I can’t give Sun Lord a higher rating than a five even though it’s better than the last OL novel by Victor Milan. I don’t know who is more responsible for all the errors in this book, he or the editors but they really turn a decent plot into a shoddy piece of work.

The plot is pretty cool but how Kane, Brigid and Domi end up with the powers of Aztec gods isn’t explained very well and I had problems visualizing some of the scenes. The action scenes are okay but Outlanders hangs together on the quality of characterization and this is where Sun Lord just falls apart for me.

Sun Lord has Grant, Bry and Domi acting like misbehaving kids, squabbling and fighting and once again he portrays Domi as a violence and sex addicted little psycho. Why he does that and why the editors let it stand is really a puzzle.

I’ve been reading the series since 1997 and there has never been any sign Domi is that much of a slut. Besides, isn’t she in love with Lakesh? It sure seemed that way in the previous book, Mad God’s Wrath!

Brigid comes off like an authority figure, the den mother of a Cub Scout troop, Bry is a nasty know-it-all creep, Grant is a sullen teenager who goes off to sulk in New Edo when he doesn’t get what he wants. Kane is okay but only because Milan keeps his traits the most superficial, killing and having casual sex. The qualities of the more mature, driven and quick-witted warrior he’s been the last five years or so are pretty much gone.

The lack of series continuity between what Mark Ellis has established and Milan’s books was a real problem for me. The overall level of maturity and intelligence in Milan’s books is far lower than what I’ve come to expect as the standard too.

And there just so many continuity errors!!! I can’t believe anybody actually got paid to edit this book.

For example--

Where did this new version of the interphaser come? Who built it and when? How come it doesn’t work like the other two versions?

Why is Lakesh all of sudden in charge of the Cerberus redoubt again? When did that happen? When he did start wearing glasses again? Why is there no mention of his relationship with Domi?

Why would Reba DeFore, the doctor be leading an armed security squad to keep Brigid from going into the armory?

Why would Kane have sex with another female hybrid and not even think about Quavell? Where was she anyhow? There was no mention of her and she’s been living in the redoubt since Dragoneye, published two years ago!

Why does Bry all of sudden hate Kane? When did that happen? When did he start losing his hair?

And these are just a few of the questions I have, not all of them. Even without all those mistakes, Sun Lord would still be a pretty basic OL novel, anyway. It’s not a complete loss, but it’s a world away from Talon and Fang, too.

Overall half of it is okay but the other half is terrible, due mainly to the character and continuity problems.

Five the highest I can give it.

To be honest, I didn't know that this book was written by Milan beforehand. However, a few things made me double check and I found that it was Milan and not Ellis who had written this book.

First off, I hate to dwell on the inconsistencies, but there were quite a few. Bry was made out as if he didn't care for Kane and the others. Lakesh was even more stoic, insensitive, and annoying than usual. Also, Brigid uses the interphaser, despite the fact that we readers said good-bye to it in the last book.

There were, however, a few good aspects of the book. Kane and Brigid's relationship is talked about and they use the bond of the anam chara. I always look for their connection to be explored a bit further, and Sun Lord provided.

The second good thing about this book is its use of mythology, which fits along with a lot of Ellis' plots. It fit right in with many other Outlander novels.

Lastly, Milan didn't get bored with the main four characters and decide to provide his own bunch of "heroes." He stuck with Kane, Grant, Brigid, and Domi and was much closer to their true personalitites than he was in Awakening.

Its not as good as any Outlander book written by Ellis, but when I was done I didn't angrily throw the book against the wall as I did Awakening, so go ahead and read it.

Sucked, kane-brigid-grant-domi, didnt act or talk at all like themselfes. not a story just mombo-jumbo throwen together. CRAP

I personally liked Victor Milan's 2nd Outlander attempt, SUN LORD.

Why? Because he delved into a storyline never done before, forcing Kane to awaken from a mat-trans jump in a ancient Aztec-like Mexico, in the form of a newly-awakened god with the powers to draw forth fiery powers.

He is trapped in Mexico, unable to leave in his new 'aspect', forced to battle monstrous, legendary figures straight out of Aztec or Mayan myth. I though that was real interesting.

