Outcast: Book 1

by Coldhollow aka Wayne Thomas Batson

You may be cool.

But are you casting lightning bolts while surfing a giant fire-breathing turtle cool?

Hotshot astronomer Rick Tagler thought terminal brain cancer limited his options—until a celestial cataclysm hurls him and other Outcasts into Illdari, a perilous new universe where survival is just the beginning.

Join Rick, his pet turtle Gams, and a spitfire Fae named Gail as they navigate monstrous beasts, mercurial storms, sinister guilds, and rule-breaking overseers. In Illdari, the odds aren't just stacked against you; they'll stomp you into jelly and spread you on toast.

Speed-leveling, overpowered abilities, surprise companions, and glorious loot are Rick's new comforts—but that's not the same as hope. They play for keeps here, and the survival clock is always ticking.

Welcome, Outcast. Eternity wasn't supposed to be like this.

388 pages, Paperback

Published October 23, 2024

Reviews

[Yakira Goldsberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a ride. So many Lord of the Rings jokes. So many Labyrinth references. A whole lot of chaos.
To be honest, Rick kinda got on my nerves at first. I wanted to tell at him, dude you’re in an MMORPG not a dating sim!! He just didn’t seem to have a sense of his impending doom. But he straightened out eventually which I appreciated.
I think Reginald, aka Bigfoot was my favorite character by far. I hope we see more of him in the future. Also I appreciated that Rick wasn’t overpowered like every single isekai in existence.
Overall, Outcast is a fun ride for those who enjoy isekai and plenty of wacky humor.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

LitRPG novel done right! This had depth, richness and immersion intertwined with lots of humor while keeping the stakes high. Illdari is its own enchanting world that you want to keep exploring, with fascinating creatures, lively NPC's and plenty of scary creatures to give you the heebs. The MC is hilarious, but always feels human with real pain, real struggles, and real flaws, but we're rewarded with real growth. His Guide is shrouded in mystery, appearing when necessary making him all the more intriguing. The way our MC's party grows is done right, and we couldn't have asked for a better companion than Gail! The battle scenes are intense, very well written, and honestly, just plain fun as LitRPGs should be. I'm excited to read Book Two as the party grows and explore more realms.

[Raymond Chas Castleberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent story

Very exciting story with amazing world building. Could go for a better system layout but other than that definitely enjoyable

[James Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

This was a hell of a ride. It was just an enjoyable read. Well, there are parts where you think you're in a Pat Boone infomercial, but that is more amusing than truly annoying.

Recommended.

[Melanin Monreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good!

The MC is really bumbling and that works for him. I'm hoping to see growth in the next installment. This one has really good side characters, who essentially carry him through the quests. His turtle is the brightest spot for me, so cool! Would have been nice to get a final status since this is a litrpg, it's a bit mean to leave that off after a big climactic fight. All in all, I had a good time reading

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, but I found it hard to get into at the beginning. For me also, there were some other confusing bits along the way. Enjoyable characters, Gail was by far my favourite… some surprises, and humour.. As good as it was, it is not, for me, as good as a lot of other books by Mr Batson. Still a recommended read.

[Kenneth Bliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outcast is my first foray into a LitRPG world and what a world it was. Coldhollow (aka Batson) draws you in from the get-go and doesn't let go until the end. Intriguing characters, vivid imagery, tons of humor, pop culture references and phenomenal world building. If this is typical for LitRPG, please sign me up for more! Time to grab Book 2...

[Timothy Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a litrpg book. The author did a good job at keeping the main character true to how he made him in the beginning. A little bit of romance which really grabs the reader and a lot of laughs throughout the book. I would say overall I am going to read book 2 in the series, can't wait to find out the secrets that we don't know about yet.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. A little different from Mr. Batson's other books, but not in a bad way. I found it entertaining and humorous. I recommend this to everyone and anyone.

[Kandi J Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I didn't leave a review! This is epic! If you love 80's pop culture references, are a beer snob, love SAO, and enjoy animal side-kicks, this book is for you!