La leggenda dell'Azteco

Fargo Adventures #6

by Clive Cussler, Russell Blake

I coniugi Sam e Remi Fargo sono sull’isola di Baffin, Canada, impegnati in una spedizione di ricerca ambientale, quando diventano testimoni di un ritrovamento sensazionale: una nave vichinga sepolta nei ghiacci, in perfette condizioni e carica di artefatti precolombiani provenienti dal Sudamerica. Sembrerebbe impossibile, ma nel corso delle ricerche emergono indizi sempre più evidenti che legano i vichinghi al culto del dio tolteco Quetzalcoatl e a un oggetto leggendario noto come l’Occhio del Cielo. Ma il ritrovamento della nave ha destato l’attenzione di persone dalla dubbia morale...
I Fargo dovranno così fuggire attraverso giungle, templi e antiche sepolture inesplorate inseguiti da cacciatori di tesori, criminali e vecchie conoscenze. Riusciranno a giungere alla risoluzione del mistero che li avvolge prima che sia troppo tardi?
 
Scenari internazionali pieni di fascino, pericoli, intrighi; due protagonisti umanissimi in cui tutti ci possiamo riconoscere, il cui legame è fatto di passione e ironia; continui capovolgimenti di fronte e magistrali colpi di scena… Clive Cussler si riconferma un maestro nel tenere il lettore incollato alle pagine.

Genres: Adventure, Fiction, Thriller, Action, Mystery, Audiobook, Suspense

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

Cussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.

Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.

In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.

Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).

Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.

Reviews

[Shubhra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, though an improvement on Cussler's earlier Fargo adventure, still isn't up to the mark we readers have come to expect of him. When compared to the past and present offerings related to NUMA (both Pitt and Austin), Oregon Files series and Bell series, this book is unfortunately quite a letdown.

Mostly the book meanders through random puzzles, really cheesy dialogues between the main character and sudden serendipitous discoveries. The book seems to revolve too much around the main characters, what they eat, drink and wear, and less about other characters - both friend and foe. This leads to rather underdeveloped side characters and villains - of whom we hardly get any glimpses. Even old character like Selma (who seems to be a character with lots and lots of connections) gets a short shrift in this book, while the remaining of the research team has a blink-and-you-miss-them presence. It is side characters like Julian Perlmetter, Vice President Sandecker, Hiram Yaeger, which lend much of the fun in Dirk Pitt books - a lesson which should be implemented here.

While the climax here was much better off than the previous book, it still is not in the league of the Dirk Pitt, Oregon and Bell ones.

In two minds whether to continue reading this series.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kensington Runestone is on display less then a mile from my house. Big Ole guards it :)
Therefore I am a sucker for any story that says the Vikings got here before old Christopher! They did a great twist to that extent in this book.

[Julie Kellner · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read all the previous Fargo adventures and this is so unlike any of the previous novels I was disappointed to say the least. It was trite, disjointed & the Fargo characters were so annoying & arrogant. Too much detail in what they ate & the fashion. This was the worst Fargo so called adventure by far I was shocked & there was very little adventure. I doubt Cussler had very little input into this novel leaving the writing to his co author. I will not be reading another novel with this partnership again. Maybe Cussler should stop churning the books out in such high volume & go back to the quality & integrity that made us all read him in the first place

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the archaeological aspect: Vikings in Mexico, a viking was actually Quenzalcoatl; the Fargo characters- which of course mean adventure, treasure, dangerous people pursuing them and
life and death moments. Unputdownable.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trite, badly written, too stodgy for an adventure novel.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worst Fargo adventure yet. The dialogue was horribly cheesy and the author(s) spent a weird amount of time describing what the fargos ate.
I normally like this series, but this book was pretty bad.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sixth in the Fargo Adventure archeology suspense series and revolving around Sam and Remi Fargo. The focus is on a Mexican treasure.

My Take
I've been complaining the last couple of Fargo Adventures about the writing. This time around, I'm complaining about how blah and dull The Eye of Heaven is. The writing is okay — that prologue really made me feel the cold, the hunger, and the fear — but the action is formulaic and…boring.

It's the usual prologue, setting up the Vikings as the treasure leavers. It is, however, extremely vague in background information.

