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Dark Sun: Tribe of One #1
The Outcast
A new set of heroes embarks upon a quest to discover the secrets of power in the Dark Sun world, including an outcast, whose bloodline combines the lithe grace of elves with the feral savagery of Athasian halflings. Illustrations.
308 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1993
14 people are currently reading
594 people want to read
About the author
Simon Hawke
89 books239 followersAlso published as J.D. Masters.
He was born Nicholas Valentin Yermakov, but began writing as Simon Hawke in 1984 and later changed his legal name to Hawke. He has also written near future adventure novels under the penname "J. D. Masters" and mystery novels.
He was born Nicholas Valentin Yermakov, but began writing as Simon Hawke in 1984 and later changed his legal name to Hawke. He has also written near future adventure novels under the penname "J. D. Masters" and mystery novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 31, 2017
05-03-27: Re-read. Excited to revisit a world that was such an important part of my early adulthood!!
05-30-17; Having first read this trilogy many years ago and having now reread the trilogy, I think I liked it more now than before.
Like the setting itself, this series is ahead or it's time in many ways. As a younger man, I just "wanted the action to start": it IS a D&D novel, right??? But now I appeciate the slow build and chacterization, and especially The way in which they handle things like gender identity (which probably wasn't even a thing back then!) and mental health.
Well worth reading: a knowledge of the setting probably helps, but I think they explain everything you really need to know as you go.
05-30-17; Having first read this trilogy many years ago and having now reread the trilogy, I think I liked it more now than before.
Like the setting itself, this series is ahead or it's time in many ways. As a younger man, I just "wanted the action to start": it IS a D&D novel, right??? But now I appeciate the slow build and chacterization, and especially The way in which they handle things like gender identity (which probably wasn't even a thing back then!) and mental health.
Well worth reading: a knowledge of the setting probably helps, but I think they explain everything you really need to know as you go.
April 18, 2009
Unfortunately, I haven't read this book in over a decade. What I do remember was not liking it at all. The whole idea of the character, being left in the desert and surviving, doesn't fit Dark Sun. Further, the main character has a psychological condition that would be too easily fixed with magic and once that was done, the rest of the books would fall apart, since that condition (multiple personalities) would be gone.
What really bugged me though was having a new personality seemingly show up just as it was needed to get through a challenge. And then it seemed as if the challenge wasn't one at all. Everything was too easy for the main character because of that. Further, I think more personalities showed up as needed, which I didn't like, as again it seemed a crutch to get past obstacles.
This is based on my memory and the fact I didn't finish the series as a whole because I got sick of it.
It's the only DS series I won't re-read at this point. I will see about the author, though, as he some that I will be reading soon.
jdg
What really bugged me though was having a new personality seemingly show up just as it was needed to get through a challenge. And then it seemed as if the challenge wasn't one at all. Everything was too easy for the main character because of that. Further, I think more personalities showed up as needed, which I didn't like, as again it seemed a crutch to get past obstacles.
This is based on my memory and the fact I didn't finish the series as a whole because I got sick of it.
It's the only DS series I won't re-read at this point. I will see about the author, though, as he some that I will be reading soon.
jdg
August 12, 2025
naut mín, skemtilegur heimur og fíla worldbuildið, þarf að finna restina af bókunum
November 1, 2017
Once again, I really liked this book when I was younger.. It takes place on the dessert planet in the DarkSun realm. The main character is an exceptional psionic with a bunch of split personalities; kinda funny, but a cool concept. He's got a green tiger pet (Drizzt's Gwenvhar meets He-man's battle cat!!)
10/15/2017
Reread this for the first time since I was a kid. And it still held up for me! I really enjoyed it. Hawke does a great job with the tricky subject of multiple personalities. The story moves along, but there is not a ton of action until the end, which is written well. And even though there is not a lot of 'action', the plot is never lacking for intrigue. Great characters and an interesting idea.
Super easy read. Could have finished in a couple of days, but dragged it out for the enjoyment.
10/15/2017
Reread this for the first time since I was a kid. And it still held up for me! I really enjoyed it. Hawke does a great job with the tricky subject of multiple personalities. The story moves along, but there is not a ton of action until the end, which is written well. And even though there is not a lot of 'action', the plot is never lacking for intrigue. Great characters and an interesting idea.
