Weesam
3/28/2015
This is Jack McDevitt doing what he does well, writing books about exploring the unknown, and making first contact. This is clearly an area McDevitt is interested in, as many of his books are about the same thing. The plot is excellent, and the story is fairly gripping.
However, this is also Jack McDevitt doing what he does badly, writing characters. Most of the characters in this book come off as spoilt brats, they are unprofessional and under qualified for the task at hand, and they refuse to listen to the closest thing to an expert they have - the main character, Priscillia Hutchins.
Hutch is the only likely character in the book, but I really wish she would grow a backbone and stand up to the others when she knows she is right. She is the Captain, after all, she needs to be more authoritative as would befit a person in her position.