We're introduced to the big bad boy with that initial treasure hijacking attempt, just so we'll know how big and bad he is when we get to the primary storyline.

How stupid are Sam and Remi? They already know Benedict will stop at nothing, that someone on the Bermudez must be a mole, and yet they don't question that necklace? Heck, even I could see who was the leak. And how Benedict kept finding them, *eye roll*. Then there's that fabulous house of theirs with all the latest security…and they don't take into consideration eavesdroppers?

The joking between Sam and Remi is cute, and a touch more believable than it was in The Mayan Secrets , 5, although it has a nasty edge to it. I keep thinking they'll end up separated, it's so mean.

Huh what? Remi knows Selma so well? Can see she's in a lot of pain? And she's surprised to learn that Selma has to go in for hip surgery? Where has she been while Selma's been dealing with all this pain? 'Cause I know this pain didn't come up overnight.

An interesting take on the origins of Quetzalcoatl.

I guess I keep reading this because of the archeology and the Fargos' free-spending generosity, helping their friends and making it possible for hard-pressed academics and scientists to preserve history…and I do have a passion for history.

This story? I'm not sure you want to waste the time reading it. It's kind of a wanna-be James Bond up against a wanna-be SMERSH *more eye rolls*.

The Story
It's an unexpected discovery frozen in one of the bays on Baffin Island that sets the Fargos down a path that will lead them to the truth behind Quetzalcoatl and turn Toltec history and the world on its ear.

The Characters
Sam and Remi Fargo are retired and wealthy with a fascination for archeology. They employ a small staff who work out of their fabulous home in La Jolla, California: Selma Wondrash as their chief researcher with contacts everywhere while Pete Jeffcoat and Wendy Corden are junior researchers. Selma is also going in for a hip replacement surgery! Kendra Hollingsworth, Selma's niece with a double major in computer science and history, will be her replacement while she's recovering. Zoltán is their alert German shepherd whom they adopted in Tombs , 4. Since The Mayan Secrets , the Fargos have acquired a Gulfstream jet with Brad Sterling and Rex Fender their pilots and Sandra is their flight attendant.

Mexico
Carlos Ramirez is a friend of Selma's, and he's in charge of the Antiquities department in the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City. Dr. Maribela and Dr. Antonio Casuela are sister and brother and experts on the Toltecs.

The Los Zetas cartel…
…deals drugs and weapons. Ferdinando Guerrero is the Mexico City chief of the cartel.

Cuba
Dr. Lagarde is one of Selma's friends in Cuba. Professor George Milhaupt is at Cal Tech and has an interest in cryptology; he believes Lazlo Kemp is the Fargos' best bet.

Rubin Haywood is with the CIA.

Lazlo Kemp got caught and now has to reinvent himself. Unfortunately, his predilection for drink is getting in the way.

Baffin Island and the Viking ship
Commander Wes Hall is heading up a U.S. Coast Guard-sponsored expedition aboard the Alhambra to explore the island's fjords. Lieutenant Ralph Willbanks is Hall's first officer. Rick is the pilot who gets them there.

Warren Lasch had headed up the recovery of the CSS Hunley back in Lost Empire , 2. Dr. Jennings works in Montreal and is one of Canada's top archeologists.

The expedition off the coast of Cartagena, Spain
Dominic is the captain of the Bermudez and the leader of the Spanish team of divers.

Janus Benedict is a wealthy arms dealer with legitimate businesses in banking, insurance, and real estate and has a connection to stolen artifacts. Reginald is his dumb thug of a younger brother. His conspirators include Pasqual, Andrew, and Sergei. Percy is one of Benedict's go-to boys for skullduggery

Quetzalcoatl is the feathered serpent god of the Aztecs; the Mayans called him Votan.

The Vikings in 1085 AD
Vidar is the captain's first mate on the Sigrun.

The Cover and Title
The cover is green! A Viking ship sailing, literally, through an emerald-cliffed sea, a flash of lightning in the background. The title is in yellow with the authors' names in white — Cussler's name is WAY larger than life with Blake's name a tiny add-on.

