hero Professor William Race, a linguist who believed that he working for the good Guys, Being part of team to translate an ancient menu script written by an old monk which tells an old story and thus, leads to the location of the hidden Idol.
Betrayal, Mythical Creatures, Action, and Suspense – which is quite a read.
And William Race, Saves the day… Being Hero from a mere professor.
Loved the story...
March 12, 2017
Action Adventure Mystery Amazing couldn't put it down. Superb in its telling, an thrilling adventure. With unforgettable heroes and rip roaring action.
October 11, 2021
The reason I did not like this particular Matthew Reilly book is because there was too many dates written in the book and so many historical significance is and it's sort of red like a war book and war books normally don't really interest me. Now don't get me wrong there are some Matthew Reilly books that I have really enjoyed but this one didn't click with me.
August 4, 2024
“Do not enter at any cost. Death looms within.”
🐊
This is the second book I’ve read by this author, though it's not from the same series as Ice Station, I liked it just as much! It's packed with high-octane action and outrageous situations, featuring jungle beasts and spine-chilling, life-threatening scenes. It reminded me of Indiana Jones and would be a fantastic pick if you're looking for an exhilarating read.
🐊
This is the second book I’ve read by this author, though it's not from the same series as Ice Station, I liked it just as much! It's packed with high-octane action and outrageous situations, featuring jungle beasts and spine-chilling, life-threatening scenes. It reminded me of Indiana Jones and would be a fantastic pick if you're looking for an exhilarating read.
May 19, 2026
I started this book a while ago, I felt the start was slow and slowly stopped, I came back into it after I finished another big book and thought, no, it deserves the read, I was not disappointed, that slow start was like the start of a rollercaster, getting to the top and then just having the floor ripped from your feet as you plummet into the next 400 pages.
I love this book, I love how it all came together. Well worth a read. And if you feel yourself slowly pulling away from it, keep going on the oath!
I love this book, I love how it all came together. Well worth a read. And if you feel yourself slowly pulling away from it, keep going on the oath!
September 24, 2014
SERIOUSLY?
Okay. I love what I call "adventure" novels. I expect some crazy absurdities when it comes to what the characters can do; rope swinging, narrowly missing sword slashes, crazy animal wrestling, and the like. This book was so over the top most of the time I just rolled my eyes because it was so absurd. Standing on the nose of an airplane (a college professor mind you), reaching to another military plane, pushes a button on the outside of said plane and opens to the hatch...then jumps into said hatch and rides a tank down to earth, only to be saved by a mysterious jetpack he didn't even know he was wearing. REALLY!? SERIOUSLY? There is plausible and then their is absurd. This is over that. The events in the book was so out of place that I really was just 'meh' by about 200 pages in.. but I kept reading...slowly.
Next, I don't know what kind of writing style this is. It's either way too descriptive or way too vague. The used of exclamation marks, ellipses, and italics was almost juvenile to me. THE ITALICS. Sweet zombie Jesus. It got to the point that when I read anything in italics (which happened at least 10 times a page) I read it in a teenage, giddy, 'I've got a crush on boy" kind of way. You know how little girls do that? I just assume there was giggling involved. Often times it was written on a level that I would consider an adult read. Then it would go to a level that was extremely young adult and I was so confused. My favorite line, which I assume had lots of giggling from the monk saying it, "I could see her bosom -and much to my embarrassment-her erect nipples." (teheheheheh) I assume he giggled. That's when I lost all credibility for this book.
The story should have ended by page 400. Done deal. It would have gotten a 3 star rating had it ended there. Everything could have been finished up by page 410. Everyone is happy, natives got their junk back, we're going home, yahoo. NO. We weren't that lucky. In a brilliant twist, with characters you've never seen before another story comes out of no where to postpone this torture another 100+ pages. Seriously?
It took me forever to finish this book. It was a struggle each time I picked it up to read it, suppress giggles, and contain my eyes in their natural position because of the chronic eye-rolling I was doing because of this written nonsense.
Was it the worst book I've ever read? Nah. Will I read Matt Reilly again? NOPE. I actually finished this book; I quit 100 pages into another of his and gave the book back to the used bookstore. Never again.
March 14, 2013
A re-read for about the forth time because I was out of new fiction and wanted something fun and fast after finishing The Casual Vacancy.
It is a better book than The Casual Vacancy? No.
Is it more of a fun read? Hell, yes!
As I've noted before, Reilly's forte is airport-style action novels. If Stephen King is the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries, Matthew Reilly is the literary equivalent of a Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer movie. He provides heroic characters fighting impossible odds, blowing tons of stuff up, defying the laws of gravity and producing a body toll greater than many national disasters.
