Outlanders · #7

Iceblood

by Mark Ellis · December 1998

9.5 / 10 average from 2 rated reviews

Deep in the Outlands in Cerberus redoubt, Kane, a renegade Magistrate from the united baronies, experiences a shocking mind probe. It imprints him with a knowledge that propels him to the other side of the world, with the archivist Brigid and brother-at-arms Grant. In the heart of Tibet, Kane's small group of Outlanders wages a perilous quest pursuing a legend, only to discover they are not alone in their search for the Chintamani Stone. The ancient relic has the power to conduct the final assault on the earth's destiny...destroy the destroyer's themselves. Survival in the Outlands is an encounter with the end of hope.

Reviews (2)

The Phantom 9/10 July 29, 2003

This book is full of surprises. The prisoner in the redoubt finaly gets to have his day in this novel. Up to now there is a lot of mystery and speculation about the Archon Directorate and all that is involved with it, but this novel really goes into unexpected directions, answering many questions, and adding more wonders in this imaginative and fascinating series. It took me a while to get into this book, the opening chapters didn't really grab me the way the earlier books did. But as I read along the story got more and more interesting, and I got totaly absorbed in the novel. Another outstanding entry in a series any fan of sci-fi should read.

Rob 10/10 July 7, 2003

This is another fabulous novel in the Outlanders series and it's such an important, pivotal novel that I truly can say I love this book. I've read it three times. In "Iceblood" the heroes meet the truly evil Russian mystic Gregori Zakat and get involved in his quest to recover the facets of the Chintamani Stone...which apparently is an actual artifact according to the link on the Outlanders Archive site. This quest takes the heroes from New York to Tibet to the legendary underground city of Agartha. This is also the book which establishes the Cerberus alliance with Sky Dog and his band of Indians. The most important element of "Iceblood" is the revelation about the Archons. The entire series changed from this book on, and what was interesting was that hints had been dropped for a number of novels preceding it. There is a lot of great things in this book. The interactions between the main characters are sharp and amusing, the settings are very exotic and fascinating with "Indiana Jones" type of touches. The scenes in the ruins of New York and Agartha just jump off the printed page into your imagination. Very colorful and vivid descriptions with lots of action and mayhem. The scheming but sexy Beth-Li was still around and thinking back on it, she added a certain erotic heat to the series. The heroes team up with Balam and he gains an added depth of dimension. He becomes a fascinating and sympathetic character. This book is full of great characters, both good and evil and in-between. What a terrific movie it would make. "Iceblood" is a classic Outlanders novel, one of the best and most important in the whole series.