Rating: 
Summary: Temple
Review: ... I'd rate it zero stars if that was an option. I've never taken the time to write a review, but I couldn't force myself to finish this book. It could have been a decent science fiction/adventure book if the author had done just a little bit of research into the U.S. military, which he seems to take pleasure in bashing. I suggest either he or his editor go on line before publishing any other books and doing just a little fact checking. Better luck next time.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best of the genre
Review: This was a decent book, but if you like it, you'll love Excavation by James Rollins. Read this one first, then Excavation. Trust me.
Rating:
Summary: You've got to be kidding?
Review: I said this about 100 times while I was reading this book. I picked it up on a whim at the bookstore... the synopsis sounded interesting and I needed something to read. Boy was this a bad decision. The book is so far fetched that it almost defies description. If you are at all inclined to want a believable story with well developed characters then stay away. The plot is contrived, the details are silly, the heros are underdeveloped, the bad guys are 2 dimensional, and the action defies the laws of physics. As many other reviewers have stated this is essentially an action movie in book format. I'm not sure if Mr. Rielly is trying specifically to write something that can be translated into a movie but if so I think it is too bad Roger Corman and Ed Wood are no longer around to make it. This is the only review I have ever written and this should tell you how strongly I feel about this book. I am still amazed that I read the whole thing but like a train wreck or a car accident I couldn't look away... I had to see how outrageous things could get.
Rating:
Summary: Need an action fix?
Review: Look no further than Matt Reilly. Many complain that his books are over-loaded with totally unbelievable action scenes and poorly researched facts...this is all true. But just like the best junk food sometimes you just have to indulge yourself. This is my second Reilly book so I knew what to expect. Though he may not be an artiste he sure as hell is entertaining. As I mentioned in my review of ICE STATION, with a little restraint this author could have written an intelligent thriller that would entertain more fully. But if you have a long plane ride or expect a lenghty wait in a doctor's waiting room take TEMPLE or ICE STATION with you. It definitly beats reading out-of-date TIME or NEWSWEEK magazines.
Rating: 
Summary: Cartoonish? Yes...but chock-filled with action!
Review: It would be sooooo easy to "diss" "Temple", the second novel by Aussie, Matthew Reilly. As a matter of fact, as you scan through some of the other reviews of this book, you find a lot of that. But, there are those,(like myself) who try and rise above that type of criticism and just take this book at the "face value" in which it was written. It's not intended to be anything more than a terrific action yarn. And, while it's not "great" literature, it will certainly give you your $5.99's worth! "Temple" is aptly described as "Indiana Jones meets Michael Crichton". There's plenty of military hardware and scientific technology for even the most avid "techo-geek". For those that enjoy graphic descriptions of battle scenes and "shoot-em-ups" there's plenty of that as well! The story begins with the search for an ancient idol that holds the key to a doomday weapon that a variety of military groups are seeking - all the way from members of the US Armed Forces to Neo-Nazis. When linguist, William Race, is recruited to translate an ancient manuscript that holds the secret to the location of the idol, all hell breaks loose! Who will get the idol first, those intending to use it to destroy the world or those trying to save it? Reilly takes the reader on a action joyride over the next 500 pages to the book's somewhat expected ending. Suspend your powers of logic, deduction and disbelief during that time and just enjoy the ride! There are some simply unbelievable situations that Race and his band encounter along the way, but there's little time to catch your breath as you're reading - so don't spend a lot of time "dissecting" the book. Though, in this reviewer's humble opinion, "Temple" is not as strong an offering as Reilly's first novel, "Ice Station", it WILL keep you reading and fill a few days with an entertaining story loading with copious amounts of escapism. And, after all, isn't that what we're looking for when we're trying to kill a few hours?
Rating: 
Summary: Temple of whom?
Review: This was a fun read from start to finish. I am a big fan of lost temples and artifacts, mixed with a high-action plot. This book did not disappoint. It has the stuff of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or Thomas Hopp's new Dinosaur Wars Counterattack, where the lost temple is 65 million years old and its strange creatures are dinosaurs.
Reilly's adventure keeps the pages turning. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: Non-stop action
Review: Usually, it's non-stop action movies that keep me on the edge of my seat. In this case, it's a non-stop action book that kept me rivetted. I read Ice Station first, and was thoroughly impressed. After not being able to put that book down, I had to go and read Temple. If you like action, this is the book for you. I can't wait to read his next novel, Area 7.
Rating:
Summary: Has "Flashbacks" of Greatness
Review: A race to obtain a mysterious Incan idol is the focal point of this book. Everyone is trying to be the first to reach it from the US Military to terrorist groups to German special police. The reason: the idol is made from a meteorite that can provide the source of power for an ultimate weapon. An ancient manuscript is the key to finding the location of the idol. This book has a lot more good points. When the main character is reading the ancient manuscript the story is excellant. The rest of the book is a mismash of Indiana Jones meets Die Hard. Additionally, the author throws in a pack of ancient mythical beasts that seem to never have their appetites satiated. Some of the suspense is really good. What I didn't like is that an ordinary guy is thrown into the mix and he does impossible things. Like guess a virtually impossible password in seconds and defeat trained terrorists with ease. Also, he has a few impossible escapes. Still there is enough in the book to make it worthy of a read. The "flashbacks' to the Incan era are worth reading just by themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Temple
Review: Aamzing. Absolutely amazing. The knowledge of the weapons and gadgets was really cool. The book was written wonderfully and I would Have to reccommend it. READ: AREA 7, ICE STATION!
Rating:
Summary: A book that will blow you away . . .
Review: . . . and maybe leave you scratching your head, too. On the up side, this book has some of the most inventive action scenes I've come across in any book I've ever read. Granted, some of them depend on ridiculously close timing (e.g., a helicopter blade just happening to move into a certain position at a certain moment), but this is escapist fiction in the Indiana Jones mold (it has the humor, the romance, and even a whip or two). There's a lot of suspense, and you don't know until the very end what's going to happen--except, perhaps, that lots of guns will be fired, and lots of people are going to end up as cannon fodder. On the down side, in some cases, Reilly erred by trying to explain things that might have been better left alone, in the process making statements that are just jarringly inaccurate. In particular, almost any time the characters speak of thyrium, the mysterious material that propels the book's plot, they say something that flies in the face of scientific knowledge. I also have to commend Reilly for attempting to throw in a math lesson of sorts, but it doesn't help his cause that the math doesn't quite agree with the rest of the story. These quibbles aside, though, Temple was still a riotous good time.
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