Customer Reviews

Rim Of The World (Outlanders)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brilliant, Wonderful, Fantastic...

These are all single words that could be used to sum up this the latest offering from Mark Ellis.

Once again Mark Ellis has proven that this series belongs to him and him alone, gone are the silly stupid mistakes and flat characterisation that we get with the stand in "guest" writers and back comes the intelligent, thought provoking penmanship that all Outlanders fans keep coming back again and again for.

Like all his books he weaves a tale that draws the reader in with the first few words and then bombards the mental senses with well written, well described scenes that makes it almost impossible to put down once you have started.

Previous reviews have laid out the tale and background to this novel so I am not going to repeat it again here. What I am going to add is it is nice to see the usual bunch of heroes (Kane, Grant and Brigid) supported by one of (in my opinion) the most under rated secondary characters in the series Reba DeFore. Here we get to see her do a lot more than patch up the hero's after a fight, in this book we get to see here get into the fight herself.

This book is sure to please no matter if you are a long time fan or a first timer to the series, get it and enjoy...

I fell out of the habit of reading the Outlanders series on a regular basis due to the substandard quality of fill-in books, those not written by Mark Ellis.

I almost didn't pick up Rim of the World, but after finishing it I'm very glad I did. It's a highly entertaining reminder of why I became a fan of the Outlanders series.

A very colorful adventure set mainly in Africa, it showcases all the strengths of the main cast of characters. I particularly like how the surly Grant is portrayed as a man of intelligence and sensitivity. For that matter, all of the Cerberus warriors (Brigid, Kane, Domi) are head, shoulders and feet above the stereotyped idiocies of most of these psuedo-post nuke tales so beloved by the single digit IQ types who post fake reviews here.

Overall, I was delighted by the action, humor and and fast-paced narrative of Rim of the World and I look forward to the next entry by Mark Ellis.

This was the first book in the Outlanders series I have read and now I'm a fan! Great action inside of a sci-fi plot with heroes you really like!

I found out from the main fan site that James Axler who writes Outlanders is really a writer named Mark Ellis and he's now one of my fave writers!

This is my first encounter with James Axler AKA Mark Ellis. Rim of the World has definitely piqued my interest to read the other volumes in the Outlanders series and to seek out other books by this author.

If you are a fan of high adventure science-fiction like Stargate or the novels of Clive Cussler, you will find a lot to like in this book, particularly in the major characters of Kane, Brigid, Baptiste and Grant.

Science-fiction fans who have been turned-off by the shallow characterization of many of the more military-oriented series will be pleased with this book.

It's full of action and adventure, but the author doesn't stint on characterization or plot development. He handles prose as adroitly as the best in the field.

Based only on Rim of the World, it seems Axler/Ellis has created a truly intriguing saga, and has left this reader looking forward eagerly to the other books in the Outlanders series. Rim of the World is definitely several cuts above the mass of military science-fiction being churned out today!

For the past decade, Mark Ellis has built his reputation as a popular writer by producing one cool action-adventure novel after another featuring the heroic Cerberus warriors.

Rim Of The World is no exception!

ROTW has a comfortably familiar feel: an artifact from the ancient past (in this case, the Collar of Prester John), with a modern-day megalomaniac determined use it to take over the world, and then place Kane, Brigid and Grant in several "how-will-they-ever-get-out-of-this" situations that stimulate readers' heartbeats and imagination.

Mark Ellis writes a perfect blend of high-powered action, suspense and humor...his ability to showcase the banter between Kane, Grant and Brigid as they find themselves in one perilous situation after another adds greatly to the enjoyment of this latest classic.

Overlord Utu is a cool adversary with a nasty sense of humor, a lot tougher enemy than the weak little barons. The scenes with him are some of the best in the book, but all of ROTW is explodes with colorful descriptions and vivid energy...you really feel like you are in Africa!

I loved the suspenseful train journey across the veldts to the "Mountain of the Apes" too.

But of course the best thing about ROTW and all OL books by Mark Ellis is the way he writes the heroic characters we've come to know and love -with dignity, intelligence, heart and most of all--respect.

They jump off the page, each one with their own distinct personalities but each one likable in their own way...even stuffy Philboyd who thinks he can tinker around with Annunaki tech with no problem, ignoring unscientific Domi's advice. Guess who turns out to be right?


Rim of the World is an adrenaline-pumped, two-fisted, pedal to the metal OL adventure the way OL adventures are supposed to be!

A perfect slam-dunk five stars!

This is a great book in the Outlanders series. The characters are very interesting and the plot about the Collar of Prester John is fascinating.

I don't know what book Eric the Red was reviewing but it wasn't Rim of the World. He either needs glasses or therapy.

Overall, this book was fast moving fun!

Though not one of the epic Outlanders episodes (following on the heels of Cerberus Storm, how could it be?), Rim of the World is a lot of fun. It reminded me more of an Allan Quatermain story in feel which is not a bad thing. The dealings with the African tribal peoples, the mixture of "Old World" and new, and the quest for an ancient artifact. This book felt like a departure to me from the typical OL format (huge conspiracies, massive backgrounds, etc.), but not in a bad way. There was still an interweaving of a pre-history/history/current connection with a subtle conspiracy, but this was more of an adventure for the Cerberus crew than a major expansion of the OL plot line. Definitely recommended!

Another rousing adventure is what awaits those of you who decide to pick up and read the main authors latest Outlanders novel: Rim of the World.

I have found over the decades that all book series follow a set formula. In Deathlands you have the characters jumping to a new redoubt via the mat trans gateways. They explore, sometimes running into nasty inhabitants, sometimes not. They leave the redoubt, explore some more and meet up with the bad guy, typically some fat, deranged baron. They kill the bad guy, make things a little better for the locals, and then they return to the redoubt and jump out using the gateways.

