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d3vilxl3gacy's review against another edition
4.0
Picked this up bc I loved the movie. This is nothing like the movie. I won't say ones betted than the other because they're so different there's no comparison. But this book was amazing and as far as I'm concerned now is a must read for anybody interested in thrillers and world scale adventure.
enterprisingsmoo's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
zama04's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
dirkpitt28's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
A amazing and fun adventure all the way through
cameronkc's review against another edition
4.0
Great villains, better heroes, and damsels in distress. There is also lots of sand and plenty of action. This would make a great movie, and if it is already one then all the better. While the story is engaging and interesting there are a few subplots which are waaaay underdeveloped and quite random. That said, this was enjoyable.
scott1228's review against another edition
4.0
If you’ve read one Dirk Pitt book, you’ve read ‘em all. But I say that in the best possible way. This was one of the first books my dad put in my hands as a bored middle schooler and I was hooked. Part James Bond, part Indiana Jones, mix in a little Jacques Cousteau. All things I loved. Cussler nailed his formula several books previous to this (as I found out), and in subsequent books, that formula is telegraphed. You know when certain recurring characters are going to show up based on plot. His books don’t ever pretend to be anything but what they are: fun adventure romps that are formulaic, yes, but page turners, nonetheless.
nacho_boo's review against another edition
5.0
Have read and reread. Classic summer read. Lighthearted adventure. Dirk Pitt book
bdhoffmeister's review
2.0
Confession: I enjoy reading trash from time to time. Who doesn't?
However, after this, my second foray into Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series, I can fairly confidently say I will not be returning. I'm a little saddened by this, because I've yet to find a really good and well-written adventure novel to get into. Unfortunately, these aren't them.
It's not that the wham-bang Hollywood action movie style isn't kind of enjoyable -- it is, kind of. Little flourishes like the classic cars and exotic locales are fun. But the dialogue is stilted, the prose suffers from a serious case of telling instead of showing, and the cardboard heroes commit atrocities in the novel's climax that had me questioning whether they were any better than the villains.
Oh, by the way, did I mention the author writes himself into a cameo and there's this thing about a Confederate ironclad disappearing in the Sahara Desert and a conspiracy involving the faking of the Lincoln assassination that bookends the story and has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the plot? Because those are things, too.
However, after this, my second foray into Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series, I can fairly confidently say I will not be returning. I'm a little saddened by this, because I've yet to find a really good and well-written adventure novel to get into. Unfortunately, these aren't them.
It's not that the wham-bang Hollywood action movie style isn't kind of enjoyable -- it is, kind of. Little flourishes like the classic cars and exotic locales are fun. But the dialogue is stilted, the prose suffers from a serious case of telling instead of showing, and the cardboard heroes commit atrocities in the novel's climax that had me questioning whether they were any better than the villains.
Oh, by the way, did I mention the author writes himself into a cameo and there's this thing about a Confederate ironclad disappearing in the Sahara Desert and a conspiracy involving the faking of the Lincoln assassination that bookends the story and has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the plot? Because those are things, too.
olivelynae's review
Its so poorly written, the dialogue is stiff and it’s a classic example of male author doesn’t know how to write a female character
catherinemohs's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Violence
Minor: Sexual content