4.5/5 stars (rounded up for Goodreads ratings)First, let me preface this review by saying that I'm the daughter of the author, so my review will be a bit more biased than most.Outlander Chronicles: Phoenix is a thought-provoking book that heavily explores the essence of belief, the philosophical and religious ways in which we view the world and the nature of man. It’s a book about survival, about living, about relationships, about endings, but also about beginnings as a ravaged group of people struggle to found a new civilization from the ashes of a hard, unyielding post-apocalyptic world.Hakim was perhaps my favorite character in OCP, as he is a enigmatic dichotomy of sorts. He is a man of peace, yet a man capable of great and calculated violence when necessary. He is capable of great compassion and values life, and yet is capable of taking it if the situation warrants it.He is an educated man, schooled in religion, philosophy, strategy and history. He is a wanderer. He is a man of strong conviction and while vocal about his views and beliefs, never forces it upon another.Though I had some minor issues with the development of Jacen's character, in general, I thought the character development was very well done. I was particularly impressed with the way the author (Dad? Cobb?... This is awkward.) was able to differentiate and individualize the multiple characters in Jacen and Hakim's community. With that many characters it can be difficult to give them uniqueness and voice, but as the book went on I began easily associating the many characters with their own individuality, and that can be very hard to accomplish successfully.Overall... Dad, well done. I am impressed.
