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Henry Drugel

Reviewed on May 10, 2021

Must read 🏆

Heir to the Hunger Games throne, The Outlands soars as a dynamic, action-packed adventure that will chill and thrill you.

Synopsis

In the ruins of the world that was lies the city of Dios, a haven protected from the hostile environment known as The Outlands. Ruled by an oppressive Patriarch, the people of Dios are conditioned in fear. The smallest infraction could result in banishment to the Outlands, a fate worse than death.

With his make-shift family of “Undesirables”, Jett Lasting struggles to find his place in a world where drawing attention to yourself can get you killed. His very existence is considered a crime. To survive, he must avoid guards, beggar gangs, and an ever-growing tension that could drag the whole city into chaos. Jett unwittingly becomes entwined in a plot to overthrow the government where his choices could lead to freedom or the death of everyone he’s ever known or cared about.


Story: 10/10

This was a gripping, suck you in, hold your attention, stay up all night because you can't put it down kind of story.


MC: 9/10

Jett Lasting is a snarky thief with a traumatic childhood who has a relentless drive to see the world change from the mess that it is. He is smart but impulsive but he tries to do what he thinks is right.


Side-Characters: 8/10

As a 1st person story, one of the bigger challenges is developing other characters. The Outlands does that really well. I felt weirdly bonded to a number of the characters. They felt clearly distinct and very real. My only complaint was, and it's nit-picking a bit, that some of the characters didn't get a very significant role and we don't really get to see much about them.


Interesting World: 10/10

This has everything from re-envisioned technology, religion, government, even its own slang. This is a world that is so well developed and thought out that even though it's not the kind of place any sane person would want to live, it's a world you can get lost in and come back to again and again.


Romance: 3/10

I see what he was going for here, but it just didnt work. Hopefully this element will get improved in subsequent books.


Ending: 10/10

There were a lot of twists and turns in this story. I thought I had the ending figured out. I did not. Now, I desperately want book 2

Reviewed by
Henry Drugel

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