Super easy read. Could have finished in a couple of days, but dragged it out for the enjoyment.
October 19, 2024
When I'm not reading the great classics of western literature, I like to occasionally dip into roleplaying game tie-in novels form the 1990s.
This is a bad book. It's bad in the way these books often are - the main character is outrageously overpowered, unbeatable, and not particularly complex.
But it had some twists on the formula that I liked. The gimmick of the hero is that he has multiple personalities, each with its own special skill or psychic power. That was kind of fun.
I read it for pure escape and nostalgia, and it checked those boxes. But it also reminded me that an unchallenging book can be harder to finish than you expect, because unchallenging books tend not to be compelling. I finished this because it was easy, not because I wanted to know how it ended.
This is a bad book. It's bad in the way these books often are - the main character is outrageously overpowered, unbeatable, and not particularly complex.
But it had some twists on the formula that I liked. The gimmick of the hero is that he has multiple personalities, each with its own special skill or psychic power. That was kind of fun.
I read it for pure escape and nostalgia, and it checked those boxes. But it also reminded me that an unchallenging book can be harder to finish than you expect, because unchallenging books tend not to be compelling. I finished this because it was easy, not because I wanted to know how it ended.
May 31, 2022
1.5 Stars. I like Dark Sun, but the protagonist is the most boring Gary Stu character ever
December 8, 2024
Not good. Basically almost nothing happens for three hundred pages. Wasn’t fond of the characters. Linking the multiple personalities to a ‘real world’ mental health condition brought about by abuse has aged terribly. Sorak being a flawless superhero deflates narrative tension.
July 10, 2025
The Outcast is a mess. It changes perspectives almost randomly, introduces new characters (and perspectives) on a whim, tells constantly without showing, wastes no opportunity to waste an opportunity for good drama, and introduces what might be the worst Mary Sue character since Elminster. It is also, in my opinion, the least Dark Sun story I can imagine under the Dark Sun brand. Perhaps it’s only saving grace will come as a set-up for the next two volumes in the series. (And since I paid good money for it, we’re gonna choke it down, folks!)
I have not read anything else by Simon Hawke—who was billed as the bestselling author of the Timewars series (1984-1991), so I have no idea how indicative The Outcast is of his work. But by 1993, he has quite a few titles under his belt for some of the amateurish deficiencies in this book. Was he under a serious time crunch? Were TSR’s editors busy doing something else? Who knows. I’ve read freshmen attempts at middle grade fiction that was more put together than this book.
Rather than focus on the bad (there’s so much), let’s focus on the good. From a world building standpoint, we get a look at the Pyreen and Villichi cultures in the world of Athas. The better part of the first act takes place in a Villichi abbey in the Ringing Mountains. Both of these cultures are presented as sort of behind the scenes movers and shakers in the world setting (Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium: Terrors of the Desert) and neither were ever mentioned in Denning’s Prism Pentad. So it’s interesting to see what Hawke does with them. Of the two, the Pyreen are given and maintain their air of mystery. As for the Villichi, we are told they are shunned because of their clairvoyant powers. Maybe this is true outside of the city-state of Tyr (acts 2 and 3), where not only does everyone know of the Villichi, know about the location of their abbey, but no one seems to have a bit of concern about them other than that they are an all-female sect and Sorak, our protagonist, is male. How odd! But that's about as far as any stigma goes.
As old a troupe as the “multiple personalities with elite skill sets” is, especially in RPGs, this is the first (oldest) and most elaborate depiction I’ve ever seen of it in fiction. Granted, the troupe was stale enough in 1993 that I remember it being a large reason I didn’t read this series then. So I guess some credit must be given to Hawke for tackling it on this scale. Sorak is home to at least a dozen personalities that are named and identified by the end of the book. Unfortunately, most of them sound more of less the same, with the exception of Kivara, a young, impetuous halfling personality (the only personality identified as having a specific race). Her voice comes through loud and clear and is far more interesting than Sorak or the rest (all of whom speak in a voice remarkably indistinguishable from Sorak—except for the ones that don’t speak at all).
Now let’s get to some spoilers.
There are two developments in the story that need to be addressed. The first is the reappearance of Ryana, the Villichi warrior and star-crossed love interest, and the death of Tigra, Sorak’s tigone (green tiger) companion since he was a child.
