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The Death Bringer
Aik will never be the same … and neither will his world.
War is coming. Aik has become the Progenitor, and the Seed Mother has released him to transform the world for her alien brood. Silya and Raven, Aik's former friends, are the only ones who can save him and the world. But what if the cure is worse than the invasion?
As Silya rushes to prepare Gullton for the battle to come, she's determined to save as many people as she can. But new crises emerge that demand her attention.
Raven has his own hands full, keeping the dragon-like verent in line, while helping Silya to save the world. But what if the only way to do so is to sacrifice Aik, the man that he loves?
It's the end of the world … or could it be the start of something new?
War is coming. Aik has become the Progenitor, and the Seed Mother has released him to transform the world for her alien brood. Silya and Raven, Aik's former friends, are the only ones who can save him and the world. But what if the cure is worse than the invasion?
As Silya rushes to prepare Gullton for the battle to come, she's determined to save as many people as she can. But new crises emerge that demand her attention.
Raven has his own hands full, keeping the dragon-like verent in line, while helping Silya to save the world. But what if the only way to do so is to sacrifice Aik, the man that he loves?
It's the end of the world … or could it be the start of something new?
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2024
About the author
J. Scott Coatsworth
80 books187 followersScott lives with his husband in a leafy Sacramento, California suburb, in a cute yellow house with a pair of pink flamingoes in the front yard.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
He has always been in the place between the here and now and the what could be. He started reading science fiction and fantasy at the tender age of nine, encouraged by his mother. But as he read the golden age classics and more modern works too, he started to wonder where all the queer people were.
When Scott came out at 23, he decided he wanted to create the kinds of stories he couldn't find at the bookstore. If there weren't gay characters in his favorite genres, he would reimagine them, filling them with a diverse universe of characters. He'd remake them to his own ends, and if he was lucky enough, someone would even want to read them.
Scott's brain works a little differently from most folks - he sees connections where others don't. Born an introvert, he learned how to reach outside himself and connect with other queer folks.
Scott's fiction defies expectations, transforming traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something fresh and surprising. He also created both Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer's Association (SFWA).
His writing, both romance and genre fiction, brings a queer energy to his work, infusing them with love, beauty and strength and making them fly. He imagines how the world could be, and maybe changes the world that is, just a little.
Scott was recognized as one of the top new gay authors in the 2017 Rainbow Awards, and his debut novel "Skythane" received two awards and an honorable mention.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 25, 2024
Well, I just powered through the series, so I could review the latest one as part of its release tour. And, you know? I loved it.
It’s a bit of an odd beastie, to be sure. Fantasy? Sci-fi? Some blend of the two?
Scott’s created a world, a colony of a long-gone Earth left to its own devices, to develop its own society in a place that was once connected to something bigger, and is now insular and inward-looking, cut off from the rest of the universe because there are no interstellar transports any longer. No more are coming from Earth, and never will. So the world of Tharassas has its own history, economy, societies, etc, and none of that has any remaining connection to Earth. So far, so SciFi.
But then, Tharassas has its sentient plants and animals. It has sentient plants in the hencha, that can not only talk with chosen (female) humans, one of whom becomes known as the hencha queen, but can move around and directly influence events. It has dragon-like verent who quite literally merge with ‘their’ human, their chosen ones. And it has alien invaders in the form of the spore mother and her creations, desperate to overcome Tharassas, which is the last chance of survival for her people. So far, so Fantasy.
Merging the two so they’re seamless and, well, logical despite the illogic, is where Scott excels. One thing I’ve always known about him is that his world-building is solid. That sort of stuff is, seriously, my jam. I love doing it, I love reading it. One of the delights of writing speculative fiction not set on Earth is that the worlds, the culture and society, the government, the geography and the weather are all entirely up to the author, who can happily make it up. Scott does that very well indeed.
So. We have a world that isn’t like ours, but which Scott makes accessible to us through the experiences of his main characters: Raven the thief who swallows a ‘dragon’ to become the chosen one of a verent; his lover, Aik the guard, who puts on a gauntlet from a set of armour found just lying around somewhere – never a good idea, really – and who is swallowed up by the Spore Mother’s spawn as a result; Silya, once involved with Aik, but now the head of the temple and acknowledged as hencha queen; and Spin, the AI intelligence once seen as Raven’s familiar, but who takes on a wonderful life and story of its – his? – own. Torn apart by the actions of verent, Spore Mother and hencha, the three (plus Spin) must find a way to save Tharassas from destruction.
