Odyssey by Jack McDevitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While this novel was generally okay, I can't rank it higher than a three for a couple of important reasons.

1. MacAllister. He has a few good moments in a previous novel but he's given a LOT more time in this one, pushing Hutch out of the limelight. He's no longer just a foil for charming Atheism against all the believers in the 23rd century... he's now a romantic interest. I kinda squirmed. Plus, all the newscasts and blurbs surrounding the whole atheism side-commentary WAS ALREADY DONE in a previous novel.

2. I became embarrassed and shocked that I might have been reading the SAME novel all over again. I hunted and double checked and went... hey... okay... this ISN'T the same novel, but WAY too much is repeated. Almost or sometimes fully verbatim. Damn. It was good the first time, but I'm not so sure about a second time.

3. A lot of it is more long-winded and slower-paced than the previous novels. Does lackadaisical fit? Perhaps. The adventure part is kinda missing, in favor of mirrored commentary and a slightly forced "sense of wonder". This is me saying I was bored.


Well, this isn't the same as saying I hated the novel. I didn't. I just didn't fall head over heels for it. I missed some of what I appreciated a lot more in the previous novels, too.

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