Five Greatest Warriors

After having written two reviews of pretty pathetic books, I'm glad to realise that I haven't actually reviewed this one yet, so I can lift my spirits with recalling just how wonderful this was in contrast to the other ones. Matthew Reilly is back after a two year break, and the action is as unrelenting as ever. While other authors might go for romances etc that get completely in the way of the main story, with this the plot never strays far from the action. Yes, there is a bit of a romance in there, with a bit of a complication in it too, but it's relegated to a secondary sub plot, rather than being used to wallop you over the head. If you want action, Matthew Reilly is the author for you, and the pace just gets faster.

Five Greatest Warriors is the excellent sequel to Six Sacred Stones. After the huge cliffhanger ending of Six Sacred Stones, and the two year wait for the conclusion of how exactly Jack West Jr gets out of falling into a bottomless pit, the pressure was on to deliver. And I was not disappointed. If you want a great thriller that you can give to children without worrying about dubious scenes (or if you are, like me, not a great lover of said dubious scenes), Matthew Reilly is the perfect choice. The secret of Jack West's success is his devotion to his team mates, his implacable commitment to placing the stones not for personal gain but for the good of the world, and the devotion he gets in return from his team members. A coalition of 'minnow' nations, outgunned by their opponents, Jack works on the principle of never cheating a trap system. They're meant to be run as the creator intended, or unexpected surprises ensue. And his successes demonstrate that such truly is the case (or at least in this book).

And how did Jack West get out of falling into a bottomless pit? Well, you'll have to read it to find out. But I am very pleased to say, I did guess right. It always makes me feel good when I do that. High drama from start to end, I can't recommend this book enough (although it'd be smart to at least read the Six Sacred Stones first--though they are the same characters as Seven Ancient Wonders, Six and Five are more like one book with a chapter break in between them).