Outcast (Michelle 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.

Outcast
Author(s)	Michelle Paver
Illustrator	Geoff Taylor
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
Genre(s)	Children's adventure, fantasy novel
Publisher	Orion Children's Books
Publication date	2007
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback), audio book (CD & cassette)
Pages	356 (paperback)
ISBN	ISBN 1-84255-170-1 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC Number	145935498
Preceded by	Soul Eater
Followed by	Oath Breaker

Plot summary

We find out at the start that in the last 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 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 says that there is a Soul Eater among them, so Torak flees, knowing that it is him who is the Soul Eater. While in hiding, he suffers from soul sickness, a kind of madness and attackes Wolf with fire. Meanwhile, Renn and Bale meet up and decide to find Torak and prove his innocence, which is breaking clan law. Renn sends help to him in the form of two ravens Torak named Rip and Rek. While Torak is recovering his reason, Seshru the Viper Mage, a Soul Eater, uses her powers to draw him to her so she can control him. . Seshru is revealed to be Renn's mother. Renn realised that a giant flood is coming and tells Torak that if he spreads the word, that it might prove his innocence. He tells Fin-Kedinn and the clans flee. Torak gets into a fight with a boy from the Boar clan, but Torak 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, and gives him a leg up. Then Torak can't climb back up the tree, and gets swept away by the water with Wolf. 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 try and kill Seshru, and she dies with the fire opal in hand and thus both die as one.