OK, so I am a little over halfway through this latest Outlanders, and I had to just give this site my thoughts thus far.

(Well, no one else seems to be talking this series up here anymore.)

So, for those who care out there, here goes...

First off, the overall writing is good and has a pulse-pounding pace. The storyline is interesting to me. I always like lab-created superhumans, and Hoskin gives a slightly different twist to a concept that has been done numerous times.

But the problems are in the minute details that are either lacking, or just plain as the grimace on my face as I read this series.

The prologue takes the reader back to 1800's England, where an American scientist offers the Queen his scientific breakthrough in creating the perfect human weapon. Although it is a quick intro to the overall storyline, and the timeline was well captured, I didn't get how this poor scientist who wore rags had set up the seemingly huge and complicated tank that held five individuals. How was all this sent over from the US and set up in the secret underground research center in England?

And since the Queen obviously gave this american scientist what he wanted, in terms of money for the completion of his experiment - then what duties did they perform for Britain? Thus far in the story, that has not been told. Five superhumans used to help the British military should have made some great news or historical significance. (I hope the writer will show something akin to this in the latter hald of the book I've yet to read.)

Another couple of things I've noticed in this book that seems to reverberate throughout the series in the last few years is: lack of using heavy firepower that the base of Cerberus has. Why is Grant, after getting nearly killed by just one of these super beings, and knowing that the bullets from his sin eater did nothing to them, only goes back for revenge with THE SAME SIN EATER! And only adding the typical small subgun copperhead when he and Kane go on the hunt for five individuals who put him down without a problem, swatted bullets away, and nearly killed his beloved, Shizuka. (Who also carries a blade to a gunfight. Why oh why does this supposedly smart woman not carry an auto pistol and a small machine-gun in a world such as this?)

The scene that had Grant and Shizuka battling these five super-beings was OK. But for being built-up over the years in this series as being a badass swordsman, (or woman, in this case), Shizuka got put down wayyyy too easy here. I didn't see her showcase these samurai warrior moves she is supposed to have.  This would have come off much better if she would have given this immortal a run for his money. (hopefully the writer will show me this in the 2nd half.)

And when Grant is telling Kane and Brigid about what happened to him and his beloved, he really seems to gloss over just how dangerous these 5 beings are. They don't even take any BFG's!  (Big Fuckin' Guns, for those who are going 'Huh?")

I don't see how you don't go into an arsenal you own and take grenades, RPG's, and even maybe a .50 cal, just for starters for five individuals that took you down without hardly batting an eyelash.