The title is the focus of this story, The Eye of Heaven.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best of the Fargo books. Seems like several of their actions were un-Fargo like. Starting with going to Cuba, noticing a tail and thinking "we must have been sold out by a one of our staff" utterly discounting the bureaucratic trail the left just entering Cuba, not to mention the communist gov't just being suspicious of Americans, let alone treasure hunters that are American. Then, following that up with breaking into a gov't military museum, thinking all they need to do if caught is get into international water and they are worry free. Kinda short sighted since I'm sure there is at least one country that the Fargos would want to someday visit would be willing to extradite them back to Cuba--Russia and Venezuela come to mind


The overall story was entertaining, but their judgement lapse kept briefly taking me out of it.

[Martha Nance · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, this is absolutely my last Clive Cussler book! He's going in the pile with Patricia Cornwell, Jeffrey Archer, James Patterson et al who have become so formulaic and obviously for commercial consumption.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading Cussler books for years and never had one that I really disliked. There have been a few in which his co writer got too bogged down in the details, but usually the story won out in the end.

This book however - I considered rating it a one star for Dislike - however I do like the Fargo Characters - so I gave it a 2 star out of fan loyalty.

I was very disappointed in this book. It took me longer to finish than usual and at times reading it felt like a chore.

Below are spoilers....

The plot seemed very weak at best.

The Cuba story line felt like filler material and the trip to Laos was simply a waste of reading time. The Kendra red herring felt contrived from the get go and about half way the co writer seemed to be bored with himself.

If this was a person's first Fargo book, they'd be very confused about Janus and his motivation for everything. There was no explanation for how he came to meet up with them in the early part of the story.

At the end of the story - 2 years into the Future that whole ''Ark of the Covenant'' prank that Sam planned to play on Janus - yawn.

The female who betrayed them in the final chapters after helping them all along. That was too obvious and I was not shocked at all. It felt like the typical betrayal from the old Doc Savage Pulps.

Zolton is a great addition to the series, yet he just seems to be filler material, I do wish he'd become more integral to the story. His scenes were boring and felt unnecessary. Yeah we get it, they have a dog, pat him on the head, next scene. This is an animal with smarts and skills. How is he not traveling with them?

To digress to the Cuba scenes - I remember thinking to myself that it just felt like an odd story line and the whole ''we need to break into a Cuban Fort and take pictures then escape'' was too weird. Too much for what little it really added to the story.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What can I say? Tomb raider 2.1. Yeah that’s pretty close. Good people, tombs full of secrets, treasure hunters, faithful friends and a traitor. Just replace Lara with Sam and Remi, change the continent and you got The Eye of Heaven.

Started this book after carefully calculating time constraints hoping to finish by 31 December. Well what do you know? 3 days was enough to finish 389 pages. I almost got fooled with the Vikings and the long ship at the beginning. But alas, no such luck to roam the seas with red beards and skull splitting axes. Instead I got this overly loving couple and a hedonist treasure smuggler playing Tom and Jerry around the world. There’s lot of bollocks and lot of conversation that wasn’t necessary. But it’s so fast phased and quite enjoyable if u know how to omit chunks of it from your mind. There’s very few to be remembered.

It’s one of those books one can live without. I’m just glad I’m done with it after looking at it sitting on the shelves for two years.

[Erin Cataldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Eye of Heaven takes readers back to Mexico, although this time the Fargos aren't looking for Mayan cities they are looking for evidence of Vikings. After they stumble on a pristinely preserved Viking ship carrying Toltec items - the Fargos know that everything they know about the Vikings is about to change. They actually made it to North America far before Christopher Columbus and had trade routes. What if they can find more proof and maybe the tomb of Quetzalcoatl? I enjoyed that the villain was a little different than normal - it was someone who wasn't after a specific treasure but was just after any treasure that the Fargos would find. Fun and implausible - I will keep reading this series!

[Una Tiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was reminiscent of the tv program Hart to Hart, on the ocean. The corny dialogue between the lead characters took away some enjoyment and caused my eyes to roll, the plot was intriguing.

[librarian90 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps I expect too much from authors but sometimes collaborations leave much to be desired. The Eye of Heaven is one of them. It was a very enjoyable book to listen to in the car and I never expected anything more than a fun adventure novel; however (isn't there always an "however"?), the writing was very uneven in this book. I've always admired Clive Cussler for his strong women characters but Remi was a whiny shrew in this novel and didn't act like her character in earlier books until the end of this novel. It's a minor point but still annoying.