Ryana is left behind unceremoniously at the end of the first act, when Sorak abandons the Villichi to explore the wide world of the Tablelands in hopes of learning who he is and why his is the way he is. 250 pages later she reappears at Sorak’s side to battle a horde of zombies that would bring tears to the eyes of any killer DM. Ryana has interesting potential—she grew up with Sorak and has fallen in love with him, only to have her advances scorned by the female aspects. In another reality, this novel could have been split between the two characters, working their way back to one another. Instead, she reappears at the climax of the story (and is quickly sidelined by a newly revealed omnipotent aspect of Sorak), and despite all she has sacrificed to get here is quite comfortable settling into being the third wheel in Sorak’s complex relationship with himself. Maybe in the follow up, the Seeker, she’ll prove to be more than a story telling gimmick.
And then there is Tigra. Sweet Tigra, who terrifies everyone and yet acts like a domesticated housecat (adjusted for scale), downed by a poisoned arrow in the last moments of story’s climax. Under most circumstances, this would be a moment of high drama—it’s really the first REAL loss Sorak experiences since the beginning of the story. I half expected an aspect to rise up within him and either draw the poison out psionically or suddenly display magical healing powers he never knew he had (I mean, we just saw him take out a horde of 25+ regenerating zombies with a new personality and a quiet stroll). But no, Tigra DIES. Sorak is devasted…for a page and a half. But then, despite her companionship, Tigra might be present for 2% of the novel. She’s almost an afterthought. It makes me wonder if she was perhaps added late in the writing process after the cover design was chosen, shoe horned into the larger narrative by an author who was ambivalent to the idea.
Would I recommend this book? No. Would I recommend it to a Dark Sun fan? Not yet. Would I squander a chance at time travel to make sure a certain college student bought this book crisp off the shelf at B. Dalton? Absolutely not. It definitely did not scratch my itch for new Dark Sun fiction. I’m hoping that the follow ups will improve.
Next up, the Seeker!
I have not read anything else by Simon Hawke—who was billed as the bestselling author of the Timewars series (1984-1991), so I have no idea how indicative The Outcast is of his work. But by 1993, he has quite a few titles under his belt for some of the amateurish deficiencies in this book. Was he under a serious time crunch? Were TSR’s editors busy doing something else? Who knows. I’ve read freshmen attempts at middle grade fiction that was more put together than this book.
Rather than focus on the bad (there’s so much), let’s focus on the good. From a world building standpoint, we get a look at the Pyreen and Villichi cultures in the world of Athas. The better part of the first act takes place in a Villichi abbey in the Ringing Mountains. Both of these cultures are presented as sort of behind the scenes movers and shakers in the world setting (Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium: Terrors of the Desert) and neither were ever mentioned in Denning’s Prism Pentad. So it’s interesting to see what Hawke does with them. Of the two, the Pyreen are given and maintain their air of mystery. As for the Villichi, we are told they are shunned because of their clairvoyant powers. Maybe this is true outside of the city-state of Tyr (acts 2 and 3), where not only does everyone know of the Villichi, know about the location of their abbey, but no one seems to have a bit of concern about them other than that they are an all-female sect and Sorak, our protagonist, is male. How odd! But that's about as far as any stigma goes.
As old a troupe as the “multiple personalities with elite skill sets” is, especially in RPGs, this is the first (oldest) and most elaborate depiction I’ve ever seen of it in fiction. Granted, the troupe was stale enough in 1993 that I remember it being a large reason I didn’t read this series then. So I guess some credit must be given to Hawke for tackling it on this scale. Sorak is home to at least a dozen personalities that are named and identified by the end of the book. Unfortunately, most of them sound more of less the same, with the exception of Kivara, a young, impetuous halfling personality (the only personality identified as having a specific race). Her voice comes through loud and clear and is far more interesting than Sorak or the rest (all of whom speak in a voice remarkably indistinguishable from Sorak—except for the ones that don’t speak at all).
Now let’s get to some spoilers.
There are two developments in the story that need to be addressed. The first is the reappearance of Ryana, the Villichi warrior and star-crossed love interest, and the death of Tigra, Sorak’s tigone (green tiger) companion since he was a child.
