For a bit of fun and a good read (particularly on holiday) then I would happily recommend Seven Deadly Wonders.From skyscrapers that defy gravity to tunnels below the sea, mankind’s civil engineering feats are all around us. I’ve already started the second of the series (the Six Sacred Stones) and I expect I’ll follow the series through to its conclusion. Everything in it is completely unrealistic and you know the good guys are going to come on top but I don’t care! It isn’t a literary masterpiece but it doesn’t have to be for me to enjoy it. I admit that I took my time through the first half of the book, but once it got going I could barely put it down. The various diagrams and drawings in the book help immensely as well without them I think I would have ended up a little lost. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was a particular highlight and was excellently described. I particularly enjoyed learning about the seven ancient wonders and the theory behind how they ended up hidden. So it sounds completely bonkers and it is! It is bonkers though in a completely knowing and joyous way. There is a bit of a freemasons vs catholic church vs the rest (of which Jack represents) vibe going on as well, but for me that was a minor thing that was necessary just to explain why everyone was hunting for these pieces. Jack is tasked by a number of small nations (including Ireland, Canada and Australia) to get the pieces before to both the USA and Europe, both of who want power for 1,000 years.

To complete the ritual, the top of the pyramid of Giza needs to be re-created the pieces of the top are spread out in 7 pieces that are hidden in the ancient 7 wonders of the world.

The premise is that there is a once in a 4,500 year event about to happen that could either cause catastrophe or if a ritual is performed at the right time, it will give power to one nation for a thousand years. As for his companions, they are equally likeable, particularly Wizard (a 60+ year-old academic) and Lilly (an 11-year old girl that can read ancient languages).Īs for the first novel in the series, Seven Deadly Wonders, it both manages to set the scene for the overall series and to be an exceptional adventure in its own right. It takes a while to get to know him in the books, but you end up warming to him a lot by the end of the first book. He is almost superhuman in his abilities to solve problems, both with his intelligence and his physical prowess.

The main protagonist, Jack West Jr, is an Australian ex-special forces operative with exceptional intelligence and knowledge, as well as an excellent group of companions.

Seven deadly wonders book