Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Same great suspense, but same plot
I look forward to a new Clive Cussler (& Paul Kemprecos) adventure every year or so, but this one, though it has all the suspense and twists I expected I feel like I've read it before. Perhaps Kurt Austin is too much of a clone of Dirk Pitt and well as their sidekicks, and the formula has run its course. Cussler's non-fiction adventures are even better, and I can see where he brings his knowledge of sea and the history of seafaring to each plot, but unfortunately there is nothing new here to make it as exceptional as I've come to expect.Cussler is a great story teller and I honestly don't read him for the great writing, but for the escape so perhaps next time he will bring one of his heroes(or create a new one)onto land for a bigger caper and break new ground.
Rating:  - MASTERFUL READING
Clive Cussler is unequaled, surely unexcelled in the field of eco-thrillers. His real life experiences and gift with words have given new meaning to the action/adventure genre. The fourth in his mesmerizing series The NUMA Files is sure evidence that Cussler is a master at his game."Master" might also apply to voice actors James Naughton and Scott Brick who render electrifying readings of "White Death." Naughton has received various honors during his theatrical career, among them are Tony Awards for his performances in Chicago and City of Angels. With film television, radio and stage appearances to his credit Brick is an accomplished veteran of audio book readings. As readers and listeners of earlier works in this series know hero Kurt Austin heads NUMA's Special Assignments Team. Now, along with his working buddy Joe Zavala, the two have saved a shipload of men. These men were trapped after a head-on between a Danish cruiser and a radical environmental group. But, true to Cussler's suspenseful form, that's not the end - just the startling beginning as Austin and Zavala discover that a sinister multinational corporation wants control of the seas, and will kill anyone who stands in the way of its total rule. Austin's ship explodes but he survives - just barely. What must he do to make sure that he doesn't become a target again? This is vintage Cussler which means action at its best. - Gail Cooke
Rating: - These Kurt Austin tales keep getting better...
I am what you would call a MAJOR Clive Cussler Fan (all I need is a paycheck, and I'd be a Professional...) and I absolutely LOVE the Kurt Austin adventures--ALMOST as much as his counterpart Dirk Pitt. I MUST admit 1-tiny fact: I have enjoyed the last TWO Kurt novels MORE than the most recent Dirk Pitt tale ('Valhalla Rising'). I ALMOST feel dirty admitting that, but c'mon! It's TRUE! For those who continue to persist that Clive puts way MORE into his stories for Dirk than he does for Kurt, well I'm beginning to think othewise. Don't get me wrong, as long as Dirk Pitt lives on the pages of a Clive Cussler novel, he's got at least ONE die-hard reader. He has NEVER let me down. Sure, some novels are better than others, but they are ALL entertaining.'White Death' is among his better releases (in MY opinion, anyway). I found one thing VERY interesting as I devoured this book: it doesn't contain as much action as the average Dirk Pitt/Kurt Austin novel--which ISN'T to say that the action is absent entirely. On the contrary, there is plenty--just not as much as I have grown accustomed to over the years--and this in NO WAY slows the story one tiny bit. I found 'White Death' to emphasize the plot more than action, which I enjoyed tremendously. There is never ANY doubt who will win in the end here--and as I read on, I found the topic of 'White Death' to be MUCH more entertaining than I would have normally thought possible: A modern evil Eskimo tribe plans to genetically engineer horrific 'Frankenfish' that will decimate the population of certain species of fish in the oceans--while stockpiling these same in 'Fish Farms', monopolizing the supply and making billions in the process. Simple plan, right? Sure--until you factor in a certain Kurt Austin and his trusty sidekick, Joe Zavala (absolute CLONES of Dirk Pitt & Al Giordino). Joe has a more subdued roll in 'White Death' than he has in his previous adventures with Kurt--but when he does make an appearance, it usually involves chases, explosions and even a little sword-play. Along for the ride we have a radical environmental group calles SOS (Sentinels of the Sea) and the dangerous and explosive company bent on total control of genetic fish engineering, Oceanus (a front for our evil Eskimos). As usual, the beginning of the story takes us back in history, my personal favorite was an undocumented Nazi/Germany ill-fated trip to the North Pole in a massive Zeppelin. There is MUCH to like in the pages of 'White Death' but I HAVE to admit, one particular conversation between Kurt and the leader of the Evil Eskimos had me scratching my head...NOT because it was confusing, but because it seemed forced and almost comical in how the bad guy spoke and declared he was '...the instrument of your (Kurt's) death...', other than that, I truly loved this latest outing with Kurt, Joe, Admiral Sandecker and even an appearance by Rudi Gunn. I now long for another installment featuring Dirk, but I am thrilled that with the introduction of Kurt, I no longer have to wait a full year and a few odd months before I see something new from Cussler...All in all, 'White Death' is FINE brain candy.
|