Ryana is left behind unceremoniously at the end of the first act, when Sorak abandons the Villichi to explore the wide world of the Tablelands in hopes of learning who he is and why his is the way he is. 250 pages later she reappears at Sorak’s side to battle a horde of zombies that would bring tears to the eyes of any killer DM. Ryana has interesting potential—she grew up with Sorak and has fallen in love with him, only to have her advances scorned by the female aspects. In another reality, this novel could have been split between the two characters, working their way back to one another. Instead, she reappears at the climax of the story (and is quickly sidelined by a newly revealed omnipotent aspect of Sorak), and despite all she has sacrificed to get here is quite comfortable settling into being the third wheel in Sorak’s complex relationship with himself. Maybe in the follow up, the Seeker, she’ll prove to be more than a story telling gimmick.
And then there is Tigra. Sweet Tigra, who terrifies everyone and yet acts like a domesticated housecat (adjusted for scale), downed by a poisoned arrow in the last moments of story’s climax. Under most circumstances, this would be a moment of high drama—it’s really the first REAL loss Sorak experiences since the beginning of the story. I half expected an aspect to rise up within him and either draw the poison out psionically or suddenly display magical healing powers he never knew he had (I mean, we just saw him take out a horde of 25+ regenerating zombies with a new personality and a quiet stroll). But no, Tigra DIES. Sorak is devasted…for a page and a half. But then, despite her companionship, Tigra might be present for 2% of the novel. She’s almost an afterthought. It makes me wonder if she was perhaps added late in the writing process after the cover design was chosen, shoe horned into the larger narrative by an author who was ambivalent to the idea.
Would I recommend this book? No. Would I recommend it to a Dark Sun fan? Not yet. Would I squander a chance at time travel to make sure a certain college student bought this book crisp off the shelf at B. Dalton? Absolutely not. It definitely did not scratch my itch for new Dark Sun fiction. I’m hoping that the follow ups will improve.
Next up, the Seeker!
August 19, 2018
I read this book twice back in the 1990s'. I remember really enjoying reading this book. I must have as I read it twice. What I remember of the protagonist was that he was not only an outcast as he was a half-bred of two races that normally didn't get along, he had multiple personality disorder. He literally was a tribe of people in one body. I remember he had people who helped him. I remember he had a weapon that was special in some way.
I plan to add this book to my list of books I want to reread. When I do, I will write a more comprehensive review.
As for referring it to a friend, I remember lending it out to a friend who did like the character. Honestly I don't remember the whole conversation we had over twenty years ago. I noticed this was In my read list and I had not done a review of it as I have had for other books I read around the same time.
I plan to add this book to my list of books I want to reread. When I do, I will write a more comprehensive review.
As for referring it to a friend, I remember lending it out to a friend who did like the character. Honestly I don't remember the whole conversation we had over twenty years ago. I noticed this was In my read list and I had not done a review of it as I have had for other books I read around the same time.
October 1, 2024
This is the first of a trilogy of stories set in the D&D setting of Dark Sun, a grim desert world of oppression and desolation. Whereas the original books in this setting - the Prism Pentad - advanced the metaplot of the setting, these ones are more personal.
The greatest asset of this book is the central character, the 'Tribe of One' who has many minds within his body, which can communicate and offer their expertise to situations where necessary. It does unfortunately lead to situations with the appearance of a 'deus ex machina' when the hero pulls out new abilities as needed, but it can somewhat be excused for a surprisingly deep exploration of the subject for a thirty-year-old book written as a tie-in to a roleplaying game.
The greatest asset of this book is the central character, the 'Tribe of One' who has many minds within his body, which can communicate and offer their expertise to situations where necessary. It does unfortunately lead to situations with the appearance of a 'deus ex machina' when the hero pulls out new abilities as needed, but it can somewhat be excused for a surprisingly deep exploration of the subject for a thirty-year-old book written as a tie-in to a roleplaying game.
July 11, 2022
Okay, this was way better than I hoped for. I got this trilogy on sale for about 1-2 dollars each and since it's not a new and shiny book, I put it off for long.
Then I finally decided to take this book on the go with me and I was enthralled. I didn't know much about the setting, but the writing style was so easy to understand, it wasn't a problem. Yes, I think this was one of the selling points for me, that it was easy to understand and quick to read - and mostly exciting.
