-
Firebird
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Series: Alex Benedict, Book 6
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Premium Plus
$14.95 a month
Buy for $20.72
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Coming Home
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thousands of years ago, artifacts of the early space age were lost to rising oceans and widespread turmoil. Garnett Baylee devoted his life to finding them, only to give up hope. Then, in the wake of his death, one was found in his home, raising tantalizing questions. Had he succeeded after all? Why had he kept it a secret? And where is the rest of the Apollo cache? Antiquities dealer Alex Benedict and his pilot, Chase Kolpath, have gone to Earth to learn the truth.
-
-
Not the Best of the Series, But Good
- By C. Hartmann on 12-13-14
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Echo
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eccentric Sunset Tuttle spent his life searching in vain for forms of alien life. Thirty years after his death, a stone tablet inscribed with cryptic, indecipherable symbols is found in the possession of Tuttle's onetime lover, and antiquities dealer Alex Benedict is anxious to discover what secret the tablet holds. It could be proof that Tuttle had found what he was looking for.
-
-
When did Chase become so negative?
- By Ricardo on 11-03-11
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Octavia Gone
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After being lost in space for 11 years, Gabe finally makes his triumphant return to reunite with Alex and Chase and retrieve a possibly alien artifact - which may lead them to solve the greatest archaeological mystery of their careers, in the eighth installment of the Alex Benedict series.
-
-
Great book
- By Victor on 06-23-19
By: Jack McDevitt
-
The Devil's Eye
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jack McDevitt, Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Interstellar antiquities dealer Alex Benedict receives a cryptic message asking for help from celebrated writer Vicki Greene - who has been mind-wiped. She has no memory of her past life, or of her plea for assistance. But she has transferred an enormous sum of money to Alex, also without explanation. The answers to this mystery lie on the most remote of human worlds, where Alex will uncover a secret connected to a decades-old political upheaval - a secret that somebody desperately wants hidden.
-
-
Moderate Departure from Previous Books
- By Steven on 12-11-08
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Seeker
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck, Jack McDevitt (Introduction)
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thousands of years after an entire colony mysteriously disappears, antiquities dealer Alex Benedict comes into possession of a cup that seems to be from the Seeker, one of the colony's ships. Alex and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, follow a deadly trail to the Seeker, strangely adrift in a system barren of habitable worlds. But their discovery raises more questions than it answers, drawing Alex and Chase into the very heart of danger.
-
-
Great mix of sci-fi, mystery and adventure.
- By Pete on 08-20-08
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Polaris
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck, Jack McDevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sixty years ago, the space yacht Polaris was found deserted, the fate of its pilot and passengers a mystery. Now, to mark the anniversary of the disappearance, there is to be an auction of what was left behind on the ship. Using his insider knowledge, Alex Benedict, one of the preeminent antiquities dealers in the galaxy, secures some of the artifacts.
-
-
Entertaining ear candy
- By Cynthia on 01-08-10
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Coming Home
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thousands of years ago, artifacts of the early space age were lost to rising oceans and widespread turmoil. Garnett Baylee devoted his life to finding them, only to give up hope. Then, in the wake of his death, one was found in his home, raising tantalizing questions. Had he succeeded after all? Why had he kept it a secret? And where is the rest of the Apollo cache? Antiquities dealer Alex Benedict and his pilot, Chase Kolpath, have gone to Earth to learn the truth.
-
-
Not the Best of the Series, But Good
- By C. Hartmann on 12-13-14
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Echo
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eccentric Sunset Tuttle spent his life searching in vain for forms of alien life. Thirty years after his death, a stone tablet inscribed with cryptic, indecipherable symbols is found in the possession of Tuttle's onetime lover, and antiquities dealer Alex Benedict is anxious to discover what secret the tablet holds. It could be proof that Tuttle had found what he was looking for.
-
-
When did Chase become so negative?
- By Ricardo on 11-03-11
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Octavia Gone
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After being lost in space for 11 years, Gabe finally makes his triumphant return to reunite with Alex and Chase and retrieve a possibly alien artifact - which may lead them to solve the greatest archaeological mystery of their careers, in the eighth installment of the Alex Benedict series.
-
-
Great book
- By Victor on 06-23-19
By: Jack McDevitt
-
The Devil's Eye
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jack McDevitt, Jennifer Van Dyck
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Interstellar antiquities dealer Alex Benedict receives a cryptic message asking for help from celebrated writer Vicki Greene - who has been mind-wiped. She has no memory of her past life, or of her plea for assistance. But she has transferred an enormous sum of money to Alex, also without explanation. The answers to this mystery lie on the most remote of human worlds, where Alex will uncover a secret connected to a decades-old political upheaval - a secret that somebody desperately wants hidden.
