Exiles’ Escape: Book Two of Old Men and Infidels

Exiles’ Escape: Book Two of Old Men and Infidels picks up where Outland Exile ends, with Malila Chiu on the run, following her faked suicide and her escape from Jourdaine—whose “loyalty exercise” could have killed her. Broken in rank for her crimes, seventeen-year-old former DUFS officer, Malila, endures several daunting challenges on her way to freedom. Since her body did not surface within three days, Jourdaine considers that she faked her own suicide. Consequently, he ponders the need to “take the charm out of” her charmed life and punish the girl that has become a liability to his rule. Follow Malila Chiu on her mission to remain free in a world plagued by mind-controlling drugs, inhumane leadership, sensation-poor babies, zombie armies, and various atrocities.

Walter Clark Boutwell creates a seriously creative fictional world that appears incredibly real, as it is highly intricate and well-developed. I liked that the book explores different interesting things that could develop if people had forty years to live, like age becoming part of names and “people being introduced with their age class”. That people are tricked into believing a simulation is the real world in the story makes me wonder how much of my values and goal were inherited from hidden agendas. I also loved the characters. Hecate’s determination to keep going, despite the challenges she faces, is quite inspiring. Her calculated coldness and ability to strike when it’s least expected sent a chill down my spine. And I liked that Malila displays some comical nonchalance and boldness in some situations, like when she decided to eat a sausage at gunpoint.

Though the book fascinated me in some aspects, it failed to impress me in some other areas. First, the story seemed to focus too much on the world, and it did not follow a clear, engrossing direction. Too much politicking, power moves, and scientific work are going on; emotional, relatable elements, like deep friendship and sacrifice, are minor. Secondly, the details and directions are overwhelming, and a big part of the time I spent on the book was consumed by memorizing and recalling information about the various characters, goals, and governmental practices, instead of enjoying the flow of the narrative.

Exiles’ Escape is one of those books that make you contemplate some possibilities you have never imagined before, which forces you to reexamine your own reality and how society is structured. The book is best suited for fans of futuristic, sci-fi, and dystopian narratives. It might not keep you up at night, but it will definitely engage your mind.