Search - The Eight

This took me forever to get through! I'm not sure why, since I enjoyed it, but it just seemed to get longer and longer as I went along. Well, up to page 400 or so, when things really started to take off!

Now, what to say about the story without giving too much away.... For most of the book, I found myself enjoying the modern storyline a bit more than the one in 18th century, although every now and again that would switch around. I think that was mainly because I enjoyed Catherine Velis's sense of humor, and you didn't see much like that in the earlier time period. The book is rich with details and appearances by famous figures, which, along with the plot, make it both fun and a bit overblown. The bits about the beginning of OPEC were very interesting to read, especially with the way fuel prices are once again a major issue. And all the little bits and pieces of information about the many locations in the story were fabulous! Perhaps that's why the book took me so long to read -- I didn't want to miss any of the nifty little details, and there's hardly a page without them!

Overall, a very good book. Not quite as great as I had heard -- and I figured out several of the twists in advance -- but a book that holds my attention for 600 pages with a plot based around a board game (blah!) has to be pretty great!

If you liked the DaVinci Code, than think of The Eight as a better written, better researched novel of the same genre, with a more complex plot. I couldn't put it down. I really liked the way Neville brought the past to life, and tied it to the modern narrative. Some parts are so jarringly real they are hard to read, but they drive the intensity of the book.

A great adventure / mystery read!

I've read this book twice, something I rarely do - and this book was equally satisfying both times. Katherine Neville does a great job of immersing the reader into both the 18th century and 20th century plotlines. There are rich characters, wonderful exotic locations, international intrigue and romance...what more could you ask for in a novel? A must-read in my opinion.

One of my top 5 books ever.

This was a fast moving story, or I should say 2 stories. One takes place in the 1700's and the other in the 1970's. The author did a great job of melding the 2 stories to a common goal - to figure out the magic formula of the eight. The heroines reminded me of female Indiana Jones's. It was a fun ride, although it was quite a long book.

Well it was okay at best. I think if you are a chess player you will enjoy this book better than I did. The historical part set in early 1800s was quite interesting, but modern day story I found quite boring.