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Rating: Adventure has always had a certain allure on individuals, after all who, at least once as a child (or maybe even as an adult), hasn’t wished to live one, perhaps in some mysterious and distant place, where many dangers are faced alongside unlikely, but incredibly reliable, travel companions.
Clive Cussler, in this instance paired up with Jack Du Brul, tries exactly to do this, to make us live an adventure, building around us a world made of breathtaking landscapes, brave and loyal men, ruthless enemies, and tons of action: a cocktail certainly not brand new, but one that always works! Before beginning, let’s make the classic quick summary of the plot: a ship that appears humble and scruffy is actually hiding a highly technological heart and is home to the Corporation, a group that, external to the United States government, offers the latter its expertise (all members of the crew had previously served their country in various governmental bodies) to resolve delicate missions that require a certain level of discretion. After completing one of these special assignments, the crew of the Oregon (this is the name of the ship in question) comes across the wreck of a cruise ship and decides to stop and investigate, discovering that all occupants died a horrible death, except for a young woman who served on the luxurious vessel. At this point, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the captain of the Oregon, decides to delve deeper into the matter, unaware of the horrors hiding behind it.
I begin my review by noting that this book is part of a series of adventures starring the Oregon and its quirky crew. Now, with that clarified, we see that the first thing that strikes during the reading is the precise description of events and actions, which involves not only the landscape where the characters move and the activities they perform, but also, and especially, what they handle and the equipment (they are truly innumerable, trust me on this!) with which they find themselves interacting, all explained to the reader in meticulous detail, demonstrating a great mastery of the subject by the author, who, not by chance, is the founder of NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency), a society that deals with the recovery of ships and planes disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The descriptive aspect (and this in my opinion is a great merit of the book) absolutely does not inhibit the fluidity of the reading; on the contrary, it fits perfectly with the unfolding of events and allows the reader the illusion of being with Cabrillo and his companions, intent on planning an incursion or rescue plan.
Another favorable point of the work in question is certainly the richness of twists, combined with that mix between pure adventure and espionage that brings to mind flashes of Indiana Jones alternated with stages like "James Bond," where the physicality of the protagonists merges with the technological tide that surrounds and pervades the entire story, granting a speed of narration that, at least in my case, literally glues to the pages. In conclusion, I consider the work of Cussler and Du Brul truly well done, as despite taking up not particularly new solutions, the two authors have managed to create a fresh narrative universe, engaging and never trivial, which encompasses various parts of the globe (including Italy!) and allows the mind to pleasantly travel.
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