Modern day Herculean labours

Matthew Reilly’s latest venture ‘The Four Legendary Kingdoms’ has hardcore action and elaborate stunts making it a fast-paced read

Matthew Reilly’s fourth outing with Jonathan James West Jr. is a fast paced action thriller that has history and lure woven finely into its mythos. If the reader can suspend disbelief and delve deep into the conspiratorial they would find themselves amazed and enamoured.

To ones who aren’t familiar with Jack West and his previous adventures -- Jack is an ex-military captain, who is one of the five greatest warriors of earth. He has saved earth from catastrophe more than once and is quite familiar with the hero business.

As a cosmic level threat that could vaporise earth hurtles through space he is involuntarily dragged into the middle of averting disaster.

It has been 10 years since his last adventure, where he found out he was one among the five greatest warriors of the ages alongside Moses, Jesus, Genghis Khan and Napoleon Bonaparte. He has settled into a retired life with his wife, two dogs and daughter in the Australian outback.

His weekend takes an unexpected turn when he is kidnapped and forced to participate in a series of challenges resembling a cross between gladiator matches and Olympics. As he bumps into old acquaintances and foes, makes new friends and enemies; he discovers ancient truths that upend all his previous beliefs.

The puzzles and mazes through which Jack is forced to survive are complicated and convoluted by design as they are meant to be. The schemas figures coupled with the descriptions bring them alive and allow the readers to fully appreciate the magnitude of difficulty and threat they pose to Jack and his companions.

Lily is Jack’s adopted daughter, who is a descendent of an ancient Egyptian priesthood, Alby is Lily’s nerdy genius childhood friend, Mae is Jack’s bad ass mother well versed in deep dark world history, Stretch and Pooh bear are skilled assassins and Jack’s buddies and Zoe is Jack’s wife off to investigate the Marina Trench.

Each character in the series is brilliantly etched out with intricate and complex back stories making each one of them integral to the progression. Too often straw figure characters are created just to pad a tale out; they add to real value and just fill pages.

The author’s deliberate effort to establish each character no matter how little time they may have in the book helps the reader connect and immerse themselves into their lives. Readers are invested in the characters and the outcomes of each plot.

This can at times be frustrating when you realise a character’s back story led to a mere two lines of action before he/she is gone from the book.

This tale serves its purpose as a set up for the end half of the Jack West series. It nicely ties put the previous plotlines while opening up new possibilities.

However, as a standalone tale the book falls short. It seems rushed at places with a focus on future books than the current one. There are still some significant moments though sparse and thinly spread out.

The cruelty that comes with apathy and abuse of power is finely depicted. Jack West time and again baffles the expectations of both, the reader and the characters in the book making for some refreshing unexpectedly pleasant reading.

By: Shirish Amirineni