Cauldron

I enjoyed this apparent finale to the Hutch Hutchins series that began years ago with "Engines of God." As usual, I don't quite understand the put downs of a number of the other reviewers. It's just a story, people. It may, indeed, have filched a Star Trek plot device. I wouldn't know. I wouldn't bother remembering all the ST shows if I could. They're mostly too boring. McDevitt repeats his themes, of course, but he is rarely boring and he certainly isn't here. There was one glaring error which amazed me. In the first paragraph of the epilogue the Preston superluminal returns to Earth space. Two pages previous it was destroyed near the galactic core. Fortunately its lovable AI Phyllis was saved. Pitiful editing that. Nevertheless, it was a fast, fun read and a good way to end the series. Hutch deserves her porch rocker even if she (and the author)wouldn't want the rest of the human race to lollygag on its porch without having first gone forth as boldly as she did.

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If you've eagerly read along (as I have) with the whole Hutch series of novels (featuring superluminal spaceship pilot Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins, but also sometimes referred to as the "Academy" series, or the "Engines of God" series, etc.), then you'll definitely want to pick up this one, which might very well be the last, who knows. McDevitt has done a good job of aging his characters, from the early days on through the series. You should read the earlier books first, before this one, though. But do definitely read them, and then read this one! (look up the order of original publication to be sure; there's "Engines of God", "Deepsix", "Chindi", "Omega", "Seeker", and "Cauldron" though I've probably gotten 1 or 2 out of order there) Don't want to talk about the actual plot etc., don't want to spoil anything for you. But I do wonder about one thing -- was McDevitt thinking of the movie "Cars", when Mater and McQueen go "tractor tipping", and Mater says "Don't let Frank catch you" .......?

Enjoyed the continuing saga of "Hutch". Not sure about the end. Looks like some sequels are needed to resolve the Omega issue. Read the book in just one day as it held my interest throughout. Highly recommended to anyone who has read the prior books in the series, as well as the far-future books.

Cauldron is the 6th book in the series featuring plucky space captain Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins. Hutch is a great character: smart, resourceful, heroic in a pinch, yet still a down-to-Earth, decent gal. For decades, she ferried researchers and celebrities to explore distant worlds, unearth ruins, solve mysteries, and narrowly escape hopeless situations. In the previous book, Odyssey, Hutch was sadly stuck behind an administrator's desk. I am happy to report that in Cauldron, she is back in the saddle. By the mid 23rd century, space exploration has fallen on hard times. Government cutbacks and public apathy have shut down Hutch's Academy of Science and Technology. As Earth turns inward, only a dwindling few keep the dream of interstellar travel alive. Hutch, a spokesperson for the cause, is approached by a young physicist with plans for a revolutionary drive system, one that could cut travel times by a factor of 20 or more. The claim sounds outlandish, but if true, it would open almost the entire galaxy to human exploration and colonization. It would even be possible to track down the source of the destructive Omega Clouds, which featured prominently in earlier books. The first part of Cauldron deals with the design-on-a-dime efforts to build the new stardrive. The real fun starts when Hutch and company take the new ships out for a spin. McDevitt never loses his enthusiasm for exploration; every planet or race or artifact is a puzzle just waiting to be solved. It's not psychologically deep, perhaps, but it is always interesting, fast-paced, and fun. The last few chapters, especially, were top notch. Cauldron feels like the end of the series. It ties up some loose ends from earlier books, and Hutch sounds content to pass the torch on to others. If so, bravo to her and McDevitt for going out on a high note. Cauldron is not a monumental work, but it is an excellent read. I give it 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to five. Enjoy!