Well, basically, I liked the series so much, I binged-read it in two days. Really good stuff, I promise you.
Which brings me to the point of this post….
The Death Bringer
This is the fourth book of the series (fifth if you count the pre-series collection of short stories), where everything comes to a crashing climax despite the main characters being separated by the various events of the previous books: Raven kidnapped by dragons (I can’t believe I wrote that line) to learn to bond and merge with the one who chose him; Aik has been absorbed and transformed into the Progenitor, the Death Bringer sent by the Spore Mother to destroy everything to make room for her fungoid progeny; Silya is fighting against bureaucratic inertia to protect and save humanity. When the only way to save Tharassas means Aik (or what’s left of him) has to die… well. Drama ensues.
All the mains are good, well fleshed-out characters, but I have to admit to a sneaking liking for Silya and her indomitable mother. Strong female characters written well are a rarity. For too many authors, strong = loud/aggressive/exaggerated physicality/female warrior/crushes her femaleness in order to judo kick men in the face. Luckily, Scott doesn’t fall into that trap, and instead creates female characters who challenge gender stereotypes (both Silya and her mother Triya are acknowledged leaders in their society, not merely passive supporters of their men), who are allowed character flaws yet think and act strategically for the betterment of humans and to save Tharassas, and are positive role models for other women to emulate. Neither Silya nor Triya end up being stifled in order to play up the male characters’ arcs. That’s encouraging.
Another, rather heartwarming character arc is Spin’s. The realisation of who he is, and his back story was quite a punch to the gut - a creative, unexpected element that oddly was the most human story of all, and featuring a bit of metal infused with AI. A clever and well done aspect to the overall story arc.
As to how they all get on, succeed or not… no spoilers here, I’m afraid. I’ll only say that the resolution played to all of Silya’s strengths, and reinforced what I said earlier about strategic leadership. Strong characters come from inner complexity of personality, thought, compassion, judgement… Scott creates them here.
All in all, well done.
It’s a bit of an odd beastie, to be sure. Fantasy? Sci-fi? Some blend of the two?
Scott’s created a world, a colony of a long-gone Earth left to its own devices, to develop its own society in a place that was once connected to something bigger, and is now insular and inward-looking, cut off from the rest of the universe because there are no interstellar transports any longer. No more are coming from Earth, and never will. So the world of Tharassas has its own history, economy, societies, etc, and none of that has any remaining connection to Earth. So far, so SciFi.
But then, Tharassas has its sentient plants and animals. It has sentient plants in the hencha, that can not only talk with chosen (female) humans, one of whom becomes known as the hencha queen, but can move around and directly influence events. It has dragon-like verent who quite literally merge with ‘their’ human, their chosen ones. And it has alien invaders in the form of the spore mother and her creations, desperate to overcome Tharassas, which is the last chance of survival for her people. So far, so Fantasy.
Merging the two so they’re seamless and, well, logical despite the illogic, is where Scott excels. One thing I’ve always known about him is that his world-building is solid. That sort of stuff is, seriously, my jam. I love doing it, I love reading it. One of the delights of writing speculative fiction not set on Earth is that the worlds, the culture and society, the government, the geography and the weather are all entirely up to the author, who can happily make it up. Scott does that very well indeed.
So. We have a world that isn’t like ours, but which Scott makes accessible to us through the experiences of his main characters: Raven the thief who swallows a ‘dragon’ to become the chosen one of a verent; his lover, Aik the guard, who puts on a gauntlet from a set of armour found just lying around somewhere – never a good idea, really – and who is swallowed up by the Spore Mother’s spawn as a result; Silya, once involved with Aik, but now the head of the temple and acknowledged as hencha queen; and Spin, the AI intelligence once seen as Raven’s familiar, but who takes on a wonderful life and story of its – his? – own. Torn apart by the actions of verent, Spore Mother and hencha, the three (plus Spin) must find a way to save Tharassas from destruction.
Well, basically, I liked the series so much, I binged-read it in two days. Really good stuff, I promise you.
Which brings me to the point of this post….
