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The Four Legendary Kingdoms

(Jack West Jr #4)

Matthew Reilly

4.29 · Rating details · 6,600 ratings · 671 reviews

The thrilling new novel featuring Jack West, Jr. from the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author!

A RUTHLESS KIDNAPPING

Jack West, Jr. and his family are living happily on their remote farm when Jack is brutally kidnapped and he awakes in an underground cell to find a masked attacker with a knife charging at him.

THE GREAT GAMES

Jack, it seems, has been ...more

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Kindle Edition, 448 pages

Published May 2nd 2017 by Gallery Books (first published October 8th 2016)

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Oct 19, 2016 K. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, own-it-hard-copy, adventure, audience-adult, australian, setting-asia

3.5 stars.

Look, I pretty much knew what I was going to get with this book going in. Because it's Matthew Reilly. It's a Jack West book. It's going to be like reading a ridiculous, over-the-top action movie with historical elements woven into the story, you know? Kind of like if Indiana Jones and Top Gun had a baby.

And for the most part, that's exactly what I got.

HOWEVER. The previous books in this series have been far more historically focused than this one was. According to Reilly's note at 3.5 stars.

Look, I pretty much knew what I was going to get with this book going in. Because it's Matthew Reilly. It's a Jack West book. It's going to be like reading a ridiculous, over-the-top action movie with historical elements woven into the story, you know? Kind of like if Indiana Jones and Top Gun had a baby.

And for the most part, that's exactly what I got.

HOWEVER. The previous books in this series have been far more historically focused than this one was. According to Reilly's note at the end of the book, this one is setting up the final three books in the series, and in a lot of ways it felt like that. It's also (view spoiler)

Frankly, my biggest problem with this was the female characters. We essentially have four of them, because Zoe, Jack's wife, is off on some expedition or other for the duration of the book, which smacks of "I couldn't be bothered finding anything for the kickass female elite military officer to do in this book, so I shoved her at the bottom of the ocean". Gah.

Okay, so our four female characters:
(view spoiler)

Was it a fast-paced, action-packed story? Yes. Was it everything I expected? Pretty much. Did I speed through it? Definitely. Was there an unexpectedly awesome surprise I didn't see coming? HELL YES. Was it let down by previously awesome female characters who'd miraculously turned into sexy lamps? Uh, YES.

In short, I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the remaining three books in the series. But I also wanted to throw it at the wall a little bit. ...more

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Nov 23, 2016 Bradley rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, 2016-shelf

Well, I wanted to like this as much as the other ones, but it kinda devolved into a Buck Rogers scenario full of Lensman tropes and Galaxy-colliding proportions. Not that this kind of thing can't be fun if done right, and I was perfectly prepared to roll with it, but Jack West Jr. gets kidnapped ten years after the previous books to perform for insane royals who style themselves Hades? For the SAKE of being the grand hero that saves the universe?

Um.

Trials of Hercules? With a 30's SF bent? Well, I wanted to like this as much as the other ones, but it kinda devolved into a Buck Rogers scenario full of Lensman tropes and Galaxy-colliding proportions. Not that this kind of thing can't be fun if done right, and I was perfectly prepared to roll with it, but Jack West Jr. gets kidnapped ten years after the previous books to perform for insane royals who style themselves Hades? For the SAKE of being the grand hero that saves the universe?

Um.

Trials of Hercules? With a 30's SF bent? With... you guessed it... pit fighting AND traps? TRAPS? Do these ever feature strongly in these books? NO WAY!

I don't mind it if I go into a book series that stretches credulity. I didn't mind sun spots boiling the earth and being saved by the missing capstone of the Giza pyramid. No problem. I didn't mind the G.I. Joe plot of racing toward getting the mystical stones to rule the world in the second and third novels.

But self-styled gods sacrificing legendary heroes throughout history for... oh gosh... pick your conspiracy reason? Credulity officially broken. :) I like being pulled along for delicious rides and the previous ones were delicious, but this one felt old and spread too thin like too little butter over a piece of toast.

