Mask of the Sphinx

This is the first book of the Outlanders series that I have read and I enjoyed it very much. The characters generally acted intelligently and actually had personalities. It was refreshing that characters, which were known to be enemies, could interact with each other without trying to kill each other. Not that there wasn't violence, because there was plenty of that. It's just that the mayhem was a tool to further the plot and not just there for its own sake. The tidbits of character background sprinkled through the book, made me want to read the other books of the series so I could get to know the characters better. This went for the good guys as well as the bad. I only hope that the rest of the books in the series are as good as this one.

Mask Of The Sphinx is an engaging new episode in the Outlanders series. I was a little prejudiced against this book because it has a tie-in with a Deathlands novel, Nightmare Passage. Even though I read Nightmare Passage several years ago and liked it, I am angry with Gold Eagle for what seems like the "Deathlandization" of Outlanders with the two very substandard entries by another writer over the last year. But Mask Of The Sphinx is a truly excellent book with vivid, vibrant characters, a great storyline and an exotic locale full of mystery and intrigue. Quite fortunately, the Cerberus heroes--who I buy the series to read about, not substitutes, take note, Gold Eagle!--are back in full character. I enjoyed seeing everyone getting out into the field. The jumping-off point for the plot deals with helping Quavell, the pregnant hybrid who has been living in Cerberus for quite some time, and who oddly, wasn't mentioned as even existing in what I read of the previous book, Sun Lord. It was a nice change to see the characters embarking on a mission that was basically benign for once...even though circumstances changed pretty quickly--as usual!. It was also interesting to see Kane forced to exercise his new diplomat's muscles, particularly when he comes face-to-face with an old enemy--who actually shows she's not quite as one-dimensionally evil as the Cerberus warriors thought. Although Mask Of The Sphinx won't make my top five favorite novels in the series, it's still a masterful piece of adventure storytelling, full of all the qualities that have made Outlanders so praiseworthy over the years.

One of the all-time best of the series. I would give it a 10 + if I could. A must read for action/adventure fans who want a little more than just the same 'ol same 'ol. Why cannot Hollywood turn this series into a major motion picture, which has multiple, endless sequels, is beyond me.