Sunday 3 July 2016

Outlaws of Olympus (Book 1) By C. E. Martin

Outlaws of Olympus (Book 1)

 

1881, Utah Territory. Immigrants continue to flood into the Wild West, bringing with them their customs, cultures, and legends from the Old World. But it isn't just men that have come to the new Frontier. Darker beings have come as well, intent on once more terrorizing mankind in a Godless land. Can a cursed cavalryman and a mysterious priest work together to stop a supernaturally-fast gunslinger, or will the old gods claim the land and souls of men for themselves?

The Guru's Review: 

 

I was asked by the author to review this short story. I bought it instead of asking for a review copy.

At first I did not realise that this short would be about the Nephilim and only found out from browsing through it as I normally do when I buy a new book. I should have known this may have been the case as the description describes the Greek gods returning to the earth in the Wild West era. Anyone who researches the history of the Nephilim or where the gods of different cultures come from will no doubt discover a link back to these gods being the fallen angels from the bible and how the set up their kingdoms on earth and the many references to half angel/half human relates to the Nephilim of Genesis 6:4.

In this short, we have the Greek god, Hermes, in human form as outlaw known as the Quicksilver Kid, going on a killing spree as a sharp shooter who uses a gun with gold bullets. Then we have another Greek god, Hercules, in human from as a Catholic priest, Father Sergio Morricone. Well, it turns out there is a twist between these two gods, but I won't spoil it here.

As I always do when I read a new book, I checked out the author's website/blog and discovered that the cursed cavalryman, Bartholomew Black, (who is killed by Quicksilver Kid), and  Hercules are characters in Martin's other series, Stone Soldiers. In this Outlaws of Olympus series, these two have the main stage. 


While I found this highly entertaining, and I am looking forward to the planned instalments every 3 weeks in this 13 tale series, I do have issue with Martin's theology. Not sure if this is just poetic license or what he subscribes to. He has extended the salvation achieved by Jesus' death on the Cross to the Nephilim. Many bible scholars and commentators believe that Christ died for the human race only and the Bible states this is so. The Nephilim are not a direct creation of God but a hybrid formed from the sinful union of two beings that were not designed or instructed by God to procreate and this is the reason that salvation is not offered to them. Many bible scholars believe that it is the deceased Nephilim's spirit that are the demons that exist today and described in the Bible. It is this reason that they have no home, no place to go to in this state as they are forever condemned to this earth seeing they are not from or of God. God's punishment for the fallen angels that sired the Nephilim was to imprison them in Tartarus (some interpret this as Hell) as stated in 2 Peter 2:4,
(For if) God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but threw them down into Tartarus and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness until judgment.

(Holman Christian Standard Bible)
However, from reading this and its description, I can see that this author is purely going along the lines of the speculative nature of, "what if the Greek gods returned to earth in the Wild West era and fought it out amoungst themselves and the human race?" From this angle the author's motive is not a serious one but very much an entertaining one and to this end, he succeeds.

It will be interesting also to see where Martin goes with the Bartholomew Black character and his background, "a man cursed to live the lives of all the men he's ever killed" as Martin describes him in his blog. A formidable partnership here with him and Hercules against the rest of the Greek gods who have also returned to the earth in this Wild West era. 

 
A very good start to a highly entertaining, fast paced and as described elsewhere, pulp fiction tale. 

World Building 4/5

Characterisation 4/5

Story 3/5

Spiritual Level 3/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 3/5

Average Rating 3.6/5

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