(Re-read) Book Review: The Angel's Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #2)

My re-read for The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series took me to The Angel's Game. This is the 2^nd installment in the cycle. This book is a prequel to The Shadow of the Wind, and it differs to the previous book by a great deal. When I read this book two years ago I thought the ending was a bit confusing. It was too abstract, but I liked 80% of the book. This re-read has changed my opinion about the book, and I came away with an understanding of its significance in the entire series.

Synopsis:

In the vibrant city of Barcelona stood an abandoned tower house, its walls and bricks echoed with the memory of a tragic past. Meanwhile, David Martin, a budding novelist, took residence in this forsaken mansion and made a living by writing penny dreadfuls under a pseudonym.

David was struggling with an impossible love, and he was also tormented by the memories of a troubled childhood. Not even his beloved books could shelter him from the onslaught of despair. When David's world reached the point of collapse, he received an invitation from a French publisher, Andreas Corelli, to write a book so powerful that can change hearts and minds.

My thoughts on this book:

The Angel's Game is a Faustian journey where the readers and the book's protagonist descend into a world of mystery and ambiguity. This is a story about the tragic consequence of love turning into obsessions, and I especially like the book's meditation on myths and the nature of belief systems, it is profound and thought provoking. Meanwhile, the story's theme reminded me of Dorian Gray and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, it blends mystery with romance, with splashes of horror in between.

The book is well written just like The Shadow of the Wind even though it is an English translation. In fact, the entire series was translated from Spanish into English by Lucia Graves. This opens the question whether if the excellent writings testify the skills of the author or the translator. A lady from my book club has a friend who can read Spanish, and according to her, the English translations are very faithful to the Spanish originals.

The worldbuilding in this book is superb. In this re-read, I took my time with the book and I noticed details which I didn't see before. Zafon's Barcelona is a living and breathing city with shadow-haunted mysteries and deep intrigues. Many secrets and plot twists were hidden in the story, but Zafon kept them close to his chest and revealed them very late in the book. There are multiple story threads in this book and the transitions were seamless. The Angel's Game introduced David Martin, a new protagonist who plays a central role (minor spoiler) in the rest of the series. The story narrates David's rise and fall in the literary world after he took on a strange contract to write an unusual book. The story kept me guessing whether if David's ordeal was supernatural or the product of his own imaginations, and there was a good tension between these two possibilities. Other than David, the book also introduced Isabella, a support character whose identity, when revealed in the end, will shock veteran readers of the series, while also setting up the premise for the follow-up story. This also means one can enter The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series from The Angel's Game instead of The Shadow of the Wind.

Out of all characters who appeared in the book I like Isabella the most. She is charming and her qualities left a deep impression on my mind. As for David, I feel sorry for this ill-fated novelist, especially since the ending left rooms for doubt whether if his ordeal wa a result of a mental illness or that of a supernatural encounter. I have already read the 3rd book, The Prisoner of Heaven, and I am currently reading The Labyrinth of the Spirits, which is the final installment in the series, I can see the ambiguous ending in The Angel's Game was intentional. I can also assure you, my gentle readers, that the next two books answer the mystery about David. Therefore if you are confused by the final chapter in The Angel's Game, then make sure to continue and read The Prisoner of Heaven.

I still prefer The Shadow of the Wind to The Angel's Game, but after this re-read I see the book in a different light. The first time I read The Angel's Game I liked 80% of it but I found the ending confusing. In this re-read I came to appreciate those 80% even more, and most importantly now I understand the ending was written in a manner, not only for the book to be a stand-alone story, but it is also a connecting piece to a grand narrative and the theme in the series, it is very clever and intricate. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a series for lovers of stories, and it is a place where I will revisit time and again in the future.

