Review: The Outlanders by David B. Coe

Summer is almost here. It is a time for vacations and a chance to get some reading accomplished. An entertaining Fantasy book with a lot of adventure can fit that prospect. The Outlanders by David B. Coe is such a book. The second book of the Lon Tobyn Chronicle has an adventurous plot, likable characters and a clashing setting which makes the book a desirable, fast read that is hard to put down until it is completed.

This book's adventurous plot hooks the reader right away, drawing you in to find out what will happen next. Many middle books of a Fantasy trilogy tend to be slow moving with little change to the overall story line. The Outlanders progresses the story with a lot of action and conflict. There is a lot of tension between the order of Hawk Mages and Owl Masters as they discuss what to do about a possible invasion from the rival continent of Lon Ser. The order prefers to take no action because the older mages do not want to deal with change. One mage decides to help Tobyn Ser by going to the other nation and talking peace with its government. He leaves behind a growing rift among the mages as the people lose faith in them. Mr. Coe weaves the conflicting plot elements into a satisfying whole that leads to a strong climax and prepares you for the next book.

The likable characters grow and change in this second book, which makes them more human. Jaryd becomes a stronger person as he fights for his friends and doing the right thing. He strives to serve the land by protecting if from the complacency of the older mages. Hawk Mage Orris demonstrates remarkable courage as he does what he thinks is right by going to Lon Ser. New characters are added to give the book a stronger sense of conflict. Melyor is a beautiful ambitious Nal Lord with a secret. She is a skilled fighter and kills to protect her secret and power. Events force her to change by the end of the novel. Villains have strong personalities too like the Overlord Cedrych. He is a ruthless man on a quest for greater power who does not care about anyone else. All of these characters contribute to the plot that keeps you reading until the end.

Finally, a clashing setting adds more conflict to the book. The Fantasy world of this book consists of two land masses connected by an isthmus. Tobyn Ser is a land of rich natural resources, pastoral and mostly rural. It is a land where magic exists. In contrast, Lon Ser is technologically advanced with cars, lasers and other things. This land consists of three huge cities polluted by smog and running out of natural resources, which makes the Nals of Lon Ser covet and want to conquer Tobyn Ser. The problem for the Overlord of Bragor Nal is the magic of the other land. Mr. Coe uses this contrast of the setting to increase the suspense of the story. It works.

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