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.
... a novel that crackles with intensity and maintains a high level of suspense from start to finish ... Shadow Tyrants now marks the fourth consecutive teaming of Cussler and Morrison in the Oregon Files series, and it's obvious that they are operating as a well-oiled machine. Strap yourself in as Cabrillo and his extensively talented and likable Corporation attempt to save the world from being plunged into the Dark Ages.
It’s pretty formulaic stuff—every Oregon Files story has the same ingredients—and, as usual, the writing is functional at best. Cussler’s sizable following, however, remains devoted and will be pleased by something new.
Bestseller Cussler’s solid if overly familiar 13th Oregon novel...pits Juan Cabrillo, chairman of the Corporation, a private organization that undertakes difficult missions for the CIA, against a secret cabal, the Nine Unknown, whose members possess ancient knowledge of physical and social sciences that could be used to conquer the world ... There’s plenty of action, but the stale scenario and stock characters add up to a seen-it-before experience.
The crew’s challenges include a missile targeting the U.S. naval base at remote Diego Garcia with a payload of the deadliest-ever Russian nerve agent Novichok. Also, crew members risk getting cooked as they swim near molten underwater lava. Onboard a vessel, they may be gunned down by a machine gun hidden inside a cake or cut down by a flying hunga munga. All the world’s computers may become disabled by an electromagnetic pulse, and Colossus may achieve singularity. Readers probably won’t lie awake worrying whether all this could really happen. Fast-moving, implausible fun.
