The Six Sacred Stones - Matthew Reilly

The Six Sacred Stones is the second book in the Jack West series, my boyfriend's favourite collection of books which I promised him I'd read. I read the first book last year and have now finally got round to the second (oops).

This novel is an eclectic mish-mash of genres - you've got action, fantasy, history, mythology... I'd liken the series to the Da Vinci Code films if you're wondering whether you'd like them. Our protagonist, Jack West Jr, is an ex-soldier and all-round badass (I imagine Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible vibes) who has finally settled down to a peaceful farm life with his adopted daughter in rural Australia.

That is, until their farm is raided and they realise that the pursuits of the first novel are not yet complete - in fact, that was only the beginning. With the help of a super team of skilled soldiers, decoders and history experts, Jack West Jr is in a race against time to collect six pillars from around the world which fit together to form a magical artefact. This artefact will prevent the coming of what can only be described as the end of the world, however Jack and his team are not the only ones in hot pursuit.

From Stonehenge to Egypt to the Congo, the skilled team search for the first two pillars in the puzzle before the deadline of a planetary alignment which will trigger the 'Machine', potentially saving all of humanity. Other task forces are also on the hunt, but for far more selfish purposes.

This novel, like the first, is certainly gripping - I'll admit that I couldn't put it down. I'm not normally a reader of action, and the slightly far-fetchedness of this novel had me grinning to myself at times. However, I loved the elements of mythology and history which Reilly blends expertly to create this work of fiction based on real events and real artefacts. If you want an action-packed, gripping read which will transport you away from everyday life, why not give the Jack West Jr series a go?