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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I was really disappointed with this book not up to his normal standard, I was look for the end of this book a long way out.
Is this book cerebral? No. Does the book delve deep into the philosophy behind the game of chess? Somewhat. Is the book entertaining? Absolutely.
The bullets, maps, and espionage of Scarecrow and Seven Deadly Wonders are replaced by the opulence of the Turkish Empire at the penultimate moment before it's decline and the ruthless strategy of the game of kings, Chess. Matthew Reilly with his knack for writing high-octane action sequences and fast-paced plots delivers a story which while not in the same league as other works of Historical Fiction like those of Manfredi and Iggulden, still manages to retain the same level of entertainment and engagement as did his previous works.
The eponymous 'Tournament' possesses some of the most prominent names in world history, and while one can easily scoff at the veracity of such an event, it is not quite out of the realm of possibilities. Especially the way Reilly writes it. At the end of the book one can certainly think 'Damn, could it have happened like that?' and that in my opinion, is the sign of a story well-written.
The bullets, maps, and espionage of Scarecrow and Seven Deadly Wonders are replaced by the opulence of the Turkish Empire at the penultimate moment before it's decline and the ruthless strategy of the game of kings, Chess. Matthew Reilly with his knack for writing high-octane action sequences and fast-paced plots delivers a story which while not in the same league as other works of Historical Fiction like those of Manfredi and Iggulden, still manages to retain the same level of entertainment and engagement as did his previous works.
The eponymous 'Tournament' possesses some of the most prominent names in world history, and while one can easily scoff at the veracity of such an event, it is not quite out of the realm of possibilities. Especially the way Reilly writes it. At the end of the book one can certainly think 'Damn, could it have happened like that?' and that in my opinion, is the sign of a story well-written.
This is my second book from Matthew Reilly and my thoughts about his works are more or less cemented now. The books he write are very fast paced but finish a book and overnight most of what the book made you feel will simply dissipate. It was certainly true for this book too. A historical mystery set in the time of the Tudors and the heyday of the Ottoman empire and quite a readable one at that.
The Ottoman emperor Suleiman the Magnificent calls for a chess tournament with representations from nation states across the world. From England arrives the player Gilbert Giles along with his peer Roger Ascham and his young protege, Elizabeth. A 13 year old girl, Elizabeth is none other than the Virgin Queen and daughter of the legendary Henry VIII. Before the festivities are poised to begin, a mutilated body is discovered and Roger Ascham sets to investigate this with Elizabeth in tow. The whole story is told from the perspective of Elizabeth as the duo unravel the mystery and the body count goes on increasing. This is quite a star studded tale for the who's who of the world at that time makes an appearance in the story. These include : Ignatius Loyola, Michelangelo, Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxelana and a very young and petulant Ivan the Terrible to name a few.
While it was an average investigative thriller, there was a major gripe I had with this story. This was on the abundance (or overabundance of) sex in the story. There was a definite reason explained at the end of the book for including sex as a plot element in the book but it feels as if sex is included here for the entertainment value than for driving the plot forward. There are always alternate ways to the same end and in the hands of another author, the graphic scenes would have been underplayed and the message would still have come across loud and clear. The whole sexual aspect of the book sticks out like a sore thumb.
The one thing that sticks to me is a fictional response from a letter that Henry VIII writes to the Sultan :
There are kings in this world and there are Kings of England. I am a King of England.
Such arrogance but that was what set Henry apart from the others.
Readable.
The Ottoman emperor Suleiman the Magnificent calls for a chess tournament with representations from nation states across the world. From England arrives the player Gilbert Giles along with his peer Roger Ascham and his young protege, Elizabeth. A 13 year old girl, Elizabeth is none other than the Virgin Queen and daughter of the legendary Henry VIII. Before the festivities are poised to begin, a mutilated body is discovered and Roger Ascham sets to investigate this with Elizabeth in tow. The whole story is told from the perspective of Elizabeth as the duo unravel the mystery and the body count goes on increasing. This is quite a star studded tale for the who's who of the world at that time makes an appearance in the story. These include : Ignatius Loyola, Michelangelo, Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxelana and a very young and petulant Ivan the Terrible to name a few.
