Forbidden Trespass by James Axler

Title:  Forbidden Trespass
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  314
Genre:  Action / Adventure, Sci-Fi
Series:  Deathlands #123

Synopsis:
WEARY WANDERERS

In the war-torn wasteland known as Deathlands, desperation and destruction have replaced dreams and peace. Each day arrives with a new life-threatening challenge for wanderer Ryan Cawdor and his fellow band of survivors….

FEAST OR FAMINE

Bizarre murders are taking place in a fertile farming community, and the locals are quick to point fingers at Ryan and his companions. But they know another culprit is responsible. A colony of mutants has been driven from its underground home, forced to find sustenance in the light of day. And only human flesh will satisfy their hunger. Caught between a rock and a horde of hungry cannibals, Ryan and the companions face an ultimatum—help the cannies reclaim their territory, or risk becoming the next meal. Except something far more sinister— and ravenous—lurks beneath the lush fields…

Review:  Not one of the better books in this series, but it did have plenty of action and thrills.

Rating:  5.5 / 10

End Day by James Axler

Title:  End Day
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  315
Genre:  Action / Adventure, Sci-Fi
Series:  Deathlands #122

Synopsis:
TIME WARPED
Ryan Cawdor and his six companions struggle to survive postnuclear America, a grim new world where hope for the future is lost amid the devastation.

APOCALYPSE REDUX
In pursuit of a hardened enemy - Magus - Ryan and the companions find themselves in a land more foreign than any they've encountered. After unwittingly slipping through a time hole, the group lands in twentieth-century New York City, getting their first glimpse of predark civilization. And they're not sure they like it. Only Mildred and Doc can appreciate this strange metropolis, but Armageddon is just seventy-two hours away, and Magus will stop at nothing to make sure Ryan and his team are destroyed on Nuke Day?

Review:  Well, this was a really great story!  The nuclear holocaust happened on January 20, 2001.  Ryan and his companions are shot back in time to January 19, 2001, right into the heart of New York City.

They have to escape in time and try to stop the really bad guy, Magus.  It was fun, having Ryan and his group visit a time before the nukecaust.  The excitement (and violence) kept coming and it wasn't until the very end of this book that I knew how it would turn out.

Rating:  8.5 / 10

Hive Invasion by James Axler

Title:  Hive Invasion
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  316
Genre:  Action / Adventure, Sci-Fi
Series:  Deathlands #121

Synopsis:
DUST DWELLERS

Seeking refuge in a post-Armageddon America, Ryan Cawdor and his crew of misfits travel together for survival and sanity. Known as Deathlands, this lawless hellscape is defined by destruction, death and despair. Only those who persevere with the belief in a better future stand a chance in this world where each day brings a new, and potentially lethal, struggle.

HARNESSED MINDS

Desperate to find water and shelter on the barren plains of former Oklahoma, Ryan and his team come upon a community that appears, at first, to be peaceful. Then the ville is attacked by a group of its own inhabitants—people infected with a parasite that has turned them into slave warriors for an unknown overlord. The companions try to help fend off the enemy and protect the remaining population, but when Ryan is captured during a second ambush, all hope seems lost. Especially when he launches an assault against his own crew.

Review:  I've seen these books called "serial novels" and "a stupid men's action series" online and I disagree and am even a bit offended.

The front cover of this novel shows one of the main characters, Krysty Wroth.  Sure, she's eye candy for the men who assuredly read this series.  Yes, she and her long-time lover, Ryan, have fairly descriptive sex scenes in nearly every book.  She's also tough and smart and, while she's probably not exactly role-model material, I'd like to be a lot more like her.

Today, while I was reading on my lunch break outside work, a guy walked by and asked what I was reading.  I said, "A really good book!".  He asked (a little snidely), "Oh, one of those girl books?".  I assume he meant a mushy romance.  I really wouldn't know, since I've never been one of those girls.  I told him it had gun fights and lots of violence.  He looked shocked and then muttered something about that being nice and backed away.  Hah!  I smiled for the rest of the day.

Guess I should really talk about the story now.  It's about a group of parasitic slug things that can take control of a human.  Think Aliens meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers and you'll get some idea of what I mean.  It was gross and scary but ended on a positive note.  There's no happily ever after in these books, but this one had as close as they get.  Another of the goodies!!

