Evil Abyss

Evil Abyss is a very colorful novel in the Outlanders series, featuring a number of fascinating characters and concepts. I was very much drawn to General Zhou Tzu. I'm not familiar with the "Warlord" character from the I Spy episode that inspired him, but I still I found him completely compelling...almost like an older, wiser and more Asian version of Kane himself. I also was intrigued by the opening chapters set in Ragnarville and the introduction of the Millennial Consortium, potential new enemies of Cerberus. Evil Abyss wasn't the best OL novel by Mark Ellis, but it was head, shoulders and hips above Uluru Destiny and at least it features all the characters the way they're supposed to be written. Brigid was presented as the exact opposite of the simpering libriarian the way Milan mis-writes her. By combining on-model characterization with high adventure in exotic lands with a touch of mysticism and science-fiction, Mark Ellis has produced another very memorable book in the Outlanders series. I've said this before--Outlanders is a very unique series and it's a terrible shame that Gold Eagle doesn't appreciate the gem it has here. I want to thank Eric The Red, One Eye Chills and Ghost In The Machine for motivating me to post these reviews!

Evil Abyss is different than a lot of OL books even by Mark Ellis, but at least it feels right. There are a lot of traditional sequences, like shootouts in the Tartarus Pits and face-downs with slaggers, but like the best of the OL series, the development of the plot is well drawn and set into motion in the prologue. Evil Abyss has a tie-in to Asian religous mystery and mythology and the material about the ancient Khmer empire and the Nagas is fascinating. All the action was solid, well paced and placed throughout. The battle scenes and Kane's relentless drive to find the missing party from Cerberus in the Cambodian jungle was riveting. The probing of the mysteries of Angor Wat was excellent. Call me strange, but I really enjoyed the scene with an imprisoned Philboyd and the lice! But more than anything, it was the vivid characters in Evil Abyss that brought it to life...Boss Klaw, Colonel Puyang, the Magickers and the beautiful Devi-Naga. Brigid's own adventures in Cambodia, separated from everyone, was a welcome change since she had gotten so little attention in the previous book. Here she shines like she's supposed to-brilliant, brave, caring and honorable...and even sexy! The warlord Zhou Tzu was a great, rich character, especially the mystical bond he shares with Kane whose arrival in his country helps him pay off a karmic debt. His karmic connection with Kane was very interesting, since Kane feels guilt for an action of his early on in the story. The theme of the book seemed to explore the human experience from a number of different perspectives-loss, duty, war, self-sacrifice and the struggle against evil. The connections and continuity to other OL books was a great part of this one, with the tie-in between the Nagas and the Annunaki. I credit the fast-paced and intelligent writing style of Mark Ellis for keeping this series fresh and exciting with the introduction of interesting new concepts and characters. Enjoy, Evil Abyss is a great read!

This was my first book in the Outlanders series, recommended to me by a friend who is a fan of the series. It wasn't what I exepced at all--it was much, much better! I enjoyed all the characters and the setting of Cambodia and Anghor Wat, particularly the mystical aspects of the plot. This is a book I would recommend to anyone who is curious about the Outlanders science-fiction series.

Great writing carries this unusual story in the Outlanders series. Evil Abyss works on all levels, the most important being it is simply a gripping story told with flair and very tight pacing. This is the kind of book I love in an ongoing series--a great treatment of great characters that I have known and loved for so many years. This novel easily ranks with the best of the early Outlanders series and that is saying a lot. Evil Abyss puts on the heat from the first few chapters and carries it through to the dramatic and unexpected conclusion. The plot and dialogue are tight, and the characterization strong, even among the new players like General Zhou Tzu (apparently a homage to Robert Culp's character from the I Spy episode, The Warlord--the book is dedicated to him!) and the Serpent Princess, Kumudvati. Established characters like Brewster Philboyd and Nora Pennick become fully-realized people in this novel, too. For me the best aspects of Evil Abyss were those that featured Brigid's travels and adventures in Cambodia, as the wheel of Karma brings her, Kane, Zhou Tzu and all the principals in the story to the same place from separate directions. I don't want to spoil this rich story with too many details, but the plot is actually somewhat reminiscent of the "turning point" book in the series, Savage Sun and brings each of the heroes' personalities into clearer perspective, particularly Kane and Brigid. And for those of you who read Outlanders mainly for the fight and sex scenes, this book should satisfy you as well.

Evil Abyss was well worth the wait, even if it doesn't match the manic heights of novels like Talon and Fang or even Mad God's Wrath, it's a welcome adventure full of action and drama and a very intriguing mystery. There's a slew of colorful characters: Boss Klaw, Colonel Puyang, The Magickers and. the fascinating new character of the warlord, General Zhou Tzu. The first quarter of the book, set in Ragnarville's Tartarus Pits takes the reader back to Kane, Grant and Domi's roots and it's a very violent reintroduction, not to mention hot-since they end up burning down half of Tartarus. The main plot is about Kane's search for a missing interphaser jump team from Cerberus. Brigid Baptiste, Brewster Philboyd and Nora Pennick go missing in Cambodia and he takes a Manta ship to find them. Unfortunately, he crash-lands and then meets an interesting assortment of people who help him achieve his goal-for their own reasons. The subplot deals with destiny, fate and karma and the balancing out of old sins. All of those elements, woven throughout the story are very interesting. The characterization of the heroes is razor sharp, with no missteps. I really enjoyed Brigid's own individual adventures in Cambodia, showing she is quite capable in her own right without having to rely on Kane. Like almost all of the Outlanders novels by Mark Ellis, Evil Abyss is enjoyable, smart entertainment for both new and old fans of the series. There is an air of tragic inevitability about the characters, particularly Zhou Tzu. If this book doesn't quite attain the wild sci-fi level of some of the previous adventures, the book still delivers a fun, action-packed time in the "Axlerverse". More than anything, it was wonderful visiting with all the characters again.