While it was an average investigative thriller, there was a major gripe I had with this story. This was on the abundance (or overabundance of) sex in the story. There was a definite reason explained at the end of the book for including sex as a plot element in the book but it feels as if sex is included here for the entertainment value than for driving the plot forward. There are always alternate ways to the same end and in the hands of another author, the graphic scenes would have been underplayed and the message would still have come across loud and clear. The whole sexual aspect of the book sticks out like a sore thumb.
The one thing that sticks to me is a fictional response from a letter that Henry VIII writes to the Sultan :
There are kings in this world and there are Kings of England. I am a King of England.
Such arrogance but that was what set Henry apart from the others.
Readable.
When a friend gifted me this book I knew I had to dive into it immediately since his book recommendations are usually on spot.
As expected, I enjoyed this book thoroughly as it was very different from all the books that I have recently read. For instance, the book is set in the 16th century, long before forensic science was even thought of. So, the protagonist had to rely more on his own skills than forensic evidence. Then there's the fact that most of the characters are inspired by real life characters which called for a medley of facts and fiction. I did look up a few characters mentioned in the book, particularly Roger Ascham.
The character of Roger Ascham is probably one of the main reasons I liked the book so much. He is the mentor of young Elizabeth and through the course of the story we learn exactly how their relationship is. While Ascham believed in Elizabeth experiencing things for herself and helped guide her thought process, he was also very protective of her. He allowed Elizabeth to experience things that the people of the time would have thought scandalous for a woman to experience, yet maintained a level of security for her at all times. He encouraged independent thinking... Aside from his relationship with his ward, the way he investigates using common sense and attention to detail was also very admirable. I particularly liked him in a scene where he stands up and confronts a very influential man. It showed his confidence and courage.
Elizabeth herself turned out to be an interesting character. At thirteen, she is very logical and level headed. Encouraged by her mentor, she is also very curious about the world. The one thing that bothered me in the book, was the fact that since this was sort of coming of age novel for Elizabeth; the author brought in the sex element through her friend Elsie rather than through Elizabeth’s personal experience. The narrative got a bit dry and felt forced whether it was Elsie narrating her experience or whether it was Elizabeth witnessing her friend in the act.
Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws
As expected, I enjoyed this book thoroughly as it was very different from all the books that I have recently read. For instance, the book is set in the 16th century, long before forensic science was even thought of. So, the protagonist had to rely more on his own skills than forensic evidence. Then there's the fact that most of the characters are inspired by real life characters which called for a medley of facts and fiction. I did look up a few characters mentioned in the book, particularly Roger Ascham.
The character of Roger Ascham is probably one of the main reasons I liked the book so much. He is the mentor of young Elizabeth and through the course of the story we learn exactly how their relationship is. While Ascham believed in Elizabeth experiencing things for herself and helped guide her thought process, he was also very protective of her. He allowed Elizabeth to experience things that the people of the time would have thought scandalous for a woman to experience, yet maintained a level of security for her at all times. He encouraged independent thinking... Aside from his relationship with his ward, the way he investigates using common sense and attention to detail was also very admirable. I particularly liked him in a scene where he stands up and confronts a very influential man. It showed his confidence and courage.
Elizabeth herself turned out to be an interesting character. At thirteen, she is very logical and level headed. Encouraged by her mentor, she is also very curious about the world. The one thing that bothered me in the book, was the fact that since this was sort of coming of age novel for Elizabeth; the author brought in the sex element through her friend Elsie rather than through Elizabeth’s personal experience. The narrative got a bit dry and felt forced whether it was Elsie narrating her experience or whether it was Elizabeth witnessing her friend in the act.
Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws
A murder mystery chess tournament? Sign me the fuck up
3.5 stars
Very different from his usual style but I still really enjoyed it.
Very different from his usual style but I still really enjoyed it.
