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.

A fantastic story! While it is different to what Reilly normally writes (fast-paced, action packed, technology filled adventures), this story holds its own. The location and plot are written beautifully and keep readers entranced. The characters are highly likeable. Reilly does a fantastic job writing as a young girl. Bessie is sweet and yet wise beyond her years. Ascham is a loveable and protective mentor who understands that a young princess needs to learn the ways of the world, both good and bad. Not recommended for younger readers because of some of the scenes involved but for an older audience, a brilliant read that includes historical figures.

I loved this book!! I never thought a book about chess would be so exciting. But the story flowed with mystery and action and you never have time to get bored.

And in true Matthew Reilly style there was a hero, just a different kind of hero (a Sherlock Holmes style one with some unique gifts). It may not have had guns, maghooks, bullets flying everywhere but it was definitely a suspense driven novel and there was some death - just none that really affected you as a reader who is invested in those characters, which made it fine by me because I hate it when a favourite character dies.

The scenes about the chess game itself were actually very intense and I found myself reading them as if I wasn't readying about a chess match. It was more the "war" going on between the players and the reaction of the people around them that was the focal point.

I also loved the fact that the future queen of England, Elizabeth, was used in these books. If I hadn't known it was a fiction novel I could have been convinced it was based on part of her life - because who really knows if something like that had happened if it was kept quiet. But with Elizabeth in the stories it brings about the believability of the era that the book was written in. We all know of the world Queen Elizabeth I had lived in, seen it in movies, on tv, read it in other books and it made it easy to picture everything that happened in the story with the style of the era in our minds - not that Matthew Reilly didn't describe everything that needed to be described anyway but he chose a character and a time that people already knew which just made it that much easier for readers to relate to.

I didn't once question the book - where it was heading, who was the culprit and that sort of thing. I just wanted to read the book and let it unravel the way it was intended. And the ended was fantastic. It finished the way it should have (even though a little on the sad side because of what happened because of the guilty party being discovered) but again, in true Matthew Reilly style, it finished on a high note and I was left very satisfied with the book.

Well done again Matthew Reilly. You have produced another fantastic novel and one I was not prepared for!! This is the reason you are my favourite author. You'll never cease to surprise me :-)

Matthew Reilly has once again redesigned his storytelling in this action-packed historical thriller. Replacing guns and explosions with pawns and queens Reilly has not only rearranged his storytelling, but created a compelling mystery that will keep you reading long into the night.

The story is told through the eyes of young and impressionable Queen Elizabeth I who attends the world's greatest chess tournament with her tutor Roger Ascham. When a horrific murder takes place at the tournament Ascham is chosen to solve the grizzly crime. With Elizabeth thrust into the mix we are lead on a gripping journey that leaves the reader constantly guessing.

Although Reilly has written far better action novels this is still a great departure from his other books and proves his flexibility as an author. The mystery itself is quite interesting and engaging, but compared to others it may not be the best out there. Saying that though the book is still thoroughly enjoyable for any fan or mystery, action or Reilly himself. With themes of corruption, innocence and plenty of chess references 'The Tournament' is an enjoyable and absorbing the novel that is sure to please any Reilly fan.

At first as I started The Tournament by Matthew Reilly I was not fully convinced. I struggled to accept this character was a young Queen Elizabeth the first.

However as the story evolved I found myself enjoying it. In particular the relationship between young Bess and Ascham.

Overall an easy undemanding read.

1564. A powerful Sultan of the easts Islamic empire. Europes finest chess players. The worlds grandest chess tournament. Murder. Chaos. The future queen of England. All of these elements collide in The Tournament, the latest novel of the brilliant Matthew Reilly. This new tale is Matthew Reilly at his finest, as it features the best-selling authors highly accessible and exhilarating style of storytelling in a setting that he hasn't explored before. Yes, the book features kings, sultans, and other affluent figures; however, it ultimately centers on the story of an unsophisticated young lady named Bess. Shes the apprentice of Roger Ascham, the scholar that was initially designated by his king to compete in the chess tournament and the one tasked to solve the assassination that sets the story into a frenzied motion. The thrillingand brutalevents serve as building blocks for Bess wholl eventually become Queen Elizabeth I. You see, The Tournament isn't your standard murder-and-mystery fareits so much more than that. After all, Matthew Reilly penned this narrative, which is bound to be recognised as a modern classic.

Ive read a few other Matthew Reilly books: Hell Island and Hover Car Racer, but I feel like The Tournament is Matthew Reilly like Ive never read before. At the same time, everything that makes his stories so enthrallingthe adventure, intrigue, mystery, twists, and of course the actionare included in Reillys latest novel. The Tournament presents a fresh canvas for Reilly to paint his tale on, as the story turns back the hands of time all the way to 1546. Be wary that this is historical fiction, with extra emphasis on the fiction part. Reilly took a lot of historical liberties throughout the story, which is something that a staunch historian may not appreciate.

The narrative begins with the invitation of Suleiman the Magnificent, the powerful and feared Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, to every king in Europe. The invitation states: You are invited to send your finest player to compete in a chess tournament to determine the champion of the known world. The novel follows the exploits of the English delegation thats led by respected scholar Roger Ascham. He is accompanied by his pupil, Bess, wholl be at the forefront of the following events. And because this is no ordinary competition and the stakes are sky high, playing fair isnt whats on everybodys mind. What shouldve been a majestic and diplomatic event soon becomes an affair of bloodshed, as one of the Sultans esteemed guests is murdered. This barbaric tale of betrayal and intrigue unravels before young Bess. Pitted in this game of death chess, Aschams student grows throughout the story, with each turn shaping her into who shell be in the future - a major historical figure whom I wont disclose Ill let you find out for yourself.

There were parts of this book I really enjoyed; it has so much more than the run of the mill murder- mystery narrative; its also the journey and transformation of a woman wholl eventually be known as royalty which I enjoyed reading about. Matthew Reilly takes readers on a ride that seems to be on overdrive from start to finish. This one is bound to be another bestseller.