DRUM ROLL! I finally finished it! It's the only book in the last 4 years that I had to renew. TA-DA!

Well, it was 3.5 stars, but I just couldn't round it up. This book was like taking a convoluted route from Paris to LA via Moscow. Or sailing the wrong way around the world and then transporting across continents to get back to your original ocean. Was the journey worth it?

Partly, it was. But it was still way, way overblown.

For me, the premise was interesting, but the number of players and their movements were problematic from the perspective of each time period. And putting them in an alternate order? Of course, one time period is always more interesting than the other, at least for me. One of the reasons I liked this tale was that the modern 1973-plus period was more enthralling than the French Revolutionary sections. This is an outlier for my reading experiences, as I usually find the older era more engaging. But not here. I found the women in the French period of terrible travail not "knowable". Going to the guillotine for someone else over a mythical "importance" without knowing any practical applications or the "why"? It was a ridiculous dichotomy. In my opinion, not only Charlotte but both of the cousins were nearly all physical description and almost no soul core. Religious faith, convent/order loyalty, or devotion to the Abbess? Those I could understand, but not a willingness to sacrifice for the enigma they faced in this era? Not a loyalty to an unknown science or cabal of forms. Not when mobs are pulling people's arms off. And that's something you don't forget and then blindly walk into during the next months to "visit" a prisoner or expose yourself to crowds. I know this from personal experience.

There was just too much backstory and asides in this book. And the tangents to completely unrelated story lines and national or geographic histories could have been massively cut. I think the author just likes to show off how much she knows.

The best parts of the book definitely occurred in Algiers and the desert. For a while, I really enjoyed it as a 4-star read when Lily and Cat were on a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - like adventure in that supreme auto. It was so far-fetched but a delicious and impossible adventure!

I found Talleyrand to be beyond belief. He was an impossible man in a scenario that just made it easier to name-drop all the famous people of that time that he knew, met, greeted, partied with, etc. (And all their related endless histories and aside stories of outcomes?) Marat was done well, I have to admit. But did I really have to read about the color of their eyes (nearly every single person) over and over and over again?

As much as I'm glad I persisted and didn't give up, I can't imagine reading others of her books. It was just too much for my taste!

The more I thought about the ending, the more I realized how weak it was. She actually had to print/say "The end of the game." when anyone reading this has looked at the number of pages left at least 20 times during the second half?

And think about it. If that chess set puzzle was ever produced, with human nature being what it is, it would be impossible to keep it secret or enshrine it in a method that requires such puzzling perplexities. After the example of Minnie, a computer would be able to find the stash or figure it out from the leftovers. How about taking her used glass for a DNA sample? LOL! Neville just went too far in trying to fit every scientific myth and proclaimed survey (philosopher's stone, alchemy success, periodic table, and on and on) of the past into the mix. Sometimes less is more, and that would have been the case here.

This is truly one of the finest books I have had the pleasure of reading in recent years.

The plot is not only detailed and intricate but also flows seamlessly between the 18th and 20th centuries. It is a masterful feat that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

The characters are all well-developed and complex, each with their own unique personalities and motives. As the stories unfold in both centuries, the reader is transported to a myriad of locations, including Paris, London, Corsica, St. Petersburg, New York, and Algiers.

Despite my lack of knowledge about chess, complex mathematical equations, and my limited study of music, I was never bored or overwhelmed by the inclusion of these elements in the plot. Ms. Neville's writing is so captivating that I became completely immersed in the mystery and intrigue of the story.

Her research is evident throughout the book, and her descriptions of the early days of the revolution and the actions of the mobs are so vivid that I felt as if I were there, experiencing it all firsthand. The scenes from September 2, 1792, both outside and inside l’Abbaye Prison, were particularly realistic and evoked a sense of terror in me.

However, I did have a few minor issues with the book. The author has a tendency to use statements like "little did I know," "how was I to know," "I didn't guess," and "I didn't know" rather frequently, which can come across as amateurish. Given her education, I would have expected her to avoid this, and a good editor should have caught and corrected it before publication.

There is also a reference to one of the 18th-century characters "throwing in the towel," which is a phrase that was not coined until the early 1900s and is a reference to surrendering a boxing match. This small anachronism did slightly detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, though, I would rate this book 4.75 out of 5 stars. It is a captivating and well-written story that I would highly recommend to others. I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.

What do King Charlemagne, a group of nuns, almost every historical celebrity from late 18th century Paris to Venice to St. Petersburg, numerous chess prodigies, and the formation of OPEC have in common? The answer is more than one might think. Katherine Neville outdoes Dan Brown, traversing continents and centuries, connecting seemingly far-fetched dots, and name-dropping throughout.

