Product Description

The hero of SERPENT and BLUE GOLD confronts a deadly global plot, in the breathtaking new Kurt Austin adventure. Austin, leader of NUMA's Special Assignment Team, faces a new menace, in the form of a mining tycoon who has proclaimed himself Czar of Russia. Claiming Romanov ancestry and backed by billions of dollars, he is determined to overthrow the already-shaky Russian goverment - and US opposition doesn't bother him one bit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #121606 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

About the Author
Clive Cussler is the author or coauthor of twenty-eight previous books, most recently the Dirk Pitt adventure Black Wind; the Numa Files novel Lost City; and the Oregon adventure Sacred Stone. Cussler divides his time between Colorado and Arizona Paul Kemprecos has coauthored the NUMA Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City. He lives in Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Interesting Progression
Clive Cussler has done what some other accomplished writers have tried and failed to do. He started a new series that he co-authors, he has kept the quality of the reading very near that of his own books, and now they have gone from a paperback format to hardcover. The last step is a major one and speaks very well of the care this new series was created with. Other authors have tried the same diversification and they are not worth the soft cover format they were introduced with, and will never see the more expensive binding.

The central organization is the same; specifically NUMA, but the central character and the events he is involved in are stepped down from the more outrageous elements that sometimes turn a Dirk Pitt adventure into something akin to Indiana Jones. The famous bathtub escape comes to mind. The Pitt adventures have become classic in the genre and they make for great reading, they also have had occasion to go over the top at times. Kurt Austin is Dirk Pitt on a smaller scale. Austin collects antique dueling pistols while Dirk accumulates World War Two German Jets, railroad cars, and fantastically rare cars.

The idea of introducing a Romanov theme into a story is a gutsy decision for it has been used countless times, and in the majority of uses has become an overused cliché. Cussler and Paul Kemprecos handle the idea well, and while it is still a bit fantastic it does not cross the line in to storytelling that really is a pretty wild stretch to suspend disbelief.

I don't know the science of the Methane (Fire Ice), but again it strikes me as being credible. These books almost seem to take their cue from some of the countless ships that Mr. Cussler has located in real life, and which history will always owe him a debt. This story has a tragic event, but unlike many of the Pitt series the results are far less dramatic and flamboyant. Austin certainly enjoys the beautiful woman that NUMA scientists seem to have a knack for finding wherever they go, but again it is toned down quite a bit.

Whether on his own or in collaboration with another author, if a book has Cussler's name on it you invariable get your money's worth. He is a great teller of tales, and knowledgeable of history, a combination that guaranties good books. This is really escapist fiction at its best. And for those who enjoy the non fiction work of Cussler and his search for old ships there is a second installment of that book on the way as well.

Another Cussler Classic
Fire Ice has all the ingredients of a classic Cussler story: it starts with the account of a ship sailing to its doom with a mysterious cargo; there's an utterly evil villain trying to make use of what's in the wreck for his own personal glory, aided by the complimentary ugly demonic psychopathic killer serving as his right hand guy.
In their way is, by pure chance, Kurt Austin and the other three members of NUMA's Special Assignments Team.
Unlike the Dirk Pitt Adventures, the tasks and odds to which the Special Assignements Team is set are usually not as fantastically daunting as those encountered by Pitt and Giordino, although the danger is no less lethal.
This time the stallwart US citizens are helped out by a Russian agent nicknamed Ivan by Austin, who heads something called the Siberian Pest Control office. If anyone can tell me where I could have heard or read about that Russian agency before, I'd be most gratefull... It did have a familiar ring to it.
Anyway, Fire Ice made a delightful light read. Keep the Special Assignment Team adventures coming, I'd say!

Fairly Good Escapist Literature
Mikhail Razov is a Russian billionaire who claims descent from the Grand Duchess Maria, daughter of the last Russian czar. Razov now seeks to reclaim the Russian throne. His strategy includes the use of underwater earthquakes, tsunamis and a massive release of methane to trigger large-scale global warming. The latter will destroy much of the United States and make Siberia the breadbasket of the world. Razov also wants to locate the original crown of Ivan The Terrible which was reported to be on board the Odessa Star when it sank in the Black Sea in 1918. The Grand Duchess Maria survived the sinking of the Odessa Star.

Pitted against Razou are Kurt Austin of the National Underwater & Marine Agency and his old KGB rival Viktor Petrov. Petrov is still working for the Russian government.

FIRE ICE reminds me in some ways of a Tom Clancy story. It is loaded with technological descriptions and explanations. This will be a big plus for many readers. My main criticism is that the book's characters lack depth and are barely distinguishable from each other. In addition, the plot is based on bizarre and incredible possibilities reminiscent of a James Bond story. In spite of these shortcomings I consider FIRE ICE to be fairly good escapist reading - particularly if the reader has an interest in high tech gadgets.