Action/Adventure Aficionados discussion

Hi all,

Recently I have fallen back in love with the action/adventure scene.....since june have read books by Cussler, Rollins, Flynn and about to start Vulcans Forge by Jack Du Brul

What else can people suggest please??

Thanks

Vaelin, welcome back from the Darkside!

What would I recommend?

How about: James Rollins books like:

Ice Hunt, Subterranean, Deep Fathom and Amazonia. THose are all stand alones. If you like them, you might want to try his Sigma Force Series, the first book of that is: Sandstorm.

Along these lines are The Hunt For Atlantis by Andy McDermott (this is also the first book of a series) and a new series by Keith Pomeroy and Sally PomeroyButler Did It!.

If you like sci-fi (which is really not Action Adventure but we honor the action in it) there is Soldier of the Legion and Originsalong with Dauntless.

We have a host of member authors who list their books in the "Member - Author section of our boards."

If you like urban monster butt kickin there is the Monster Hunter International Series.

If you are into espionage, you might like the Robert Ludlum affiliated Covert One series starting with The Hades Factor (and Gayle Lynds).

For some old school stuff, there is Robert Ludlum espionage stories like The Parsifal Mosaic and The Holcroft Covenant

and if you like historical stuff, Ramage was a lot of fun.

There are more where them came from if I haven't found something that tickles your fancy.

Awesome cheers for that

Im about 75% through Ice Station by Matthew Reilly at the moment and am loving it!

Next on my radar/to read list are:

Black Order by J Rollins (ive read map of bones)
Skeleton Coast by Cussler
Vulcans Forge by Jack du Brul

How about some adventure books that border on the thriller/suspense genre?

Try The Pawn by Steven James. Pawn is the first of a six book series that are all good. There is also, usually a healing message mixed in with some really scary, wicked, dark stuff.

The Patrick Bowers Files.

And, The Sigma Protocol by Robert Ludlum is one of the last, classically Ludlum books I've read and it was pretty good.

My favorite is The Holcroft Covenant


And in more ofa "Horror" direction I like classic Dean Koontz and Twilight Eyes or The Servants of Twilight.

For a good Police Procedural (other than the Steven James Books) you might try Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath. Konrath also writes some horror books too.

Ice Station is a must read for any fan of action thrillers ... and what a thrill it is! Non-stop action and cliff hangers galore. Also, try these three Matthew Reilly books: Contest (this was his first--self published, then picked up by a traditional imprint), Amazonia, and Temple.

Oops, my bad. Amazonia is by Rollins, not Reilly. There are strong similarities, though.

Another good read is Icebound by Dean Koontz

Dave wrote: "Ice Station is a must read for any fan of action thrillers ... and what a thrill it is! Non-stop action and cliff hangers galore. Also, try these three Matthew Reilly books: Contest (this was his f..."

I agree, Dave. Ice Station by Matthew Reilly is a great read, not to be confused with Ice Station Zebra by Alistair MacLean (which is another excellent A/A read)

Shocked. I see at least three mentions of classic thrillers....

:\

For just my 2 cents, I agree that nobody does action better than Matthew Reilly. And I agree James Rollins, Jack du Brul and Clive Cussler are favorites of mine too. But there's a newer kid on the block, Boyd Morrison, with his Tyler Locke series that's good too. And if you want more of a suspense/thriller with action and a touch of horror then you gotta try Relic, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. The movie sucked but the book was awesome.

Bonnie wrote: "And if you want more of a suspense/thriller with action and a touch of horror then you gotta try Relic, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. "

This was great, even though I tend to go for the older, classic A/A reads ... Alastair MacLean and Desmond Bagley being perennial favorites.

Oh, almost forget Ted Bell. Hawke starts his Alex Hawke series. If you like Cussler I think you'll like Bell.

Bonnie wrote: "Oh, almost forget Ted Bell. Hawke starts his Alex Hawke series. If you like Cussler I think you'll like Bell."

Thanks, Bonnie. I haven't read Morrison yet. I keep meaning to. Maybe it's time. I like the classics as well, Sharon. Alistair MacLean is one of my favorites.

Bonnie wrote: "For just my 2 cents, I agree that nobody does action better than Matthew Reilly. And I agree James Rollins, Jack du Brul and Clive Cussler are favorites of mine too. But there's a newer kid on th..."

