GUNN

After the pimply, just barely pubescent disaster called Awakening, it's awesome to have Mark Ellis return to THE BEST SERIES OF ANY KIND BEING PUBLISHED TODAY, steering Outlanders back to the path of greatness. Since descriptions of guns n' ammo and the slaughter of the innocent don't give me a big fat woody, Awakening didn't do a hell of a lot for me, but I'll tell ya, Mad God's Wrath goes down as smooth as Jack Daniel's Black. The return of Maccan was badass nasty. This is no cookie-cutter villain, but rather a complicated character that you can love to hate and, sometimes, almost sympathize with. Like most of Mark Ellis' villains, Maccan has reasons for what he does, motivations beyond "Me Will Rule Da World!" Maccan is definitely one of my favorite of Ellis' antagonists, along with the likes of Salvo, Zakat, Baron Cobalt, Sindri, and the delightfully warped Baron Sharpe. I don't want to give too much of the story away. As with any Outlanders novel, you need to READ THE DAMN THING and experience it for yourself. There's nothing else like it on the market....you're only cheating yourself out of one of life's most consistent pleasures if you overlook this series. However, without giving away too much...the Cerberus exiles are betrayed to Maccan by one of their own and the results of that betrayal are disastrous and dramatic...and a series regular is mowed down...will he or she survive? As always, Mark Ellis hits all the right notes while conducting this symphony of destruction. Our heroes---our friends---are back as they should be, crafted with care, true to the bone, and as human as you or me. Now, go read the book, okay?

I have to disagree with Dan Xavier's review. I actually wish the author had spent less time with the hostages and more with Phoenix Force. Granted, this wasn't the best of the Phoenix Force novels, but back in the day, it was a hell of a lot better than most of the other monumentally turdish turds clogging the marketplace and certainly was not an embarrassment to the franchise. To be honest, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Prior to reading this, all I had read was Argentine Deadline and, perhaps, Stony Man Doctrine....I went on to read the entire series. And, Dan, did you have to disrespect the K-Man? Nothing against Calvin James, who is a fantastic character that I would never utter even one negative word about, but Keio was the friggin' man! We're talking about a heroic, noble, complex, young Japanese man given a chance to shine back when it was practically politically correct for Americans to hate the Japanese. You gotta appreciate that, but, perhaps most importantly of all, Keio was, like, COOOOOOOL.

If Awakening wasn't an Outlanders novel, I would have given it five stars instead of two. It was an average read in many ways....But since it IS an Outlanders novel, I think I'm being charitable giving this steaming turd two whole stars as it is a complete betrayal of much of what Mark Ellis has spent several years building with this series. My main complaint is characterization. Or, perhaps I should say, character assasination. Every single Outlanders character is portrayed in inexcusably terrible fashion in this novel---I would laugh my ass of if it didn't make me so frigging sad. Team Phoenix are decent enough characters of the stereotypically macho and somewhat brain-dead variety and if this was a Team Phoenix novel, it would likely be a five-star effort. However, it almost seemed as if first-time Outlanders author Victor Milan was purposely sabotaging all of the series' regular characters---in effect, flipping off series creator Mark Ellis. I'm sure Mr. Milan is capable of better than this. I certainly hope so, since he's contracted to write more Outlanders novels. I also hope this circumstance doesn't degenerate into a "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!!! My charcters are better than yours!!!!" situation on Mr. Milan's part. Because, quite simply, they are not. Kane and Grant could eat Team Phoenix's souls.... That is, if Team Phoenix had any souls.

Command Force is another command performance from one of my all-time favorite writers, the inimitable and phenomenally talented Mike Linaker. Everything Mr. Linaker writes is as good as gold in my book. Command Force has great action and suspense, interesting villains, and superb charcterization of all the series' regulars, icluding some sterling moments for Grimaldi and superb banter and interaction from Able Team. Mr. Linaker writes fantastic dialogue that is a joy to read. What more could you ask for? Read it, y'all.

Another of my all-time favorites. A big, fat, adrenaline-soaked action-fest full of suspense and the great characterizations I always expected from William Fieldhouse. Phoenix Force saves the world again, but once more loses one of their own. Karl Hahn was a great character and I still miss him, but his death was handled extremely well. This is a true classic by one of the greatest writers in the genre. Man, I miss William Fieldhouse.

