Customer Reviews

Valhalla Rising (Om)

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(73)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

In an interview after his previous Dirk Pitt novel, Clive Cussler stated that "Atlantis Found" might be his last novel featuring Pitt. Fans everywhere mourned. So, I was surprised and overjoyed to see that "Valhalla Rising" was due out this August. I went to the bookstore the day it was due, and grabbed one of the first copies, and, by using incredible fortitude, managed to not finish the book until today (26 hours, a new record--I can never make Dirk Pitt stories last that long). As always, the plot of "Valhalla Rising" is exciting and fast-paced--full of hair's-bredth rescues and daring escapades. The characters, as always, are somewhat bigger than life, with beautiful women, sociopathic maniacs as villains, and slightly super-human heroes (which is why we love them!). If I make the book sound somewhat melodramatic--well, what can I say, of course it is. Dirk Pitt stories always are. But, of course, as usual, I could barely put the book down until the final page. Fans of Cussler's hero will be as satisfied with this book as with any of the previous few. I don't think I'll spoil anything if I mention that Cussler's real life interest in the Hunley (a US confederate submarine from the Civil War) definately finds its way into these pages. As usual, the denoument will require the fictional historians to rewrite their text books yet again--something Dirk Pitt loves to instigate. The end of the book will have readers recognizing shades of Travis McGee, but it was a good twist regardless.

I won't insist that this book is great literature, and I won't pretend that I always found the plot believable (but a certain amount of suspension of disbelief has always been required for Cussler's novels), but, as always, an evening with Dirk Pitt is an enjoyable evening, indeed.

I've read all of the previous Cussler novels and found few surprises here. There are several scenes that are very similar to other Pitt adventures. Cussler's formula remains largely intact, except the antique car chase is replaced with an antique airplane dogfight.

For those who haven't read Cussler before: imagine a James Bond movie with a little bit of Indiana Jones thrown in. The stories are jammed with non-stop action and adventure. The heroes are seemingly unbreakable, the villians are usually meglomaniacs with no regard for human life, and the damsels are always in distress.

All this fast-paced action comes at a price. Don't expect complex character development. Most of the characters are described simply by their eye color (blue or green signifies an important character). They are always athletic and taller than normal people. They also don't talk like real people.

Usually, Cussler writes himself into the story in the form of a local fisherman or gas station attendant with some useful tidbit for Pitt. This time he gives himself a whole chapter as the owner of a futuristic sailboat willing to assault an island to help out a couple of strangers.

Most people are either big fans of Cussler or they think his stories are silly extensions of his own ego. I like Cussler's ability to mix ancient history with modern action. However, I've gotten to the point where I can predict what's going to happen next because it happened in a previous Pitt adventure.

Mr. Clive Cussler has entertained readers with Dirk Pitt through what is now a collection of eighteen novels. It is a remarkable run by any measure and while some of the novels are better than others, they are all great fun. Mr. Cussler created a main character that not only he clearly would like to be, but an individual that all his male readers would like to claim a piece of for their own. I would imagine most of his readers are male, however he has also included remarkable female characters that while often the target of cliché male observations, give as good as they get. And he carries on the tradition of the good guys winning, and often has the villains get their comeuppance in a stylish manner at the hands of the hero. Judge, jury, and executioner may not be constitutional, but it is a great deal of fun.

Prior to starting, "Valhalla Rising", it would not hurt to refresh your memory with many of the major themes of past books. It is not imperative, but several references are made and it adds to the enjoyment if the details are fresh in the reader's mind. This should not put off anyone from making this his or her first Dirk Pitt adventure, quite the contrary. While everyone would rank his or her favorites differently, I think this latest work from Mr. Cussler would make anyone's short list. For those aware of the real life exploits of Mr. Cussler and his work of salvaging ships, he brings some of this into his novel, which added a dimension I greatly enjoyed. If you have read Jules Verne it again will add to this book's reading experience.

When I first read the jacket I was inwardly groaning when I read the word monsters. I had trouble imagining how that word would play out in the book. However have no fear, while this book like all of Mr. Cussler's work requires a suspension of disbelief, there is nothing any more outrageous than earlier works. There are some minor points in the book that are weak, and the author did not endear himself to the Air National Guard, but again the points are very minor. There was one error, however it can be rationalized, and again is not detrimental to the book.

