Contest

This book is for those who like faced paced, action, sci-fi. I like survival stories, competitions and alien interaction. This one ticks all the boxes. Nicely written, very well performed. Great story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Hard to put down. The story introduces impossible scenarios and then produces exciting explanations of the hero's way out. This is the first of the Matthew Reilly best sellers, and I'm glad I started with this one first. Have added the rest of his books to my wish list and look forward to reading them all. Makes me proud to be an Aussie like the author.
Great stuff.

fast furious brilliant

the beginning

love him reading matthew reilly's books

the ultimate contest not only a physical test but one of endurance and mental flexibility

More story & less procedural. More dialog & less description of the action.

I am currently listening to another Matthew Reilly,

Did not help drive any suspense.

All of the above, the senselessness of the

Matthew Reilly is a good action/adventure author. You can tell this was an early effort of his. I'd advise to try later books.

Well, this was a precious credit, and about ten hours, thrown away. The kind of first-person shooter plots you would see in one of those made-for-TV movies on the Sci-Fi channel. The author basically made a whole story out of an ancient Roman gladiator fight in the Colliseum. Complete with a monster to eat the survivor, unless the unseen emperors give him a thumbs-up. (I kept visualizing that amorphous orange furry monster that was always chasing Bugs Bunny every time "The Karanadan" appeared.) One of the fighters even has a breastplate supposedly taken from an ancient Roman. Two "contestants" are shape-shifters, supposedly so they can take human form to open door handles (really now, someone with three arms could not?). A couple are bug-like (of course). Throw in a reptile and and an ape, and - voila! - what an original cast. Of course, the hero, who is a doctor that never exerted himself in his life, is able to out-smart and out-fight the best of the universe. Most improbably, he seems to fall right into participating in this "contest" with hardly an objection. Then there's the obligatory oh-so-cute young daughter and the short little alien helpers (think of the Martian in the Bugs Bunny cartoons). It's got everything (except a decent sotry). Glad it's over. I should have known better.

Loved this book, very cool and conceptual. Entertaining too the last and engagin on any number of levels. Mangans Narration is quite good as well.

don't waste your hard-earned money on a nonsense story......drivel

I could tell this was one of Matthews first. Not my favorite.