With Outlanders, there is a formula to be sure. However, this formula is what sets it apart from all the other post nuclear holocaust series that have come and gone. The main portion of the formula is as follows: location, location, location! The Cerberus exiles have been all over the globe. They've been to Mars, they've had misadventures on the moon, and they've even been to alternate realities and traveled through time.

Secondly, hot women. Not only are several of the lead females smart, attractive and sexy, many of the villains and supporting characters are as well. Erica Van Sloan, the Imperial Momma is a perfect example. She's a villain, a true dragon lady with an IQ that is off the scales, but at the same time literally oozes sensuality.

Third: tying real life mythology and various pantheons into the now vast and complex back story. The Annunaki, Sumerian gods returning to reclaim the earth, the Tuatha du Danaan, various myths from all over the world. All of these put together, brought to rich life, and explained scientifically. How many other series can make this claim?

Of course there are other formulated aspects of the series, such as exploration of various ruins and hidden facilities, high adrenalin battles, and even the occasional sexual encounter, but the first three topics I brought up are what set it apart.

Over the past ten years of writing the series, the characters have evolved and grown. Of course there are aspects of each character that rarely change, such as how Stoic Grant can be, or how sarcastic Kane is in the face of adversity, or the fact that Brigid is a walking, talking encyclopedia. But even though these aspects haven't changed, the characters have, but gradually, not over night, which is what happens when there are multiple authors writing for the series.

The friendship and respect between the characters is there, and it's obvious, and even when they snipe at one another, as they did in this latest offering, there is a good reason for it.

Take note, those of you who might be considering writing for the series - the way the characters are portrayed has been set in stone and there is no reason for deviation from it!

In the latest adventure, the Cerberus exiles are off in Africa (Formula, location), and end up embroiled in a feud between a half brother and sister who are both trying to lay claim to the collar of Preston John (formula, myth), in order to see who would become the ruler of the Warizi nation.

Overlord Utu wants the collar back, as it turns out that it is a key to a vault that has been hidden away for over two millennia, and only those who possess the genetic trait of the ancient rulers of the Warizi tribe can actually open the gate. To meet this end, he enlists the help of a Warizi prince named Laputara. His half sister Pakari (Formula, hot woman) is against his alliance with Utu, realizing that he is no god.

Throughout the adventure, there are encounters with a Bedouin tribe, a genetic engineering laboratory filled with Jinn, which was almost a scene out of my favourite movie of all time, a battle for the control of a nation, as well as an overland journey in an ancient steam powered locomotive. All these events lead into a final encounter at the Rim of the World, where the fate of not only a nation is decided but the fate of an overlord as well.

Once again, we've been given a major romp by the main author, who has proven that when it comes to spinning a tale and weaving mythology into it, there are none better.

Mark Ellis's latest Outlanders is good, but just mainly more of the same. I really liked his earlier books, but now they seem to take pretty much the same pattern.

The characters that he eludes to ever-changing and evolving, are stagnant, in terms of Grant being the ever grumpy tough guy, and Kane and Brigid doing nothing to extend their supposed 'anam chara' love thingamajig. This has simply gone on too long for a number of years.

Rim of the World is a good comic-book type adventure story, but it is getting hard to swallow each and every battle scene that now reverberates with the bad guys shooting and barely missing the main characters - but they seemingly always have perfect aim. Africans are not painted in a great picture here. James Axler, aka, Mark Ellis here, could have written a more character-driven story here in terms of showing a bit more reality in African tribal peoples.

The overall storyline is now blatantly transparent now when it comes to survivability towards the Cerberus crew. The now newly-formed Overlords have the advantage, in both numbers and superior weaponry, including a huge sentient starship that conviently can't destroy Cerberus base and its group of mostly non-soldiers. C'mon, you can't see this?!

The beginning of this series was better. I thought by now Mark Ellis would have elevated the storyline and the characterizations to higher levels. And he has to some extent. But he has made the alien bad guys too powerful and 'conviently' incompetent, even though they have been around for millenia. But they can't unite and destroy a small cabal of human rebels...?

Yeah, in a comic book sort of way, this is still a fun series to read. But there are much better out there. Such as almost anything James Rollins writes. Best-selling author Brian Lumley comes to mind when it comes to hidden aliens in the form of vampires in his hugely grossing series Necroscope.

I just recieved the new Outlanders, written this time by the illustrious Victor Milan. Another talented writer in this series and the poular Deathlands series. Check it out.

The new Outlanders was a good read, but there has been better. What is with this Robey reviewer bonehead ranting and raving about? Get a life meathead!

My friends and I happen to read the same novels, and have mainly the same opinions. If you dolts can't handle that - too bloody bad!

Rim of the World stagnates somewhat with the characters. At least an overlord finally decides to make an appearance! That, along with decent enough storytelling and half-baked action scenes, are really the only thing hodling this up.

I had to laugh when the opening stroy starts with kane battling a bunch of arabs - then befriends them as he slays their friends!! Huh? Am I the only one seeing this tripe?

Then Brigid, who has only learned to fight now for supposedly a couple of years - can take on murderous African tribesmen who start hunting lions whn their kids...? Oh, please!!

Try reading much more substantial novels such as James F. David's Footprints of Thunder, or his newest sequel, Thunder of Time, and you'll see the difference.

Looking forward to reading Victor Milan's newest Outlanders coming out next. See some real change of pace - and scenery - for once. Go get 'em, Vic!

I am - Eric the Red!