-
-
Moderate Departure from Previous Books
- By Steven on 12-11-08
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Seeker
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck, Jack McDevitt (Introduction)
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thousands of years after an entire colony mysteriously disappears, antiquities dealer Alex Benedict comes into possession of a cup that seems to be from the Seeker, one of the colony's ships. Alex and his assistant, Chase Kolpath, follow a deadly trail to the Seeker, strangely adrift in a system barren of habitable worlds. But their discovery raises more questions than it answers, drawing Alex and Chase into the very heart of danger.
-
-
Great mix of sci-fi, mystery and adventure.
- By Pete on 08-20-08
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Polaris
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck, Jack McDevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sixty years ago, the space yacht Polaris was found deserted, the fate of its pilot and passengers a mystery. Now, to mark the anniversary of the disappearance, there is to be an auction of what was left behind on the ship. Using his insider knowledge, Alex Benedict, one of the preeminent antiquities dealers in the galaxy, secures some of the artifacts.
-
-
Entertaining ear candy
- By Cynthia on 01-08-10
By: Jack McDevitt
-
A Talent for War
- An Alex Benedict Novel
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Gregory Abbey, Jack McDevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone knew the legend of Christopher Sim. Fighter. Leader. An interstellar hero with a rare talent for war, Sim changed mankind's history forever when he forged a ragtag group of misfits into the weapon that broke the back of the alien Ashiyyur. But now, Alex Benedict has found a startling bit of information, long buried in an ancient computer file. If it is true, then Christopher Sim was a fraud.
-
-
Good but rest of series is better!
- By Laurence on 07-05-11
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Omega
- Academy Series
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Khristine Hvam, Jack McDevitt
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A civilization-destroying omega cloud has switched direction, heading straight for a previously unexplored planetary system--and its alien society. And suddenly, a handful of brave humans must try to save an entire world--without revealing their existence.
-
-
Engrossing
- By Stephen on 04-22-11
By: Jack McDevitt
-
The Long Sunset
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Priscilla “Hutch” Hutchins discovers an interstellar message from a highly advanced race that could be her last chance for a mission before the program is shut down for good. Hutch has been the academy’s best pilot for decades. She’s had numerous first contact encounters and even became a minor celebrity. But world politics have shifted from exploration to a growing fear that the program will run into an extraterrestrial race more advanced than humanity and war.
-
-
Very Disapointed
- By S.E.Anderson on 10-25-18
By: Jack McDevitt
-
The Engines of God
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 14 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humans call them Monument-Makers. An unknown race, they left stunning alien statues scattered on distant planets throughout the galaxy, encoded with strange inscriptions that defy translation. Searching for clues about the Monument-Makers, teams of 23rd century linguists, historians, engineers and archaeologists have been excavating the enigmatic alien ruins on a number of planets, uncovering strange, massive false cities made of solid rock. But their time is running out.
-
-
Conceptually intriguing, but uneven writing style
- By Michael G Kurilla on 05-12-11
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Deepsix
- Academy Series
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
- Length: 16 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the year 2204, tragedy and terror forced a scientific team to prematurely evacuate Maleiva III. Nineteen years later, a rogue moon hurtling through space is about to obliterate the last opportunity to study this rare, life-supporting planet. With less than three weeks left before the disaster, superluminal pilot Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins must lead a small scientific team to the surface to glean whatever they can about its lifeforms and lost civilizations before time runs out.
-
-
literary caramel popcorn, but I'll order seconds
- By J. Billings on 10-27-18
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Chindi
- Academy Series
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Khristine Hvam
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The universe has been explored - and humanity has all but given up on finding other intelligent life. Then an alien satellite orbiting a distant star sends out an unreadable signal. Is it the final programmed gasp of an ancient, long-dead race? Or the first greeting of an undiscovered life form?
-
-
Everything You Want in a Sci-Fi Novel
- By Robert on 05-02-13
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Cauldron
- Academy Series
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a young physicist unveils an efficient star drive capable of reaching the core of the galaxy, veteran star pilot Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins finds herself back in the deepest reaches of space, and on the verge of discovering the origins of the deadly Omega clouds that continue to haunt her.
