A group of
pirates against an impregnable fortress.
This novel
was recovered posthumously from Michael Crichton laptop and so we don’t know
for how much time he’s been working on it and why it didn’t publish it in his
lifetime. It is a remarkably finished for a work that wasn’t shown to anyone,
this is not a rough draft finished by an author for hire, this is pure unadulterated
Crichton.
My personal
theory is that we are just reading half of the eventual finished novel and that
he eventually intended to add a segment of treasure hunting in a contemporary
setting.
Anyway
regarding the novel this is a classic “men on a mission” situation. Captain
Hunter recruits a disparate gang of pirates for an impossible mission with
incredible rewards, imagine the magnificent seven but with pirates.
The novel
starts very strong but it kinda loses itself in the last bit with many subplots
not really well developed. Crichton writing is still crisp and engaging, he is
one of the few authors that can make pure science compelling.
Crichton
perfectly understands the narrative possibilities offered by naval warfare. He
creates fascinating battles of wits between rival ships that are a joy to read
and easy to understand.
A very good
page turner.
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