Well, I've finally finished Black Wind. It was tough getting through such a bad book. Seems like the editors at Berkley - a Penguin Company no less! were all asleep or nobody read it. I've NEVER read such a badly written book published by a major publisher! It was full of technical, grammatical and usage errors from page 2 of the story, (page 4 in the book) right to the end. Clive Cussler never wrote this book, of that I'm sure. If Dirk Cussler wrote it, then I'm sorry Dirk, this isn't your forte. From what I gather, and I haven't read it yet, the Khan book is better (according to "Dirk Pitt"). I hope Clive read that one before he put his name on the cover. I've always loved your books Clive, and I hope you will continue to put them out. I know you're getting tired, but - don't let your standards slip just to keep cranking them out for the money! And don't pad them just to make them fat! Keep them tight and forget the useless verbiage that doesn't move the story forward. I'm sure you aren't being paid by the word! Best wishes for the next one. Mick. beer:

If you didn't like Black Wind, then definitely don't read Trojan Odyssey or Valhalla Rising because both were significantly worse in my opinion. I have to agree about the lack of editing, it's been mentioned on this forum a number of times.

VH was not that bad. TO was one of my least favorite books. I guess it's because of the bloated role that Dirk Jr. and Summer play. In my opinion, the twins should play a side role. Dirk and Al need to carry the action.

I wouldn't say Black Wind was the WORST... I'm reserving that honor for the "Golden Buddha." If you want REALLY atrocious writing that descends to the level of a third grader check THAT book out. Talk about fishwrap paper...

yike: HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think hell just froze over.........I actually agree with you mate th:

GB sucks pure and simple,although Serpent isn't far behind ;)

I agree that there are numerous errors, and I'm barely into the book. At one point, there's mention of a respiratory "track". At another, it's stated that there were less than 200 cars of a model made, when it should be "fewer than". Nit-picky? Yeah, but this is a book, not an email. It should be precise. Incorrect usage in a book, which one would presume has been proofread, annoys me. I also agree that the prose should be more streamlined. I find myself skipping over paragraphs that are basically an overdone description.

I'm hoping that this is an anomaly, because I'm still a Dirk Pitt fan.

Well thats because there were fewer than 200 cars at the track. :lol:

I thought Serpent was a good read. It was entertaining and had good action. I agree that Golden and Budah and Sacred Stones were two of the least favorite. However, Dark Watch and Skeleton Coast were excellent (at least in my opinion).

I have to agree with those that said Golden Buddha was the worst. I can't officially claim it as "THE worst" because Ive only read a few of Cussler's books thus far. I did find the book itself interesting, but not nearly as good as the others Ive read. I kind of want to read Black Wind now, just to see what its like. I guess I need to finish Lost City first.
Scott

Black Wind was my first "Dirk Pitt" novel. I've then gone back and read everything up to Valhalla Rising (which I'm reading now.) I was initially confused by Dirk, Sr and Dirk, Jr. I can understand Dirk, Sr. getting too old and the "torch" being handed off to Dirk, Jr. but I hope they don't make the younger Dirk a carbon copy of his Dad.

Sorry Nite Trek but is sound like Dirk Jr. is a very close copy of his dad. I agree that they kids should be sideline untill they are developed more. With their own personalites. And not copies of the prior characters. I think Cussler should focus a little less on the brother-sister bond and get the too more action. He needs to go back a take a few tips from his first books. It is too easy for them with daddy always there to save them.

Hey, NiteTrek, wait to you get to the books after VH. <_<

There's only a few more, right? Trojan Odyssey, Black Wind (which I've read) and Treasure of Khan. I already have them lined up, ready to read.

I'm a bit saddened to be coming to the end of the line of the Dirk Pitt novels. It was great reading them one after another but once I'm done reading them, it will almost be as if a friend has died. :(

I read one other Cussler book - Lost City which is a Kurt Austin book. He seems to be very much like Pitt. I suppose I can continue with that series.

Yeah, it's good by my opinion. Their all good by my opinion.

I guess I'm out on the island by myself. I actually enjoyed Black Wind and Trojan Odyssey.

No your not. I have enjoyed all of CC's books. I have yet to find a bad one.

Well,
I'm afraid that so far,i have read all the books by Dr Cussler and Dirk and have found them all ejoyable, but everone is intitled to their own opinion.

Bring on The Navigator..

Has anyone seen the new book listing on Amazon.com dated for release on November 6th 2007, It called "The Chase" it doesn't say who in this one yet.

I agree. I have loved all the books I had read. I would just like to see the kids become alittle more independent.

I like them all

I really can't seem to understand why people don't like Black Wind. Ok, Dirk wasn't the lead, but so what? I loved this book, its my favorite after the brilliant Inca Gold. Out of the Cussler books I've read (only a few though, Treasure, Sahara, ToK, TO, BW, PV, and Inca Gold) Trojan Oddyssey was the worst.

I presonally quite enjoyed Valhalla Rising, Black Wind and Trojan Odyssey. I actually really enjoyed trojan Odyssey, but i think it was the "alternate" idea of Homer's story.. it really made sense.. and i foud it quite interesing. but thats justme and my personal interests.

Although i enjoyed Black Wind, i do think it was one of the weaker Dirk Pitt books, however i suspect thats simply because it wasn't totally about the ones we love named Dirk Pitt sr, and Al Giordino. It got slightly littered by having too many main characters (i hope that makes sense) as Dirk sr & Al are what we know as the stars, we tend to miss them when they are not in the full limelight.

Fewer/Lesser, who cares in my honest opinion. i'm not an english academic, and might have said less rather than fewer, all that matters to me is that i knew what was ment. Also, from what i remember, fewer and less than can both be used depending on the predecessing words. i thought that you would say "there were fewer than" as in past tense, and "there was less than" in presen tense.. but like i'm no academic, and i probably say it how i speak it in my english bristolian accent. lol...

Valhalla Rising was the first book I read, and really enjoyed it, and then read all the Pitt books. I read about half of black wind and then put it away. I'm going to give it another shot when I finish reading some other books I've bought. I just couldn't get into it. I only read the books when they come out in mass market paperback so I can't coment on any of the oregon file books or later Pitt books. Black Wind is the first Cussler book that I didn't like. I hope the next ones aren't as bad.
Appliancedude

I've enjoyed all of them, too. I liked the at least partial maritime adventures. The new one, the Chase, apparently doesn't have that element so crucial in the Cussler books and collaborations. snor:

I don´t understand the animosity towards the Black Wind. I have read all (though only the Finnish editions) Dirk Pitt novels up the Treasure of Khan which was just published here. Of the recent ones, the Black Wind is the best and the Valhalla Rising is the worst.

In general, the Vixen 03 and the one where the president disappears from his yacht (don´t remember the English name of the book) are the best.

I like them all, Golden Buddha and one of the others ( a recent one) weren't as great as the others and prehaps I'm not reading them right but I only pick up a couple of grammatical errors and move on.

I like stories