(2001)(audio) Now I remember why I do not read more of his books anymore. Just too over the top and too expansive language for his own good. Throw in implausible plots and you have one of his standard pot-boilers about a giant oil company that wants to control the US oil supply and will do ANYTHING to get it. Only fair.

http://pro-libertate.net/20100314/114-read-valhalla-rising ( )

Durante su viaje de inauguración, el Emerald Dolphin, un enorme y lujoso crucero, se incendia y se hunde súbitamente. Nadie sabe explicar las causas de esta tragedia. Dirk Pitt y la tripulación de su barco luchan para salvar a los pasajeros y empiezan a investigar el misterioso acontecimiento. ¿Por qué no funcionó el dispositivo contra incendios? ¿Cuál era el revolucionario combustible que activaba sus motores? En su investigación le ayuda la hija del desaparecido científico que inventó el combustible, y juntos se enfrentarán a un enemigo increíblemente poderoso.

SPOILERS

A cruise ship is on its maiden voyage and also on fire. Due to the synthetic materials the fire is soon out of control. The fire alarms dont work. Someone turned them off. As the fire burns out of control, the NUMA research vessel is just 12 miles away and races to the rescue as do some merchant ships. Most of the passengers and crew are rescued. Some are killed by the fire, by smoke inhalation, drowning in their cabins or by drowning after jumping from the ship.

After the salvage tugs arrive to "salvage" the gutted cruise ship, they begin towing it back to port. During this voyage its begins to rapidly sink, so the salvage tug must release it or they too will go down. They also rescue a man who claimed to have been left behind on board the cruise ship.

NUMA later sends a submersible down to have a look at the wreck of the cruise ship, and discover that the hull of the ship was destroyed by bombs that exploded outwards and thus was set from inside the ship. The rescued man has by now disappeared.

Also the news was released that the cruise ship was trying out a new kind of engine with a cheap source of fuel. NUMA belives that this was the reason that the ship was destroyed. The inventor of this new engine was on board. He drowned but his daughter survived. She helps Dirk to find the cheap fuel source. The engineer wanted to give it away for free while the corporations wanted to own it and hold the world hostage and nake millions.

Right at the very end, Dirks past catches up with him when they knock at his hangar door!!

It is a major trope to have unknown children suddenly show up but this was a big one, so one star less for using that!! The rest of the story was pretty good.
( )

Well that's one heck of an opening. A ship on fire! Trying to fit thousands on a ship normally crewed by dozens! Mysterious baddies! Action on the high seas! One of the things I like most about these series.

Get through all that and... rescue in a submarine! More adventure! And a rescue by Clive Cussler! He gives them a bit more direct help than sometimes, but it works. Plus you get a line like this:

After the glasses were filled with Porfirio tequila-Misty preferred a margarita-Pitt told [Cussler] what he had in mind, but only as much as he thought was advisable under the circumstances. After all, he thought as he looked around the elegant yacht, no one in his right mind would risk destroying such a beautiful vessel in a desperate scheme.

Plotwise, it's a Dirk Pitt novel. Full of adventure and BIG DAMN HEROES. Science is mostly close enough to be believable (quantum teleportation almost surely doesn't work like that). Enjoyable enough tales.

One thing I really like seeing through these stories is the relationship between Dirk Pitt and Loren Smith.

They enjoyed the casual dinner, trading sarcasms and little jabs between them. It was a regular routine between two people of equal wit and intellect. Pitt and Loren contradicted the old maxim that opposites attract. They were as similar in their likes and dislikes as two people could be.

It's a bit frustrating that they never end up more 'permanently' together, but it does fit.

Finally... holy crap that cliffhanger ending. Turns out Dirk Pitt has kids?! With SUMMER?! We haven't seen her for decades/15 books.

I had been wondering how in the world Cussler would keep these series going. Pitt is getting older. There's only so long his body can realistically take the abuse he gets heaped upon him every book. And we've already established that in this universe, time keeps flowing and actions have consequences. This is... actually a pretty decent way to do it.

If only his kid hadn't been named Dirk Pitt too. It makes sense in universe, but that's going to get confusing. ( )