Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsThis book has all of the action, thrills, and danger that I expect from Matthew Reilly.
Reviewed in Australia on 12 October 2019
Welcome back Matthew Reilly! I’m a long time MR fan and love the energy and extreme reality of his action-packed books. The latest book in the Jack West Jr. series is a winner. The big settings, the action, the impossible situations, and the clever escapes and outcomes are signature components of MR’s writing.
Having read all of the previous books in the series, I must mention that the one before this book (The Four Legendary Kingdoms) was my least favourite – It seemed to have ventured into an even more surreal world than that of the other books. MR fans know his books are over-the-top (think of a major motion picture with incredibly complex settings packed with traps, action, explosions, surprises, and extraordinary escapes). When the previous book (4) seemed to have crossed over to another realm I was worried that Jack’s story had passed its best. But, I’m very pleased to say that this new instalment, The Three Secret Cities, has reinvigorated the Jack West Jr. series.
Although it continues on from the ‘four’ book, its settings were grounded in a more real world, which I found easier to relate to and ‘believe’. As usual, the cast of characters was substantial, but even with all of their sub-plots in play, Jack still remained the core focus as he tried to save the world from oblivion. Without revealing anything specific, there were twists that I didn’t expect (nor hoped for) that knocked me for six. But that’s what books do – they draw you in, they engage you, they make you happy, they make you sad, they keep you hooked.
Jack West Jr. is back. This ‘three’ book in the series has all of the action, thrills, danger, complexity, and impossible escapes that I expect from Matthew Reilly. Thanks MR for continuing to share Jack with us.
