Outcast (Paver novel)

Outcast is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series by Michelle Paver. There are six books in the series. Outcast is illustrated by Geoff Taylor.

Plot summary

We find out at the start of the novel that in the previous book the Soul Eaters marked Torak with the Soul Eater symbol. This is discovered and Torak is set to be cast out from the clans, unless his own clan, the Wolf Clan, decides he is innocent. When the Wolf Clan arrives, the Leader says that his mother announced him 'Clanless'. This has never happened before, but as Torak has no clan to decide his innocence, he becomes an outcast. He leaves the clans with Wolf. Renn repeatedly tries to help him, but Torak won't let her as if anyone sees Torak they are supposed to kill him. Torak attempts to cut out the Soul Eater mark from his chest and, thinking it has worked, he goes back to the Raven Camp and watches them. Saeunn, the Raven Clan's mage, says that there is a Soul Eater among them, so Torak flees, knowing that he is the Soul Eater of which she speaks. While in hiding, he suffers from a kind of madness called soul sickness, and attackes Wolf with fire. Meanwhile, Renn and Bale meet up and decide to find Torak and prove his innocence, even though in doing so they are breaking clan law. Renn sends help to Torak in the form of two ravens (named Rip and Rek by Torak). While Torak is recovering his reason, Seshru the Viper Mage, a Soul Eater, uses her powers to draw him to her so as to control him (he is a Spirit Walker and therefore controlling him would supply her with even greater power). Seshru is revealed to be Renn's mother. Meanwhile, Renn realizes that a giant flood is coming and encourages Torak to spread the word and therefore prove his innocence. Torak therefore tells Fin-Kedinn, and the clans flee. Torak gets into a fight with a boy from the Boar Clan, but then climbs up a tree to escape the coming flood. The Boar Clan boy hears the water coming and tries to climb the tree too, but he cannot reach the first branch so Torak jumps down to help him. Torak then finds he cannot climb back up the tree, and he and Wolf are swept away by the water. When he wakes up, all the clans are there, and when Seshru appears Torak shows the clans that destroying him will not help them in their struggle against the Soul Eaters, and they accept him back. Bale uses Renn's bow to kill Seshru, and she dies with the fire opal in hand and thus both die as one.