The characters each had some uniqueness and motivation. I also liked that Sorak wasn't overpowered even though he was a one in a million/chosen one equivalent. Can't wait to continue this series.
Ps. rip Tigra ;_;
Then I finally decided to take this book on the go with me and I was enthralled. I didn't know much about the setting, but the writing style was so easy to understand, it wasn't a problem. Yes, I think this was one of the selling points for me, that it was easy to understand and quick to read - and mostly exciting.
The characters each had some uniqueness and motivation. I also liked that Sorak wasn't overpowered even though he was a one in a million/chosen one equivalent. Can't wait to continue this series.
Ps. rip Tigra ;_;
February 25, 2020
Cheesy fantasy kaland, varazslattal, kivalasztottal sok sok idegen szoval.
Pongyola mind a megfogalmazas mind a sztori. Neha teljesen ertelmezhetlen, miert reszletez valamit az unalomig a szerzo (Tyr reformjai, a szerencsejatek szabalyai es jatszmaja). Mindenkinek ‘fantasy’ neve van, tehat Sorak a foszereplo mellett, Turik, Sigun, Korzar, Timor stb megmosolyogtato szereplokkel talalkozunk. Komolytalan, de konnyu olvasmany, es elvezi az ember.
Mikor belekezdtem, pont erre vagytam - tehat nem csalodtam!
Pongyola mind a megfogalmazas mind a sztori. Neha teljesen ertelmezhetlen, miert reszletez valamit az unalomig a szerzo (Tyr reformjai, a szerencsejatek szabalyai es jatszmaja). Mindenkinek ‘fantasy’ neve van, tehat Sorak a foszereplo mellett, Turik, Sigun, Korzar, Timor stb megmosolyogtato szereplokkel talalkozunk. Komolytalan, de konnyu olvasmany, es elvezi az ember.
Mikor belekezdtem, pont erre vagytam - tehat nem csalodtam!
August 27, 2022
What stands out about this book is the "hero" at the centre of it who has multiple personalities contained within him. This is a fantasy take on a very specific issue and although it is not without its flaws (e.g., new personalities showing up when convenient), on the surface it is pulled off reasonably well. In parallel, it presents new view points on the fantasy world of Dark Sun which is equally well executed, although not without survivor bias.
March 5, 2023
The narrative of this book is uncomplicated but the subject matter is not. Given it's age, there's a lot here that's really quite groundbreaking - A very different protagonist, living with multiple personalities, with unusual racial heritage and dealing with how those issues impact everything from diet to sexuality.
My biggest criticism is that it doesn't feel like a book on its own - the trilogy is essentially, from what I can determine, 1 book broken into 3.
My biggest criticism is that it doesn't feel like a book on its own - the trilogy is essentially, from what I can determine, 1 book broken into 3.
July 7, 2025
I love the Dark Sun setting, but... Jeez. The old fantasy books have a certain charm, but also such laziness and lack of ambition. This particular book doesn't deal with Athas in any meaningful way and the execution of most of the ideas is unimpressive at best. There are tropes upon tropes, but it would really be nice if this setting was treated with greater seriousness in the novels.
I won't even comment on the writing itself...
I won't even comment on the writing itself...
January 11, 2021
Increible, es lo unico que puedo decir de esta obra. Me pareció fascinante solo un tramo en cierto desierto se me hizo 1 poco durillo, pero el resto...... es tremendo ¿ que puede significar tener a toda una tribu dentro de la cabeza de un hombre ? Pues eso, un individuo capaz de desenvolverse en cualquier situación.
January 19, 2019
It’s enjoyable. Light reading, as befitting a D&D book. There’s explanations that repeat, which is annoying, and a lack of explanations, which can be frustrating. But the story & setting are good. I’ve always liked Athas. I’ll read the others in the series.
May 13, 2023
I first read this as a kid and loved it. This series is what got me into the Dark Sun campaign setting in DnD.
Seeing it for sale in a bookstore, I picked it up and read it again. While still pleasant, it's definitely something that belongs in the YA section.
Seeing it for sale in a bookstore, I picked it up and read it again. While still pleasant, it's definitely something that belongs in the YA section.
December 21, 2018
It was my first fantasy book I read. I felt in love in this category.. This book was really interesting and exciting as well. I recommend it.