The Death Bringer
This is the fourth book of the series (fifth if you count the pre-series collection of short stories), where everything comes to a crashing climax despite the main characters being separated by the various events of the previous books: Raven kidnapped by dragons (I can’t believe I wrote that line) to learn to bond and merge with the one who chose him; Aik has been absorbed and transformed into the Progenitor, the Death Bringer sent by the Spore Mother to destroy everything to make room for her fungoid progeny; Silya is fighting against bureaucratic inertia to protect and save humanity. When the only way to save Tharassas means Aik (or what’s left of him) has to die… well. Drama ensues.
All the mains are good, well fleshed-out characters, but I have to admit to a sneaking liking for Silya and her indomitable mother. Strong female characters written well are a rarity. For too many authors, strong = loud/aggressive/exaggerated physicality/female warrior/crushes her femaleness in order to judo kick men in the face. Luckily, Scott doesn’t fall into that trap, and instead creates female characters who challenge gender stereotypes (both Silya and her mother Triya are acknowledged leaders in their society, not merely passive supporters of their men), who are allowed character flaws yet think and act strategically for the betterment of humans and to save Tharassas, and are positive role models for other women to emulate. Neither Silya nor Triya end up being stifled in order to play up the male characters’ arcs. That’s encouraging.
Another, rather heartwarming character arc is Spin’s. The realisation of who he is, and his back story was quite a punch to the gut - a creative, unexpected element that oddly was the most human story of all, and featuring a bit of metal infused with AI. A clever and well done aspect to the overall story arc.
As to how they all get on, succeed or not… no spoilers here, I’m afraid. I’ll only say that the resolution played to all of Silya’s strengths, and reinforced what I said earlier about strategic leadership. Strong characters come from inner complexity of personality, thought, compassion, judgement… Scott creates them here.
All in all, well done.
June 28, 2024
Gulleton has sheltered all the people who needed to be saved from the red fireflies that have destroyed the hencha and the wildlife system. But then Chala discovers that water has leaked into the caverns. Lake Zeraya is overflowing from the melting ice from the now heated Anghor Mor. Chala, Kerrick and Sister Tel will go to the damn to open the gate. But Chala has issues as she remembers the Oracle, Mirah and Alibeh and all she knows is death needs to come to Aik/Iihil.
Aiken Erio is now held by the Spore Mother and has trouble remembering who he is. The metal Gauntlet has become more of a part of him. Now he’s the Mother’s son the progenitor named Iihil. There comes a point when Iihil even knows there’s something not right. But Aik holds on and remembers Raven.
Spin is with Triya, Desla, Em and Mesa. They are in search of Aik and trying to avoid the red fireflies. Spin has memories of a past life: Sera his daughter, the Spin Diver and the crash. With Spins memories he gives himself a new name, Ty. When they found Desla in the cave she recovers and relays what happened. Aik had left by the way of the tunnel in Anghar Mor and had not returned. They would journey into the cave to find Aik.
For Silya another hugh step will be made for her as Hencha Queen. Raven knows that if Silya has her own emp there will be hope. If she can survive the trial of the emp she would be more connected to the hencha and Tharassas. As Raven has left Gulleton Silya will go by verent to find Aik and Raven. She will use her staff and face off with Iihil, but Chala under the influence of the Oracle will cause great damage.
Raven knows one thing he must do and that is to save his lover Aik, as the word is he needs to die. Raven and the verent riders will go to Anghor Mor to try and save him. But it doesn’t go well, as Sorix is ready to find mate Kalix as they know they are hurt. The other verdant: Breeze, Thunder and Squint are there to support Kalix and Raven.
All now have a goal and that is to reach Anghor Mor. Some with the thought of ending Aik and some who have the need to save him. Triya knows that something happened in the past before humans arrived on Tharassas. As all meet in the cavern Silya will face off with the Spore Mother. What Silya learns will it change what she felt was necessary to achieve? And what of Aik his life still hangs in the balance?
J. Scott Coatsworth brings another outstanding story to the “Tharassas Cycle” with book four “The Death Bringer.” It has been an on the edge thriller, not only fighting off the red fireflies, but having Aik’s life in so much danger. It has been a chaotic story of choices to be made in order to not repeat what has happened in the past for those of Tharassas.
The author takes us back into a world that was once filled with human life, colorful vegetation and odd creatures and now it has been destroyed by the red fireflies and the coryx. The idea of the story stays on course as all will have to work together to exist or the world will end in tragedy. Some will make rash judgments and others will weigh what’s most important and take a chance for a better world. I could say so much more but at every turn something changes the course for the characters and there are surprises along the way.
