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Temple Hardcover – 1 December 2000
by
Matthew Reilly
(Author)
Matthew Reilly (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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A mysterious Inca idol is at the center of an treasure hunt, with governments competing to obtain the strange item and use it as a weapon as a young linguist becomes embroiled in the conspiracy when hired to translate a four-hundred-year-old manuscript that holds the key to the idol's location. by the author of Ice Station. 35,000 first printing.
- Print length398 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSt Martins Pr
- Publication date1 December 2000
- Dimensions16.51 x 3.81 x 24.77 cm
- ISBN-100312266596
- ISBN-13978-0312266592
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Product details
- Publisher : St Martins Pr (1 December 2000)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 398 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0312266596
- ISBN-13 : 978-0312266592
- Dimensions : 16.51 x 3.81 x 24.77 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 249,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 6,352 in Mystery Action & Adventure
- 12,373 in Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Matthew Reilly is the international bestselling author of eight novels: The 6 Sacred Stones, 7 Deadly Wonders, Ice Station, Temple, Contest, Area 7, Scarecrow, and the children's book Hover Car Racer, and one novella, Hell Island. His books are published in more than eighteen languages in twenty countries, and he has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide.
Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
435 global ratings
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Top reviews
Top reviews from Australia
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Reviewed in Australia on 13 August 2021
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The dual story approach was a nice touch. The modern day storyline got a bit far fetched even for Reilly’s standards, so I actually preferred the historic storyline. I love Reilly’s books and I know you have to take the plots with a pinch of salt, but there were some things in this book that even I rolled my eyes at. I personally enjoy the parts of his stories that explore ancient places and uncover hidden secrets. The action can be exciting but sometimes it can drag on. For example the boat chase in this book is utterly ridiculous and I found myself just trying to get through it so I could get back to the main story rather than enjoying it. And the fact that the protagonist goes from bumbling academic to all-out action star all of a sudden was not very believable. What bugged me most about that book was that it’s called ‘The Temple’ so I thought it would centre around the actual temple, it’s history and it’s purpose, particularly because I’m interested in the Aztec cultures. But really not a lot of time is spent talking about the temple, nor is much time spent in it. Most of the book is gun-ho action, end of the world stuff and I feel like the temple was thrown in to try and tie it all together, but it just ends up being a jumbled together series of events that feels like two different books cobbled together into one. When you do finally learn what’s inside the temple, it serves more to tie off loose ends of the plot rather than offer the reader anything of interest. The book should be called ‘Everyone tries to blow up the world in Peru’ and then it would be more accurate. Ultimately I would treat The Temple as a bit of escapism or some light entertainment reading on holiday. If you want a better balance of action, character development and genuine exploration of lost history, read Reilly’s Jack West books.
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Reviewed in Australia on 17 January 2016
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Reilly has a very in your face style when it comes to violence, so a reader should be prepared. Professor William Race [medieval linguistic lecturer] 'the hero', is like Indiana Jones in this book - there were too many close calls. Sure, it's exciting the first few dozen times, but eventually it becomes unbelievable. In fiction you expected some crazy absurdities when it comes to what the characters can do; rope swinging, narrowly missing sword slashes, crazy animal wrestling, and the like but this was over the top most of the time and it really did become so absurd.
A simple Spanish monk, who lived through the conquest of the Incas civilization 1565 by Spaniards, survives hell to retire to the Pyrenees Mountains to write his memoirs. This ancient transcript is crucial to the finding the 'IDOL' [heart & soul of the Incas] made of a unique rock which is infinitely more powerful than anything on earth. So everyone wants a piece of it!!!
Enemies from various departments; Nazi, US Army, US Navy, The Texan (doomsday cult), even the Native Incas have a part in it to save the idol.
A frantic journey through jungles, mountains and rivers commences once this script reveals a location. The latest and greatest high-tech weapons and aerial equipment certainly challenged my knowledge and I worked in defence. Not to mention the hideous animals that adds still more to the grotesque happenings. Lots of blood and gore with a hint of fun rolled into the plot. Try to read to the end 'the hero' has the most amazing escape.
A simple Spanish monk, who lived through the conquest of the Incas civilization 1565 by Spaniards, survives hell to retire to the Pyrenees Mountains to write his memoirs. This ancient transcript is crucial to the finding the 'IDOL' [heart & soul of the Incas] made of a unique rock which is infinitely more powerful than anything on earth. So everyone wants a piece of it!!!
Enemies from various departments; Nazi, US Army, US Navy, The Texan (doomsday cult), even the Native Incas have a part in it to save the idol.
A frantic journey through jungles, mountains and rivers commences once this script reveals a location. The latest and greatest high-tech weapons and aerial equipment certainly challenged my knowledge and I worked in defence. Not to mention the hideous animals that adds still more to the grotesque happenings. Lots of blood and gore with a hint of fun rolled into the plot. Try to read to the end 'the hero' has the most amazing escape.
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Reviewed in Australia on 2 January 2021
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I bought this book as soon as it was first published. Loved it. Have read it lots of times since then. I just finished re-reading the Jack West Jr series so far and while waiting for the final book in the series to be published, I decided to re-read Temple and Contest. I couldn't find either of them. Turned my house inside out searching for them, to no avail. I really, really wanted to re-read them so bought the e-books for my kindle. I cannot recommend them more highly. Do yourself a favour, and buy this book. You, too, will become hooked
Reviewed in Australia on 4 May 2020
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It was two stories in one, weaved together expertly in such an interesting way. I really enjoyed it, couldn't put it down. It was not predicatable and I'm really enjoying this author. Highly recommend this book.
Reviewed in Australia on 9 March 2019
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The two alternating stories format works very well. Events in the B story tends to affect the A story down the line. While the B story is set in the past, it is just as exciting as the A story. Events in Temple will also be referenced in other Matthew Reilly novels...
Reviewed in Australia on 2 May 2022
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I loved reading this incredible tale and was sorry to come to its end. I highly recommend it to anyone reading this review; you are in for a wonderful adventure!
Reviewed in Australia on 19 November 2020
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Another great read of the improbable and the impossible, Matthew never disappoints, the story is fast paced, don’t expect to get much sleep once you start to read this book.
Reviewed in Australia on 17 February 2019
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I’m really a sci fi reader but this series blew me away. So much so, that I’m now a Matthew Reilly fan as well.
Top reviews from other countries