[Kati Polodna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm. I thought this would have more puzzles and twists like Dan Brown or Steve Berry's novels. Was disappointed by the cheesy dialogue, the vagueness of the plot, quick chapters with little depth or plotting, a villain who was (only) a pompous ass, and just the luck (guess it helps being millionaires!) this couple (whose chemistry was terrible and unrealistic) had finding their answers based off some poorly described clues...although Cussler certainly had an eye for detail regarding food and wine and things with engines. Am tempted to try his earlier works (before a co-author).

[Kim Cano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all of Russell Blake’s books and love them. My favorite is the Assassin series featuring the Mexican assassin El Rey. The Eye of Heaven was less gritty than those, but I enjoyed it just as much. It was a lot of fun and a great way to get away from everyday life. Highly recommend it if you want to go on an adventure without leaving home.

This was my first Clive Cussler book, and I have to say the two authors were great together. I hope they write another one in the series.

[Lois Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was another fun globe-trotting Fargo adventure, but it seemed a little different compared to the others in that Sam and Remy seemed a little off from how they used to be. Now, sure, since it's book 6 you have to expect some changes as they grow and all, and I started with books 4 and 5, then going back to 1, 2, and 3, so I could have forgotten something important, but it was still another fun and exciting adventure to listen to while working.

[Clay Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fargo's drink enough alcohol during their meal they sound like alcoholics. Half the story seems to describe what they are eating. Remi is always wanting a spa after being in the field. I come close to rooting for the bad guys. The Fargo's banter gets old after a while.

[Todd Kinsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to the Fargo series. There are some new adversaries, return of some old characters and of course plenty of history woven into the adventure.

I'd love to see Brad and Angelina do some movies based on the Fargo's while they're still young enough.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kolejna podwodna i meksykańska przygódowka z małżeństwem Fargo próbującym uratować tytułowe oko. Dobre.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book; it was a fun, fast, light read. It moved at a pretty fast clip (considering the amount of "globe-trotting" that goes in which the Fargos go from Spain to Baffin Island in Canada to Mexico to Cuba to Laos and back to Cuba again). I have read one other book, but that was years ago, so it was interesting to meet the main characters again as I remembered nothing about them previously. They have a "huge" cast of characters, too (well, people who work for them).

Some random thoughts about the book. I could not figure 0ut if Kendra was truly "on the take" for Janus Benedict or not; it seemed like the authors were writing her that way at first, but then there was a "big reveal" at the end of the book that made me wonder if it was all "misdirection" the big reveal being that this pendant that Remi was given and loved to wear was actually a tracking device. I about fell out of my chair laughing in surprise at that one. I did figure that either Antonio or Mirabela or even both were in cahoots with Janus and his brother Reginald; it turns out that it was just Mirabela. There was a lot of misdirection throughout the book as the authors try to write various characters as being spies for Janus; the only time it really worked for me was in relation to Antonio and his sister; other than those two, I cannot say how well it was written because there is not enough gray to raise suspicions and especially not really enough to support accusations against anybody.

I enjoyed the theory that the Vikings had been in touch with the Totlecs of pre-Columbian Mexico. That was pretty cool; I also enjoyed the descriptions of the temples and dig sites and whatnot in the Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan in Mexico. It sound liked it would be a phenomenal place to visit one day if it were possible for me to do so.

Sam and Remi's "journey" to find Sam's old friend Lazlo was fun, too, even if it was a bit "short" (they found him pretty quickly when it was all said and done, to be honest - I had the impression it was going to be more difficult than it was, especially with the portents implying doom for the man). I was chuckling at the various bribes that Sam had to pay in order to find his friend, but it was cool how he stood by his friend despite his wife's deprecations and bad feelings otherwise. She came to appreciate Lazlo and his knowledge by the end of the book where she was singing a different tune about him!

I thought it was hilarious how the excitement of the siblings immediately cooled after one of the tombs was found. They were all gung-ho and ready to work with the Fargos until the tomb was found, and then immediately after they became distant, cool, and reticent towards them until it was revealed the "ultimate treasure" (the Eye of Heaven) was probably saved somewhere else. It was just a funny moment for me in the book.

