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Title: Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler, Ron McLarty ISBN: 0-399-14817-5 Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group Pub. Date: 09 August, 2001 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 5 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.52 (206 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Always a great read, but needs more work on the villains
Comment: I only discovered Cussler about a year ago but have since read the entire Dirk Pitt series. Yes, they are over the top and Dirk and Al are greater than life and the luckiest guys on the planet. But its like going to a great action film -- you adjust your expectations -- and within the context of action adventure there's none better than Cussler. Valhalla Rising was no exception, and one of his better works. The action "scenes" (they are written as if you're watching a James Bond movie, only it would take about a billion dollars to film this book) are plentiful and spectacular. And as usual, he managed to weave in some interesting period historical events (though fictional) with a modern drama.
The only thing that drives me crazy, particularly in this latest work, are his villains. They are always Bondesque in their megamonical evilness. No problem. But I'm often not satisfied with the pay-offs after so much build up of hatred. In this case he paints a picture of a corporate exec. so confident in his power base, having spent billions to bribe hundreds of officials, that he's willing to personally host an attempted public assassination of a U.S. Congresswoman. Yet, when Pitt and the gang finally overcome the odds, of course, there is no opportunity to rub his face in his loss of power or control. It would have been so easy. The hole where the scene should have gone, at the end of a Congressional Hearing, was so blatant in its absence. It's as if once his villains have lost Cussler loses all interest in them, not realizing that we want to see them squirm, reduced and humiliated -- we want to see them look Pitt in the eyes in total defeat -- not merely eliminated.
Rating: 5
Summary: Truly Unbelievable
Comment: The great thing about Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures is, you know exactly what you are in for before you start. Cheesy, ridiculous dialogue, impossible escapes that cheat death by millimetres, a cool, suave almost super-human he-man hero, and a rollicking adventure that keeps your eyes glued to the pages.
Once again, Cussler delivers a fanciful adventure that shows off Dirk Pitt and Al Giodino's finest attributes. They come up against yet another evil (some may even say fiendish) megalomaniac who is intent on world domination and will allow nothing and no one to stand in his way.
There are a couple of historical tie-ins at the beginning of the book that set the scene for some big revelations at the end, rounding out a very entertaining story that will leave Pitt fans thirsting for more. The usual cameo by Cussler is played with gusto and comes far in earlier than in previous books. I get the feeling that Dirk Pitt's starting to get a little bit suspicious of this Clive Cussler character and his habit of turning up all over the world.
Plenty of new inventions for the NUMA boys to play with, plus a few tantalising theories are put forward which would indeed make the world a better place if only they were true. And the ending? Well, let's just say the ending is nothing short of unbelievable.
Rating: 1
Summary: Deep-Six this one
Comment: The beginning sequences of ancient norsemen and a 19th century mystery sub seemed interesting, and I was hoping they would tie together later. Unfortunately, the ideas were never really picked up again, and it seemed as if they were thrown in at the end of the book to "tie" everything together.
Dirk Pitt (the superhero NUMA research engineer) has numerous poorly written escapes from death. He doesn't just get attacked by an old biplane while flying over NYC. He doesn't just get attacked by an old biplane while flying a planeload of children over NYC. He gets attacked by an old biplane while flying a planeload of disabled children over NYC. The story quickly degrades from here, if that is at all possible, into one about an Evil MegaOilCorp out to dominate the USA (and secretly paying off over 100 Congressmen&women/govt agents), as well as numerous ridiculous nautical-themed terrorist attacks.
I payed $0.27 for the book at a thrift shop, and can plainly see why. Deep-six this one.
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Title: Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler ISBN: 0425177173 Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Trojan Odyssey by Clive Cussler ISBN: 0399150803 Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Pub. Date: 24 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: FLOOD TIDE by Clive Cussler ISBN: 0671000314 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: DRAGON by Clive Cussler ISBN: 0671742760 Publisher: Pocket Pub. Date: 01 July, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Treasure (Clive Cussler) by Clive Cussler ISBN: 0671704656 Publisher: Pocket Pub. Date: 15 October, 1989 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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