April 27, 2020
Life’s too short to waste on a slow book.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
December 22, 2020
I did not think a DnD tie-in novel from the early 90s would be so well written and have a non-straight protagonist. I was happily wrong. Five stars.
April 7, 2021
Fantasía sencilla y sin grandes pretensiones; muy recomendada cuando te cansas de leer Sanderson , brujos y targaryens. Deseoso de empezar la segunda parte de Sorak y demás miembros de la tribu!!
June 15, 2024
This is a fun adventure story set in one of my favorite fantasy worlds when I was young.
September 20, 2025
Love this series, one of the few to try to present multiple personality disorder in a fantasy setting.
March 11, 2017
A real guilty pleasure. Come to the world of Athas where an prphan bastard with multiple personalities will Mary Sue his ways to I'm not sure what.
I really enjoyed the character even if Hawke isn't the best writer or didn't even respect Dark Sun lore.
I really enjoyed the character even if Hawke isn't the best writer or didn't even respect Dark Sun lore.
August 7, 2013
I am posting my review for the entire series on this page, however short it may be. I haven't quite finished the third book (a little less than 100 pages to go), yet I'm hitting a point where it's really hard to motivate myself to finish it.
The first book, in its own right, isn't necessarily bad. Sure, it sets you up with an incredulous protagonist and a rather forgiving series of events around him - which is highly contrasting to the setting of Dark Sun as a whole - but it has its merits. The characters worked well with each other, and the bit of intrigue they get mixed up in was a bit entertaining.
However, from the second book on (arguably sooner), it lapses into some flat-out bad writing. I'm concluding that either the author is simply a bad writer, or he simply didn't care that much about his own characters. After all, why needlessly remind the reader that "For any other person, this would be a real feat, but Sorak was an *ELFLING*, and yada yada, tada, tada." There would hardly be a chapter in between the redundant proclamations that the protagonist was "a master of The Way" and "a Tribe of One."
I couldn't help but imagine it as a television game show where the narrator would say, "And for those of you just joining us now..."
Worst of all was the author's repetitious summaries of the main character's multiple personalities. It's bad enough reminding us as frequently as his other credentials, but - and I kid you not - with no less than 100 pages left to read in the third book, the author, Simon Hawke, dedicated entire paragraphs to each of Sorak's known personalities as summaries.
I immediately turned to the inside of the back cover, pointed at the author's picture and proclaimed, in my own head, "Terrible Writer!" Because really, any writer with good sense or any measure of skill would know that they should illustrate what's special about the characters rather than harp on as if to say, "Trust me, he's awesome."
As much as I enjoy the Dark Sun universe, I simply don't think this series is that good. Or at the very least it aggravating to read.
The first book, in its own right, isn't necessarily bad. Sure, it sets you up with an incredulous protagonist and a rather forgiving series of events around him - which is highly contrasting to the setting of Dark Sun as a whole - but it has its merits. The characters worked well with each other, and the bit of intrigue they get mixed up in was a bit entertaining.
However, from the second book on (arguably sooner), it lapses into some flat-out bad writing. I'm concluding that either the author is simply a bad writer, or he simply didn't care that much about his own characters. After all, why needlessly remind the reader that "For any other person, this would be a real feat, but Sorak was an *ELFLING*, and yada yada, tada, tada." There would hardly be a chapter in between the redundant proclamations that the protagonist was "a master of The Way" and "a Tribe of One."
I couldn't help but imagine it as a television game show where the narrator would say, "And for those of you just joining us now..."
Worst of all was the author's repetitious summaries of the main character's multiple personalities. It's bad enough reminding us as frequently as his other credentials, but - and I kid you not - with no less than 100 pages left to read in the third book, the author, Simon Hawke, dedicated entire paragraphs to each of Sorak's known personalities as summaries.
I immediately turned to the inside of the back cover, pointed at the author's picture and proclaimed, in my own head, "Terrible Writer!" Because really, any writer with good sense or any measure of skill would know that they should illustrate what's special about the characters rather than harp on as if to say, "Trust me, he's awesome."
As much as I enjoy the Dark Sun universe, I simply don't think this series is that good. Or at the very least it aggravating to read.
