The Great Zoo of China By Matthew Reilly - Book Review

It's very rare that I award a novel five stars but the latest novel from the pen of Matthew Reilly deserves nothing less. On the face of it this is simply Jurassic Park with Dragons, and although the two stories do share similar themes (in the interview at the end Matthew even acknowledges Michael Crichtons famous novel to be one of his favourites) they are very different.

The main difference of course is the pacing. I had a few issues with the pacing in Jurassic Park; there was too much scientific explaination which only served to slow the action. This is definitely not the case here and after a fairly slow start the novel quickly shifts into gear and the action doesn't let up until the final page.
As with any Matthew Reilly novel the characterization is spot on, although the main villain is pretty generic and therefore forgettable.

Matthew Reilly has often stated in interviews that he writes action blockbusters and it's definitely the case here. I can only imagine the research that went into this book but it pays off because the dragons are described in such detail you can almost hear the flapping of the wings as these great beasts take to the airs. A novel that deserves multiple re - reads.

A Real Page Turner - A Modern Fairy Tale

An Anniversary Poem that I wrote for my wife.

Everyone loves a fairy tale,
Of which there are a few.
Tales of beautiful princesses and handsome princes,
And the standard witch with her brew.
As children we listened intently to the stories being told,
Secure in the knowledge a happy ending would unfold.

Our modern fairy tale began on the day we met.
You were destined to be my princess,
Only you didn't realize it yet.
The supporting characters played their part,
Which was to love and provide a guiding light,
Totally oblivious to the story that they'd helped to start.

I didn't find you in a locked tower,
Strange but true;
And along the way I didn't fight a dragon breathing fire,
Compared to the classics our obstacles were few.
But regardless we fought them together, side by side,
It became worthwhile on the day you became my bride.

We made our vows,
And the stories beginning came to a close.
But I hear you ask 'Were they happy in the end?'
A very good question I suppose.
It's true I've taken the vow for better or worse a tad too far,
But our family has now grown, a legacy ensured.
And as far as I'm concerned as long as your by my side a happy ending is assured.

Doctor Who: Engines of War By George Mann Book Review

Classic Who meets new series. That's the best way to describe this epic novel from the pen of George Mann. When we were first introduced to the war Doctor in the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor he was very much a bridge between old and new Who. He was the unknown Doctor who fought in the Time War and very little was known about him, and truth be told this is still the case.  This novel tells the story of the events leading to the War Doctor's decision to use the moment and thus end the war. Some people have said that it would be better off if we left the Time War safe in our imaginations,  but I disagree and remain very glad that we've been given this unique glance into a period that the Doctor himself would rather forget. The novel reads like a cross between the five Doctors and one or two entries in the Virgin New Adventures range, specifically Blood Harvest and Damaged goods. If you've ever been fascinated by the Time War this novel is probably what you've been waiting for.

Yours in Writing
Jez Cartner

Troll Mountain Episode Three By Matthew Reilly - Ebook Review

Sorry for the delay in posting the review for the final installment in the Troll Mountain series but unfortunately life got in the way. So the important question that needs to be answered about Troll Mountain Episode three is does it live up to the previous two installments, and the answer is a resounding yes. The action never lets up and we finally learn the secret of the famed elixir that has led our hero to Troll Mountain in the first place. While the story is a fitting conclusion to an epic story, the most interesting thing about the third part is obviously the comparisons between the trolls of troll mountain and the elders of Rafs villiage, especially the cowardly Bader. This was fascinating to see and certainly illustrates the dark side of humanity that is present in us all. Raf remains the hero because he isn't out for himself but rather he is risking everything for the most important person in his life. This is why he's the hero and why we ultimately cheer at his final stand against the villiage at the story's climax.

In all this has been a fascinating serial from the pen of Matthew Reilly and one that has been a joy to read.  look forward to his future endeavours with well deserved anticipation. I absolutely recommend Troll Mountain to anyone who loves fantasy and serialized fiction.

Yours in writing
Jez Cartner

https://www.amazon.com/author/jeremycartner

Troll Mountain Episode 2 By Matthew Reilly - Ebook Review

All three volumes of Matthew Reilly's fantasy saga Troll Mountain have now been released so I'm a bit behind with my reviews as life has got in the way, but I'm determined to catch up. So we come to episode two of Matthew Reilly's epic fantasy adventure and as episode one dealt with the introduction of the premise and the characters I'm pleased to say episode two doesn't hold back and gets straight into the action. We finally reach Troll mountain, but before then our heroes come under heavy attack from a bunch of hungry and sarcastic Hob Goblins. Once we arrive at Troll Mountain though the action never stops. We meet the King of the Trolls, his son and the she troll he's betrothed to and our hero finally locates the highly coveted elixir before being captured and facing almost certain death.
This is a brilliant episode with only one real drawback, and that is having to buy the next installment to discover how everything turns out for our band of heroes. I personally can't wait.

Troll Mountain Episode 1 By Matthew Reilly - Ebook review

I have been a fan of Matthew Reilly for quite some time now, indeed I had the privilege of attending one of his book launches once and found the man himself to be incredibly welcoming and friendly, and when you follow a author you are often taken on a journey as the writer in question develops and grows and occasionally will step out of their comfort zone and attempt something different. While I have enjoyed each and everyone of his novels they mostly follow the same formula, which is usually an action packed movie in book form featuring tough but likeable characters. The last two projects, The Tournament and Troll Mountain have been like a breath of fresh air.

I'll save my opinion of The Tournament for another day and solely concentrate on the first episode of Troll Mountain for this review. It's a departure for three important reasons. Firstly it's being released in a serialised format, secondly like Hover Car Racer it's being released as an ebook with presumably a paper back edition to be released at a later date and thirdly it's a fantasy story that reads like a cross between The Hobbit and The Dark Tower series. The story is set in undetermined time and features a tribe of humans who live in fear of the trolls of troll mountain. The humans and trolls are dying from a terrible illness, but there are rumours that the trolls have found the cure in the form of a fabulous elixir.A young man named Raf is spurred into action when his sister Kira succumbs to the disease and the tribe refuse to help him and decides to journey alone to Troll Mountain and steal the elixir for himself and so begins his seemingly impossible quest through dangerous swamps, haunting forests filled with wolves, hobgoblins and of course rogue trolls.

Being the first volume in the series a lot of time is spent setting up the locations, characters and of course the quest to Troll mountain in which our main character sets out to find the elixir to save his sister which is of course the perfect way to hook the reader. As a teaser for the rest of the series it works a treat and certainly whets the appetite for future installments. Personally based on the strength of this first episode I can't wait to see how the rest of the journey unfolds.

Jez Cartner
Sunday 13/04/2014