I liked Relic, but I liked Reliquary better. Same authors. I loved Pendergast starting with Cabinet of Curiosities through the one where the reporter dies. Haven't read the last couple. But anything they write is good. Getting old, I guess. But then, I'm ... One of their best is Still Life With Crows.

BTW, I haven't heard anyone mention Rick Mofina. I liked Six.

Bonnie wrote: "For just my 2 cents, I agree that nobody does action better than Matthew Reilly. And I agree James Rollins, Jack du Brul and Clive Cussler are favorites of mine too. But there's a newer kid on th..."

Bonnie: I agree with your whole post, especially with Relic. The book was great, the movie not so great. I am trying a new action author: Steve Worland. The book is . I just started it late last night, should know more later on. The promo hype is "The best action movie you ever read". Sounds like I will like it-hope so!

Let me go on record for some recommendations for adventure.

If you want some goodies from yesteryear, I am loving my re-read of the Brian Daley collection. The Doomfarers of Coramonde, The Starfollowers of Coramonde and A Tapestry of Magics is his first trilogy. This is a Vietnam War veteran named Gil McDonald who goes through the space time continuum machine and winds up in a rather fun fantasy world. This is Daley's first novels and, they are good, maybe not great but worth the time to read. What I found special is that Daley is also a Vietnam War veteran and there are some wonderful, if brief glimpses into the mind and heart of war veterans when they come home.

The Second trilogy he wrote, "The adventures of Alacrity Fitzhugh and Hobart Floyt" is written very much like classic Edgar Rice Burroughs set in space. It's Hannibal Hayes and Kid Curry, or, Oscar Madison and Felix Unger, or both, in space. It was written at a time when dreams of space that came in books made space wide open, with all sorts of aliens, and earthlings. Daley also throws a very "around the world in 80 Days" (Jules Vern) and "The Lost World" (Arthur Conan Doyal) kind of feel to it by having Earthlings like Floyt like to dress and act like gentlemen from the Victorian era, at least in some ways. It's also a wonderful "Bromance book."

They do everything best friends should do. Get in fights, get marooned, get jobs, cover each other's backs meet beautiful women, of which there is amazing variety (which makes this feminist friendly, and dude friendly) and fall in love. They face slavers and pirates and all sorts of things. It's a wonderful story. Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds, Jinx on a Terran Inheritance and Fall of the White Ship Avatar.

He also wrote a Hans Solo spinoff trilogy and a 4 book series called "Gammalaw" which is really Gamma Law I think.

That's old world.

For a series that was written more recently with the same Adventure in Future Space with lots of good action (for a space opera) try the Spinward Fringe Series by Randolph Lalonde. It starts with "Origins" which is okay but not great, but it's also a prequell and free. The main story starts with "Broadcast 1" and runs for 7 books. It's involved, exciting fun and has lots of wonderful characters and... at times it reminds me much of the Floyt and Fitzhugh books.

Lastly for another modner book with an old world twist. Taylor Anderson's "Destroyermen" series is fantastic. I've read all 8 book s and I'm waitingfor the 9th. This is action adventure, fantasy and sci-fi framed in a World War II context. Historical fiction, great battles, and some very warm and wonderfujl characters. This is also "very Edgar Rice Burroughs-ish" and reminds me some of "The Land that Time Forgot" Trilogy (ERB). And, in many ways, it's better. (mostly in modern ways.)

Great adventure and action. and also, like the others on this list, "out of this world."

Bonnie wrote: "For just my 2 cents, I agree that nobody does action better than Matthew Reilly. And I agree James Rollins, Jack du Brul and Clive Cussler are favorites of mine too. But there's a newer kid on th..."

Yeah, Bonnie, I agree about Reilly (and the other authors, too). I loved his Scarecrow series, but the last was not quite up to his previous standards. And Relic was fantastic... Reliquary not so much.

Bonnie wrote: "Oh, almost forget Ted Bell. Hawke starts his Alex Hawke series. If you like Cussler I think you'll like Bell."

Have you read many of Ted Bell's "Hawke" series? By the time I worked up to "Tsar", I was getting fatigued. And the serial killer Happy the Baker was just too much for me. There is one entire chapter where this depraved character chases a naked woman around her house... I'm not a prude, but it was just disgusting. I stopped reading them after that.