The book starts with not one, but multiple historical events which are all neatly tied together at the conclusion. The book is a lengthier novel and every bit of space is required to bring this latest round the world adventure to readers. Had he so chosen he could have easily extended the book by an additional one to two hundred pages. For when he starts this saga, it is millennia in the past, not a century or two.

With fiction conventional issues like time do not restrict the Author. He can write about his characters and their adventures indefinitely. Many Authors continue to write long after their characters should be retired, they don't know when to stop, like a great boxer that leaves not as a champion but as a beaten memory. Mr. Cussler clearly has no plans to retire this series, but he has also taken a step that is not only believable but will allow for this series of novels to continue for as long as he writes. I think he deserves a great deal of credit for this, and he brings it to pass with a slick ending to this book. In fact, I find myself looking forward to the next installment with greater interest than I have for some time.

For great fun, and pure escapist fiction, there are few who compare with Mr. Cussler.

If you've read Cussler before, specifically his Dirk Pitt novels, you know the superhero status Pitt enjoys. Well, Pitt does it again in Cussler's latest incarnation, "Valhalla Rising."

When the latest and greatest new cruise liner is mysteriously engulfed in a raging inferno, Pitt's survey ship, which just happens to be within a binocular's view, rushes to the cruise ship's setting the stage for a daring rescue of the nearly 2,000 passengers on board. During his heroic efforts, Pitt runs across Kelly Egan, a predictable beauty who has just lost her father under suspicious circumstances when abandoning the ship. Kelly's father is a famous and ingenious scientist/engineer whose revolutionary and unprecendented engines powered the ship prior to meeting her fate. Upon hearing Kelly's tale, Pitt believes someone with nefarious intentions has set this fire and disabled the fire alarms and sprinkler system. This was a death trap.

Pitt and his ever-present sidekick Al Giordino, begin their investigation into the cause of the cruise ship's demise. Unbeknownst to them, their journey will take them to the bottom of the ocean in a luxury submarine, the skies over New York in a firefight with a vintage aircraft, into the pages of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and down the Halls of Congress. Truly a whirlwind track. To top off this thriller, Cussler makes a cameo appearance himself.

All-in-all, a great read and thrilling adventure. Oh, by the way, I won't tell you why this book is named "Valhalla Rising" but rest assured, this is another twist you're sure to enjoy.

Raising Valhalla is a great summer read. The faithful followers of Clive Cussler will find the book to be truly outstanding. Raising Valhalla is a classic Cussler story of good versus evil, with the usual predecessor event (in this case there are two seemingly unrelated such events -- the Vikings and Captain Nemo) setting the stage for an eventual tie-in to the main story. As would be expected, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino again fight tremendous odds and calmly face down death repeatedly as they battle a demented, megalomaniac business man. Unlike some of the plots (and antagonists against whom Dirk and Al have done battle) in previous works, the underlying premise in Raising Valhalla does not push the envelope of ones imagination. The story is within the realm of believability. This is simply a very good novel filled with all of the action, suspense, and frequent plot twists that have become Cussler's trademark. In addition, after all of the action has been concluded, there is still a major surprise to be had in the last few pages. All-in-all, this book was a great read and very difficult to put down.

Valhalla Rising is the book Cussler needed to write. Those of us who have followed Dirk Pitt's adventures since the seventies are aware that the hero is aging. So is Cussler. With the future of the NUMA Files series in question, Cussler tried inventing a new character, Kurt Austin. Despite two pretty good attempts with Paul Kemprecos, we still want Dirk. What to do? Cussler solves the problem brilliantly in Valhalla Rising. I won't spoil it for you. Let's just say that the ending is slam-bang on target, with clues liberally sprinkled through the text. Dirk Pitt swims on! One or two relatively minor carps. The editing could use work. Early in the book, Pitt's nemesis is called Omo Kanai. Then he is Ono Kanai, only to return to the original first name. When we first learn of the dastardly plot to destroy an American city, the explosives are on board a ship named the Pacific Chimera. Later the ship has a different name. Such mistakes throw readers off stride. Also, Cussler continues the irritating habit of writing himself into the story. In one way this is endearing. In another, it seems egotistical. It doesn't advance the story. Still, Valhalla Rising is Cussler's best attempt to date. The subplots, involving Vikings (hence the title) and Captain Nemo, are fascinating and raise the story beyond slash-and-burn. Read it and enjoy, and let's see what Cussler does next.

