The Eight by Katherine Neville
Book Title: The Eight
Author: Katherine Neville
Genre: Mystery, Fiction
My Grade: A-
# of Pages: 598
Week Read: Week #4 (1/22 - 1/29/10)
Summary: New York City, 1972 - Catherine Velis is a computer expert for a Big Eight accounting firm. Before heading off to an assignment in Algeria, Cat is approached by an antiques dealer with a mysterious offer: His anonymous client is trying to collect the pieces of an ancient chess service, purported to be in Algeria. If Cat can bring them back, there will be a generous reward.
The south of France, 1790 - France is aflame with revolution, and two young novices - Mireille de Remy and her cousin Valentine - burn to rebel against their constricted convent life at Montglane Abbey. Now their means of escape is at hand. Buried deep within the abbey are the pieces of a chess service once owned by Charlemagne. Whoever has all the pieces can play a game of unlimited power. But to keep the Game a secret from those who would abuse it, the pieces must be scattered throughout the world.
My Thoughts: I've been living a lie. Why has no one told me? Why, after reading The Da Vinci Code, did no one turn to me and say, "If you thought that was good, read this!"? Katherine Neville definitely went above and beyond the excellence of Dan Brown. Plus, she was there first, in this genre of historical mystery I guess you could call it.
This book was enthralling. At times the dialogue was a little cliche and unrealistic, but that was easily passed over for the overall intelligence of the book. She wrote in such a way that while you may not understand chess, physics, historical figures, etc. you can follow the ideas of it all with ease, and she doesn't dumb it down either! There were moments where a sudden influx of dry facts came in and I found my eyes glazing over, but I kept through those because the payoff was going to be great and it definitely was. Everything was thought out, planned out and intelligently written. The characters seemed fleshed out, and while occasionally silly and cheesey, still fun additions to the story. Cheesey does run rampant at points in the book, but it seems to fit well with the classic "the game's afoot" theme of the book.
Most notably for me was that both story lines, were wonderful to follow. So many times in a book with two story lines that are later weaved together, one is so much more interesting than the other and it's that stupid one that makes the book just awful. That didn't happen with The Eight though. I was disappointed everytime one story took a break for the other one to start up again, but it was only a momentary disappointment because than I was back in another storyline again. It's hard to describe but I loved it, and it was the fact that both lead characters and both their stories were so well written that the book flowed along so well.
I'm cutting this review short because there aren't a lot more compliments I can pay to the book. If you like a good, fun, slightly cheesey, historical mystery than really pick up The Eight. I'm off to read the sequel that came out twenty years later in the hope that it's just as good.
Next Book: The Fire by Katherine Neville • review
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Author: Katherine Neville
Genre: Mystery, Fiction
My Grade: A-
# of Pages: 598
Week Read: Week #4 (1/22 - 1/29/10)
Summary: New York City, 1972 - Catherine Velis is a computer expert for a Big Eight accounting firm. Before heading off to an assignment in Algeria, Cat is approached by an antiques dealer with a mysterious offer: His anonymous client is trying to collect the pieces of an ancient chess service, purported to be in Algeria. If Cat can bring them back, there will be a generous reward.
The south of France, 1790 - France is aflame with revolution, and two young novices - Mireille de Remy and her cousin Valentine - burn to rebel against their constricted convent life at Montglane Abbey. Now their means of escape is at hand. Buried deep within the abbey are the pieces of a chess service once owned by Charlemagne. Whoever has all the pieces can play a game of unlimited power. But to keep the Game a secret from those who would abuse it, the pieces must be scattered throughout the world.
My Thoughts: I've been living a lie. Why has no one told me? Why, after reading The Da Vinci Code, did no one turn to me and say, "If you thought that was good, read this!"? Katherine Neville definitely went above and beyond the excellence of Dan Brown. Plus, she was there first, in this genre of historical mystery I guess you could call it.
This book was enthralling. At times the dialogue was a little cliche and unrealistic, but that was easily passed over for the overall intelligence of the book. She wrote in such a way that while you may not understand chess, physics, historical figures, etc. you can follow the ideas of it all with ease, and she doesn't dumb it down either! There were moments where a sudden influx of dry facts came in and I found my eyes glazing over, but I kept through those because the payoff was going to be great and it definitely was. Everything was thought out, planned out and intelligently written. The characters seemed fleshed out, and while occasionally silly and cheesey, still fun additions to the story. Cheesey does run rampant at points in the book, but it seems to fit well with the classic "the game's afoot" theme of the book.
Most notably for me was that both story lines, were wonderful to follow. So many times in a book with two story lines that are later weaved together, one is so much more interesting than the other and it's that stupid one that makes the book just awful. That didn't happen with The Eight though. I was disappointed everytime one story took a break for the other one to start up again, but it was only a momentary disappointment because than I was back in another storyline again. It's hard to describe but I loved it, and it was the fact that both lead characters and both their stories were so well written that the book flowed along so well.
I'm cutting this review short because there aren't a lot more compliments I can pay to the book. If you like a good, fun, slightly cheesey, historical mystery than really pick up The Eight. I'm off to read the sequel that came out twenty years later in the hope that it's just as good.
Next Book: The Fire by Katherine Neville • review
Back to the Book List.