Not to say that the pacing wasn't good, because it was. And there was enough action for any Die Hard fan. Plenty of pathos, too. But it requires a major suspension of belief, and I *THOUGHT* I had that in spades! Don't I enjoy all the UF? All the Fantasy? All the SF? Well of course there's exceptions to everything, but for the most part, I'm fully on board... but this one wasn't even *really* SF and yet it was flying way out beyond the far reaches of cuckoo land. :)

Yeah, you see that galaxy shaped like the original swastika, not the one the nazis used? The galaxy traveling ten times faster than light on a gravity wave? Yeah. You see Jack West Jr, ten years older and a bit flabbier? Okay, Huntsman, Save Us.

*ducks and runs from his friends who swear by the series*
...more

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Dec 22, 2016 Emma added it · review of another edition

Nope I just can't do it.

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Apr 05, 2019 Rob rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: serial-thrillers, aussie-authors

Book 4 in the Jack West series.

This reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games but with middle aged men instead of teenagers. The only way to survive these games is to kill all the other combatants before they kill you.
One minute Jack West is looking through a telescope at Pine Gap the next he is fighting for his life against, of all things, a Minotaur.
Jack has been abducted from Pine Gap and now finds himself in the Underworld as a combatant in the games. The very games that Hercules fought in many ...more

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Oct 18, 2016 Gabi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, australian-author, adventure, owned, action

Oh. My. Giddy Aunt.

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Dec 27, 2017 K rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This was way too over the top, even for this series to be enjoyable.

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Dec 22, 2018 Sahitya rated it really liked it

Shelves: suspence-mystery-crime-thriller, contemporary-fiction, 4-star

I guess this is what happens when you are a mood reader - you buy a book in a favorite series by your favorite author and leave it on your bookshelf for two years without even trying to read. And then finally when you start it, you finish it in a single sitting and wonder, what the hell you were doing not reading it till now... That’s exactly what happened here my friends. This book is as amazing as the previous installments of Jack West Jr’s adventures and I’m so sad that I waited this long to I guess this is what happens when you are a mood reader - you buy a book in a favorite series by your favorite author and leave it on your bookshelf for two years without even trying to read. And then finally when you start it, you finish it in a single sitting and wonder, what the hell you were doing not reading it till now... That’s exactly what happened here my friends. This book is as amazing as the previous installments of Jack West Jr’s adventures and I’m so sad that I waited this long to indulge in the fun.

It’s been so long that I had actually forgotten how brave and resourceful Jack has always been, but when we meet him here in the beginning, he is clearly not at his best. It takes quite some time in the book for him to gain his footing and figure out what the hell is going on, and I thought it was a great way to show us that Jack can be vulnerable too. But he is also extremely knowledgeable and once he understands the myth behind the Great Games, he not only uses his strength but also his brains to overcome the challenges. But the best part - even the circumstances of fighting to the death can’t change his inherent compassionate nature and that plays such a major role in turning the tide in the story.

I have been a huge fan of Reilly’s work since I read Ice Station and I have never looked back. This series particularly has always enthralled me because of the deft way he incorporates fast paced nonstop action with age old myths and legends from across the world and the hero’s quests we all love in our adventure novels. This book plays on the myth of the Twelve Labors of Hercules and the Legend of the Minotaur and intertwines it with the concept of shadow kingdoms that rule our modern world and all of the story occurs in a matter of days, which makes for some breathtaking action sequences among deadly mazes and booby traps with Jack fighting for his survival and that of the entire universe. The stakes are very high and I was literally on my toes every page, wondering what was gonna happen next.

If you already know who Jack West Jr is, I don’t need to tell you that this book is a lot of fun to read. Also, for fans of “all” Matthew Reilly novels, you have a delightful surprise awaiting in this installment - so don’t make the mistake I did and read this one immediately. If you don’t know about Jack but you love a lot of adventure in your books with a hefty dose of mythology, then I highly recommend this series. Be prepared to be enthralled !!! And now I’m off to read The Three Secret Cities because I can’t wait 😃😃😃 ...more

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Mar 13, 2018 Amy Norris rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This may just have been my favourite of the series so far. I love time skips and I love crossovers, and this has both. It features Scarecrow, a character from Reilly’s other series which I have not yet read. Nevertheless I enjoyed the crossover.

I should also mention this book involves a ‘fight to the death, last man standing contest’. This is basically my favourite trope ever. Any book that has that as a plot I will pick up. It was exciting to see Jack West Jr thrown into that type of ...more

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Nov 14, 2018 Steven rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2018, holiday-wheels

Wild ride! Plus, top secret surprise!!!!!

