Vic: Terror Incognita

Jerry Gill

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

Vic Challenger Book 4

After a little camping trip that was mostly fun, and a rumble in the streets that brings the Deputy Sheriff calling, Vic and her friend Lin Li head off on their next travel adventure. No danger this time, they say. Eat good food, see exotic locales, little hiking, lots of photos. They do get all of that. And more. The cave dwellers, the madman, the dinosaur, the great apes, the snakes, the head-hunters. And is Lin going to betray Vic for something so simple - to save her own life?! And Vic is still waiting for a call or letter from Stu James. For starters! Just when things look straight ahead, there's a wall or a twist.

Non-stop action. Accurate historical and nature settings. The #1 awesome adventuress from the 1920's in her 4th book and if you crave action you won't be disappointed!!

Review by Paul Lappen (311015) Rating (9/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Rating 9/10
This is the fourth adventure of Victoria Custer, your average resident of the early 20th century. Using the pen name Vic Challenger, Victoria, and her friend, Lin Li, travel to exotic places and write about them for their hometown newspaper. The unique part is that inside Vic is the avatar of a 100,000-year old cavewoman named Nat-ul (who is not afraid to call Vic an idiot when necessary). The two are engaged in a never-ending search for Nu, Nat-ul's lover from all those centuries ago. After all, Nat-ul is still alive (in a sense), so Nu must also be out there, somewhere.

In this volume, Vic and Lin Li plan to do some hiking and exploring in the Amazon rain forest. While in Brazil buying provisions, Vic meets Ech, an elderly woman who speaks the original language of the uprights; Nat-ul's language. Ech comes from the land of Goch, in an isolated area of the Amazon. Vic and Lin Li agree to go to Goch, if only to tell Ech's people that she has passed on.

After several days of travelling by boat upriver, and hacking through nearly solid vines and undergrowth, the two are taken prisoner and brought to a man, who speaks English, named Tis. They have found the land of Goch. Tis has a very effective means of keeping the people under control. Think of a cross between a large lizard and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, large enough to have a semi-human, but equally hideous looking, being riding it. They know how to deal with anyone who gets out of line. There are only two pairs at the moment, but Tis has hundreds of eggs ready to hatch, with which he will take over the world.

The two are separated for several days, but they make their escape. They are able to neutralize one of the dinosaur pairs, but even after reaching their boat, with the fuel line conveniently missing, he enters the river and comes after them. There is quite the pitched battle in the piranha-infested water, with some help from Nat-ul. Meantime, with Tis overthrown, do the people of Goch exact their revenge?

I really enjoyed this book. It has plenty of action, and exotic peoples and locations (exotic to the average American). I hope there are more tales of Vic/Nat-ul.
Paul Lappen (31st October 2015)