Seven Ancient Wonders

I say it's SF, but that's only because I haven't bothered to add an Action/Adventure category.

For this is what it is! Yeah, robot arms and flying suits and all, but best of all, and adventure to pick up your 5000 year old Legos or Amon Ra is gonna smite you!

Say what? Is that even in this book? Well, sortof.

What we do have is a rollicking adventure that aims for the sort of pure WOW and AWE factor that is generally missing from today's literature, taking us on a tour through all the Seven Wonders of the World, or whatever is left of them, and doing it without much care in the world for little things like logic. Who needs it?

The book is BIG and Wild and Emotional and best of all, it's full of ancient traps. I'm not kidding. It almost show more overwhelms the page. As I read this I might as well have been watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on steroids. There's even a little kid. All these burly men in the midst of gun-porn have no problems laying their lives down for her. It's odd but it resolves itself because she's mystically special.

Hell, the whole book is mystically special. :) Add heavy Dan Brown-ish conspiracy theories, wild ancient stories, the Giza Pyramid's capstone, and you'll have a wild feel like the original GI Joe cartoon when they were all on that mystical quest stuff.

Don't get me wrong. I like a good and kooky comic book feel culminating with evil Masonic Americans and evil Catholic Amon Ra worshipers in Europe. I especially love being transported into great pacing, almost non-stop action, and never-ending tests of skill, capture, and pathos. It's kinda perfect for any action movie fan. :) Just turn off the brain and flow with it.

This is the definition of popcorn fiction. And I thought that UF's had it going, lol. I swear I saw Chuck Norris in here. show less

Remember how exciting the opening sequence of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is? And if you thought critically about the plausibility of said sequence, things would fall apart? Well, if you can just let go of reality for a while, all of "Seven Deadly Wonders" is like the opening of "Raiders." Non-stop action; crazily imaginative booby traps; and a wonderful cast of characters make Matthew Reilly's first Jack West, Jr. book a helluva ride!

This is a wildly creative story! We learn that there are seven pieces of a capstone that, when put together and sat upon the top of the Great Pyramid at a certain time that only occurs every 4,500 years, one of two incantations can be recited: one for good, one for ill. But if neither is done, it's the end show more of the world. The Americans and Europeans are searching for these lost treasures as is a another group of less powerful nations. The latter of which is headed by Australian Jack West, Jr. and his mentor, Prof. Max Epper, a Canadian. So our heroes and villains run around the ancient world looking for the seven pieces, which have been secreted within the Seven Ancient Wonders.

As I stated earlier, you must suspend reality with most of Reilly's books. If you can do that, you'll have a great time reading his highly addictive novels. Oh, and one more note: I referenced characters earlier. Most of his good guys are distinctive but not all that in-depth. But ALL the bad guys are pretty generic. Consider them equivalent to Nazis. We don't have to know who they are to hate them. They're Nazis. That's enough. show less

A world-wide treasure hunt is underway, and various countries are hunting down sacred relics that, when combined and utilised correctly, are thought to bestow upon their wielder mystical powers, the relics linked to the ancient wonders of legend - the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus of Rhodes, and so forth. A small coalition of minor countries, led by ex-soldier Jack West Junior, are trying to prevent the major countries from obtaining these powers in any way they are able.

"Seven Ancient Wonders" (Or "Seven Deadly Wonders" for those in the US") is a rather interesting, and rather odd, mish-mash of genres. Reilly combines action and adventure with military fiction for starters. There's some SF thrown in, show more too, with some near-future military technology in use, but other parts of it (particularly the treasure hunt and the powers associated with the treasure) is pure fantasy writing. Such a combination does indeed sound preposterous, but all of this works together quite well.

If you are reading this book for action (and that's the main reason you would read it) Reilly does manage to cram a lot in - raiding ancient treasure sites, all sorts of fights between various military forces, lots of traps and counter-traps, lots of intrigue, and lots of conspiracy theories too. It's all extremely preposterous stuff (if this is not plainly clear from the first page or two), but all of this is quite exciting stuff. The plot is consistent, and Reilly doesn't mind killing off some of his supporting characters, either, which makes a nice change from everyone being near-invincible.

The writing deserves some discussion, as it is quite polarising in terms of whether a reader likes Reilly or not. Reilly tends to get rather excited about what he is writing, and it shows in his writing style - there are plenty of exclamation marks! Reilly also loves to use the italicise key when writing and has a tendancy to CAPITALISE WORDS. If the situation demands it (and it often seems to) Reilly will COMBINE ALL OF THESE FOR GOOD MEASURE!!!) Apart from that, Reilly's language is fairly simple, too - short, sharp, simple words. You aren't going to be extending your vocabulary here. Although I might seem somewhat dismissive of Reilly's writing style, all of this manages to convey the excitement of the plot and keep on making you turn the next page.