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Oct 18, 2016 Karsyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: nbrc-wobble

6/13/17 ~ So enjoyable, definitely look forward to more from this series.

Certainly wasn't expecting that. Ok, ready for more!! Is it time for the next book yet?!

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Jan 21, 2017 Andrew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 250-up-to-date

This was another cracking read in the Jack West Junior Series, we've had to wait seven years for this but it was well worth the wait! Like all books in this series there is plenty of action which moves along at a cracking pace and is supported by a strong historical backdrop. As usual in these books Jack had to step in to save the world from disaster but in this case it was voluntary. If you are a Matthew Reilly fan you will see a character from one of his other series appear. The good news is ...more

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Oct 19, 2016 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loved every minute of it. I physically had to force myself to put the book down so I didn't finish it on the first night.
It has everything I love about Matthew Reilly's writing and more. Very happy reader here!

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Oct 31, 2016 Krystal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, aussie-authors, owned

Epic. Totally epic. Well worth the wait for this fourth installment in the Jack West Jr series! It's a beautiful blend of the old and the new, with more history and mythology built into non-stop action, only the scale here is much bigger. We don't have the whole team from the previous novels but there's a decent serve of other characters that quite easily fill the hole and indeed make things even more interesting. The challenges themselves are interesting; perhaps less puzzling than what we're ...more

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Nov 29, 2016 Josh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read_2016, own

The Four Legendary Kingdoms is by far the most new reader friendly in the series (Seven Ancient Wonders, the first book in the Jack West Jr. series aside). The book follows on from the events of The Five Greatest Warriors many years after conclusion of that book and feels like it breathes new life into the series. The characters, new and old, are engaging and each adds the overall dynamic of the story.

Hades is a great location for this book. Not only does it allow for a hint of the supernatural ...more

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Feb 12, 2017 Keri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-read, suspense-action

Best Jack West book yet and my book BF Scarecrow was there! What was not to love...John Woo couldn't have done a better job of coming up with these over the top action sequences. Very, very good. I hope it isn't that long before we see another book in the series.

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Oct 19, 2016 Nikki rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow! Absolutely amazing. Without giving anything away, lets just say, I had to stop reading and sit there mouth agape on more than one occasion. Just to process what i was reading.

Love the concept, reminded me of Contest, but on a larger scale. I read Contest at least once a year.

The hardest thing for me was not being able to share with anyone, having read it within 2 days of coming out.

I'm going to read this book again very soon. Slowly and savour every encounter.

And this is why Matthew ...more

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Oct 20, 2016 Karina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-books, 2018-books

Well this is a first.
I legitimately felt giddy while reading this. Giddy. I only get this excited when squealing over smoochy kitties.

But this, THIS, was everything.

Myths, action, heroes, legends, death, more death, friends, enemies, even more death.
Well, compared to his other books the death count isn't actually that high. He didn't George RR Martin us :'-)

If you are reading this I don't think you need to be told to read Reilly's books, but I'm going to anyway. READ THE THINGS!

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May 09, 2017 Freda Malone rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This fourth book in the series of Jack West Jr. was awesome, and well worth the wait, since it took Reilly 6 years to write this one. As always, with any fast paced, action packed thriller, I've plowed through it like there was no tomorrow. God, I really hope it doesn't take Reilly another 6 years to write the next one.

Jack, Lily, Alby, Sky Monster, and Jack's dogs are kidnapped. Yeah, I did a double take too when I heard the dogs were taken hostage, but I realized later on that with all the ...more

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Jun 19, 2017 Chad rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Jack West Jr and Scarecrow finally meet. However, we've seem to throw out the Indiana Jonesy parts of the book and turned this into an action movie on speed like the Scarecrow books. Jack gets kidnapped and wakes up in the middle of same ancient games to the death. Yes, Reilly does tie in these modern games into Hercules's 12 labors and Gilgamesh's epic, but it feels like we're missing some of that search for ancient artifacts aspect. The end of the book definitely just felt like it was just ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Kate G rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: action-thriller, australian-author, attempts-at-awesome, read-in-2016

Basically, this is Contest meets 7AW. Maybe his next book — allegedly time-travel related — will be better?