I. Curmudgeon wrote: "Let me go on record for some recommendations for adventure.

If you want some goodies from yesteryear, I am loving my re-read of the Brian Daley collection. [book:The Doomfarers of Coramonde|100..."

Read the Coramonde series years ago. May be one (or 3) of the hard copy books in my expansive bookshelf. If anyone needs one of my--oh,800--books.

The MudgeonMama

Thanks for the Morrison tip!! Love Rollins and Preston & Child!!

Dave wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Oh, almost forget Ted Bell. Hawke starts his Alex Hawke series. If you like Cussler I think you'll like Bell."

Have you read many of Ted Bell's "Hawke" series? By the time I worke..."

No, I haven't gotten to Tsar yet. Just through Pirate. Thanks for the heads up.

David, my wife just got me a copy of Velocity. It is on the shelf waiting its turn, but I am excited to get to it. I'm also interested to hear what you think of it.

D.L. wrote: "David, my wife just got me a copy of Velocity. It is on the shelf waiting its turn, but I am excited to get to it. I'm also interested to hear what you think of it.

"

D.L., check out my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I overall liked it, but did not love it. My main complaint was the hero cried too much for me. Yes, he did some wild and crazy things, but breaking down in front of strangers. I just could not see John McClane doing that in Die Hard (after getting beat up & blown up OR walking on broken glass yes, but....), and the bad guy was okay, but maybe it is unfair to compare every villain to Hans Gruber. Not crazy about the endings or plot points that went nowhere. But that's just me, I am a tad harder on my action reviews. Let us know how you feel.

After reading several zombie books in a row, I now seem to be on a sci-fi action path:

by Karen Traviss. A digital library book. I do not play video games because I play so bad, but I do like a good sci-fi action thriller! My library has the first 3 Gears of War books in the Kindle format.

Gordon Rennie. This is not a comic graphic novel. But I loved reading about this character.

by Jake Bible. Okay, I guess I had to get one zombie book in there. Zombies and MECH. Right now most of my reading is on the 1st two books listed, but I come back to Dead MECH for short breaks here and there.

Going on holidays in a month, planning on reading Mirage by Clive Cussler and one other book (yet undecided) please help me find a great holiday read

The holiday involves alot of scuba and snorkelling .....something to complement thatb would be cool, not interested in any urban action books for example

Repairman Jack books are great but there are a bunch of them. But if you want to get started on a good series I would recommend those.

Vaelin wrote: "Going on holidays in a month, planning on reading Mirage by Clive Cussler and one other book (yet undecided) please help me find a great holiday read

The holiday involves alot of scuba and snorkel..."

Hi Vaelin, You might like The Golden Catch http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YTI1UY

Here are some customer review excerpts:

"...when Frank's friends and son are being stalked was a refreshing change from the usual 'dash through the city" or the deserts which most thriller writers employ."

"If you like Clive Cussler, Matthew Reilly or Daniel Silva you will like this book, it had me gripped from page one and the ending is truly exciting."

Started reading Black Order by James Rollins today....have only read the first 2 Sigma books so far but enjoying this one alreaady

I hope your book sells well Mr Weston :)

Vaelin wrote: "Going on holidays in a month, planning on reading Mirage by Clive Cussler and one other book (yet undecided) please help me find a great holiday read

The holiday involves alot of scuba and snorkel..."

Vaelin, You might also like

Bahamas Blue by David Poyer

This is what Clive Cussler has to say about him

"There can be no better writer of modern sea adventure around today." – Clive Cussler

Cheers bud, think he says that about a tonne of writers especially Jack De Brul and Frank Piper

Vaelin wrote: "Cheers bud, think he says that about a tonne of writers especially Jack De Brul and Frank Piper"

So true. Have you read Poyer? I've had Bahamas Blue on my TBR pile for so many years that I'd forgotten about it. It looks like a good read.

Vaelin wrote: "Going on holidays in a month, planning on reading Mirage by Clive Cussler and one other book (yet undecided) please help me find a great holiday read

The holiday involves alot of scuba and snorkel..."

