Customer Reviews

Refuge (Outlanders)

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

 

 

I have red this book and to put it simply it stunk. with out going into any detale, it was already said. I have been a outlanders fan from the begining, and a deathlands fan since the 3rd book. I no longer read Deathlands because of shody authors, and this will be my last book in the outlander series that is not written by Mark Ellis. Simply said if Mark Ellis didn't write it don't read it. Gold Eagle Books PLEASE PLEASE wake up and smell the coffie before it is too late. You are letting thease two once great series get flushed down the drain, with lousey writing.

This is the first time I have ever picked up a book by this author and I must say it knocked my socks off! This was one of the most original adventure stories I have ever read! I will be looking for more and more by James Axler...whatever his real name is, this is one of the fastest and exciting reads I have ever had!

This rollicking latest Outlanders novel is quite unique.

Like it's former trilogy, The Lost Earth saga, this time the illustrious writer Victor Milan, instead of Mark Ellis & Mel Odom, who wrote the former Lost Earth trilogy, takes the readers on an old-fashioned adventure reading experience.

However, it does have its problems.

And those are: This clearly should have been a duology or trilogy, easily. Hands down. The beginning and ending felt rushed. The world-building is fantastic and delectable to the reading tastebuds. I felt like I was reading something from Doc Savage, or something along the lines of a modern-day Edgar Rice Burroughs, and/or Robert E. Howard.

Milan's alter-earth world is a high adventure ride, through and through. The first chapter didn't clearly set up the story, however. Lakesh quickly tells the Outlanders group about needing to find a sanctuary, and that he has found one.

The next thing you know, the Outlander exiles are in this cool as hell strange new world. But because of page number restrictions on these books, or due to Milan's work on other projects, a lot of the explanations and tech are glossed over.

The first half of the book is filled with exotic locations and cool dirigible battles, along with some very interesting characters - both Good and Evil.

And I also love this type of scenario. Taking a break from the usual Outlander's world, and creating an alternate world that stands on its own merits. Milan's world, with its fantastic history and its alien lizard men, are fresh and exciting. There was so much backstory history, with so many things to cover, that's why this really would have been much better as a duology or trilogy. It really deserved that.

Also the fact that Kane, Grant, Brigid and Domi are all split up in this crazy world made this a breath of fresh air. The separate factions of people, cultures and aliens is then fully explored. And that too was very interesting.

But then, after a while, even though some chapters held some exciting dirigle and land battles, and was still a good read, I found myself wishing this would have taken another turn in the storyline. Though good, the latter battles didn't seem as well written as the beginning ones.

And enough time was not spent with the characters grieving Grant's supposed death. In the beginning, Grant is shot by a group of humans who capture the rest of the Cerberus group, and picked up by the alien lizard men. That part of the novel was very unique. The lizard people are not what I expected. I like that. And even though Milan did write in the grieving of Grant...it just didn't come through as strong as it should have.

The technology of how things work was unclear here. I didn't get how this strange, bizzarre contraption - the Apocalyptic Engine - worked. Or how this weird scientist guy who is building it has these shamanistic-type powers. Milan mentions C. W. Thrush, and it made me wonder if this was another guise of him...or someone like our strange past character...?

Even though I absolutely loved the first half of the book, especially the exciting battle that ends with the cerberus crew captured by different factions, the storyline and action scenes diminish somewhat. It is not bad by any means, I guess I was just hoping for something more. But still a fun, thrill ride reading experience.

The cover is good, but as always, the characters are not drawn well, or correctly, at all. What looks like a horse-faced Brigid on the cover, turns out to be a princess in the book. And still, she is better looking from Milan's description than the book cover artist's rendition. (And some nerd guys find her attractive?!)

The cover also gave me a feel for a more swashbuckling adventure read. Not just in the air, but on pirate-like boats. But alas, it did not deliver that. That would have been utterly cool, and would also fit like a glove in this type of new, bizzarre world.

Milan's last book was overall better, but the huge concepts and world building here was top shelf. I wanted to stay in that world much longer, having Kane and his companion's reunion more epic in scope. Longer and drawn out in a duology or trilogy, thus having more time to flesh-out the newer characters and our Outlander's plights. Oh, well.

Victor Milan's Deathlands are better. I hope he establishes a similar concept for Ryan Cawdor and his group. As of late, that series needs a solid writer to take it to new heights. And Victor Milan has proven he definately has the skills.

Refuge is a good read.

Don't listen to the rank and file of these couple of negative reviewers.

Yes, some portions of this last Outlanders seems rathe rushed, but Victor Milan still delivers a rich-filled world that is awesome to read about. And the one reviewer called Rayboy doesn't have a clue. He stated long ago that Victor Milan will no longer write under the James Axler pen name.

And lo' and behold, he continues to write them. With an underwater adventure one coming soon. Like alter-universes like this adventerous novel has, Milan's new one coming out in August will have the Outlanders going where they have never gone before - in the depths of a mutant ocean! Cool beans.

But this Refuge had a lot going for it. Shoulda been spread out over several books, though. Kane befriends a solid character of the latin persuasion. He was a hoot.

Along with large, alien saurian lizard people that were also very interesting. I can dig reading more about this new world of an alternate history that Milan created. But still in all, Milan always delivers a solid, rousing adventure yarn.

I wish he would go back and do more Deathlands. His last one was badass!

For those negative reviewers out there: Just be bloody lucky that it isn't Andy Boot writing Outlanders. Can you imagine that? You're doggone lucky it is this talented writer. The couple of hacks destroying Deathlands is something to bitch about.

You go on and get it on Victor Milan. We're backin' your play, playa!

Refuge is a fun adventure read.