Reviews

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

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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

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5.0

Have read and reread. Classic summer read. Lighthearted adventure. Dirk Pitt book

bdhoffmeister's review

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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.

olivelynae's review

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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

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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

allison_on_a_book_break's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I've been considering un-hauling all of my Clive Cussler books for quite awhile, because they simply haven't held any interest for me lately. But I'm thrilled to report, Sahara has squashed that notion completely; it has reminded me why I've held onto these for so long and why every time I HAVE unhauled them in the past, I inevitably ended up repurchasing them years later. My Dirk Pitt series is here to stay and Sahara is one of the best in the series.

Sahara grabbed my attention at the very beginning and never let go. I loved my time in the desert with Dirk Pitt and his trusty sidekick Al Giordino. It's a non-stop adventure thrill ride, with plenty of diabolical bad guys just waiting to be defeated by golden-boy and charmed hero Dirk Pitt, full of Indian-Jones-meets-McGuyver moments. I especially enjoy the technical additions to the narrative centering around cars, ships, etc. They remind me of listening to my dad spouting off specs of some vehicle or another while watching a movie together.

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