There’s still a magnificent cast of characters along with: Raven, Aik, Silya, Kerrick, Spin, Desla, Triya, Sister Dor, Tela, Cora, Elleck, and Rex’Axon Sea Master. Verent riders: Astrid, Olly, Jai, and Chala. Verent’s: Kalix, Breeze, Sorix, Squint and Thunder.
Spore Mother, Iihil, and Iindree, and so many more with unique names.
“The Death Bringer” is another story that is intense and will take the imagination into the world and lives of unique and amazing characters. J. Scott Coatsworth started it all with Raven “The Dragon Eater” and four books later he still takes readers on a fantastic journey.
Aiken Erio is now held by the Spore Mother and has trouble remembering who he is. The metal Gauntlet has become more of a part of him. Now he’s the Mother’s son the progenitor named Iihil. There comes a point when Iihil even knows there’s something not right. But Aik holds on and remembers Raven.
Spin is with Triya, Desla, Em and Mesa. They are in search of Aik and trying to avoid the red fireflies. Spin has memories of a past life: Sera his daughter, the Spin Diver and the crash. With Spins memories he gives himself a new name, Ty. When they found Desla in the cave she recovers and relays what happened. Aik had left by the way of the tunnel in Anghar Mor and had not returned. They would journey into the cave to find Aik.
For Silya another hugh step will be made for her as Hencha Queen. Raven knows that if Silya has her own emp there will be hope. If she can survive the trial of the emp she would be more connected to the hencha and Tharassas. As Raven has left Gulleton Silya will go by verent to find Aik and Raven. She will use her staff and face off with Iihil, but Chala under the influence of the Oracle will cause great damage.
Raven knows one thing he must do and that is to save his lover Aik, as the word is he needs to die. Raven and the verent riders will go to Anghor Mor to try and save him. But it doesn’t go well, as Sorix is ready to find mate Kalix as they know they are hurt. The other verdant: Breeze, Thunder and Squint are there to support Kalix and Raven.
All now have a goal and that is to reach Anghor Mor. Some with the thought of ending Aik and some who have the need to save him. Triya knows that something happened in the past before humans arrived on Tharassas. As all meet in the cavern Silya will face off with the Spore Mother. What Silya learns will it change what she felt was necessary to achieve? And what of Aik his life still hangs in the balance?
J. Scott Coatsworth brings another outstanding story to the “Tharassas Cycle” with book four “The Death Bringer.” It has been an on the edge thriller, not only fighting off the red fireflies, but having Aik’s life in so much danger. It has been a chaotic story of choices to be made in order to not repeat what has happened in the past for those of Tharassas.
The author takes us back into a world that was once filled with human life, colorful vegetation and odd creatures and now it has been destroyed by the red fireflies and the coryx. The idea of the story stays on course as all will have to work together to exist or the world will end in tragedy. Some will make rash judgments and others will weigh what’s most important and take a chance for a better world. I could say so much more but at every turn something changes the course for the characters and there are surprises along the way.
There’s still a magnificent cast of characters along with: Raven, Aik, Silya, Kerrick, Spin, Desla, Triya, Sister Dor, Tela, Cora, Elleck, and Rex’Axon Sea Master. Verent riders: Astrid, Olly, Jai, and Chala. Verent’s: Kalix, Breeze, Sorix, Squint and Thunder.
Spore Mother, Iihil, and Iindree, and so many more with unique names.
“The Death Bringer” is another story that is intense and will take the imagination into the world and lives of unique and amazing characters. J. Scott Coatsworth started it all with Raven “The Dragon Eater” and four books later he still takes readers on a fantastic journey.
September 20, 2024
Rating: 5 stars
Review By Ulysses Dietz, Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Name of Book: The Death Bringer
Series: Tharassas 4
Author: J. Scott Coatsworth
Publisher: Dragon Water Publishing
Release date: 2024
Page Count: 328
Genre: Sci-fi Fantasy MM
The powerful and fascinating finale to the Tharassas Cycle was not a disappointment! The trick with ending an epic adventure like this is to make it NOT obvious (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc). Scott Coatsworth does it, and with a distinctive point of view that is his alone.
So, it’s all about to hit the fan (although in Tharassas they don’t seem to have fans, or air-conditioning, even though they have electricity and plumbing). As the title suggests, this is all about the looming threat to the people of Tharassas, coming from inside Anghar Mor, the dark mountain in the north east. Well, THAT sounds sort of obvious, doesn’t it?