I also appreciate the plethora of diagrams that Reilly uses, particularly how he often incorporates them into the plot. They also make a handy reference to work out the setting for the action that occurs within the books. Not that Reilly does a bad job in conveying setting (on the contrary) but it helps to work out the flow of the story.

How I've described the book honestly makes it sound like a literary trainwreck - a mix of genres, low-brow and somewhat unintelligent writing, but then, "Seven Ancient Wonders" isn't a particularly intelligent book. What it does manage to do, and do quite well, is be an exciting read. Think of it as junk-food reading - it's not nourishing in any way, but it is quite enjoyable stuff. show less

Matthew Reilly's "Seven Deadly Wonders" is akin to reading a 90s action B-movie. Unfortunately, the novel fails to deliver a compelling narrative, with both the plot and characters lacking believability. While Reilly attempts to blend high-octane action with historical mysteries, the result is a muddled execution that leaves much to be desired.

From the outset, the characters come off as one-dimensional and unconvincing. They are supposedly a diverse group from various backgrounds, but this diversity is sadly superficial. This oversight detracts significantly from the novel, creating a sense of sameness that undermines the story's potential. For instance, Big Ears dangling precariously over a ledge is a moment ripe with tension but falls show more flat due to clichéd dialogue and character interactions:

»Big Ears was dangling over the edge of Level 1 directly above her, helpless. ‘I can’t get to her!’
‘And I can!’ another voice called.
West.
He never missed a step.
Running full tilt, he just leapt off the edge of Level 1 and sailed in a high curving arc through the air toward the croc-lake below.«

The plot is convoluted with numerous loose ends and implausible scenarios. The novel struggles to maintain a coherent storyline, often feeling episodic rather than a unified narrative. This lack of cohesion disrupts the reading experience and makes it difficult to remain invested in the characters' exploits. The plot includes a vividly gruesome yet ridiculous depiction of a Caesarean delivery performed during a volcanic eruption.

»A gruesome yet urgent image: flanked by the encroaching lava and the steadily lowering ceiling, the two men perform a Caesarean delivery on the dead woman’s body using West’s Leatherman knife.«

Reilly's attempts at infusing the story with historical conspiracies come across as overly extravagant and eye-roll-inducing. The portrayal of the Cult of Amun-Ra, linked to various historical and modern figures, borders on the absurd. This inclusion feels less like a testament to thorough research and more like desperate embellishment.

»This Cult of Amun-Ra has endured to the present day, under many guises. For instance, the Knights of St John of Malta, and some sections of the Catholic Church.
‘The Freemasons, too, have long attached great significance to the Great Pyramid—and are often accused of being a thinly-veiled reincarnation of the Cult of Amun-Ra. Indeed, one very famous Freemason, Napoleon Bonaparte, was initiated into the order’s highest ranks inside the King’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid.«

Ultimately, "Seven Deadly Wonders" reads like a cheap piece of bubble gum – initially somewhat fresh but quickly becoming bland and boring. The novel fails to deliver on its intriguing premise, leaving readers with a disappointing aftertaste. With its numerous flaws and lacklustre execution, this novel does not live up to the standards set by other works in the genre. If you’re seeking a quality action-adventure read, you might want to look elsewhere.

If you want an in-depth, detailed review, read https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1678820144 which absolutely nails it.

One star out of five.

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From Amazon:

Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code in this nonstop action-packed thriller about the greatest treasure hunt of all time—a headlong race to find the seven wonders of the ancient world. An ancient secret...a team of heroes...the adventure of a lifetime.

A legend of the ancient world decrees that every 4,500 years, a terrible solar event will wreak worldwide destruction...but whoever sets the Golden Capstone atop the Great Pyramid at Giza will avert disaster and gain the ultimate prize: a millennium of world dominance.

My Thoughts:

Just a minute...I have to catch my breathe. I don't think I have ever read a book with so much constant action. I, as well as others have compared Matthew Reilly's Jack West character with Indiana show more Jones...I definitely agree -- IF Indiana Jones drank about two dozen Red Bulls and topped it off with a Tomahawk Missile. There is not a great deal of character development...they don't need any more developing and before you begin any of Reilly's books be prepared to suspend your belief and keep in mind that the story, no matter how IMPOSSIBLE it is to believe, was written specifically for you to have some fun Matthew Reilly isn't trying to be considered a writer of great literature... he simply wants his readers to simply have fun with his stories.... that is exactly what I have had with every single one of his novels to date. I am a real Matthew Reilly fan and will continue to be so as long as he continues to produce novels like Seven Deadly Wonders. show less

A few weeks ago someone in my apartment building left a bunch of old magazines and recipe books in the lobby on a shelf that acts as a kind of internal charity shop. Amongst the 2008 editions of Marie Claire magazines was this book. Judging the book by its cover I assumed it would be god-awful pop fiction riding the Dan Brown bandwagon, so I of course picked it up and read it today on a return trip to Oxford.