(Re-read) book review: The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1)

Two years ago I discovered a treasure called The Shadow of the Wind, it is a novel written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, an author from Spain whose talents extend into music compositions. The Shadow of the Wind was the first book in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, it is a gothic thriller set in the mid 20^th century Barcelona. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books became my close companion for many wintry nights, and I was spellbound by its mysteries which haunted the gothic buildings under the ashen sky. Three installments from the series were available at the time; The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game, and The Prisoner of Heaven. I devoured all three novels in a month. I loved them.

However the series was incomplete. At the time, the English translation for the fourth and the final volume was still in the works. Therefore I was forced into an agonizing wait until recently, when the English translation for the final book is finally available. While I was waiting for the trusty bookseller to ship the fourth novel to my home, I decided to revisit the series, beginning from the very first book. This is my first time re-reading a book, and having read The Shadow of the Wind, my favorite book, for the second time, I can testify that re-reading your favorite book is like visiting an old friend.

Synopsis:

The story took place in Barcelona and the year was 1945. The city was recovering from the bleeding wounds of the Spanish Civil War. It was a misty morning, and on the street a father and a son walked hand in hand. The father, an antiquarian book dealer, was taking his son, Daniel, to a secret place known as The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Young Daniel mourned the loss of his mother, but among the sea of forgotten books he found solace – a mysterious book titled The Shadow of the Wind, written by a little-known author, Julián Carax.

Daniel became fascinated with Julián. He searched for more of Julián's works, only to discover that a shadowy individual had set himself on a quest to destroying every book written by Julián. As a result, the book in Daniel's possession was one of the last surviving books penned by Julián Carax.

Who was hiding in the shadow and destroying Julián's books? And why? Daniel's search for the books of his favorite author might awaken Barcelona's dark secret.

My thoughts on the book:

My 2^nd visit to The Shadow of the Wind made me realize the joys of re-reading a book. This time, I was in no hurry to discover the plot, and so I made new discoveries about this beloved novel. Furthermore, I could better envision the book's world and its characters, and I noticed some humors and quirks which escaped me previously. This time I greeted the characters as if they are my old friends, and together we treaded the labyrinthine streets of Barcelona to relive this story of love, of hatred, and of the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind.

Zafon wrote beautifully, and in this re-read I came to appreciate his writings even more. Although it has been 2 years since I read the book, but I still have memories about the major plot twists and reveals, and this allowed me to view the story's structure from a high level. I came to appreciate the intricate and the seamless way in which the multiple story threads were put together. In my spare time I engage in a number of hobbies, but I forgot about my other hobbies when I was reading The Shadow of the Wind. Just like the last time, this book hooked me in the moment I read its opening paragraph. Who needs a TV when you can read a book as good as this?

I let out a sigh of content when I closed the last page of the book. I was eager to re-read the next installment, The Angel's Game, but I also decided to myself that not only will I start to re-read more books, but this is also not my last visit to The Shadow of the Wind.

Book Review: The Hard Way by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #10)

Jack Reacher sits in a cafe. He likes the coffee here. It is his new favorite place in New York. Reacher watched a man cross the neon-lit street and drove a Mercedes away. A few minutes later, a stranger walked into the cafe and asked Reacher to describe the driver's face. The stranger, the man, spoke with a British accent and Jack figured he had military trainings. Probably ex-special force. Probably ex-SAS.

Why would someone like that be interested in the driver and the car? The strange ordeal seized Reacher's attentions. The stranger, the ex-SAS guy, took Reacher to see his boss, one Edward Lane. It turned out that Lane runs a mercenary band for hire and he is pretty rich. All that $$$ also made Lane a target. Someone kidnapped his beautiful wife and stepdaughter. The ransom, one million dollars.

Lane offered Reacher a job; find Lane's wife and stepdaughter and he would reward Reacher handsomely. But there is a catch – no cops.

Reacher may be one hella hunter but the case has little clues, so this time he has to do it the hard way.

The Hard Way is the 10^th installment in Lee Child's super duper thriller series. It is about a man called Jack Reacher. The series needs little introduction because it has sold over 100 million books. Let's just say like many others I am a fan of these books. Meanwhile, if you haven't read Jack Reacher and you like action thrillers, then do yourself a favor and check out a book called Killing Floor.

