The Four Legendary Kingdoms by Matthew Reilly

Publisher's Synopsis

A RUTHLESS KIDNAPPING

Jack West Jr has been brutally kidnapped. He awakes in a cell to find a masked attacker charging at him with a knife.

THE GREAT GAMES

Jack has been 'chosen' to compete in a series of deadly challenges designed to fulfil an ancient ritual. He will have to traverse diabolical mazes, fight cruel assassins and face unimaginable horrors if he - and the world - is to survive.

TO HELL AND BACK

In the process, he will discover the mysterious and powerful group of individuals behind it all: the four legendary kingdoms.

He might also discover that he is not the only hero in this place...

My Review of The Four Legendary Kingdoms by Matthew Reilly

Minotaurs, minotaurs and more minotaurs.

Jack West Jr has overcome some incredible (some might even say unbelievable) situations in the past, but when he wakes up in a cell with a minotaur bursting through the door in full attack mode, things reach a whole new level. And then things take a turn for the strange as Matthew Reilly leads us on yet another heart-stopping thrill ride through the underworld in The Four Legendary Kingdoms.

There are 16 heroes who have all either chosen to take part or, like West, have been kidnapped and coerced to participate in a series of challenges with their fates, the fate of their friends and, indeed, the entire world depending on their success. In true Matthew Reilly style, this epic action adventure is intense, fast-paced and brutal, seriously etched in myth and creates a classic good vs evil scenario over and over again. To ram home the illusion, the person running the game is Hades, Lord of the Underworld.

Before we start on the rules of the game the contestants are playing, we should first explain the stakes. It seems that there’s a gigantic galaxy - the Hydra Galaxy - hurtling towards the Milky Way and, if left unchecked, will completely obliterate everything in its path. The only way to avoid this is to place a group of orbs into position that will set off a signal that will divert the Hydra Galaxy’s path and phew we will all be saved. It’s the orbs that the heroes are competing for, win them, be the sole survivor and the kingdom they represent will also get…ultimate power.

Okay then, the rules of this game. Don’t be last, if you’re last you die.

The challenges involve races through vertical mazes and similarly difficult arenas, made more dangerous by the presence of boiling sulfur water, lava-type ooze and the like. Of course, just to make things even harder, there’s more minotaurs to attack and slow down contestants. Then there’s Fear and Chaos, a couple of ultimate warriors who are armed, dangerous and have one goal in mind, kill the contestants.

So, as I said, the big rule of each challenge is don’t be last.

Take a guess who always takes up the rear position in every challenge and then, by some minor miracle, manages to squeak through by the barest of margins. Yep, that’s right, the ole fake cliffhanger, a Reilly favourite, plays out time and again. The fun lies in watching what completely and totally unexpected way in which Jack West pulls his ass out of the fire.

To be honest, there’s a lot to like about The Four Legendary Kingdoms such as the mythological references that soak through the pages and the imaginative problem solving that takes place at very regular intervals. Also the appearance of one Shane “Scarecrow” Schofield as one of West’s fellow competitors giving him an ally in the game as well as putting him in a major quandary, seeing as this is a “last man living” scenario. This is essentially action on steroids and the pace is just relentless.

This is the type of book that you’ve got to be in the mood for. Outlandish scenarios, death and mayhem at every turn, plots to deceive and double-cross, a modern day recreation of Hercules’ 12 labors with the Epic of Gilgamesh thrown in for good measure. All that and a world to save, a daughter to protect and a couple of dogs who will be drowned under liquid cement should Jack fail.

Fortunately for me, I was in the right frame of mind (although I did start getting annoyed by the increasing ridiculousness of the challenges towards the end) and was listening to the Audiobook version of this while out running and the kms just flew by.