Firebird (Alex Benedict, #6)

Oct 07, 2012 Julie Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am reading this more out of a sense of duty and completion than of eager anticipation. That's surprising because I usually have no trouble jettisoning a series once it has become stale. I put it down to Will Duquette's comment that he liked this book so I'm willing to give it a chance.

I found the last couple of books in Jack McDevitt's mystery series to be rather formulaic although good enough for those who like Chase Kolpath and Alex Benedict. It is easy enough to read although perhaps it is...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Robert H rated it 4 of 5 stars

For whatever reason, I read the first 40% of this book some months ago and then set it aside. I've been a big fan of the Alex Benedict books ever since reading A Talent For War several years ago, and am always excited when a new book featuring the character is released, and while I'd enjoyed the first part of the book for some reason it hadn't captivated me.

That changed when I picked the book up again shortly before the new year, and found myself reading as much as I could in order to finish th...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Text Addict rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

McDevitt writes in a monotone, with too many short sentences and an uninspired vocabulary. So, no big numbers of stars from me, despite the fact that this novel has lots of theoretical physics, a really interesting plot about disappearing starships, and an equally-interesting subplot (briefly masquerading as the main plot) about artificial intelligences.

I'm also not sure how to take a setting that's literally thousands of years in the future but in which so little appears to have changed. Even...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Walt O'Hara rated it 4 of 5 stars

As I have alluded to in past McDevitt book reviews, many of the Chase Kolpath/Alex Benedict series novels are starting to be "much of a muchness", ergo, they are all comprised of elements that have worked for McDevitt before. As a writer, McDevitt is unabashedly not shy about reusing things that worked pretty well the first time. As a reader, I have said that this doesn't matter to me much, a day with the worst McDevitt novel is better than a day without any McDevitt novels. FIREBIRD is far from...more As I have alluded to in past McDevitt book reviews, many of the Chase Kolpath/Alex Benedict series novels are starting to be "much of a muchness", ergo, they are all comprised of elements that have worked for McDevitt before. As a writer, McDevitt is unabashedly not shy about reusing things that worked pretty well the first time. As a reader, I have said that this doesn't matter to me much, a day with the worst McDevitt novel is better than a day without any McDevitt novels. FIREBIRD is far from his worst book-- in fact, it is a stunning return to form for the series, which had reverted to the same plot device of: 1) visitor shows up with a mysterious artifact and story. 2) Something doesn't seem right, investigation is done 3) this requires visiting a lot of places, and interviewing a lot of old people. Chase muses on her life and many ex-boyfriends 4) breakthrough 5) denouement, where somebody's life is briefly in danger, and 6) everything is happily resolved, Alex is a hero, Chase is a wiser and richer woman, and haven't we all learned a little something about ourselves?

What makes FIREBIRD so interesting is that the standard payoff isn't present. The plot meanders around, dodges down an interesting blind alley having to do with a deadly planet with sentinent computers running the place, and the conclusion is somewhat anti-climactic. The central mystery, about the disappearance of an enigmatic Physics Professor doing some really interesting work with research, is not conclusively resolved. I mean, we get an IDEA of what transpires but we'll never really know. And the payoff that does occur is not the standard denouement where Alex is lauded after arriving home and then pilloried for being a Tomb raider. If it were another author, I would have been a little annoyed, having him create a buildup for very little like that. But with McDevitt, a little goes a long way, and I found myself enjoying FIREBIRD better than the last two Alex Benedict books.

Well done, Mr. McDevitt, and I appreciate you injecting new life into your star characters. (less)

