Overall, it was a very good story, but an average book. Clive and Dirk tried to fit way too many characters into the story, it just became a cluttered mess. I think it is time Clive passed on the torch to Dirk Jr. and let him be the main focus in books from here on out. There is a perfect combo with Dirk Jr., Jack, and Summer. Dirk Jr. and Jack are obviously the replacements for Dirk and Al, while Summer can play more of Rudi/Sandecker's positions. I was really getting into the whole Dirk/Jack combo until he suddenly rips them out of the story in place of Dirk and Al. Nobody will get used to Dirk/Jack if Clive never gives them a chance! I think it will be silly if a 50+ year old Dirk continues to rescue his 20 year old son. No offense Dirk, but let your kid handle his own problems! beer:

I have enjoyed all of your books through-out the years and have just finished Black Wind. I was a little disappointed in the way Dirk Jr and Summer were rescued while escaping from the bad guy by swimming down the river and being saved by Clive Cussler in a modern chinese junk (boat). I have always looked forward in all the books on the little glimpse of Clive in a story, but I really think this one was poorly written and not up to speed of Clive Cussler.

Unfortunately I also agree about the timely interventions of Pitt (snr) saving his children, however I believe and hope that Black Wind is the book where the baton is passed and from now on the younger Dirk will be able to handle his own problems allowing dad to control the agency. Otherwise I thought it was a well written, thoughtful adventure.

Like all parents Dirk needs to let go but I agree with dunx77 that is the passing of the baton to the younger set. All good things come in their own time.

Seems I'm in the minority! I loved having Dirk and Al rescue Dirk Jr and Jack just in time th: Once a parent, always a parent ;)

Although at first I was a little taken aback by the inclusion of Dirk's long-time buddy Jack and wondering how this was a Dirk and Summer story but I gave it time and it worked out well in the end...gotta trust the Cussler's ;)

Like Kelly it looks like I'm in a minority as well.

While the book is to allow Dirk Jr and Summer to emerge as characters keep in mind that Dirk Sr. just found out about their existence not too long ago. So to me it stands to reason that he is going to be protective of them.

As for Dirk Jr and Summer, they're twins and twins while being individual people are often seen as one person.

I think we'll see more of Dirk Jr and Jack in future books with only a few references to Summer.

In the same respect though we see Summer as quite an intelligent young lady, I'd like to see a spin off of her adventures like with the Kurt Austin and NUMA files books.

Yes I agree with Kelly "gotta always trust the cussler's!" p: p:

I don't know if I can handle all these spin-offs. :lol:

while i did like the book, i kept skipping ahead to find out when dirk senior and al were coming back, and i was a bit disappointed by how little they were in it. i don't mind having the torch be passed to dirk's kids (although i wish dirk senior and al would stay the heros). i do mind having no chance to get used to them. i liked trojan odyssey because it introduced the kids to use without eliminating dirk senior and al. it gave a decent amount of attention to both, and i had assumed in each preceding book there would be a bit more kids and a little less dirk and al. i didn't like how suddenly things changed and that made it very difficult to bond with the kids like i did with the other characters. this may sound weird, but i wouldn't mind the more sudden change if this was a spin off. i like kurt and joe a lot (to be far though i started reading cussler's books when blue gold came out in paperback so i started with serpent, blue gold, and the mediterranean caper, so i actually met kurt and dirk at the same time and that may expain why i warmed to them both so quickly). i have problems because i feel like we're pretty much saying goodbye to dirk and al, and so i'm was hoping for more time before we lost them as main characters, and i think that probably made me a bit more resistant to the kids. if this was a spin off, no problem. i don't need all the ceremony because we're just adding new characters. my last problem, and this is stupid and petty i know, but the names dirk jr. and summer bug me. i can almost understand dirk jr. mom names him after the man she lost. it's kind of romantic, but summer moran named her daughter summer. don't dirk jr. and summer deserve their own names? i feel like this was just laziness on the part of the author. if you can't think of any names open up a baby name book and pick two. as i said stupid and petty, but that's bothered me since they were introduced. i feel better now that i got that off my chest.