Spartan Gold
I've read Clive Cussler in the past. And although I remember little to nothing about that novel (The Wrecker) what I do remember is that it was a fun beach/summer read. When Spartan Gold was chosen for our book club (GamersRead) I was excited for a fun read as the weather turns from winter to spring.
What transpired though was a run of the mill adventure book that had almost no character development and only the most minimal amount of intrigue. The book centers around the husband and wife duo of Sam and Remi Fargo. A pair of explorers who stumble across a wine bottle from Napolean's personal stash. This discovery sends them on a global trip to find the rest of the bottles. Unfortunately for them, they're not the only ones on the case. There's also a rich Russian mob guy who wants them as well.
There's one thing I despised about Spartan Gold that turned me off from the book. How did this duo become so filthy rich? And how did they become 007 level action heroes? It can't just be a couple judo classes. The duo get themselves in some very precarious situations and somehow are never phased by it in the slightest. If I had guns firing me and the Italian mob wanted to take me out, I think I'd say forget the rest of the wine bottles but not these two.
And really that's Spartan Gold in a nutshell. A whirlwind adventure that makes no sense and has no real stakes. Nothing was ever going to happen in what we know is a very long series. And if you're ok with turning your brain off then you might enjoy Spartan Gold more then I do.