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Mar 18, 2012 Grady McCallie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 04, 2011 D.L. Morrese rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the sixth Alex Benedict Novel. I’ve read them all so obviously I find them entertaining. This one is no exception. Chase Kolpath again plays Watson to Alex Benedict’s Holmes. He’s not a detective though. He’s an antiquities dealer. His critics have less kind descriptions for him. He actually seems to be is a seeker of facts with a distinct reluctance to leave unanswered questions. I like him.
When it comes to science fiction, I don’t think I’m hard to please. Present a hopeful and believa...more This is the sixth Alex Benedict Novel. I’ve read them all so obviously I find them entertaining. This one is no exception. Chase Kolpath again plays Watson to Alex Benedict’s Holmes. He’s not a detective though. He’s an antiquities dealer. His critics have less kind descriptions for him. He actually seems to be is a seeker of facts with a distinct reluctance to leave unanswered questions. I like him.
When it comes to science fiction, I don’t think I’m hard to please. Present a hopeful and believable future world with likeable characters doing admirable things and chances are I’ll like the story. Unfortunately much of the recent trend, at least in traditionally published science fiction, has been to move to the dark side with apocalyptic tales often featuring vampires, zombies, demons, or angels. Such books seem to try to shock the reader with graphic accounts of violence or sex rather than entertain them or prompt them to think. Fortunately Jack McDevitt does not follow this trend. His stories are more reminiscent of the golden age of science fiction (e.g. Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein).
I won’t try to summarize the plot in this short review, partly because other reviewers have already done so, and partly to avoid spoilers. I’ll just tell you what I especially liked and disliked about the story.
I tend to like works of speculative fiction that explore “big” issues. This book does. The most obvious are: What is sentience? Can artificial intelligences be sentient? Do they have rights? Or to put it in more mystical religious terms, can machines have souls?
I like the characters. They are presented in such a way that they have a “real” feel to them with both strengths and shortcomings. A case in point is the central character. Alex’s critics often accuse him of being a profiteering grave robber and it is not an entirely inaccurate description. But he is also a man of high intelligence and integrity. When he feels something is right, he puts his effort, his money and his reputation on the line to support it.
I also like speculative fiction that steps back and looks at mankind from a “big picture” perspective. You get that with these books. The setting is about 9,000 years in our future and we see that humanity is exploring the galaxy and is thriving. Many of the things we find so meaningful or important today such as nations, politicians, wars, and fashions simply don’t matter anymore. Many have been totally forgotten. From this broad perspective, we can see that these are footnotes to human history, not the drivers of it.
I also like the positive image of mankind in general that it presents. There is one scene in which an AI points out humanity’s flaws, its penchant toward intolerance and violence. Chase silently acknowledges these facts but reminds us that, despite these things, humanity has progressed both technologically and culturally. In another scene when resources are needed to mount a risky rescue mission, Chase has little trouble finding volunteers willing to spend their time and even risk their lives to accomplish it. (Sorry for the lack of details but I want to avoid spoilers.)
So what didn’t I like? Not much really but there is one thing that seems anomalous about the setting. The human culture 9,000 years in the future almost feels old fashioned. There have been obvious technological advances. There are starships capable of superluminal flight. People have much longer life spans. But there is also a mildly sexist attitude exhibited in some of the character interactions. There are also things that are very much like television shows and celebrities that are more reminiscent of the 1950’s than even the social media and on demand content available today. The religious institutions of today are also shown to survive with seemingly little change. One would think that the distant future would be a little more different given how much such things have changed in the previous 9,000 years.
That’s pretty much it. I enjoyed the book. It kept me reading until very late at night. I recommend it with the qualification that you read the other five first.
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Nov 16, 2011 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

The stakes have never been higher for Benedict Enterprises when Alex puts his reputation on the line in stubborn pursuit of the mysteries surrounding Chris Robin’s death.

Firebird the newest Alex Benedict novel by Jack McDevitt is a terrific read full of exciting scientific revelations, social intrigues, and fascinating looks into the past from the historical perspective of a man with a talent for finding valuable objects and dangerous answers. Antiquarian Alex Benedict and his assistant Chase Ko...more The stakes have never been higher for Benedict Enterprises when Alex puts his reputation on the line in stubborn pursuit of the mysteries surrounding Chris Robin’s death.

Firebird the newest Alex Benedict novel by Jack McDevitt is a terrific read full of exciting scientific revelations, social intrigues, and fascinating looks into the past from the historical perspective of a man with a talent for finding valuable objects and dangerous answers. Antiquarian Alex Benedict and his assistant Chase Kolpath find themselves in the center of a scientific mystery that has put uncounted lives at risk over thousands of years, bringing them face-to-face with impossible relics from the past.

For diehard Alex Benedict fans, Firebird maintains the elements of suspense, intrigue, history, and exploration that are staples of the series. However, Firebird goes a step further, incorporating topical social and ethical issues that have been lingering on the edge of the previous novels without getting much attention–until now. While Alex may have opened a can of worms for himself in his attempt to raise interest in Robin’s possessions, he has also raised public awareness about the status of AIs in society as well as the mysterious interstellar ships that have been swept under the proverbial rug for centuries.

Given the intense personal and professional pressure they are under in Firebird, it’s not surprising that Alex and Chase find themselves in situations that reveal (at least to readers) how close these two have become over the years. This development creates potential for their relationship to deepen in the future. They are a natural fit in every sense of the word, and McDevitt deftly creates a subtle sense of expectation in Firebird that will leave readers waiting for Alex and Chase to discover what we already know–they are perfect for each other. The question is, will they ever get together? Whatever happens you can be sure that their relationship will be the spice on top of a superbly told story about a clever antiquarian and his savvy assistant.

With his fiction set thousands of years into the future, McDevitt makes future tech seem like everyday technology. Even better, he never stops the action to admire the fabulous ideas and plots that fill his novels. Firebird is full of intriguing plots about missing spaceships and abandoned planets that will keep readers turning the page to see what happens next. As a non-scientist reading Firebird, I found the physics well explained, leaving out all of the technical jargon and theories that would have bogged down the story in difficult to parse exposition. At no point will you find yourself wishing for more technical detail nor will you find yourself struggling to keep up with Alex and Chase as they sort through the clues and possibilities surrounding each new mystery. Instead, McDevitt keeps us focused on the characters through exciting new twists and turns that take us closer to understanding what Robin was up to and what really happened on the night he disappeared.

