This book floored me with its—dare I say it?—sheer stupidity. Sorry, Clive. I love you like a man’s supposed to love his car or favorite beverage, but you failed me and your readers big time on this one. I’ll share just three major misfires in this episode (the 17th in the series) before sharing what I really did like about it.

First, Atlantis. I mean come on! It was only two books ago in Atlantis Found that the hero discovered not only its exact location, but also its treasures and basically the entire background of its language and culture. Yet now the top scientists and archaeologists are arguing about where the fabled land might be? Do they not live in Dirk Pitt’s universe? Aren’t they characters of your own design?

Second, Specter. Unique villains are a necessity, I understand, and over the years you’ve come up with some whoppers. In fact, I kind of miss the various tints of each villain’s eyes you emphasized so much early on. But in Trojan Odyssey, you overstep the bounds of 21st century plausibility and mistake your audience for, perhaps, classmates you knew growing up. Dirk Pitt isn’t Tintin, and his fans require more than this unbelievable character, a mysterious fat man who turns out to be a skinny woman. After all, no one even realizes it until Dirk Pitt threatens her impossibly with a weapon as she sits before Congress, forcing her to undress in front of the cameras. It was cartoonish and a huge, embarassing letdown.

Thirdly, Cussler himself. After the days-long exchange he, Dirk, and Al had in Valhalla Rising, one might assume that our hero would finally recognize the old codger whom he’s met in every book since at least Sahara. But no, still we get the same-old “he’s familiar, but I can’t place him” routine. It’s a worn-out ploy and I, for one, would have appreciated a change of pace.

Is it fair to critique a simple novel that’s 15 years old by now? Sure. Clive’s still writing, and as a long-time fan, I feel like I’ve invested enough hours to offer my well-honed opinions to the master. If he’s not reading reviews, perhaps his entourage of co-authors are. There’s quite a following out here, Boys. And we like to be entertained not played. Thanks a bunch.

What I truly enjoyed about this novel was the way Cussler eased Dirk’s children into the company and plot. These kids do not enter the scene as all-powerful chips off the old block, but instead become hapless victims (twice) in need of salvation (twice) by their old man and Giordino, all while introducing themselves as hardworking professionals in their own rights. That’s a fair and believable method of introduction, which I loved.

The adjustments to NUMA’s corporate structure work, and I appreciate seeing Sanddecker becoming the more effective leader we all knew he could be. Watching Rudy Gunn refusing the Director position in favor of taking the backseat to Pitt seems unnatural, but perhaps it’s not. What would I know about the politics of a fictitious bureaucracy?

Finally, Pitt finally marries Congresswoman Smith! I was calling for it as far back Vixon 03 (Book 5!) and had totally forgotten about how long it took for this stallion to settle down. Monogamy has finally made it the pages of Clive Cussler. Not a minute too late. Their honeymoon sounds amazing, sailing the Mediterranean on a charted skiff. I wonder if my wife would be up for that for our ten-year this summer. Ok. Maybe our twentieth.

©2018 E.T.

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