The Hard Way is a very good addition to the series. This one is a bit different to Lee Child's other books. The highlight in this book is Jack Reacher's ability as a crime-busting detective than an one man army. This also means there is little fight scenes in The Hard Way. The book consists mostly of Jack Reacher searching for clues and piecing the puzzles together. It is a full on detective noir. One would have expected this book to be slower than Reacher's other adventures. Surprisingly the story in The Hard Way is fast paced, there are many unexpected twists and the story is suspenseful.

However The Hard Way is not a one man show. A cast of supporting characters appeared alongside Reacher and each had a unique and important role in the plot. I cannot say too much about the supporting characters without revealing some spoilers, but in this book the characters' motives were believable, and as the story unfolded some of them really surprised me.

Lee Child wrote The Hard Way in his signature style; the writings are hard boiled, punctual, and he used short sentences. The story is set in New York, and the writings painted a noirsh tone to the world and its characters. When I was reading this book, it felt as if I was watching a detective movie set in the night time of a buzzing metropolitan. This is a refreshing change to the series, considering other Jack Reacher books were often set in rural US towns.

The Hard Way is a very good thriller novel. It is easily in my list of top 5 Jack Reacher books just after Killing Floor, Gone Tomorrow and Worth Dying For. If you like Jack Reacher books then you cannot afford to miss this one out. On the other hand, if you are a newcomer to Jack Reacher's journey to dispense justice, then The Hard Way might be a good place to start.

A Book Review: Boomerang, by Michael Lewis

For many people, the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 is a fresh memory. It has only been a decade since the day we learned there is no such thing as "too big to fail". 

GFC 2008 was a spectacular disaster, and today the world is still feeling the pains. What caused it? We know the culprit in the US was the subprime home loans. But what about in the other parts of the world? Why was the Greek government close to bankruptcy? Why did the real estate market in Ireland tumble? Why did the banks in Iceland fall down like dominos? Why did the German government have to rescue their banks? And perhaps most importantly, what is the lesson to learn from all of this, and will history repeat itself, only this time on a bigger scale?

In December my book club read Boomerang, by Michael Lewis. If you haven't heard of Michael Lewis, then perhaps you have heard of the 2015 movie, The Big Short. The movie was based on one of his previous books (a non-fiction book of the same name). Boomerang is a continuation from The Big Short, where Michael Lewis extended his investigations to the international waters, and unveiling what went on behind the curtains of those countries hit hardest by GFC 2008, namely; Iceland, Greece, Ireland, Germany, and then finally, the US.

In this book, Michael Lewis detailed how debt was the common denominator behind the economic downfalls in every country, but there is also a great diversity in the manner each country spent their cheaply borrowed credits. Between 2002 and 2008, it became very easy to borrow money. In Iceland, the entire country turned into a giant hedge fund, where the bankers used the money to engage in aggressive acquisitions of foreign assets, which they bought and sold at grossly inflated prices. In Greece, the government wasted the loans on a mass spending spree, thus dragging down the banks with their public debts. In Ireland, the loans fueled a construction frenzy, in which they built an oversupply of homes and sold them at hyper inflated prices. The German bankers, meanwhile, purchased mountains of subprime loans from the US and bonds issued by Greece, all the while thinking those were "risk free investments". Finally, in the US, they incurred mass public and private debts because people wanted to live above their means.

Boomerang described how each country spent their loans and created the economic bubbles, each in their unique ways. The author attributed the diversity of money spending to the national cultures. Some people criticized the author for cultural stereotype. I am not a scholar in this field, so I don't know the role of national cultures in these affairs. However, I do think there is a common theme behind it all – GFC 2008 was a result of people wanting to live above their means, and sacrificing long term interests and common good in exchange for short term gains.