Temple is Reilly in full Indiana Jones/Michael Crichton style (with more than a few homages to Star Wars too), in a race against time to find a religious artefact that has scientific properties that could literally bring about the end of the world. If you want Incans, Nazis, doomsday cults, Green Berets, DARPA, river chases, lots of guns and explosions, and don't care much about the laws of physics, Reilly is your guy.
It's over-the-top action, but Reilly did it better in Temple, Contest and Ice Station that his latter books, as he was trying to write a good, fast story, rather than continually trying to top his previous works in terms of straining credibility (his Jack West series takes so many liberties with reality that they make Temple seem like a documentary).
It is a better book than The Casual Vacancy? No.
Is it more of a fun read? Hell, yes!
As I've noted before, Reilly's forte is airport-style action novels. If Stephen King is the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries, Matthew Reilly is the literary equivalent of a Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer movie. He provides heroic characters fighting impossible odds, blowing tons of stuff up, defying the laws of gravity and producing a body toll greater than many national disasters.
Temple is Reilly in full Indiana Jones/Michael Crichton style (with more than a few homages to Star Wars too), in a race against time to find a religious artefact that has scientific properties that could literally bring about the end of the world. If you want Incans, Nazis, doomsday cults, Green Berets, DARPA, river chases, lots of guns and explosions, and don't care much about the laws of physics, Reilly is your guy.
It's over-the-top action, but Reilly did it better in Temple, Contest and Ice Station that his latter books, as he was trying to write a good, fast story, rather than continually trying to top his previous works in terms of straining credibility (his Jack West series takes so many liberties with reality that they make Temple seem like a documentary).
July 4, 2008
First half of the book gone by so quickly, non-stop action. Loads of maneater 'cats' and god-eater spaniards. And in some part, star wars weapons 'G-11'. The tricky part of it and i dunno how I can visualize Race got away with taking out the helicopter by a rope swing... well dare to understand thats how MR write his stuff and I must say is still something we learn to take from an author of this kind of action-story-pages. I will dig in on the 2nd half of the book. More blood in this one though...wait up Race, you not a hero yet.
Come to the end of this book...have to say quite a story. Pack with action and even in its 2 part tale. One new one old. Very well written and connected. Hero (now the hero) Race is quite steam with action even though he is not train to be one. Guess he is the chosen one and had to do all that to save the world. Same sgit as NEO in Matrix. Some great high-tech written weapons and equipments...equipments that save last moment of life like diving from the sky. Loads of enemies from various department simply they are Nazi, US Army (Nash), US Navy (Romario), The Texan (doomsday cult). Even the Native Incas has a part in it to save the idol.
This a complete thing for this book. MR has once again did well and I hope to read more about William Race in the next book adventure. I give it a 7.8/10 for this one.
Come to the end of this book...have to say quite a story. Pack with action and even in its 2 part tale. One new one old. Very well written and connected. Hero (now the hero) Race is quite steam with action even though he is not train to be one. Guess he is the chosen one and had to do all that to save the world. Same sgit as NEO in Matrix. Some great high-tech written weapons and equipments...equipments that save last moment of life like diving from the sky. Loads of enemies from various department simply they are Nazi, US Army (Nash), US Navy (Romario), The Texan (doomsday cult). Even the Native Incas has a part in it to save the idol.
This a complete thing for this book. MR has once again did well and I hope to read more about William Race in the next book adventure. I give it a 7.8/10 for this one.
April 21, 2013
"The young monk sobbed uncontrollably as the cold barrel of the gun was placed firmly against his temple." From cover to cover author Matt Reilly keeps the action cranked up in his overly long novel "Temple." The focus of the book is a frenzied search for an Incan idol that was fashioned long ago from an asteriod. Of course this is no ordinary Incan idol - due to its composition, it can be used as a radioactive substitute, but without some critical side effects.
William Race, a professor with expertise in ancient languages, is essentially kidnapped to help with the search as various rogue groups including the military spare no expense to find the idol. And by no expense we're talking lives, and also military weapons and vehicles, which are endlessly described in detail. The book has a real comic book or movie set feel to it as people, vicious animals, and vehicles are blown up right and left, and miraculous escapes for the good guys are the norm.
The outline of the story was promising - an idol, an ancient manuscript, jungles and temples, but it was a chore to finish. Dirk Pitt and his merry band could teach these guys a thing or two!
William Race, a professor with expertise in ancient languages, is essentially kidnapped to help with the search as various rogue groups including the military spare no expense to find the idol. And by no expense we're talking lives, and also military weapons and vehicles, which are endlessly described in detail. The book has a real comic book or movie set feel to it as people, vicious animals, and vehicles are blown up right and left, and miraculous escapes for the good guys are the norm.
