Outliers

The Outliers #1

by Kate L. Mary

Winner in the 2018 Kindle Books Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction
B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree
Top 10 Finalist in the 2018 Author Academy Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Finalist in the 2018 Wishing Shelf Book Awards

In the dusty ruins of the world, three groups exist: the Sovereign, the Fortis, and the Outliers. Within their walled city, exclusive access to the only remaining technology gives the Sovereign an advantage that seems impossible to beat. In exchange for meager scraps and free reign outside the walls, they use the brawn of the Fortis to their advantage while the Outliers struggle to survive. Living on land that has not healed from the poison of the past, and surrounded by dangers too numerous to count, the Outliers have adapted - but to the Sovereign and the Fortis, they are nothing.

Indra is an Outlier. Each day she braves the wastelands, making the dangerous journey from the wilds where she lives to the City so she can serve the Sovereign in order to give her family a better life. Inside the walls, she has no rights and no freedom. Not only is she powerless to resist the Sovereign’s harsh rule, but she is also unable to do anything to save her people from the brutality of the Fortis. For centuries they have made their abuse of Outliers a sport, but when Asa comes to Indra’s rescue, she sees something different in him. Something that marks him as so much more than just a Fortis guard.

But as Indra’s world begins to unravel, even the quiet alliance she has formed with Asa cannot save her from the wrath of the Sovereign. In one life-altering moment, everything Indra has ever known is ripped away, forcing her to face a world even more harsh and unforgiving. Broken and scarred, Indra finds herself on a journey that will challenge everything she’s ever been taught, learning along the way that she’s stronger than she ever imagined. Maybe even strong enough to free her people forever.

Genres: Dystopia, Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Romance, Science Fiction, Fiction, Amazon

Unknown Binding

First published March 6, 2018

About the author

I'm a mom of four, Air Force wife, and author of adult and young adult dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and science fiction. I love intense world building and character driven stories that feature strong female leads - as well as a side of romance - and any end of the world scenario. Zombies, aliens, a distant future where people have no clue how the world ended in the first place, you name it, I will create a story there!

Having lived in a lot of different places after more than a decade as an Air Force wife, I love setting my books in cities I've actually lived in to give them authenticity. I've resided in: Indiana, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, and Oklahoma but am currently back in my home state of Ohio where I live with my husband, four kids, two dogs, and three cats.

When I'm not writing, you can find me by my pool (in the summer), getting lost in some binge-worthy show or at a play with my husband, patronizing one of the great restaurants in my small town of Troy, Ohio with my family, or traveling. I want to see everything and make a point of visiting a new place every year!

Some of my favorite books are The Hunger Games, Pride and Prejudice, The Host, and The Stand. My favorite movies are Aliens, Jaws, Signs, Say Anything, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and The Greatest Showman.

Awards:

Outliers
Winner in the 2018 Kindle Books Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction
B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree
Finalist in the 2018 Wishing Shelf Book Awards For Adult Fiction
Top 10 Finalist in the Author Academy Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fiction
Cover Finalist in the 2019 RONE Awards from InD'tale Magazine

When We Were Human
2015 Children's Moonbeam Awards Silver Medal winner for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction
2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner for Young Adult Science Fiction

Tribe of Daughters
Winner in the 2020 RONE Awards for Time Travel/Science Fiction
Bronze Medal Winner in the 2019 Readers' Favorite Book Awards for Science Fiction
Honorable Mention in the 2018 SPR Book Awards

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Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the ashes of life comes strength and one young woman will find her own strength at one of the lowest points in her life. Enter the world of OUTLIERS and let author Kate L. Mary take you on a journey into what is left behind in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world. Three classes have formed, the all-powerful, ruling Sovereign class use their position to gain a warrior force from the Fortis. At the bottom of the chain are the Outliers, those with the least, those who must work the hardest, those who suffer the wrath of both the Sovereign and the Fortis.

Indra has proven her worth in the eyes of her sovereign employer, but it doesn’t protect her from the abuse she must face on a daily basis in order to feed her family. With no rights, no freedoms and no one to depend on while within the sovereign’s city walls. It is nothing for the Fortis to take advantage of their position of strength for sport and always, it is at the expense of the Outliers.

