Rating: 
Summary: Quite enjoyable IF...
Review: ...you bear in mind that this is NOT a Dirk Pitt book, and everything happening here is set on a much smaller scale. Blue Gold clearly lacks the flair of Dr. Cussler's mainstream franchise, so don't expect that this novel will wow you like Pitt. Some parts are simply silly (like the henchmen twins), but then again, if you treat it as light entertainmnet, Blue Gold is a nice way to spend a weekend.
Rating:
Summary: new heroes, same story
Review: A beautiful female scientist has found the secret of a process to produce drinking water from seawater, but the leader of an imperium that controls the world's water supplies wants to get her out of the way. She ends up in the Amazonian jungle, where she is found by two of Kurt's colleagues. In the meantime Kurt and Joe try to solve the death of a group of whales before the coast of Mexico. Soon they find out that their quest is related to that of their colleagues. Their explorations bring them from Mexico to Alaska and then to the shores of Lake Tahoe, where they stop the impending global disaster only a few days before it is due to happen.Here is your recipe for the 21st century's books by Clive Cussler: replace Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino by Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala, Dirk's love for old cars by Kurt's love for duelling pistols and let the rest of the ingredients be the same: NUMA, the wisecracks, the superhuman efforts, the beautiful ladies and the megalomanic villain that wants to rule the world. Normally speaking such changes irritate me, but Kurt and Joe are so much like Dirk and Al that one hardly notices the difference. And all in all it is just a nice action thriller to read on a warm summer's day (or a long winter night).
Rating: 
Summary: 5-GOLD Stars for Kurt Austin's 2nd Adventure
Review: A Cussler adventure is ALWAYS welcome to me, whether it features Dirk Pitt or now, Kurt Austin...and Cussler has EARNED that opinion from me by finding a co-writer in Paul Kemprecos who knows how he thinks, and has mastered Cussler's trademark 'style' of adventure writing to a 'T'. When I first saw 'Serpent' I was skeptical to say the least, but after a couple of pages, it was apparent that the 'action-magic' was definitely on overdrive and it made for an amazingly fun story virtually on par with almost any of Pitt's exploits. Now comes Austin's 2nd literary adventure, and I am happy to say that everything which made 'Serpent' fun and entirely worth reading is found in the pages of 'Blue Gold'. From the jungles of the Amazon to an underwater explosion off the coast of Mexico to a very tall woman who has her sights set on controlling the virtual bulk of the world's drinking water, thus placing most of the world at her mercy. 'Blue Gold' has something rare for a Cussler story: the bad guy is a GIRL. But don't let that fool you into thinking she is all bark and no bite...nope. She packs a whallup, that's for sure. Between Kurt and his Giordino-sidekick/clone, Joe Zavala, they manage to become central figures to the problems facing Mother Earth, and due to their quick thinking and all around knack for being in the right place at the right time, they end up saving us all without us none the wiser. Some have been faulting Cussler and Kemprecos for using a tried-and-true formula that has paid off in multiple back-to-back bestsellers over the years, but I for one welcome it all and look forward to Kurt & Joe's next adventure eagerly. Face it, if you can manage to substitute Dirk Pitt for Kurt Austin and Al for Joe as you read 'Blue Gold' you would be hard pressed to tell the difference, and with that in mind, just remember: if you are a fan of Pitt, do yourself a favor and get to know the other side of the NUMA coin, and soon you too will be singing the praises of Kurt Austin. A fine thrill-a-minute-seat-of-your-pants story that deserves to become every bit as popular as Dirk's exploits.
Rating:
Summary: Good Second Book
Review: Again, this is a good book in this series. I could not put it down. Good twisted ending also. I'm not going to rehash the plot.... If you liked the first one... you will like this one also.
Rating:
Summary: NUMA saves the world................................again!
