Kathryn Mackel's Outriders, book one in a new series about the new Ark, starts slowly
as the reader learns terms like gargants, hoornars, and transmogrification, but intensifies
with each passing epidose.
Delivered to the Arctic ice in husks by a whale, these outriders' mission is to save
what is left of civilization after the Endless Wars. The use of the Ark, reminiscent of
the biblical ark, in the plot foreshadows what action and results these pioneers will do
and what they will accomplish.
The novel consists of many episodes describing the action of the various groups sent
out from the Ark to accomplish their goal. These episodes are varied and entertaining,
but at first the reader must work at seeing the relationship of each individual group to
the whole.
As each episode unfolds, this relationship becomes clearer and clearer, and the episodes
themselves become more suspenseful and entertaining. Even though the action is pure fantasy,
the action becomes believable.
This series is targeted to teens and college students, and the Star-Wars-like action and
dialogue will appeal to this group, while the idea of starting our civilization over will
engage adult readers.
The story, which is essentially about good versus evil, also has conflicts among the
outriders themselves, and there are the predictable romantic tensions. A surprise and
welcome element of the story is the strong religious tone the story takes on as the novel
winds down. The narrator tells us, "Niki believed in God's greatness. How could she not,
when she saw the miracle of Creation and what the Creator had done to preserve it?"
Anyone wishing to sample science fiction/fantasy thriller reading would do well to give
this book a try.