The Eight

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading!
Review: This is absolutely one of the best books I've ever read. Her intertwining of history, romance, alchemy,and suspense make this book incredibly hard to put down. I actually read the whole thing in two sittings. I would highly recommend this book to anyone: new at reading or an old bookworm. All will enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful book!
Review: I read The Eight after having read A Calculated Risk, on a whim. I did enjoy A Calculated Risk, but The Eight was a better book by far. Katherine Neville has a wonderful talent for creating realistic characters and situations and also for weaving in all the separate elements that made it so hard to put down. She combines known historical figures with fictitious events that makes you see history in another light. Beginning with the fate of two orphans who begin a journey in France, and skipping ahead to the 1970s to a woman who also begins a journey, The Eight follows the paths of these women on theit quests to dicover the secret of a mysterious chess set that could forever change their fates and the fate of the world. Encountering power-hungry characters and those who try to protect them, they don't know who to trust and are forced to make decisions to alter the fate of the world. Full of small mysteries and puzzles that lead to the secret of a dangerous game,this book is wonderfully written and is a good read, one that can be read over and over again. I am now reading The Magic Circle, and hope it is as good as The Eight.

Rating:
Summary: The Best!
Review: Intelligent, fast-paced, intrigueing! This is one book that you won't be able to put down. From the first paragraph the author skillfully draws you into a facinating tale of a mysterious chess board. The characters are well-developed, the plot thickens with every chapter and the suspense does not end until the very last page.

Rating:
Summary: Historical Fiction at its Best!
Review: This must be the absolute best book I have ever read in my entire life. Ms. Neville must have spent hours upon hours researching the French Revolutionary War and the chess set once used by Charlamagne. My only question is when is some producer going to grab up this novel and make it into a mini-series?

Rating:
Summary: I want to start a cult around this book
Review: It has ruined my ability read other books featuring/mentioning Tallyrand or Napoleon without thinking "but they would never behave that way!" where such a conclusion was entirely based on my reading (and rereading, and rereading) of The Eight. I have probably encouraged over 100 people to read this book, including almost everyone on a mailing list, and I feel that the mystery, adventure and collection of hidden meanings and ideas in this book makes it a voyage each time I read it. And since voyaging is victory, that's a good thing!

Rating:
Summary: The Eight
Review: The Eight by Katherine Neville is a fabulous piece of entertainment so long as its readers understand that's what it is - entertainment. For a novel which jumps between two very distant time periods the author manages not to drop any of the balls she's juggling (interesting plot, historical accuracy, interesting characters who form complex relationships). Also great by this author is A Calculated Risk, avoid The Magic Circle at all costs, it is by far the weakest of her books.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Very Best of this Genre
Review: If you like mystery-suspense-historical thrillers ,the kindthat keep you entralled as you read into the wee small hours of themorning ,then get this book .Pure unadulterated FUN from start tofinish. This may not be , "GREAT MODERN AMERICAN LITERATURE ", but it is one great story .Her followup efforts have not been as good as this ,but much of that stems from the fact this has literally become a cult classic . Don't let anyone dissuade you--if you are looking for a book that will keep you spellbound over a weekend ,this is it. If you liked the ,"Indiana Jones ", movies or ,"Romancing The Stone", you'll love this novel . Storytelling at its best. Bravo to you ,Katherine Neville.

Rating:
Summary: The best book ever
Review: This is my favorite book of all time. I love historical fiction and this is the best. It is a great mix of history and adventure!

Rating:
Summary: A little too long, but fun!
Review: I'm not usually a reader of mystery novels, but the "blurbs" on the cover intrigued me. The writing was superb. Occassionally, the book would bog down a bit, but the story - particularly the description of the two women driving across the desert, was quite good. Surprising ending.

Rating:
Summary: "In a word, Wow."
Review: A co-worker suggested this book to me just last week. I bought it and started reading it. I could not put it down. It is quite a read but well worth it. It follows two different story lines that take place two hundred years apart, involving a mysterious ancient chess set, the secret it holds and the many players who have risked life and limb to attain it. The chapters go back and forth between 1790 and 1972 weaving the parallel story lines ever closer together. With every chapter the story gets deeper, more complex and MUCH harder to put down. This one is a don't miss.