Skull Throne

All that we've come to love about Outlanders is in Skull Throne. Exotic peoples, places, enemies, and objects. I love how we're seeing that things aren't going as smoothly for the Cerberus group as most serial plots would have. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if a number of the Cerberus crew decided to leave - possibly even as traitors. Things aren't going smoothly for the team and that can only leave room for new conflicts and adventures. I haven't been this excited about a series' next release in a long time.

How many ways can I explain the awesomeness that is Skull Throne? From the flash-bang opening with Cerberus Away Team Alpha in Pakistan (including a visit from our old friend Decard from Mask of the Sphinx), through the jungles of South America, and right up to a rousing climax within an ancient Mayan pyramid, this book crackles with energy at every turn. The action throughout the book is varied and exciting. Giant battles against hopeless odds with high tech weaponry? Yup. Up close and personal battles with nothing but primative tools? Yeah, that too. Beautiful princesses, ancient civilization, high technology disguised as artifacts... it's all there. I am being deliberately vague, because there are just too many fun surprises for me to spoil them here. Suffice to say, the book is high adventure at its finest and stands proudly with other classics of the series like Tomb of Time and Mad God's Wrath.

Skull Throne marks the 10th anniversary of the series Outlanders. Who knew that a spin off series from the original Deathlands would not only have made it this far, but gained such a varied and - at times - a very rabid fan following? I remember when I picked up the first novel, Exile to Hell. At that time I was a fan of Deathlands, and read the novel with a great deal of trepidation. I didn't really, at the time, know what to expect. I remember that I was disappointed at how the Deathlands had evolved, the whole idea of semi-divine Baron's now controlling the Deathlands, the return of a sort of civilization and the iron fisted rule enforced by the black armour clad Magistrates. Little did I know that I was going to become a staunch defender of this series that I originally didn't care for. As with most series, I typically give it three or four books to get the feel and decide if I'm going to continue to read it or not. I am most glad that I stood by my self imposed rules. To this day, I haven't regretted it. I found that the characters rapidly grew on me. They were human, flawed, but heroes none the less. They had conflict with one another, but when it came down to the crunch, they could rely on one another in life and death situations. Most of all, they cared for each other, even if they didn't show it often. The sign of a great writer is when the reader can relate to the characters, feel for them when they are in pain, cheer for their triumphs and - most importantly of all - watch them grow and evolve. But, that's not the only reason I kept buying the novels as time progressed. As I have stated in reviews, in private, and on public message boards, there are several other very important reasons I kept reading. Exotic locations; sexy, intelligent, strong female characters; villains who are not only interesting, but you want to see return; and mythology seamlessly woven into the series. But, most of all, Sexy female characters! Sex sells, and I'm a sucker for a pretty face and a bright mind. Skull Throne embodies every single aspect of the points that I brought up here, and in many of my previous reviews. The novel is set in not only in India, but South America and deals with the Crystal Skulls, the reborn god Nergal, a young, beautiful physical embodiment of a goddess, and best of all, a well loved, long missed villain. Yes, a villain. Best of all, the friendship between the main characters is stronger than ever, and they have grown yet again. Kane has taken on the mantel of leadership for the exiles and they have created a whole new away team, the C.A.T. teams. I'll leave the reader to discover more about these teams on their own. All you need to do is read it. And, the return of a character that means a great deal to me in the first 50 pages as well. Ten years of global, dimensional spanning adventure with dynamic character that change and never stagnant. Thank you, Mark. Thank you.