Arctic Drift, the 20th Dirk Pitt action adventure epic, was published in 2008 and is the third in Clive Cussler’s legendary series that is written by his son Dirk Cussler. The Dirk Pitt series is always a mix of James Bond and Indiana Jones but set on, above, under, and around water. Though the series is known for its epic action packed set pieces, this book lacks the usual amount of action but is still a fun read with multiple connected plot lines, fascinating overpowered villains, historical discoveries, scientific speculative concepts, and the fate of the planet at stake.
The book focuses on a newly discovered mineral that can offset carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and save the planet. Both the heroes and the villains are on the hunt for this mineral, but for different reasons. Though the main villain is a Canadian billionaire who intends to over profit from his ‘green’ businesses while also owning ‘anti-green’ businesses, his chief henchman, a maniacal criminal fixer named Clay Zak, steals the show. The villains are ruthless, not hesitating to kill, blast, and even start wars to increase their own profits.
The plot that teases a probable war between the US and Canada felt too far-fetched, but Arctic Drift handled it well in a semi-convincing way that didn’t seem too far from reality considering the events of the book. Dirk Pitt Sr., who’s the director of NUMA(National Underwater & Marine Agency) – a fictional oceanic counterpart to NASA, is on the hunt for the atmosphere saving rare earth mineral after his friend, a scientist, was blown up in an attempt to silence the research into that technology. His search leads to many attempts on his life by the elusive and cunning Clay Zak, and Pitt eventually clashes his Zak’s employer with the lives of his NUMA officers hanging in the balance in the frigid Arctic. Pitt’s twin adult children, Summer and Dirk Jr. also clash against Zak’s employer in Canada when their research gets them targeted by mercenaries.
Dirk Pitt and his trusted sidekick Al Girodino also go on the hunt for the historically lost ships HMS Erebor and HMS Terror which disappeared on their Arctic voyage. This treasure hunt is connected to the rare earth mineral Pitt is chasing and the wreck of one of these ships acts as the platform for the climactic action sequence which almost kills Pitt. This is one of those adventures where the hero gets battered, broken, shot, stabbed, and hurt very badly and barely survives the story, though the action starts too late. There’s even a team of Delta Force commandos involved in a rescue mission that goes very badly and they end up joining forces with Pitt’s wrecked NUMA crew of scientists at the end of the Arctic showdown.
The book is very idealistic on the environmental topic of the plot, but it’s a fun read as escapist fiction. Pitt and Giordino have always been inspiring and respectable heroes who usually fight for the environment just like most of Cussler’s other series, but this book dragged on in many parts, but the numerous plot lines kept things interesting. It’s not high literature or anything mind blowing, but it’s a fun pulp adventure for the twenty first century that’s a good read for a slow weekend. The plot with Dirk Jr. and Summer Pitt didn’t connect with Dirk and Giordino’s plot and I felt that it could have, but that’s just my opinion. Even long time Clive Cussler fans will feel that this book is very different from the usual Clive Cussler action adventures but it’s still a worthy read. Modern day guns, colonial muskets, dynamite, and much more are used in the action. Adventure readers who want a light read that’s almost 600 pages will want to check this out.