Rating:  8 / 10

Polestar Omega by James Axler

Title:  Polestar Omega
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  314
Genre:  Action / Adventure, Sci-Fi
Series:  Deathlands #120

Synopsis:
ARMAGEDDON'S NOMADS

Banded together to survive, Ryan Cawdor and his companions travel the barren wastelands of a post-nuclear world. There are no laws in Deathlands—only fear, destruction and annihilation. As each day brings a new struggle, this group journeys toward the shaky promise of sanctuary.

COLD WAR

Ryan and his friends become the subjects in a deadly experiment when they're taken captive inside a redoubt at the South Pole. A team of scientists is convinced the earth must be purified of mutants, and now they have the perfect lab rats to test their powerful bioweapon. Within Antarctica's harsh and unstable conditions, the companions must fight the odds and take down the whitecoats before millions are killed. But in this uncompromising landscape, defeating the enemy may be just another step toward a different kind of death….

Review:  One-hundred and twenty books later and I still love this series.  The guns, the action, the blood and gore, and the same main characters I've come to know and love makes this hands-down the longest series I've ever read.

This one is set in Antarctica and between the icy cold and the 300-pound mutant penguins, it is a great deal of fun indeed (and a little scary, truth be told!).  There's also a group of scientists and soldiers who are descendants of the people who were there when the nuclear bombs fell on the entire world.  Interbred and believing that they are the last 'unmutated' humans in existence, they are pretty awful examples of humanity.

These books aren't always great, but this one was.  Finished it way too quickly and I'm hankering for more so I've already selected #121 for my next read.

Rating:  8 / 10

T ~ The Deathlands

The Deathlands series is serial science fiction.  James Axler is a name used by the publisher and there have been several authors behind the books.  It's a look at a future of what Earth could become in the wake of nuclear war.  These books are the definition of dystopia.  They're full of guns, violence, sex and gore.  They show the best and the worst of humanity.  And they are usually just so darn much fun to read.

I've read a grand total of 119 of these books.  I have five more on my TBR list.  There are two more that I don't have yet.  Then, my 16-year love affair is over.  The publisher cancelled the series back in 2015.  I was devastated and wrote a farewell post.

I'm purposefully saving these last few books.  I can hardly stand to think that someday soon I'll be done with them forever.

Blood Red Tide by James Axler

Title:  Blood Red Tide
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  316
Genre:  Action / Adventure, Science Fiction
Publisher:  Golden Eagle, 2014
Series:  Deathlands, Book 119

Synopsis:
RUINS OF WAR

In a nuclear wasteland where death and destruction are the norm, Ryan Cawdor and his fellow survivors seek out refuge while looking to one another for protection. Civilization no longer exists in the barren Deathlands. There is only the will to survive and the dim hope of a promised land.

CREW OF THE DAMNED

Taken captive on a ship in the former Caribbean, Ryan and his companions must work as part of the crew or perish at the hands of the captain. But the mutant in charge of the vessel is the least of their worries. Each day is a struggle as they face rivalry among the sailors, violent attacks and deadly storms. Worse, a powerful enemy is hunting the ship to destroy everyone on board. Fighting for their lives and those of their shipmates, the companions must find unity within the chaos or die in the attempt.

Review:  This book is one of the better recent additions to the series.  I found a new character to love.  Mr. Squid will not likely continue in the series, but he's an incredible, intelligent, loyal octopus and I really like him.  Except he's actually a female, but that's part of the story and I won't give too much of it away.

I started this series back in 2009.  I was so enchanted that I read a huge number of the books nearly back to back.  I finished the first 90 books in 2009, I know that much.  Of course, back then, I was reading about 160 books a year.  Obviously, that's not the case any longer.  And since then, it's been waiting for the next one to come out and (sometimes) being disappointed when they did.

Even when I'm not disappointed, the stories just seem to take too long to read for the number of pages.  But, I'm almost done now.  I'm not giving up, not on something I've been reading this long.  However, I doubt I'll read any more this year.  I don't have the time to spend on them, not with so many challenges to be finished.

Back to the story itself.  This one was really terrific!  Even though it took a week to read, I loved the story line.

Rating:  8.5 / 10

Desolation Angels by James Axler

Title:  Desolation Angels
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  314
Genre:    Action / Adventure, Sci Fi
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2014
Series:  Deathlands #118

Synopsis:

BETRAYED BY TOMORROW
A hundred years after the nukecaust, the tortured landscape of post-apocalyptic America offers a brutal fight for survival. Yet tech secrets lie hidden, useful to those brave and strong enough to believe that hope can carry them toward ever-elusive peace.

