Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Fascinating
Review: This is a long book--a story with many layers, a game with many puzzles. It took me a while to read, but I enjoyed every minute of the story and especially the way it jumps back and forth between generations--from the time of the French Revolution to modern day New York City. Recommended to me because I liked the puzzle aspects, historical and artistic references in The DaVinci Code, Katherine Neville's "The Eight" did not disappoint. This story provides lessons in history, math, physics, geography, alchemy, and, of course, chess! We do learn the "secret" in the end, which makes for a very satisfying read. I highly recommend.Submitted by the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," McKenna Publishing
Rating: 
Summary: what a terrible excuse for a book
Review: someone recommended this book to me, knowing that i enjoyed eco's novels (esp. foucault's pendulum); needless to say, i have not taken anything seriously that that person has said to me since i finished reading this pitiful 'book'.
don't be fooled by some idiot recommending this to you, it is a very very very very poor novel.
Rating:
Summary: One of the FEW books I will give people uninvited!
Review: This is one of my favorite contemporary novels. I was impressed by the author's ability to keep both plot/timelines clear, and by the wealth of knowledge incorporated. I give this book to most people in my life who are interested in chess, music, or strong female characters. (NB: I can't recommend Neville's second book. It's trite and predictable; you get the feeling she used everything she has in The Eight.)
Rating:
Summary: Better than expected
Review: Being a bit put off by the premise, I was hesitant to read this. That and the hype from some of my friends. But once into it, the experience was quite enjoyable. The most intriguing aspect of the book for me was the parallel stories (one set in the 1790s and one in the 1970s--get it? Numbers reversed; mixed up?) At any rate the back and forth in time works in this book and helps to keep the reader's interest as it is not a short work. All-in-all I found it an easy read with interesting bits of information thrown in for good measure (think Da Vinci Code) and a well plotted story (think McCrae's Bark of the Dogwood). While Neville takes a little more liberty with "facts" than she ought to, the whole is not compromised and the book is worth the money I paid for it. Give it a try. Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD
Rating: 
Summary: AN UNEXPECTED DELIGHT
Review: I have to say that i really enjoyed this book. when i received it i knew nothing about it and only read it because a friend of mine gave it to me for christmas. the book is about a legendary chess service that belonged to the ruler charlamagne. the chess set is supposed to contain a secret formula that holds some type of tremendous mystical power. the book is broken into two time periods, the 1970s and the 1790s. neville takes the reader all over the world in a came of chess involving real people as chess pieces. there is the white team and a black team, both competing against each other in search of all 32 pieces, the actual chess board, and a piece of cloth that contains part of the formula hidden in the chess service. neville seamlessly weaves these two time periods together very well and always leaves the reader ready to find out what happens next. there are many actual historic characters that are important characters in the game being played in the book. they range from napoleon all the way to isaac newton and voltaire. this is a very well written book but the reason i give it four stars is because it is a little longer than it needs to be. other than that there is plenty of action and suspense within the book and a lot of trying to figure out who is who with regards to the game within the book. all of the characters are well thought out and developed and neville has a way of actually making the reader care and root for them to achieve the mission the mission they are on. this is a good read and i want to thank my friend for giving it to me in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: Great characters
Review: With "The Eight," Katherine Neville does a nice job of creating characters that drive the story, rather than vice-versa. If you're tired of plot-driven novels with thin, and often cliché, characters, then you're likely to dig this one. If you're into writers like Neville, Dennis Lehane, Dan Brown, etc., then there's a new writer you should check out: GREG IPPOLITO. His most recent novel, "Zero Station," is a politically charged page-turner that pits its main Gen X character (John Saylor) against his Baby Boomer parents, teachers, etc., during the winter of 1991 -- in the heart of the Persian Gulf War. Right now, Ippolito is still a relative unknown (a friend turned me onto his work)...but this is a must-read. You can check him out and read an excerpt at: http://www.zero-station.net Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Great but not perfect
Review: This is an intelligent fantasy-adventure based on real historical events. Therefore, it is educational as well as very entertaining. The action gets a little preposterous toward the end - literal cliff-hangers and shoot-em-up scenes that are not quite believable. Also, the ending is a little weak: not to ruin the suspenseful ending for those who have not read it, the final decision made by the protagonist lacks the intelligence that she displayed throughout the rest of the book. Still, a wonderful and memorable book!
Rating: 
Summary: A decent book
Review: This is a decent book. Neville is a talented writer and she has a wonderful idea. I'd give this 3.5 stars if Amazon let me. The reviews are all over the map, though they average out to the plus side, where it belongs. Despite what others say, however, let me be perfectly clear: This book is no masterpiece. The difference in reviews can be explained best by (1) the reader's expectations and (2) what the reader looks for in a book. First, big expectations will lead to disappointment. Many disappointed reviewers scoff at the comparison to Eco's "Name of the Rose." I agree with that sentiment. So if you picked this up because of this comparison on the cover, you'll be disappointed. I've enjoyed many books (and movies) where I didn't know what to expect, though I've hated many equally good books where my expectations were high. If you expect an average novel, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Second, if you read very little, you'll complain about what you get out of 598 pages. It would be a tragedy for someone who reads only a few books a year (and has read few classics) to read this one. On the other hand, if the size doesn't scare you and you read a lot, this is worth reading. Similarly, if you try only to read the very best books, skip this one. If you read a lot, this is another good book. It's an intelligent book with historical fiction, but it went too far -- almost as if the author was paid by the historical reference. This novel is well researched and the style is good. The character development is average to good. Unfortunately, Neville spent too much time (words) on the wrong things. I would have liked more character development and more detail in the characters' environment and I felt the major action scenes went by too quickly -- before you even had a chance to start worrying about the characters. The worst part about this book is its unmet potential. The two-tiered novel (in time) is an excellent idea and the chess game (or tournament) played through the ages piqued my interest as I love chess and unique ideas. However, the chess theme fell flat. The significance of who played which piece made no sense to me. What did it matter who was a rook and who was a Bishop or a Knight? What did their moves (in life) have to do with chess? Perhaps I missed it, but I tend to agree with another reviewer who said it may as well have been checkers. If you're scared away from this book because you don't know anything about chess, don't worry. And if you are attracted to this book because of the chess theme, forget it -- it will disapoint you. In sum, a good book -- but don't expect too much.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Idea that could use ReWriting
Review: While the basic plot of Neville's _The Eight_ is engaging, the book fails to come through in terms of its storytelling. After a while the revelation of "which French Revolutionary Period Famous Figure are we going to meet next?" became a series of groans as Neville piles one after another within pages. While the splitting of the narrative into the two distinct time periods was effective, the narrator's use of first person in one half and third person in the rest made little sense. As a thriller by leaving that part of the story in first person suspense was lost as by the voice I was assured that the character would survive whatever scrapes she got into. Characterization was also rather flat. Neville picks one or two traits for her characters and sticks with them. There is little character growth with a few enjoyable exceptions. Catherine never seems to get a true hold of things, even unto the end. And the romances of the novel seem rather flat, until you get to the steamy scenes straight out of a bodice ripper (and feel way out of place). These are sad distractions from what I felt was a good plot and good idea. While sometimes the chess metaphors became a little much (every building Catherine visits seems to have a black and white checkered floor), the over all metaphor of conspiracy Neville uses quite well and does not use the standard cliches too often. I rather wish that Neville had trimmed the novel down; instead of relying on famous figures, develop a few full characters that show growth as they discover the dangerous secret of the Montglane Service.
Rating: 
Summary: Great idea, but the execution is too confused
Review: I picked up this book after reading and loving "The DaVinci Code." The premise of two women in different time periods on a quest for the pieces of a mystical, Moorish chesss set of untold power is a great idea, but this book is just too unwieldy in its execution. There were too many characters to keep track of, and only a few of those were developed to their full potential. The book seemed too scattershot -- it contained references to everyone from Napoleon to Catherine the Great to Benedict Arnold, Wordsworth, Mohammar Qaddafi, and Bach. You don't even really find out what the chess set does until after the first 300 pages or so. I finished it only because I had invested so much time in it. I will say that by the end, there's a good pay off that ties everything together, but after 600 pages, it's just too little too late.
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