Boomerang is funny, but it is also scary. The stuff that people did was nothing short of incredible, in a bad way. You would have expected to find this sort of stories in satires and parodies like Discworld, but not in the real life! Yet, the stuff mentioned in this book is our recent history. Truth, is indeed stranger than fiction! This is why the book is also scary. I mean, take a look around, and start paying attentions to news in the financial world, does it look like the world has learned the lesson?

I highly recommend Boomerang.

Daniel's Top 5 favorite movies of 2018

Are you ready to greet 2019? Before we welcome the new year, however, I am going to list my top 5 favorite movies of 2018. I watched a lot of movies this year, more than the previous year anyway, but my cinematic experience has been a roller coaster ride; some movies came out of nowhere and took me by surprise, while some movies were disappointments (yep, The Predator, I am looking at you!).

Many good movies came out this year and I struggled to pick and rank my top 5 favorite movies. Furthermore, I have two movies fighting for the 5^th spot on my list because I liked them almost equally. Therefore, for the first time on the count down to my yearly favorite movies, I am going to include an "honourable mention", just so I can do this movie justice.

As usual, I compiled this list based on my own opinions and tastes. This means, while the movies on my list may not be Oscar contenders, but I chose them because I had the most fun watching them, and more importantly because each of these movies have touched me in one way or another.

I hope you will enjoy reading my list, and if you come across a movie or two here you have yet to see, then you could check them out in the rest of the December holidays.

All right, here comes the list for my top 5 favorite movies of 2018.

Number 5:

Bumblebee

Genre: Science-fiction/Superhero

I can't believe this, but a Transformers movie made it to my list. That is right ladies and gentlemen, Bumblebee, a Transformers movie spin-off, took the 5^th spot on the list.

"Really, Daniel, a Transformers movie?

Ok, I can see raised eyebrows, but on this occasion the movie critics are agreeing with me. On Rotten Tomatoes, currently Bumblebee has a rating of 93%, this is the highest rating of all 2018 movies of the similar genre, even beating Avengers: Infinity War.

Bumblebee is critically acclaimed, and I think its success is mostly due to the new director, Travis Knight, who breathed fresh airs into the dying franchise. Before Mr. Knight helmed the Bumblebee movie, he directed a number of acclaimed Laika movies, such as Caroline, The Box Trolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings (which is one of my favorite animation movies of all time). Travis Knight brought the type of excellent storytelling, found in the Laika movies, into Bumblebee. The result is a Transformers movie that actually understands what the Transformers story is supposed to be. This story has heart, it has good humors, and the friendship between Bumblebee and his human friend is touching. Unlike the previous installments, in the new movie the robot (Bumblebee) is not just for the show, he has character and I rooted for him and his friends. Bumblebee is the sort of Transformers movie they should have made from the start!

Anyway, when I walked into the cinema my expectations for Bumblebee was low, but this movie invoked in me the sense of wonder, and I left the cinema with a big smile on my face and feeling happy. Bumblebee was a pleasant surprise. If you didn't like Michael Bay's Transformers movies, then I think Bumblebee will change your mind.

Number 4:

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Genre: Action thriller

Most movie franchises get worse with sequels, but Mission Impossible defies this norm. There are altogether, six Mission Impossible movies, and this franchise gets better with every sequel. I think over the years Mission Impossible has even surpassed James Bond and Bourne, which are the two other big franchises in the genre. The latest installment, Mission Impossible: Fallout, in particular, pushed the franchise to a new height. The 6^th adventure of Ethan Hunt is explosive and full of twists. The action scenes are breathtaking and the story is thrilling and tight. This is nail-biting stuff and it will leave you hanging at the edge of your seat.

