Collector's Edition: Encounter

Wow, this prequel novel to the Deathlands series really surprised me. This writer has been with GE since their earliest days, and I must say he is one of the most talented action writers they have had. After being somewhat disappointed with his first DL novel "Skydark", I thought "Encounter" was a vastly superior book, and a fast flowing page-turner. It wasn't perfect, I thought some of the characterizations were a little cardboard, and I missed seeing more of a deeper look into the relationship Ryan and J.B. had with the Trader. Also there was no "Traderisms" that Ryan and J.B. used to remember so much later on. The baron in this story was a nasty villain, but his fem-fetish was kind of a silly and unnecesary part of his character. But all things considered, I thought this book was not only a great action story centering on an event in Ryan's old war wag days, but some revelations were shown about some things in the series. The origin of Trader's sickness is presented, which is one of the reasons the Trader disappeared in the first book in the series. I also liked the side story involving Doc Tanner. A great depiction of his torment, and his inner anguish. The mist from the first book is not only a part of this story, but Doc's involvement regarding the mist was an awesome scene that was a huge plus for this book. The ending is one of the most explosive and shocking of all the novels in the series, and overall the book exceeded my expectations on many levels. Well worth the read, I give it 9 stars.