I was mildly annoyed with how the author(s) used Antonio and Mirabela. They write the siblings as being possible "threats" to the Fargo's marriage. I never took Mirabela to be regularly flirting with Sam, myself, but the writers continually have Remi getting jealous about something or other regarding Mirabela when she's around Sam. It was annoying; perhaps if the authors had included some kind of intent on the part of Mirabela to be trying to seduce Sam? As it was, Remi's jealousy seemed forced and poorly written; if she was truly as jealous as she was written to be (as it seemed to "increase" over time and she was constantly looking for affirmation from Sam that he was interested in Remi and Remi only), then I think she would have had stronger words with and for Sam regarding Mirabela. As it was, she comes across as petty and insecure - not the type of woman she is presented as being before they meet Mirabela and not how she acts when Mirabela is not around. It got kinda annoying after a while, the way it felt like she was constantly seeking reassurance from Sam that Sam still loved her and planned to remain faithful to her and her alone. And then you have Sam getting a little jealous of some of Remi's comments about Antonio and some of the attention Antonio gives his wife. It was weird - it felt like the authors were trying to imply adultery was a strong possibility but nothing ever went anywhere. Not that I applaud adultery or any kind of behavior like that, but it was just weirdly (poorly?) (badly?) written. Like how it is said that Sam feels a jolt of current between him and Mirabela when they shake hands upon their first meeting, but then nothing ever comes of it (granted, Sam has eyes only for his wife and is written as being oblivious to Mirabela's "charms" and "flirting" that never felt like seduction in any way). You have that brief moment of "attraction" and then nothing ever happens again or is mentioned about it. Sam is not even written as enjoying any of Mirabela's attention she supposedly gives him. Honestly, I would have thought Sam might have become concerned about the comments that Lazlo kept making to his wife and then how Remi turned around and started showering Lazlo with attention, compliments, and flowery remarks. That was more of a "concern" to me and how Sam pretty much ignored it than anything Remi said about Antonio. I could see something having sparked between Lazlo and Remi, on the one hand, because of Remi's supposed jealousy and insecurities regarding Mirabela and Sam "not quite getting it" followed by the attention she was receiving from Lazlo.

Also, I could not believe how much of the book was focused on food and alcoholic beverages. It was crazy! I mean, I enjoyed some of the researching that was done that resulted in their discussing different theories and ideas; that was pretty cool. But one whole chapter seemed devoted to discussing what Sam and Remi ate for breakfast, then lunch, followed by dinner. I realize that specific chapter probably had more "action" going on than I remember, but that is what it felt like - between the food, the drinking, and even visits to hotel spas, there were times I wondered what kind of book I was reading - was it book about a treasure hunt or a book about exotic gourmet meals and drinks with a side-story involving a search for treasure? I think Cussler must really enjoy writing about different meals that he enjoys and wants to share that enjoyment with his readers as he really went "overboard" in describing a seven-course meal that the Fargos ate that I cared not a whit about (and wondered where they found the room for all that food!).

It as also weird how the Fargos are trying to figure out who the spy is in their ranks, and then once it is revealed that Remi was wearing a tracking device the whole time, nothing is ever said about spies in their ranks again. Like with Kendra - Remi has all of these misgivings about her and accuses her of working for Janus, but then that whole thing is never really resolved. At the end of the book, Kendra leaves to go to live on a college campus, and there is no "final discussion" about whether or not she was a spy. Nothing. You'd think that the two of them would have had some kind of discussion or 20-20 hindsight laughter over how wrong they were about there being a spy or traitor in their ranks for most of their adventure when Remi was leading Janus to each bit of treasure. Or Sam giving Remi a hard time about revealing their whereabouts to Janus the entire adventure. Mirabela being revealed felt like a throwaway, too, which was disappointing granted, I expected both her and her brother to be killed, anyway, so it was no surprise when she was killed by Reginald

That tracking device was still crazy! I thought it was one of the best parts of the book, to be honest, because I never saw it coming and felt really strongly that one of or both of the siblings would turn out to be spies and that turned out to be the case. So, yeah, it fully explained all of Janus's gloating throughout the book, about how he would always know where the Fargos were, when they were moving and where they would end up once they arrived at their destination. One of the better moments in the book, in my opinion.

I also liked how the Fargos cut through the cables/ropes holding the nets filled with stolen goods from Janus's yacht at the beginning of the book. That was a pretty cool/fun moment, too.

