Rating: 
Summary: A very good book, my favorite new author
Review: Blending storylines across the centuries, this book is an absolute joy to read. Sadly, it has also affected my pocketbook, as I have bought all of her other books as well....
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better.
Review: In general, The Eight is a well-written literary suspense novel which spans several centuries. Neville did her research well, and the historical figures sprinkled throughout the novel are well-placed and true to life. I especially liked the exchange between Wordsworth and Blake in the London pub; Neville portrays the two contemporaries as colleagues who aren't afraid to make the odd joke at each other's expense.But suspense novels are driven largely by their plots, not by style or dialogue. The Eight centers around a quest to find thirty-two chess pieces and a chessboard that once belonged to Charlamagne; according to the novel, acquisition of these items (or a large majority of them) enables one to decipher the formula for the philosopher's stone, which in turn leads to eternal life. No problems so far; alchemy lore has concerned itself with that stone for millenia, and the philosopher's stone is a common enough notion in contemporary fiction that even a Harry Potter novel is concerned with it. For some reason, however, Neville found it necessary to divide her questors into two teams, "black" and "white," as chessmen. This artificial distinction made it tough to suspend disbelief, and tough to enjoy the end of the novel. Even more capriciously, various characters are refered to as "knights" and "bishops" even though (with the exception of Talleyrand) these distinctions are largely unsupported by the roles of the characters. ("Queen," referring to the primary female questor on each team, is easy to understand, as is "pawn.") The notions that (1) there would be only two groups vying for the pieces, and that (2) these groups would continually recruit new members for their teams over the course of several centuries as if they were fraternities rushing freshmen, add nothing to the novel; they only detract. Without this element, it would have been a perfect book; as it is, it's a decent read.
Rating:
Summary: a terrific book with terrible faults
Review: I agree with all those who gave this book five stars: it's astonishingly ambitious, fast-paced, engrossing, and features smart adventurous women in starring roles. I agree with all those who gave this book one or two stars: The prose ranges from mediocre to godawful; the characters are one-dimensional; some characters and subplots drop in from outer space (Catherine Grand? Who's Catherine Grand??); and the ending is not only anticlimactic, it's also telegraphed with leaden gaucherie during Solarin's tale. The Cat-Solarin romance borders on lurid. One can almost hear the cheesy accents of the Algerians and Russians as they talk in B-movie dialogue. I could go on and on. In spite of all the negatives, I still have to admire Neville's creativity and I still have to admit that I love this book. I only wish a better writer had come up with the idea before Neville did. In more skilled hands, this could have been an enduring classic; instead, it's doomed to fade into oblivion within a few years.
Rating:
Summary: I wish I could've given it more stars this time
Review: This is actually the 3rd time I've read The Eight, and I remember just *loving* the book when I happened upon it when it was first released in the late 80's (for those curious, the Mobius strip thing on the cover was actually *embossed*). In my naivete (I was just in my late teens then), I would've given it 7 out of 5 stars! I've actually recommended it to a few friends, and my husband too! Because I loved the intricate plots, the female-centricity, and the amazing coincindences in the story, I decided to read it again around 5 years later, but somehow, it didn't have the magic it did the first time around. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to read it again, and realized why the magic was gone --- after all the page-turning chapters (which were fairly well-written, I must admit), the ending was just a disappointing let-down! Too many questions were left unanswered: What happened to Charlot and Shahin (and for that matter, Elissa/Charlotte)? Why was Mireille the only one to avail of the Montglaine Service's "gift"? What happened to the Abbess's blood-crafted copy of the board (so Solarin didn't have to risk his life to extricate the board quarters from Russia)? Why in the world was Catherine Grand even included in the story (methinks czarina Catherine the Great would've made a more sensible White Queen)?. The author didn't even bother to explain how the White Queen torch was passed on to the 1970's incarnation. All in all, I did enjoy the connections the historical characters had with the Montglaine Service (albeit a lot was just too, too convenient!), so the majority of the book was a joy to read. I don't think I'll read The Eight again, as it seems to lose 2 stars after each reading --- I'll end up rating it a 1 star if I read it again. :-(
Rating:
Summary: A crazy rollercoaster!!
Review: I simply blessed the time I accidently found the book lying around at my house, because it completely transported me back back and forth in time in such a pleasant way. I always love historicals, and this one really give you a different angles of people so reknown in history. And it always gives me pure pleasure on how all my friends that lent the book from me fall in love with it instantly!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant!
Review: Easily the book I lend out to friends the most, THE EIGHT is a intricately plotted, deft weaving of past and present that centers on the story of Charlemagne's chess set.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Fantasy!
Review: Neville did a wonderful job weaving these parallel story lines together. One, set in the 70's and the other set in the French Revolution. It is gripping right from the start, and while many books that hop from one time period to another are herky-jerk, this one is completely fluid. This book is my all time favorite. It is the book that I used to buy (when it was hard to find) in used book shops, so that I could give it away to anyone I found who had not yet read it. If you have read *A Calculated Risk,* and were not impressed, please do not hold it against this book. THIS is clearly the type of book that Katherine Neville was meant to write. This is a must have for any book shelf/library!
Rating:
Summary: The book I loan out more than any other
Review: Somehow, when people ask me what my favorite book is ... (a tough question for any avid reader) my mind always comes back to this book! The Eight captured my imagination and all the twists and turns left me hungry for more. The cryptic messages that have you flipping backward in the book to read them again ... A tremendous amount of historical research went into this book, and combined with real life experiences of the author. I have loaned my tattered paperback out so often, that I have to replace the book every few years. Worth every penny. Always on my list of the top ten books I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Great Storyteller, Excellent Story
Review: I could not put this book down when I read it--interesting premise, strong female heroines, gripping plot, an ending with an unpredictable twist. For those who critique this book for not being historically accurate, I would suggest you check out what aisle in the bookstore this book came from (p.s., its FICTION). If you want historical accuracy, read the encyclopedia. I'll take the exciting, mysterious, suspenseful world of Katherine Neville's "The Eight" any day!
Rating: 
Summary: Yes is fun to read until you are about to end. What a waste
Review: I think Ms. Neville took some time to study history, and indeed the plot of the novel was promising. But what a stupid ending, if feels like she reach the point when she got bored of writing 700 or more pages and suddenly decided to end it. The worst part is that the nature of the secret this novel revolves around seems very interesting and suddenly it happens to be of such inconsequence that will hardly explain who why some intelligent people believed that owns it will rule the world. Actually who ever ones it is screwed. The worst part is that she portrays the nature of characters such as Napoleon Bonaparte (Who by the way I just think was a bloody creep, who hardly provide any benefit to their fellow men but who is protected by the nationalistic good press of the French)as a cowboy in a funny hat. That is simply ridiculous. And the son of the heroin during the French Revolution, what was his role? None. Nevertheless the author uses him to create an expectative that is never accomplished. And the romance between the American and the Russian is so cliche that makes you feel embarrassed on behalf of the author. If you want to read a good novel, regarding the real "importance" of being immortal go and read "All men are mortals" by Simone de Beauvoir" It is just fantastic. But do not waste your time with this book.
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