Bruce Von Stiers

Clive Cussler is a unique writer. He writes action / adventure novels and seems to stick his own real-life self into the story line at some point. It is a definite twist on a writer patting himself on the back. But for Cussler it works. His latest novel features his mainstay character, Dirk Pitt. The title of the novel is Valhalia Rising. It was published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

The novel opens with some Viking explorers in the year 1035. It seems that Bjarne Sigvatson has led a ship load of Viking voyagers to a far and distant land. They sail up a river and try to settle. Then members of the group seek out new places to settle. Circumstances prevail and at a later time there is no evidence that the Vikings were ever there.

Fast forward to the late 1800’s. On the seas there is a ship that appears to be attacked by a vessel that come out of the sea like a whale emerging from the water. What is this thing and why is it attacking the ship? As it is with Cussler’s writing, these two small pieces, the Vikings and the vessel, will play an intricate part of the novel at some point.

Moving forward once again, we find ourselves in the year 2003. There is a new cruise ship, the Emerald Dolphin, that is making its maiden voyage. All of a sudden there is a fire and the ship may get sunk. People are scrambling to get off the ship. One particular couple needs to really get away. They are being pursued. Dr. Egan and his daughter Kelly end up being attacked and the doctor disappears in the water. Who was after them and why?

To the rescue of the Emerald Dolphin is a ship headed by Dirk Pitt. Dirk is a top member of NUMA, a governmental oceanic agency. Most of the people from the Emerald Dolphin are rescued. Dirk gets a chance to interact with Kelly and find out about her father.

It seems that Kelly’s father, Dr. Egan, was a scientist. He had designed the new engines that had been on the Emerald Dolphin. Apparently someone was trying to discredit Dr. Egan’s work. Dirk tries to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The story line has a lot of “what ifs.” What if there were really a madman who is trying to take over the world through corporate greed, murder and mayhem? What if there were really Vikings who settled in various locations around what later became the United States? And what if someone really was capable enough to build an underwater craft, comparable to submarines, in the late 1800’s?

Valhalia Rising is pure adventure. Dirk Pitt is getting a little older now, but still has the moves. And Clive Cussler never seems to run out of bizarre twists and turns to add to world history.