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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
This is nothing like Matthew Reilly's other books and like all the rest, I absolutely loved it. This guy genre hops like it's a morning stroll in the park. From a creepy and nerve wracking alien match to the death, to a modern action packed search for the seven wonders of the ancient world, to a murder mystery surrounding none other than Queen Elizabeth I: Matthew Reilly knows how to deliver some captivating fiction.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Is it because I expected too much that I was too disappointed too? Mediocre story and for a mystery book, it is too predictable.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is Matthew Reilly at his best - The Tournament is by far and away my favourite of his works
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Murder
Minor: Addiction
Fantasy about QE1 that touches on a lot of uncomfortable topics and lays out some explicit sex scenes not often seen in MR novels.
I really enjoyed this book. I love the history of it and the chess game. (As I am learning to play). It was my first Mathew Reilly book and I will be reading more now.
Sometimes all you need is an entertaining easy read, that amuses and compels you by turn, and I think that is what The Tournament achieves in spades! This is a romp in the truest sense of the word, with its easy style, interesting manipulations of historical figures, and more than a touch of sauce about it. Reilly creates an imaginary world filled with richness, colour and vitality, centring on a chess tournament held in the realm of Constantinople, and believe me, I saw the word ‘chess’ in the blurb and thought instant snooze-fest: how wrong I was…
Centring on the young Elizabeth I, when she was a mere stripling of a teenager and way down the pecking order for the throne, she is taken on an adventure to foreign climes by her personal tutor, the enigmatic and charming Roger Ascham. The two enter into the distinctly alien world of Constantinople, accompanying a Mr Giles who is to take part in a champion of champions chess tournament hosted by the Sultan himself with the tournament peopled by a series of very recognisable figures from history, imaginatively gathered by Reilly in this one locale. Yes, there is a little manipulation of historical fact to achieve this- so any history purists look away now- but with the natural wit and brilliant set-ups that Reilly injects into these strange meetings it proves enormous fun. And soon there is a murder. And then more murders, and Elizabeth and Ascham, displaying his innate ability at psychological profiling and crime solving, find themselves in peril- it’s a hoot and at times a very sexy hoot at that. I would say that this book comes with a high ‘raunch-warning’ as Elizabeth’s travelling companion, the comely Elsie, embraces all aspects of this rich and sensual world with alarming regularity and in some detail- so be warned!
But joking aside, this is, beyond the very fun nature of it, a well-crafted book and kept those pages-a-turning. I loved the characterisation of Elizabeth in particular, and the way Reilly manipulates certain situations, so that with the knowledge we have of her, we can see how these experiences could have influenced her monarchy and personal character- in particular to her being unmarried, a skilful political and military tactician, and her general demeanour as queen. Likewise, I felt Reilly really captured the loyalty and intelligence of Roger Ascham, so pivotal throughout Elizabeth’s life, and loved the easy relationship between them. The characterisation generally was top-notch and really brought the more well-known participants in the story to life. As much as I thought the ‘chess’ element would bore me to tears, it was actually quite interesting, with Reilly inserting, at well paced junctures, little vignettes of chess history, that worked really rather well, in tandem with quotes from some of the protagonists themselves. The atmosphere and portrayal of location was colourful and rich, completely capturing for me, the grandeur and moneyed opulence of the Sultan’s palace, but not shying away from the less savoury goings-on, particularly in relation to the Roman Catholic embassy set within the palace grounds. Some things never change it would seem…
So to sum up, what fun The Tournament is! I fair raced through this enjoyable historical romp, with all its quirks, bloody murder and a bit of sauce. There’s enough recognisable historical detail to please most readers, and what Reilly manipulates plays well along the way, heightening the reader’s enjoyment of the book. An engaging and racy read to offset those dark winter nights…
Centring on the young Elizabeth I, when she was a mere stripling of a teenager and way down the pecking order for the throne, she is taken on an adventure to foreign climes by her personal tutor, the enigmatic and charming Roger Ascham. The two enter into the distinctly alien world of Constantinople, accompanying a Mr Giles who is to take part in a champion of champions chess tournament hosted by the Sultan himself with the tournament peopled by a series of very recognisable figures from history, imaginatively gathered by Reilly in this one locale. Yes, there is a little manipulation of historical fact to achieve this- so any history purists look away now- but with the natural wit and brilliant set-ups that Reilly injects into these strange meetings it proves enormous fun. And soon there is a murder. And then more murders, and Elizabeth and Ascham, displaying his innate ability at psychological profiling and crime solving, find themselves in peril- it’s a hoot and at times a very sexy hoot at that. I would say that this book comes with a high ‘raunch-warning’ as Elizabeth’s travelling companion, the comely Elsie, embraces all aspects of this rich and sensual world with alarming regularity and in some detail- so be warned!