Mr. G. M. Etchells
3.0 out of 5 stars
It was almost a 4 out of 5
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 July 2020Verified Purchase
I love this novel then hated it for a while then sort-of liked it again. Here's why...
Reading the first 30% of this I could not put it down. It was exactly what I wanted 'Uncharted,' Indiana Jones,' Lara Croft' stuff. I was reading and thought wow! I'm at the climax (Act 3) of the story already, this is great.
Then I noticed it was only 30%. It already felt like the end of the book. After that, it went downhill and I can tell you the exact bit. A chase scene on the water with boats that lasted forever (and I don't need to know the type, model, year of build and carbon footprint of each individual boat on the river). The whole thing was so confusing as an action piece. I stopped reading the book for a month. It felt a) like total filler and 2) like a different author had popped in to write the scene. I later managed to finish but I was no longer in love with it as I had been at the beginning. Yes, it got very cliche but that okay. And to say it's over the top is an understatement. I was alright with the 'Rapas' because the rest of the world was pretty realistic but then it got more unbelievable. I like OTT action but this went a little too far for my taste.
Anyway, the good stuff, love the second timeline in the story it was incredible. Matthew is also very good at writing dialogue and quiet scenes (not the action so much). I like Matthew's writing and mind enough to try another of his books so I have purchased 'Hell Island.'
Reading the first 30% of this I could not put it down. It was exactly what I wanted 'Uncharted,' Indiana Jones,' Lara Croft' stuff. I was reading and thought wow! I'm at the climax (Act 3) of the story already, this is great.
Then I noticed it was only 30%. It already felt like the end of the book. After that, it went downhill and I can tell you the exact bit. A chase scene on the water with boats that lasted forever (and I don't need to know the type, model, year of build and carbon footprint of each individual boat on the river). The whole thing was so confusing as an action piece. I stopped reading the book for a month. It felt a) like total filler and 2) like a different author had popped in to write the scene. I later managed to finish but I was no longer in love with it as I had been at the beginning. Yes, it got very cliche but that okay. And to say it's over the top is an understatement. I was alright with the 'Rapas' because the rest of the world was pretty realistic but then it got more unbelievable. I like OTT action but this went a little too far for my taste.
Anyway, the good stuff, love the second timeline in the story it was incredible. Matthew is also very good at writing dialogue and quiet scenes (not the action so much). I like Matthew's writing and mind enough to try another of his books so I have purchased 'Hell Island.'

wendy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 December 2016Verified Purchase
As always another great book that you can not put down, I first read this book when I was in the Maldives 17 years ago that's when I started to get into Matthew Reilly books, finished all his latest one. So I decided to reread contest and temple again. Thank you Matthew Reilly for such great books look forward to the next one , which may not be for a year or so. But I can wait.

Gareth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reilly does it again!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 November 2010Verified Purchase
I think Matt Reilly is one of my favourite authors at the moment, his work is almost non-stop action from start to finish and this book is no different. It tracks the adventure of Prof Race in a quest to find a mysterious Incan idol made from an extra-terrestrial mineral that could have devastating consequences if it falls into the wrong hands. The book also follows the story of Santiago, a Spanish monk in the 1500's that is helping get the idol to it's current resting place rather than fall into the hands of the bloodthirsty conquistadors.
I got this book to read in the 4 weeks leading up to my holiday but it was so good I read it in less than half that time. If you enjoy this I would recommend looking up Reilly's Shane Schofield Ice Station & Jack West Jr Seven Ancient Wonders (Jack West Junior 1) series also as they are great reads too.
I got this book to read in the 4 weeks leading up to my holiday but it was so good I read it in less than half that time. If you enjoy this I would recommend looking up Reilly's Shane Schofield Ice Station & Jack West Jr Seven Ancient Wonders (Jack West Junior 1) series also as they are great reads too.
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William J.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A page turner and a half!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 March 2020Verified Purchase
I read these Matthew Reilly thrillers a few years ago. Now I've got them on Kindle, I'll enjoy them again, Impossible scenarios, but a thrill a second!

Mike Duncan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrilling read from cover to cover
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2019Verified Purchase
Matthew Reilly provides another exceptional page turner. I love his books, totally awesome for pure escapism .
Would definitely recommend for those who like fast action packed stories.
Would definitely recommend for those who like fast action packed stories.