August 20, 2015
Having read this two decades ago and having fond memories of The Dark Sun books, especially Sorak's tale. I found that re-reading The Outcast was not as enjoyable as I remembered.
The premise of a Tribe of One; many personalities with different powers and skills living inside of the protagonist Sorak (magical schizophrenia) has so much potential, the amount of material that could have been written on such an interesting topic could have made for a fantastic read. So what do we get instead? Shenanigans! Too much of the book was spent on mundane activities such as gambling and the secret ambitions of the main antagonist - Timor the High Templar. Sure, having psionic abilities during gambling is cool, and knowing the inner workings of the bad guy should matter, but being poorly executed they just don't. Then their is the major conundrum this book left me with...Sorak is a vegetarian while his other personalities are mostly flesh eaters. They have negotiated amongst themselves that Sorak will sink into hibernation while they hunt and consume flesh, but, when Ryana confesses her love for Sorak, he rejects her on the account that some of his personalities are female and they would not feel comfortable in consummating their relationship. WTF? Is Sorak a dim wit and doesn't know about double standards or did the author not think this ludicrous idea through. The solution is simple - hibernate you ungrateful leeches so Sorak can get his groove on. If I remember correctly their is a work around in the latter novels, but it looks like poor logic is to blame here on behalf of Simon Hawke.
Maybe I'm being overly-harsh on my teenage self for enjoying these books much more back then or simply it's because I've read better material along the way, but the Dark Sun novels still hold a special place in my heart, probably because the world of Athas reminds me of Australia; it's hot and everything wants to kill you!
The premise of a Tribe of One; many personalities with different powers and skills living inside of the protagonist Sorak (magical schizophrenia) has so much potential, the amount of material that could have been written on such an interesting topic could have made for a fantastic read. So what do we get instead? Shenanigans! Too much of the book was spent on mundane activities such as gambling and the secret ambitions of the main antagonist - Timor the High Templar. Sure, having psionic abilities during gambling is cool, and knowing the inner workings of the bad guy should matter, but being poorly executed they just don't. Then their is the major conundrum this book left me with...Sorak is a vegetarian while his other personalities are mostly flesh eaters. They have negotiated amongst themselves that Sorak will sink into hibernation while they hunt and consume flesh, but, when Ryana confesses her love for Sorak, he rejects her on the account that some of his personalities are female and they would not feel comfortable in consummating their relationship. WTF? Is Sorak a dim wit and doesn't know about double standards or did the author not think this ludicrous idea through. The solution is simple - hibernate you ungrateful leeches so Sorak can get his groove on. If I remember correctly their is a work around in the latter novels, but it looks like poor logic is to blame here on behalf of Simon Hawke.
Maybe I'm being overly-harsh on my teenage self for enjoying these books much more back then or simply it's because I've read better material along the way, but the Dark Sun novels still hold a special place in my heart, probably because the world of Athas reminds me of Australia; it's hot and everything wants to kill you!
January 30, 2015
Let me be clear. I am not picking up a 90s setting-specific pulp paperback and expecting a revolutionary piece of literature. What I'm instead expecting is entertaining trash: troperific, occasionally cringe-worthy, sword-swinging fun. What I got when I picked up Simon Hawke's The Outcast was just about the worst piece of fantasy fiction I've ever read. Not only is the narrative frustratingly simplistic, the prose style is so bogged down with exposition and lazy infodumps, zero plot action occurs over pages and pages of meaningless text. Couple this with a meandering, aimless plot and the book's almost unreadable. Not recommended.
July 24, 2013
Dry, mostly dead world, full of deadly creatures, lots of magic in the mix. An unbalanced hero, who has multiple personality disorder and strong natural powers.
Mostly i liked the setting and the ideas of this book, but i feel the author dropped the ball on this one.
The meeting between the hero and the elder shapeshifter (the names are hard!!) is flawed, does not feel like an actual conversation but a monologue and a stage aid giving pointers.
I hope it gets better in the next book or i'm not gonna pick up anything else from him.
Mostly i liked the setting and the ideas of this book, but i feel the author dropped the ball on this one.
The meeting between the hero and the elder shapeshifter (the names are hard!!) is flawed, does not feel like an actual conversation but a monologue and a stage aid giving pointers.
I hope it gets better in the next book or i'm not gonna pick up anything else from him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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