Rating: 
Summary: Needs some work
Review: I hope this review is constructive rather than acidic. Writing is a difficult occupation, but nonetheless even good writers like Mr. Cussler make mistakes. In my humble opinion these are the key problems with Serpent:How many central characters do there need to be? Across 474 pages, we've got 11: Kurt Austin, Joe Zavala, Nina Kirov, Dr. Knox, Gamay, Trout, Dr. Chi, Julian Perlmutter, Hiram Yaeger, Mr. Halcon, and Guzman. Minor characters that take up substantial pages include: Dr. Orville, Admiral Sandecker, Yellow Teeth, and Angelo Donatelli. When all of the characters are 2D, this many is way too many. Lack of attention to detail. Wooden ladders and bridges at least 1000 years old in a humid climate that are barely decayed? At least throw us a bone and have the characters break into a chamber that has been hermetically sealed by a landslide, hence keeping out the bugs, water damage, air, etc. It seems like everybody from a lowly deck hand to the Harvard professor has gourmet eating habits. Dirk Pitt novels in the last few years have been getting the same way. Remember the early Pitt that wanted a steak and a beer? Leave the gourmet cooking to James Bond and Julian Perlmutter. There's no challenge here. What about loss? None of the good guys (even minor characters) get anything but flesh wounds. Remember when Pitt's friend died in the middle of Iceberg? Not that someone has to die, but what about being disabled more than a few minutes hospital stay? I assume, since Cussler is older, that he wants to retire the Pitt and Giordino characters with him and these two new ones will keep the franchise alive. With a little more work, that may be possible.
Rating: 
Summary: Clive does it again!!! Great new characters
Review: What a way to introduce new characters. Very nicely put together. Great story!!
Rating: 
Summary: Dirk Pitt he ain't...
Review: Looked forward to this for so long...sigh. Where, of where, is my Dirk? Why do authors who have made millions with established characters feel the need to create other characters...i.e., Cornwell, James Lee Burke, Laurie King? And who is this "contributor" coauthor? What's going on with Cussler? The writing is off-tempo and not as strong as in previous books (ok, the early ones WERE a little embarassing for all of us) but Dirk and Cussler grew in their respective talents. Let's hope for a return of the original NUMA crew and bid bye-bye to Kurt. I may be disappointed, but I'll be right here buying the next Cussler creation.
Rating:
Summary: Where's Dirk and Al
Review: Although i really miss Dirk and Al,this was a great book! Other than a few loose ends that others have mentioned and a bit slow of a pace. I think that all of these problems result from starting a new character, and that they will probably not happen again. I also hope cussler writes a book where Dirk, Al, Kurt, and Joe all star now that would be awsome!!
Rating: 
Summary: Never a dull moment
Review: Not as good as some of his earlier stuff, and definitely not as good as HAVANA BAY, or THE TRIUMPH AND THE GLORY, but Cussler is still a master at fast-paced and thrill a minute novels. SERPENT:THE NUMA FILES probably won't win a Pultizer or Nobel, ha ha, or even a National Book Award, ha ha ha ha, but it will satisfy most Cussler fans, and that's probably the whole point of the thing for Clive.
Rating:
Summary: Great adventure, but new characters were disappointing.
Review: I'm an avid Clive Cussler fan, and I thoroughly enjoyed this latest yarn. I was deeply disappointed to find new characters trying to occupy the shoes of Dirk and Al. I don't understand the reasoning behind the change. Austin and Joe may engage in the same derring do, but they are "visually disappointing". Neither has the "visual character" of Dirk and Al. And for the prematurely grey hair of Austin......it's like Dirks father has taken over! When Dirk and Al disappear in the elevator at Numa headquarters......I felt I had lost two good friends....it's a shame.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging read--VERY Cussler, new characters, fun, fast
Review: Cussler has introduced a new generation of NUMA Characters. Tho' one misses Dirk Pitt in this novel, the new characters are just as suave-- just younger. Many scrapes, lots of action in the pure cussler style.
Rating:
Summary: Clive Cussler is as good as ever-keep them coming
Review: I have been reading Clive Cussler's books now for about 15 years,starting with Raise the Titanic-- and as always his books are truly enjoyable. I call it " Saturday morning adventure "-- his characters can do anything and everything. I look forward to his books- sadly though they only come out once a year. This new adventure is entertaining and enjoyable with all of the new characters living up to expectations---Keep up the good work.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat disappointing by Cussler standards
Review: I have read every other Cussler novel to date and so I was very excited when I saw this on the shelf. Unfortunately, the pace was somewhat slower than his other works. He also left some loose ends dangling (ie, what were those papers in Columbus' hands?)which is unlike him. I think there is hardly any difference between Dirk and Kurt. As a matter of fact, they seem interchangable to me. I'll be looking out for Atlantis Found. I hear it's due out in September. His last Pitt novel, Flood Tide was kind of weak as well. I'm hoping for a strong comeback.
Rating:
Summary: Running Out of Ideas?
Review: One of the reasons that Mr. Cussler's works are so popular are the wild flights of fancy that we are taken on. Sinister villains living out of underwater seamounds? Secret moon bases? The United States of Canada? Not a problem for Clive. But, Bronze Age treasure expeditions in the New World? Southwest latino uprisings? Haven't we seen this in "Treasure"? Central American archeology? Underwater rivers? Sound like "Inca Gold" to you? Clive, are you running out of ideas?
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