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tmdguru500's review against another edition
3.0
A shorter story than the others in the series. Very straightforward. Not many twists and turns although some parts were really stretching it in terms of fiction versus reality. Wonder what it would be like if such a thing did happen in real life. A good read nevertheless.
jarens16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love Dirk Pitt novels. They never fail to disappoint. Clive Cussler is one of the few that can drop puzzle pieces so randomly I have no real idea how they fit together until the end.
A fantastic second installment of the Dirk Pitt Adventure series
A fantastic second installment of the Dirk Pitt Adventure series
shanep's review against another edition
3.0
Chock full of 1970's race and sexist language. One of my favorites is when Dirk finds his lover waiting for him at his car. "Are you crazy? A luscious creature all alone in a Washington parking lot. It's a miracle you weren't assaulted and gang banged." Dirk is such a romantic.
madlovenovelist's review against another edition
2.0
Misogynistic. Sexist. Discrimination. Transphobic. So many times I nearly threw up in my mouth. I figured ‘Iceberg’ as the only one of Clive Cussler’s early works as being problematic in this matter of insensitivity. But ‘Vixen 03’ is giving it a run for its money. Women are objectified just about every time they are in a scene. I hate to say it, but this was fairly typical of this James bond adventurer genre in the 70's. So I shouldn't be surprised. Thankfully Clive Cussler evolved as a writer and this kind of writing is left in the past where it belongs.
This was the first novel I read after the news of Cussler’s passing, and I wish it had done a better in service of his legacy. I was really disappointed and searched for some redeeming qualities. ‘Vixen 03’ deals with themes of racism, nationalism, terrorism, and international espionage. And the premise sounds interesting, as do all of Clive Cussler’s novels. They promise adventure, action and intrigue. But to be honest this left the taste of disgust in my mouth.
The pacing terribly slow with frequent tangents around non-essential topics to the plot. So much time is spent building the South African contingent part of the story that Dirk Pitt was featured in less than half of the story. This did not feel like a Dirk Pitt novel, more like he swooped in at the end to resolve the mystery.
The plot itself is a good one, there are plenty of red herrings, heroics and a massively woven web of intertwined actions boiling down to a single event. If it weren’t for all of the inappropriate representation, I would have really enjoyed this fare.
‘Vixen 03’ was not the Dirk Pitt I’ve come to appreciate. He felt very one-toned. An un-killable saviour, putting his life on the line to save the world (*cough-America-cough*) I would have liked some nuance outside of all this male bravado. Thank goodness I know it gets better in later volumes of this franchise – a bit campier and stereotypical – but better and more entertaining.
The whole reading experience was marred by old-fashioned, politically incorrect attitudes.
I recommend you skip this one.
This was the first novel I read after the news of Cussler’s passing, and I wish it had done a better in service of his legacy. I was really disappointed and searched for some redeeming qualities. ‘Vixen 03’ deals with themes of racism, nationalism, terrorism, and international espionage. And the premise sounds interesting, as do all of Clive Cussler’s novels. They promise adventure, action and intrigue. But to be honest this left the taste of disgust in my mouth.
The pacing terribly slow with frequent tangents around non-essential topics to the plot. So much time is spent building the South African contingent part of the story that Dirk Pitt was featured in less than half of the story. This did not feel like a Dirk Pitt novel, more like he swooped in at the end to resolve the mystery.
The plot itself is a good one, there are plenty of red herrings, heroics and a massively woven web of intertwined actions boiling down to a single event. If it weren’t for all of the inappropriate representation, I would have really enjoyed this fare.
‘Vixen 03’ was not the Dirk Pitt I’ve come to appreciate. He felt very one-toned. An un-killable saviour, putting his life on the line to save the world (*cough-America-cough*) I would have liked some nuance outside of all this male bravado. Thank goodness I know it gets better in later volumes of this franchise – a bit campier and stereotypical – but better and more entertaining.
The whole reading experience was marred by old-fashioned, politically incorrect attitudes.
I recommend you skip this one.
michaelbtice's review against another edition
2.0
I'm going to keep this brief.
Racist. Misogynistic. What the hell was up with that stupid one time used holographic messaging system? The Lincoln Memorial is destroyed but somehow Lincoln is still standing?
The action at the end was decent, but we had to throw in one more dig at women talking about Emma.
And the way every black character is described? Jesus Christ.
I think 2 stars might be more than this deserves, but it was still better than Iceberg or Med Caper.
Racist. Misogynistic. What the hell was up with that stupid one time used holographic messaging system? The Lincoln Memorial is destroyed but somehow Lincoln is still standing?
The action at the end was decent, but we had to throw in one more dig at women talking about Emma.
And the way every black character is described? Jesus Christ.
I think 2 stars might be more than this deserves, but it was still better than Iceberg or Med Caper.
bookworm605's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War