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Outcast
Who is killing the street scats of Endelas Ortanos? After running the streets for most of his life, Skerth knows to avoid rival scats and skin traders, but this is something new. These killings are more than random acts of violence. All the victims are nearly fifteen summers old, orphans and outcasts-just like he is. Just like the lost heir to the throne. Dodging the city's Caretakers, a rival street gang, and a handful of pirates working their own dark plans, Skerth trusts no one but his friend and secretive fellow scat, Kiri. Together, they forge unlikely alliances in an attempt to stop the killings. But as Skerth joins forces with a mysterious loyalist and moves further into danger, memories emerge... Ash and roses. A ring. A ball. And familiar faces he can't possibly remember. Or does he?
A YA novel set in the same world as The Song and the Sorceress, but far south in the country of Erados. There are crossover characters between Outcast and the later books in the Song series.
A YA novel set in the same world as The Song and the Sorceress, but far south in the country of Erados. There are crossover characters between Outcast and the later books in the Song series.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Kim Vandervort
9 books31 followersKim Vandervort began writing at the age of eleven as an outlet for her overactive imagination. Since then, she has written a variety of mostly-unpublished pieces that will never see the light of day. After attending Viable Paradise XI in 2007 her writing and marketing skills improved, enabling her to transition into publication. Her first short story, "The Librarian of Talimbourne," appeared in the anthology Ruins Metropolis in 2008. Since then, she has published a Renaissance Faire fantasy novella entitled "Faire Aria" and the first two novels in an ongoing fantasy series: The Song and the Sorceress and The Northern Queen. Chrono Mechanics, a collaborative departure from more traditional fantasy settings into the bold new worlds of time and space, is her third novel, and will be released later this year.
She currently lives in Southern California, where she spends a great deal of her spare time operating a taxi service for her two beautiful daughters. When not writing, she teaches English Composition at California State University, Fullerton, where she earned a Master’s degree in Medieval Literature in 1999.
She currently lives in Southern California, where she spends a great deal of her spare time operating a taxi service for her two beautiful daughters. When not writing, she teaches English Composition at California State University, Fullerton, where she earned a Master’s degree in Medieval Literature in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 3, 2014
If you’re looking for a good middle-school/YA fantasy novel, this is one I highly recommend. It felt really original to me, and at the same time I felt it was a really nice mix of influences, not just your traditional fantasy read. In fact, it’s barely fantasy in that it happens in a made up world, but there’s very little magic. I found myself thinking of stories like Oliver Twist and The Prince and the Pauper while I was reading.
Outcast starts out with a mystery – someone is killing boys who live on the streets of Endelas Ortanos. Skerth is one of these street kids and he’s terrified that his best friend Kiri will be next. Turns out the heir to the kingdom disappeared years ago and would be about fifteen years old today. The people want to find the heir, but the Caretakers who are running the country definitely do not.
Vandervort keeps this story fresh and interesting – it didn’t feel like a kid’s book to me (except in a good way) and I didn’t want to put it down. There are orphans and gangs and pirates. There’s a governing body full of spies and thugs. Basically, everyone’s out there looking for a fifteen year old boy they can dress up to look like a prince.
What sets this book apart is the character of Skerth, who doesn’t just run around fighting people, he wrestles with a lot of issues, like whether he should allow himself to get close to anyone. In one part he helps two younger children, and then berates himself because they need to learn to survive on the streets. He cares deeply about his friends and feels just as deeply when he’s betrayed by one of them. He recognizes that even though his life is hard, there’s a freedom to it he enjoys.
The character of Kiri is also really interesting, although not as well developed. Kiri is a girl who lives on the streets as a boy. Skerth has always seen Kiri as just like the other boys, except that’s starting to change. There’s a scene where Skerth watches Kiri and realizes she’s starting to look like a woman. His first reaction is desire, then embarrassment, then he worries about what that means for his friendship. Then he starts thinking about how devastated she will be to know she won’t be able to live as a boy much longer. It’s that kind of thoughtfulness that made this book such a good read.
This book just made me happy. This was a fun, clever read. I think it would be fantastic for kids, boys and girls both, but there’s no reason you can’t read it too.
I received a complimentary version of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. The full version of this review can be found at http://thebookstop.wordpress.com.
Outcast starts out with a mystery – someone is killing boys who live on the streets of Endelas Ortanos. Skerth is one of these street kids and he’s terrified that his best friend Kiri will be next. Turns out the heir to the kingdom disappeared years ago and would be about fifteen years old today. The people want to find the heir, but the Caretakers who are running the country definitely do not.
Vandervort keeps this story fresh and interesting – it didn’t feel like a kid’s book to me (except in a good way) and I didn’t want to put it down. There are orphans and gangs and pirates. There’s a governing body full of spies and thugs. Basically, everyone’s out there looking for a fifteen year old boy they can dress up to look like a prince.
What sets this book apart is the character of Skerth, who doesn’t just run around fighting people, he wrestles with a lot of issues, like whether he should allow himself to get close to anyone. In one part he helps two younger children, and then berates himself because they need to learn to survive on the streets. He cares deeply about his friends and feels just as deeply when he’s betrayed by one of them. He recognizes that even though his life is hard, there’s a freedom to it he enjoys.
The character of Kiri is also really interesting, although not as well developed. Kiri is a girl who lives on the streets as a boy. Skerth has always seen Kiri as just like the other boys, except that’s starting to change. There’s a scene where Skerth watches Kiri and realizes she’s starting to look like a woman. His first reaction is desire, then embarrassment, then he worries about what that means for his friendship. Then he starts thinking about how devastated she will be to know she won’t be able to live as a boy much longer. It’s that kind of thoughtfulness that made this book such a good read.
This book just made me happy. This was a fun, clever read. I think it would be fantastic for kids, boys and girls both, but there’s no reason you can’t read it too.
I received a complimentary version of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. The full version of this review can be found at http://thebookstop.wordpress.com.
November 13, 2016
Set in the same world as her two earlier books, but with different characters, the fantasy element is very tiny. Lots of adventure instead, and some well-developed characters. I'm hoping this is the start of a series.
Interestingly, this has a very similar plot to The False Prince and was published the same year. That book is the first in a trilogy. Do Kim and Jennifer Nielsen know each other?
Interestingly, this has a very similar plot to The False Prince and was published the same year. That book is the first in a trilogy. Do Kim and Jennifer Nielsen know each other?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews