 First edition cover | |
| Author | Matthew Reilly |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Wayne Haag |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Thriller novel |
| Publisher | Pan MacMillan |
Publication date | October 2005 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 472 pp |
| ISBN | 1-4050-3692-3 |
| OCLC | 64449682 |
| Preceded by | None |
| Followed by | The Six Sacred Stones |
Seven Ancient Wonders (Seven Deadly Wonders in the United States) is a book written byAustralian authorMatthew Reilly in 2005. Its sequel,The Six Sacred Stones was released in the autumn of 2007. The final novel in the series (book 7),The One Impossible Labyrinth, was released in Australia on October 12, 2021.
Around 4,500 years ago, thecapstone upon the summit of theGreat Pyramid of Giza absorbed the energy released by the Tartarus Rotation (a monstroussunspot that occurs every 4,000–4,500 years), and saved the earth from major flooding and catastrophic weather. This capstone was later divided up byAlexander the Great with one piece hidden in a booby-trapped location within each of the otherseven wonders of the world. If and when they are reunited and replaced on the capstone during another solar event, they can bring 1,000 years of peace or power for the nation which possesses them.
In 2006, seven days before this sunspot is again due, the pieces are still divided, and three teams are trying to reunite them: Two for their own gain; one fromEurope (representing theCatholic Church); and the other is CIEF, the Commander-in-Chief's In Extremis Force (anAmerican force covertly representing the power of theFreemasons). The third team is an alliance of a group of 'small nations' called the Alliance of Minnows (consisting of members fromCanada,Australia,Ireland,United Arab Emirates,Spain,Jamaica,New Zealand, and laterIsrael), led byJack West Jr, trying to reunite the capstone for nobler reasons. This team and the European team each also possess a child—one of the only two people who can read the "Word of Thoth", a special hieroglyphics system used in the booby-traps. (The other person is her twin, Alexander, who is being brainwashed bythe Vatican.).
West's team gains and loses a capstone (which is the head of theColossus of Rhodes) to the CIEF but manage to escape and then reach the hiding place of two more pieces atHamilcar's Refuge on the coast ofTunisia. There they again lose their gains to the CIEF, and again escape.
They then spring Mustapha Zaeed, the world's foremost authority on the Capstone and the Seven Wonders and a known terrorist, fromGuantanamo Bay, who leads them to two more pieces. After separating the team, the "Coalition of the Minnows" is devastated through kidnap and death. The survivors escape to theHanging Gardens of Babylon inIraq, but are there apprehended by an Israeli strike team. West is forced to lead the Israelis to the piece, but the Americans arrive, execute the Israelis, capture the piece and trap West and his team. Jack is presumed dead.
The European contingent escorts their hostages toCairo with a lone Piece—taken fromSt. Peter's Basilica—and, in attempting to capture the CIEF's five pieces, lose the St Peter's piece (as well as Epper and Lily) to them. The CIEF team then goes toHatshepsut's Mortuary, and—with the aid of the measurements from theParis Obelisk—finds the last piece in thetomb of Alexander the Great. Taking the whole Capstone to the Giza pyramid on the day of the rotation, placing Alexander in the chamber beneath it to ensure the ritual works.
However, Jack West and his team's plane return to stop them. Judah tries to carry out the ritual, but Alexander crawls out to save himself from death, unwittingly ensuring its failure and del Piero's death; then, Lily crawls in willingly, and Zaeed carries it out successfully. West, however, has ensured a twist to who has world dominion by replacing the earth inside with some from central Australia. West's team then wins the battle and he finds that Lily has survived by (unlike Alexander) going into the chamberwillingly.
The epilogue takes place three weeks later, with Wizard and Zoe accompanying Lily across Central Australia, before reuniting with West.
Jack West, call-sign:Huntsman /Woodsman,Australia
Professor Maximilian T. Epper, call-sign:Caster, Wizard,Canada
Lily 'West' (Daughter of Oracle of the Siwa Oasis Egypt, adopted by West at the end of book), Call-sign:Eowyn,Egypt
Captain Zahir al Anzar al Abbas, call-sign:Saladin /Pooh Bear,United Arab Emirates Sheik Abbas, Pooh Bear's father.
Lieutenant Enrique Velacruz, call-signMatador / Noddy,Spain (killed)
Sergeant V. J. Weatherly, call-signWitch Doctor / Fuzzy,Jamaica
Sergeant Zoe Kissane, call-signBloody Mary / Princess Zoe,Ireland Corporal Liam Kissane, call-signGunman / Big Ears,Ireland (killed)
Ernest 'Ernie' Q. Sheperd II, call-sign Sky Monster,New Zealand
Lieutenant Benjamin Cohen, call-signArcher / Stretch,IsraelMatthew Reilly has written a sequel to this novel, titledThe Six Sacred Stones. It was released on 23 October 2007 in most bookstores in Australia, but some stores released them later (1 November). It was released on 8 January 2008 in the US and UK. Like its predecessor, the main character of the novel isJack West Jr.