Tom Cruise put up one heck of a performance in this movie. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Cruise also performed every dangerous stunt himself. I watched some of the features included in the Blu Ray disc set, where the director and Tom Cruise's colleagues described the injuries the famous actor sustained while executing the dangerous stunts. The man was essentially risking his life to entertain us, the movie audience. I respect Tom Cruise's professionalism, there is a reason why Mr. Cruise is getting the big paycheck, he deserves it as well as the critical acclaims this movie has received. But I also hope Mr. Cruise will look after himself when he films Mission Impossible 7 (Well, I hope he is planning to make another one because this franchise is damn good). Mission Impossible 6 is the living proof, that a well-crafted action thriller still has a place in movies, so, Marvel and DC, watch out, for here comes the Tom Cruise run!

Number 3:

The Shape of Water

Genre: Romance/Dark Fantasy

Strictly speaking The Shape of Water is a 2017 movie, but it came out in Australia in January 2018 so I am counting it as a 2018 release. This movie is directed by Guillermo del Toro, who is my favorite movie director. There is not a film by Mr. del Toro that I don't like. I first heard about The Shape of Water in 2015 and immediately I wanted to see it. When I finally sat down and watched the film in the cinema I was not disappointed. Although Romance is not my cup of tea yet I enjoyed every second of the movie nevertheless.

The Shape of Water went on and won a few Oscars, which is a surprise to everybody because the judges at Oscar don't usually award movies of this genre. From the design, the soundtracks, the pictures/colors, and the story, The Shape of Water captured the "magic" of the cinema which is rarely felt in the waves of superhero movies and cinematic universes. The Shape of Water is a blend of sci-fi, horror, romance, fantasy, and historical drama, where it has a bit of something for everyone. I showed this movie to my parents, they don't usually like this sort of film, but even they liked it. This movie has cinematic magic pulsing in its veins, and it has captured the hearts of audiences young and old, men and women.

Number 2:

A Quiet Place

Genre: Post-apocalyptic horror

I believe the superhero genre is on the fade and Horror will be the next big thing, and A Quiet Place is the proof for it. This movie came out in April and it was met with critical acclaims. I missed the cinematic run so I watched it on Blu Ray. This film has a humble runtime of 90 minutes but it was a very intense and gripping movie experience.

A Quiet Place is almost a silent film but the story was perhaps the most memorable I have seen in a long while. This is a character-driven story where the audience will surely root for one or two (if not all) of the characters. This movie treads on the line between Horror and Thriller, and the action scenes are edgy and suspenseful. Usually I am the sort of person who laughs in horror movies, but when I was watching A Quiet Place I was in the silent mode, I was so immersed in the movie that I felt it would do the characters bad if I made any sound. A Quiet Place is a great movie. If you haven't see it, then make sure to check it out.

Number 1:

First Man

Genre: Biographical drama

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind".

First Man, starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, is my number 1 favorite movie of 2018. Not only is First Man impressive on the technical level, but its story also pulled me in. Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy did stellar jobs in their portrayals as Neil Armstrong and his wife. Furthermore, it was fascinating to know more about the life of this famous astronaut, whose name will be forever remembered as the first human to tread on the soils not from our world.

This movie was gripping from the start to the finish, especially at the pivotal moment when Armstrong was landing the lunar module. Although we know the outcomes of the landing, but those scenes still had me holding my breath and feeling the suspense. On the big silver screen, when the Eagle finally landed, it was a remembrance and a triumph for the movie, and more importantly, for mankind. It is a shame this movie didn't perform as well as it could at the box office, but hopefully with the Blu Ray release the film will find more audiences to appreciate it.

Honourable mention:

Avengers: Infinity War

Genre: Superhero

In the intro I said there would be an honourable mention, and it is none other than Avengers: Infinity War. Earlier this year when this movie came out it was a big deal, and it occupied the 5^th spot on my list of yearly favorites until I saw Bumblebee last week. I liked both Bumblebee and Infinity War almost equally, but in the end only one movie can occupy the 5^th spot, so after some thoughts I opted for Bumblebee over Infinity War. The reason is simply because Bumblebee made me laugh and warmed my heart and I had more fun with it. Having said this, I also really liked Infinity War and its "The Empire Strikes Back" type of ending. Personally, I think Infinity War is the 2^nd best movie in the Marvel cinematic universe just after Captain America: Winter Soldier.

