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The Eight  By  cover art

The Eight

By: Katherine Neville
Narrated by: Susan Denaker
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Publisher's summary

New York City, 1972 - A dabbler in mathematics and chess, Catherine Velis is also a computer expert for a Big Eight accounting firm. Before heading off to a new assignment in Algeria, Cat has her palm read by a fortune teller. The woman warns Cat of danger. Then an antiques dealer approaches Cat with a mysterious offer: He has an anonymous client who is trying to collect the pieces of an ancient chess service, purported to be in Algeria. If Cat can bring the pieces back, there will be a generous reward.

The south of France, 1790 - Mireille de Rémy and her cousin Valentine are young novices at the fortress-like Montglane Abbey. With France aflame in revolution, the two girls burn to rebel against constricted convent life - and their means of escape is at hand. Buried deep within the abbey are pieces of the Montglane Chess Service, once owned by Charlemagne. Whoever reassembles the pieces can play a game of unlimited power. But to keep the Game a secret from those who would abuse it, the two young women must scatter the pieces throughout the world....

And there's more to the story! Don't miss the sequel, The Fire.
©1988 Katherine Neville (P)2007 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Even readers with no interest in chess will be swept up into this astonishing fantasy-adventure....destined to become a cult classic." (Publishers Weekly)

“With alchemical skill, Neville blends modern romance, historical fiction, and medieval mystery...and comes up with gold.” (People)

“A big, rich, two-tiered confection of a novel...a rousing, amusing game.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

"Readers thrilled by The Da Vinci Code will relish the multi-layered secrets of The Eight.” (Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club)

What listeners say about The Eight

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent read

Do not let the negative reviews sway you away from this entertaining novel. The voice work done by the narrator is above par, giving a multi-layered performance with a large group of characters.

The novel itself is history, thriller, spy and quite a few other genres. If you are planning a long trip or just laying on a beach, this is the perfect novel to laze away hours enjoyably.

The sequel, The Fire, is a somewhat less novel, but should be listened to if not to revisit some old friends.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

Both the antagonists and protagonists were weak and inept at best. The situations that they got in were ridiculously portrayed. How do you cross a desert in a convertible, get seriously sun blistered , be exposed to 140 degree temperatures and then miraculously be able wonder thru a labyrinth and then scale a 40 ft. wall? This really fell flat.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great story!

intriguing story, stayed up all night to finish! I can't wait to read the squeal!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love, love, love this book.

This is one of my absolute favorite books and Susan Denaker does an outstanding job narrating‼️

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love this. ❤️

I loved the whole thing. I will read the second. 🔥 I'm starting it already. So excited. 😊

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Finally I have waited for years

I have read this book twice and I don't read books over. It is one of the best books. The tension that is built over the story is amazing. It's just an amazing book. I can't say enough.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I loved the travel back and forth thru time.

Wonderful story! From the late Seventeen hundreds to 1970s, lots of intrigue. Complex story that held my attention.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

64/32/16

I have the physical book and it's taken me years to read it I couldn't get past and parts it was so heartbreaking but I I'm glad that I caught it on audio to have the story told to me was even better than I imagined and I regret not reading it a long time ago this is one of my favorite books now

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfection!

I absolutely love this book. Katherine Neville has created a masterpiece of epic proportions: Action, humor, intrigue, politics, mystical mysteries, science, romance, historical re-imagining and one hell of a good ride. This may the best book I have ever read (and listened to)!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too long and too many details.

Hard to keep track of switching between time periods and characters. If you enjoy that kind of writing, you’ll love this book.

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