Review: Blue Gold is typical Clive Cussler fare, with operatives from NUMA saving the world from another megalomaniac. Even though the formula is monotonous, I still read every one of Cussler's books. The characters have changed somewhat. Dirk Pitt and Al Giordono are replaced by Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala. Trust me only the names change. Austin and Zavala are just as adept in extricating themselves from every conceivable difficulty thrown their way. In this tale our heroes have to thwart a plot to seize the world's fresh water supply which will then be sold to the highest bidders. This would be enhanced by the stealing of a revolutionary desalinating process which could spoil the plot hatched by villainess Brynhild Sigurd, head of a huge corporate conglomerate. The book is fast paced as is usual for Cussler. I'm curious exactly what Paul Kemprecos has added because I don't notice any difference from Cussler's usual style.
Rating:
Summary: Blue Gold Is Still Shining
Review: By: Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos Blue Gold is an exquisite book written by Clive Cussler and Co-Authored by Paul Kemprecos. This New York Times best selling series is 378 pages long with a captivating plot that can rival Michael Crichton or JRR Tolkien. Cussler is an amazing writer who always manages come up with colorful eco-terrorists, megalomaniacs with their ambitions primed for world domination, and a few regular old criminals thrown in for good measure. In this new exciting adventure the National Underwater & Marine Agency's Special Project's Directors, Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala, nearly die during a powerboat race for a fundraising event when a pod of dead bloated whales float onto the course. An investigation into the death of the whale pod take them to a secret underwater facility disguised as a Tortilla factory. As one event leads to another the duo soon uncovers a diabolical plot to monopolize one the world's most important resources by a 7 foot Valkyrie. Meanwhile in the dense jungles of the Venezuelan rain forest a mysterious tribe with the legend of a white goddess. Kurt and Joe have hunch that this so called "white goddess" might be the key to unraveling the plot to take over the world. Helped by a husband-wife NUMA team who've already made the goddess's acquaintance; Kurt and Joe must solve this mystery of suspense, blackmail, and murder. Reading this book was like listening to one of Beethoven's symphonies, every event was detailed and prepared the way for the next conflict perfectly. Anyone who enjoys James Bond flicks or adores action/adventure will love this book. This is the perfect gift for the holidays.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best, but still entertaining
Review: I always gobble up Clive Cussler's books because they so full of adventure, action and humor, and they take place in locations all over the world, above and below water.
Blue Gold was far less adventurous and nail-biting than Cussler's other books I've read so far (my favorite being Inca), but it was still plenty entertaining, and filled all my quiet spots during summer vacation. I found many of the scenes fascinating and intriguing, such as the discovery of an American woman who had become a tribal "goddess" among a primitive South American tribe, and how she created contraptions and improvements in her village due to her own technical expertise. There was an exciting boat race, underwater laboratories, and I dare not give away any more. Yes, it is all highly unlikely, and in fact reminded me of Indiana Jones-style adventure, but I didn't care. It was fun!
Rating:
Summary: Brittany's Book Review
Review: I have read all of Clive Cussler's books and loved every one of them. Very entertaining light action adventure that is perfect for long boring airplane rides. I was looking forward to going on a new adventure with Dirk Pitt in Blue Gold, but what I got instead was [weak]imitation of the real thing. You may think I'm being too cynical, but some how I can't help thinking that collaborations like this are just a publishers way of pushing sub par writing by riding on the coattails of a well known and respected author. I can't blame Clive Cussler for trying to find ways to increase the income stream, after all, it's the American way. Maybe he even enjoys doing a collaboration. Whatever his motivations, I am not appreciative and feel cheated.
Rating: 
Summary: Cussler's Other Hero
Review: Kirk Austin's second adventure doesn't compare to the worst of Dirk Pitt's (Vahalla Rising). This series is strictly for die-hard Cussler-ites only, who can't wait for the next Dirk Pitt adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting Listening
Review: Listened to this book on a trip to deliver my daugher to college. Cussler is one of my daughter's favorite authors. This is the first book of his that I have ever listened to/read. I really enjoyed it. We enjoyed David Purdham's narration. It was a great way to make the miles fly by. Good fun. I will listen/read more of Cussler's books now. This is also a good choice for teen readers who skip all the good YA books and go staight to "grown up" books.
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