Omega Path

Omega Path is essentially a time travel story, but like everything in Outlanders, there's a twist to it...Kane, Brigid and arch-foe Salvo travel back in time to change history so the nukecaust doesn't happen. Pretty simple and standard plot, right? Wrong! They find out they CAN'T travel back to their own time, they can only travel "sideways" in time due to something called a hypershunt created by that most loathsome of all the Outlanders villains, Colonel Thrush. They end up in a parallel past timeline, which is a neat way of explaining why both Outlanders and DL are still being published when the nukecaust of January 2001 didn't happen in this reality. So, though they're in a past timeline, nothing they do will affect their own future. This is kind of a heart-rending story on a number of counts, but it still has as much action as anybody could possibly want. The character development takes another step forward in this one, particularly the relationship between Kane and Brigid. Lakesh has his chance to shine, too, as does Domi. Omega Path also features my favorite ending of all the books, with a very bittersweet and memorable closing scene. You could almost hear the violins.

This book slam dunks the full ten stars! The fourth volume in this cool series has Kane's group rescuing Lakesh from the Cobaltville prison. This is the first return there for the exiles since they left in book one. Very tense and exciting scenes in the rescue and then its on to the redoubt to go back in time to just before the nukecaust to try to thwart that disaster. The ending is unexpected, a real twist to the story, leaving a cliffhanger for the next book. Another great book from Ellis.

This is the only Outlander novel I have read I will buy more though. I was lost a bit because I had not read the first 3 books. I do like how it really tied into the origin of Deathlands book 1. I liked also how Ellis dealt with time paradox. Usually time paradox stories fail on logic but this made sense. I loved the reaction of Kane and gang when they discover the Earth they go to is ours. I also really love how it is established the our Earth and the Deathlands/Outlanders is set in a parallel Earth. When you read Deathlands book 1 which I read just last year you think "my god did this creator really louse up his predictions" (which is very good).

This is one of my favorites in the Outlanders series, dealing with a new twist on the time travel theme. Like all the books, it features solid, multi-dimensional characters and plot--and it also introduces Colonel Thrush, the immortal villain who returns in the Lost Earth Saga. Though all the novels in this series are great, I just re-read this one (the fourth) and it's on my mind. In my opinion, Outlanders is the best series Gold Eagle publishes and is sure head and shoulders above Deathlands. I enjoyed Mark Ellis' two Executioner novels, but I hope he stays with Outlanders.