Then Asa stepped forward to risk his position as a Fortis to help Indra. Can she trust a man whose people have tormented the Outliers for decades? As he keeps his silent vigil, she is safe, but one day he isn’t there and that day would forever change who and what Indra was. It would define her greatest loss and nearly cost her her very life. That day Indra had nothing left to give, so she learned to take and a rebel was born…

All post-apocalyptic tales are NOT created equal! Kate L. Mary nailed the worst society has to offer. An extension of whatever brought down the world before? Indra has true grit and strength, she has maturity and a heck of a lot more self-control than I would have had. Asa, as mysterious as he was, definitely could be called a rebel himself, even if his motives were emotional. I KNOW I also liked that there was no romantic, forbidden love between Indra and Asa, yes there was tension, but Indra seemed to know who and what she wanted and it broke my heart that it became the greatest weapon to use against her.

Vile characters, brutal actions and living in constant fear for one class of people will render readers almost speechless with rage. What it does to galvanize Indra will bring readers back for more, because OUTLIERS is not only a firm foundation for what promises to be a powerfully intense new series, it feels alive, kind of like a lit fuse that promises to explode! Read it, you'll be glad you did!

I received a complimentary ARC copy from Kate L. Mary!

Series: The Outliers Saga- Book 1
Publisher: Twisted Press, LLC (March 6, 2018)
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Genre: Dystopian | Post Apocalyptic
Print Length: 237 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

book 1 has me hooked!

Excellent!! Terrific word building and character development! Can’t wait to find out what happens next! So I downloaded the next two books in the series right away.

Trigger warnings: violence. Assault against women.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I downloaded this book on Kindle Unlimited

I really liked this book, as much as Kate Mary's zombie series. Protagonist Indra is a member of one of the four tribes of Outliers, in a world where the Sovereign people rule, with the Fortis providing the muscle. The Outliers are the workers, the weak, who rely on hereditary jobs in the Sovereign's kingdom. Immediately, I wanted to know where this strange land is supposed to be; a fantasy world, or Earth? The suggestion that it's Earth comes at just the right time, as Indra is shown the remains of one of the cities. Centuries before, their world had been overcrowded, with technology so sophisticated that the inhabitants' weapons could wipe out whole kingdoms; this they did, unleashing 'poison' into the world that rendered much of it a wasteland. 'What they had fought over none of us knew for certain, but we know that it had not only destroyed them, but left the earth barren and dry... poisoning it for future generations.'

Yes, I think it's mean to be Earth, but we don't know. Books exist, containing writing that no one can understand. I love that the question was put into my mind but not answered fully, and hope there will be more about this in future episodes. There are other clues ~ the rich Sovereign have grown weak, small and plump because they are waited upon and spend much time eating and drinking, and the women make all the decisions (!!). However, in the wilds, where Indra's tribe (the Winta) live, women are the weaker sex; they tend the home fires while the men go out hunting.

The beginning of this new series builds up nicely, painting pictures of the world I know I am going to continue to read about. I liked how KLM has done this; it's not a big information dump, but she skillfully sets up all the info we need about the Sovereign, Fortis and Outliers within the first few chapters of the story, so we're good to go for the rest. I was engrossed from the start.

After lots of terrible things happen to Indra, her friends and family, she looks around at the women of her tribe ~ women unarmed, women defenceless and useless. This, she knows, must change.

As I was reading, I thought, 'KLM has been watching Outsiders', and in the Author's Note she thanks the show for giving her the name Asa for the guy I had my eye on as the main love interest/hero of the hour. Works for me ~ I love Outsiders (I picture Indra looking like G'Winveer, for anyone else who watches it).

This first instalment of the Outliers saga is a real 'easy-read' at the same time as being a totally gripping page-turner, and I read 90% of it in one day. Any negatives? There are a few small editing glitches (the same information repeated more than once, a couple of minor instances that seemed like afterthoughts dropped in, instead of being threaded through the story), but nothing that would worry most readers, and I give this a wholehearted thumbs up. Roll on May, when Book #2 is published!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/20/2020)! 🎁

[Cheer Papworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indra is the kind of dystopian protagonist I’m always searching for, but rarely find. An unlikely hero who doesn’t possess hidden super powers, she’s undesignated as the chosen one and truly not extraordinary in any way. Instead, she’s relatable- a kind and compliant servant, but a fighter she is not. But what happens when a powerless Outlier girl, suppressed beyond measure, is stripped of everything she values and loves? Watch out world because this is the stuff that makes for a fantastic 5 Star read!

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this instalment of the Outliers Sage. I like that it didn't end on a cliffhanger, but rather at a natural break point in the story. The whole book is written in the first person and from Indra's point of view, which is a little unusual in dystopian/Sci-Fi novel.

