Iceblood

I've been an off-and-on reader of Axler's Deathlands series for several years, but I've been with Outlanders from the beginning. Though I've always enjoyed it, the alien angle bothered me. Partly, I couldn't understand why, if the Archon Directorate were so superior and had conquered humanity, we saw only one of them--Balam, who was a prisoner on top of it.Iceblood explains why, and I have to admire Axler for planting all the clues to this revelation from the first book onward.Outlanders really is an action-adventure series for people who don't ordinarily read such things. Iceblood is the perfect example.

Not much I can add to the other reviews about this book than agree with them. Excellent, entertaining and even a thought-provoking novel.

No amount of superlatives can do this series justice, this novel just continues the upward trend this series has shown since it started.That said, this one makes up for the slighty disappointing 'Doomstar Relic' and then some. This chapter features revelations aplenty and lots of well executed interpersonal banter and even humor. The Kane/Beth-li/Brigid triangle is a riot and is the best feature of the slow start to this novel. After the opening gambit things don't let up for a second, this is a 'read-in-one-night' book that's for sure!The ending sets up what sounds like a great new direction for the series which seems like it could be along the lines of one of my personal favourites 'Omega Path'. Consistently quality stuff in a genre that's not normally known for such things. If you're not an Outlanders fan by now, you should be!

Outlanders continues to grow and transend its roots as just another men's adventure series. Iceblood is major turning point and readers who haven't been following the series need to read this one.There is a surprising development about the Archon Directorate and mysteries which have been hinted at the last few books finally come to light--not to mention that a long unanswered question from the Deathlands series is finally answered.But like all the other Outlander books, it is the characters which make this story--from the "Mulder and Scully" like relationship between Kane and Brigid Baptiste to the scheming but still sexy Beth-li to Grant's consistent bad luck (the bad guy drops a whale on him!) to the strangely sad Archon, Balam, who turns out not be such an alien after all.A whole lot of surprising things happen in this book and there is action galore. The fight to the finish between Kane and the sicko villian, Zakat, kept me on the edge of my seat.Also, Iceblood is apparently the lead-in to a trilogy and I can barely wait for it.Outlanders is categorized as "action/adventure". Let me tell you, it's not false advertising!

Well, having read Iceblood, I have to say that it was one of the best Outlanders novels to date! Let me explain my reasoning behind it. First, take everything that you thought you knew about the Archons and toss it out the window. A huge number of questions have been answered regarding their origin, what happened to them, and about Balam as well. There are going to be two parts of the novel that should surprise you as much as they have surprised me. Another thing that got me. There is an incident that occures in a museum in the ruins of New York city that just has to be read to believe. I burst out laughing when I read it! Very well written. And Grant's comments about New York should induce a great deal of humor as well! Finally, as of this book I have a feeling that the direction of the series is about to take a different direction. I have no idea if my thoughts on this are correct or not, but I guess with the release of the first book in the upcoming trilogy: Hellbound Fury, I'll find out if I am correct or not. The series has been built up, came to what I consider a major turning point, and can only continue to get better from here on in. Don't get me wrong of course, I loved the first seven novels, and they just kept getting better and better. If the novels continue this way, the series should go for many years to come. A personal note to the Author. Keep this up man! You have a fan for life!