Clive Cussler is a prolific writer with more than 50 novels, many of them available in several languages. There are 25 titles in the Dirk Pitt Adventure Series alone. I must admit that Trojan Odyssey is the first Cussler I have read. It was an interesting read but I am not rushing to start another as is frequently the case when I ‘discover’ an new author. I found the elements of the novel did not hold together very well. The hurricane component and the discovery of relics from the original Odyssey poeticized by Homer had interesting sections. The thesis that the odyssey originated in Celtic England is intriguing.
The second element outlines DirK Pitt’s prevention of a tunnel construction through Nicaragua. The tunnel would permit the flow of cooling Pacific Ocean water sufficient to alter the Gulf Stream and bring a freezing climate to much of Europe and the coast of North America. The entrepreneur financing the project intends to sell a new form of battery that will provide the heating that will be needed in the affected regions.
The connection between the two story lines is that those behind the corporation are Druid priestesses. To be fair, culling the story line down to such basic ingredients doesn’t do justice to the complexity of the plot line and the technical and historical details that have been carefully constructed.
The novel seems to be one in a long list of titles where the author is riding a well-deserved reputation but the energy and creativity are wearing out. It will be worthwhile reading earlier novels to discover the basis for Cussler’s reputation and his many avid followers.
January 30, 2013
Trojan Odyssey; Cussler, Clive; 2003, G.P. Putnam's Sons