YAY for me!
1. I wanted to be Indiana Jones when I was little. He was my hero.
2. I am an action flick chick. I love, love, LOVE car chases, hand-to-hand fight scenes, things blowing up (not people though cos that would make me a psycho), the good guys winning and all that kind of stuff.
Despite this, and the fact I am a fan of romantic suspense, I’ve never really got into the whole crime, action and thriller genre/s. Even when some books would appear to be right up my alley (eg Dan Brown’s Da Vinci-anza) I have given them a Titantic(sideways)sized, wide berth. Until now that is.
Yes, it’s true. Kris FINALLY reads a boy-germ book! Lookee:
Seven Ancient Wonders (Seven Deadly Wonders is the US title) by Matthew Reilly
Thousands of years ago, a magnificent golden capstone sat atop the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was a source of immense power, capable of bestowing upon its holder absolute global rule for a thousand years. But then, in 323 BC, the capstone was broken into seven pieces and spread to the corners of the Earth, hidden within the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Now, with the coming of a rare solar event, the time has come to locate the pieces and rebuild the capstone.
Everyone wants it. From the greatest, most powerful countries on Earth, to gangs of evil terrorists and one daring coalition of eight small nations who think no single country should possess such an awesome power source. And so, led by the mysterious Captain Jack West Jr, this determined group enters into an adventure beyond imagining.
The events of the book take place over a seven day period (although some back story is included). From the first page, the author launches the reader into an epic adventure jam packed with action, conspiracy theories, mystery, thrills and bravery. It is an intense, edge of your seat, what the hell happens next (and I thought From Dead to Worse was exhausting!) ride and for me was a ‘completed in one sitting’ read – always a sign I found it an excellent book.
Because I have an interest in history and archaeology, the information about the seven ancient wonders and associated stories was sheer reading pleasure. Another great aspect of the book was the inclusion of figures and images, which not only showed you what the characters themselves were seeing, but assisted the reader with understanding the complexity of a particular object, event and/or place in the story.
Seven Ancient Wonders has been accused of being anti-American and anti-Roman Catholic Church. I personally believe such issues should be read as part of the context of the story not as being the personal views of the author. As Matthew Reilly himself said: “A book’s got to have villains…”
Would I read this author again? Well, let me think… does snatching the second book in the series, The Six Sacred Stones, out of my Mumma’s hands before she had even closed the cover count? LOL.
All in all, I, given my interests, thought both books were pretty terrific and I will be eagerly awaiting the third in the series, which is scheduled for release later this year.
PS – Do you think this post counts as a review? Yeses from the partially invisibles will see this ticked off my list of 2009 readolutions. I think you can probably guess which way I’m leaning towards!
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
It reads a bit like a review to me.I’ve read a fair number of action adventure books, although it’s not my favourite genre. Have you tried James McGee’s Hawkwood books? It’s a bit like a regency James Bond. Now, I do like those and the hero is v. yummy.
My argument is because I gave it a score no matter how crap the actual review itself was (probably about a 5 or 6/10) it still counts; thus my Readolution 4 is over and done. Although, to be fair, I might extend the parameters of the readolution to cover any books read under the auspices of Readolution 3. I’m thinking that practice will make perfect… or at the very least marginally better than yesterday’s effort.No, I haven’t tried James McGee. I have well and truly stayed clear of this genre and have read very few books. A regency-style Bond though sounds like something I definitely have to read!
Kris,Great review and recommendation. I would probably never have think to pick this type of book up but it sounds intriguing. And Jenre’s recommendation of James McGee’s Hawkwood books sounds interesting as well. 😉
Hi OzakieYippie, a second yes it’s a review. I’m giving up with Readolution 4 while I’m ahead!This book was very, very fast paced. Thinking about it, it actually read like an action movie – if that makes sense. If you like action (gun fights and all!), treasure hunts, good guys vs baddies, saving the world and archaeology, then I would definitely recommend it.