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 … 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.
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I read this book when it first came out and have re-read it several times since that first reading. I enjoyed the characters, historical and otherwise. A fun read.
The Eight is an exciting dual timeline novel where real-life historical persons mingle with imaginary characters in a tale of adventure and unexpected twists and turns.
I didn’t want this book to end. Learned a lot in it about history and religion.
Interesting story idea and the historical parts interesting….But the story became not believable after a while and the book was so wordy that I gave up……Poorly written in my opinion……Paul Bruyea
Original and I had a hard time putting it down. Read it on a plane (during COVID shut down) so already anxious and it made it worse! That’s a good thing when reading a book like this. It just seemed a tad longer than I wanted but that could totally be my already heightened sense of unease.
Great interlocking stories woven together masterfully
Loved this book!
Enjoyed this book. Kept my interest. I liked the story.
One of my all time favorites. Exciting book! Page turner
I LOVED this book! Usually I will come up with the ending way bdfore the the end of the book, not this one. I read “The Eight” about 20 years ago and loved it. When the sequel came out I read this book again and enjoyed looking for the clues in the story I missed the first time around.
While this book has been out for a while, I’m new to Katherine Neville. The Eight is, so far, really entertaining and moves well. Great pacing and I like her characters. Mirielle seems soft and unsure, but beneath her young girl exterior is the heart of a survivor, just as modern day Cat is a bit jaded, but also a survivor. The book revolves around the game of Chess, of which I know nothing, but Katherine has a way of making it seem interesting. I recommend The Eight for anyone who likes a good thriller. This one is.
The Eight was one of the first books I read that captivated me so much I couldn’t put the thing down. And I’m a really slow reader! This book transports you into a magical mystical world filled with surprise, action, and suspense. Katherine writes so vividly you can literally see the story unfolding in front of you. This is still one of my favorite books, and always will be.
This is a book I give to friends to read. The plot takes so many times, places, wars, kings, and mixes them up well with chess and alchemy. Almost impossibly, it all hangs together and follows through logically. To say anymore would be to spoil the adventure. You should read it and see.
I’ve been reading action thrillers for three decades and writing them for over ten years. Out of over a thousand read, Katherine Neville’s The Eight is my favorite. The closest comparison is the Da Vinci Code, but that doesn’t do it justice.
There isn’t any one thing about the book which stands out. The characters, the plot, the writing are all excellent. You simply cannot put it down. The weaving of historical puzzle and modern thriller has never been done more effectively. The rest of us –including Dan Brown –are competing for second prize.
A twisting, exciting run through history. All Neville’s books are wonderfully researched and truly thrilling reads.
I had read at least a thousand books in 40 years, and this was a page turner!