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drquadfather's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a complete sucker for McDevitt's Alex Benedict/Chase Kolpath novels. I really enjoy the sci-fi mystery aspect of them. And while this is far from the best in that series, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable entry for me.
It follows the same formula as the previous entries. An initially mundane artifact leads to a series of questions and intrigue. No new ground here, but well written with a palpable sense of wonder at the size of the universe. The hope that there is something else out there is a common theme in McDevitt's work, and it is at the forefront here.
This isn't necessarily going to convert new readers, but the faithful will find lots to enjoy here.
It follows the same formula as the previous entries. An initially mundane artifact leads to a series of questions and intrigue. No new ground here, but well written with a palpable sense of wonder at the size of the universe. The hope that there is something else out there is a common theme in McDevitt's work, and it is at the forefront here.
This isn't necessarily going to convert new readers, but the faithful will find lots to enjoy here.
posole's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. This isn't a bad story, but McDevitt definitely follows a formula, which makes his books somewhat tiresome. However they're quick reads - beach reads, if you will. They're easy to skim because there's an abundance of passages - lunchtime banter, little interludes about Chase's romantic interests, etc. - that add nothing to the overall plot. I bought the entire series in 2020, and have now read the first 5 - maybe I'm reading them too close together, so the similarities between books are more obvious to me. I'm undecided if I will continue with the series, but if I do I'll be sure to take a longer break before I start #6.
jameshaus's review against another edition
4.0
Not his best Benedict novel, not sure why he didn't go for the brass ring in the finale, but enjoyed it nonetheless. One of the few authors that can set up a mystery and have me stay up late until it's finally revealed.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
2.0
This book started off slowly as a mystery. It wasn't until the last third of the book, in which the characters ventured to another planet, that I really got interested.
matosapa's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
mpetruce's review against another edition
4.0
The newest Alex Benedict/Chase Kolpath novel. Really, how much does McDevitt really have left in this series, considering the previous accomplishments of these two? It's getting kind of hard to top.
So what McDevitt does here is try to shift the accomplishment from being a notable one to the Earthbound 21st century reader to a notable one for the readers in this future civilization (which is who the narrator is writing for anyway) and make the 21st century reader care just as much.
I won't say this is the best or my favorite of the Benedict/Kolpath novels (that honor is reserved for 'Polaris'), but it certainly is, as usual, enjoyable and a page-turner and second or third-best in the series (a series that you can, more or less, read in order or out of order if you want). I blasted through it on spring break. And while the previous novel in the series bogged a little down with some politics that seemed to go on a little too long, this one manages to move along well. I thought the appearances of the mysterious assassin mentioned in the plot summary were either too few in number or mentioned too far apart, but overall, another fine entry in the series.
So what McDevitt does here is try to shift the accomplishment from being a notable one to the Earthbound 21st century reader to a notable one for the readers in this future civilization (which is who the narrator is writing for anyway) and make the 21st century reader care just as much.
I won't say this is the best or my favorite of the Benedict/Kolpath novels (that honor is reserved for 'Polaris'), but it certainly is, as usual, enjoyable and a page-turner and second or third-best in the series (a series that you can, more or less, read in order or out of order if you want). I blasted through it on spring break. And while the previous novel in the series bogged a little down with some politics that seemed to go on a little too long, this one manages to move along well. I thought the appearances of the mysterious assassin mentioned in the plot summary were either too few in number or mentioned too far apart, but overall, another fine entry in the series.
hendrixpants's review
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Gun violence, and Violence
majkia's review against another edition
Good entry to the series. What exactly is alien? When Chase and Alex hear about a tablet with alien writing on it, they can't just let things go. Despite someone trying hard to make them. Why?
travelgirlut's review against another edition
3.0
Overly descriptive in parts about things that didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but entertaining all the same. There's really nothing new here if you've read any of the other books in the series.
metaphorosis's review against another edition
3.0
I don't understand why this isn't the Chase Kolpath series, rather than the Alex Benedict series, since while Alex is the guy in charge, it's Chase that the books are about. In any case, while just as friendly and readable as McDevitt's other books, Echo isn't the best of the series. Perhaps, as with the Priscilla Hutchins series, McDevitt has simply run out of steam towards the end.
Echo is a good mystery story in the tradition of the Benedict series, but it suffers from a couple of defects. First, it sets up what seems a token effort at Chase-Alex conflict, which brings a welcome uncertainty into the book, but which McDevitt never really commits to. Second, the book has Chase and especially Alex pursuing an investigation at a very high cost - so high that not only is it not really credible, but it succeeds at the difficult task of making our heroes a lot less likeable. The book doesn't really recover from that.It means that while I have the next book in the series, Firebird, on my shelf, I'm less excited to read it.
Finally, the final reveal and denouement don't really fulfill the promise of the early chapters. They could have been successful with a different lead in, but here, it's a bit of a disappointment.
If you're a serious fan of the Benedict series, by all means, buy this - you'll enjoy, even if it's not your favorite in the series. If you're new to the series, go back to A Talent for War or Polaris and start there. If you've sort of enjoyed the series, but not loved it, skip this and go one to one of McDevitt's other excellent books - try Eternity Road or The Engines of God.
Echo is a good mystery story in the tradition of the Benedict series, but it suffers from a couple of defects. First, it sets up what seems a token effort at Chase-Alex conflict, which brings a welcome uncertainty into the book, but which McDevitt never really commits to. Second, the book has Chase and especially Alex pursuing an investigation at a very high cost - so high that not only is it not really credible, but it succeeds at the difficult task of making our heroes a lot less likeable. The book doesn't really recover from that.It means that while I have the next book in the series, Firebird, on my shelf, I'm less excited to read it.
Finally, the final reveal and denouement don't really fulfill the promise of the early chapters. They could have been successful with a different lead in, but here, it's a bit of a disappointment.
If you're a serious fan of the Benedict series, by all means, buy this - you'll enjoy, even if it's not your favorite in the series. If you're new to the series, go back to A Talent for War or Polaris and start there. If you've sort of enjoyed the series, but not loved it, skip this and go one to one of McDevitt's other excellent books - try Eternity Road or The Engines of God.