Book Review: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Philip K. Dick

Would an android be more alive, or less alive, if it can dream of an electric sheep?

I mean, why does it matter that something is fake, even though it is very close to the real thing?

The values we use to measure the fake and the real, what do such values reveal? Some objective reality in the universe?  Or something about ourselves? 

I don't have the answers to these questions, but I began to think about it after reading Philip K. Dick's sci-fi masterpiece, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Some people might recognize this book as the source material which inspired the cult classic film, Blade Runner. Why read the book if you have already seen the movie? I believe you should read the book because it differs to the movie by a great deal in terms of the story, the characters, and the worldbuilding. They should be treated as independent pieces of work.

Synopsis:

On a morning of January 2012 Rick Deckard and his wife, Iran, woke up with the sinking feeling, that something was missing in their lives. Their mood was as depressed as a deflated balloon, and Deckard considered using the mood organ; dial a number, and the instrument will work wonders on the brain chemicals, lifting their mood instantly.

However, even the marvellous mood organ cannot whisk away Deckard and Iran's source of discontent – their electric sheep, grazing on a grass patch on the apartment rooftop, which they pretend to be a real sheep. 

"I wish I have enough money to buy a real, breathing sheep!" Deckard thought to himself as he got dressed for work.

The video phone rang, from the other side of the speaker came music to Deckard's ears. The police gave him a new assignment to "retire" six Nexus 6 androids, at the bounty of $1000 each.

Retire six Nexus 6 androids in one day? This is mission impossible! But $6000! Deckard could use the sum as the downpayment for purchasing a real animal, and he can finally become the envy of his neighbors.

Deckard holstered his laser gun, kissed his wife goodbye, then went to work. He paused at the doorway as an excitement seized him: "Honey, I am going to change our lives!".

My thoughts on this book:

A few years ago, there was a fad about the digital pet. Everyone, from a kid to an adult, wanted one. In those little LCD screens lived these cute, virtual animals. An owner was supposed to press the buttons, located on the device, like a video game, to care for the artificial animal. The owner could feed it, water it, and even play with the pet to keep it happy. Some people were emotionally invested in their virtual companions. However, as the fever for the digital pet cooled, I wonder what the owners are doing (or did) with their artificial pets, and how have their feelings changed about their once beloved digital pets?

Anyway, while I was relating the theme and the philosophy in this book to the real world, the digital pet was the first thing that came to my mind. The book's major theme, is the fascinating question about the fake vs the real, and how do we come to terms, emotionally and socio-economically, with the technologies we created.

For a book about androids and a bounty hunter, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is surprisingly full of pathos. Philip K. Dick emphasized on the characters' inner identities. The Blade Runner movie focused on the visuals, but the book is a character-driven story. The novel is set in the near-future, where the ecosystem was devastated by a great war, and many humans have emigrated to Mars. As living animals became scarce, so did owning a real animal become a colossal status symbol. Deckard kept an electric sheep on his rooftop and pretended it was a real sheep, meanwhile he was feeling unhappy. Deckard constantly sought out a way to buy a real animal. He believed animal ownership can make him happy. But can it?  

Furthermore, what about the artificial sheep he already owned? Does the fake have value?  

The movie did briefly mention the fake animals, but it did not have a big part in the story. In the book, however, the fake animals have a major role, because it is the central theme, the question about the fake vs the real. 

The plot is a thriller, where Deckard was given an assignment to track down and "retire" (or kill) six escaped androids. He used an empathy test, Voight Kampff, to identify the android fugitives. The androids devoid of empathy and could pass the test. However, later on Deckard met a female android called Rachel, a very sophisticated android who defeated the test, and Deckard gradually fell in love with her. From here, the novel evolved from a thriller into a question about what it means to be human and to have an identify.

