VALHALLA RISING

By: J.A. Hitchcock
Date: Friday, July 06, 2001

Although the bulk of the book is set in the near future of 2003, VALHALLA RISING begins the usual Cussler way in the past, namely when the Vikings roamed the Earth...and I do mean roamed. A settlement of Vikings on the Hudson River (it took me a while to figure it out, since Cussler doesn't name the location specifically, but if you know your geography well thanks, honey then it's easy) coexists peacefully with the Native Americans. The peace is then shattered when a group of the Vikings takes off to explore this great new land in which they live. Instead of being gone a short time, they travel for over a year, and when they return, the settlement is burned to the ground and everyone is dead. They go into battle against the Skaerlings (natives) and all die. Before this, however, they make sure the remains of their dead were "buried" in a secret cave where their boats rest, then block up the entrance.

Enter Dirk Pitt and company from NUMA (National Underwater & Marine Agency). Out on a research expedition, they come upon the Emerald Dolphin on her first and last voyage. A revolutionary luxury cruise ship, the Dolphin is powered by sea water and a secret oil nicknamed SuperSlick, a new invention by one Dr. Egan, who dies as the NUMA crew tries to rescue everyone from the flaming wreck. Egan's daughter, Kelly, survives and is instantly set upon by two evil men determined to obtain her father's leather satchel. Pitt rescues her from one of them (killing him) and when she opens the satchel...it's empty. The satchel ends up passing through many hands in the book, and finally falls into the lap of Hiram Yeager, the geeky tech guy. But at a certain time every day, the satchel fills with a mysterious oil. Hmmm. Meanwhile, Jules Verne's Captain Nemo keeps popping up. Coincidence? I think not!

There's much more in VALHALLA RISING than can be easily summarized here. Dirk Pitt and Cussler fans will not be disappointed. I was especially pleased to see Pitt questioning his future as far as adventures go the character admits he's getting older, but is not willing to give up as long as he can stand (hooray!). He also decides it's time to put his true love's spirit to rest (referring to Summer Moran, who died while trying to save her father in a previous book) and devote himself to new love Loren...maybe.

The ending of VALHALLA RISING is such a surprise that I gasped out loud as I read the last few pages. When the cover blurb claims Pitt's life is changed forever, believe it. However, it also means that the Dirk Pitt books should continue for a very long time. And yes, the Vikings do tie into the whole scheme of things, but you'll have to read the book to find out what happens. This is true Cussler magic action, adventure, humor, and even a little romance (but nothing mushy).


One last tidbit: Cussler fans should be pleased to know that SAHARA will start filming in October 2001, and rumor has it that the man who will play Cussler's long-time hero, Dirk Pitt, just might be THE X-MEN's Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman!

VALHALLA RISING

Grade: A

Author(s): Clive Cussler

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Price: $27.95