The Eight

Katherine Neville

Jul 2015 · Open Road Media

About this ebook

The “fascinating” #1 international bestseller of a quest across centuries by two intrepid women to reunite the pieces of a powerful, ancient chess set (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

 A fabulous, bejeweled chess set that belonged to Charlemagne has been buried in a Pyrenees abbey for a thousand years. As the bloody French Revolution rages in Paris, the nuns dig it up and scatter its pieces across the globe because, when united, the set contains a secret power that could topple civilizations. To keep the set from falling into the wrong hands, two novices, Valentine and Mireille, embark on an adventure that begins in the streets of Paris and leads to Russia, Egypt, Corsica, and into the heart of the Algerian Sahara.
 
Two hundred years later, while on assignment in Algeria, computer expert Catherine Velis finds herself drawn unwillingly into the deadly “Game” still swirling around the legendary chess set—a game that will require her to risk her life and match wits with diabolical forces.
 
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Katherine Neville including rare images from her life and travels.

Ratings and reviews

The Eight by Katherine Neville starts in France in 1790. Valentine and Mireielle are novices are Montglane Abbey. Due to a new act that has been recently passed, the government is seizing possessions of the churches. This particular abbey hides a very special chess set. It was once owned by Charlemagne who gave it to Garin de Montglane. It is supposed to possess special properties and hides a formula. The Abbess’ of abbey have been protecting it for many years. Now it is being unearthed and sent out with the nuns. Valentine and Mireielle are given two pieces and special instructions. They are going to Paris to stay with their godfather, M Jacques-Louis David, a painter. They will act as a gathering point. If a nun has to flee, the girls will receive their pieces and keep them safe. The girls are only sixteen and have been raised in the convent since they were orphaned. They are very naïve. Are they up to the task? Catherine “Cat” Velis is twenty-three and lives in New York in 1972. She works as a CPA and auditor for Fulbright, Cone, Kane, and Upham (a prestige firm). When she refuses to do something underhanded (and illegal) at the request of her boss, they decide to send her to Algiers for a year. On New Year’s Eve a fortune teller gives her an ominous reading. Cat is the “hand of destiny” and is in danger. Several months later (just before she is to leave for Algiers) Lily Rad takes Cat to a chess match. Lily is obsessed with chess and the daughter of a dear friend, Harry Rad. There Cat meets Alexander Solarin, a Grand Master of chess from Russia. He also warns her that she is in danger. Catherine is to embark on a journey to find the pieces of the chess set. They are set to be in silver and gold with uncut, polished gems set in them (not a small chess set). It will be black (the good) versus white (the bad). Cat will need to stay one step ahead of the competition to stay alive and win the game. Cat is going to have to be careful who she trusts. You never know who will be working for the enemy. It is a game that has been playing for hundreds of years. Will Cat be able to obtain the pieces in time and figure out their mystery? The Eight is a long and very complicated novel (I have given you just the briefest of overviews). It contains a lot of history, science, and chess. It is just too much for one book. The concept or mystery is interesting but it gets lost. I give The Eight 2.5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the history contained in the book (I am a history buff) but with all the science and the chess (I was never able to master chess because I did not sitting still for so long) the reader is soon experiencing a headache (or sound asleep). It took me a couple of tries to get through the novel (it is over 600 pages long). But I did persevere because I wanted to see how it turned out (I was disappointed). There was one twist in the book that I liked even though I had figured it out (the first section dealing with Cat). If you are looking for a novel to help you sleep, then The Eight is the right book for you. I received a complimentary copy of The Eight from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

Enjoyed the history mixed with fiction and traveling to all the different locations. Lots of interesting/enjoyable characters, but the romance felt a bit forced.

This novel was interesting and perplexing, thought inducing and chill seeking. The different areas that Neville worked into the story were fantastic. History and mythology rule the day while adventure had me on the edge of my seat. This novel is fantastically and captivatingly written and plotted. The flipping back and forward from the past to the present allows readers to get to know a myriad of characters who are all important to the tale. The contrast between present day characters and those in the past allowed each to shine to their fullest. This novel may be long, but it was unendingly fascinating. I read it in a single day, unable to put it down. It definitely sets the bar for all novels in the genre. I can’t wait to delve further into the world created by this author. Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

About the author

Katherine Neville is the New York Times–bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of spellbinding adventure novels. The Washington Post called her groundbreaking first novel The Eight “a feminist answer to Raiders of the Lost Ark.” In a national poll by the noted Spanish newspaper El País, it was voted one of the top ten books of all time. She has written three other novels: the New York Times Notable Book A Calculated Risk, The Magic Circle, and The Fire, the sequel to The Eight.
 
Neville’s novels, which have been published in more than eighty countries, have been enriched by her twenty-year career as an international computer executive and consultant, which took her to live in six countries on three continents and twenty-six of the United States. She has also worked as a portrait painter, a commercial photographer, and a model. To learn more, visit her at www.katherineneville.com.