Most of the time, I love Matthew Reilly novels. I've been a fan since 2010/11. Unfortunately this completely missed the mark. The female characters, as another reviewer said, were all reduced to lamps. The plot devices felt cheap, and the infodumpiness was just too much, even for me.

I get he wants to set up the next three books, but what happened to easing the reader in like he did with ...more

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Oct 20, 2016 Craig rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've been eagerly awaiting this book and even subjected myself to a horrific 48 hours without a book to read because I'd finished my previous book and didn't want to start another knowing that my preorder of The Four Legendary Kingdoms was just around the corner.

This feels slightly different to the other Jack West books but is exactly what you would expect it to be. Loads of action, almost certain death on a regular basis, loathsome evil doers and a cameo appearance by Homer Simpson.

Jack's ...more

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Dec 11, 2016 Roy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Always love Mr Reillys books. This was no exception. Plenty of action, crazy plot lines and backstory and loveable characters. The Jack West novels are a little over the top sometimes but that's what you expect when reading this series. Hopefully the next book comes out soon!!

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Nov 05, 2016 Stuart rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Audience: Readers looking for a non-stop action packed/adrenaline fuelled novel that is drenched in mythology and graphic imagery.

Summed up in a few words: Larger. Than. Life. Very. Intense. Cheesy

First Impressions: The Four Legendary Kingdoms is my first Matthew Reilly experience and now I am fully addicted. The book is not perfect and at times it is rather cheesy but overall it is pretty much an amalgamation of everything I enjoy about fiction. Huge world. Varied Characters. Depth of content. ...more

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Nov 15, 2019 Josen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, 2019-library

In this fourth installment of Jack West Jr, he wakes up to find he was kidnapped and will be forced to participate in The Great Games. These games are interpreted to mimic the 12 Labours of Hercules. So of course, it only makes sense that the one hosting these games is none other than Lord Hades. Well, not the actual Hades but the current human version leading the Kingdom of the Underworld. There are also representing Lords from the Kingdom of Land, Kingdom of Sea and Kingdom of Sky (hence the ...more

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Mar 06, 2018 Steve rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, action, jack-west-jr

I preferred this book when it began rather than when it ended. Starting as it did, the tension was ratcheted up to unbelievable levels, and we were dragged along for the ride. The action started on the very first page, and very quickly I couldn't put this book down. Sadly, on the way to the climax, the way was a lost a little bit, and it became incredibly formulaic, which also means there was no tension, since resolutions were a foregone conclusion. Also, on the topic of resolutions, having more ...more

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Jun 20, 2017 Vikas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Like someone already said that when picking up Reilly's books you are assured that the action would be fast paced and there would be some history thrown in since it's Jack West series.

Jack has been kidnapped and he must now take part in a competition or else his friends would die. Jack continues and in the meantime our hero meets another hero from Matthew's arsenal we have Scarecrow joining hands with Jack West Jr.

It was fun and fast read as always now I am on to another Matthew Reilly's next ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 storytime-reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, mystery-thriller

There’s a lot I love about Matthew Reilly. From the thrilling fights, to the adventurous escapes and entertaining characters, but it’s the interweaving of ancient history throughout the Jack West Jr series that I really enjoy. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given that my major is ancient history, and the strong Greek/Roman mythical elements throughout this installment were therefore very much enjoyed by me.

From the beginning, the mythological references were obvious, from the minotaurs, to There’s a lot I love about Matthew Reilly. From the thrilling fights, to the adventurous escapes and entertaining characters, but it’s the interweaving of ancient history throughout the Jack West Jr series that I really enjoy. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given that my major is ancient history, and the strong Greek/Roman mythical elements throughout this installment were therefore very much enjoyed by me.

From the beginning, the mythological references were obvious, from the minotaurs, to Hades and the Underworld, and then of course the Games can be connected to the ancient Romans. (view spoiler)And I was delighted that Reilly had taken this myth and made it his own, re-imagining it in an intriguing way. I’m always up for different interpretations of myth if done well, and I felt that Reilly certainly did this episode justice. I was further delighted at the eventual reveal, and how Jack utilised his knowledge (view spoiler)