-
-
This is the end of the Academy Series for me
- By Richard Siggins on 04-22-18
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Odyssey
- Academy series
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Khristine Hvam, Jack McDevitt
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To boost waning interest in interstellar travel, a mission is sent into deep space to learn the truth about "moonriders," the strange lights supposedly being seen in nearby systems. But Academy pilot Valentina Kouros and the team of the starship Salvator will soon discover that their odyssey is no mere public-relations ploy, for the moonriders are not a harmless phenomenon. They are very, very dangerous-in a way that no one could possibly have imagined.
-
-
Really Slow Start
- By Right Quark on 02-02-15
By: Jack McDevitt
-
The Hercules Text
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From a remote corner of the galaxy, a message is being sent. The continuous beats of a pulsar have become odd, irregular, and artificial. It can only be a code. Frantically, a research team struggles to decipher the alien communication. And what the scientists discover is destined to shake the foundations of empires around this world - from Wall Street to the Vatican.
-
-
The Hercules Text
- By Kindle Customer on 07-05-20
By: Jack McDevitt
-
Starhawk
- Priscilla Hutchins, Book 1
- By: Jack McDevitt
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins has finally realized her lifelong dream: She’s completed a nerve-bending qualification flight for a pilot’s license. Her timing is far from optimal, however. Faster-than-light travel has only recently become a reality, and the World Space Authority is still learning how to manage long-range missions safely. To make matters worse, efforts to prepare two planets for colonization are killing off native life-forms, outraging people on Earth.So there’s not a lot of demand for space pilots.
-
-
lacking attention to detail
- By shirley on 11-10-13
By: Jack McDevitt
-
The Saints of Salvation
- Salvation Sequence Series, Book 3
- By: Peter F. Hamilton
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 17 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Humanity is struggling to hold out against a hostile takeover by an alien race that claims to be on a religious mission to bring all sentient life to its God at the End of Time. But while billions of cocooned humans fill the holds of the Olyix's deadly arkships, humankind is playing an even longer game than the aliens may have anticipated. From an ultra-secret spy mission to one of the grandest battles ever seen, no strategy is off the table. Will a plan millennia in the making finally be enough to defeat this seemingly unstoppable enemy?
-
-
Totally confused
- By JohnSays on 11-19-20
-
AL:ICE Boxed Set
- Books 1-4
- By: Charles Lamb
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 42 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Includes books one through four in the AL:ICE series: AL:ICE, AL:ICE-9, AL:ICE: Resurrection, and AL:ICE: Space War.
-
-
Creepy Naughty Sunday School Junkfood
- By tosbanzai on 02-22-21
By: Charles Lamb
Publisher's Summary
A new Alex Benedict novel from "a master of describing otherworldly grandeur" (Denver Post).
Forty-one years ago, the renowned physicist Chris Robin vanished. Before his disappearance, his fringe-science theories about the existence of endless alternate universes had earned him both admirers and enemies. Alex Benedict and Chase Kolpath discover that Robin had several interstellar yachts flown far outside the planetary system, where they too vanished. And following Robin's trail into the unknown puts Benedict and Kolpath in danger.
More from the same
What listeners say about Firebird
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- wendy
- 11-08-11
best Alex Benedict in a while
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. This has been my favorite Alex Benedict story since the earlier ones (Seeker, Polaris, etc). Devil's Eye and Echo were much less engaging, so it is great to see McDevitt back to form in this story. Really engaging, lots of ingest, and the characters are well drawn.
What other book might you compare Firebird to and why?
This one reminds me of the first Benedict book, A Talent For War
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael G Kurilla
- 11-20-11
Another solid Benedict mystery
With the latest installment of the Benedict/Colpath series, McDevitt again demonstrates domination of the subgenre of sci-fi mysteries. The entire series is best summed up as Indiana Jones meets Sherlock Holmes in the distant future. In this story, Benedict stumbles upon artifacts from a controversial physicist who simply disappeared 40 years earlier. In trying to establish some background on the events surrounding his disappearance, Benedict displays his adroit detective skills, while at the same time exploring some rather exotic physics that suggests long lost spacecraft may still be out there wandering some interdimensional no man's land. McDevitt also takes the opportunity to explore notions of human consciousness and identity which suggest this will receive more attention in future installments.
As usual, McDevitt's style is unique in generating characters that are quite familiar and very identifiable with today's culture in spite of the 9000 years in the future separation with Earth. Politics, prejudice, and PR still exist in abundance. At the same time, there are discussion of where to go for lunch and dating versus long term commitments that make the characters feel real and approachable.
