J A's Reviews > Treasure of Khan

Holy mothballs! This was one amazing book. It did run true to many of the things we've come to expect from the super adventures of Dirk Pitt. Other than the fact that no one real would perhaps survive what Pitt and his team survives, this book had everything that kept me at the edge of my seat at well paced intervals.

I love it when a book is paced so that you have plenty of action, but also plenty of backdrop which builds narrative and character arcs, while also serving as a contrast against the adrenaline pumping action. I believe Cussler has mastered this art in all of his writing.

I have said this in other reviews of Clive Cussler's work - I am not a fan of his cameos in his work, but that doesn't detract from the technical mastery of the adventure story as an art form here. This is absolutely worth putting your eyeballs on.

Spoilers from here on:
So, it may be far fetched that two enormous historical finds were both found in the same adventure, and it may also be farfetched that the same airplane in the desert idea that was used in Sahara was used here also, as well as the murderous trek through the desert idea. Some of it does read stale if you've read lots of Cussler, but I didn't find that it lessened the enjoyment of the book.

Pitt's longevity in the face of enormous odds is one of the reasons these books are so much fun, but they are also reasons to disbelieve that it's ever humanly possible. Just think of Pitt as a superhero, and you'll be fine.