Treasure of Khan
by Clive Cussler, Dirk Cussler
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Book Reviews of Treasure of Khan
Book Review: Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino are back!
Summary: 3 Stars
THE LOWDOWN: Dirk Pitt Sr. and Al Giordino return to the spotlight in a new adventure that gets back to the basics: hunting down a long-lost treasure, battling an evil criminal family with ambitious plans, and getting into lots of trouble along the way.
THE PLOT: Dirk and Al are nearly killed by a "seiche wave" caused by an earthquake in a Siberian lake, and the crew of an oil research team is kidnapped. Pitt determines that a Mongolian oil exec descended from Genghis Khan himself is responsible for both incidents. Tolgoi Borjin's technology detects oil deep underground, and causes earthquakes when placed over fault lines. With enough quakes in the right places, oil prices go soaring, and Khan's descendants are poised to make a killing in the oil market, at China's expense.
THE PROS: Switching out Dirk Jr. and Summer for Dirk Sr. and Al was a good decision. Dirk Jr. and Summer make for perfectly acceptable supporting characters, encountering one prong of Borjin's plot while Dirk and Al handle the main conflict. While not as hard-hitting as the classic Pitt adventures, there is plenty of action, including a break in at Borjin's oil facility, a wild motorcycle vs. horse chase, shootouts with fully armored Mongolian warriors, a brawl with a deadly monk, and the earth-shaking (literally) finale at Borjin's palace.
THE CONS: The side plot with Dirk Jr. and Summer is a bit of a tangent from the rest of the story, but it stalls the villains from attacking a major oil pipeline, so it served a purpose in the end (it just took a while to get there). Borjin and his sibling are a boring lot considering they are descended from Genghis Khan himself. The old "villain with an earthquake machine" is hardly a new idea, and the Mongolian guards in historically accurate costumes seem a bit cartoonish.
Book Review: Treasure of Khan
Summary: 5 Stars
When you thought Clive Cussler has done it all..well here is another one spell binding...riveting...one of his best, if not, the best....cant put the book down. The book takes us back to the Ghengis Khan era about the 13th century. Cusssler sets the stage with a battle 1000 miles north of Japan. Kubla Khans troops , battle typhoons, cat 4 hurricans, thousands of ships . When you just get settled to a mariner story that keeps your interest and cant get enough of it, Cussler trows in the start of a treasure hunt,full with deceit and sabotage, coupled with modern day technology. Here comes Dirk and Al doing their NUMA thing on a lake in Russia, when all hell breaks loose . The villans have arrived. Al and Dirk find something sinister, and of course they have to get involved. First an not so ordinary rescue leads Dirk to start digging into the man made disaster, which leads them back into Mangola. They find the villan who does not take the intrusion lightly. The villan is tying to monopolize and control the flow of oil to oil starved china. Dirk an Al get caught , eventually they escape with a trek trough the Gobi Desert they find crashed Airplane ,a Fokker tri-motor. Inside Dirk finds some artifacts and a 13th century treasure , map which leads them right back to the villan, who is not about to give up the treasure and the oil. With NUMAS supercomputer Max, Al and Dirk go right back into the Lions den to settle the score...With the most remarkable resourceful villan. Only Clive Cussler can come up with a adventure story like this...enjoy
Book Review: Worse As An Audiobook
Summary: 1 Stars
I listened to this title. It was excruciating. Not because of the narrator, that's not a fair basis for a review here, but because of the pathetic, disjointed, improbable story. A story that is populated with cartoonesque characters, performing Marvel Comic feats of daring-do Captain America would blush at. The predictable bravado laced banter between Pitt and Giordano is good for a few laughs, but this sophomoric silliness has run its course.Book Review: Regrettable
Summary: 1 Stars
Clive Cussler really can write an interesting book, so this is a particularly disappointing effort. Its principal virtue is that it reads with merciful brevity, hardly surprising since the plot is twisted and improbable, the characters are shallow and familiar, and the dialogue is hackneyed and unimaginative.Book Review: Exciting and fun!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is actually my first ever Cussler book and I loved it. It was fast paced, fun, upbeat, and different than anything I have previously read. His writing is smooth and the storyline is engaging and compelling. I've already started another Cussler after having finished this one.