BAD TO THE BONE
Violent gangs, a corrupt mayor and a heavily armed police force are the hallmarks of former Detroit, a mutie-infested, rubble-strewn metropolis. When Ryan and the companions show up, the Desolation Angels are waging a war to rule the streets. After saving the companions from being chilled by gangsters, the mayor hires Ryan and his friends to stop the Angels cold. But each hard blow toward victory proves there's no good side to be fighting for. As Motor City erupts into bloody conflagration, the companions are caught in the crossfire. In Deathlands, hell is called home.

Review:  Well, this book wasn't as bad as I expected since I don't like the particular author that wrote it.  But, it was no where near as good as the last one.

It was still full of plenty of action and adventure and thrills, but some of the interactions between the characters just seemed forced.  The characters are a major part of what I love about this series and to see them take second place to the violence and killing just makes me sad, especially now when the series is almost over.

This author has written three more of the last eight novels in this series.  Thankfully, he didn't write the next few.  This novel wasn't horrible.  It just wasn't great.  And, I'm ready for a small break.  I'm determined to finish this series this year if at all possible.  But, these fairly poor examples of the series are really slowing me down.

Rating:  4 / 10

End Program by James Axler

Title:  End Program
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  317
Genre:  Action / Adventure, Sci Fi
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2014
Series:  Deathlands #117

Synopsis:

HOPE'S ADVERSARY
No one waits long for trouble in Deathlands—it's everywhere in the remains of a nuke-altered civilization. The American dream was annihilated more than a century ago by the country's own unchecked power play. But the worst may be yet to come.

SURVIVAL'S CASTOFF
Built upon a predark military installation in former California, a ville called Progress could be the utopia Ryan Cawdor and his companions have been seeking. A place where humanity and technology thrive, it's the nucleus of a new hope for Deathlands. The successful replacement of Ryan's missing eye with a cybernetic prosthetic nearly convinces the group that their days of surviving hell are behind them. Then they discover that the high tech in Progress isn't designed to enhance human life, but to destroy it. To block the final assault, the companions must stop Ryan from becoming a willing pawn in the eradication of mankind.

Review:  This book was sooooo much better than the last one I read from this series.  Action, adventure, excitement and a great story line -- it's all here!

I loved this book and already have picked up the one that comes after it, although I'm worried.  It's written by the same gentleman who wrote #116 which I really disliked.  I'm going to miss these books so much once I'm done with them, which won't be long if they're all this good.  The series ends at #126....I have so very few left to read after all this time.

Rating:  8 / 10

Hanging Judge by James Axler

Title:  Hanging Judge
Author:  James Axler
Pages:  314
Genre:  Action / Adventure, Sci-Fi
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2014
Series:  Deathlands #116

Synopsis:  In the Deathlands, the game of survival offers no reprieve. There's nothing to win in nuke-blasted America except the chance to fight another day. Still, Ryan Cawdor and his fellow travelers hope for sanctuary somewhere. Until they find it, they face each dawn as if it's their last. Because it just might be.

Justice is a damning word in what used to be called Oklahoma, thanks to a sadistic baron known as the Hanging Judge. Crazy, powerful and backed by a despotic sec crew, the judge drops innocents from the gallows at will. When Jak narrowly escapes wearing his own rope as a necktie, a rift among the companions sends them deep into the mutie-infested wilderness outside the ville. Separated and hurting, time is running out for the survivors to realize they're stronger together than they ever could be alone before a ruthless madman brings them to the end of their rope.

Review:  Set in the Deathlands, which used to be known as America, about 100 years after a world-wide nuclear holocaust, these books usually have everything:  mutations, almost non-existent civilization, violence, and mysterious technology left over from before the nukes fell.  However, James Axler is a house name used by Gold Eagle for this series.  In other words, many different authors have written these books over the course of time.

This, unfortunately, was just not a very good book and I blame the author.  It was a good premise for the story, but far too much time was spent on the violence, the guns and the mutants.  The emotions that the story should have engendered were lost in all the chaos.  I've read 116 of these books now.  I expect the violence and etc, but I also expect a good story to go with them.