The book begins strongly with the classic cryptic fortune-telling of doom, a stubbornly genius heroine who angers the wrong boss, a few mysterious deaths, and a sexy Russian spy. I endured the melodramatic characterizations of the continuously unfolding cast of players, even when she incorporated the Freemasons. (One has to have the Freemasons.) But Catherine the Great AND Rousseau AND Voltaire AND Robespierre AND the painter Jacques-Louis David AND Napoleon Bonaparte AND Wordsworth AND Cassanova? Please. It even tries the patience of this willing suspension of disbelief. I managed to reach page 392 before my eyes hurt from rolling them - and we hadn't even reached Sir Isaac Newton yet.

Wow, it's truly incredible. The only other novelist I can think of who incorporated this much plot into their work is Umberto Eco.

This isn't a book to simply breeze through. I almost gave up at the beginning as it was slow-paced and I didn't quite understand what was happening. But I persisted, and I'm so glad I did. I must say that for me, if this hadn't been an audiobook, I don't think I would have managed to finish it. This book probably has around a hundred speaking characters - no exaggeration! The wonderful narration by Susan Denaker made it a real pleasure. She brought the characters to life with unique accents, inflections, and intonations for each. I really can't praise her enough. She created French, Russian, Moorish, German, and English accents, slipping into each one beautifully. It made this complex story so much more accessible, and I can't give enough credit to the narrator for making the story "followable."

The plot of this book is simply outstanding. It has layer upon layer, with carefully designed and spaced-out reveals that keep the reader both intrigued and guessing. I mean, it's really incredible how complex, sophisticated, smart, and well-paced the plot is. This is a book for thinking people, not to be rushed through but rather pondered over between readings, trying to figure out who's who and where the stories will lead. The writer starts with two stories, one set in 1790 France and the other in 1972 New York, which initially seem completely unrelated. But slowly and carefully, the author moves the tales forward so that each timeline's heroine is caught up in the same mystery across time.

However, there are a couple of sticking points. Firstly, without spoiling too much (as this is mentioned in the summary on the back of the book and on Goodreads), the story is about a race to find all the pieces of a chess set. It is repeatedly stated that this chess set is a myth, that it doesn't exist, that it's just a treasure story told to children, and so on. But in the actual story, it turns out that this is the worst-kept secret in human history. Everyone believes it's real. There are more people looking for this thing than for a cure to cancer. One of my pet peeves about any book is when the narrative doesn't align with the events. Secondly, the romance in the book is rather cheesy. It's clear that Neville's strength doesn't lie in writing love stories. It has to happen because it ties up important elements of the story, but she's just not very good at it. Fortunately, the romance only occurs in the last half of the book, and even then, it's minor in the grand scheme of the novel.

Despite these drawbacks, this book has become one of my all-time favorite books, a 6-star read if you will. That's no small achievement in my eyes.

Oh yes, there's one other drawback: it's widely accepted that Neville's two sequels don't come close to the masterful quality of The Eight. Since this novel can definitely stand alone, I plan to stop here, where I think Neville is ahead.

I recommend this book to anyone who's up for a deep adventure/historical fiction/mystery. Emphasis on deep.

I was given this novel to read, with the promise that it would offer a similar level of enjoyment as The DaVinci Code.

However, I'm here to say that it's not even close.

This novel has all the elements that typically lead to an enjoyable read for me - historical figures, layered storylines, and small details that gain great importance as the story unfolds. But somehow, it just didn't click.

I'll admit that I enjoy playing chess. However, reading about it in this context was a completely different experience. The figures, playing methodologies, and inside references just made my eyes glaze over.

Despite my best efforts, I never really cared about the characters. The pacing felt slow and dragged, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged.

The Eight may have had promise, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me. I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. It's a shame, really, because it had all the makings of a great read. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, a book just doesn't work out.

Cathy G says:

"This is truly one of my all-time favorite reads! I have a habit of re-reading it periodically. Whenever I do, I always keep an atlas nearby. This allows me to vividly visualize all the travels of the characters. The plot of this book is centered around a fabulous Moorish filigreed chess set. This chess set was originally given to Charlemagne and it possesses such extraordinary powers. Over the ages, people end up playing the parts of the chess pieces in real life - either on the black or white team - as they embark on a hunt for the actual pieces. The stakes for winning this game are of awesome power. This power can be used for good or evil, depending on who emerges as the winner. If you have ever thought that chess was a boring or stilted game, you will be in for a pleasant surprise and intrigued as it comes alive in this story. The sweep of this book is truly epic. It spans from Charlemagne's time, all the way through Napoleonic France and North Africa, and finally to present-day America. The characters are well-drawn and seem to come alive on the pages. Particularly, the strong and inspiring women in the story add a wonderful dimension. And in the course of the story, this book also tosses in nuggets of information about all sorts of things. I often find myself saying, 'oh, so THAT'S where that phrase (or whatever) came from!' As I'm writing this, I realize that I'm overdue for re-reading it again. So, without a doubt, it's moving to #1 on my bedside table IMMEDIATELY."

This novel truly deserves its 5 stars for three reasons.

Firstly, it is an utterly addictive book. One simply cannot put it down. In my case, I eagerly awaited a moment to continue reading. The intrigue, mystery, and events are so skillfully intertwined that they capture the reader from the very first moment.