But it’s not. We have to remember that until about five hundred years earlier, there were no humans on Tharassas, and the planet had grown and evolved and thrived just fine without them. The humans arrived from earth—specifically a group of what I suspect were what we would call survivalists. This human civilization flourished in its sort of quasi-primitive way, as the technology brought from earth on spaceships was slowly archived and forgotten. The only intact piece of earth technology on Tharassas is Spin. His presence provides a kind of comic relief from the seriousness of the plot, but also adds a powerful emotional backstory that we finally learn in full.
Thing is, humans were the second alien species to arrive on Tharassas, and they arrived thousands of years earlier. In a way, this book is their story, and it is what makes Coatsworth’s effort unique.
Meanwhile, our young trio of heros—Raven, Aik, and Silya—have all been transformed. Raven has bonded with the verent, the race of sentient white dragons. Silya has bonded with the hencha—the life-sustaining but sentient plants upon which Tharassan culture depends. And Aik, poor insecure, beautiful Aik, has bonded with the gauntlet, and thus has bonded with the Death Bringer. Each of these three youngsters, all of a sudden, find themselves with the world in their hands.
The important thing is that they are not alone. They have not gone rogue; they have joined to something bigger, older, and infinitely wiser that each of them is. More than this, they are surrounded by people who care about them and depend on them. They are necessary, but they are not solitary. None of them can do it alone, and herein lies the great lesson of this series.
Coatsworth gives the reader an unexpected twist, which will not totally surprise any reader who has been paying attention as the story begins, and we first hear the voice of the Spore Mother deep inside Anghar Mor. With stunning visuals and careful emotional control, Coatsworth gives us the epic battle for survival, while taking it in a direction both unexpected and philosophical.
Read all four. It’s a journey worth taking.
Review By Ulysses Dietz, Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Name of Book: The Death Bringer
Series: Tharassas 4
Author: J. Scott Coatsworth
Publisher: Dragon Water Publishing
Release date: 2024
Page Count: 328
Genre: Sci-fi Fantasy MM
The powerful and fascinating finale to the Tharassas Cycle was not a disappointment! The trick with ending an epic adventure like this is to make it NOT obvious (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc). Scott Coatsworth does it, and with a distinctive point of view that is his alone.
So, it’s all about to hit the fan (although in Tharassas they don’t seem to have fans, or air-conditioning, even though they have electricity and plumbing). As the title suggests, this is all about the looming threat to the people of Tharassas, coming from inside Anghar Mor, the dark mountain in the north east. Well, THAT sounds sort of obvious, doesn’t it?
But it’s not. We have to remember that until about five hundred years earlier, there were no humans on Tharassas, and the planet had grown and evolved and thrived just fine without them. The humans arrived from earth—specifically a group of what I suspect were what we would call survivalists. This human civilization flourished in its sort of quasi-primitive way, as the technology brought from earth on spaceships was slowly archived and forgotten. The only intact piece of earth technology on Tharassas is Spin. His presence provides a kind of comic relief from the seriousness of the plot, but also adds a powerful emotional backstory that we finally learn in full.
Thing is, humans were the second alien species to arrive on Tharassas, and they arrived thousands of years earlier. In a way, this book is their story, and it is what makes Coatsworth’s effort unique.
Meanwhile, our young trio of heros—Raven, Aik, and Silya—have all been transformed. Raven has bonded with the verent, the race of sentient white dragons. Silya has bonded with the hencha—the life-sustaining but sentient plants upon which Tharassan culture depends. And Aik, poor insecure, beautiful Aik, has bonded with the gauntlet, and thus has bonded with the Death Bringer. Each of these three youngsters, all of a sudden, find themselves with the world in their hands.
The important thing is that they are not alone. They have not gone rogue; they have joined to something bigger, older, and infinitely wiser that each of them is. More than this, they are surrounded by people who care about them and depend on them. They are necessary, but they are not solitary. None of them can do it alone, and herein lies the great lesson of this series.
Coatsworth gives the reader an unexpected twist, which will not totally surprise any reader who has been paying attention as the story begins, and we first hear the voice of the Spore Mother deep inside Anghar Mor. With stunning visuals and careful emotional control, Coatsworth gives us the epic battle for survival, while taking it in a direction both unexpected and philosophical.
Read all four. It’s a journey worth taking.