I'd planned on reading seven more of these books this year, but after dragging myself through this one, I just don't think I can.  I know the next book isn't written by the same author.  It doesn't matter, especially not since I know he *did* write two more of the books I do have.  I just can't do any more of these right now, not with the way I feel cheated by this one.  I have too many other books I've been dying to read to waste my time right now.  I've revamped my planned reading list.  If there's time left at the end of the year, maybe I'll try again.  For now, I've had enough.

I'm so very sad to note that this same author has also written the very last book for this series.  I'll still read it, since I'm invested in this series.  I only hope he does a much better job.

Rating:  1.5 / 10

Farewell to Deathlands

I have read 115 books from the Deathlands series.  It all began about 14 years ago when I found 6 or so books with vivid cover artwork and promising synopses at a Friends of the Library book sale.  Thus began a search to find the books that came before and after those few books I was lucky enough to stumble across.  Little did I know I would be reading and loving them so many years later.  But, sometimes you luck out like that.

Set in the Deathlands, which used to be known as America, about 100 years after a world-wide nuclear holocaust, these books have everything:  mutations, almost non-existent civilization, violence, and mysterious technology left over from before the nukes fell.  In the Deathlands, you can trade bullets for just about anything.

I found out today that the last novel in this series was published in November of this year.  The. Last. One. Ever.  I have 8 Deathlands books on my TBR.  3 more, including the last one, I haven't gotten yet.  And then, there are no more.

I will miss Ryan, J.B., Jak, Doc, Krysty and Mildred more than I can begin to tell you.  I've spent countless hours being thrilled by their stories and growing attached to them as characters.  I've laughed, cried, been grossed out and been scared silly.  I've loved them.

I've often called this series 'my secret vice' because, I'm ashamed now to admit, I didn't think most people would consider these stories 'quality' literature.  After all, they were serial Sci-Fi and might not be considered 'serious works'.  I was wrong to care what some book snob might think.  The truth is that my life will be less interesting once they are gone from it.

So, as my farewell, I share here the definitive website for all things related to this series and a cover artwork that I really loved (although there were many others I loved, too).  I've never tried the Outlanders series, published by the same publishing house, Gold Eagle, and written by some of the same authors who contributed to this series.  I guess now I'll have to....I just wish I didn't have to..

jamesaxler.com

Haven's Blight by James Axler

Title: Haven's Blight
Author: James Axler
Format: PB
Pages: 317
Genre: Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher: Gold Eagle, 2012
ISBN-13:    978-0373626120
Series: Deathlands, Book 103

Favorite Quote:  "I want it, too.  What you all want.  An end to constant running and gunning.  Peace.  Sanctuary.  I promise one day we'll find it -- home."

Synopsis:
Blunt Force

The future rose from the ashes of nuke-scorched America with a vengeance. The unchecked wrath of Deathlands pits Ryan Cawdor and his companions against long odds. But their skill as survivors, strategists and warriors is unmatched and they've held on to something more precious than life: their humanity. They nurture the hope that somewhere, hidden amidst the grotesquerie of a tortured land, safety and sanctuary awaits.

Random Generator

Bartering their expertise to a nautical band of brilliant technomads, Ryan's group finds trouble waiting in the steaming, fetid swamplands of the Louisiana Gulf. Merciless storms and pirates strand them in Haven. But the barony's inviting name masks a ville hijacked by fear, territorial conflict and monstrous horror. With the gravely injured Krysty Wroth's fate uncertain, a desperate Ryan aids the strange but hospitable Baron Blackwell in his effort to save Haven from a genetic blood curse. He'll succeed, provided his luck -- and his options -- don't run out first.

Review:  Fun, fun, fun.  I really liked this one, with the magic and mystery and all the action.

Rating:  8 / 10

Lost Gates by James Axler

Title: Lost Gates
Author: James Axler
Format: PB
Pages: 314
Genre: Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher: Gold Eagle, 2011
ISBN-13:   978-0373626113  
Series: Deathlands, Book 102

Synopsis: 
Gateway to the Future

Existence after Skydark is a gamble against grim odds -- winners and losers decided by guns, jack and raw nerve. Still, one intrepid group pushes on, working to understand the secrets of preDark tech at the heart of nuke-altered America. Because keeping hope alive is the next best thing to a good shot and finding something better.