The outline of the story was promising - an idol, an ancient manuscript, jungles and temples, but it was a chore to finish. Dirk Pitt and his merry band could teach these guys a thing or two!
November 9, 2013
How can a book define another low in thriller writing? How shallow an author can go while assuming that he's actually entertaining the readers? How can you create a hell lot of problems in a situation which you can not solve even in your imagination and solve it by magic?
I just don't know what else to say of these collection of sentences that was published as a novel. (Any way to get the money back?) As if introducing uncountable number of characters is not enough, they need to change colour and allegiance every few pages, just to give our hero another chance to defy death and another impending doom to prevent, magically. As if describing a river battle for more than a dozen pages isn't enough, you have to recreate the sound on your page with whoooshhhhh, dhummmmmmm,italicise them and end them with!! Are you thrilled enough?
I know thrillers are cheap, usually no brainers where laws of physics are like laws on the constitution, break them when it's convenient. But this? Introducing iron man and super man would be fun and closer to reality actually. Did they make a movie from it, by the way?
I just don't know what else to say of these collection of sentences that was published as a novel. (Any way to get the money back?) As if introducing uncountable number of characters is not enough, they need to change colour and allegiance every few pages, just to give our hero another chance to defy death and another impending doom to prevent, magically. As if describing a river battle for more than a dozen pages isn't enough, you have to recreate the sound on your page with whoooshhhhh, dhummmmmmm,italicise them and end them with!! Are you thrilled enough?
I know thrillers are cheap, usually no brainers where laws of physics are like laws on the constitution, break them when it's convenient. But this? Introducing iron man and super man would be fun and closer to reality actually. Did they make a movie from it, by the way?
October 2, 2011
I really tried to finish this book but after 60% in I just couldn't read it anymore. I'm not sure what age group it's meant to be for because at times I felt like it was written for teenagers, while other times it was the standard adult ficton thriller I'm use to. The main problem I find is how it's written. The flow is all over the place, the direction is predictable, and the whole fight with the cats felt like it was going on for 100 pages... wait, I think it did! He has this way of sucking me into and idea or action sequence and by the time I'm 2-3 pages in I already don't care anymore because he has pages breaks up the wazoo and starts and stops with so much BS in between. It's hard to explain but I've never read a novel written like this one was before. Anyway, this is my first read from this author and it wasn't a good experience. If I was 15 I think I would have liked it more.
April 23, 2021
I first gave 3 stars but that feels overly generous, so back to 2 stars. It did have some well told and gripping parts, however overall it was a disappointment, partly because its become a bit dated re the science (I know this is not the author's fault as nothing highly technical can really stay up to date) however the low score is much more about the never ending improbable events that pass as dramatic narrative rather than creating real dramatic tension within the story - how many near death experiences can one survive. I have liked some other books by this author but this one doesn't work for me. The final thing which did not work is in the afterword where he says that the main character’s amazing good looks are based on himself ??!! - I cringed
June 30, 2009
I LOVE Matt Reilly! This is his second book that I've read and once again, I just couldn't put it down. What an action packed book, that just keeps you turning the pages.
I also love the way I become so attached to the main character, I felt as if we've been friends for ages and I can't help caring about what happens to him. He's just such a great guy!
And yes, I'll admit, sometimes the action sequences are a little long, maybe even a little over-the-top, but I still love 'em!
I will definitely be reading another Reilly book in the VERY near future, and recommend this to everyone and anyone, what a nice change of pace!
I also love the way I become so attached to the main character, I felt as if we've been friends for ages and I can't help caring about what happens to him. He's just such a great guy!
And yes, I'll admit, sometimes the action sequences are a little long, maybe even a little over-the-top, but I still love 'em!
I will definitely be reading another Reilly book in the VERY near future, and recommend this to everyone and anyone, what a nice change of pace!
November 17, 2008
This is my favourte Reilly book so far. It's a big fat blockbuster of a book but I ploughed through it in a couple of days. It's very edge-of-your-seat stuff, written in a cinematic style so it feels more like watching a fast paced action movie than reading a book.
The story has two timelines, one set in the time of the Spanish conquest of the Incas and the other in Peru of 1999. The unlikely hero is William Race, a mild mannered, likable linguisitcs expert who, during this story, finds himself on a mission to save the world.
The story has two timelines, one set in the time of the Spanish conquest of the Incas and the other in Peru of 1999. The unlikely hero is William Race, a mild mannered, likable linguisitcs expert who, during this story, finds himself on a mission to save the world.
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