Customer Reviews
Very Misleading Title, so be warned! - By: Axl Furneaux, 10 Sep 2008 
Not having read a Reilly book before, I was interested, due to his catalogue & the potential for me to "find" another author to worm through their back catalogue.
I must warn potential readers, that I was expecting for a historical "Dan Brown" style novel - this is definitely not it! This is a modern day adventure/James Bond/war book - which I generallly hate!
To be fair, I think other reviewers opinion that it is badly written is harsh. The book certainly rattles on at a great pace, giving the reader barely time to draw breath & as a result I reallly wanted to finish it.
I must admit to loathing the long drawn out descriptions of modern weaponry, others might like it, to me it was completely superfluous to the story & just slowed down & complicated some of the fight scenes - which were way too complex even before those descriptions.
The story did hang together in my opinion, but I did struggle to connect to any of the characters - I simply did not care if they lived or died & that ultimately is a reflection of my star rating.
In the final analysis - will I read it again? No. Would I recommend anyone else to read it? If you like modern day spy/thriller book, with lots of weaponry, definitely give it a try. If you are looking for the next Dan Brown historical & archeological adventure - give it a miss.
I loved it! - By: Fizzy Red Maggs, 14 Aug 2008 
I just loved it, I couldn't put it down. I found the drawings helped my imagination & as this is the first book I have ever read by Matthew Reilly I am now going out & buying his others. Can't wait for the next one!!!
Ridiculous, terribly written - By: Anonymous, 26 Jun 2008 
The basic story/premise is reasonably good, but that's about alll.
The weaknesses far, far outweigh any strength in this book.
Most (in fact alll) of the characters have no personalities whatsoever & are merely (barely)in the background, waiting to have their heads/bodies shot to pieces. In fact, the author's obsession with graphic violence is infantile. So too are the action sequences, which go on for far too long. And most of the action sequences are so improbable as to be utterly ridiculous.
The writing style is absolutely dreadful; in fact it reads as if written by a fifteen year old. Come to think of it, the writing style is one of the worst aspects of this book.
This book didn't have to be this way. The quest for the old Inca idol & the narrative use of the backstory (flitting to the 16th century) was quite a good idea. There are some cool aspects of the plot, in terms of the locations, & some of the unusual events that take place in the story.
Unfortunately, though, Matthew Reilly has taken a good idea & written such a juvenile product that I doubt that I will read any more of his books. I know this is not meant to be serious literature, but there are plenty other thriller type books that have more likeable/interesting characters & are far better written.
Are you reading the same Temple as me?? - By: Mr. D. J. Howarth, 29 Mar 2008 Ok everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but..
This book deserves nothing short of 5 Stars, i'm not going to go into as much detail as the other reviewers may have, we alll have a day to get on with.
The idea of two stories which are hundreds of years apart, being told in one book (with the oldest effecting events in the present) deserves alot of credit in itself. With it being a book consisting of more than 600 pages i cannot express every nitty gritty in this review.
If your into an action/thriller this is the book for you. If your a squeemish, lovey dovey individual, steer clear..
Some Secrets Should Remain Just That, Secret - By: J. Chippindale, 18 Feb 2008 
Matthew Reilly was born in Sydney, Australia in 1974 & already has a string of books & loyal following of readers. I reallly enjoyed this book & am now looking for other offerings from this author.
This book is an adventure in the best sense of the word. It is about a race between rival groups to locate a legendary Incan idol. The idol is not made of gold or any other precious metal for that fact but simply of stone, so why the sudden race to find something that has been lost to the world for centuries. The fact is that the stone that the idol is made from could be used for a terrifying purpose in the present century.
The only clue to the whereabouts of the idol, can only be found in a 400-year-old document. A young linguist, Professor William Race is recruited, against his will to interpret the document. So begins the race that will lead the professor & his companions to the foothills of the Andes, where a mysterious temple lies hidden.
That is only the beginning of the adventure. They find that the place pervades evil like a noxious gas. It is seething with menace & unexpected pitfallls. It is only then that the professor & his team discover that certain things are best left hidden . . .