Law of Sudden Death

Baron Crabbe is dangerously high on legends of the Trader and rumors of a secret cache. He occupies a redoubt but the old tech remains unfathomable. His ace in the hole is Ryan Cawdor and his band. Prisoners at blasterpoint, they're ordered to use the matter-transfer units to secure the whereabouts of the imagined weapons stockpile. Ryan knows the truth -- and it won't help Crabbe. But the only option is to play along with the crazed Baron's scheme and make the dangerous jumps in a limited window of time. Staying alive is all about buying time -- waiting for their one chance to chill their captors.

Review:  Fun and exciting.  Unfortunately there were a few errors in the story, but it didn't ruin the pleasure of reading it.

Rating:  7 / 10

Prodigal's Return by James Axler

Title: Prodigal's Return
Author: James Axler
Format: PB
Pages: 315
Genre: Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher: Gold Eagle, 2011
ISBN-13:   978-0373626106  
Series: Deathlands, Book 101

Favorite Quote:  Next time, I'll explain how to set a broken leg.  That could be useful.

Synopsis: 
Torn Asunder

America, defiled and reshaped by nuclear carnage, promises little but a struggle for survival. Still, a group of hard travelers trek the worst this hellish place can offer, surviving by their wits, razor skill and knowledge of preDark technology. Their leader, Ryan Cawdor, is a Deathlands legend, a warrior and hero to many, a relentless enemy to more. And he understands the only way forward is the future, even when the past has a will of its own....

Sins of the Father

Searching for an operational redoubt, Ryan and his companions go up against a ruthless band of coldhearts. The shock of seeing Ryan's long-lost son as the band's point man puts the group on a new mission -- rescue Dean at all cost. But when Dean shoots and wounds his father in a firefight, the strange turn of events leads the travelers deeper into the shifting sands of their own destiny. And father and son, each committed to the laws of decency and fair play, will confront an uncertain legacy.

In Deathlands, there's no going back....

Review:  I was so happy and excited that Dean seemed to be rejoining this series.  But, at the end, he didn't.  I really wish the powers that be would bring him back.  I always liked his character.  It was a good story though. 

This is actually the 101st of these books I've read.  The outside cover says it's #100, but I think they aren't counting the prequel, Encounter, and I am.  I think I'm ready for something different for a little while now.

Rating:  6.5 / 10

Perception Fault by James Axler

Title: Perception Fault
Author: James Axler
Format: PB
Pages: 315
Genre: Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher: Gold Eagle, 2011
ISBN-13:   978-0373626090  
Series: Deathlands, Book 100

Favorite Quotes:  "If we get out of here, Ryan, you can beat me to your heart's content, but until then you stay awake, dammit!"

Synopsis: 
Dark Passage

The ravaged landscape that was America two centuries ago is now blighted by post-nuclear holocaust savagery. Still, there remain pockets of preDark technology that may offer undiscovered paths to reclaiming the future. Ryan Cawdor and his companions have faced most kinds of horror that Deathlands can deliver -- and survived. This merciless place can break even the strongest, but it has yet to destroy hope.

Place of Promise

Denver offers a glimpse of that very hope -- a power plant, electricity, food and freedom. But the city is caught in a civil war between two would-be leaders and their civilian armies. Challenged by both sides to do their bidding, Ryan discovers a third player in the quest to control the mile-high city -- a secret enclave of White Coats with the strength and technology to pursue a twisted agenda of their own.

Tomorrow is never just a brand-new day in the Deathlands...

Review:  The story idea is a great one.  It's unfortunate that this particular book was so poorly edited.  Incomplete sentences, misspellings, and other obvious editing mistakes make this a trying book to read at times.  I still did like the story though.

Rating:  6 / 10

Tainted Cascade by James Axler

Title: Tainted Cascade
Author: James Axler
Format: PB
Pages: 316
Genre: Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher: Gold Eagle, 2011
ISBN-13:   978-0373626083  
Series: Deathlands, Book 99

Favorite Quote:  Certain aspects of life in Deathlands just shouldn't be committed to paper, she realized.

Synopsis: 
Primal Salvage

The blighted aftermath of a global nuclear showdown, Deathlands exacts a blood price. The living pay it; the dead don't care. For one legendary band of warriors, this barbaric new world holds a chance for redemption: the secrets of the past. They roam a disfigured America, searching for pre-dark tech... seeking the path to a future worth living.

