Spartan Gold

Excellent as usual Clive Cussler is a great writer. Can't put his books down. Great fun and wonderful adventure. Can't wait for Grandson to get old enough to share his books with.

I have always been a fan of Clive Cussler and I became a fan of Grant Blackwood's after reading his first three novels. What a treat to find them together, weaving a cunning story with a complex puzzle. The story swings you across the globe taking in some spectacular less traveled sites and involving unique characters. Sam and Remi Fargo grab you and carry you along in their daring quest for what they first believe is a Napoleonic treasure. It was fun, exciting and above all entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed the Fargo's and their exploits in this new series excellently fashioned in the grand storytelling tradition of action-adventure. More, more of the same please.

If you're a Clive Cussler purist, "Spartan Gold" is not a Cussler adventure; neither was "Medusa" the novel that preceded it at the beginning of summer. But if you're looking for fun, escapist fare, I think you will enjoy this book. After I read "Medusa," I felt the Cussler-coauthored machine was ready for a married couple like Gamay and Paul Trout. You'll find them here in "Spartan Gold." I really like the idea of a husband-and-wife team with diverse backgrounds working together in the field, sloshing around hip-deep in mud. Sam and Remi Fargo is that couple. The sequence of events may actually be secondary to the rapport these two people have with one another. I have nothing new to reveal about the story's plot, you'll have to discover that for yourself. I like these two new characters, and think you will too.

From start to finish, this book was just plain fun. Wish it would have come out earlier this summer, because it is the perfect beach read. Had a great time following the Fargos around the world as they tried to solve this riddle -- equal parts mystery, adventure, secret history, hidden treasures, and exploration. The rapport between Sam and Remi is natural, the dialogue light where it needed to be light, and serious where it needed to be serious. (On a side note, my wife picked up the book when I finished and she's enjoying it too. Remi Fargo holds her own as a heroine) Cussler and Blackwood weaved the history behind this story nicely into the action, and the Lost Cellar riddles were a blast to unravel. I never felt like I was getting a history lesson while I was following the plot, which is something I can't say about all of these kinds of thrillers. I read these kinds of books for their "escapist pleasure" quotient, and SPARTAN GOLD gave me just that. Highly recommended, can't wait for the second installment of the Fargo adventures.

If you're a Clive Cussler purist, "Spartan Gold" is not a Cussler adventure; neither was "Medusa" the novel that preceded it at the beginning of summer. But if you're looking for fun, escapist fare, I think you will enjoy this book. After I read "Medusa," I felt the Cussler-coauthored machine was ready for a married couple like Gamay and Paul Trout. You'll find them here in "Spartan Gold." I really like the idea of a husband-and-wife team with diverse backgrounds working together in the field, sloshing around hip-deep in mud. Sam and Remi Fargo are that couple. The sequence of events may actually be secondary to the rapport these two people have with one another. I have nothing new to reveal about the story's plot, you'll have to discover that for yourself. I like these two new characters, and think you will too.