I was surprised by the lack of violence, overall, in the book. For some reason, I kept expecting more "danger" and/or violence and gunplay. Never happened. Perhaps that stems from too much Hollywood or the earlier Dirk Pitt adventures? This was almost sedate in comparison to other books I read (even though I never truly believed the Fargos were ever truly in any kind of danger of being killed at any point in the book), including some of Clive Cussler's early Dirk Pitt stories (I sincerely doubt we will ever again have an adrenaline charged moment like in Treasure where Pitt and three others fighting a pitched battle with forty terrorists over control of a helicopter the terrorists need to escape an island). Maybe it stems from reading Matthew Reilly's Jack West Jr. series of books? Those are some crazy, adrenaline-laced books! In any case, it was a fun book to read, but there never was any kind of "elevated suspense" or sense of impending doom for me while reading it.

I would swear that Clive Cussler was the old man driving the speedboat that helped the Fargos escape Cuba after they infiltrated the old fort and took pictures of the manuscript before each page crumbled into dust. The character fits the way Cussler describes himself when he writes himself into a story.

On the one hand, it was such a fun and fairly "non-violent" book (until the almost obligatory gun battle at the end of the book) that it was a surprisingly pleasant read, overall.

I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the book as much as I did. It was a fun, fast, easy read, and I could see myself reading other books in the series.

[Wayland Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This another in the adventures of Sam and Remi Fargo, a sort of modern day Indiana Jones couple. Indendantly wealthy (must be nice), they go on archeological treasure hunts all over the world and donate what they find to the various local/native cultures.

In this book, they range from Baffin Island to the wilds of Mexico seeking a lost site that could prove both that Vikings had pre-Columbian contact with Ameriac (which they almost assuredly did), and the truth behind the legends of Quetzalcoatl. Along the way they are plagued by a rival who sells looted treasures, as well as being a major arms dealer.

The adventure and action are decent. The wording is questionable at times. An elbaorate deception is a "head fake." A man finds out a close family member has been murdered and describes himself as "shaken." A team of archeologists explore a tomb but it's the cryptologist with no field experience who warns of booby traps. None of these are anything big, but they all just sound off.

It's not a bad book, but it's not a great one, nor even the best of the Fargo books. It's like reading a mid-grade action flick. It's ok, but not stunning.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this 6th book in the Sam and Remi series. In this book they prove that the Vikings actually sailed to Mexico, and that one of their leaders became a leader of some of the people living there. There were parts of the book that made me feel like I had read it already, although I know I didn't. Once again there was a lot of filler and name dropping, while describing what they had to eat and where they went and what hotels they stayed at. And I am still mad that two books ago they came home with a German Shepard from Hungary that Remi just had to have, and yet they are traveling all over the world and leaving him home with the "help." Why even bring the dog into the equation at all?

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sort of Indiana Jones with a married couple! I love this sort of thing - puzzling out ancient mysteries, duelling with bad guys and generally having a bit of a ball.

The whole idea that The Feathered Serpent was actually an early European explorer isn't a wholly original idea, but I liked the way that Cussler approached it - starting with finding the longship frozen in the glacier and tracking it back to Mexico makes an interesting journey. I'm sure, in real life, the characters wouldn't have it quite so easy, but then it wouldn't have fitted neatly into one novel either!

The relationship between the Fargo's was a bit over the top on occasion, but it didn't bother me too much. I was more bummed out at the major 'twists' being rather easy to spot with the author's non too subtle ways of drawing attention to them.

Still, a good, light, entertaining read.

[Mackenzie Clevenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 - Overall this book was both what I was expecting, and not what I was expecting. As an adventure novel, I definitely expected more action, but those scenes felt few and far between what was a lot of research montages, calling contacts, and traveling to various locations to follow leads. Although, the nature of scientific discovery is exciting, so even though I definitely think there needed to be a better balance with action, I also did like the excitement of figuring out where the next clue led. In general, this plot was just a bit too predictable for my personal tastes, but I can understand how others may appreciate its familiar structures and conventions. Pleasantly surprised!

[Melisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Cive Cussler's novel, but I really didn't find myself as evolved in this story like I usually am. It just seemed so cliche, each quip and witty line just came off with a feeling of being forced. I'm going to try another one of the Fargo novels, and hope that I enjoy it more.

