Rating: 
Summary: An improvement over the first, but still not quite the same
Review: I was very critical of the first joint effort by Mr. Cussler and Mr. Kemprecos ("Serpent") because it was subpar by Cussler standards. I also thought he had let himself fall into the "franchise trap", where he stamps his name on books authored by someone else and watches his credibility and reader base suffer. However, I wound up giving Mr. Cussler the benefit of the doubt and read "Blue Gold"."Blue Gold" is the second novel featuring the NUMA team of Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala. As with the first book, however, one cannot help but continually visualize Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino - the descriptions of the characters are that similar. Oh, there are some minor differences, but they only serve to make you feel that you are reading the adventures of "Pitt Lite" and "Giordino Lite". The Trouts, minor characters spotlighted both here and in "Serpent", are wholly unappealing because they don't bring much to the overall story, other than an excuse to print an extra chapter or two revolving around a chase or escape. This book is much improved over "Serpent" mostly due to its, shall we say, more judicious use of detail. Whereas "Serpent" was bogged down by mind-numbing, superficial detail, "Blue Gold" is free of most of these anchors. The end result is a story that reads slightly closer to the Cussler adventures we fans are accustomed to, and moves along at a much quicker pace. The plot is average, though the closing sequence is exciting and unique, with an interesting turn of events not typically found in the Dirk Pitt tales. All in all, the "sophomore" Kurt Austin adventure is an average effort. It is much improved over the first outing in this series, but continues to be vexed by too many similarities in characters and plot. It seems to me that for this series to fly, Mr. Cussler needs to ditch Mr. Kemprecos and just write the stories himself. Also, if he does indeed have this wealth of material for stories, he should have not bothered creating Kurt Austin and stuck with the tried-and-true Dirk Pitt. After all, Cussler claims Pitt to be his "alter ego", and that familiarity has lent itself to great storytelling. Creating a "mirror" alter ego in the persona of Austin has not had the same effect, in my opinion. I will continue to anticipate and read the Dirk Pitt novels. However, this series has proven to be a general disappointment, and makes me less inclined to shell out a few extra dollars in between Pitt adventures. I hope that Mr. Cussler will realize that he can't keep running with a knockoff version of the character that made him a top-notch author. His reputation will suffer otherwise, and he will quickly find that even lending his name to generate sales won't work the same magic.
Rating: 
Summary: Cussler Strikes Gold - AGAIN!
Review: Clive Cussler's knack for writing tales that seem beyond belief astounds me. In Blue Gold, he weaves such a fantastic tale that one wonders if it might possibly be true - were there trans-Atlantic ocean crossings that brought many different ethnicities together? How can one explain the different facial features in the rock carvings around the world, representing cultures that have never been found to exist in places like Mexico? Fantastic story, completely believable! Cussler's new tag-team of agents smoothly take over where Dirk Pitts and Al Giordino leave off. In fact, in a humorous way, Cussler works Pitts & Giordino into the storyline throughout; Joe Zavala and Kurt Austin are strongly written characters with all the zeal and gusto that we have grown to love about Pitts & Giordino. This is not a tale about the new guard replacing the old at NUMA, but rather a fascinating new wrinkle that makes me hope that eventually Zavala and Austin will team up with Pitts & Giordino in some lavishly written novel that requires each man's special talents (more so than the brief involvement that Cussler has allowed Dirk and Al in Blue Gold). I read this book way too quickly - and was disappointed that I had finished it so fast instead of savoring every page like a delicious dessert. I sincerely hope that soon Cussler will have the opportunity to see his works developed as motion pictures, as I thoroughly enjoy how his books play out in my imagination! Peace Out.
Rating: 
Summary: Tarnished
Review: Unlike the Dirk Pitt series, the adventures of Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala in "Blue Gold" are not only well-worn but highly improbable. Granted, the Dirk Pitt series isn't realistic, but the plot was belted out with such panache and humor that a good read was guaranteed. The same cannot be said, however, for Kurt Austin in Blue Gold. Rarely suspenseful or even exciting, Blue Gold is at best a cure cure for insomnia- definitely not comparable with the sterling Dirk Pitt collection.
Rating:
Summary: Getting better but not near a "Dirk Pitt adventure"
Review: This book is a definite improvement on the first Kurt Austin/NUMA series. The subplots are more exciting and there is more banter between Kurt & Joe, but the story just did not have the Clive Cussler "hang on by your fingernails" type of action to it. The rescues (every Cussler book has them) were mostly unexciting and dull. The ending (was bad). Kurt did not really do anything, one of the lesser characters "saved the world" with Kurt & gang just going along for the ride. A major let down. I think that the problem with this new Kurt Austin series is that the author (co-author?) tries too hard to treat the 2 NUMA groups (Kurt Austin/Joe & Paul Trout/Gamy) equally. Giving them both adventure subplots with Kurt Austin not getting enough attention, the result being that he does not come off the "hero" as Dirk Pitt does. Either drop the Paul/Gamy major subplot lines or tone them down, and beef up Kurt & Joes involvment. The endings just don't have Kurt Austin bashing the bad guys/women like Cusslers Dirk Pitt books do. I know that Cussler has said that his Dirk Pitt books are becoming harder to write and may be why he brought in co-writer Kemprecos. I hope Cussler dumps Kemprecos, and focuses his efforts on pure Dirk Pitt books from now on. One well written Cussler Dirk Pitt book is worth five Cussler/Klemprecos "Kurt Austin" books.
Rating: 
Summary: BLUE GOLD - Swashbuckler series gets better
Review: The second novel in the new Kurt Austin series, BLUE GOLD, shows signs of developing into a strong understudy to the swashbuckler Dirk Pitt books that so many of us have come to enjoy from Clive Cussler over the last two decades. This second installment opens with a boat race that ends almost tragically in the wake of several dead gray whales. Speeding along at more than 100 knots, Kurt, and his fearless sidekick, Joe Zavala, use their ingenuity to escape a near-death collision. Almost immediately the NUMA boys set out to discover the mystery of the dead mammals. Solving the puzzle takes Kurt and Joe, and others of the NUMA team, searching for clues in the rain forests of Venezuela, the outback of Alaska, and the shores of Lake Tahoe. Each scene is exciting from start to finish, with the usual suave, clever and heroic personalities prevailing over the bad guys. After reading SERPENT, the first Kurt Austin novel that Mr. Cussler wrote with Paul Kemprecos, I was hesitant to read BLUE GOLD. SERPENT was a far cry from the NUMA tales Cussler fans have enjoyed. But BLUE GOLD is a giant step forward and definitely worth reading while we wait for the return of Dirk and Al Giordino, the other NUMA heroes, who will save the world again from the next batch of power-hungry villains.
Rating:
Summary: Tarnished
Review: Unlike the Dirk Pitt series, the adventures of Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala in "Blue Gold" are not only well-worn but highly improbable. Granted, the Dirk Pitt series isn't realistic, but the plot was belted out with such panache and humor that a good read was guaranteed. The same cannot be said, however, for Kurt Austin in Blue Gold. Rarely suspenseful or even exciting, Blue Gold is at best a cure cure for insomnia- definitely not comparable with the sterling Dirk Pitt collection.
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: 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: Brittany's Book Review
Review: Blue Gold is great book by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos. The main character is Kurt Austin instead of Dirk Pitt. A company is trying to control all of the Wolrd's water supply while the Trouts are trying to solve the mystery of the lost tribe in the rainforest. They found a long lost scientist that created a desalting process. It had a great ending. If you like adventure than this book is for you. Other Clive Cussler books are great too.
Rating: 
Summary: Pass on this one
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.
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