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Murder
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Sexism, Slavery
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Misogyny, Torture, Islamophobia, Kidnapping
What happens when an author who predominantly writes ultra-modern, gun toting thrillers, releases a novel set in 1546, a time when guns weren't even invented? The Tournament, that's what!
Matthew Reilly makes a departure from his usual fare and delves into brand new territory with questionable results. To me, this novel was something that I couldn't help but nit-pick at. I don't know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't what I got.
Let's get straight to it. Instead of giving us page after page of gory violence in vivid detail, Reilly decides to show as little violence as possible and instead opts for sex. There was at least four separate occasions when sex is written about excessively, and it's very similar each time. Lots of panting, tensing, arching, climaxing, throwing back of heads, and thrusting. It got incredibly boring by the end and rose to be nothing but a 'don’t have sex ever!' moral. If I wanted sex, I would have read 50 shades.
Characters: They were pretty typical Reilly types, but I'll give him credit for giving some a tiny bit of depth, as opposed to none in some of his others. However, there were two characters at the beginning that disappear until the end and they served no purpose whatsoever. They should have been edited out completely in my opinion. The main character and narrator, Elizabeth I, has the memory of a God! Every little happening, every word, every slight movement that meant nothing at the time but would go on to mean something later, she remembers. And she's only thirteen! Incredible. She'd be a game show shark if she had lived during our times. A certifiable Jaws.
The plot. Compared to Reilly's other novels, this one is an absolute sloth. The whole thing is extremely drawn out as many historical figures are squeezed in. I'm not sure why Matthew Reilly chose a chess tournament as the event to build his plot around, apart from the gimmick of being able to allude to some characters as certain pieces on a chess board, but it just made the book seem even slower. Chess is a brilliant game, but almost impossible to write about excitingly, no matter how much the crowd cheers when someone moves a pawn.
The only way I feel I can truly summarise this novel is to say that this is simply not Matthew Reilly's genre, but he gets points for trying something different, which most authors would shy away from. I'm looking forward to next year when he will release a new techno thriller.
Matthew Reilly makes a departure from his usual fare and delves into brand new territory with questionable results. To me, this novel was something that I couldn't help but nit-pick at. I don't know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't what I got.
Let's get straight to it. Instead of giving us page after page of gory violence in vivid detail, Reilly decides to show as little violence as possible and instead opts for sex. There was at least four separate occasions when sex is written about excessively, and it's very similar each time. Lots of panting, tensing, arching, climaxing, throwing back of heads, and thrusting. It got incredibly boring by the end and rose to be nothing but a 'don’t have sex ever!' moral. If I wanted sex, I would have read 50 shades.
Characters: They were pretty typical Reilly types, but I'll give him credit for giving some a tiny bit of depth, as opposed to none in some of his others. However, there were two characters at the beginning that disappear until the end and they served no purpose whatsoever. They should have been edited out completely in my opinion. The main character and narrator, Elizabeth I, has the memory of a God! Every little happening, every word, every slight movement that meant nothing at the time but would go on to mean something later, she remembers. And she's only thirteen! Incredible. She'd be a game show shark if she had lived during our times. A certifiable Jaws.
The plot. Compared to Reilly's other novels, this one is an absolute sloth. The whole thing is extremely drawn out as many historical figures are squeezed in. I'm not sure why Matthew Reilly chose a chess tournament as the event to build his plot around, apart from the gimmick of being able to allude to some characters as certain pieces on a chess board, but it just made the book seem even slower. Chess is a brilliant game, but almost impossible to write about excitingly, no matter how much the crowd cheers when someone moves a pawn.
The only way I feel I can truly summarise this novel is to say that this is simply not Matthew Reilly's genre, but he gets points for trying something different, which most authors would shy away from. I'm looking forward to next year when he will release a new techno thriller.
I have to admit that I will always be a little biased when it comes to Matthew Reilly's books as he is my favourite author. It was nice to see him take a step back and slow down the pace this time around though. In saying that when the action get started then it definitely kicks off big time like most of Reilly's books. Worth the read, it is different to what he normally produces, intriguing and intelligently written it is without a doubt worth picking up a copy and getting through it.