Hope’s Reviews > The Four Legendary Kingdoms > Status Update

Ongoing commentary with spoilers

FFS
Jack's communication with the minotaur he rescued is very "me Tarzan, you Jane". With all the inaccuracies and unlikeliness of such a quick and relatable connection. Despite language barriers, and cultural barriers. *sigh of disappointment*

Ongoing commentary w spoilers

Rich bf tries to distance himself from the spectacle. Will he be an ally later?If so a very weak one.
Jester mephisto (I'm listening to an audiobook, so the spelling may be wrong) makes a clear connection with Lily, and has fighting skills. Predicting Jack is going to have to kill him or someone will have to to protect Lily. Lily had better tell Jack about him and all other fighters.

Ongoing review with spoilers.

And he's introduced Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield to this mess? No. Please don't ruin my favourite past series with your latest sloppy writing. :( If they kill Mother in this series, since M. Reilly doesn't put any emotional weight into his deaths anymore, that would be such a useless, awful, throw-away end to a beloved character.

Aaaand Lily's rich bf was involved. (Not) A shocker!

I'm 23% done with this book and in story, but 85% done with my patience.
Was Matthew Reilly once a good author? Who knows? This book is erasing the goodwill I once held toward his stories.

And another mystery, why does this book have an average rating of 4 stars? ?????

Terrible characterisation. Poorly conveyed action scenes. Re-used scenarios. Hyperbole overdrive. Predictable as all hell. Just bad bad bad.

Ongoing review with spoilers.

WHY is Jack spending so much time standing still and internally monologuing so that he keeps running last. The author's way of describing these scenes is patchy, what's anyone else doing? Who knows?
THAT STUPID DESCRIPTION - Jack's dangling off the side of the ramp! Then! He's not!

Hyperboles. This is like reading a highschooler's story. "Most formidable evahhhh" Sooooo unexpectedOMG

Ongoing review with spoilers

The Pit challenge. You don't know what's ahead in the challenge because you didn't ask when you had the chance. Stupid.
You take an overweight, unfit, non-combat ready friend as your shackled partner instead of the young, fit option (Alby). Stupid.

The mention of the large female partner with the man with wrap-around glasses - Mother? and Schofeild?? A reference maybe?

Ongoing review with spoilers

FAAAAARRRR OUT. They have a long break in between battles, and Jack finds out who got him involved in this death battle. But does he ask about what challenges are up next? Strategies used>? Things ALL THE OTHER CONTESTANTS ARE AWARE OF? no. Because M. Reilly has become a a shitty writer.
Jack wastes his time.
The dialogue is cardboard. "this is how a teenager talks"
:( :( :(

Ongoing review with spoilers

Prediction: Lily's rich boyfriend may have family ties to this competition.
Prediction: Jack's bird will die

Note: Jack should win a challenge and secure the safe release of his "support team". It'd be nice if he secured everyones.

Note: from earlier - the depiction of Ancient Greek afterlife was incorrect?? Fields of Asphodel, Isles of Elysium, Tartarus. Judged areas to the afterlife.

Ongoing review with spoilers

Matthew Reilly used to incorporate information really timely and neatly into his writing. Specs on weapons, politic machinations, local and global history.
This novel includes "info dumps" which are laborious blocks of forced information.
He's lost his ability to write realistically different and empathetic characters. Everyone seems stereotypical.

Ongoing review with spoilers

Notes:
Pit fight
- That was a Really awkward description of a fight. Very hard to visualise.
- The Black and White symbolism is awfully obvious. Those two hunters were underwhelming.
- Geez that one minotaur felt sacrificial, you could sense he was going to be the 'last one' due to injury or death.
- Arrow in the boot. ugh. an obvious weapon - a Chekhov's gun.
- Pretty predictable.