When I picked this book up off my bookshelf not too long ago I knew that I was in for a very good story with a slightly different spin. I knew this because THE ENGINES OF GOD is one of six books of Jack McDevitt's that I have read in just the past few years. My first try at McDevitt was ETERNITY ROAD, which I read a few years ago. After that I tried his MOONFALL, easily one of the best books I have read in quite some time. Not long after, I picked up his ANCIENT SHORES and, finding myself eager for more McDevitt, I dove headfirst into THE ENGINES OF GOD.

Now that I have finished this novel I can only sit back and wonder at the ultimate infinity of space and the hidden treasures that may be out there in this vast universe just waiting for us to come by and find them. THE ENGINES OF GOD is that kind of novel. A novel which delves deeply into the fascination with space that all fans of Science Fiction possess. A novel which explores just some of the possibilities that may wait for human beings out there in the galaxy.

THE ENGINES OF GOD is a tale of archeology and archeologists who travel through space to moons and worlds where alien artifacts have been discovered. It is a novel of the "somewhat near" future, taking place only a couple of hundred years from now. The story encompasses science, history, wonder and the ultimate drive of the human spirit. It is a tale that acknowledges humanity's role as explorer and takes it one step further, into the stars.

The science is strong in this novel, very well presented, sounding in no way far-fetched or impossible. The story and the characters are solid, the situations are plausible and the landscapes are visually marvelous. McDevitt has that knack, the knack to tell a tale in it's entirety. Although every book leaves something to the imagination of the reader, McDevitt is often able to tell almost all of his story within the confines between the front and back cover. In some scenes when he is describing how utterly cold the environment is, McDevitt is so good at it that I found my feet frozen by his narrative. He describes scenes from space with wonder and excitement and, if you close your eyes like I often do in order to get a mental picture, the scene comes alive in your mind. This is one of McDevitt's strong points. He also excels at characterization and driving home the point of his plot.

As you can tell from the bulk of this review, I like Jack McDevitt's novels. It isn't often I read four of an author's books within the space of one year (unless the author is already one of my favorites) but I just can't seem to leave McDevitt's novels on the shelf. As mentioned earlier, my favorite McDevitt novel by far (and one of the best books I've read in recent years) is MOONFALL. If you have this book or were thinking about picking it up at the local bookstore, I recommend that you do so. MOONFALL is a stunning novel, a fast-paced adventure which takes place solely between the Earth and our Moon. I enjoyed MOONFALL so much that I wrote a fan letter to Jack McDevitt the moment I finished the last page, something I am not often inclined to do. McDevitt was kind enough to write back, letting me know that my words were greatly appreciated. That's the type of author Jack McDevitt is. He writes fascinating books but also realizes that he is writing for the fans, those of us who buy his books for the sheer enjoyment of getting lost in a story, and an author who took the time to answer my bit of fan mail with a few words of thanks.

I recommend THE ENGINES OF GOD for all of those Science Fiction fans who love interesting plots, strong characters, wonderful scenery and a great story. In fact, for those very same reasons I recommend each of the other three McDevitt novels I mentioned during this review. Now, I'm going to try to locate a copy of McDevitt's acclaimed THE HERCULES TEXT, and once I find it you can bet it won't spend much time on my bookshelf.

This review was first published on The Outer Rim Website