In the wake of Warrior's Requiem, I couldn't help but think of this book, the novel where Phoenix Force lost one of its own for the first time, the noble young samurai, Keio Ohara. I started reading these books around the time of Keio's death, but because I read them in order, Keio's death was a huge shock to me. I didn't expect it and from that point on, I had to wonder who would be the next to fall. This book also features the first appearance of Calvin James, who fit in perfectly with Phoenix Force and quickly became one of my favorites.....I'm not sure what that means, exactly, since I love all of these characters just about equally, though if I had to pick just one as my favorite, it would definitely be Katz. The Black Alchemists was a great read with a shocking ending. Keio's final scene was powerful and he went out like a true warrior. This book is a must-read for any Phoenix Force fan. Along with Day Of Mourning, it radically changed my perceptions and expectations of the Bolanverse and upped the stakes in the most incredibly shocking fashion possible.

Talon And Fang is probably my favorite book in the Outlanders saga and that's really saying something, because I have thoroughly enjoyed every installment that was written by series creator Mark Ellis and he has written almost all of them. But this one is truly something special as we leap into the future and follow the adventures of an older Kane as he attempts to find a way to set right what went so wrong in his past. This Outlanders future is shocking and disturbing and the fates of many of the major characters will literally make your jaw drop. Talon And Fang is full of twists and surprises, suspense and adventure. Several things that I expected to happen, that I felt just had to happen, well...they didn't happen. And things I never expected slammed me upside the head like Mike Tyson on a bad tattoo day. Mark Ellis disdains the stereotypical and always manages to have several interesting tricks up his sleeve. I can't recommend this book or this series enough. Mark Ellis is the real deal, the best there is at what he does, a writer at the pinnacle of his powers apparently on a quest to redefine the term "brilliance." Be good to yourseves, people. Eat healthy. Take your vitamins. Get plenty of exercise. Take time to smell the roses. And READ OUTLANDERS.

I can't say enough great things about Outlanders and its creator Mark Ellis. Mark Ellis has set a new standard in the sci-fi/adventure genre and Outlanders is one of the best series of any kind being published in the world today. Sea Of Plague is another awesome entry in the Outlanders saga, picking up the storyline from Talon And Fang, which was the first part of the Heart Of The World duology. To be brief and attempt to avoid spoilers, Kane and the rest of the Cerberus resistance fighters must deal with the shocking revelations made in Talon And Fang. In order to avoid a devastating future, they must devise a plan to put an end to the Imperator's chilling plans for humanity. To this end, they attempt to form an alliance with an old enemy and undertake a desperate raid in an effort to prevent the Imperator from poisoning the earth with a monstrous plague, all the while struggling with the horrifying knowledge that one of their own may betray them and that some of them may be living on borrowed time. As always, there is plenty of white-knuckle suspense and feverish action and adventure, as well as all the bells and whistles of the very best science fiction. Mark Ellis has given the Outlanders universe a rich and fascinating history, incorporating ancient myths and modern legends into a startlingly original tapestry that resonates with true power and is populated by remarkably well-drawn characters, whether they are heroes or villains or someone straddling the line between. To me, it is the compelling and believable characters that are the greatest asset of this fantastic series, as all of them spring to life for the reader and seem to be living, breathing human beings---except for those that are not exactly human, of course. I can't recommend Outlanders highly enough. If you're not reading this series, you're missing out on some of the best popular literature that's being published today.

Another of my favorites. Michael Kasner pulls out all the stops on this one. I thought Able Team played a great role in Star Venture, with Pol tracking down the Chinese spy ring and Gadgets and Ironman in outer space saving the earth with experimental tech. I mean, come on, how could you not love that? Bolan, Grimaldi, and Phoenix Force also had plenty to do with the strike on China and the rescue of 2/3 of Able Team. Great action sequences, tense suspense, and, as always, Kasner's awesome portrayal of the personnel back at the Farm.

No, this is not Micahel Kasner's best book, but I still thought it was great. Plenty to do for Able Team, and more than enough action and suspense to satify this reader. Personally, I enjoyed the characterization of Phoenix Force in this book. What's wrong with them cracking jokes? It does happen from time to time and has since way back in Phoenix Force #1. Kasner has always kept up with the cutting edge of miltary tecnological advancements and though I am an ignorant fool and don't understand a heck of a lot about those sort of things, I do think they are pretty damn COOL. Maybe some of the gadgets are impractical and will never be used by the US Military, but, well...this is military FICTION, after all. And this is another great Michael Kasner adventure/thriller.