October 2, 2024
I’ve just finished The Death Bringer, the final book in J. Scott Coatsworth’s Tharassas Cycle series. I’m willing to wait a day, possibly two, before I’ll start demanding a never-ending supply of short stories set on Tharassas. There is a prequel available, but I want more. I haven’t immersed in a series this satisfying in a long time, and I really don’t want to leave this amazing and complicated world.
A short, one page prologue starts the book off with a bang and you should pay close attention to it. If you are a habitual prologue-skipper (I was horrified when I learned such people existed), you need to go against your habit and read this one. And as long as I’ve telling you what to do, if you haven’t read the previous three books in this four book series, set aside The Death Bringer until you are caught up. It’s one continuous story.
For those readers that have been fretting over the fates of Raven, Aik, Silya, and Spin, that’s about to change. You’ll soon be worried about so many more souls, not all of them human, as the big picture of what’s really going on is finally revealed. At long last, you’ll grok the entire canvas that Coatsworth has been painting a picture for us on since the beginning. For me, it came in a flash — a simple phrase popped into my mind that described what was happening on Tharassas. That was exciting. I can’t recall experiencing such a crystal clear epiphany while reading a book before this.
I won’t write a synopsis of the story. The joy is in the turning of the pages as you take the journey. There are so many twists and surprises along the way. Every decision made by our four friends and those within their circles affects the outcome.
Speaking of twists, this adventure started out purely as fantasy, complete with a medieval-age culture, dragons, sentient plants, and seemingly magical objects — but it evolved into a hybrid genre as the science fiction aspects of life on the world of Tharassas are revealed.
Coatsworth has done his homework. The worldbuilding is impressive. Developing the plotline had to be a consuming passion for him. His characters include formidable women with excellent skills and more than a modicum of emotional self-control. The men are strong, but not in an “I’ll save you, little lady” sort of way. In fact, it’s the men that seem to show the strongest emotional turmoil. There are a couple of love stories that play out realistically (and inclusively) with Raven and Aik’s longing for each other in the lead. The more I became invested in the characters, the more I cared about how their relationships with family, friends, and lovers grew, matured, and settled into their final forms.
The four-book Tharassas Cycle is a story that will stay alive in my mind for a good while to come. The depth of the worldbuilding is breathtaking and inspiring. As a writer myself, I’ll think about this story often. Its set a high standard that not everyone puts the work in to achieve. I can’t help wondering what J. Scott Coatsworth is planning to spring on us next?
This review was first published at SciFi.Radio. If you're a fan, you've already seen this review ahead of everyone else!
A short, one page prologue starts the book off with a bang and you should pay close attention to it. If you are a habitual prologue-skipper (I was horrified when I learned such people existed), you need to go against your habit and read this one. And as long as I’ve telling you what to do, if you haven’t read the previous three books in this four book series, set aside The Death Bringer until you are caught up. It’s one continuous story.
For those readers that have been fretting over the fates of Raven, Aik, Silya, and Spin, that’s about to change. You’ll soon be worried about so many more souls, not all of them human, as the big picture of what’s really going on is finally revealed. At long last, you’ll grok the entire canvas that Coatsworth has been painting a picture for us on since the beginning. For me, it came in a flash — a simple phrase popped into my mind that described what was happening on Tharassas. That was exciting. I can’t recall experiencing such a crystal clear epiphany while reading a book before this.
I won’t write a synopsis of the story. The joy is in the turning of the pages as you take the journey. There are so many twists and surprises along the way. Every decision made by our four friends and those within their circles affects the outcome.
Speaking of twists, this adventure started out purely as fantasy, complete with a medieval-age culture, dragons, sentient plants, and seemingly magical objects — but it evolved into a hybrid genre as the science fiction aspects of life on the world of Tharassas are revealed.
Coatsworth has done his homework. The worldbuilding is impressive. Developing the plotline had to be a consuming passion for him. His characters include formidable women with excellent skills and more than a modicum of emotional self-control. The men are strong, but not in an “I’ll save you, little lady” sort of way. In fact, it’s the men that seem to show the strongest emotional turmoil. There are a couple of love stories that play out realistically (and inclusively) with Raven and Aik’s longing for each other in the lead. The more I became invested in the characters, the more I cared about how their relationships with family, friends, and lovers grew, matured, and settled into their final forms.
