Book review: Outriders by Kathryn Mackel

This is the first book of an intriguing Christian fantasy series of novels by Kathryn Mackel. This is the first of her books I have read, and I am impressed with her imagination. She creates a world that is intriguing and shows definite parallels with a creation fallen from its original beauty due to the curse of sin. She also shows the hope of restoration of the creation by the valiant acts of Christians.

In Outriders, the world has been devastated by a war in which most technology has been destroyed. Bands of warriors called Traxx roam the countryside. To populate their army, they capture the few remaining humans, and through genetic engineering, they turn the humans into grotesque monsters. However, a remnant of humans escaped and has been kept safe in an underwater ark. Little by little, these people, called birthrighters, are released back onto the earth and commissioned to help establish an outpost of humane civilization in this barren world. These birthrighters must battle the warriors of Traxx while they rely in their faith in God. There are clear spiritual overtones in this battle of good and evil, and the use of genetic engineering is ripped from today’s headlines. The Birthrighter characters are developed well, and they are shown to have their own internal struggles in fighting against their own selfish desires, while they are fighting the Traxx. There is quite a bit of striking imagery, including an archway of thorns that protects the stronghold of the Traxx warriors. I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series, Trackers, which is also available on Amazon.com, as well as select bookstores.

This series is part of a promising wave of writers attempting to establish fantasy genre that serves the faith fiction market, which Bryan Davis, R.K. Mortenson, George Bryan Polivka, Donita Paul, G.P. Taylor, and Miles Owens, that build on the legacy of the famous Inklings: Lewis and Tolkien. I am not a huge reader in this genre, but after meeting a number of sci-fi and fantasy writers at the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference this past year, I have had my eyes opened to the fun and interesting narrative possibilities, and I want to read more! It’s good to indulge one’s imagination occasionally, as I've learned as a wanna-be writer myself.