One of the most interesting developments in Firebird, if not in the entire series, is the idea that the AIs might be sentient lifeforms. Over the last few books, it has been increasingly apparent that AIs act, respond, and feel like living beings. However, the people living within McDevitt’s world have been unable to acknowledge AIs as a conscious and evolved species. People have become comfortably complacent in their beliefs that AIs are little more than interactive software/holographic programs created or deleted as the pleasure of their human owners. At least that’s the case until Alex and Chase uncover an ancient AI who makes people begin thinking differently about what really “lives” inside of their little black boxes.

Science fiction and mystery fans are sure to love Firebird. It’s not necessary to read the previous novels in the series before reading Firebird. However, I can guarantee you that once you finish Firebird, you will find yourself searching for the earlier books–all of which I highly recommend. McDevitt’s Firebird was a true pleasure to read, and I look forward to the next installment in the series. I just wish it weren’t a year away.(less)

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Nov 05, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Another outstanding Alex Benedict/Chase Kolpath mystery (slightly) spoiled by an underwhelming finale. It captures the feeling of golden age SF with modern sensibilities. The secondary plot (the Betas of Villanueva) was the more interesting one to me and could have been a novel in itself. (Although it was harder to believe the background of that story. However the intriguing possibilities sold it to me.)

Spoilers:~~And I expected them to rescue missing scientist Christopher Robin even after they f~~...more Another outstanding Alex Benedict/Chase Kolpath mystery (slightly) spoiled by an underwhelming finale. It captures the feeling of golden age SF with modern sensibilities. The secondary plot (the Betas of Villanueva) was the more interesting one to me and could have been a novel in itself. (Although it was harder to believe the background of that story. However the intriguing possibilities sold it to me.)

Spoilers:And I expected them to rescue missing scientist Christopher Robin even after they found the empty ship. That they would pull some sort of loophole out of the time travel element to justify rescuing him from a previous "surfacing" or something. They just sort of dash off the solution to that mystery before moving on to other matters.

At first, I expected some universe shattering revelation -like interstellar travel really involving emerging in another reality instead of physical travel- rather than the quote-unquote mundane rescue story that resulted. The rescue was not really mundane but compared to the epic natures of previous Alex/Chase novels....

That epic scope is a factor in the Betas story and would have been better as the central plot. The part I find hard to swallow is that the Confederacy (and whoever preceded them) would maintain the power supply to homicidal AIs for 7000 years and not attempt to reclaim the planet for its resources and purported beauty and historical significance. Especially since they don't consider the AIs to be alive. That they would leave a planet, in essentially move-in condition, fallow when there was a simple option to destroy the power satellites and reclaim the planet strikes me as unlikely.

I am not sure I liked the increased friction between Alex and Chase or between Alex and everyone else. (I suppose people do grow and change....) Or that the events of the epilogue were obviously implied by the nature of the situation so I never really felt any impact from the "death." But, since they already had the funeral and maybe erected a statue in the Hall of Heroes, or wherever-- what happens when she turns up alive?

And, how about naming a scientist with his "head in the clouds" Christopher Robin!

My criticisms in the spoiler section make it seem like I really hated the book. But far from it. I loved it and was sad when it ended. (I have to wait another year for more!) It seems like there were a lot more "...but that's a story for another time" teases in this one. Let's have 'em, Jack!(less)

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May 17, 2012 Linda Branham Greenwell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I'm not a hard-core sci-fi fan... but I do love stories about the future, time travel and parallel universes :) This book has several of those components
Alex and Chase work together in the FAR future - some nine thousand years from now, Alex makes a profit getting buyers and sellers of rare artifacts together. Sometimes he finds, and sells, his own treasures. His detractors, especially the archeologists, call him a tomb robber. The name-calling, and attacks on his integrity, can be a little hard...more I'm not a hard-core sci-fi fan... but I do love stories about the future, time travel and parallel universes :) This book has several of those components
Alex and Chase work together in the FAR future - some nine thousand years from now, Alex makes a profit getting buyers and sellers of rare artifacts together. Sometimes he finds, and sells, his own treasures. His detractors, especially the archeologists, call him a tomb robber. The name-calling, and attacks on his integrity, can be a little hard to bear, especially when Alex doesn't see that he's doing anything wrong. Chase has more misgivings, but can never quite bring herself to leave him.

According to the old Earth calendar, it's now the year 11,321. A woman named Karen Howard has inherited some items belonging to a famous physicist and songwriter, Christopher Robin. She asks Alex to set up an auction, and he agrees. Now, there's an art to doing this and maximizing the proceeds: Chris Robin disappeared under very mysterious circumstances, so Alex decides to launch an investigation. It's supposed to be mainly just for show, to drum up interest in this 41-year-old case. Some people think that Dr. Robin stepped right out of this universe, right in his bedroom closet. Then again, maybe his wife was just having an affair and offed him, dumping him in the ocean. Everyone has an opinion.