Vaelin, have you tried

It is non-fiction, but is a great adventure read!

D.L. wrote: "Vaelin wrote: "Going on holidays in a month, planning on reading Mirage by Clive Cussler and one other book (yet undecided) please help me find a great holiday read

The holiday involves alot of sc..."

D.L., This looks like a good read as well. Thanks.

D.L. wrote: "Vaelin, have you tried Shadow Divers? It is non-fiction, but is a great adventure read!"

It's a good book, but consider whether you want to read a real-life story about divers dying badly while you're on a dive trip. To me, that's like watching airplane-crash movies on an airliner, or The Poseidon Adventure on a cruise.

I say read Doha 12 by Lance Charnes. It's pretty good too. :)

Lance wrote: "D.L. wrote: "Vaelin, have you tried Shadow Divers? It is non-fiction, but is a great adventure read!"

It's a good book, but consider whether you want to read a real-life story about divers dying b..."

Yeah, Lance, not exactly light reading. Vaelin, for a fun read you might like
Hell Ship- A Dane and Bones Origins Story

Also, another good read is
Icebound by Dean Koontz.
It is an action-packed adventure and is one of my favorite all-time reads. It is the only action-adventure I am aware of that Koontz wrote and I heard he said he wouldn't write another. Too bad.

Roger wrote: "Dave wrote: "Ice Station is a must read for any fan of action thrillers ... and what a thrill it is! Non-stop action and cliff hangers galore. Also, try these three Matthew Reilly books: Contest (t..."

Roger, those two Ice Station books were written by very different styles of writer. MacLean's 'Ice Station Zebra' has all the elements of an outstanding thriller (regardless of shallow characterisation at times); whereas Reilly's works are always far less memorable as they are deliberately faster paced and aimed at a certain efficient mindset. Unique and memorable paragraphs, as beefy and polished as that, are the best that writing can be, and take rare talent. Reilly wouldn't be someone who strives for such a style, it would seem. But he has his merits. MacLean had very few faults, if any, in his best works, one of which was 'Ice Station Zebra'.

www.amazon.com/author/michaelangliss

The Quiller books by Adam Hall. Astounding action-writing. A writer unfairly outshone by his more famous contemporaries (Deighton, LeCarre, Forsyth).

Hall writes his books at such a high level; you could swap in anything from him as a substitute for any of the brief action scenes in those more cerebral, psychological works. And it would be seamless.

It's just that Hall writes entire novels as if a single, small, episode of frantic, frenzied action was the whole entire ball-of-wax...how to snatch someone; how to steal a foreign plane; how to get a defector across a high-security border; etc.

Whereas in Deighton/LeCarre all action is reduced to 'tiny snippets' which usually do not even take place 'front & center'. They're usually 'alluded to' rather than described with immediacy.

In the George Smiley books, the action is usually told to Smiley in a conversation. In Hall, the action punches you in the face as if Dash Hammett was writing it. But the technical richness is still there, just as in leCarre.

Highest recommendation for Adam Hall. He's so good I'm wondering now where he got his info from. Ex-government? Or a reporter like Follett? He blows even Follett away.

To my mind--and I say this with a very heavy heart-- "Ice Station Zebra" is not as much of an action thriller as it is a formulaic mystery, since by the time of its authorship MacLean had devolved into using the same plot over and over in different settings. His early books are brilliant and he shines as a natural storyteller (I remember the excitement of coming upon his books at the public library as a kid and I think he eventually inspired me to become an action-adventure thriller writer myself). The books written toward the end of his life, when he had become consumed by personal problems and refused to allow any editing, are almost intelligible.

But do read the early stuff--the man can write! Another good author in this vein is Desmond Bagley. His books are a bit more tame and more narrow-focused, but he can tell a story, too!

Brian wrote: "
But do read the early stuff--the man can write! Another good author in this vein is Desmond Bagley. His books are a bit more tame and more narrow-focused, but he can tell a story, too! "

Bagley is great ... have several of his on my re-read shelves. Personal favorite is but I can't say I've ever read one I thought was bad.

Sharon wrote: "Brian wrote: "
But do read the early stuff--the man can write! Another good author in this vein is Desmond Bagley. His books are a bit more tame and more narrow-focused, but he can tell a story, to..."

I also liked and