For me, the story was a little slow at first. Whilst I appreciate that there is a need to world build and to introduce the various characters, it felt as though nothing much happened. It is so worth sticking with though because once the story picked up pace, I really got drawn in and really didn't want to put the book down.

There are some wonderful, inspiring events in the story and some downright heartbreaking moments. I really enjoyed seeing Indra grow as a person, to start finding herself and realising her inner strength. I will definitely be continuing with this series and can't wait to find out what happens next.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate L. Mary has written an intense dystopian novella which is not only thought-provoking, but touches on many themes.

Read full review in the 2018 June issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Outliers. It was a great, quick read that hooked me from the start and kept me reading long into the night and back at the next morning. I loved the world Mary created, a world birthed from the destruction that took place hundreds of years earlier. Depending on where you were born, depended your allotted place in this world. It is such a fantastic dystopian read.

I was surprised with this book in such a wonderful way. It was suspenseful, painful, and agonizing at times. But was also endearing, sweet and beautiful in others. Was I surprised in how the story developed and then ended. In a way yes. I knew some things would happen. You could just tell. But it ended better than I could have imagined. I look forward to seeing how the next book unfolds.

Suburb writing and a steller plot, this book shook me! OUTLIERS is a must read! 5 Stars!

[Gkaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the description for this book and was immediately hooked. I didn't want a romanticized picture of a dystopian society and this book delivered. it was so raw that i found myself crying and connecting to Indra. She is strong but not without sacrifice. I do not want to give anything away but just know this book is raw and hooks you in fast. The build up of these characters is masterfully written, and let me tell you, you not be able to put it down.

[Amber Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just another Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian book!!!

Amazing! I love Indra. She is a really strong mc who is an Outlier, at the bottom of the caste system. She suffers so others don't. I love the different castes. I hope the next book delves into the Fortis, the guards, especially Asa, and the Sovereign the ruthless rulers.

[K.J. Simmill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indra was an Outlier. She was nothing, less than nothing within the city walls. For three years she had worked for Saffron, inheriting her mother's position of House Maid when her mother became too sick to work. Now it fell to her to provide for the family. She learnt quickly how to protect herself from the more horrific consequences, and in turn when her best friend Mira came to work there, she protected her, even at her own risk. Things were less than ideal, but they were bearable for the small wages and food they were paid. What they were given often meant the difference between life and death. But things were changing, and following events Indra feels somewhat responsible for, bills that had previously failed are being passed to ensure the Outliers are closer to becoming slaves than the free people they were, what's more, part of it was being done 'for their own good'. Indra doesn't know what to do, this latest change will force her to sacrifice the very reason she works there, but there is no life beyond the wastelands, despite how her husband indulges in such fantasies. Could she risk trying to survive, or is the slow push into slavery her only chance?

I really enjoyed Kate L. Mary's The Outliers. Indra is an easy character to relate to, she's an overthinker. She replays things in her mind, and shoulders the burden of things she felt she could have changed. She carries with her guilt and remorse, and through it all strives to do right as much as she dare, even at the risk of punishment. But there are some boundaries she knows better than to push, and things that, to her own pain, she keeps from Bodhi, her husband, and Asa is one such secret, despite the seemingly innocent nature of their forming relationship. I found her Bodhi's character really likable, especially in his attempts to help his wife grow and learn things that their way of life would normally frown upon. I found Kate L. Mary's writing style to be immersive, enough description to build her world and environments and enough character interactions and observations to get a real feel for the conflicts, hierarchy, and structure of the world they live in. It is certainly a strong first book, and I'll be keeping my eyes open for the next instalment.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. There were some things that I didn’t think made very much sense. I could never figure out how the Sovereign, who are these fat little doughy people, could possibly be the ones in control of everything. They live safely behind their walls with plenty of food and luxuries never having to lift a finger. Everything is clean and perfect. But they aren’t very powerful. There was never any mention of advanced weaponry of any sort.

Then we have the Fortis. The Fortis are big, filthy (with a few exceptions) mean, stinky assholes who live in what basically sounds like an overcrowded slum directly outside the city walls. Their main function is to guard the Sovereign from weird creatures and dole out punishments to the Outliers in the event that they get mouthy or steal or even blink in an offensive manner while they serve the Sovereign. I have no idea what motivates them to do this or to be satisfied with their lives and their living conditions.

The Outliers live even further out than the Fortis, in undeveloped wilderness areas, mostly in huts, and in order to survive, generally send one person from each family to go to work in the cities as servants to the Sovereign, in exchange for small amounts of food and medicine and such.

