Featuring: Brian Cox, Zabé Ellor, Hugo Hamilton, Rachel Howzell Hall, Clay Harmon, Chris Herring, Justin D Hill, Gabino Iglesias, Maxim Jakubowski, Vaseem Khan, T. Kingfisher, Nick Kyme, Alex Livingston, Jillian Medoff, Jon Raymond, Matthew Reilly, Michael Schur, David Tallerman, Tade Thompson, Zac Topping, Jess Walter, Josh Weiss
The penultimate novel in the action-packed Jack West, Jr., series.
AN INCREDIBLE VICTORY AT A TERRIBLE PRICE
Against all the odds, Jack West Jr found the Three Secret Cities – but at a heartbreaking cost.
TO THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FALL
Still reeling from his loss, Jack must now get to one of the five iron mountains – two of which have never been found – and perform a mysterious feat known only as ‘The Fall’.
A NEW PLAYER ARRIVES
Amid all this, Jack will discover that a new player has entered the race, a general so feared by the four legendary kingdoms they had him locked away in their deepest dungeon.
Only now this general has escaped and he has a horrifying plan of his own…
I’ve been reading Reilly’s Jack West Jr. series since the paperback release of Seven Ancient Wonders, which I think I picked up on a whim (from WH Smiths, if I recall correctly). It introduced a host of fun new characters, and offered an action-packed thrill-ride. A blockbuster movie on the page, filled with secret history, insane action scenes, some fun technology, and superb pacing. Each of the series novels since (the titles have been counting down) has offered much the same level of entertainment and action, building nicely on the mythology of its particular secret history. The Two Lost Mountains is another fast-paced novel, which sets up the final book very nicely. Continue reading
A final New Books post for 2020. What a strange, frustrating year it’s been. Hopefully you were able to find some comfort in books, family, and other pastimes. Perhaps some of the below-mentioned books will catch your eye, and give you something to look forward to in the new year.
Featuring: Jeff Blue, Emma Brodie, Mike Brooks, Daryl Gregory, Devin Madson, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, A.E. Osworth, Shelley Parker-Chan, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Matthew Reilly, Edward Rutherford, Adrian Selby, Mike Shackle, Maggie Shipstead, Gavin G. Smith, Adrian Tchaikovsky, K.B. Wagers, Andrew Williams
Quite the bumper-crop of new ARCs and purchased books pre-Christmas/New Year!
Featuring: Richard Baker, David Baldacci, Josiah Bancroft, Mirah Bolender, Sam Bourne, James Brabazon, Andy Clark, Jared Cohen, Greg Cox, Seth Dickinson, C.A. Fletcher, Mira Grant, Guy Haley (x2), Anthony Horowitz, Greg Iles, Emiko Jean, Katharine Duckett, Ann Leckie, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Karina Longworth, Katie Lowe, Lisa A. Nichols, Mallory O’Meara, Mahvesh Murad, Khurrum Rahman, Matthew Reilly, Alastair Reynolds, Nisi Shawl, Jared Shurin, Madeline Stevens, Tade Thompson, Lavie Tidhar, Nell Zink
This November, Jack West Jr. returns! The Three Secret Cities is Matthew Reilly’s fifth novel featuring the soldier-turned-adventurer. I’ve enjoyed all of the novels in the series (as well as Reilly’s loosely-connected Scarecrow series), and so I am very much looking forward to this latest thriller. Here’s the synopsis:
A shadow world behind the real world
When Jack West, Jr. won the Great Games, he threw the four legendary kingdoms into turmoil.
A world with its own history, rules and prisons
Now these dark forces are coming after Jack… in ruthless fashion.
That is reaching into our world… explosively
With the end of all things rapidly approaching, Jack must find the Three Secret Cities, three incredible lost cities of legend.
It’s an impossible task by any reckoning, but Jack must do it while he is being hunted… by the greatest hunters in history.
The Three Secret Cities is published in November 2018 by Gallery in North America and Orion in the UK.
Also on CR: Guest Post on “Four Kingdoms and Twelve Labours: Turning Myths into Reality”; Reviews of Six Sacred Stones, Five Greatest Warriors and The Great Zoo of China (I thought I had reviewed The Four Legendary Kingdoms, but I can’t find the review — I’ll try to post one up soon.)
