Customer Reviews

Hydra's Ring (Outlanders)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was my first James Axler book. Hydra's Ring was an engrossing, page-turning read. I love the mix of ancient history and mythology in this book. Fast-paced, great characters, rich background.

Don't miss this one! It has it all -- action, suspense, exotic background,superb characters that are unforgettable.

I can't wait to go discover all the other Outlanders books that Mark Ellis/James Axler created!

Good story line as all the Outlanders and deathlands Book series. I have a large collection of both and enjoy reading them and will continue to collect and read.

It always seems that I'm pretty much the last person to get the latest issue of Outlanders and read it. I guess maybe I should subscribe to Gold Eagle's reader service, but honestly, why bother when other than Rogue Angel, I don't read any of the titles offered by the company?

I digress -

I have stated before in a previous review that Outlanders follows a set formula, one that should be followed by each and every author who is either contributing or wishes to contribute to this long running series. It should include an exotic location, beautiful, intelligent women, an ancient and mystical artifact and serious conflict.

It shouldn't include poorly written characters, un-researched locations or technology, rehashed characters from long dead series or even un-needed sex scenes.

Of course, with Hydra's Ring, you have the former, not the latter. One of the most refreshing aspects of the novel was the distinct lack of retelling of many facts and tidbits of information that we've had to skip over for several years now.

Although not earth shattering as some of the previous novels have been such as Children of the Serpent, it was still an entertaining read. An old enemy introduced way back in Wreath of Fire has made a re-appearance, and a secret he's been hiding for is revealed. Erica van Sloan also plays a pivotal role in this novel, showing the reader a side of her that few suspected existed. Lakesh's character has to deal with the consequences of his actions, and he actually manages to shine on a mission with Kane, Grant and Brigid.

As usual, location plays a key factor in the novel, being set in China along the Yangtze River. Several historical locations are visited with surprising results, not to mention bloodshed.

Of course ancient Annunaki technology plays a pivotal role in the novel as many of the readers have come to expect over the years.

Five out of Five.

Action, adventure, suspense, and - my personal favorite - conspiracies twisting themselves through time. Mr. Ellis does a fantastic job pulling more mythology into his creation and continues to thrill, surprise, and entertain.

Mark Ellis's latest offering should be titled 'Hydra's Rings' - since there were nine rings in all, not just one. Or better yet, Hydra's Rehash, since that what was contained in about 1/3 of this book.

I'm glad I'm not paying for pages and pages of stuff I've already read in the last 30 books or so. I like that Victor Milan doesn't rip off his readers in such a way.

But, all in all, Hydras Ring is a decent read, if not pretty much formulaic in storyline and characterization. The only thing that stands out differently in terms of characterization here is the return of Erica Van Sloan.

The problems I have in this once great series is the fact that Mark Ellis wrote himself into a corner. He created the nine barons into being some larger-than-life alien beings with a mothership more than capable of destroying the Cerberus mountain base, along with its mostly untrained and unblooded moon base emigres. I guess a mere 3 people can take on nine large aliens with bigger and better advanced weaponry of alien design, along with a sentient mothership with seemingly unstoppable power, and an army of alien nephilm, (or however you may spell it), with near indesrtructable armor. Yeah, right.

The characterization of the main 3 hasn't budged nor changed in many a book. Kane and Brigid never talk about continuing their 'anam-chara', (grown stale and written verbatim in each novel, having being pasted and posted over and over by Ellis so obviously), makes one perceptive reader/writer wonder why he decides to rip off his readers like this...?

But aside from all of this rehashing, and numerous blunders in editing, Hydra's Rehash...er, Ring, has a bad guy that looks and acts just like Ming the Merciless in the Flash Gordon serials of yesteryear. Been done.

The tale here being so asian in setting, I was wondering why all the ten or dozen or so fans here didn't comment on why Shizuka was not presented in this story...?! I like how she either isn't even mentioned, nor doesn't locate and find Grant,(her supposed love), and find out what's going on. Only in these books that proclaim such strong women characerizations can one find a woman who doesn't complain when her man is away too long. Or even write a letter or e-mail...

I find it laughable that Grant almost left the Cerberus redoubt for this woman and her small empire. Now he almost never sees nor mentions her. Why have her at all...? And why so conviently have the all-powerful barons and their mothership fighting over in Europe or something? Oh, because they have to get back their homeland back, instead of easily uniting and easily blast Cerberus and its inhabitants to smithereens!

But if you are in the mood to read a pretty typical Outlanders adventure, without anything of huge consequence happening, whether in terms of characterization or world changing, then this one's for you.