I could never figure out how it was that the Fortis didn’t just try to take over from the Sovereign. It doesn’t seem like it would be very hard. I could never figure out why there wasn’t an uprising of some sort. The Outliers would have a more difficult time doing so because the Fortis guards would stop them but the whole set up didn’t make much sense. It’s possible that the reasons just weren’t explained yet but it bugged me.

Another issue I had was that there was a lot of telling in this rather than showing and especially at the beginning. I also thought there was a considerable lack of conversations and dialogue.

One thing I did like is that there is a women’s empowerment theme going on in this and even the Sovereign, useless and cruel as they may be, is a matriarchal society.

[Noelle Brighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story and world building. Well written work. I will be reading more from this author.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world of The Outliers Saga is made up of three different classes of people. The high society and rulers of the world are the Sovereign who live inside the walls of the Sovereign City. Sovereign City is ruled by the women and is the one who makes all the rules and enforces them. They have a one-child rule where if anyone has more than one child that child is left outside of the walls to die.

The next group of people is the Fortis that live just outside the walls of Sovereign City. The Fortis take jobs inside the walls of Sovereign City as guards and they are given the food that is not eaten by the Sovereign people. They hate the Outliers and use their role as guards to dish out punishments and overrule them.

The Outliers is the next group of people who are considered as the lowest class of people who have to walk for miles and miles to work inside the walls. They have to walk through the badlands with all kinds of dangerous animals. The men of the Outliers group are the only ones who are allowed to go hunting to provide for the family the women are not allowed to hunt.

Through Indra’s eyes we are shown the world in which she lives in; a world of desolate. Indra works inside the walls of Sovereign City as a housemaid. She does whatever she is told to do by the lady of the house or she is punished. Indra knows the rules and tries her best to follow them day after day. She also looks out for her best friend Mira who works with her. If the need arises for her to do so Indra would step in and take the blame for something her friend has done to save her friend the punishment that is to come.

Indra may not be the strong, bada** fighting woman who can beat almost in anyone in a battle but she is strong inside and sometimes that is all that is needed to be a winner. Indra soon learns that she is stronger than she ever knew when the rules inside the walls start to change and tragedy comes into her life that almost destroys her.

After this horrific event in her life takes place Indra’s whole life falls apart and nearly destroys her. Her heart is ripped in to and she does things that will change her life forever. Will it make her a better person? Will it make her stronger?

I love dystopian books and I loved the world in which the author created for Outliers. The way the people are treated is not any different than how some people are treated in today’s society. About the only difference is the material things that each group has.

I love books with worlds like the one the author created for Outliers, worlds that could possibly be our future. The Outliers is one of my favorite books and I can’t wait to read more in this world. The Outliers will grab you from the very first page and will not let go until the end. It is one of those books where you can’t turn the pages fast enough to find out how it all turns out but at the same time, you don’t want it to end ever.

I just started watching The 100 on Netflix this week; I love it, so image how excited I was to learn that The 100 is what inspired the Outliers.

If you love dystopian, post-apocalyptic books or tv shows like The 100 or Outsiders then you will love Outliers.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The post-apocalyptic and Dystopian genre can be hit or miss for me. A strong storyline and a well structured world are very important to pull me into the story, and of course characters that I can relate to or feel for. Author Kate L. Mary did a phenominal job on all the above!

The class system and hierarchy in Indra's life puts her in the lowest and most mistreated level, the Outliers. Her people are considered inconsequential and nothing more than slave labor to the elite Sovereign. They are forced to do whatever they are told without question and with downcast eyes. They are often times physically and mentally abused with no one to hear their pain and are even occasionally punished for the misdeeds of the abuser. This for me was the hardest part to digest. I wanted so badly to jump into the book and hurl those cruel buttheads in the path of one of the many predatory creatures in the wastelands.

Indra's character carries herself with such dignity while always putting the needs of her family and friends before her own needs and even safety. That's only part of why I love her so. She has an inner strength and courage that she seems to be unaware of, but the people who are around her can see it like a blazing beacon. All her life she has been taught that the Outliers and being a Winta woman makes her weak and unimportant. "But deep down, I knew that I was only an Outlier, and in this world, Outliers were undeserving of happiness." Being brainwashed her whole life to believe this has made her more vulnerable and an easy target for the Sovereign and Fortis, but deep down she has a fire that is slowly blooming. It will be interesting to see how she grows and changes as the series unravels. I love a leading female character that you can actually see grow and mature along the way. Indra is so capable of being my favorite kickass female character of all time!