Featuring: Stefan Ahnhem, Ernesto Assante, Josiah Bancroft, Christopher Bollen, James Brogden, Adam Christopher, John Clarkson, Daniel Cole, E.L. Doctorow, Marc Elsberg, Carrie Fisher, Neil Gaiman, Laura Ann Gilman, Ryan Graudin, Adam Hamdy, Gregg Hurwitz, Dave Hutchinson, Gwyneth Jones, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Laura Lam, Michael Lewis, James Luceno, Josh Malerman, Seanan McGuire, Emma Newman, Chris Ould, James Patterson, Douglas Preston, Bryan Reesman, Matthew Reilly, J.P. Romney & Rebecca Romney, Richard Russo, Lento Salaperainen, Brett Savory, John Scalzi, Chris Smith, Jon Stewart, Hannah Tinti, Ian Tregillis, Thrity Umrigar, Matt Wallace, Weike Wang, Dan Wells, Ronald Wright
Above Artwork: Descender, Vol.02 (crop) by Dustin Nguyen (Image)
One of the things that motivated me to write The Four Legendary Kingdoms was a desire to explore humanity’s fascination with myths, in particular, the myth of the Twelve Labours of Hercules.
I’ve long been intrigued by the Twelve Labours: those twelve tasks given to the great warrior Hercules that were so monstrously difficult they inspired the adjective “Herculean”. More than that, they were so momentous they are still talked about today, 3,000 years after Hercules supposedly performed them.
We all vaguely know the Labours: defeating the Nemean Lion (with its impenetrable pelt) or slaying the Hydra (with its many regenerating heads) or capture the Cretan Bull. Continue reading
A ferociously-paced action adventure
It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for 40 years. They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.
Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed. A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time. Among them is Dr Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on reptiles.
The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong…
I’m a big fan of Matthew Reilly’s novels — they’re unashamedly fun, action-packed adventure stories writ large. There is always a lot of research behind the extravagant action, which keeps the story rooted in reality (slightly twisted on occasion, of course). Each new novel by the author is a very welcome addition to my library, and I have enjoyed each one I’ve read (I’ve fallen a bit behind, recently). The Great Zoo of China is no exception: this is an absolute blast of a read.
A quieter month — I don’t know if that’s just because there’s less coming out, or because I’ve somehow missed a bunch of new releases that never made it on to my radar. Feel free to add suggestions and recommendations in the comments, if you think I’ve missed something I shouldn’t have.
Featuring: Ben Aaronovitch, Stephen Blackmoore, Myke Cole, Francesca Haig, Stephen King, E.C. Myers, Ben Okri, Matthew Reilly Continue reading
I’m a fan of Matthew Reilly‘s novels, but for some reason I’ve allowed his most recent books to fall by the way-side. I thoroughly enjoyed his Jack West Trilogy and also the first few Scarecrow novels. I have, but have not yet read, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves and The Tournament. His next title sounds pretty interesting, too:
It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for forty years.
They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.
Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed.
A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time. Among them is Dr Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on reptiles.
The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong…
Matthew Reilly‘s The Great Zoo of China is due to be published on November 10th 2014 by Macmillan in Australia, January 2015 by Gallery Books in the US, and February 2015 by Orion in the UK. (Cover above are in that order.) With any luck, I’ll be able to catch up before this novel is released.
Here’s a video of Reilly talking about the book:
Also on CR: Reviews of Six Sacred Stones and Five Greatest Warriors
'just a nobody with a blog'
library lovin', backlist browsin', SFF reader...
Another Book Off The To Be Read Pile
Mostly book reviews, and sometimes other stuff
Book Reviews, News, and Other Stuff
My Irrational Life
The writings, reviews and ramblings of Paul Starkey...
by Marianne de Pierres
News, data and insight about the powerful forces that shape the world.
Books! Where are the great books?
that doesn't fall apart two days later
A topnotch WordPress.com site
Random musings from an extreme bibliophile.
And for summer days
On the Writing of Epic Fantasy - The Archives
Welcome to Gav Thorpe's Weblog
Speculative fiction
Don't worry. None of this blood is mine.
Civilian Reader 