Book review: The Two Lost Mountains – Matthew Reilly

I seem to have developed a book review theme: books that make me jump up and down in excitement upon arrival.

The latest was I Give My Marriage a Year. This time, it’s The Two Lost Mountains. (And, coming soon to a blog near you – this one, obviously – it’ll be The Dictionary of Lost Words.)

I digress. Today, it’s all about Matthew Reilly and Jack West Jr. Let’s get started.

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The Two Lost Mountains / Matthew Reilly

(Pan Macmillan Australia, 2020)

Against all the odds, Jack West Jr found the Three Secret Cities but at a heartbreaking cost.

His beloved daughter Lily, it appeared, was slaughtered by Sphinx in a cruel ancient ritual.

TO THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FALL!

With his rivals far ahead of him, Jack must now get to one of the five iron mountains – two of which have never been found – and perform a mysterious feat known only as ‘The Fall’.

Although what is this object on the moon that is connected to it?

If you haven’t heard of Matthew Reilly’s Jack West Jr series (which kicked off with Seven Ancient Wonders in 2005), you must have been living under a rock. (Or perhaps under one of The Six Sacred Stones?! Boom tish.)

Jack West Jr is a former SAS soldier who gets into, well, let’s say regular spots of bother. (Preventing the world from imploding, stopping tyrants from gaining all-consuming worldly power – trifling stuff, really.) He has his relatable flaws, but his greatest strengths include humility and genuine empathy and respect for everyone. Almost everyone. (Did I mention the tyrants and the quests for all-consuming worldly power?)

The Two Lost Mountains is a ripping read, as Reilly’s books always are. This series is one of the few for which I genuinely hope there is a movie series. A well cast movie series that stays true to the books. (Please don’t cast Tom Cruise as Jack West Jr. Please.)

I read this book between two heavier reads (Fixed It by Jane Gilmore and White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo) and it was exactly what I needed. Having read all five of the books preceding it, I thought Reilly was done surprising me. I was wrong.

I also appreciate that the book didn’t end on a mid-action cliffhanger. It finished without finishing – of course, as the concluding book of the series is yet to come – but I will spend the coming year in anticipation instead of gut-wrenching torment.

I usually share standout quotes from the books I review. However, it was hard to find quotes that didn’t need context, or that weren’t outright spoilers. So instead of sharing four or five shorter quotes this time, I’m sharing one longer excerpt. It’s quintessential Jack West Jr, and it speaks loudly to me at this stage of my life.

• Jack smiled. ‘There’s an old saying, “You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.” I don’t subscribe to that notion at all. You can choose your family. Because “family” are those people who lift you up, who help you reach the heights you can’t reach by yourself. Why should that group be arbitrarily limited to blood relatives? Life is short, Easton, so it’s best spent with those you love.’

You can pre-order The Two Lost Mountains from Booktopia here (and from Book Depository here, though the wait is longer). I’m sure it will also be available at department stores, and selling out quickly!

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Have you read The Two Lost Mountains? What did you think? 

This is not a sponsored post. I received a copy of The Two Lost Mountains from Macmillan for the purposes of review. All views are my own. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click to purchase the item, I may earn a little commission, but you won’t pay any extra.