Matthew Reilly impeccably blends fact with fiction in The Tournament, which is bound to be another bestseller. Set in 16th century Constantinople, the tale starts to unravel after the worlds ultimate chess contest takes a murderous turn. The powerful Sultan of the Ottoman Empire invited every kingdom in Europe to send its own representative in to participate in the distinguished event, but chaos reigned once one of his guests ends up as a victim of an assassination. This led Roger Ascham, one of the delegates in the competition, to spring into action and take charge in the investigation of the crime. Along for the ride with him is his young protg, Bess, wholl eventually be known as Queen Elizabeth I. Bess grows up in front of the readers as the succeeding events shape her into the magnanimous figure that shes destined to become. Interested yet? Reilly wont give any reasons for you to not feel that way. The Tournament is as far away as possible from your generic narrative of murder, mystery, and intrigue, as the best-selling author pulled no punches in writing this one. The story is unpredictable, unrelenting, and unapologeticall elements of classic Matthew Reilly. If youre a fan of his previous works, you certainly wont be disappointed.

Whilst initially it was hard to ingest the story (the main character is Queen Elizabeth) as I am a history buff, I soon settled to the narrative and quite enjoyed this book. Mathew Reillys popularity is easy to understand as The Tournament is easy to read and holds your interest. It wasnt my favourite book (I prefer to read non-fiction) but I can see why Reilly is so popular.

Chess, as you know, is a game played with pawns. In Matthew Reillys The Tournament, humans become the pawns in the ultimate chess game of death. The tale begins with an invitation from the feared Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to the royals of Europe, as each kingdom was told to send their finest player to participate in the grandiose competition. Being one of the delegates, scholar Roger Ascham finds himself in the center of the following events, which includes the assassination of one of the Sultans high-profile guests. With him is Bess, his pupil and future Queen Elizabeth I. But before she finds herself on the throne, Bess must first help her teacher in solving the mysterious murder. This pits Bess and Roger in a twisty and dangerous mission to uncover the truth. And if youve read Reillys previous works, you should be well aware by now that you can expect the unexpected from author.

The Tournament effectively showcases Matthew Reillys strengths as a storyteller. The narrative is engaging from start to end, and its peppered with thrills (that arent of the cheap variety), twists, and gut punches that would make it hard for you to drop the book once youve taken a dive into its world. Sleepless nights are almost a guarantee. Needless to say, the best-selling author is on the top of his game with this latest effort.