The four-book Tharassas Cycle is a story that will stay alive in my mind for a good while to come. The depth of the worldbuilding is breathtaking and inspiring. As a writer myself, I’ll think about this story often. Its set a high standard that not everyone puts the work in to achieve. I can’t help wondering what J. Scott Coatsworth is planning to spring on us next?
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September 28, 2024
The Death Bringer is a most satisfying conclusion to J. Scott Coatsworth’s Tharassas Cycle. The novel begins with the planet on the edge of disaster. Catastrophic, world-changing events are in motion. An alien invasion threatens civilization. War is coming.
Where are our heroes, Aik and Raven, and Silya, the Hencha Queen, and all the others? What’s going on inside Anghar Mor, a mysterious volcano?
Aik, who set off to find his beloved, Raven, has been taken by the Spore Mother, an alien being whose kind has been on Tharassas for centuries. They are awake again, with a mission to take over the planet. She has changed Aik into the Progenitor, and “released him to transform the world for her alien brood” (back cover). Is Aik still there, or he is lost inside this monster? Silya and Raven are desperate to rescue Aik, but Silya has prepare Gullton for the coming battle. One crisis after another demand her attention. Raven is also busy. Not only must he keep the “dragon-like verent in line,” but he also has to help Silya to save the world. Can he help her and help the man he loves? Can Aik be restored to himself? Will love be enough? Will sacrifices be made?
The end of the world, or at least the end of the world as they know it, is nigh.
I was impressed again with Coatsworth’s richly detailed world-building and strong character development. I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of the world in danger, with the personal struggles of Aik and Raven, and their relationship, and Silya’s coming-of-age, as it were, as Hencha Queen. The supporting cast, from Kerrick, the man who loves Silya, Spin, the AI from Earth who has not forgotten his humanity, Dor, a sister from who is Silya’s aide, and the rest, further enrich this fast-paced tale. The tensions between the personal and the public make this tale stronger and more beautiful. Yes, “Aik will never be the same …” (back cover) and neither will anyone else, nor will the planet. I was also to call attention to the moments when I actually feeling sympathy for the Progenitor, the Spore Mother and the rest of the aliens. This is a sign of a true and powerful storyteller!
Fans of the previous books in the cycle, Tales from Tharassas, The Dragon Eater, The Gauntlet Runner, and The Hencha Queen, will not be disappointed. Read them all!
Highly recommended.
Where are our heroes, Aik and Raven, and Silya, the Hencha Queen, and all the others? What’s going on inside Anghar Mor, a mysterious volcano?
Aik, who set off to find his beloved, Raven, has been taken by the Spore Mother, an alien being whose kind has been on Tharassas for centuries. They are awake again, with a mission to take over the planet. She has changed Aik into the Progenitor, and “released him to transform the world for her alien brood” (back cover). Is Aik still there, or he is lost inside this monster? Silya and Raven are desperate to rescue Aik, but Silya has prepare Gullton for the coming battle. One crisis after another demand her attention. Raven is also busy. Not only must he keep the “dragon-like verent in line,” but he also has to help Silya to save the world. Can he help her and help the man he loves? Can Aik be restored to himself? Will love be enough? Will sacrifices be made?
The end of the world, or at least the end of the world as they know it, is nigh.
I was impressed again with Coatsworth’s richly detailed world-building and strong character development. I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of the world in danger, with the personal struggles of Aik and Raven, and their relationship, and Silya’s coming-of-age, as it were, as Hencha Queen. The supporting cast, from Kerrick, the man who loves Silya, Spin, the AI from Earth who has not forgotten his humanity, Dor, a sister from who is Silya’s aide, and the rest, further enrich this fast-paced tale. The tensions between the personal and the public make this tale stronger and more beautiful. Yes, “Aik will never be the same …” (back cover) and neither will anyone else, nor will the planet. I was also to call attention to the moments when I actually feeling sympathy for the Progenitor, the Spore Mother and the rest of the aliens. This is a sign of a true and powerful storyteller!
Fans of the previous books in the cycle, Tales from Tharassas, The Dragon Eater, The Gauntlet Runner, and The Hencha Queen, will not be disappointed. Read them all!
Highly recommended.
October 27, 2024
The conclusion of the Tharassas cycle
The war of the worlds concludes as Silya, the hencha, the spore mother and her progeny bring the fight to a resolution. The author continues to develop the characters to the last page.
The war of the worlds concludes as Silya, the hencha, the spore mother and her progeny bring the fight to a resolution. The author continues to develop the characters to the last page.
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