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The Tournament

Review

The Tournament

When the feared and intimidating Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman the Magnificent, extends an invitation across the globe for the finest chess players in the world to compete in a tournament set in his palace, people listen. Beyond that, the best and brightest at the craft of chess show up and prepare to battle to claim this once-in-a-lifetime tournament.

The English court's champion, Gilbert Giles, is one of 16 invited to compete. He represents the court of the infamous King Henry VIII, who sends him with two companions: esteemed scholar Roger Ascham and the King’s daughter, Elizabeth Tudor. History will come to know Elizabeth as “the Virgin Queen” who would rule Britain years after her father's reign.

"THE TOURNAMENT takes readers on a literary chess board where each character moves like one of the many chess pieces, and deception and subterfuge lie around every corner."

While no actual historical data exists to support the chess tournament of 1546 set in Constantinople, author Matthew Reilly has done everything in his power to bring it to life.  Not only has he captured the intrigue and strategy that goes along with the King's Game, he manages to spice things up with a juicy murder or two...or more!

With all that is unfolding around this cleverly plotted mystery, the main focus remains the depiction of the central character --- a young Elizabeth bright beyond her years but not prepared for the evil of the world around her. As much as the brilliant Ascham tries to protect her, it is just a matter of time before she will face the peril that could end her life.

When the body of the Pope's brother, Cardinal Farnese, is found brutalized to death, it is apparent to all that the chess tournament is not the only deadly game at hand.

The Sultan puts Ascham in charge of the investigation, but this may not be a responsibility he wants to uphold. More murders take place, leading Ascham and Elizabeth to recognize that Farnese may not have been the intended target of the murderous rage that took his life. The series of murders almost seems haphazard, as if someone is working their way through people to get to the actual intended victim.

THE TOURNAMENT takes readers on a literary chess board where each character moves like one of the many chess pieces, and deception and subterfuge lie around every corner. The blend of fictional and actual historical figures --- which even include Ivan the Terrible and Michelangelo --- makes for an exciting read and one that cries for BBC or PBS treatment. Matthew Reilly has proven himself to be a formidable talent of endless imagination.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on July 24, 2015

The Tournament
by Matthew Reilly