I confess, the book isn't terrible. I'm used to suspending my sense of disbelief when reading, but I wasn't aware when I started it that Matthew Reilly books require the reader to completely disregard the physical rules of our universe, maybe if I'd been forewarned I'd have enjoyed the book more. But like I said: it wasn't show more terrible.

There are some issues with the book and I'll get them out of the way quickly. First, Matthew Reilly loves italics. I got the distinct impression he read his first draft and decided there just weren't enough slanty letters, so dropped italic dust all over each page, oftentimes on words that don't even need emphasis.

He also has a thing for exclamation marks. I'm honestly not used to seeing these outside of speech. If something dramatic happens in a book I assume I'll notice, I don't really need an exclamation mark to tell me.

Another punctuation mark of choice is the ellipsis. Far too many times something dramatic started happeneing…
… and then was resolved on the next line. If this were a tv series and those dots represented seven days between broadcasts then they would invoke a lot of tension, but when they involve dropping my eyes to the next line, something they have to do every dozen words anyway, all it does is irk.

The three issues above are infused in a sentence of comedic genius about half way into the book. I present my favourite sentence in Seven Ancient Wonders:

They were being attacked…
…from the golf course!

A perhaps misplaced issue I had with the book is the presence of schematic diagrams of the various places visited in the text. They kind of give the impression that the author doesn't quite trust in his ability to describe the current location, or the reader's ability to imagine it.

Finally, and most anally, there's a lot of Egyptian writing mentioned in the book. At their first appearance Reilly called the symbols hieroglyphs, and I rejoiced. Then the next time he said hieroglyphics, and I died a little. He couldn't seem to figure out which one he should use so did what I used to do on French exams and used them both alternately, figuring he'd get at least half of them right. On a similarly pedantic note, at one point he describes a cross shaped room as being "cross shaped", then later describes an identically shaped room as being "†-shaped". Why?

Despite all that the book zips along at such a pace that by the time any of these things annoyed me it was already a few pages passed. It's sillier than Da Vinci Code but, as the author says in an interview at the end of the book, the book is more Indiana Jones than Robert Langdon. Which I'd guessed the nineteenth time the heroes triggered a trap that sent a massive boulder chasing them down a slope…
… and then they dived out of the way just in time! show less

A few weeks ago someone in my apartment building left a bunch of old magazines and recipe books in the lobby on a shelf that acts as a kind of internal charity shop. Amongst the 2008 editions of Marie Claire magazines was this book. Judging the book by its cover I assumed it would be god-awful pop fiction riding the Dan Brown bandwagon, so I of course picked it up and read it today on a return trip to Oxford.

I confess, the book isn't terrible. I'm used to suspending my sense of disbelief when reading, but I wasn't aware when I started it that Matthew Reilly books require the reader to completely disregard the physical rules of our universe, maybe if I'd been forewarned I'd have enjoyed the book more. But like I said: it wasn't show more terrible.

There are some issues with the book and I'll get them out of the way quickly. First, Matthew Reilly loves italics. I got the distinct impression he read his first draft and decided there just weren't enough slanty letters, so dropped italic dust all over each page, oftentimes on words that don't even need emphasis.

He also has a thing for exclamation marks. I'm honestly not used to seeing these outside of speech. If something dramatic happens in a book I assume I'll notice, I don't really need an exclamation mark to tell me.

Another punctuation mark of choice is the ellipsis. Far too many times something dramatic started happeneing…
… and then was resolved on the next line. If this were a tv series and those dots represented seven days between broadcasts then they would invoke a lot of tension, but when they involve dropping my eyes to the next line, something they have to do every dozen words anyway, all it does is irk.

The three issues above are infused in a sentence of comedic genius about half way into the book. I present my favourite sentence in Seven Ancient Wonders:

They were being attacked…
…from the golf course!

A perhaps misplaced issue I had with the book is the presence of schematic diagrams of the various places visited in the text. They kind of give the impression that the author doesn't quite trust in his ability to describe the current location, or the reader's ability to imagine it.

Finally, and most anally, there's a lot of Egyptian writing mentioned in the book. At their first appearance Reilly called the symbols hieroglyphs, and I rejoiced. Then the next time he said hieroglyphics, and I died a little. He couldn't seem to figure out which one he should use so did what I used to do on French exams and used them both alternately, figuring he'd get at least half of them right. On a similarly pedantic note, at one point he describes a cross shaped room as being "cross shaped", then later describes an identically shaped room as being "†-shaped". Why?

Despite all that the book zips along at such a pace that by the time any of these things annoyed me it was already a few pages passed. It's sillier than Da Vinci Code but, as the author says in an interview at the end of the book, the book is more Indiana Jones than Robert Langdon. Which I'd guessed the nineteenth time the heroes triggered a trap that sent a massive boulder chasing them down a slope…
… and then they dived out of the way just in time! show less