Valhalla Rising is another Dirk Pitt Adventure, the best yet. Enjoyable and an easy read. Action and adventure carry the hero to all new adventures. The villians are vicious and calculating, keeping Dirk Pitt on his toes. Vikings, submarines, cruise ship disasters all keeping the reader entertained. The ending is quite the Cussler Style for Pitt and his novels. I enjoyed reading it in one evening... glued to the action and the twists and turns of the plot. Cussler didn't disappoint me with this one. Of course there were editing problems the the villians name Omo and Ono and the ships name, but hey it was easy to figure out what the author meant. I enjoyed Pitt getting older and is now more believable and realistic. New technology patents and corporate greed and hired guns all make good action adventure when Cussler adds to the mix. Buy it, read it and enjoy it.

The book Valhalla Rising by Clive Cussler held my interest well. It had a very simplistic, predictable plot, but it was very well written and held my attention. This book, like other Clive Cussler books, starts out with a mysterious historical event taking place. The story begins in 1035 when the Norsemen came across the North Atlantic to look for new land to settle on. The Norsemen are destroyed and the plot cuts to present day. Dirk Pitt, the director of special projects for the National Underwater Maritime Administration, was the superhero in the story. He saw a ship that caught fire and sank with 2,000 passengers aboard. Pitt saved most of the 2,000 people, including Kelly Egan, the daughter of the inventor of engines that run on seawater. Dirk Pitt and his sidekick Al Giordino use a sub to search for arson clues. The sub is hi-jacked but Pitt and Giordino get away. The story continues and, as predicted, Dirk Pitt solves the mystery and saves the day. The characterization was somewhat strong. Dirk, Al, and the crew from NUMA are in every book but this one has an important guest main character, Kelly Egan. The bad guy of the book and head of the Cerberus Corporation, Curtis Merlin Zale, was an important aspect of the plot. Although the character was not very well developed, his role of the stereotypical bad guy is important for the Cussler formula. Overall, this would be a great book to read on the beach, light, simplistic, predictable, yet very entertaining.

Clive Cussler comes through with yet another fine adventure that provides a great escape.

It all starts when Dirk Pitt, working for NUMA in the South Pacific, notices a fire burning on the horizon. It seems a state of the art cruise ship named 'Emerald Dolphin' is experiencing a major fire. The radios, as well as the sprinkler system, has been sabotaged and the lifeboats have been burned. Dirk must now rescue over 2000 people. This amazing rescue, along with 3 or 4 others in the novel, seem to be somewhat miraculous, but they sure are fun to read. As a multi-billionaire attempts to take over the oil business and eventually the government, Dirk has his work cut out for him.

Dirk, and his long time friend Al Giordino, get together once again in this entertaining and fast-paced story. This well rounded and well researched novel includes tales of the old Vikings and Norsemen. Jules Verne also plays a part in this story. Cussler paints a vivid picture of his disasters and the ensuing action. The threat on Manhattan cut especially close to home. A Dirk Pitt novel that ranks among the best.

Highly recommended for action and thrills.

I got hooked on Clive Cussler years ago and have collected all of his books. I have never been disappointed and this one I think is the best. He brings back Dirk Pitt admitting that he is getting older and less agile but manages to bring three plots together into one and hold your interest. My son objects to Clive Cussler doing a cameo appearance in each book as self-aggrandizing but I think it is sort of interesting (i.e. alfred hitchcock). This book brought Clive in for a whole chapter taking an active part in a rescue. Could have been anyone with a high tech yacht doing it. If you haven't read the book yet, I won't spoil the ending but was startled myself and see that the saga will continue. Am really looking forward to the next episode and anxious to see how Cussler works in the new characters.