|
Clive Cussler may have said he officially is retired from writing, but his world lives on. LOST CITY is the fifth of "A Novel From THE NUMA FILES" and "A Kurt Austin Adventure," and while it is perhaps not the equal of its predecessors it certainly has enough worthwhile moments to make it an interesting and ultimately worthwhile read, particularly for hard-core fans of the series.
If there is a problem with this book it is with the pacing. LOST CITY proceeds along a number of parallel tracks that take just a bit too long to ultimately converge. The tale begins in August 1914, when a mysterious aviator is shot down, apparently by minions of his own family. The narrative then cuts to the disruption of a modern-day reality show in which the "Survivor"-type cast and crew are abruptly decimated by a gang of cannibalistic man-beasts. Another quick change of locale then occurs, taking the reader to Greece, where a scientist on the run is abruptly captured and abducted by the very pursuers he sought to evade. Things come full circle when a body is found encased in ice in the French Alps wearing an ancient helmet and bearing documents for which a mysterious, secretive family is willing to murder. Toss in a relentlessly growing algae that threatens the world's oceans into the mix and you have LOST CITY.
Kurt Austin jumps into the middle of all of this, accompanied at times by an intelligent and fetching young woman named Skye Labelle. The secret of immortality is the impetus behind everything here, but telling you that certainly won't ruin LOST CITY for you. Austin continues to think and act in large proportions; he effects one scene where he manages to escape --- twice --- from the same castle in a manner that is worth the price of admission all by itself.
LOST CITY succeeds on a number of levels, being a cautionary tale concerned with unintended consequences and being careful about what one wishes for. It is also, interestedly enough, somewhat of a tribute to one of H.G. Wells's works, THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. Although LOST CITY may get bogged down in its own complexity in spots, it is still worth packing on that vacation trip for some engrossing beach reading.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
• Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