Tied in with this is the matter of vanishing ships. The prologue of "Firebird" features a ship vanishing in flight and never being found again. Alex's uncle, Gabe, whose ship, the Capella, vanished in a previous novel. It's not just the occasional disappearances that spook people, though. It's the mysterious sightings of ghost ships which, for thousands of years, have appeared, refused to answer any attempts at communication, and then, after a few hours, have faded out. Some witnesses even talk, in hushed tones, about seeing passengers pounding on the windows, desperate to escape. The authorities deny this, of course.

One other theme which becomes important is the nature of AIs, or Artificial Intelligences ... who like to be called "Beta's". These very sophisticated computer programs manage houses, ships and space stations, and are recurring characters as important as Alex and Chase. Some people come to treat AIs as close friends and confidents. It's almost like they're self aware. But, are they? Some people, including a few religious leaders, think so, but others mock the idea.

There were so many great quotes and ideas that I can use in my psychology classes - about consciousness, beliefs, artificial intelligence.
I think my favorite McDevitt book has been Ancient Shores - I just may have to go read it ")(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Bradley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, science-fiction, mystery

Firebirdis the sixth entry in Jack McDevitt's Alex Benedict series, in which Alex and his partner Chase Kolpath go in search of famous scientist Christopher Robbin, who mysteriously disappeared seemingly in front of his house, never to be seen again. Their journey takes them to some unexpected, and surprising locales, which will forever alter the universe in the main characters live.

Jack McDevitt continues his excellent narratives, with his usual pace and clarity. Never too wordy, or repetitive,...more Firebird is the sixth entry in Jack McDevitt's Alex Benedict series, in which Alex and his partner Chase Kolpath go in search of famous scientist Christopher Robbin, who mysteriously disappeared seemingly in front of his house, never to be seen again. Their journey takes them to some unexpected, and surprising locales, which will forever alter the universe in the main characters live.

Jack McDevitt continues his excellent narratives, with his usual pace and clarity. Never too wordy, or repetitive, McDevitt continues to provide a fascinating, entertaining read. The characters are familiar, since readers of any of the previous Benedict novels will be familiar with them; McDevitt does delve a bit further into the relationship Chase had with Alex's uncle Gabe, which reveals some interesting emotions at play there. In some ways, Chase's attitude toward Alex reflects that the author may be growing weary of these characters, and future novels in this series may not be forthcoming. The dialogue is, as always, spot on; never do we hear something that sounds outright ridiculous, or unbelievable--McDevitt seems cautious to make his work easy for anybody to read, science fiction fan or not.

Though Firebird is a good read, and ends on a particularly high note, the twists and turns leave the reader wanting a bit. In many ways, this book has three different stories, all going on at pretty much the same time. While not hard to follow, the first part of the story gets set aside, and never truly resolved, which is unfortunate, since it's quite interesting. Instead, Alex spends roughly a paragraph explaining what he feels probably happened, and the author then moves on, never returning to detail for certain what occurred. From there, it's the two main sequences that go back and forth, sometimes interrupting each other to be told. Because of this, the book almost feels as if it were two different novels, thrown together into a single volume.

For all the flaws, it's still better than McDevitt's last Benedict novel, Echo . The plot is more intriguing, and ultimately has a better payoff. In many ways, Firebird feels like a finale to the Alex Benedict series. If so, it's an acceptable one. Still, it would be hard to let the characters go.(less)

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May 18, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am going to admit, right up front that this is NOT my kind of book. I don't enjoy mysteries even when they have a sci fi flavor. I read this as part of my personal challenge to read every Nebula nominee for the 2011 awards, otherwise I would have gotten about a 100 pages in and stopped which honestly would have been a mistake. Even though I didn't really enjoy the majority of the book, the ending was still worth reading.
The story focuses on Alex Benedict and his partner Chase Kolpath, a pair o...more I am going to admit, right up front that this is NOT my kind of book. I don't enjoy mysteries even when they have a sci fi flavor. I read this as part of my personal challenge to read every Nebula nominee for the 2011 awards, otherwise I would have gotten about a 100 pages in and stopped which honestly would have been a mistake. Even though I didn't really enjoy the majority of the book, the ending was still worth reading.
The story focuses on Alex Benedict and his partner Chase Kolpath, a pair of antique auctioneers/tomb raiders who are offered the opportunity to sell the effects of a celebrity physicist who vanished some time before. They delve into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance in order to stir up interest in the eventual auction and find themselves sucked into a mystery that takes them to a planet abandoned for over 7000 years and beyond. It’s also about whether or not the AI that exist in their time are self aware and deserving of rights and privileges equal to a humans. And it’s about time travel and other dimensions.
How can one book encompass all those myriad different thing? Well...it can’t really. That was my biggest problem, it meanders all over the place and spends 200 pages with Alex going on various talk shows and stirring up interest in said physicist and Chase interviewing people who knew him in efforts to discover if there is a more mundane explanation for his disappearance. They then tear off to an abandoned planet full of murderous abandoned AI and on a merciful whim rescue one of the sane ones at which point the book turns into the something very similar to the episode of Star Trek where Data has to argue for the right to be seen as a self aware, independant being. In the last 70 pages or so they discover where the physicist went and it focuses on rescuing people trapped in the aether of space.
I found it to be too disjointed to be enjoyable, it seemed to lurch from one idea to the next with too much ungainly pondering in between. The characters are interesting but don’t develop or grow throughout the story. There are 5 other books about these characters so perhaps that has been done in previous books?
One of the few things I did find enjoyable were the ideas. The argument about AI deserving recognition as more than just machines or tools and what exactly makes a being self aware? The concept he develops surrounding black holes and time travel was also fascinating to think about. It would have been so much more enjoyable had the book focuses on one of these concepts and revolved the entire story around them as opposed to so much of it being devoted to researching some guy.
For those who enjoy sherlock-style mysteries, this will probably be more enjoyable but sadly for me it fell short. I can still see why it was nominated for the Nebula though.(less)

