Rating: 
Summary: Deep Six
Review: Deepsix was a world full of vicious wildlife that kept scientists from exploring it thoroughly. In three weeks it would be torn apart by a rogue gas giant. A luxury starliner was nearby, full of scientists and passengers, to watch the historic event! But startling evidence of sapient life, in the form of ruins, are found. A team was quickly assembled to go down to Deepsix and recover all they could for later examinations before the doomed planet ripped apart. Priscilla Hutchins was an archeologist of ancient alien artifacts and part of the team. Another member was Randall Nightingale, who was the commander of an ill-fated team that had tried to explore the planet before and knew the dangerous wildlife. An earthquake destroyed the crafts that they used to reach the planet. The world was becoming more and more unstable. The team was left with 240 hours to trek across a dangerous land in hope of finding a spacecraft Randall's team had left there 20 years before! **** I found this book to be very fast paced and full of excitement! It did not go into many details but the plot was never in jeopardy. The author did a wonderful job with the scenario and the characters! Recommended! ****
Rating: 
Summary: Thrilling but ultimately unsatisfying
Review: Exciting, imaginative, far-ranging, and yet ultimately unsatisfying. I've read virtually all of McDevitt's books, and while he does have a definite talent for creating intriguing alien worlds, he often falls short in characterization. We've now spent two books with Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins, the pilot, and yet I cannot say that I _know_ her as a character. Overall, I'd say this was less satisfying than "The Engines of God," the first book in which we met Hutch, but more satisfying than "Moonfall," which seemed more like a novel-length treatment for a blockbuster movie than an actual novel. If you want to read the best writing that McDevitt has done so far, read "Eternity Road," "Infinity Beach," and "The Engines of God." "Deepsix" is simply not the best writing from this talented author.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great McDevitt novel
Review: He's done it again. McDevitt goes back to the Universe we met in "The Engines of God". He goes back to his best material, the archeological exploration of a planet with a lost civilization. No other auther can hold my attention as McDevitt does as we uncover the mysteries Deepsix has for its explorers. We even get a "chrichton-esque" countdown to add drama, but its been a long time since Michael Chrichton wrote anything this good.
Rating:
Summary: What? You still aren't sure if you want it?
Review: Hey, you with the bored expression on your face! Ya, you. This book, if you choose to read it, could really liven up your day. I loved it. Why shouldn't you? I especially liked the end. It cleared things up nicely but still allowed space for speculation. Mr. McDevitt wrote it perfectly, I'd say. He scribbled a thriller, then threw in bits of humerous releif here and there. Try it, you'll like it.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, pace could have been faster
Review: I liked this book, but the beginning could have been a little faster. Once the story builds the pace is good. I like the whole concept of space archeology. What would it be like to piece togeather some other worlds history?
Rating:
Summary: So little time....
Review: I'm impressed with McDevitt's ability to make each novel quite distinctly different from its predecessors. "Deepsix" continues that progression and even though it is broadly set in a timeline he has used previously (and from a few hints contained in Deepsix, may return to again). Deepsix is a planet on countdown to annihilation by collision with a Galactic Wanderer in a matter of days. It provides the setting for a fast and furious story with a number of interesting twists along the way. It helps a little with the characterisiation if you've previously read McDevitt's "Engines of God" but you wont miss much if you haven't. A motely group of space ship crew, scientists and a journalist are trapped on the planet when the only two available planetary shuttles are both destoryed while on the ground. McDevitt wonderfully captures the sheer frustration that all involved feel with their inability to adequately explore the things they discover while struggling to do their parts in organising an audatious rescue, using a leftover alien artifact that itself has only just been discovered. My favourite "small details" from the novel were the names of the continents and the literary quotes from one of the novel's characters which formed a mini-preface to each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: So little time....
Review: I'm impressed with McDevitt's ability to make each novel quite distinctly different from its predecessors. "Deepsix" continues that progression and even though it is broadly set in a timeline he has used previously (and from a few hints contained in Deepsix, may return to again). Deepsix is a planet on countdown to annihilation by collision with a Galactic Wanderer in a matter of days. It provides the setting for a fast and furious story with a number of interesting twists along the way. It helps a little with the characterisiation if you've previously read McDevitt's "Engines of God" but you wont miss much if you haven't. A motely group of space ship crew, scientists and a journalist are trapped on the planet when the only two available planetary shuttles are both destoryed while on the ground. McDevitt wonderfully captures the sheer frustration that all involved feel with their inability to adequately explore the things they discover while struggling to do their parts in organising an audatious rescue, using a leftover alien artifact that itself has only just been discovered. My favourite "small details" from the novel were the names of the continents and the literary quotes from one of the novel's characters which formed a mini-preface to each chapter.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing...
Review: I've read all of McDevitt's books... and find this one to be by far the least appealing. It'd be an OK book by someone else, but I expect more from McDevitt. It reads too much like a movie script (and would probably make a good movie) and fails to have the depth of character and science demonstrated in books such as: Engines of God, Infinity Beach and Ancient Shores.
Rating:
Summary: Not recommended for any self respecting woman
Review: I, myself, have always been a very open minded and avid sci-fi reader. When I stumbled across Deepsix I was impressed to read that the leading character was a female. While I am a woman I'm in no way obsessed with feminism but the character of Hutch in this book is such a terribly unrealistic and sexist depiction of women that I was absolutely baffled. The character was obviously written and developed by a man and this shows quite obviously throughout the books. Aside from my dissapointment with ALL of the female characters (not just Hutch), the story itsself was relatively interesting but very slow and anticlimactic. I don't recommend this series for women at all based on the character, but I don't recommend this book for anyone of ANY gender due to it's poor plot and slow pace.
Rating:
Summary: A powerful sf drama drama
Review: In 2204, an exploratory mission to the planet Maieva III abruptly ends in tragedy with several of the crew killed. An innocent looking local redbird in masses had systematically attacked, killed, died, and retreated only to start the cycle over with new military like vigor. Some of the human team manages to escape leaving behind things like their lander. The Academy of Science and Technology places the planet off limits. Over two decades later, the Academy of Science and Technology reconsiders its decision when evidence surfaces that a bloated gas giant will soon destroy Maieva III. A new team arrives to document the last days of the planet. Better prepared, the new team is led by Priscilla Hutchins and includes a survivor from the unfortunate previous crew, Randall Nightingale. As they begin to uncover perplexing clues about a previous lost civilization, the unthinkable occurs when an earthquake destroys their only escape from the dying planet. Less than three weeks remain with chances of getting off-planet remote and their one wild hope remains items left behind from Nightingale's doomed previous expedition. DEEPSIX is a powerful science ficiton novel that makes space exploration seem like it is an everyday occureence. The story line is fast-paced, filled with action, and loaded with alien fauna and flora that shows how dangerous the universe is. The characters seem real especially Nightingale who took the hit for the earlier disaster. Readers who want realism and excitement while visiting strange planets will want to read Jack McDevitt's superb look at the Cosmos. Harriet Klausner
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