Seven Ancient Wonders

Matthew Reilly

Average Rating 7/10 (1 Review)

It is the biggest treasure hunt in history with contesting nations involved in a headlong race to locate the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

4500 years ago, a magnificent golden capstone sat at the peak of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was a source of immense power, reputedly capable of bestowing upon its holder absolute global power. But, then it was divided into seven pieces and hidden, each piece separately, within the seven greatest structures of the age.

Now it's 2006, and the coming of a rare solar event means it's time to locate the seven pieces and rebuild the capstone. Everyone wants it - from the most powerful countries on Earth to gangs of terrorists... and one daring coalition of eight small nations. Led by the mysterious Captain Jack West Jr, this determined group enters a global battlefield filled with booby-trapped mines, crocodile-infested swamps, evil forces and an adventure beyond imagining.

'Breathless action... explosive stuff.'

Review by Nigel (310107) Rating (7/10)

Review by Nigel
Rating 7/10
Chrissi and I are both great fans of Matthew Reilly and we were eagerly awaiting publication day for his latest offering. I was the lucky one in the ensuing brawl and got to read it first, settling down on Friday evening with much excitement.

The race is on to locate the capstone from the Great Pyramid of Giza, the source of immense power, split into seven parts and hidden in the wonders of ancient world. With a rare solar event imminent a number of nations, as well as global terrorists, are desperate to claim the prize and all it represents. Among the contestants is a group made up members from eight minor nations who want the prize for good rather than evil. So ensues a frantic quest, led by Captain Jack West, to secure the pieces before a single country or group can assemble the cap stone.

Imagine the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark multiplied ten fold. The deadly traps in each of the seven wonders become more fiendish than the last as each piece is recovered, all being navigated at break neck speed.

I must admit to being a little disappointed with the first few chapters. If you have read any Matthew Reilly before you will know his style is never ending action from the first page to the last. In Seven Ancient Wonders this is even more so, with the story starting with a race from the first sentence. The trouble I found was there had been no introduction, however brief, to the characters such that you were racing along with people you didn’t know. A minor point that was later rectified.

Another thing that spoilt the work was the overuse of diagrams. In past books these have been used sparingly and at the right places, such as the beginning of the book or at major points of plot change. In Seven Ancient Wonders, particularly in the first half, they are everywhere; I appreciate why as the scenes describing the routes and traps would be overly complicated without. The trouble was they got in the way of the story and I found my thread broken time and again… or to put it another way when I read (as I’ve mention many times elsewhere on the site) after a short time I no longer consciously see the words and everything flows as images in my mind. The problem then was my reading was brought to a sharp halt by a diagram and the flow broken.

However, enough moaning, overall another excellent ‘switch off and enjoy’ action fest from the master of the Genre. A must for any Reilly fan and highly recommended for anyone wanting to be entertained.
Nigel (31st January 2007)