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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
The Pitt family has to be the luckiest family to live. Ever. I have read Dirk Pitt books before and they are always good for a nice quick read that doesn't require me to think too much. This book is the same. A lot of action where the Pitt family (along with the NUMA crew) and managed to get out of whatever happened to be causing their issue. Or, maybe they are unlucky because the NUMA charter is to do exploration but when the Pitt family is around they always get into a lot of trouble. Maybe they are looking for it?
As in nearly all series Pitt #23 also complied to the mandatory "event checklist" and even if Clive's personal appearances have long since lost the element of surprise (for me that is) I still loved it.
Same formula, good action, great unbelievable events, nice historical perspective.
“When power is up for grabs,” Pitt said, “the first casualty is often liberty.”
Oof.
I'm starting to feel like a broken record. Didn't already do Cuba, seafloor mining, and Aztec treasures? Admittedly not in the same book. And they do mention that Dirk Pitt (Sr) met Fidel Castro once upon a story. So there's something.
Overall, there area lot of threads going on that don't really feel all that related. The mining plotline isn't that interesting. The Aztec treasures are pretty cool, although feels like a much smaller plot o the book.
And while for the most part Cussler has gotten much, much better about misogyny throughout his books:
"I saw a bright light," she said in a weak voice. "I thought it was an angel calling me, then I realized it was something else."
"What's that?" Pitt asked, leaning close.
"It was you," she said, reaching up to her father's face and stroking away a tear.
Daw... but eep? Just about all of them keep getting captured over and over again. Dirk Pitt Sr? Dirk Pitt Jr? (still confusing) Al? They can rescue themselves. But Summer? Needs dear old aging dad.
Ug.
Overall, it's more of the same, but enjoyable enough.
Dirk Pitt, his family and friends - always awesome. I learn so much from each book as well. Excellent!
In spite of the fact that he's spent quite a bit of time saving the world and uncovering ancient mysteries, Dirk Pitt's day job has to do with oceanography and exploration of the sea. In that capacity, he and some other researchers of the National Underwater and Marine Agency are investigating several "dead zones" near Cuba, places where large numbers of fish and other aquatic wildlife have died.
But the dead zones may not be natural phenomena, and there are some people who would rather Pitt and NUMA not learn anything else about them. And there's the added complication that Pitt's children -- twins Summer and Dirk, Jr. -- have found themselves opposed by potentially lethal forces who want to uncover the secrets of some pre-Aztec relics the pair have been seeking. Will the two mysteries intersect in Havana Storm?
What do you think?
Of course they will, and of course in back of everything will be a ruthless baddie bent on either destroying, ruling or exalting his position in the world. One doesn't read Clive Cussler (and/or son and co-author Dirk) in the interests of introspective self-analysis. One expects a quick-paced adventure yarn with evil plots, derring-do and a few last-minute escapes, which Cussler has been delivering for about 40 years. The best-written of these kinds of books zip by without making you stop for anything other than a page-turn, a snack or putting on sunscreen, and that sums up Havana Storm quite nicely. As usual, Cussler offers a little bit of maritime knowledge in his story and this time adds a dash of Mesoamerican archaeology for fun. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a book like this, even though there's absolutely nothing about it that sticks with you (I read it several weeks ago and had to check Amazon to remind myself about a couple of plot points). Because that's precisely what it's designed to do, and that's precisely what it does.
Original available here.
But the dead zones may not be natural phenomena, and there are some people who would rather Pitt and NUMA not learn anything else about them. And there's the added complication that Pitt's children -- twins Summer and Dirk, Jr. -- have found themselves opposed by potentially lethal forces who want to uncover the secrets of some pre-Aztec relics the pair have been seeking. Will the two mysteries intersect in Havana Storm?
What do you think?
Of course they will, and of course in back of everything will be a ruthless baddie bent on either destroying, ruling or exalting his position in the world. One doesn't read Clive Cussler (and/or son and co-author Dirk) in the interests of introspective self-analysis. One expects a quick-paced adventure yarn with evil plots, derring-do and a few last-minute escapes, which Cussler has been delivering for about 40 years. The best-written of these kinds of books zip by without making you stop for anything other than a page-turn, a snack or putting on sunscreen, and that sums up Havana Storm quite nicely. As usual, Cussler offers a little bit of maritime knowledge in his story and this time adds a dash of Mesoamerican archaeology for fun. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a book like this, even though there's absolutely nothing about it that sticks with you (I read it several weeks ago and had to check Amazon to remind myself about a couple of plot points). Because that's precisely what it's designed to do, and that's precisely what it does.
Original available here.