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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Another action packed thriller with Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon! Whipped right through this one, couldn't put it down :)
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Although I've always been a huge Dirk Pitt fan - Raise the Titanic was one of the first 'adult' novels I ever read - I've hesitated to check out any of Clive Cussler's other series. Last year I finally got around to checking out the Fargo Adventures, with The Tombs catching my eye with its promise of archaeologists, secret historical sites, and hidden tombs - and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This year it's The Oregon Files wooing me deeper into Cussler's shared universe, with Nikola Tesla and the Philadelphia Experiment convincing me to give Mirage a read. It's not quite up to Dirk Pitt standards, but it was certainly a solid techno-thriller.
While Juan Cabrillo has a touch of Dirk Pitt to him, he's much closer to a Jack Bauer, Mitch Rapp, or even a James Bond. He's strong, skilled, and extraordinarily well armed, with an endless supply of funds, arms, and technology behind him. He's the Chairman of The Oregon, one of the most advanced ships to ever sail the seas, but which looks like a rusted old freighter. The Corporation that own it is a government sanctioned private security firm that performs search and rescue ops, salvage jobs, and covert infiltrations into war-torn countries.
The story kicks off with the rescue of a high-profile Russian prisoner from the coldest, most inhospitable gulags in all the world. It's a well-orchestrated daring escape that almost succeeds. Before he takes his last breath, however, Yuri Borodin offers up a few cryptic clues that lead Cabrillo and team on a frantic chase around the world to stop a corrupt Russian official from loosing dangerous experimental technology on the world. Along the way we speculate quite a bit about Tesla's experiments, explore some rational explanations for the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, and quite literally bring the US to the brink of war with China.
It's a fast-paced tale, full of adventure and excitement, with some intriguing scientific and historical tidbits to hold it all together. There are, of course, last-minute escapes from impossible situations, but it all works. Nothing strains the bounds of credibility too much, with even the technology coming across as plausible, and Cabrillo is certainly a strong enough hero to lead a new franchise.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
While Juan Cabrillo has a touch of Dirk Pitt to him, he's much closer to a Jack Bauer, Mitch Rapp, or even a James Bond. He's strong, skilled, and extraordinarily well armed, with an endless supply of funds, arms, and technology behind him. He's the Chairman of The Oregon, one of the most advanced ships to ever sail the seas, but which looks like a rusted old freighter. The Corporation that own it is a government sanctioned private security firm that performs search and rescue ops, salvage jobs, and covert infiltrations into war-torn countries.
The story kicks off with the rescue of a high-profile Russian prisoner from the coldest, most inhospitable gulags in all the world. It's a well-orchestrated daring escape that almost succeeds. Before he takes his last breath, however, Yuri Borodin offers up a few cryptic clues that lead Cabrillo and team on a frantic chase around the world to stop a corrupt Russian official from loosing dangerous experimental technology on the world. Along the way we speculate quite a bit about Tesla's experiments, explore some rational explanations for the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, and quite literally bring the US to the brink of war with China.
It's a fast-paced tale, full of adventure and excitement, with some intriguing scientific and historical tidbits to hold it all together. There are, of course, last-minute escapes from impossible situations, but it all works. Nothing strains the bounds of credibility too much, with even the technology coming across as plausible, and Cabrillo is certainly a strong enough hero to lead a new franchise.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
the reading equivalent of a decently plotted action movie. or a saturday matinee.
A good read. I think the story is much more realistic in that its more focused on the lives of the Corporation rather than just focusing on one story. Nevertheless it's interesting to see how the Corporation reacts to different situations and how the different stories blend in with each other. Would be good to see more action or more storyline.
As ever, Clive Cussler and his co-authors come up with nail-biting adventure on every page and a book that it is very hard to put down. I finished this late last night, after-dinner holiday reading, whilst my wife read another Cussler novel. Excellent, high tension (read the book to understand that better) adventure and not a word of bad language anywhere!
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
Excellent addition to the Oregon Files. Action + adventure + intrigue + Tesla = a good time.