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Nov 17, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Many SF fans have been lamenting a recent dearth of SF for readers not interested in fantasy or military SF. Other than some rather good near-future thrillers on computer themes like gaming or someone taking over the web, the pickings have been slim. Enter Jack McDevitt to the rescue with the sixth installment in his Alex Benedict series.
In a far future when humans have settled on planets apparently too numerous to remember, Alex and his female business partner Chase Kolpath deal in antiques, m...more Many SF fans have been lamenting a recent dearth of SF for readers not interested in fantasy or military SF. Other than some rather good near-future thrillers on computer themes like gaming or someone taking over the web, the pickings have been slim. Enter Jack McDevitt to the rescue with the sixth installment in his Alex Benedict series.
In a far future when humans have settled on planets apparently too numerous to remember, Alex and his female business partner Chase Kolpath deal in antiques, many of them collected from planets far away. When an heir brings him articles to sell from the estate of the wife of physicist Dr. Christopher Robin, who disappeared mysteriously forty-one years ago, Alex decides to investigate the disappearance in order to stimulate interest in the sale. Of course, the inquiries quickly become more and more complicated, involving many interstellar trips and adventures, before Alex solves both Robin’s mysterious disappearance and the even bigger mystery of apparitions of strange spaceships that have been occurring from time to time for thousands of years. To go more into the plot would spoil it, but McDevitt’s explanation seems on-the-surface plausible to this non-physicist if you accept a bit of hand-waving.
Firebird has all the hallmarks that make this series a continuing pleasure, done at their best. The relationship between hell-raiser pilot Chase and Alex is always enjoyable. Each chapter begins with a quote, usually from some source several thousand years in our future:
“A myth is occasionally a scientific explanation that hasn’t been made yet .”
“ There is no virtue more admirable than courage. And no defect more unsettling than a lack of prudence. Yet it is a curious fact that they are essentially one and the same quality.”
Typically there is a philosophical problem wound into the plot of Alex Benedict novels, in this case controversy over whether AIs are truly sentient and should be treated as persons. This theme produced one of my favorite lines from the book when a proponent of rights for AIs says, “Prove they’re sentient? Prove YOU’RE sentient.”
The far-future society McDevitt describes is both a strength and a weakness in the series. On the one hand, many readers would question whether people that far in the future would still be eating potato chips and be hooked on talk shows. On the other, one gets the message that at bottom, humans never change, witness the exchange between Alex and Chase:
“I’d be interested”, said Alex, “in coming back in, say, ten thousand years to see what the human race is like.”
“We’ll all be different by then, “ I said. “We’ll probably have gotten rid of old age. We’ll have a complete map of the Milky Way. Everybody will have a 200 IQ. And we’ll all be impossibly good-looking.”
This is an especially striking remark, since people in this era often live into their third century.
Since we do not live into our third century, you should waste no time before you meet Alex and Chase. Pick up Firebird and see them at their best.
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Aug 13, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

At the beginning of this novel, a client offers Alex Benedict a number of items that once belonged to a physicist named Christopher Robin. Robin worked on the fringes of science, concerned particularly with the existence of alternate realities, and the possibility of travel between them. But he's almost more famous for having vanished without trace on the night before a disastrous earthquake. Alex, of course, cannot resist a mystery, and newly generated public interest is likely to raise the val...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Paul rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

I've been looking at other Goodreads user reviews, and I'm afraid I have to cast a dissenting vote on Jack McDevitt's Firebird. I thought, based on the jacket blurb, this novel would deliver some hard science fiction, but the science wasn't there and the fiction was below average.

Firebird opens with an interstellar ship inexplicably failing to arrive at its destination, then introduces the mysterious disappearance of a physicist who had been researching the disappearance of other interstellar sh...more I've been looking at other Goodreads user reviews, and I'm afraid I have to cast a dissenting vote on Jack McDevitt's Firebird. I thought, based on the jacket blurb, this novel would deliver some hard science fiction, but the science wasn't there and the fiction was below average.

Firebird opens with an interstellar ship inexplicably failing to arrive at its destination, then introduces the mysterious disappearance of a physicist who had been researching the disappearance of other interstellar ships and who may have found a way to move between long-suspected alternate universes. The action occurs in a far distant future, some 15,000 or more years from now, when mankind inhabits several planets. It's a promising start.

