Matthew Reilly holds some sort of power over me. I've read several of his books and at the conclusion of each, I swear that I won't pick up another.
And then a new one shows up at the library or the bookstore, and I get it.
Matthew Reilly's latest novel, The 6 Sacred Stones, picks up where his last book, 7 Deadly Wonders, leaves off. But don't worry, Reilly will fill in the major elements of the backstory for you along the way, so you could start with this book. I am, however, glad that I did read 7 Deadly Wonders before this one. Jack West (a hero's hero) and his small, international team of friends are back, this time to save the Earth from destruction. While theirs is a noble goal, there are many other factions standing in their way with less than honorable intentions. Jack and Company must figure out the puzzle of "The Machine," an ancient defense of certain Armageddon. Central to The Machine are six stones that must be found and then placed in specific places at specific times around the world. This little band of adventurers is up against the mightiest countries in the world, because at the end of the quest there is a reward. A reward that could dramatically change the world political and power structure. If the Earth isn't destroyed first.
Once started, I couldn't put the book down. You may think that you have read a fast paced book before, but I doubt it was anything like this. Reilly is a master of the cliffhanger, and this book is loaded with them. He thinks nothing of leaving the reader dangling while he goes to some other action, somewhere else in the world. He also includes many maps, photos, and ancient texts so that the reader is immersed in the story, caught up in the action, and has a reference point for the adventure. In this book, he takes you to England, China, Egypt, and the deepest, darkest part of Africa (with some layovers elsewhere) with hardly a moment to catch your breath. Reilly's writing style continues to irritate me, but I got swept up in the story and the characters.
And it is a fun read.
Perfect when you want to be entertained or need something to read on a cross-country flight. Since I know me, I will be looking forward to his next book. And if you read this book and enjoy it, you will be as well.
Technorati tag: book review Matthew Reilly
Comment posted by jason reid02/29/2008 07:21:06 AM
6 degrees of lotus notes - my colleague in my Lotus Notes team at my previous job is Matthew Reilly's cousin!
Comment posted by Dmitry02/29/2008 02:38:21 PM
Sorry for being off topic but I thought you might know...I searched around but couldn't find anything....
I was wondering if you know of a 3rd party software that allows you to sync the Lotus Notes database to the blackberry via BES the same way the email is being replicated to the blackberry?
Comment posted by Destry Kral03/05/2009 12:02:03 PM
I have just finished the first book the six sacred stones, it was very interesting a real page turner, now i am trying to find the second book to read on and find out what happens next. is the rest of the story published yet, & where can i find this book or books.
Comment posted by Gregg Eldred03/05/2009 12:53:53 PM
Homepage: http://www.ns-tech.com/blog/geldred.nsf
@Destry: I've looked on Amazon and, to date, haven't seen anything concerning the next book in this (apparent) series.
It's funny that you mention it, as I saw this book in the store the other day and was wondering the same thing.
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