Luckily for Indra, Asa a Fortis and guard at the Saffron house, has taken upon himself to look out for her. This is unheard of because usually they are just as cruel to the Outliers as the sovereign. He takes a lot of taunting from his peers for treating an Outlier as a human being instead of brutally tormenting them. I just adore him. I feel like we only get small glimpses of him in this book, but I am hoping the author has HUGE plans for him and will reveal more about his background. TEAM ASA!

I could discuss this book for days, but I am afraid that I would end up throwing out spoilers. I do not want to ruin the journey for anyone. I will, however, leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book. It is said by Dichen, Indra's mother, to give her daughter a bit of incouragement. "Being able to stand tall when the world wants nothing but to pound you to dust. That. Is. Strength."

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the future, after mankind destroyed the earth through technology and war, a new society has been formed where there are three classes people are sorted into. There are the small group of elite Sovereign who rule supreme in the cities, the Fortis who are the middle class soldiers and then the Outliers, the bottom class who live in huts in the Wilds and are seen as dispensable servants. Indra belongs to the Outliers and this is her story.

There was a very subtle love triangle going on in Outliers which kept me wondering how it was going to come to a head. Indra had a childhood friend Bodhi who was patiently breaking down Indra's boundaries to have her see him and love him as a romantic partner. And then there was Asa, the Fortis guard who has always been aware and protective of Indra regardless of her being unaware that he even existed. One man she gives into and creates a relationship with, and the other stays protective and kind regardless of the fact that a relationship can't occur. I normally hate love triangles, but while there was love from both, it was not the usual dynamic I have seen before and I had no idea what I hoped would happen.

Ahhh, this was kind of awful in regards to the amount of real life detail that the book showed for women in this low status. There were plenty of situations of sexual assault in small ways that Indra experiences as well as her mentioning her past rape and then a non-detailed rape during the book, and casual mentions of rape occurring daily for the other female Outliers and it was too much for me ( I always avoid books with rape and sexual assault if I can). I am sure that the point of having so many references was to show how Outliers had no rights and were seen as property to be treated as such. Actually, almost all of the conflict that occurred in the story was based on the treatment of the female Outliers, it was the main underlying plot. This is very much an adult novel, just FYI.

Overall this was a very different read for me. I can see a lot of people loving this story and I can see why it has won awards since the writing was really well done, I just think this was much too dark subject wise for me to really enjoy. The audiobook narrator did a great job bringing Indra to life and if I was going to finish the series I would choose to listen to her narrate the books.

Find more reviews at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

[Masquerade Crew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted the audiobook. My review contains my own thoughts, and I'm not getting paid to say anything nice.

Too many details often ruin a story for me: too much backstory or character descriptions that are either too long or just somehow out of place. This story doesn't have that problem, but there was a time or two where I wondered. It feels like the story progresses slowly here and there. Thankfully the details didn't bog down the story too much. And there were times when the details were spot on and just the right length.

One aspect of the story I found very interesting is that the ruling class is made up of women. One passage even referred to men only having the job of impregnating their wives, spending the rest of their time eating, drinking, and getting fat.

Whether or not the author intended it, I gleaned the lesson that it doesn't matter who is in charge, male or female. When power comes to humans, they use it like a steamroller over their fellow humans.

I haven't read enough dystopian literature to know if this is classic behavior, but I was intrigued by the main character, especially how she viewed her circumstances before events really started getting out of hand.

Of course, she hates how her people are treated, but she doesn't see a way out, preferring not to rock the boat. However cautious she may be, though, I have one nitpick. She gets into trouble with her employer (mistress aka master) early in the story. Though I completely understand why the author wrote it this way and what was being accomplished, I still had to take a step back metaphorically and scratch my head. She easily could have avoided the situation, and the author could have informed us of what we needed to know in a different way, but like I said, it's a nitpick and a rather small one compared to the rest of the story.

Though I wouldn't call it a tear jerker (at least not for me), it definitely has some emotional moments, a few which made me pause the playback so I could catch my breath, so to speak.

My main emotion was frustration and even anger, not towards the author or the story itself, but how eerily similar aspects of the story are to our own world. No, we don't live in a post apocalyptic nightmare, but tweak a few things and we easily could, as evidenced by the current social and political tension.

The main character had changed a lot by the time the end of the book came, a last minute revelation helping secure that change. The soft cliffhanger makes me curious about the next book.

[Scarlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book via a free promo code and this is my voluntary review. ****TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE**** When some awful WW3 style conflict destroys the world... the remainder of the human race has become Sovereign (your typical blue blood snobby 1%) and Forties (those who live outside the gates protecting the Walled Cities inhabited by Sovereigns... probably close to what would have once been soldiers, fighters or guards to protect their settlements from threats in the past only now its mutated giant animals) and Outliers.. those who live on their own terms outside the cities... but are now treated like indentured servants. Families from her village have been bound to a Sovereign family, inheriting their parents roles within the households, often mistreated and under threat of new legislation which would give them slave status and make them even more vulnerable to Sovereign abuse. She is from the Winta Tribe, one of several such tribes which rarely mix outside the walls even though inside the Cities they all share a lowly status. This is how Indra became a house servant in the Sovereigns household, her time hasn't been easy.. shes been beaten, treated like chattel, and her mistresses son has abused her in the past, even forcing other maids like her out of service when he has made them pregnant. The furies of the Sovereigns are not her only problem... Forties Guards regularly abuse their position, and use tormenting the Outliers as sport. Asa is a Forties guard who comes to Indras rescue one afternoon, even though he is above her in the twisted Caste System. The kind where outlier children have their hands cut off if accused of theft, where guards strip search women with impunity, where masters of their houses routinely abuse their position for carnal purposes. Indra's compliant nature only comes because she has the maturity to adapt like water, she does what she can to survive. New laws are being passed every day, each more humiliating than the last, and now accommodations are being built to keep the worker outliers imprisoned in Forties village Indra knows they are running out of time. After another enduring a violation to protect her by the cruel son of her Mistresses House and an even greater loss... she begins to give more serious consideration to the realization she's had that Outliers, as scattered as their tribes were.... greatly outnumbered both the Forties and the Sovereign. My only comment would be that the Narrator's accent was a little grating at first but the story is so good I had to kept going.

[Jennifer Zamboni · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌕🐺

Kate L Mary has created a completely different world then the zombie apocalypse Broken World Series. The writing style has a different flow to it and I love it just as much!

Indra is a different kind of strong kick-ass woman. It grows from deep within her, watered and fed by the circumstances that are forced on her. Her life is hard. Not just a bad day hard, but struggling to survive in a world that finds no value in your life type of hard. She works in a city full of wealthy people who view her as less than nothing, and then she has to travel back and forth everyday where there are dangers in every direction of every kind. The place she calls home is a village that is completely separated from the luxury she serves.

She tries so hard to make life better for those around her, to keep them safe, fed, and given access to medication. Around every turn is an obstacle and Indra fights hard to over come them. She succeeds for a while, in safety and with the love of her family, but tragedy is part of life and Indra is no exception to that rule. Her world shatters and we get to see what she’s really made of.

The story is well thought out and beautiful executed. The world Indra lives in feels real. The characters are diverse with flaws and strengths. I definitely cared for Indra and everyone she was close to.

There is a little bit of a love story, but it isn’t the main focus of the plot, though it does add some driving force for Indra.

Be warned: I cried. I suggest buying a new box of soft tissues and finding something soft and squishy to hug.

I feel so blessed to have gotten an advanced copy of this book and I can’t wait to read more of this series!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This an enthralling book.


Outliers takes place in a post-apocalyptic dystopia and is told in the protagonist's,Indra,first person point of view.

This is a harsh and dangerous world where theft is punished with the lose a hand, assault and battery of all stripes is at best ignored and at worst is encouraged and a caste system is fully enforced.

The Sovereigns is the aristocracy caste. They are matriarchal and a spoiled, political class. They employ the outliers as indentured servants and have a one child policy.

The Fortis is the warrior caste.They are egalitarian and cruel,enforcer class.They are employed by the sovereigns as guards.They hunt the outliers for sport.

The outliers of the servant caste. They have different clans with Indra's,Winta, being a patriarchal hunter/gather one.Some are employed by the Sovereigns indentured servants/domestic help.

This Indra's story.The world building is interwoven and solid. Other characters are fleshed out and lend to the world building but most are seen in reaction to or in comparison to Indra.She is a woman who has had to survive and in doing so she comes up against her societies expectations. Her past is fascinating and that and her rebellion spear on the journey.

I highly recommend this book for fans of post-apocalyptic,dystopian,and high fantasy.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Let me just start this review off by saying this book is AMAZING. I read the blurb before reading, and I was intrigued, but I’ve never read anything by Kate L. Mary, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. From the first chapter, I was hooked and I read the book in one day.

