Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Action-packed origin story for Fletcher's mentor Arcturus.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE OUTCAST: SUMMONER TRILOGY PREQUEL, Arcturus is an orphan running away from his tavern job where he's regularly beaten. First, he stops by the stables to steal a horse for his journey. That's when he discovers a summoning scroll left in a saddle bag, reads it aloud, and accidentally summons a large canid demon that will be his for life. His transgression is found out immediately, and he's imprisoned and questioned. Commoners are not supposed to have the ability to summon and are not welcome within the ranks of the noble children who train at Vocans Academy. On the king's orders, he's sent to the school anyway. Arcturus sleeps in the "punishment room" at night and every day at school feels like he's being punished by the students who consider him an outcast. The night he decides to run away, two of the students have a nasty surprise for him: They summon a giant demon from the ether to kill him and intend to make it look like an accident.
Is It Any Good?
Fletcher's mentor Arcturus from the Summoner trilogy gets his origin story in this prequel, which focuses heavily on action. Arcturus and friends are on the run for the last two thirds of The Outcast, in fact. He mentions often how tired he is -- the reader will be, too. It's a little too much of a good thing, even for fantasy fans who crave high adventure stories. You almost lose count of how many times Arcturus nearly dies. Magical healing has its downsides in the world of effective storytelling, where one climactic action sequence is plenty.
That's not to say author Taran Matharu turns The Outcast into a one-note video game. He often points back to the deeper themes from the main trilogy on racial and class injustice. They continue to hold poignancy here. And his main character, Arcturus, may be forced into some bloody moments, but he never thinks it's OK to kill. More on Arcturus' inner transition from commoner to brave summoner would have been welcome.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the racial tension in The Outcast. How does the dwarf Ulfr view humans? Why? Does his opinion ever change?
How have the nobles changed during their escape? What have they learned about the orcs? The dwarfs? The workings of their kingdom?
For readers of the Summoner trilogy, did Arcturus' story measure up? What other characters do you want to know more about?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Feiwel & Friends
- Publication date : May 1, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate