The Five Greatest Warriors
Encyclopedia
The Five Greatest Warriors is the third thriller novel in the Jack West Jr. series, by the Australian writer Matthew Reilly
.
The book is the third in an Indiana Jones
-style action series. The preceding book was The Six Sacred Stones
which ended in a cliffhanger
with archaeologist and ex-soldier Jack West Jr. and his team searching for the last four
"Vertices of the Machine".
The series is published by Pan Macmillan
and this book was first released on 20 October 2009 in Australia.
) and Dr Diane Cassidy (an anthropologist studying the Neetha). The items they have with them are the Seeing Stone of Delphi
, and a Neetha inclinometer
.
They try to kill the twins and professor Max Epper
, Jesus
, Genghis Khan
and Napoleon Bonaparte and the fifth is Jack West Jr
himself. Each of the Soldiers/Leaders had, in someway, been involved in the mystery of the capstone/Dark Sun/6 sacred stones; for example, Jesus was described by Reilly as someone who had possession of several pillars within the plot (throughout the book, there were subtle hints of antagonism against the Catholic Church, describing it as a 'sun cult'. Reilly also interpreted a metaphor from the Bible to claim that Jesus had 'carried a sword' and was purely a man who never resurrected from the grave). Genghis Khan held the locations to the entrances to the temples where the pillars must be placed. Jack's role, however, is revealed at the very end of the book to be fighting against his father to save the world from the Dark Sun.
The First Vertex is in Egypt
, under Lake Nasser
near Abu Simbel
and the First Pillar must be placed there on 10 December 2007 at 6:12am, during a Titanic Rising. The Reward for the placement of this pillar is Knowledge, which is revealed to be technical knowledge. Alby translates the four sides of the pillar, with Lily's help, and discovers that one side is a variety of the carbon matrix, a super strong and extremely lightweight form of carbon fibre. Another side is revealed to be a map of Sirius
and it's two companion stars, one of which is a zero-point field like the Dark Sun. The Third side of the pillar contains the solution to the Universe Expansion Problem, while the final side is not explained.
The Vertex of the Second Pillar is in South Africa, beneath the Cape of Good Hope
. The Second Pillar must be placed one week after the First on 17 December 2007 sometime around 2:55am, again during a Titanic Rising. The Reward for the placement of this pillar is Heat, which is believed to be the secret to Perpetual Motion
and an endless energy source.
The Third Vertex is located on the north-west coast of the Japanese island of Hokkaido
. Its Pillar must be placed on 11 March 2008 at 12:05am, during a Titanic Rising. The Reward for the laying of this pillar is Sight, the ability to see the death of the person whose blood is on the Pillar.
The Fourth Vertex is at Lundy Island, Bristol Channel
. The Fourth and Fifth Pillars must be placed at the same time: 2:10am on 18 March 2008. The Fourth Pillar's Reward is Life, it's function is not determined in the book, but is possibly the ability to bring people back from the dead.
The Fifth Vertex lies under the U.S Naval base at Diego Garcia
, Indian Ocean
. The Fourth and Fifth Pillars must be placed at the same time: 2:10am on 18 March 2008. The Reward for the Fifth pillar is Death, some thought its reward was a weapon; the gift of dealing death to the holder's enemies.
The Sixth and last Vertex is beneath the Ahu Vai Mata on the most north-westerly point of Easter Island
, Pacific Ocean The Final Pillar must be placed on 20 March 2008, at 6:00pm, during the Dual Equinox: when both our Sun and its twin, the Dark Sun, will be shining on the Vertex at Easter Island
. The Reward for the placement of the Sixth Pillar is Power, which grants whoever is holding the charged Pillar whatever they wish, be it world domination, the death of an enemy or the destruction of cities, on the whim of the holder.
The dates for the placement of the six pillars sees a three-month window between the second and third placements. Jack and Zoe use the interim period to help Pooh Bear in the rescue of Stretch from the Israeli Mossad. In a Roman ruin located under Israel's most secret facility, they find Stretch subjected to a hellish treatment: kept alive in a tank of formaldehyde by General Muniz, a Mossad spymaster. Stretch was to be the latest addition in Muniz's private collection of "living trophies", a practice pioneered by a former KGB operative. Stretch is subsequently liberated and the party makes their escape.
Jack learns of The Five Greatest Warriors from Diane Cassidy, five key members of history who would influence the sacred stones and their whereabouts. They set about locating the third pillar and its matching Vertex. Following a connection to Genghis Khan, the party sets out for Mongolia. They locate the Khan's tomb under a false mound that covered a meteor crater. In the bowels of the fortress, they find a petrified dinosaur egg painted with images of the six temples that house the Verticies. The Japanese Blood Brotherhood attempt to stop Jack and Wolf from finding the next temple, and Wizard is killed by Wolf in their escape. Realising that Khan's shield also carries the images on the egg, Jack and his team race to the northern tip of Hokkaido.
Japan attempts to stop them from entering the temple - which can only be done so in the middle of a tsunami - but Jack and his father form an uneasy truce and agree to place the third pillar together. Negotiating a maze set above a lake of lava, they successfully place the pillar. A lone Japanese sniper very nearly kills them, and in the firefight, Jack and his father receive a vision of Jack's death from the pillar: what appears to be a fiery accident involving a falling aircraft. Wolf decides to let Jack go free after Jack saves his life. Unfortunately, all involved are captured by a group of Russians. At the same time, Jack's friends are picked up from their various assignments around the world.
Everyone is taken to a dam in far eastern Siberia, where they meet the Carnivore, General Muniz's friend and the creator of the "living tombs". The Carnivore is the last of the House of Romanov, and the leader of the coalition of royal houses in Europe. Diane Cassidy is also revealed to be one of his conspiratos. After forcing Jack to fight his half-brother to the death, the Carnivore subjects Jack's friends to his hellish prison cells to encourage him to place the fourth and fifth pillars. Without a choice, Jack agrees. The Carnivore makes a similar arrangement with Mao Gongli, Scimitar and Vulture, holding their loved ones hostage and sending them out to find the sixth and final pillar.
The fourth and fifth pillars must be placed simultaneously. Jack, Lily and Iolanthe make for Diego Garcia while Pooh Bear, Stretch and the Adamson twins go to Lundy Island. Shortly after they place their pillars, the Carnivore and Cassidy abandon their Siberian base and their victims, leaving them to die. Wolf escapes and gives pursuit, heading for Easter Island. Meanwhile, Jack, Lily and Iolanthe return to Israel, where they locate the Tomb of Jesus Christ, the bearer of the sixth and final pillar. After Pooh Bear is forced to kill Scimitar and Vulture, Jack himself makes for Easter Island aboard a heavily damaged Halicarnassus. Meanwhile, the Dark Sun enters the edge of the solar system and planet earth is subjected to extreme weather conditions.
Unable to land his plane, Jack crash-lands in the entrance to the Easter Island shrine. Unable to catch either Wolf or the Carnivore in the ten minutes remaining until the final pillar must be placed, Jack uses the remains of the Halicarnassus to cover the ground between himself and the Carnivore. Jack kills the former KGB operative with the plane's sole remaining gun, which literally blasts him to nothingness. Lily, the only person Jack trusts - not least of all because she is the only one who can read the Worth of Thoth - carries out the final placement. The reward for the sixth pillar is power, the ability to make one's thoughts a reality. Imbued with the power of the pillar, Lily goes on a murderous rampage, killing Cassidy and Mao Gongli in a grotesque fashion before Jack is able to stop her. As the Great Machine activates and the world is saved from the Dark Sun, Jack casts the pillar into the void beneath the Vertex. Wolf gives chase, but the Halicarnassus causes the balcony overlooking the void to collapse, and he falls to his death as he chases the pillar. We learn that because it was Wolf's blood and not Jack's on the third pillar in Hokkaido, it was a vision of Wolf's death that Jack saw. Jack and Lily leave Easter Island, returning to Siberia in time to free their friends and the Carnivore's victims from the fomaldehyde tanks.
The epilogue sees Jack and Zoe married and living in Australia with Lily. The five surviving pillars remain hidden, with Jack reporting that they had been lost or destroyed over the course of their mission. Zoe discerns that the fifth Greatest Warrior - whose identity had gone unknown because of his role to play in the potential apocalypse - was actually Jack, and the story ends.
After a short explanation, Reilly states that he will probably write "The Four Something Somethings" and could very well work down to "The One Something Something", so it is very likely that there are still novels in the series yet to come.
In the Six Sacred Stones, there is a reference to a wall painting in the chamber where the Philosopher's Stone was held. The painting depicted four kings seated on thrones and five warriors standing behind them. Hence, the next book could possibly be Four Something Kings.
Matthew Reilly
Matthew John Reilly is an Australian action thriller writer. His novels are noted for their fast pace, twisting plots and intense action.- Biography :...
.
The book is the third in an Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
-style action series. The preceding book was The Six Sacred Stones
The Six Sacred Stones
The Six Sacred Stones is a novel by Australian thriller author Matthew Reilly. It is a sequel to Seven Ancient Wonders and The Five Greatest Warriors is its sequel...
which ended in a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
with archaeologist and ex-soldier Jack West Jr. and his team searching for the last four
"Vertices of the Machine".
The series is published by Pan Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
and this book was first released on 20 October 2009 in Australia.
Situation at the end of The Six Sacred Stones
The Six Sacred Stones began the story of Jack West Jr's quest to rebuild the mythical 'Machine' before there is an uninterrupted line between Earth and a zero-point field (The 'Dark Star'), which will wipe out all life on Earth. In order to complete the Machine, West had to locate six oblong diamonds known as 'the pillars', and place them in six underground Vertices at their allotted times. Two pillars had to be placed in December 2007, the remaining four in March 2008, immediately before the arrival of the 'Dark Sun'. However, due to the knowledge of the Machine having been lost over the millennia, West first had to locate the Six Sacred Stones, which give him the information about the Machine he needs. By the end of the book, two pillars had been placed, and the various sacred stones had passed between many groups.Jack West Jr
Jack West Jr is the main protagonist of the book. He is Australian and codenamed Huntsman. He is the son of Jack West Sr, codenamed Wolf.Max Epper
The second sub-group was in an airfield in Botswana, as they were unable to reach the Second Vertex in time. The group is composed of Prof. Max Epper (aka. Wizard); Zoe Kissane (aka. Princess); Sky Monster (no-one knows his real name); Lily West (Jack West's adopted daughter aka.Eowyn); Ono (a Neetha tribesman from the CongoCongo Basin
The Congo Basin is the sedimentary basin that is the drainage of the Congo River of west equatorial Africa. The basin begins in the highlands of the East African Rift system with input from the Chambeshi River, the Uele and Ubangi Rivers in the upper reaches and the Lualaba River draining wetlands...
) and Dr Diane Cassidy (an anthropologist studying the Neetha). The items they have with them are the Seeing Stone of Delphi
Delphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
, and a Neetha inclinometer
Inclinometer
An inclinometer or clinometer is an instrument for measuring angles of slope , elevation or depression of an object with respect to gravity...
.
Zahir al Abbas
Zahir al Abbas (aka. Pooh Bear) is travelling to Israel to rescue his friend, Ben Cohen (aka. Stretch) from the Mossad who have placed a 16 million reward on his head for betraying them.Wolf
The main antagonist, Johnathan West Sr, aka. Wolf, holds all the cards at the end. He has the Philosopher's Stone, the Firestone, the Killing Stone of the Maya, and the pillars from the first two Vertices. He has also captured Lily West's friend, Alby Calvin, and leaves him at the Second Vertex.The Japanese Blood Brotherhood
The secondary antagonists, who desire to destroy the world to erase Japan's humiliation after World War II, they are led by Epper's colleague, Professor 'Tank' Tanaka, and have the third pillar in their possession.They try to kill the twins and professor Max Epper
The Five Warriors
Every identity of the Five Warriors were revealed to be MosesMoses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
and Napoleon Bonaparte and the fifth is Jack West Jr
Jack West Jr
Jonathan "Jack" West Junior is the main character in a book series by Australian author Matthew Reilly. He appears in the books Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, and The Five Greatest Warriors.- Biography :...
himself. Each of the Soldiers/Leaders had, in someway, been involved in the mystery of the capstone/Dark Sun/6 sacred stones; for example, Jesus was described by Reilly as someone who had possession of several pillars within the plot (throughout the book, there were subtle hints of antagonism against the Catholic Church, describing it as a 'sun cult'. Reilly also interpreted a metaphor from the Bible to claim that Jesus had 'carried a sword' and was purely a man who never resurrected from the grave). Genghis Khan held the locations to the entrances to the temples where the pillars must be placed. Jack's role, however, is revealed at the very end of the book to be fighting against his father to save the world from the Dark Sun.
The Six Pillars and their rewards
The novel revolves around the placement of six Pillars at specific dates and times which coincide with astronomical events. The placement of these Pillars activates the Great Machine, which protects the earth from the deadly rays of the Dark Star/Sun. When these pillars are placed, whoever removes it from the pyramid receives the individual 'reward' of that Pillar.The First Pillar: "Knowledge"
The First Pillar was in possession of the House of Saud, given to Jack's team by Vulture.The First Vertex is in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, under Lake Nasser
Lake Nasser
Lake Nasser is a vast reservoir in southern Egypt, and northern Sudan, and is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Strictly, "Lake Nasser" refers only to the much larger portion of the lake that is in Egyptian territory , with the Sudanese preferring to call their smaller body of water...
near Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel temples refers to two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 230 km southwest of Aswan...
and the First Pillar must be placed there on 10 December 2007 at 6:12am, during a Titanic Rising. The Reward for the placement of this pillar is Knowledge, which is revealed to be technical knowledge. Alby translates the four sides of the pillar, with Lily's help, and discovers that one side is a variety of the carbon matrix, a super strong and extremely lightweight form of carbon fibre. Another side is revealed to be a map of Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
and it's two companion stars, one of which is a zero-point field like the Dark Sun. The Third side of the pillar contains the solution to the Universe Expansion Problem, while the final side is not explained.
The Second Pillar: "Heat"
The Second Pillar was in possession of the Neetha tribe, in the deep jungles of the Congo.The Vertex of the Second Pillar is in South Africa, beneath the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
. The Second Pillar must be placed one week after the First on 17 December 2007 sometime around 2:55am, again during a Titanic Rising. The Reward for the placement of this pillar is Heat, which is believed to be the secret to Perpetual Motion
Perpetual motion
Perpetual motion describes hypothetical machines that operate or produce useful work indefinitely and, more generally, hypothetical machines that produce more work or energy than they consume, whether they might operate indefinitely or not....
and an endless energy source.
The Third Pillar: "Sight"
The Third Pillar was located in a trap system within the Third Vertex.The Third Vertex is located on the north-west coast of the Japanese island of Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. Its Pillar must be placed on 11 March 2008 at 12:05am, during a Titanic Rising. The Reward for the laying of this pillar is Sight, the ability to see the death of the person whose blood is on the Pillar.
The Fourth Pillar: "Life"
The Fourth Pillar was in the possession of the British Royal family and was handed to Pooh Bear, Stretch and the Twins in an attempt to lay it.The Fourth Vertex is at Lundy Island, Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
. The Fourth and Fifth Pillars must be placed at the same time: 2:10am on 18 March 2008. The Fourth Pillar's Reward is Life, it's function is not determined in the book, but is possibly the ability to bring people back from the dead.
The Fifth Pillar: "Death"
The Fifth Pillar was in joint possession of the Russian Romanovs and the Danish Royal Family until it came to be with Carnivore. He handed the Pillar to Jack West and Lily in an attempt to lay it successfully.The Fifth Vertex lies under the U.S Naval base at Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
, Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. The Fourth and Fifth Pillars must be placed at the same time: 2:10am on 18 March 2008. The Reward for the Fifth pillar is Death, some thought its reward was a weapon; the gift of dealing death to the holder's enemies.
The Sixth Pillar: "Power"
The Sixth Pillar was found in the fictional tomb of Jesus Christ in some salt mines in southern Israel.The Sixth and last Vertex is beneath the Ahu Vai Mata on the most north-westerly point of Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
, Pacific Ocean The Final Pillar must be placed on 20 March 2008, at 6:00pm, during the Dual Equinox: when both our Sun and its twin, the Dark Sun, will be shining on the Vertex at Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
. The Reward for the placement of the Sixth Pillar is Power, which grants whoever is holding the charged Pillar whatever they wish, be it world domination, the death of an enemy or the destruction of cities, on the whim of the holder.
Synopsis
The story starts with Jack's fall from the Vertex under table mountain with the suicidal Marine Switchblade, and his escape with the aid of Switchblade's Maghook, a staple of many of Reilly's works. He quickly reunites with the rest of his team at Heard Island.The dates for the placement of the six pillars sees a three-month window between the second and third placements. Jack and Zoe use the interim period to help Pooh Bear in the rescue of Stretch from the Israeli Mossad. In a Roman ruin located under Israel's most secret facility, they find Stretch subjected to a hellish treatment: kept alive in a tank of formaldehyde by General Muniz, a Mossad spymaster. Stretch was to be the latest addition in Muniz's private collection of "living trophies", a practice pioneered by a former KGB operative. Stretch is subsequently liberated and the party makes their escape.