Reading just who had done this to Kane, and why, was interesting to me. The anam chara bonding between Kane and Baptiste is delved into in Sun Lord, something I've been waiting for to happen, somewhat furthering their relationship ties. I thought her 'feelings' and dream sequences were written very well. I love premonition and their strong bonding being used in this fashion. Very good, Mr. Milan!

Later, when they discover Kane's whereabouts, Brigid and Domi also accept goddess-like aspects with different powers. I also like their powers, especially Domi's! It fit her like a glove.

Characters were writen in character, much more like Ellis's writing, I think. The overall storyline feel, sounds a lot more like Ellis's work, but definately has Milan's personal signiture. How can it not? Again, I personally like it for the most part.

I really learned to like the new female hybrid/human character that Kane responds to. It left the reader wondering about future novels to come. I hope to see her here again.

Plot had a solid idea, I think. Characters were portrayed well. Action sequences for the most part, were done very well. I really thought the ending one was extremely exciting to read.

Watching how the group deals with Lakesh becoming the strongest god aspect of all was kinda funny and amusing to read.

So, for those out there that just like Mark Ellis writing this series, who knows what you'll think. But for us action/adventure fans that are just hoping to be satisfied with a fun-filled reading experience, with the characters staying in character, delving deeper into their relationships -(which this one did to me) - than I am satisfied.

I've tried not to spoil any of the plot points here, so try it out.

Unlike HELLBENDERS, I didn't finish this novel wanting my money back. I didn't feel cheated. Thanks Victor Milan for not wasting my money. Even though I liked your 1st attempt, your 2nd one is staying even more in-tune with Ellis's style.

First the good news. Sun Lord is much better than Victor Milan’s first OL outing, Awakening. The bad news is that there is still a lot of room for improvement particularly in the areas of character consistency and series continuity with the tech and backstory. There is an awful lot of continuity errors in Sun Lord where the writer obviously didn’t understand how things worked in the “Axlerverse”.

There are other errors that should have been caught by the editors, like the interphaser still being used after it was destroyed in the previous book Mad God’s Wrath, not to mention that its operation was completely wrong. This kind of stuff is very aggravating and distracting since to me it’s due to laziness or apathy on the part of the editors. I won’t list all the errors, just take my word for it that there are a lot.

The plot of Sun Lord is interesting and takes place in a new and colorful setting, a civilization based on Aztec mythology built on the ruins of Mexico City. In classic OL style two factions are struggling for control each using “gods” from Aztec mythology to battle it out. Kane, Brigid, Domi and eventually Lakesh end up channeling the aspects of four Aztec deities.

How this is done scientifically isn’t explained in much detail, but it has something to do with Danaan or Annunnkai and even Archon technology. It’s hard to tell since the writer gets them all mixed up, claiming that Lam, Balam’s father, was an Annunnkai instead of one of the First Folk and this alien tech is just lying around.

Once Kane, Brigid and Domi get the powers of the gods, Sun Lord becomes like a cartoon show version of OL, with them showing off various super powers in over the top special effect heavy battle sequences, shooting rays out of their hands and controlling the weather. As colorful and entertaining as it was at first to see OL by way of X-Men, by the third time it was getting old.

There’s a gratutous sex scene between Kane and a female hybrid and afterward he wonders if he impregnanted her. There is no mention whatsoever of Quavell, the pregnant hybrid who has been living in Cerberus since Far Empire.

The pacing of Sun Lord was slow compared to most OL novels and some chapters were very cumbersome and hard to get through. However, the main characters act more like themselves than in Awakening even though I had some problems with Grant and Domi’s behavior.

Also for some reason Kane addresses Lakesh as “Doc” and more than once Lakesh is called “Dr. Lakesh.” Always before when he’s been addressed that way he’s called “Dr. SINGH” since that’s his last name. Lakesh is his middle name.

Overall I enjoyed this book more than I did Awakening but it was definitely written on a more immature level than the OL novels by Mark Ellis. Not as immaturely as DL, but still it had a juevenile feel to it.

I would have given this book 8 stars out of 10, but all the continuity breaches just piled up way too much and spoiled my enjoyment. My suggestion is for the editors to actually read the series they’re editing and for Victor Milan to pay a little more attention to the finer details of this series.

