Customer Reviews

Tigers Of Heaven (Outlanders)

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

 

 

To anyone who follows my online reviews of the Outlanders series, Ive said it before and I'll say it again- right when you think the series is at its peak and you are reading the best book, the next one is even better. Tigers Of Heaven deals cultural differences between the hybrids and the humans. For those that have yet to read Outlanders and do not know what Im talking about, this book deals with 2 groups of enemies that hate eachother, and the realization that the only way to survive is to make a truce despite the major differences.

For those that read Outlanders and know what Im talking about- Kane is still imprisoned in Area 51, during that time he makes aquaintences with some female hybrids and they plot to overthow the tyrant that controls the place. On the outside, his allies Grant and Brigid are making attempts to spring him from the place and then run into others who want to take over the place. An uneasy alliance is met, important characters are lost, new allies discovered. As to where the Tigers of Heaven come into place, this is in the last stage of the book and Grant finds someone to be happy with.

This book is great reading and has a good moralistic sense. As for what I dont like about the book, thats simple- nothing, each page keeps you turning to the next. One of the best 350 page books I have ever read. There isnt a dull moment in this book. One of the best I have best and I can not wait for the next book to come out.

War is imminent between the Barons and stuck between it all you will find Kane, Brigid, Grant, Domi, Lakesh and all of the fighters of Redoubt Cerebus against all the Baronies. But like in life, the second installment of the Imperator War Trilogy -- Tigers of Heaven -- shows that even when sides appear to be black and white...there are really many shades of gray.

This installment grabs you by collar from the first page and leads the reader on a rollercoaster of action that seems to be designed to show all sides of the up coming Baronial War and just when you think you've decided which side to join up with, the author delivers another punch to the gut that disorients the "sureness" of the reader and plants the seed of doubt, making the reader think, 'maybe they do have a point' and that the enemy is not quite as "evil" as they may seem.

Tigers of Heaven is a gritty, hands on and full of action book that touches everyone involved. And if you think that our "heroes" from Redoubt Cerebus are all solid in where they stand, you are in for a major surprise and shock!

But even after that, just when you think things have been settled and there is time to breathe and re-group...well let's just say this War will be on many fronts, not just which Baron, if any, will rule!

I can hardly wait for the final installment of the Imperator War Trilogy. The author writing under the nom de plume of James Axler [Again discretion on my part on revealing the actual name of the author due to my lack of knowledge if that is proper to do so here.] has again drawn me into his world so completely that I too found myself conflicted with events that occurred. Yes I am deliberately being vague on what they are, because to reveal even a hint may influence you on deciding who's side YOU are on!

This book was very well paced, the continued shifting in perceptions of the main characters towards Who Is The Enemy is always a welcome treatment, lending as it does a more intricate layer to the overly simplified plotline. The protagonists' morphing into semi-allies is also well done, I'll have to admit.

Hey Kids: This series has become more important than Deathlands because it handles a wider range of mythologies, if you can dig it. The series, though, is now more vulnerable than ever for devolving into stream of consciousness drivel from main characters. Let us hope it does not fall into that bottomless chasm as it threatened to do when the characters were spiritually transported to parallel universes.

I also would like to see more technological doodads flitting about in forthcoming novels. I certainly liked the volume that talked about the Aurora craft and its capabilities. I also hope that perhaps this series can nestle more snuggly into more UFO paranoia and Area 51 mythos. As I find that world fun to immerse myself in for a time, and apparently other readers do as well, judging from the "Area 51" novels from Tom Dougherty. And as Dean Koontz has aptly demonstrated in his Wyvern Base series, there's a lot of paranoidal mythos-spinning yarn concerning abandoned high-tech military bases. Perhaps a half-buried Crystal Palace R&D facility would be appropos in one of the future installments maybe?

As usual this latest outlanders installment has soured far beyond my wildest expectations. This wild rollcoaster ride of unexpected plot twists and shifting perceptions of both the barons and the main characters, carries this novel well beyond the sterotypical adventure/sci fi novel. With a War brewing among the barons and a strange imperator with power beyond that of even Balam, the author takes the reader on a journey of revealations and sudden unexpected events that leave the reader shocked and breathless. Who will survive? Just when you think you have things figured out and you know where each character stands things shift and a whole new prespective is revealed. In this second novel in the imperator wars trilogy the author dangles some answers to questions left unanswered in Doom Dynasty while not really given the reader what they really want. With so many questions left unanswered as this second novel ends it will leave you salivating for more.

Though this particular Outlanders novel was not as fast paste as others before, it was still one of the best stories. Even though this plot was nothing more than the sterotypical rescue/escape from captures plot, the novel was full of plot twists and revealations, while leaving so many questions unanswered. As this second novel in the imperator wars trilogy ended, it left me salivating for more. I would highly recommend this novel.