But joking aside, this is, beyond the very fun nature of it, a well-crafted book and kept those pages-a-turning. I loved the characterisation of Elizabeth in particular, and the way Reilly manipulates certain situations, so that with the knowledge we have of her, we can see how these experiences could have influenced her monarchy and personal character- in particular to her being unmarried, a skilful political and military tactician, and her general demeanour as queen. Likewise, I felt Reilly really captured the loyalty and intelligence of Roger Ascham, so pivotal throughout Elizabeth’s life, and loved the easy relationship between them. The characterisation generally was top-notch and really brought the more well-known participants in the story to life. As much as I thought the ‘chess’ element would bore me to tears, it was actually quite interesting, with Reilly inserting, at well paced junctures, little vignettes of chess history, that worked really rather well, in tandem with quotes from some of the protagonists themselves. The atmosphere and portrayal of location was colourful and rich, completely capturing for me, the grandeur and moneyed opulence of the Sultan’s palace, but not shying away from the less savoury goings-on, particularly in relation to the Roman Catholic embassy set within the palace grounds. Some things never change it would seem…
So to sum up, what fun The Tournament is! I fair raced through this enjoyable historical romp, with all its quirks, bloody murder and a bit of sauce. There’s enough recognisable historical detail to please most readers, and what Reilly manipulates plays well along the way, heightening the reader’s enjoyment of the book. An engaging and racy read to offset those dark winter nights…
This book deviated a lot from the neck-breaking speed of all the other Matt Reilly books I have gone through. So, if you won't find an Scarecrow, Jack West, Jason Chaser or CJ Cameron in it!
However, it's a very good historic fiction that will keep you turning pages. Although I must admit that I found some of Elsie's stories too distracting and tangent to the story.
However, it's a very good historic fiction that will keep you turning pages. Although I must admit that I found some of Elsie's stories too distracting and tangent to the story.
I got this book NYCC 2016.
There were many things I enjoyed about The Tournament, but I have a few criticisms.
This is very much like a fan fiction of actual historical figures. But I like fan fiction and historical fiction so it was right up my alley. Besides Elizabeth I, Roger Aschman, and Suleiman, there are appearances from Michelangelo, Ivan the Terrible, and Ignatius of Loyola. Fictional characters are mixed in and the chess tournament and the murders are completely fictional.
I was invested in the murder(s) mystery and read through it quickly to find out the results. Sometimes I felt that Aschman was spelling things out to Elizabeth (and thus the reader) like a child, but then I remembered that she's 13 and in 1546 a lot more innocent than than 13 year olds of today.
I liked how each part began with a brief, one page history of the history of chess pieces. I never knew the rook was once a chariot, the bishop were elephants and the queen was the king's minister. Besides solving the murders, the chess tournament was my favorite part.
Thank goodness for the maps printed at the beginning and for the list of the players for each match. I would have been lost without them.
One critique I have is that the language seemed a bit too modern for the time period. It's not a huge distraction, but at times I said to myself, "That's not how they would have phrased that."
Another critique was the repetitive descriptions of gratuitous sex. Yes, there is a warning at the very beginning of the book. I understand getting the point across that the horrible exploitation of women and children happened then (and sadly happen still). So, I guess what my issue is is that Elise's descriptions night after night were like - enough already. And that no one, except for a few voiced concerns from Elizabeth (that Elise brushed off), told her how naive she was being. (Did she learn nothing from Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard?) Also, I was fully expecting Elise or someone to start showing signs of a STD, or the Plague.
4 out of 5 chess pieces.
There were many things I enjoyed about The Tournament, but I have a few criticisms.
This is very much like a fan fiction of actual historical figures. But I like fan fiction and historical fiction so it was right up my alley. Besides Elizabeth I, Roger Aschman, and Suleiman, there are appearances from Michelangelo, Ivan the Terrible, and Ignatius of Loyola. Fictional characters are mixed in and the chess tournament and the murders are completely fictional.
I was invested in the murder(s) mystery and read through it quickly to find out the results. Sometimes I felt that Aschman was spelling things out to Elizabeth (and thus the reader) like a child, but then I remembered that she's 13 and in 1546 a lot more innocent than than 13 year olds of today.
I liked how each part began with a brief, one page history of the history of chess pieces. I never knew the rook was once a chariot, the bishop were elephants and the queen was the king's minister. Besides solving the murders, the chess tournament was my favorite part.
Thank goodness for the maps printed at the beginning and for the list of the players for each match. I would have been lost without them.
One critique I have is that the language seemed a bit too modern for the time period. It's not a huge distraction, but at times I said to myself, "That's not how they would have phrased that."
Another critique was the repetitive descriptions of gratuitous sex. Yes, there is a warning at the very beginning of the book. I understand getting the point across that the horrible exploitation of women and children happened then (and sadly happen still). So, I guess what my issue is is that Elise's descriptions night after night were like - enough already. And that no one, except for a few voiced concerns from Elizabeth (that Elise brushed off), told her how naive she was being. (Did she learn nothing from Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard?) Also, I was fully expecting Elise or someone to start showing signs of a STD, or the Plague.
4 out of 5 chess pieces.
I was genuinely surprised by the caliber of the plot and historical detail - I assumed it would just be a cheesy thriller. But there was a LOT of gratuitous sexual detail.