The Oracle
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4.2 • 623 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The husband-and-wife treasure-hunting team of Sam and Remi Fargo return in a new adventure as they search for an ancient scroll--which carries a deadly curse--in this thrilling addition to Clive Cussler's bestselling series.
In 533 A.D., the last Vandal ruler in North Africa consults an oracle on how to defeat the invading Byzantine army. The oracle tells the king that a high priestess cast a curse upon the Vandal Kingdom after a sacred scroll was stolen. In order to lift the curse, the scroll must be returned to its rightful home. But the kingdom falls before the scroll is found, leaving its location a great mystery. . . until a current day archeological dig, funded by Sam and Remi Fargo, uncovers some vital clues.
The search for the ancient scroll is put on hold when the Fargos learn that a shipment of supplies intended for their charitable foundation's school has been stolen, and they travel to Nigeria to deliver new supplies themselves. But their mission becomes infinitely more complicated when they run afoul of a band of robbers. The group takes Remi and several students hostage, and there are signs that the kidnapping is related to the missing scroll. The Fargos need all their skills to save the lives of the young girls at the school before they uncover the hidden treasure. . . and lift the deadly curse.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the prologue of bestseller Cussler's exceptional 11th Sam and Remi Fargo adventure (after 2018's The Gray Ghost, also coauthored with Burcell), Gelimer, the king of the Vandals, consults an oracle in a North African town in 533 C.E. Gelimer must retrieve a stolen scroll and return it to its rightful owner if his kingdom is to survive. The kingdom falls before he can find the scroll, whose location remains a mystery until the present day, when some clues turn up in an archaeological dig sponsored by Sam and Remi's foundation. Meanwhile, the theft of a shipment of supplies to the girls' school the Fargos support in Nigeria prompts the couple to travel from California to Africa to deliver replacement supplies. The subsequent kidnapping of Remi and some of the school girls by robbers appears to be related to the missing scroll. Witty dialogue, loads of detail about the local culture and food, and plenty of red herrings will delight Cussler fans. This entry may be the best yet in the series.
Customer Reviews
Long
The book was long, but good. A few too many characters to remember
Stiff conversation and awkward characters
I read all the Clive Cussler books, and this one just seems half baked... maybe it needed a few more rounds of editing,but it isn’t nearly as smooth and enjoyable a read as I am used to.
The worst of Clive Cussler.
I’ve read 18 Cussler books. This one is by far the worst. Weak plot. Slow moving. Superfluous narrative.