But then the science fiction fizzles out. Disappointingly, nothing about the society of the distant future is in any way different from today. Male/female relationships and roles are the same. Popular media, astoundingly, apparently hasn't advanced beyond television, with the same familiar hosts and talk show formats. Government, politics, military, religion, and commerce are those of any current western democracy. People live in communities we'd find familiar and comfortable. Science and knowledge ... the pursuit of a unified field theory, attempts to prove the existence of parallel universes, the science of quantum physics and black holes ... has advanced not one inch from today. Nothing has changed in 15,000 plus years except for the unexplained development of hyperspace drives, anti-gravity, and artificial intelligence. The story itself is pop detective fiction, more concerned with making us like the antiquities dealer cum detective Alex and his female space pilot sidekick Chase. Reading Firebird is like watching an episode of The Rockford Files filmed on the bridge of the USS Enterprise.

So forget the science fiction, which in this book is nothing more than a backdrop. How's the detective story? It's okay, but unnecessarily padded and plodding, taking way too long to get to the point and drifting off into sub-plots that don't directly bear on the main plot and are generally unresolved. And the characterization? Jack McDevitt's characters are as undeveloped as, and indistinguishable from, the various AI systems they talk to in their homes, offices, and spacecraft. There are several human and AI characters in the novel, but it's hard to keep them straight because they're all pretty much the same, with few distinguishing mannerisms. When it comes to the two main characters, Alex and Chase, I never came to know them at all. I can't even conjure up a mental image of what they might have looked like.

Firebird pretends to be science fiction, but really it's comfort food, undemanding and familiar. I suppose there's an audience for this sort of thing, but I am not among their number.(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Keith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, ebooks, 2012, science-fiction

Since being introduced to Jack McDevitt's novels a while back I have continued to enjoy them.This one is the sixth in the Alex Benedict series. Benedict is an interesting creation, he is not a scientist or a military man but rather a dealer in antiquities. The series is narrated by his companion, Chase Kolpath. Kolpath is more than Watson to Benedict's Holmes.She's s deep space pilot and all round interesting woman. Firebird has two equally engrossing story lines: the search for space vessels st...more

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Oct 18, 2011 SporadicReviews.com (Kevin Bayer) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Better than the last Alex Benedict novel, Echo.

Firebird, by Jack McDevitt, hits all the right notes in this sixth book of the series.

Chase Kolpath and Alex Benedict, antiquities dealers of a sort in the far future, come in to the belongings of a scientist that studied fringe topics and disappeared one day shortly before a terrible earthquake. That disappearance lead some to believe a conspiracy surrounds his death/disappearance. Alex decides to stir up the mysteries surrounding the scientist to...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nebula

McDevitt's Alex Benedict Novels seem to all start out the same and then diverge about 33% of the way thorough. I enjoyed firebird, it was a fun read and its great universe. There are a lot of interesting elements McDevitt introduces as background to this series over the books and a few of them are dealt with in more depth in Firebird. The major problem I have with the series is that while focusing on 'old stuff' McDevitt can explore history and 'strange occurrences/phenomena' (good idea) I can't...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

Jack McDevitt’s latest novel, Firebird (Ace, 2011), is the sixth adventure following Alex Benedict and Chase Kolpath. Alex is a well-known antiquities dealer and Chase is his pilot and assistant.

After agreeing to look into the value of some objects that once belonged to the famous physicist Christopher Robin (who allegedly disappeared near his home and was presumably lost in the ocean), Chase and Alex uncover a series of events that Robin was investigating himself: sightings of unidentified spac...more Jack McDevitt’s latest novel, Firebird (Ace, 2011), is the sixth adventure following Alex Benedict and Chase Kolpath. Alex is a well-known antiquities dealer and Chase is his pilot and assistant.

After agreeing to look into the value of some objects that once belonged to the famous physicist Christopher Robin (who allegedly disappeared near his home and was presumably lost in the ocean), Chase and Alex uncover a series of events that Robin was investigating himself: sightings of unidentified spaceships that appeared out of nowhere and then faded away. Their investigation takes them to a number of worlds, including in which one of the worst disasters in human history took place. The world is dangerous now, those who visit don’t return. But Alex and Chase brave that world in search for answers. What they ultimately find–the why Robin disappeared, why the strange ships have been appearing and disappearing throughout history, will take your breath away. And what they do about it makes for one of the most nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat climaxes I’ve read in a long time.

Firebird is the best Alex Benedict novel yet and it just goes to show that as good a writer as Jack McDevitt is (see my review of Time Travelers Never Die), he keeps getting better. This novel presses all of my science fiction buttons: it’s got a fascinating mystery, big cosmological events, black holes, lost spaceships, artificial intelligence. While the story itself, told as always from Chase’s point of view, focuses on the mystery, it can’t help but reveal new facets to characters I have grown to think of as friends. At times, the tension is high between Alex and Chase and we get a glimpse of how they came together in the first place. We also learn more about the AIs in this distant future, and the subject of the novel allows for intriguing discussions of philosophical questions: religion, intelligence, and what it means to be sentient.