McDevitt also does a great job of spreading the contributions around without resorting to a strictly ensemble cast of one trick ponies. The casting of Colpath as Dr. Watson and diarist to Benedict is a nice touch that solidifies the Sherlock Holmes reference.
The narration is well done with an excellent range of voices. This is one series that is always something to look forward to the next.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joshua
- 10-04-12
Space Archaeology! How could you go wrong?
Space Archaeology - What could be better than that? Where do I sign up? Those were my thoughts after the first hour or so into this book. However, the "Best of both worlds - Star Wars meets Indiana Jones" adventure that I felt I was promised quickly degenerated into something far more disappointing. The first half of this is a mystery solver - going here and there, interviewing people and collecting clues and data - very run of the mill, boring stuff. The second part turns into a series of rescue missions for people whose ships have gotten trapped outside the normal space-time continuum. The solving of the initial mystery is a real anticlimax, treated like a footnote, breaking the payoff of the story type we were initially promised. This guy needs to read up on some of Orson Scott Card's writing classes and books.
Ultimately a disappointment, with little territory that hasn't been covered. It felt like an amateur attempt at Ian Banks. Furthermore I didn't care for all the religious themes and discussions within the book. I hate when authors try to make conclusions when it's obvious they don't have a deep knowledge of their subject matter. I don't know what you were trying to accomplish but best if you'd stayed away, Jack.
This was my first novel in this series. Perhaps I should have started with the first one chronologically.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Creativecolor
- 12-06-11
Just your typical McDevitt awesomeness!
The Universe that Jack McDevitt has created is vast indeed. This book simply adds another chapter into it. The story, is as always, very well done, with plenty to keep your mind going. The character Alex Benedict, as your future day Sherlock Holmes, takes all the clues you never knew where there and makes amazing leaps and bounds in understanding the greater picture. Adding in fact and the unpredictability of humans and AI's (betas) to come to the correct conclusion. And although Jack brings closure to this book, the new doors he's opened leave even more room to expand. I can't wat for the next novel!
Just another awesome Book!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rick R
- 11-06-11
Another in a Line of Great Listening
Like previous Alex Benedict novels this is fast moving, thoughtful, and uses characters well. Like the rest he takes us through a mystery in the far future of humanity. In this case he covers something that has been happening since the first novel in the series, infrequent disappearances of intersellar space craft. It is a mixture of learning what humans are and what we will do for each other.
If you have loved the previous in this series you will like this one, too. If you aren't familiar, I would suggest you read earlier ones to get the full effect of the series.
The narrator has done several of these novels and has a good style developed that makes identifying character changes and specific characters fluid. She does overplay Chase, the female lead, a bit hysterically. It is noticable but not a huge blemish. Otherwise her voice carries you through to the end.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 02-08-12
Good story
Would you listen to Firebird again? Why?
Yes. It was an enjoyable story. My first Jack McDevitt book that I have listened and I found it a constant & interesting read. I agree with other reviews that mentioned the AI voices being stilted and the story line a bit tame. I am glad I purchased it despite some poor reviews. The story was exploratory and I was surprised that the narration was from Chase' point of view not Alex's.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
Yes.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
No. All good.
Any additional comments?
I would give this book the benefit of the doubt and download it. It was a story on a continuum not a lot of peaks and troughs in terms of exciting which makes a change from a book full of twists and turns. Really easy to listen to.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Peter
- 11-24-11
another one
really like the benedict series and this one is no different ,takes you back to the start and then forward again with every thing in between to satisfy and enthrall you about the story..
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Christopher J. Ward
- 11-23-11
The master story-teller scores again
Jack McDevitt's series of yarns starring Alex Benedict and Chase Kolpath, his pilot in a galactic setting. A Talent for War sets the standard for modern SF and is worth reading for a primer.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- george
- 12-12-11
Story very good, the reader, just above average.
Would you consider the audio edition of Firebird to be better than the print version?
To answer the above question, I would have to read the print version to answer the question. I've read 3 other Alex Bennedict Novels by Jack McDevitt (this is my first listening to one). Jennifer read the AI's portion in a stilting manner. Wrong. The AI's were programmed for conversation, and she should have read them as close to a free flowing human as possible. But that's not a reason to listen to this book. It's good.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I had no favorite character
What about Jennifer Van Dyck’s performance did you like?
She did female voices okay.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
I'm not a marketing person, so I can't answer that question.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- michael R. Davis
- 11-11-16
Reader
Need a better more age appropriate sounding voice for Chase Colpath. Other than that it was very enjoyable and very hard to turn off.