White Death: A Kurt Austin Adventure (NUMA Files Series)

Death for the Reader

When you've got yourself a good one, there's nothing quite like being engrossed in one of Cussler's adventure novels. When you find yourself reading one of his weaker works, there's not much quite like it either. While this book contains mutated fish, nefarious Islanders, a Kurt Austin Romance and a shadowy international Corporation, it was just not written well. I could not shake the feeling that this was just a cookie cutter novel that was more manufactured than written. With 25 pages remaining to the conclusion of the novel, I threw it out, out of frustration. While some of his work (see Lost City for example) can have you up late enjoying his adventures, some are dead in the water. I'd pass on White Death, a book which will amount to a slow death for any reader.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

This is another must read by a great author.

Another great read. From start to finish the action and adventure never ceased. I am convinced that any book written with Paul Kemprecos and Clive Cussler is an instant hit, they always seem to keep my captivated. The ending did not let me down, I was captivated until the very last page. If your into Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala then this book is for you!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

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1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

After devouring the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, I went looking for other seafaring adventures to fill the void. What a complete and utter disappointment. The plot itself is intriguing, but the entire book is marred by endless ridiculous clichés and writing that is so choppy and terse it is annoying. At one point, I actually started counting punctuation marks. Unofficially, I think the author has set a modern day record for the most sentences printed on a single page. Horrible. Being my first Clive Cussler book, I suffered through to the end to make sure I wasn¿t selling him short. My mistake. I won¿t be spending my precious reading time with this author anytime soon.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Really, really, Bad

This book was really bad. Awful as a matter of fact. Wish i knew what Cussler was thinking about when he penned this novel. I wonder if he was under pressure to put out a novel and just wrote anything that would fool the readers. It didn't Cussler. Damn, you! Waste of my money.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

White Death dies a death

This book is poor by any standard. Usually, when a Dirk Pitt novel gets released I interrupt other books I am reading to get stuck into Dirk's new adventures. The Austin books are generally less appealing and I only read them if I have nothing better to read at the time. With White Death, if I had known that it was such a terrible read, I would have avoided it. As it is - I started reading it in July and it is still next to my night stand - maybe I read a couple of paragraphs a night to try and finish it. Sadly, Clive Cussler has hit rock bottom with this series - this book is just boring. The dialogue (even the construction of the sentences) is bad and the characters are predictable. Mr Cussler: in your next book, please have Austin and Zavala get swept away on a tsunmai - the wave goodbye will be enormous!

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

What a shame

Wow, way to phone it in big guy! I wonder how much, if anything, Clive Cussler actually contributed to this book. A couple of times I found myself complaining out loud to his photo on the dust jacket, e.g., 'you should be embarassed.' 'White Death' was really poor, IMO ... not the plot, which you expect to be over-the-top, but the writing, descriptions and dialogue. I was reminded of those bad writing contests that produce such side-splitting entries.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

not quite there

this book, or series for that matter, fails to capture the allure of dirk pitt. Austin is a character with no depth or realism to him. Maybe dirk's son, who was recently introduced with a daughter i might add, can provide the spark that Austin lacks.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

You Cant Put This DOWN!!!

I have been a long-time Clive Cussler reader and have enjoyed all of his Dirk Pitt adventures. This summer, I was made aware of his second NUMA series with Kirt Austin, the Numa Files series as it were. Well, I read Serpent and then White Death. Both are marvelous reads, with the typical short chapters and historical prologs. Austin, the hero, is cut from the same cloth as Pitt and his sidekick Zuvela is much akin to Giordano (Pitt's sidekick). White Death revolves around the ethics of genetic engineering so those who like maritime, fish, and the Canadian north sprinkeled with liberal doses of Native Canadian Indians will enjoy this latest novel. For those of you who are Cussler Starved...I have just started the Jack Du Brul series of novels (Vulcan's forge) and only wish they were available in large hardbound format. So far Vuclan is a good read. Enjoy Amigos!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

books

I have just finished White Death. I have read everyone of Cussler's novels. Some I liked more than others such as Saraha. That was a grabber. I also like all his characters, Dirk, Joe, Kurt. I thought this was a very good read. I would like to see him write more history as he has in the prior books. I hope he writes a mystery about the southern submarine The Hunley. I recommend all of his books. They are a good read or 'chewing gum for the mind'. Keep on keeping on Mr. Cussler.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

WHERE IS DIRK PITT

I enjoy the Austin and Zavala but please don't put the number one guy away. DIRK PITT Can we have a few more stories. Maybe they can work together? Carry on

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Book is a cussler classic,

Book goes along with numa adventure and I suppose all of his charactors will live big as life, but us die hard dirk pitt people want him back and soon!!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Cussler always satisfies

Not having read this particular book yet, I feel safe in saying it will be another great page turner from a master story teller. I enjoy Austin and Zavala immensely, but like others, I truely miss Dirk Pitt and do so hope he will return in many more stories.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great!

Where is Dirk Pitt? I enjoy all of your novels, but I would like see Dirk and Al in some more adventures.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Cussler/Kemprecos do it again!

As usual from beginning to end the Kirk/Joe and the rest of the Special projects team do it again. However, being a Avid Dirk Pitt Fan from the beginning I totally agree with other readers and reviewers that a Masterpiece would be in teaming up Dirk and Kirk! They could come to eithers rescue or pair up from the start and you would have a Bestseller before it went on sale

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

I like Austin, but I miss Dirk. Hope he is in the next book, and I hope that it is soon

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Graet action-adventure

In 1515, a Basque caravel sinks two Spanish war galleys. In 1935 a German zeppelin soars northward on a top-secret flight to reach the North Pole, but in the Arctic the Germans sees a ship stranded on the ice. He goes to help. In the present off the Faroe Islands, whale rescuers try to stop Islanders from killing whales, but lose control of the ship to an overhead helicopter that sends the vessel crashing into and sinking a Danish cruiser with several crew men still aboard.<P> In the Berents Sea, the search-and-survey NUMA ship William Beebe led by Kurt Austin tests a new device able to attach to a sunken ship's hull and cut a hole in the frame so salvagers can easily enter. With this new device, Kurt and crew might save the lives of the trapped Danes whose air is running out, but they need rapid transport to go twelve hundred miles. Even with Russian help, Kurt will soon realize that the helicopter crowd has a different message in mind.<P> The forth 'novel from the NUMA files' is an exciting seafaring adventure that never slows down until the final dinner date is arranged. Kurt retains his hero status as he and his crew desperately work to save lives reminiscent of the Russian submarine tragedy. Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos provide fans with an adrenaline-pumping thriller starring a likable champion though the villains' message seems gobbled in comparison.<P> Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Cussler reigns on

Yet another Cussler book I found myself not wanting to put down until I finished it.