Without long, drawn out paragraphs, Kate L. Mary is able to paint a vivid and interesting world. I love how each tribe of the Outliers is different, and even though we spend the majoirty of our time with Indra and the Winta tribe, we still get a clear picture of the other three. We are also given lots of insight on how the Fortis and the Soverign live, and it helps move the plot along.

Indra is a fantastic main character. She is everything I wanted her to be. She isn’t perfect, she has her flaws, but she isn’t plain or weak either. She’s a great mix of everything, and a really well rounded character. This is missing in a lot of stories I read, and I’m so impressed.

Each character we meet has distinct voice and I never felt confused about who each character was. With a relatively large cast, having every character be recognizable was super helpful when reading.

I was never bored with Outliers, and I didn’t want it to end. The book was a page turner, and I devoured this story. I’m so impressed with this novel and I can’t wait to read more from Kate L. Mary!

[Mysti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing!

10 stars! I cannot believe how much I loved this book. This is true Dystopian, not what is saturating the market, barely passable & just using that word as a tag to garner views from searches. The world this author has created is unique. It's harsh and cruel but the flawless plot building from the very first page gives you a sense that this cruel, vicious way of life will be changed. Changed by the characters that you cannot help but love. A protagonist who steals your heart with her tenacity, loyalty and love. You will cringe, cry and have a racing heartbeat while holding your breath in anticipation of what the next page will bring. I opened this book intending to read a few chapters before bed and the next thing I knew it was 5 a.m. and just an hour short of needing to start my day. I had only a few chapters to finish and found myself thinking about this book all day. I can't say that I'm happy to finish it because book two isn't out until mid May and that seems like an eternity. Fans if so many different books/movies/shows will find something they love here but will find it is a new and engrossing tale. Kudos to the author! One of my favorite Dystopian books of the year- who am I kidding? It tops the list for 2017 as well!!

[Cmoore · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not for me... So slow, depressing, and sad!
I was absolutely surprised to find that it was a kindle awards winner... winner of what category? Sadness?!??!?
Throughout almost the entire book, the titular character (Indra) had the sh*t thrown at her! And she not only took it, she then piled it higher upon herself by her own continual self-deprecating thoughts, ie: she's just an outlier... or, she's just a woman... We assume that eventually she'll rise up, smarten up, and take back her life, but I needed her to do that way earlier in the story...
And at the end of the book it's almost like she's back at the beginning again... as if she has gone full circle and is putting herself back in the same predicament as before! Sure, now she's discovered her self-worth and her strength, and she knows more, but she'll be in the same spot... living under the same harsh rules... I guess rebellion against the ruling class has to start somewhere... I just wished it had started by the 33%, or 50% mark!
As a counter point, I found that Grace Silvan was a quite good narrator. She sucked me into the narrative, even as I listened to the audible sample of this story!

Story rating.   ★
Narration.   ★★★★

[Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure what Kate L Mary’s plan for this book is…but I certainly hope it is going to be another big multi-book series! Indra lives in a dystopian post-apocalyptic world. There are 3 known groups of people in this world: the Outliers (gentle people where men are basically the providers, women are taken care of), the Fortis (big bullies where men and women are equal and harsh), and the Sovereign (the rich and spoiled where women are the rulers and the bulk of the other groups are their ‘employees’—and I use that term loosely). Right from the start, Kate L Mary sets the scene, giving great descriptions of the landscape and the people. And immediately you are drawn into Indra. The book is filled with surprises…I cried. And romance…I cried again. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
If this is your first Kate L Mary book, look her up on Goodreads or Amazon! You will find a bounty of books to keep you reading for a LONG time.

[Ani Conda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate L Mary has created a whole world in Outliers. A world that demonstrates the worst of humanity with the best being few and far between. Indra’s life in the lowestu class of the dystopian world is brutal and harrowing, she is always at the mercy of the Fortis and ultimately the Sovereign. Her story is a a painful one to follow. My heart was with Indra from the beginning. Through her humiliation at the hands of the Sovereign and Fortis, the relief of finding an unexpected ally, to her true love and duty. Indra exhibited a strength I just couldn’t stop following and this story made me feel such heartache and need for revolution.