Deckard and his wife have the habit of using the "mood organ" to uplift their emotions (the movie didn't have this). This begs another question, what is the line between being "made happy" and being "really happy"? Once again, this is the question about the fake vs the real. Although I find it interesting that the meanings behind the mood organ and the electric sheep, appear to be in contrast. The former is questioning how much happiness can the fake bring to a person, while the later seems to be saying even the fake has values. The author, however, did not make direct statements. Instead, he weaved these questions into the story, and let you come to your own conclusions.

When I closed the book, Philip K. Dick's brilliance dawned on me. The premise in this book is outlandish, but it is also humorous. I mean, who would write a story, about an electric sheep, grazing on a patch of grass on the apartment rooftop, as a social statement? I think this is a very good book, it will give you some food for thoughts. It is very different to Blade Runner, so if you like the movie then you should check out the book too. 

Book Review: The Three Secret Cities by Matthew Reilly

I bet you when Matthew Reilly sits down to write a new book he probably thinks about how to make it more explosive than the last one. Matthew's latest book, The Three Secret Cities, is his most explosive and action-packed book up to date.

The Three Secret Cities is the 5^th installment in the adventures of Jack West Jr, who, alongside Scarecrow, are Matthew's most enduring creations. The Jack West Jr. series, a hybrid of Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible, is among my favorite action thrillers of all time.

I have met Mathew in person while attending his book signing events. Matthew is a good bloke, and I once asked him if Hollywood has any plans to adapt his books into movies. He answered that the current focus of Hollywood is superhero movies, and since his books are big-scaled action thrillers so there is nothing on the horizon yet. But man oh man, if a studio ever decides to adapt one of these Jack West Jr. books into a movie, then it will be a visual spectacle to behold!

What is in the latest Jack West Jr. book? Without teetering into the spoiler territory let me just say this book follows the aftermath of The Four Legendary Kingdoms. This time, Jack and his trusty friends are on a hunt for three relics and three ancient cities of legendary proportion. Only with the relics in hand can they stop the Omega Event – an apocalypse to end all lives in the universe.

The Three Secret Cities made numerous references to ancient mythologies, and I liked how Matthew gave these old stories and legends a new spin so they have connections to the modern world. As with his previous books, Matthew's writings were pulsing with a cinematic quality. I could visualize everything he wrote as if I was watching an action movie playing out on the silver screen. Meanwhile the book's explosive plotline, moving at a neck-breaking pace, transported me to a world of treasure hunting, blazing guns and exploding aeroplanes (and tanks) and I loved every page of it!

Ok, you probably noticed my recurring use of words such as "explode" and "explosive", and you might have even developed the impression the book is like a Michael Bay production, with fiery infernos and loud booms thundering across the land and sea. Well, while this book is explosive, but the quality of the story is much better than most action movies of the similar type. The book has a fair share of actane-driven actions, but Matthew also dedicated his considerable talents to build great characters and a compelling plot. The characters in this book are surprisingly deep and I cared about them. In this book Matthew did not hesitate at casting his characters at harm's way, and as a result there was a genuine sense of danger in this book. People die in this book and some chapters had moments that shocked me, while others had me biting my nails and paging through the chapter furiously to find out what fate had in store for these beloved characters.

I flew through this 430 page book in 3 sittings because I could not put it down. This is action thriller at its finest. There are very few authors in the world who can pull off this sort of spectacle and Matthew is one of them. The chart for best-selling thrillers is dominated by US or UK authors such as Lee Child, James Rollins, Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, so on and so forth, this is why I am very happy to see one Australian author standing proudly among these giants. A week ago I entered a reading slump, but The Three Secret Cities rekindled my appetite for reading and now I am eager to resume my bookish adventures.

Sometimes you just need forget your troubles and hop on a fun and thrilling adventure like this one. The Three Secret Cities is a damn good thriller. Get it, read it, and have fun!