Trackers (The Birthright Project, Book 2)

by Kathryn Mackel

Book Overview

Far from home in a ravaged world, the Birthrighters struggle for survival. Raised in a new ark beneath polar ice, delivered by whales to a blighted surface, the young men and women of the Birthright... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595540407
• ISBN13: 9781595540409
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

More! Give Me More!

You're going to be disappointed if you read the first 2 books in this series. You might notice that I gave both of these books 5 star ratings and wonder why I'd say this. Well, WestBow Press, at the time I write this, has elected to not publish the 3rd and final book in this series. You're going to be disappointed in the light that Outriders and Trackers are so good that you'll feel a certain emptiness knowing that book 3 is unlikely (not impossible) to be forthcoming. I love the post apocalyptic sub-genre of mainstream science fiction as well as Christian science fiction in general and this series falls into both of those categories. It exceeded my expectations in terms of plot and character development to the extent that I've actually caught myself daydreaming about the story. Off hand I can only recall a couple of stories that have had that effect on me, "The Stand" by Steven King, and "The Time Machine" by H. G. Wells. "Outriders" and "Trackers" are definitely well worth reading even knowing that the story may never be finished.

Trackers

Trackers is Kathryn Mackel's second book in the Birthrighters Project. The young men and women sent out from the ark below the ice in Outriders, continue their responsibilities of gathering species from God's original creation amidst a world filled with warlords, mutants and now an ancient evil. But not only must they fight against this evil, they must struggle with their own desires--desires that could destroy their mission and leave them exposed. Tracker Timothy manipulates the others, convincing Niki and a rook to enter Baron Alrod's palace in order to retrieve the secretive shroud, when his real intentions are to rescue Dawnray, the woman the baron has taken for his "lolly." The rook, Anastasia, discovers a young man indentured to the sorcerer Ghedo, who dreams of good though knows only evil. While Timothy's group penetrates the palace, Brady and his crew work to save a small village against the darkest evil they've faced yet. Brady must accomplish this while learning to trust Ajoba to be obedient. A new twist in Trackers is that Ghedo must face his own worst fear--being unseated by a more powerful sorcerer. The novel is filled with graphic images of a world gone wrong. With each character Mackel takes great care to delve into their deepest desires and weakness, but views them from the light of the Cross. I enjoy the creativity of this author because I never know what will happen next. Though the darkness is the blackest of evils, Mackel relies on the brightest of Lights to dispel it, something I'd love to see in more novels. The redemptive value of the story deeply blessed me.

Internal and External Battles, A Vivid World, Heroes and Villains--a Great Read!

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for the first novel in the Birthright Proeject--OUTRIDERS. If you plan to read OUTRIDERS, but haven't yet, you'll want to skip the first part--or all--to be safe. "But why?" Anastasia said. "Why do this to another human being?" "Because they want to be God, that's why." --from TRACKERS Humans playing God is a dominant theme in the Birthright Project. The mogs--transmogrified creatures--are the prime metaphors for expressing the urge to be Creator and Lord over all. Conversely, submission to true and proper authority is also a theme. When people try to do things their way, rather than the wise and obedient way, or the way the Spirit leads, trouble follows. So, we've come from the first novel, OUTRIDERS, in a future world damaged by the Endless Wars. Birthrighters--those who survived the wars by building an Ark that is under the arctic ice, full of spiritual maturity and scientific know-how--send outriders topside. We met the Horesh community birthrighters--the outriders, trackers, weaver, etc. It's just one enclave assigned to collect "natural" specimens of flora and fauna, those not tainted by genetic meddling. They also protect life and uphold goodness however they can without endangering theihr mission in a post-apocalyptic world fallen back into some sort of semi-medieval status. Brady is leader. Niki is our strong warrior-woman who came face to face with darkness and acquired a wolfen companion. We've gone with the birthrighters through trials in the fortified cities and out about the damaged, but not utterly destroyed, land. Dangers and a major battle left them battered and down one original outrider. Worse, one entire outrider community has been engulfed in a terrible, dark void. Disobedience by the weaver/teacher, Ajoba--who was seduced by a demon in guise of an angel--has left the group without a maker of shroud, the miracle substance only the chosen can create. Shroud is crucial to their defense, as it offers camouflage and armor, and to their word, as all specimens must be wrapped in shroud before being sent down to the underground second Ark. (Shroud is fabric that on one side is, well, fabric, and on the other is "out-of-time.") The weaving of it is a spiritual gift, as are the abilities to have visions and communicate with creatures and discern the transmogrified via a green glow. And the growing needs of the heart threaten the peace of more than one birthrighter who has vowed celibacy. TRACKERS begins with Timothy, one of the birthrighters, heading into the great city of Traxx--using his gift of song to charm the "slungs" that guide him through the Sleeping Beautyish thorny hedge with the Siren flowers. Traxx is the city of Alrod, a baron of great evil and ruthless ambition and a powerful reach, whose right arm is the dark sorcerer Ghedo. Timothy is out to rescue the girl he loves, a good-hearted non-birthrighter who has been selected by the baron and baroness as the "lolly" to bear a

A Story that Resonates

Since Tolkien and Lewis popularized modern Christian fantasy, the power of symbolism and storytelling have proved to be a potent mix. Unfortunately, those who follow in their footsteps often recreate the same ideas, concoct shallow new worlds, or use shoddy writing. Mackel gave us a wholly original start to this series with "Outriders." Although it took a little bit of time to set the groundwork for her vast but memorable set of characters, Mackel then plunged us into a story that resonated with practical truths and spiritual lessons--all in the framework of a vibrant and sometimes horrific world. The tale took place in Earth's future, where war has decimated the landscape and destroyed most technology. Once again, people turned to magic and sorcerers for guidance and strength. Standing against the rising evil, the Outriders faced transmogrified creatures, beings polluted through sorcery and genetic mixing. In the second Birthright Project book, "Trackers," we meet up again with characters such as Niki, Brady, Ajoba, Merihanna, Timothy, Ghedo, and others. There are surprises, heartstopping moments (that include giant ticks sucking blood), and glimpses of victory. Some characters make noble choices, while others make selfish ones. By the end, the cause of the trackers and outriders is completed, but with the late introduction of a scout, it seems this series could keep going. And in fact, it should. This is one of the best fantasy series I've read in a while. I hope others discover the richness of these books and buy enough copies to encourage the publication of a third in the series. I'll be first in line to pick it up.

Trackers, by Kathryn Mackel

The future world is a blasted shell of its former self. Horrific wars have ravaged the landscape, leaving behind tracts of useless wasteland, and humanity has devolved into a feudalistic society based on power, might, and greed. Like Esau long ago, mankind has sold its birthright in exchange for the selfish pursuit of their own prideful desires, and nothing remains of the modern world. Now all that exists are strongholds ruled by ruthless warlords served by "sorcerers" retaining just enough knowledge of genetic engineering to alter animals, plants, or people in any fashion - no matter how absurd or perverse. Caught in the middle are villages full of simple people, clinging to a forlorn hope of a better world. However - hope is never futile, especially when placed in the One who rules and cares for all, regardless if humanity has forgotten Him. Years before the Endless Wars laid waste to Earth, God worked to secure the future. Led by prophetic visions, a select group of people left the world behind in the new Ark, hiding beneath the ice in the Polar Regions, until such a time when they could reclaim the world for God's glory. They are the Birthrighters. Trackers: those commissioned to hunt down and recover species of all kinds in need of replenishing, and Outriders: the warriors of the Birthright Project, who stand in the way of the evil that threatens them. For several years, they've tracked countless species, fought off many foes, but now the hour grows desperate. A new sorcerer named Simon has joined Alrod, a stronghold warlord whose hate for the Outriders already burns brightly. With supernatural powers extending far beyond simple genetic manipulation, Simon aides Alrod as he strides forth to recruit an unholy army worthy of an almighty overlord. Within the Birthright Project, personal desires, agendas, and resentments threaten the future of their quest. Like monastic orders of old, Outriders are forbidden to marry or have relationships, because their mission is so great they cannot afford the distraction of "love". However, humans were created to love and be loved, and how much longer can this be denied of them, before they turn into something less than human themselves? There's a lot to like in Trackers, Kathryn Mackel's second installment in the Birthright Project series. A more robust work than her recent thriller, The Hidden, Trackers boasts a haunting look at the future of mankind, one that makes the reader think of Road Warrior and Mad Max - just without Tina Turner and those funky earrings. Those who enjoyed Stephen King's The Gunslinger will like this story of an apocalyptic future and the quest to restore God's natural balance. In King's apocalyptic vision, "the world had moved on", and in Trackers, it has moved on to a dark, dangerous place crafted with an imaginative vision. I enjoyed Simon the sorcerer - possibly an oblique reference to the Biblical Simon who tried to buy the disciples' miracles - and his character re