A brilliantly beautiful soul trembling story that has left me pining for more.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outliers

It is always my hope that, when I read a book, I'll be taken on an adventure; that I'll leave reality for a while and live within the world of the characters; that I will experience through the words written on the page what the characters are going through. This book, Outliers, was one of those beautiful adventures. I felt as if I knew these characters, and that I had lived Indra's life; I could relate to her in so many ways. There were times I wanted to cry and I'm sad to say that I cheered at things that maybe I should have felt remorse for. Nevertheless, this story showed me that there are times that things can happen to us and we no longer want to be the forgiving one; that anger can eat us up if we allow it to. However, it also told me that love is beautiful, and we must allow love to prevail, because it heals so many hurts.

[Tina G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outliers: A Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Novel (The Outliers Saga, Book 1) by Kate L. Mary and narrated by Grace Sylvan is Kate’s best series to date in my opinion. If you enjoy dark post-apocalyptic/dystopian worlds with a strong female lead as the series moves forward, this is the book for you.

What’s it about? Many years into the future castes have settled on what’s left of the land, most of which is poisonous and not suitable to grow crops. The Sovereign, who are the upper class, rule with an iron hand. The Fortis are the Sovereign’s guards and enforce the laws. In the lower class are the four Outlier tribes, who are employed by the Sovereign as they need the jobs to survive. The story is told through Indra’s viewpoint. She faces many dangers from her village to work every day and then some. Other elements in the book: love interests, death, borderlands, wastelands, the wilds, hunting for food, one child rule for the Sovereign, tribal traditions, and more. This book has excellent world building and character development (this might be the best series of Kate’s books to date- I’ve already started the second book and have been unable to put either of them down- help!). If you enjoy books with strong female leads, who find their strength, will to live, and revenge after trauma, this is the book for you. Keep in mind Indra grows as a person as the series goes on, so she is not kick butt right from the start. There is a decent amount of brutality in this book- it is not for the faint of heart.

The narrator, Grace Sylvan, did a great job. Initially I wasn’t sure, but not long after I started listening, it was clear she is the perfect fit. Her accent reminded me of Cloud Atlas in a way- so stick with it if you aren't sure at first. I would definitely check out other books by her.

Overall I highly recommend the audiobook. I’m already on book two and am patiently waiting for book three to be released on audible. If you enjoy dark post-apocalyptic/dystopian worlds with a strong female lead, this is the book for you.

Parental guidance/trigger warnings: As I stated before, this is not for the faint of heart. Hunting of animals for food, beheading and other ways of dying, sex on wedding night and other times (not in graphic detail), cutting off hand as a punishment, removal of clothes to be searched (repeatedly), sexual harassment/verbal harassment of the Outliers, repeated rape of staff (male raping women- sometimes resulting in pregnancy), whipping of staff, electroprods used on staff, death of spouse, talk of miscarriages (multiple), adoption, and tattoos. I do not recall any swearing.

*I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you for allowing me to listen and review the book!

[Vettech · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll just come right out and say it......this is NOT my usual genre. I won't get into exactly why I gave this author a try, BUT I'm sure glad I did. I found this book about a world where you have three classes of people...The Sovereign (think nose in the air, I'm better than the rest of you. Only really nasty as the same time), The Fortis (think hired muscle. Not well paid, but in this world it's "do as I say or else"), then you have the underdogs....The Outliers (think bottom of the food chain, desperate yet a very proud people, these folks go through a living hell and are the best bunch of the three classes). The story follows Outlier Indra, a very strong young woman, stuck working for next to nothing at the heels of the good for nothing, Sovereign. She is very dedicated to her family and her tribe working to keep getting the little help the upper crust is willing to give so they never have to lift a finger.
I found this book very difficult to read, yet it was very well written and had some amazingly interesting, likable characters. Indra actually made me wish I could be as determined, strong willed and fearless as she is. This world that author Kate L. Mary has created makes one in this world appreciate what they have and question if we would be able to survive this Dystopian madness. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

[Charlotte Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!! Kate L. Mary has done it again! This book shows that classism and eliticism still exists even in a post-apocalyptic world with the three groups of Sovereign, Fortis, and Outliers. Indra, an Outlier, and of the lowest class was very determined and had much resolve throughout the story. This book made me laugh, be angry, and cry. Not many stories elicit such an emotional response as I got from this book. I am looking forward to reading future books in the series.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book.Indra is an incredibly self controlled and strong young woman.Her struggle to survive as a member of the lowest caste in her dystopian society kept me glued to my kindle.I enjoyed that while their is a love interest the book centers more on the fight to survive in a hellish world.I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I received an arc from the author for an honest and voluntary review