6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
PURGATORY ROAD was a purgatory of backfill., May 29, 2001
This review is from: Purgatory Road (Outlanders) (Mass Market Paperback)
The story rates a high 4 because it picks up the action from the previous episode, and it reaches a decision tree with this smug kid Sam, who is really too powerful and dangerous to leave alive, because he is also secretly evil...
This did not rate a Holy 5 because there was too much backfill in the novel. I realize the series is trying to draw in more readers, but not on my bucks, thank you. I thought the expository preface prior to the novel was sufficient for as much backfill as needed. If one must have all this backfill to update readers of what happened in the previous book then the series is weak because the scenes and action should be self-explanatory, or else the characters could provide the backfill SPORADICALLY with cleverly crafted dialogue. This "History Book" method of using great expositionary lumps is tedious to the reader; and so I had to skip over these literary land mines more often than I felt necessary -- enough to invoke irritation -- and merely because I found doing so kept up the pace this aciton series warrants.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE IMPERATOR USURPER!, May 4, 2001
This review is from: Purgatory Road (Outlanders) (Mass Market Paperback)
This latest installment of the ending trilogy as usual - leaves you wanting more,and puts more questions in your mind about just what direction is this writer going to take this story? The beginning of the story opens with a bang! Starting just where we left our intrepid heroes in the last book, a war against the two rival clans of samurai vying for power. The relentless pace of the book is just a hallmark trade of Mr. James Axler, aka Mark Ellis, the man just does not write a bad book. This series is steeped in plots within counter subplots and conspiracies that even though I understand whats going on - I dont think I could explain it to someone else, ya know what I mean? I'm not sure which plot to believe in this x-files on acid trip sci-fi action adventure series! But it sure is fun to see the series and characters grow and change. I love the changes of some of the characters, and to tell you what they are in the new book would ruin it, so mums the word. All I can say is, read it and enjoy it - even if you cant tell which is the real reality and which isn't. My only complaint about this book is the re-iteration throughout this particular novel was too much for me, but I know that the writer must do this for new readers to understand, and or to refresh memories of us older folks. And also the dinosaurs that were hinted at in book 2 were only touched on a little in this new novel as well, and I really wanted more of that, but I am sure thats for a future novel right? Outlanders of the Jurrassic coming soon to a bookstore near you!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Exciting and fast-moving, but--, July 11, 2001
This review is from: Purgatory Road (Outlanders) (Mass Market Paperback)
Four years ago my husband brought home the first book in the Outlanders series. I wasn't interested in it at first, thinking it was just another macho thriller, with blood and guts taking the place of plot and character.
When I finally read it, I was transported to a world where hard sci-fi, conspiracy theories, mysticism and blood and guts were blended seamlessly--not to mention the introduction of engaging characters. Since then, every book in this series has been gripping. I've watched the characters grow and expand and delve into more and more complex plots. I'm now more devoted to Outlanders than I am any other book series, even the Honor Harrington novels which I love.
But though Purgatory Road is as exciting and as interesting as any in the series, I have to admit I expected something a little more cataclysmic at the end of this trilogy. A number of loose ends were left dangling, which in of themselves isn't annoying since the writer has introduced a number of plot elements in one book only to address them fully in a later book.
This time, the last quarter of the novel seemed a little rushed. Although Domi's "resurrection" was welcome and unexpected (I always figured she'd come back), I'd hoped she would be missing for a few books so Grant and Shizuka could develop a relationship.
And then there was the whole mystery of Thunder Isle--the discovery of the Operations Chronos facility, the rampaging dinosaur, who had time "trawled" Domi in the last microinstant before her death--these issues and many more weren't addressed. I can only hope they will be dealt with the next book.
However, though I'm giving Purgatory Road four stars instead of my usual five, I still have to say it's an exciting book. Every chance to visit with the Cerberus folk, Kane, Brigid, Grant and the others makes up for some of the unanswered questions. Besides, what's life without a little mystery?
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