If you like Indiana Jones movies and
you also like reading books, then run, quickly, to your local
bookstore or a library and get Matthew Reilly's Jack West Jr
books. Seriously, those books will not disappoint you.
“But I have already read all 3 books
in the series”, you said. Well, do you know Matthew Reilly wrote a
4th book, and it was published last month? Indeed, Matthew
Reilly's sweeping tale continues in The Four Legendary Kingdoms,
where our beloved hero, Jack West Jr, is once again battling against
insurmountable odds to save the world.
Synopsis:
Jack West Jr, call-sign Huntsman,
opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by the walls of a brooding
dungeon. Before Jack can recollect his memories, out of the darkness,
a bull headed man suddenly appeared, who sprang and slashed at Jack
with a knife in hand.
Jack managed to survive the mad assault
in the dungeon. He examined the mortal remain of his assailant and
was puzzled by it. Who and what is this... man? Is this even a man?
Could it be, a minotaur? But surely minotaurs are creatures of
mythology and they don't exist, right?
Jack did not have long to contemplate
on the identity of his mysterious attacker. Shortly after the
assault, Jack was introduced to a man who referred to himself as
Hades.
Hades? As, the mythological Greek god
and the ruler of the underworld? Jack's mind screamed for an
explanation of his ordeal. But time was not his ally, not on that
day. Hades summoned more bull headed warriors, and they forcefully
escorted Jack to his next destination. Before long, Jack found
himself fighting a series of gladiatorial challenges. And he quickly
learned that in Hades' arena, you either win the fight or you die,
painfully.
Hades, minotaurs, and the underworld;
as Jack fought in the arena for his life, he was sure of one thing –
he was still in the 21th century. Where was he? Jack
didn't know. But the man who called himself Hades told Jack and his
fellow champions, that they were fighting for a great purpose. What
purpose? All will be revealed, as the four legendary kingdoms peel
back its curtains and unveiling an ancient secret about the omega...
My thoughts on this book:
Woohoo, I am now the proud owner of a
signed copy for The Four Legendary Kingdoms! Matthew Reilly
visited my local library last Tuesday night, where a group of readers
and I had the chance to meet and interact with him. The event was
lovely, and Matthew was a good and interesting bloke. I came home
with a signed copy of the book and finished reading it on the evening
that followed.
Reading this book was a blast! This
expansive, subterranean adventure is devoid of subtext, but this is
exactly what this book was designed to be, an entertaining read, and
I love this book for it. From sword fights, fist fights, warriors in
exotic armors, gun fights, car chases, combat helicopters, to
explosions, this book has it all. As Jack West's new quest dashes
through the sequences of impossible, octane-driven actions, so would
a reader flip through the pages furiously, utterly absorbed by the
high adventures coming to life in the written texts. Indeed, if it is
a thrilling adventure you are after, then look no further, The
Four Legendary Kingdoms comes knocking at your door with a tale
of blood and thunder.
In this book, Jack West faced a series
of challenges where he stared at death in the face. These challenges
were very creative, and I was very impressed by Matthew Reilly's
imagination and creativity. It suffices to say, the challenges in
this book are massive in scale. I love how Matthew Reilly cleverly
blended Greek mythology into the design of these challenges. With
Greek mythologies as the background, Matthew Reilly created an action
packed story that felt familiar yet refreshing. Moreover, these
challenges are lethal, and Matthew Reilly successfully tricked his
readers into feeling a sense of real danger for Jack West, even
though at the back of our minds we knew that our beloved hero was not
likely to die in this book. This is the work of a master storyteller.
An ingredient for making a successful
action thriller, is telling a story that gallops at a lightning fast
pace. The Four Legendary Kingdoms is an exemplary novel in the
genre. This book, some 417 pages in length, shoots through its story
as a Formula One car racing down the track at 180 miles per hour.
Before you know it, this book is over and you will be wishing there
is more of it. Speaking of the story's ending, The Four Legendary
Kingdoms won't leave you hanging on a cliff at its last page.
This book does, however, make you hope, quite eagerly, to read the
next installment. If this is you, then do not worry. Matthew Reilly
has revealed, Jack West's adventure will resume in The Three
“something something”, then followed by The Two “something
something”, until the story reaches The One “Something
something”. So, gentle readers, sit back and relax; expect many
thrilling adventures waiting for you in the years ahead.
I admire Matthew Reilly because he is
forthright. During the event, I asked Matthew if he would consider
writing a book of a different genre. Matthew answered my question
sincerely, and it revealed his deep love for the genre of
action-packed thrillers. Matthew Reilly loves what he writes, he
wants to write stories that entertain his readers and he is very,
very good at it. I highly recommend The Four Legendary Kingdoms
to veterans of Matthew Reilly's books. Otherwise, if you are a fan of
action adventure thrillers but you have not heard of Matthew Reilly,
then it is high time to hook yourself up with the thrilling adventures
of Jack West, starting with a book called Seven Deadly Wonders.
Until the next time, happy reading!
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