If you have twelve labours to perform do you get an energy drink sponsorship deal?
Jack West Jr was retired. The Fifth Greatest Warrior has saved the world and become a family man. But his old nemesis Iolanthe has recruited him against his will to compete in The Games. This battle to the death takes representatives from the Four Legendary Kingdoms to compete to become the champion. Oh, and that champion allows an ancient machine to stop a rogue galaxy from destroying the Milky Way. The galaxy, not the chocolate bar.
With few exceptions - The Tournament, Seven Deadly Wonders - I've loved Matthew Reilly's novels. They made by taking pure adrenaline, injected with amphetamines, and poured into a stack of paper. The stakes are always high and time is always short. This time Jack West Jr has to save the galaxy by winning a tournament. No doubt Reilly's next novel will involve saving the universe...
I was a little wary of The Four Legendary Kingdoms. While The Great China Zoo was a return to form, The Tournament was somewhat of a letdown for me. There was also the fact that Seven Deadly Wonders, the first Jack West Jr novel, was my least favourite book from Reilly. But any fears I had were well and truly stabbed in the neck. I can't wait for the next instalment in this series.