Jack learns of The Five Greatest Warriors from Diane Cassidy, five key members of history who would influence the sacred stones and their whereabouts. They set about locating the third pillar and its matching Vertex. Following a connection to Genghis Khan, the party sets out for Mongolia. They locate the Khan's tomb under a false mound that covered a meteor crater. In the bowels of the fortress, they find a petrified dinosaur egg painted with images of the six temples that house the Verticies. The Japanese Blood Brotherhood attempt to stop Jack and Wolf from finding the next temple, and Wizard is killed by Wolf in their escape. Realising that Khan's shield also carries the images on the egg, Jack and his team race to the northern tip of Hokkaido.
Japan attempts to stop them from entering the temple - which can only be done so in the middle of a tsunami - but Jack and his father form an uneasy truce and agree to place the third pillar together. Negotiating a maze set above a lake of lava, they successfully place the pillar. A lone Japanese sniper very nearly kills them, and in the firefight, Jack and his father receive a vision of Jack's death from the pillar: what appears to be a fiery accident involving a falling aircraft. Wolf decides to let Jack go free after Jack saves his life. Unfortunately, all involved are captured by a group of Russians. At the same time, Jack's friends are picked up from their various assignments around the world.
Everyone is taken to a dam in far eastern Siberia, where they meet the Carnivore, General Muniz's friend and the creator of the "living tombs". The Carnivore is the last of the House of Romanov, and the leader of the coalition of royal houses in Europe. Diane Cassidy is also revealed to be one of his conspiratos. After forcing Jack to fight his half-brother to the death, the Carnivore subjects Jack's friends to his hellish prison cells to encourage him to place the fourth and fifth pillars. Without a choice, Jack agrees. The Carnivore makes a similar arrangement with Mao Gongli, Scimitar and Vulture, holding their loved ones hostage and sending them out to find the sixth and final pillar.
The fourth and fifth pillars must be placed simultaneously. Jack, Lily and Iolanthe make for Diego Garcia while Pooh Bear, Stretch and the Adamson twins go to Lundy Island. Shortly after they place their pillars, the Carnivore and Cassidy abandon their Siberian base and their victims, leaving them to die. Wolf escapes and gives pursuit, heading for Easter Island. Meanwhile, Jack, Lily and Iolanthe return to Israel, where they locate the Tomb of Jesus Christ, the bearer of the sixth and final pillar. After Pooh Bear is forced to kill Scimitar and Vulture, Jack himself makes for Easter Island aboard a heavily damaged Halicarnassus. Meanwhile, the Dark Sun enters the edge of the solar system and planet earth is subjected to extreme weather conditions.
Unable to land his plane, Jack crash-lands in the entrance to the Easter Island shrine. Unable to catch either Wolf or the Carnivore in the ten minutes remaining until the final pillar must be placed, Jack uses the remains of the Halicarnassus to cover the ground between himself and the Carnivore. Jack kills the former KGB operative with the plane's sole remaining gun, which literally blasts him to nothingness. Lily, the only person Jack trusts - not least of all because she is the only one who can read the Worth of Thoth - carries out the final placement. The reward for the sixth pillar is power, the ability to make one's thoughts a reality. Imbued with the power of the pillar, Lily goes on a murderous rampage, killing Cassidy and Mao Gongli in a grotesque fashion before Jack is able to stop her. As the Great Machine activates and the world is saved from the Dark Sun, Jack casts the pillar into the void beneath the Vertex. Wolf gives chase, but the Halicarnassus causes the balcony overlooking the void to collapse, and he falls to his death as he chases the pillar. We learn that because it was Wolf's blood and not Jack's on the third pillar in Hokkaido, it was a vision of Wolf's death that Jack saw. Jack and Lily leave Easter Island, returning to Siberia in time to free their friends and the Carnivore's victims from the fomaldehyde tanks.
The epilogue sees Jack and Zoe married and living in Australia with Lily. The five surviving pillars remain hidden, with Jack reporting that they had been lost or destroyed over the course of their mission. Zoe discerns that the fifth Greatest Warrior - whose identity had gone unknown because of his role to play in the potential apocalypse - was actually Jack, and the story ends.
Possible Future Books
In the interview at the end of the book, the question "You've already written Seven Ancient Wonders, Six Sacred Stones and the Five Greatest Warriors. will the Jack West Jr series of books count down all the way to the One...?" was asked.After a short explanation, Reilly states that he will probably write "The Four Something Somethings" and could very well work down to "The One Something Something", so it is very likely that there are still novels in the series yet to come.
In the Six Sacred Stones, there is a reference to a wall painting in the chamber where the Philosopher's Stone was held. The painting depicted four kings seated on thrones and five warriors standing behind them. Hence, the next book could possibly be Four Something Kings.