The conclusion of the novel is absolutely breathtaking. I found myself on the edge of my seat, the same as I might be for a suspenseful movie or a close game seven in the World Series. Everything around me disappeared and I was completely and totally part of the novel. And the epilogue, down to the very last line, was so touching it nearly brought tears to my eyes. It is, in my opinion, one of those rare books worthy of a 5-star rating.

This review originally appeared in slightly longer form at jamietoddrubin.com.(less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the most recent volume in the Chase Kolpath/Alex Benedict series of far-future archaeological mysteries. There are two main subjects alternately examined, artificial intelligence and a black-hole/physics McGuffin, along with some religious rumination and McDevitt's trademark habit of spinning off throw-away topics simply to engage the reader. The a.i. portion didn't work for me, but the black hole line was fascinating. After all that Chase and Alex have accomplished over the previous boo...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Peggy Hendrick rated it 4 of 5 stars

For those of you who havn't ventured into the Sci Fi realm because of (pick one) unbelievable story lines, unpronouncible character names, authors who ramble on and get no where (unless you've read the
other umpteen books in the series)...been there, done that..you have to try Jack McDevitt. Even tho the books are set well into the future, the people still eat toast and pizza, drink coffee and wine, and doughnuts! Characters are likeable and the Science (you knew there had to be some, after all...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Andy Blanchard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jack McDevitt seems to have created this whole subgenre of archeological Sci-Fi, of which he is the master. Firebird follows more exploits of antiquities dealer extraordinaire Alex Benedict and his intrepid pilot/partner/beautiful assistant Chase Kolpath. This time they're only trying to figure out the mystery of every single space ship that's ever gone missing since the beginning of space travel 8 or 90000 years ago. Oh, and while they're at it, convince the entire civilized galaxy that AI's ar...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Titles in the Alex Benedict series always please. The slow and steady building of tension that culminates in a nail-biting, edge of your seat denouement is an experience to be savored. Even better is to enjoy this all wrapped up in tight storytelling; characters that are moody, fragile, courageous, heroic, intelligent, full of doubt all at once; in a far future setting that is subtly alien yet so understandable and easily visualized.

I like to call the Alex Benedict titles "cozy science fiction."...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Tressa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Firebird had a lot of heart. The psyches of Alex and Chase are explored a bit further--enhancing each character. You can see that all these years of hunting artifacts and helping others are starting to take a toil on both of them--especially Alex. Chase dealt with her demons, I believe, in Echo and this book appears to be about Alex fracturing slightly from all the pressure from the media, politics, and people on the street.

I also liked the story within Firebird. I was caught up in hoping that A...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Kyle Aisteach rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was planning to hammer through this book very quickly just so I could hold my own in conversations with my friends who were talking about it. Unfortunately, it kept grabbing my attention and forcing me to slow down and take it in.

This was my first Alex Benedict novel, and I had no trouble following the plot, so it should be perfectly accessible to those with an aversion to starting at the beginning of a series.

In this book, Alex Benedict has been hired to liquidate some estate items from a fa...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm perhaps too generous, but McDevitt kept me awake till 5am with this one.

I was initially very put off because of the multiverse thing. It was too plain that McDevitt had been watching Fringe. Fortunately at some point that went away.

After that, McDevitt manages to deliver its expected deal without incurring in some of his more habitual cliches. I find him particularly inspired in this one. And I just love how he keeps piling more and more accolades on Alex's head. By this point, the guy has...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Jack rated it 4 of 5 stars

This 6th Alex/Chase treasure hunt has some odd themes, a little deeper than McDevitt's usual territory. He's looking at two related situations, both dealing with loss, institutional inertia, and rescue. The initial impetus is the estate of a physicist named Christopher Robin. (Personally, I found that a little jarring; it didn't seem to be a joke, just a coincidence.) This leads to a forgotten world, its remaining inhabitants, and a clue to the mystery the scientist was trying to solve when he d...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

The case of a missing physicist sends Alex and Chase on an adventure through time and space in Jack McDevitt's latest Alex Benedict novel. As usual, it begins with artifacts, but as mystery upon mystery surfaces, the pair find themselves drawn into something more remarkable than they could have imagined, leading up to a space journey that, though the chances are slim, just might accomplish something amazing.

Utterly delightful, with a bit of an epic feel to it, as usual populated with colorful, w...more

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Jul 09, 2012 S rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fy

This is the second Alex Benedict novel i've read (I know I'm not going in order), and I found it to be good summer reading. The book was interesting and gave me lots to think about, but I find that McDevitt tend to take a long time to build up to the action and then he wraps everything up very quickly. He also tend to have lots of characters (although maybe if I read the book in order I'd know who everyone was). There were two threads going through the book and I'm not sure if either were wrappe...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

‘Firebird’ by Jack McDevitt starts in much the same way most ‘Alex Benedict’ novels do. Alex and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, come into possession of some artefacts and prepare to sell them. Alex Benedict is no ordinary antiquities dealer, however. He has an insatiable curiosity and he’s a salesman. While investigating the estate of the renowned physicist Chris Robin, Alex stirs up the mystery surrounding the man’s disappearance. This has two predictable effects. One, the price of the modest co...more ‘Firebird’ by Jack McDevitt starts in much the same way most ‘Alex Benedict’ novels do. Alex and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, come into possession of some artefacts and prepare to sell them. Alex Benedict is no ordinary antiquities dealer, however. He has an insatiable curiosity and he’s a salesman. While investigating the estate of the renowned physicist Chris Robin, Alex stirs up the mystery surrounding the man’s disappearance. This has two predictable effects. One, the price of the modest collection of books and artefacts climbs, which is good for business. Two, Alex gets involved, which is not so good for business. Without Alex Benedict’s propensity for getting involved, however, we’d have nothing to read.

