Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Book Review: The Eight by Katherine Neville and Additional Work

By Kristy McCaffrey

I must confess that Katherine Neville is a favorite author of mine, and her book, The Eight, is one of my all-time treasured novels. Although her portfolio of work is small, her complicated plots are filled with everything from science to history to symbolism. Her women are intelligent, her heroes bold and swoon-worthy, and her stories will keep you on your toes. If you've never tried Neville then begin with The Eight, the best of the bunch. While the rest of her work doesn't match the scope and intensity of this beloved classic, each of her books offers hours of reading pleasure.

Visit Katherine Neville's wonderful website here.


The Eight
by
Katherine Neville

This epic novel alternates between two women—Catherine Velis, a computer expert living in New York City in 1972, and Mireille de Rémy, a novice at Montglane Abbey in the south of France in 1790. Their fates are intertwined due to the Montglane Chess Service, an ancient (and possibly magical) chess set once owned by Charlemagne. As both women are compelled into searching for the chess pieces scattered around the world, their lives are forever changed, because entering the Game means a race for unlimited power. This novel was published in the 1970s but still holds up today. Ms. Neville has woven fiction around history, with many famous players showing up—Catherine the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, and French mathematician Fourier—and the resulting story is so seamless that you will be hard-pressed to distinguish fact from fabrication. She also deeply explores the science behind her fictional Montglane Service; you won’t be disappointed by the revelations. I guarantee you’ll never look at the game of chess the same again. This is a gripping, hard-to-put-down novel that will make you feel smarter from having read it. I highly recommend.

Find The Eight at Amazon

*****


The Fire
by
Katherine Neville

The Fire is a follow-up to The Eight and features many characters from that book, namely Cat Velis and Alexander Solarin, who is now her husband. This story centers around their daughter, Alexandra. Like her father, she’s a chess prodigy, but when the book opens, she hasn’t played in years. I won’t discuss the circumstances of why because it’s a huge spoiler—and there are a few additional shocking plot twists along the way, so keep reading. You’ll definitely want to get to the end. As in The Eight, the characters are caught up in a hunt for pieces from a famous (and fictitious) chess set that dates back hundreds of years and is entwined with alchemical mysteries. Alexandra must join forces with an adversary from her childhood, Ukrainian Chess Master Vartan Azov, who’s also not-too-shabby in the looks department. There’s secrecy, riddles, science, mysticism, and a dash of romance, along with a dual story set in 1822 that eventually intersects with modern day. The ending was a bit too obscure for me, but Ms. Neville has written a clever plot populated with engaging characters. I was quite swept away with the story.

Find The Fire at Amazon

*****


The Magic Circle
by
Katherine Neville

The Magic Circle is an ambitious novel, and for that I commend Ms. Neville. However, it was a challenging book to read. I loved the heroine, Ariel, but the family relationships—and there are many limbs on the tree—became increasingly difficult to follow. By the end, I really had no idea who was related to who, and the romantic entanglements between ‘cousins’ left me feeling a bit off-kilter. However, there’s such an abundance of history here (a lengthy backstory starring none other than Jesus) and an odd side-story involving Hitler, that it’s clear that Neville worked hard on this massive book. My favorite character—Sam—didn’t have enough screen time, but Ariel was a strong protagonist, if not a little too trusting of the men in her life. Despite my frustrations with this novel, it's definitely worth a read.

Find The Magic Circle at Amazon

*****


A Calculated Risk
by
Katherine Neville

Verity Banks is the youngest female executive at one of the largest banks in the world. When her boss sabotages her chance to become Director of Security at the Federal Reserve, she decides to do something daring—steal from the bank, use it to earn 30 million dollars, and return the money before anyone realizes what she’s done. To aid her in this quest, she joins forces with a former mentor—a brilliant computer scientist, Dr. Zoltan Tor. This book was published in the 1990s, and the technology reflects it, but it offers a fascinating peek at data management thirty years ago. It’s a clever cat-and-mouse game with high stakes and romantic elements between Verity and Tor. I really had fun reading it.

Find A Calculated Risk at Amazon


*****


The Tuesday Club
by
Katherine Neville

This short story is classic Neville, with a collection of historical figures front and center. While in France, Benjamin Franklin is called upon to decipher an encoded message from Scotland that could have startling ramifications for the fledgling United States. As he deciphers the missive—and very cleverly, I might add—he bounces ideas off none other than Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. This quick read is delightful, with a really shocking twist.

Find The Tuesday Club at Amazon

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