The stakes of this novel were higher, simply because the whole book was a literal fight to the death. Kidnapped and stuck in this horrifying Game, the only chance Jack had of escaping was to be the last champion standing. Literally. Everyone else had to die for him to live. Constantly he was reminded of the life and death stakes, with winning champions having their biggest opponents killed, or sacrificing their hostages to kill other champions during the Games themselves. Whilst Jack of course has experienced life and death situations before, this book is a completely different level. Because he has nowhere to run, and he has no escape from it. He is completely trapped the whole time. The anxiety we feel is then elevated because Jack is not the only beloved character participating in these Games, (view spoiler)

I‘m actually interested to see how the next book will work out now that Jack and his friends have Hades and Iolanthe working beside them. It’s an intriguing thought given how they were both responsible for what he went through, and are clearly hardly the most moral individuals, even more so because of what Lily nearly went through with Dion. One thing I must admit is that sometimes with the fast paced Reilly adventures, many characters often don’t get the time we would all like, and I think the worst in this case was that Zoe was barely even in the book at all. However I am convinced that what she saw in the Mariana Trench will help them on their next adventure, so I look forward to that!

...more

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Nov 11, 2018 Rick rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure

Your typical page-turning cliff-hanger. Strongly recommended.

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Nov 21, 2018 Shelley rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-release, kindle-ebook, action-adventure

*Genre* Action, Adventure
*Rating* 4.0

*Thoughts*

The Four Legendary Kingdoms is the fourth installment in author Matthew Reilly's Jack West Jr series. This is a series that you should definitely be prepared to throw out all preconceived notions, and just enjoy the freaking ride. The author tends to go all in with over the top action, adventure, shocking twists and turns, and lots of bloodshed. Right out of the gate, Jack, who has been retired and off the grid for years now, is kidnapped along with ...more

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Oct 25, 2016 Peter rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The wait for a new Jack West book has been an agonising one. On the plus side, in the space between the Five Greatest Warriors and the Four Legendary Kingdoms, Matthew Reilly pumped out a number of books, some of his most inspired and creative novels yet. That being said, returning to Jack West was a brilliant idea, as the Four Legendary Kingdoms is awesome.

Jack West has always been one of Reilly’s best protagonists. You always know when you pick up a Jack West novel that it’s going to be an The wait for a new Jack West book has been an agonising one. On the plus side, in the space between the Five Greatest Warriors and the Four Legendary Kingdoms, Matthew Reilly pumped out a number of books, some of his most inspired and creative novels yet. That being said, returning to Jack West was a brilliant idea, as the Four Legendary Kingdoms is awesome.

Jack West has always been one of Reilly’s best protagonists. You always know when you pick up a Jack West novel that it’s going to be an epic, globe-trotting, historically infused adventure, with some of the most ridiculously cool action scenes out there. This standard is kept up with the Four Legendary Kingdoms. The narrative felt slightly smaller than normal, with the events of the novel taking place in mostly one location, but that does not mean it’s anything less than impressive though. In fact, I found it kind of a refreshing way to get back into the Jack West series, especially given the fact that this is the gateway to another three Jack West books. The one downside is that we don’t get to spend all that much time with the rest of Jack’s team, especially Zoey and the Twins, who are kind of pushed to the side (for the time being, as they are clearly in place for another story).

What we get in the Four Legendary Kingdoms is another legendary tournament. Reilly has written about several tournaments in his books, yet not on this kind of scale. You could almost call this his take on the Hunger Games, albeit with a historical and far more brutal edge, minus the teen melodrama. Jack West is thrust into the tournament against his will, yet it’s not just his life he has to worry about, but the fate of the world, too. There’s some of Reilly’s historical magic going on in the background of the tournament and, as always, it was great reading about Jack West putting things together while he tries to survive.

Speaking of surviving, the challenges Jack West is faced with are intense. Framing the narrative against a tournament was a great move as it leads to action after action, with very brief lulls in between. And we all know Matthew Reilly does action like no other.

The Four Legendary Kingdoms also leads to a moment I (and probably most Reilly fans) have been waiting to see from Matthew Reilly for a long, long time and I would happily give books five stars for that.

If you’re a Matthew Reilly fan, this is going to tick all the boxes for you. He’s delivered yet another brilliant Jack West book, with a nice surprise for long time fans and a strong story. Bring on the next three books!
...more

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About Matthew Reilly

Matthew Reilly

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Matthew Reilly is a New York Times best-selling author of eight novels that have been published in eighteen languages in twenty countries. He has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/matthe...