[Andrea Borelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trama molto facile. È il primo libro di Clive Cussler che leggo. Mi ha affascinato la velocità del racconto e ho scoperto il bello delle storie di avventura e di avventurieri. Non è il mio genere prediletto, ma lo consiglio.

[Rach Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping story that developed. Not as much travelling around as usual... had a good natural disaster Segway which I enjoyed! Intense ending which was worth the wait.

[Jacob Chinchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what you're getting with Clive Cussler (and [insert secondary author's name]) books.

They're popcorn action books. You can sit back and relax without having to do any of that pesky thinking that some books expect of you. You're going to get an old-fashion rip-roaring bit of adventure and, depending on the age of the book, some casual racism or sexism for good measure.

As this is one of the modern Cusslers, another in the Fargo series, we're once again teamed up with the most successful archaeological duo since Andy McDermott's Chase and Wilde. As ever, the Fargos have stumbled across a huge find that no-one else knew about but suddenly everyone's interested in. And so the tomb raiding, gunfighting, wise-cracking buddy action movie book happily trips past your eyeballs. And it's enjoyable, with an actual nemesis and everything.

There are two issues I have:-
1) The intricate detail of everything. I don't care what vintage the wine is. Or exactly what the fictional characters are fictionally eating, or how well it was fictionally prepared. But there is a lot of that. A lot of "they enjoyed a glass of the 1986 chateau plink-d'plonky" and "took a small mouthful of the delicately seared lobster tails with just a hint of aromatic grass and cat's widgets". I mean, not entirely that. But very similar.

Nor do I care for the exact make of wrist watch, cigar or foldable knife. But hey, everyone has a wordcount, right?

2) He's only bloody written himself into the book again hasn't he? I mean, he doesn't go as close as he has in previous titles where he's all but spelled out his name, but for the love of all that is good and proper he should really stop doing it. Every bloody Fargo book you get a passage about an older gentleman with piercing eyes and... blah blah blah. If they meet him every single bloody book, why don't they recognise him? I do. And I die a little inside each time.

Other than that, it's all good.

Now I'm just off to enjoy a long refreshing glass of naturally chilled 2017 water, drawn - as nature intended - from the pipes that bring it to the tap.

See? Bloody annoying, isn't it?

[Dan Curnutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most people would find that Archeology is a boring subject. Most people would find that adventurer's are more interesting. Well, if you combine the two you get Sam and Remi Fargo who love Archeology, but they also venture into hunts for treasure and lost historical sites like no one else.

Unfortunately this book was a bit on the more "boring" side of the scale. It seems as though a Cussler novel has finally lost some of it's high action excitement. I found that the situations were not as soul pounding excitement as what we have come to expect. The sense of urgent situations that might end in death and disaster just aren't as heart stopping as previously written works.

With that said we still have a classic Cussler novel where the good guys need to struggle to triumph over the bad guys. Janus Benedict is a thug who wants only to steal ancient artifacts for the sole purpose of selling them on the black market to make money. To add to his evil side he is also an arms dealer on a world class level who is helping tyrants arm their forces (although we don't ever see the culmination of any of those sales).

Benedict seems to want to follow the Fargo's and thwart every effort they have of bringing ancient artifacts back to the surface of the earth and returning them to the cultural departments of their respectful countries.

The Fargo's will be taken from the Ice and Glaciers of the North to the jungles of Mexico to track down the "Eye of Heaven." This is a gemstone that is reported by myth/history to be the size of a small car. It was buried with a "God" whom the ancient tribal people of Mexico revered and buried with a cache of loot that would make any treasure hunter wealthy.

The Fargo's will even have to break into a fortified facility in Cuba to research their task. Then they will have to travel to Laos to find a colleague who might be the only person alive who can translate the pictographs that they have uncovered.

So, there is adventure. There is the threat of danger and death. There is the fun that the Fargo's have together, and there is a nemesis that is trying to bring death and destruction. So, all in all a typical Cussler novel.

My only problem and why I gave only four stars is that it just doesn't have the pop and sizzle of the typical Cussler novel of the past.

But, if you are a Cussler fan as I am you will love the book.

Enjoy!