From Publishers WeeklyWhile scuba-diving on the Tanzania coast, Sam and Remi Fargo find a U.S. Civil War ship's bell engraved with Aztec hieroglyphs. Recovering it and discovering its provenance becomes irresistible--especially when they realize someone is desperate to conceal its secrets. From Africa through North America to Asia, the Fargos race to stay ahead of their ruthless pursuers. Narrator Scott Brick continues to keep Cussler's escapades light entertainment; having narrated the previous books in the series, Brick is now part and parcel of the Cussler audiobook fan's continued enjoyment--and essential in ratcheting up the tension and excitement as needed. A Putnam hardcover ( s, Aug. 2). (Sept.) (c) Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.From BooklistThis is the second installment (after Spartan Gold, 2009) of Cusslers action-packed new series featuring husband-and-wife treasure-hunters Sam and Remi Fargo, a spunky Nick and Nora for the twenty-first century. Scuba diving off the coast of East Africa, the couple discovers a bell, covered in cryptic carvings, from a long-lost Confederate warship. While they struggle to decode the clues found on the bell, a sinister faction is shadowing them in hopes of also discovering the secret to which the clues lead. Unlike the Fargos, this group does not want the secret uncovered and will kill to keep it hidden, as the discovery would result in a rewrite of the history books. In his inimitable way, Cussler throws everything into the pot: Confederate warships, the Aztecs, the Krakatoa explosion of 1883, pirates, and, in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, Cussler himself in a cameo appearance. Blackwood, the coauthor, seems to have brought a breath of fresh air to Cusslers usual testosterone-laced style by toning down the traces of xenophobia and misogyny that often permeate the long-in-the-tooth Dirk Pitt series. HIGH DEMAND BACKSTORY: Fans of Mathew Reilly and James Rollins will revel in this treasure-hunting adventure. --Michael GannonAbout the AuthorClive Cussleris the author of more than fifty books in five bestselling series, including Dirk Pitt, NUMA Files, Oregon Files, Isaac Bell, and Fargo. His life nearly parallels that of his hero Dirk Pitt. Whether searching for lost aircraft or leading expeditions to find famous shipwrecks, he and his NUMA crew of volunteers have discovered more than seventy-five lost ships of historic significance, including the long-lost Confederate submarineHunley, which was raised in 2000 with much press publicity. Like Pitt, Cussler collects classic automobiles. His collection features more than eighty examples of custom coachwork. Cussler lives in Arizona and Colorado.Grant Blackwoodisthe author of the Briggs Tanner series, as well as the coauthor of #1New York TimesbestsellerDead or Alive, with Tom Clancy, andThe Kill Switch, with James Rollins.A U.S. Navy veteran, he spent three years on active duty aboard the guided missile frigate USS Ford as an Operations Specialist and a Pilot Rescue Swimmer. He caught the fiction-writing bug at the age of eighteen while reading Clive CusslersThe Mediterranean Caper. what books are public domain Lost Empire (A Sam and Remi Fargo Adventure)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Very Poor novel..Just super Slow and boring.By DougThe Fargo series is just plain dull and stupid..SAVE YOUR MONEY, Stick to Isaac Bell, Dirk Pitt and the Oregon Files.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Grand DudBy L. WilliamsIf you, like me, are a Cussler fan you will probably buy this book regardless of what any reviewer tells you. Wait to buy it a yard sale, it should cost ten cents. This book started out well for about ten pages and then fell into the same flat, dull story line that we Cussler fans have found in all of the Fargo books. I own and enjoyed every book that Cussler has written with the exception of the Fargo series. This book was a total waste of time and money. If you are hoping that the Fargo's finally got it together I guarantee that it didn't happen here. The only adventure I experienced in this book was that I finished it.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Unrealized PotentialBy E. BaxterAs a longtime Cussler fan I typically enjoy each new book. While the Fargo's first book left room for improvement, I had hoped the characters would settle in and Lost Empire would make progress. Unfortunately, I felt this one suffered from the same problems as the first one. The historical premise is interesting enough and I enjoy a good treasure hunt as much as the next guy. However, I enjoy being able to try to solve each of the puzzles along with the heros. This is not possible here. Repeatedly the characters bring up information they have read, but that the reader is not privy to, that helps them figure out the next step. This dampened much of my interest in the clues themselves as I quickly realized I had no chance of reaching the solution before the Fargos who would soon proceed to briefly explain it to me in a hand-waving sort of way. Several of the clues rely on images which are included in the text and I found that to be a nice touch. I did not read the Kindle version of this book but hope those images would be included and come out as readable as they are in the printed text. There were numerous editing problems here. Perhaps I missed some detail somewhere but at one point a poem serves as part of the clues. This poem is included in the text in two places but some of the lines are different. The Fargos are likable characters but still feel a bit flat. As other reviewers have noted we don't really have a good idea of what they look like. Also, I relish a well-drawn bad guy to terrorize the story's heros. Here, the head bad guy, a very powerful man in Mexico, is seldom seen and I'm not sure why exactly I should care that he is in charge, other than his corruption. His right hand man threatens the Fargos several times as they solve each clue, but he simply doesn't show up at golden opportunities. He feels to me like he's pulling punches. These are not the traits of a cold-blooded killer who could really give our heros some trouble. I did enjoy much of the scenery the Fargos find themselves in as they travel around the world. All in all, I would say the Fargos could still have potential, but they'll have to kick it up a few notches. Let's see another great Isaac Bell book soon.