The 13th installment of the Oregon Files series reveals how an Eastern emperor two millenia ago charged a small group with safeguarding secrets powerful enough to change the history of mankind. Now two rival factions of that group's descendants are fighting a mighty battle that Cabrillo and his team of expert operatives must end to save the Earth from a dynasty of terror.
Cussler and action-adventure fans will love this latest Oregon Files novel. New characters to the team are most welcome, and the sheer insanity of the story line will keep readers guessing about what’s going on until the last page of the book. Chapter one has the pacing of the climax of other thriller novels, and the pace from that fast start does not let up until the end. Shadow Tyrants is one of the better entries in Cussler’s world.
The story moves along at a rapid clip. With the characters well-established by this point, the reader should not expect much in way of character development. In fact, The Oregon receives more attention and description than any of the characters, with all the bells and whistles of this high-tech ship disguised as a rusty derelict described in loving detail. The plot itself is fairly straightforward with action ruling the day as Cabrillo and company square off against the minions of the Shadow Tyrants. Shadow Tyrants is a solid action tale. Perfect for readers looking for a fast-paced story with action and thrills that keep the pages turning!
While the plot is pretty linear, it does move along at a nice clip, and Oregon, Cabrillo’s next-gen ship, is still pretty awesome. That said, out of all Cussler’s series, the characters in this one are the most under-developed, which may simply be because the emphasis is so on the action that the authors opted not to spend much time fleshing out Juan and the crew. However, even the villains have little background ... the best character might honestly be the Oregon, which Cussler has given as much soul and personality as one could possibly give to a ship. Those expecting a fun, straightforward, fast-moving plot will enjoy the latest collaborative effort from Cussler and Morrison ... Shadow Tyrants is precisely what readers have come to expect from this franchise and is right in line with last year’s well-received Typhoon Fury.