Victory Spoils

Utah's Great Salt Lake Desert remains a death pit of scorching heat, cannies and grim odds. Ryan Cawdor and his group survive the trek there, only to be drugged, robbed and left for the slave trade. Escaping their captors leaves them alive but stripped of their prized gear: their weps, J.B. Dix's glasses, Dr. Mildred Wyth's medical kit and, worse, her secret codex. The companions must rely on each other to challenge their enemy and settle the score.

In Deathlands, revenge is sweeter.

Review:  I've almost read 100 of these books.  In fact, I'm starting #100 today.  I just can't seem to get enough of them, although I certainly can't read more than a few at a time.  They really are one of my favorite vices.  They cannot be called great classics, but they are always fun, exciting and fast to read.

Rating:  7 / 10

Playfair's Axiom by James Axler

Title:  Playfair's Axiom
Author:  James Axler
Format: PB
Pages: 316
Genre: Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher: Golden Eagle, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0373626076
Series: Deathlands, Book 98

Favorite Quote: 
     "What the hell!" Mildred exclaimed when Ryan emerged back to the stairwell with ribs and leg and arm bones stuck through his belt like a sort of armor corset.
     "Door stops," he said, picking up the lantern and handing it to her.
     "I hate this century."

Synopsis (Back Flap):  A legendary warrior of nuke-spawned America, Ryan Cawdor understands the hard-and-fast rule of Deathlands.  Where there is life, death is only a matter of time.  Still, staying alive is the dubious luxury of being quick, hard and willing to abide by a code of honor long abandoned to the wreckage of this postapocalyptic hell zone:  truth and fair play.

St. Louis is a concrete jungle of fetid head, acid rains and cutthroats.  With J.B. Dix gravely wounded, Ryan and his group become captive guests of a local barony.  Freedom lies in the success of a dea:  recapture a runaway teen, daughter of the ailing baron.  But the dangerous power behind the throne rests with a self-proclaimed holy man.  His gruesome manipulation of life and death are about to put the group in a race for their own salvation.

Review:  It was time to revisit my favorite vice, the Deathlands series.  These books are always action-packed and always full of shootouts and terror.  I wasn't disappointed.  All my favorite characters are still here and the story is still fun.

Rating:  8 / 10

Downrigger Drift by James Axler

Title:  Downrigger Drift
Author:  James Axler
Format:  PB
Pages:  313
Genre:  Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2011
ISBN-13:  978-0373626069
Series:  Deathlands, Book 97

Favorite Quote:  The old man turned sad eyes on him.  "Oh, Ryan, you have no idea what hopes I have every time we come to one of these doors, that each one might hold the secrets of, if not escaping this hellish world, then of somehow making it better for those who are forced to dwell in it every day of their nasty, brutish and short lives."

Synopsis (Amazon):  The nuclear cataclysm that maimed America altered the rules of existence. The new reality guarantees a grim battle for survival, but the higher human instinct to exist in peace and good will lives on. Legends endure and Ryan Cawdor is a warrior of his time. When the good fight needs to be won, Ryan and his band take a stand.

In the nuke-altered region of the Great Lakes, Ryan and his group face the spectrum—from the idyllic to the horrific—of a world reborn. Close to enclaves of peace and sanctuary, Deathlands' most distorted spawn of humanity, cannibals, spread terror. Against the battered shoreline of Lake Michigan, an encounter with an old friend leads to a battle to save Milwaukee from a force of deadly mutant interlopers—and to liberate one of their own.

Review:  This story had many mutants in it, some kindly and some violent.  But, either way, I ended up feeling sorry for all of them and the more regular humans who live beside them.  It is a dark and troubled place, The Deathlands, but somehow also beautiful and hopeful.  It's one of the many things I love about this set of books.

This is the final book I have to read from this series at this time.  More are out there, but I don't have copies yet.  Perhaps I'll visit again later on this year, perhaps not until next year.  Either way, it's not goodbye.

Rating:  8 / 10

Moonfeast by James Axler

Title:  Moonfeast
Author:  James Axler
Format:  PB
Pages:  315
Genre:  Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2010
ISBN-13:  978-0373626052
Series:  Deathlands, Book 96

Synopsis (Amazon):  In the nuke-conceived birth of Deathlands, a rare breed of warrior-survivor emerged—born into suffering, hardened by circumstance, forged by endurance and sharpened by combat. Yet in the heart of this warrior, the quest to find a place of peace beats on unrelenting....