It doesn't get much better than this. How could it? I absolutley hate writing reviews, so I'm keeping this short and sweet, but Chuck Rogers deserves another ten for this mother---I OWE it to him for the way this blew me away. Iceman and his team were fantastic adversaries for Mack Bolan. The action was non-stop from page one and the suspense was riveting. And the graveyard scene? HARDCORE. Just like the rest of the book. To sum it up: Awesome work, Mr. Rogers.

One of my all-time favorites, though I haven't read it since I was a kid. I did, however, read it two or three times by the time I turned twelve. This has some of the biggest and baddest action scenes William Fieldhouse ever wrote and that's REALLY saying something. And yes, it's possible that there are a couple of plot holes and a little bit of faulty logic.... But who cares? This was pure adrenaline, with Phoenix Force as pulp action/adventure hero gods. That's the way I like 'em.

Blood Trade: Fucking hard as a fuck nut. With a heart. And world-weary soul. This book burns. It bleeds. And near the end, it will break your fucking heart. The world is now, officially, Douglas P. Wojtowicz's personal bitch. Gather around, my people, and I'll tell ya what makes Blood Trade so damn special: This is pure Mack Bolan, one hundred proof, Sergeant Mercy living every bit as large as the Bastard. This is not Mack the Robot, but Mack Samuel Bolan, human fucking being, still the world's premier fighting man, but a man who thinks and feels and breathes and bleeds in addition to piling up mountains of ass well and justly kicked. We're inside Mack's head here and we know his heart, the heart that has sometimes seemed absent in certain novels, but has always truly been at the very core of Mack's War Everlasting. It was, after all, the shattering of that good heart that sent Mack down this long and lonely road in the first place. Throughout Blood Trade, Mack is expertly drawn and constantly true, so close to the bone you can almost taste the marrow. There is superb characterization for other Stony Man regulars, as well. We get a dose of classic, brilliant, bad ass Katz. Katz has been misused at times, but not here. This is the Katz of my youth and my only complaint about this novel is that there was not more of him, though it was awesome to see how Katz and the rest of Phoenix Force still haunted Chang Chi Fu after all these years. And Carl Lyons, nutting up in spectacular fashion, gets an extended cameo in which he is allowed to shine. Ironman's personality has too often been made of cardboard, but Wojtowicz lets us see behind the mask. Calvin James and Jack Grimaldi also take part and both are in fine form. The "Dysfunctional Spy Agency Theater" scene with Calvin and Ironman is truly classic and worth its weight in gold. Wojtowicz has brought a shitload of personality and a healthy helping of humor to all of the characters in Blood Trade, including the wonderful supporting cast he created. Michelle Lam, Cowboy Mick Hayes, Alvin Warren, Choi Tranh, Dandy Chuck Brewer, and Chang Chi Fu, among others, are all spectacular additions to the chronicles of the Executioner. Mick Hayes is just too cool and I can't wait to see the big bastard again. Alvin Warren was a real treat, a character that truly surprised me and turned out to be not at all like what I expected him to be. Chang is the perfect villain, heinous and despicable without going over the top and becoming a cartoon. And Michelle Lam, well, I fell in love with Michelle---her bravery and decency, her compassion and fighting spirit, such a magnificent character. And did I mention this book is fucking hard as a fuck nut? You want action, people? Here it is. This is a mean, gigantic, sweltering beast of an action/adventure novel. The suspense is riveting and keeps you turning the pages. The action is rollicking from page one and rarely slows down. The plot is tight, big enough to seem epic, but personal enough to haunt your dreams. The good guys persevere despite harrowing, hellish trials and terrible hardship. Blood Trade is an action junkie's dream come true. It is also an important novel filled with compassion and concern for the human condition. Mack Bolan would never tolerate the abuse and slaughter of children anywhere and I am thrilled Wojtowicz sent the Executioner on this mission. Sweet Jesus, this is good stuff. Douglas P. Wojtowicz has begun climbing the mountain, people. I'm going to be there every step of the way. I believe Don Pendleton would have been proud of Blood Trade and its author and I think it is a fantastic and important addition to the legacy of the Exectuioner. More, please!