Secondly, this book has a merit that is not as common as one might wish. It leaves much more than just the taste of a good read. It also enriches our culture. The author masterfully blends extremely important passages of our universal history with the events that surround the characters in the novel. I must admit that on several occasions, I stopped reading to verify certain facts in order to better understand the development of the book.

Finally, and thirdly, something that is always appreciated... a good ending. Sometimes I advanced the reading with a bit of caution, fearing that so much anticipation regarding the main mystery would end in something tasteless. Fortunately, that was not the case, and the ending is on par with the rest of the story. Clearly, that is, at the very end... so don't despair.

I really like chess and I also like mysteries, which equals that I love "El ocho".

It is essential to deeply engage with the plot because there are moments that are not exactly easy to follow. However, as long as you involve yourself and accompany the characters closely throughout the two stories, you will manage to have those very special chess pieces also catch you, captivating all your attention.

I would give an 8 (out of 10) to "El ocho".

Checkmate.

The Eight was an extremely pleasant surprise.

I was in search of an “N” author (Katherine Neville) for my A - Z author list that I’m undertaking this year. I chose this book mainly due to the fact that the cover was interesting.

This was a clever and highly entertaining exploration of the search for the Philosopher’s Stone. The characters were excellent, and the plot was very engaging, with flashbacks and current action that intertwined beautifully in the end. The settings in New York and Algeria were vividly描绘.

It was as if this book was tailor - made for me. The protagonist is an accountant, which is a plus. Moreover, the overarching storyline revolves around chess and a special set of chess pieces, with the characters all being pieces in a grand chess game. I have a penchant for playing chess, so this aspect really appealed to me.

One of the most charming elements of the plot, for me, was that the current time action was set in the early 1970s. There were no cellphones and no Internet! The protagonist, Catherine Velis, received a telegram early in the novel, and she had to search for a phone to make a call, and so on. I find that I usually prefer plots and settings that predate cellphones and modern technology. Life seemed simpler back then, but was communication really that much more difficult?

Overall, it was a great book!

Σαν την ατμόσφαιρα δεν έχει, Neville writes about a treasure hunt of a ghoulish kind, earlier than Mr. Brown. It's a hunt where one must be deceived to reach the end. Parallelly, it takes us back to the French Revolution to tell us the fantastic version of a real murder.

Although a bit slow in the development (many times the heroes bumble around aimlessly), the mystery is still there and unfolds around a magical chessboard (and a very detailed... easy murder on eBay). It was the first book of this category that I read and it initiated me into this kind of story.

The vivid descriptions and the unique plot make it a captivating read. The author's ability to blend history and mystery creates a world that draws the reader in and keeps them engaged until the very end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a touch of the supernatural.

2024: Haha, don't mind me just perusing through my reviews as I'm bored. Yeah, I recall this one. It's a banger, but not a real banger, hehe lol.

2017: I'm attempting to declutter my collection and decided to give this one, a favorite of my younger self, a go to figure out its future on my shelf. So far, I haven't been able to put it down. As I've read in a few comments below, Neville knows how to move the plot along. But, have you ever heard of good writing or editing for that matter? Arghh, I just can't handle how absurd some situations are and how unrealistic and unauthentic the characters become as the story progresses.

I'm glad to see Catherine the Great again (she just passed away in The Romanovs, #plotwist) and fellow friends from my last history assignment: Voltaire, Diderot, and company. But, the power of the universe? Freemasons?

Should I blame it on the fact that I'm reading a translation? I'm switching languages right now (p.129), will report back.

Reporting: I’m so upset. I cannot believe I liked this book so much back in the day. It is the essence of a good plot to develop itself over time, but here, it’s like I can't stop hearing the author’s voice all the time! Handing in the clues and... just nothing makes any sense whatsoever. Which is a shame because the potential is there. Just why would you withhold information just for the sake of it? It’s like everyone knows whatever is going on, except the main character and us. Everyone happens to suddenly, bloody know each other.

I could go on and on for hours about the inconsistency and how unauthentic this story is. Instead, I’ll just finish it and bury it deep down... until I marry an ex-Soviet chess player, that is.

The two more recent books that bear the closest resemblance to The Eight are The Da Vinci Code and Kate Mosse's The Labyrinth. However, I must say that I found The Eight to be a far more enjoyable read than either of them.

This novel is truly audacious in its (ab)use of historical characters. The plotting is completely and joyfully implausible. I'm not entirely certain whether the language of Romantic page-turners that the author frequently employs, such as "dear reader, little did I know that in two hours' time I would be running for my life trying to escape a KGB killer," is ironic or not.

Nevertheless, I found the book to be hugely enjoyable just as it is. I don't have any knowledge about chess, which is the basic conceit of the book. But any novel in which Jean-Jacques Rousseau is portrayed as one of the bad guys, J.S. Bach as one of the good guys, and female solidarity is an important theme has a good chance of winning my heart. It's a unique and captivating read that offers a refreshing take on historical fiction.