The pristine coastal waters off San Clemente become a battleground over the island and its abandoned naval station. The rocky shores are rife with the sulfur mines that make Deathlands' richest jack—gunpowder. To maintain hell-fought possession, a ruthless sea baron and his fleet engage rebellion from the land. On this island populated by roaming bio-weap nightmares engineered by predark whitecoats, Ryan Cawdor is caught in a war he has no intention of fighting, but has every determination to survive.

"Too long have these cowardly poltroons feasted upon the flesh of the weak, and the taste of an honest fight fills their bowels with Hobbesian turpulence."

Review:  I just adore these stories.  Call it my closet vice, but these are almost always fast, exciting reads, with non-stop action and adventure, set against a future Earth straight out of a nightmare.  I love the left over technology from our time, the frantic effort to survive, and the loyalty and honor among the main characters.  I laugh out loud at the unintentional humor of Doc.  He's just such a great character.  As is usual, my favorite quote comes from him.

Serial SF can be really good or really bad.  This is one of the good ones.

Rating:  8 / 10

Doom Helix by James Axler

Title:  Doom Helix
Author:  James Axler
Format:  PB
Pages:  317
Genre:  Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2010
ISBN-13:  978-0373626045
Series:  Deathlands, Book 95

Favorite Quote:  She pointed at the holstered, black powder LeMat.  "Pot calling kettle. Come in kettle...."

Synopsis (Amazon):  Devastation from the nukewar shattered civilization and left a planet both primitive and ripe for rebirth--or retaking. While the balance of power has fallen to avaricious, amoral barons, a handful of humanity still holds hope of a future worth fighting for or dying to defend. If a better life inside the hellground exists, Ryan Cawdor and his friends will find it.

The Deathlands feudal system may be hell on earth but it must be protected from invaders from Shadow Earth, a parallel world stripped clean of its resources by the ruling conglomerate and its white coats. Ryan and his band had a near-fatal encounter with these genetically enhanced aggressors and their advanced weaponry and wags once before. Only a fatal chink in enemy armor saved planet Earth from plunder. Now, these superhuman predators are back, ready to topple the hellscape's baronies one by one.

Review:  Another exciting adventure in the Deathlands.  I really do like the story-line with the people from an alternate Earth, although from the sound of the ending, this may be the last one of those.  Either way, it was full of action and thrills.

I really liked the bad guys in this novel.  The genetically enhanced warrior, Auriel Otis Trask, was a great character.  I was almost sad to see her well-deserved end come.

These books are not for the faint of heart.  They are kind of like watching a really good action movie.  You can't expect much except a lot of blood and gore, but it's a pretty fun ride anyhow.

Rating:  8 / 10

Baptism of Rage by James Axler

Title:  Baptism of Rage
Author:  James Axler
Format:  PB
Pages:  313
Genre:  Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher:  Gold Eagle, 2010
ISBN-13:  978-0373626038
Series:  Deathlands, Book 94

Favorite Quote:  Despite herself, Mildred felt her lips rise into a smile.  "You sound like a fortune cookie," she said.
Doc shook his head.  "If I knew what that was," he said, "I'm sure I'd be insulted."

Synopsis (Amazon):  The end of the world arrived in a nuclear rush, forging the agonized remains of past and present into a new reality known as Deathlands. Now life is a simple series of rules of survival, where having is better than not having--and anything is worth killing for. But in a world that has seemingly turned against mankind, the possibility of miracles can exist....

Of all the resources Ryan Cawdor and his group struggle to recoup, hope for escaping the grim daily life-and-death struggle has suffered most. But now reports of a ville holding the mythical waters of rejuvenation, a fountain of youth, appear to be true, luring Doc and the others on a journey inspired by promise, tainted by mistrust. Hiring on as sec men with a convoy headed to the healing waters of Babyville, the survivors discover the deadly price of immortality.

In the Deathlands the future looks like hell--and delivers far worse...

Review:  I've once again returned to the world of Deathlands.  This book was good, much better than the last one I read.  The legend of the Fountain of Youth, James Axler style.  As is usual, this was a quick, fun read with just the right amount of action to keep me entertained.

There is something about the simplicity of the companions' lifestyle that appeals to me.  Survival is all they require.  Anything else is icing on the cake.

Doc and Jak continue to be the best characters, but I think Mildred might be right up there with them.  She's so caustic and sarcastic that I always get a good chuckle out of her attitude.

Rating:  8 / 10