I can’t come right out and recommend this book to a long-time completist Outlanders fan. But if you’re just a casual reader and aren’t too concerned by off-model characterization and continuity errors, then you’d probably enjoy Sun Lord since the setting is colorful and is full of vivid but sort mindless action.

If I had to describe Sun Lord in only one sentence it would be as a smoking pile of fecal matter. This has to be one of the worst offerings ever to be trotted out by Gold Eagle, just the latest in a seemingly endless line of sloppy, substandard, and just outright disappointing storylines. It is becoming painfully apparent that anyone other than Mark Ellis who writes for the Outlanders series is going to produce a smoking pile of crap. What sounded like an outstanding plotline line was reduced to a never-ending parade of blunders that included poor characterization, an obsession with a naked Domi, sloppy construction of action scenes, and what amounts to a total disregard for the continuity and series history that Mark Ellis has worked so tirelessly to establish since Outlanders was first introduced.

Mr. Milan’s attempt to use ancient Aztec gods, though a unique idea, was so convoluted and crowded with gods whose names sounded so similar that I found myself asking which gods where fighting which gods and who was on what side of the fight. The elements of science and myth weaved into fiction and fact that makes Outlanders such an enjoyable series to read was completely absent in Sun Lord. The plot was full of gaps, the largest being the how and why for Kane and companies resurrection as Aztec Gods in the ruins of Mexico City. A rich and colorful culture filled with ceremony and ancient rituals was almost completely ignored in favor of two-dimensional gods and characters that hardly entertained me much less enticed me to care about their ultimate fates.

Over all, Sun Lord for me was a colossal waste of time, energy, and my hard earned money. It was poorly written, not to mention written on a level that makes me seriously question if Mr. Milan even thinks his readers have the intelligence much above a block of granite. I could spend days listing all of the things that made this latest Outlanders book a painful read that does not even earn the right to have the Outlanders name attached to it. But it comes down to Gold Eagles ignorance as to why Outlanders has such a loyal and fanatical following. The usual fast paced thrill ride that Outlanders is. The bone-jarring journey through exotic landscapes filled with vibrant characters. A universe filled with twisting, spiraling, roads that wind through the halls of history weaving ancient myth and folklore with fiction, mystery and the truths behind the shadows that fill our world.

If these are the things that draw you to the Outlanders Series then do yourself a favor and avoid Sun Lord as if it carried the black plague as none of these things are even remotely present in this Outlanders offering. I been generous in giving this dreadfully awful piece of literature (A word I use loosely) a score of three out of ten. I’m sorry that yet again I took a chance on something in the Outlanders series that was not written by Mark Ellis. It is not a mistake I intend to make again.

Every one is saying this book is better than Milan's last book but who cares it still stinks. He should quit writing sci-fi and go back to writing comic books or something. The only reason this book isn't in the garbage is because it would then be missing from the set. With all the blatent nudity of the characters and the superpowers it sounds like the writer is a 14 year old boy. I feel sorry for those people that maybe this is there first experience with OL because they obviously wont buy another one. I can't wait for the Mask of the Sphinx to hit stores so that I can get this awfull taste out of my mouth.

Why don't they just let Ellis write them all.

I realized last month that I was missing a book in the series. Not because the plot was off, or because they mentioned things from this book. I simply looked at the list of issues inside the cover of the last book and noticed that Sun Lord was not on my shelf. I should have ignored it. It did not fit into the Outlanders series. If this had been the first book in the series I would not have continued. Suddenly Domi has the vocabulary of an encyclopedia, Kane and Grant are prissy little girls and NOBODY has a spine! Lakesh and Domi apparently took a "break" because there was no mention of their relationship. Why do the subsequent issues not make reference to the events in this issue? It seems to me that somebody has a degree in Aztec/Mayan studies and decided to bore us readers with this drivel.
I have been a fan since the Deathlands series began in 86. I don't like this issue. I may burn the book because I don't want it on my shelf beside the others.

When I picked up t his book, I was looking forward to another good OL book. but after I finished the first 2 pages, I could tell something was wrong. And low and behold, I was right.

None of the characters were acting like themselves, and I had to go back and reread several chapters because the book was confusing. I expect bad books from the Deathland series, but not Outlanders, though I know there are a few more to out there. Save yourself some time and pick up a different OL book. Just shelve this one for the collection.