Accompanied by Chase, who again issues warnings regarding his involvement and the danger to himself and his reputation, Alex chases clues in an attempt to unravel the mystery for himself. He and Chase visit Villanueva, a planet occupied only by abandoned and arguably sentient AIs, and rescue one. This act kicks off a chain of events that both demonise and humanise Alex Benedict in the eyes of the public and perhaps the reader. The true sentience of AIs is brought into question and explored from many angles, from cult-like groups bent on proving machine intelligences are real beings and should have all the rights and privileges of humans to the other end of the spectrum, the non-believers. In the midst of this, treasure hunters flock to Villanueva to attempt their own rescues and many of them die at the hands of psychotic AIs.

Separately, the mystery of Chris Robin’s disappearance deepens. The notoriety gained by previous events hinders Alex’s effectiveness, however. Basically, many who previously respected Alex now blame him for the deaths of idiots. They refuse to help him when help is needed and an important mission all but fails. A humanist to the core, Alex is deeply affected by all of this. But he perseveres, because finding Chris Robin might help him find Gabe, his long lost uncle.

Either plot could have carried the book, yet they work better together. Jack McDevitt made each relevant to the other as different aspects of the same mystery. Also, the matter of the AIs affected Alex in a way we’ve not seen before. We see a more driven and emotional Alex Benedict in this novel.

As always, I enjoyed the interplay between Alex and his assistant, Chase. If you’ve never read an ‘Alex Benedict’ novel, the majority of them are written from Chase’s point of view. She’s the perfect foil for Alex and is usually the one to add emotion and drama to a story. It was nice to see more of that from Alex, himself, in ‘Firebird’.

While the plot of ‘Firebird’ is wrapped up neatly, there is a mystery left unsolved at the end which guarantees I will be buying the next book. I would have bought it anyway, I’m a devoted fan. But, I don’t think I’ll be alone in hoping the next entry in the ‘Alex Benedict’ series re-visits the events of the first. I really enjoy his world, characters and his ability to write far-future Science Fiction with awesome scientific concepts in a manner in I can grasp.

Written for and originally published by SFCrowsnest.com

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Mar 17, 2013 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, mystery, scifi

I know I've read some of McDevitt's Alex Benedict novels in the past, but I didn't really remember the details when I started listening to Firebird. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Chase Kolpath's character is particularly interesting and likable and I want to go back and read or listen to the other books where she appears.

The story itself is interesting, with a compelling mystery and a nice balance of action and dialog to keep things moving along. I also felt that the right amount of backgrou...more I know I've read some of McDevitt's Alex Benedict novels in the past, but I didn't really remember the details when I started listening to Firebird. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Chase Kolpath's character is particularly interesting and likable and I want to go back and read or listen to the other books where she appears.

The story itself is interesting, with a compelling mystery and a nice balance of action and dialog to keep things moving along. I also felt that the right amount of background was included so that a reader could just pick up this book without reading the previous books in the series. Maybe it was just meant to be a red herring, but I found it a little odd that so much time was spent covering the world of Villeneuva when it really only seemed to provide a small clue to the larger mystery involving missing ships. I suppose it was necessary to introduce some of the bigger questions posed in the book about whether AIs (artificial intelligence) are really sentient or not. Although I found that question thought provoking, I kept thinking it was going to tie in more with the missing ship mystery, which led to me feeling that the stories were slightly disjointed or that I was missing something.

The book really got interesting once Alex and Chase start to put things together and figure out what has been happening to the missing ships. I don't want to give too much away, but it's quite suspenseful at certain points and although there is a somewhat happy ending, I felt that there was some sadness or tragedy too. (view spoiler)

Since I listened to the audio version, I'll add that enjoyed the narrator of the Audible edition. Jennifer Van Dyck's intonation takes a bit of getting used to, but she really does a good job of distinguishing the different characters vocally and I found her pleasant to listen to. I had heard her voice before as part of the ensemble cast of WWW: Wake (which I still haven't finished) so I knew I liked her and I am very picky when it comes to female narrators. I did have to rewind and re-listen a few times, but those were mainly in sections where physical scenes were described and I often have trouble with my mind wandering during those scenes in audiobooks anyway. I'm looking forward to listening to the other Alex Benedict novels Van Dyck narrates as well as her other work.
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Firebird (Alex Benedict #6)

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