The 2nd installment of The Imperator Trilogy starts right where it left off in DOOM DYNASTY. Kane, a prisoner in Area 51 is being used by the mysterious baron cobalt to his own myterious ends. Meanwhile, Brigid and Grant are of course heading toward Area 51 as fast as they can overland with the aid of Skydog and his Lakota warriors in their war wag, once owned by the legendary Trader himself. Adventures along the way and lots of action and adventure abound in this book as well as some very cliffhanger happenings that you don't expect keep you reading well into the night to see what happens next! Some major changes in this book just makes the waiting that much harder for the last of this trilogy storyline to end. Dinosaurs, samurai warriors, aliens, what a mixed bunch of characters - but this writer pulls it off without a hitch! What in blazes will you hit us with next? This is a must read for fans as well as new readers just jumping aboard. C'mon in- the readings fine!

Tigers of Heaven

This novel is one of the best Mark has written to date. It begins where Doom Dynasty left off, with Kane in the Clutches of Baron Cobalt in Area 51. I will not go into the details of what was happening to him, as it would spoil it for the reader.

Suffice to say, the reader is treated a rare glimpse into the mind and society of the Hybrid race, how they react, their views on humanity and each other, emotions, etc.

While Kane is held captive, Grant, Brigid as well as a small team of natives leave the Darks in the Titano (the name the War Wag was Christened), on a desperate rescue mission.

Along the way they encounter a group of Magistrates led by none other than Baron Sharpe himself, and an uneasy alliance is formed between both parties, as their final destination, AREA 51, remains the same. Even though their collective reasons for hitting the mythical base are different.

The novel is action packed, as you would expect, but it also gives a long overdue insight into the Albino Domi's mind, and the how's and whys she reacts the way she does. It also fleshes out this character even more so.

To add icing to the cake, several new characters are introduced in the novel, well some really re-introduced, that could prove to be great friends, or deadly foes. These characters range from several Hybrids, to Magistrates as well as the Tigers of Heaven (introduced for the first time in Outer Darkness).

Even though the Tigers play only a small role in the novel, the events that take place on their island off the western coast will play significantly in upcoming novels. We're talking some very high tech, very unusual occurrences.

Also, there is something that happens in the novel that will shock any long time reader. Well two things, if you count what happens to Grant.

Enjoy, it is well worth the read, and I personally can't wait to get my hand on Purgatory Road. Which incidentally, has Kane, Brigid and Grant prominently displayed on the cover.

Chris

Hmm, how do you make a kicking Science Fiction series novel?

Take Area 51...
Add in alien sex,
an APC/Jeep war,
an underground battle,
an ... whupping in an elevator,
samurai,
ninjas,
"injuns" with M-16's,
rumors of dinosaurs,
the alleged death of a main character,
a mysterious being who can rejuvenate the ancient and crippled,
a hot tub sex scene,
and mix it ALL together with a little Viva Las Vegas...

I think you can come close to perfection with this one. Most people talk about the middle book of a trilogy being slow or weak? This was the exception to that rule. The first book was much less full than this one, and this one had a lot of energy to it, despite all the plot points, or maybe even BECAUSE of all the vibrant energy plugged into it.

Just awesome.

I've been reading Outlanders since the first book and there's been plenty of surprsies along the way, none of shocked me like Tigers of Heaven!

This is one of the best books in the series, if not THE best. It's exciting, action-packed, full of unexpected twists and turns. There's plenty of shooting in this book, but it's not a simple shoot-em-up.

I don't want to give away the plot, but it seems like the world of Kane, Brigid, Grant and the rest of the gang at Cerberus are in for some major changes...none of them good. I really can't recommend this book highly enough.

I use to be a reader of Gold Eagle books and due to the lack of excitment and quality I stopped reading them. However, when Outlanders came around, people were telling me how good they were for it being a Gold Eagle book. Needles to say I doubted them. I heard rumors that is was based on the Deathlands series which is nothing worth reading, if you ask me, James Axler is a mediocre writer. But when I read Outlanders it wasnt just good. It was amazing! The characters were well written and had conflicting personalities, and a strong and exciting story plot that makes the reader riveted and awaiting the next book. This is, without a doubt, the best series Gold Eagle has produced in over 10 years I would say. And something else I noticed is that the quality of these books would require alot of time and dedication, leaving no time to write other novels, say Deathlands. I dont believe James Axler is a real name. The style of writing in Deathlands compared to Outlanders ranges from very poor to outwright excellant. Whoever the author is that currently works on the Outlanders novels, GE better hang onto him, because he is the best writer GE has had the opportunity to have working for them in a long time.

Also recommended: The entire Outlanders Series! About the only Gold Eagle books worth reading in my honest opinion