J. Scott Coatsworth has a new MM Sci Fi book out:
Sometimes the world needs saving twice.
In the sequel to the Rainbow-Award-winning Skythane, Xander and Jameson thought they’d fulfilled their destiny when they brought the worlds of Oberon and Titania back together, but their short-lived moment of triumph is over.
Reunification has thrown the world into chaos. A great storm ravaged Xander's kingdom of Gaelan, leaving the winged skythane people struggling to survive. Their old enemy, Obercorp, is biding its time, waiting to strike. And to the north, a dangerous new adversary gathers strength, while an unexpected ally awaits them.
In the midst of it all, Xander’s ex Alix returns, and Xander and Jameson discover that their love for each other may have been drug-induced.
Are they truly destined for each other, or is what they feel concocted? And can they face an even greater challenge when their world needs them most?
About the Oberon Cycle:
Xander is a skythane man whose wings have always been a liability on the lander-dominated half world of Oberon.
Jameson is a lander who has been sent to Oberon to find out why the supply of the psycho-amoratic drug pith has dropped off.
What neither knows is that they have a shared destiny that will change the two of them - and all of Oberon - forever.
4.5 Stars!
Lander is book 2 in The Oberon Cycle series and it can't be read as a standalone, plus truly, book 1 was so good, you don't want to miss out on it.
Xander and Jameson are trying to navigate through their fledgling relationship but trouble is never far away. Between Xander's ex returning and wanting him back, the discovery that Xander and Jameson's feelings might be induced by a drug and enemies getting closer than they'd like, they have their hands full. Will their love be strong enough to overcome all the obstacles in their way?
I really like Xander and Jameson, they have fantastic chemistry and the more I read about them, the more I feel like they belong together.
It was awesome catching up with Quince and Robyn and while I didn't like Alix at first, I warmed up to him, even if his motives weren't all that pure at first.
Mr. Coatsworth's world-building is truly outstanding, it's not easy to create a world that feels so realistic and he does it here in this series with what seems like relative ease. The writing is really good and the book is fast-paced, interesting and very enjoyable. I don't usually enjoy stories with multiple POVs, but it works when it's a book as a detailed as this one. My only problems with it is that there's too many characters appearing at different points, some that aren't all that important and that take the attention off the main characters and that we're left again with a strong HFN and a cliffhanger of sorts. Still, I have no trouble recommending the series and this book to Sci Fi readers, I'm sure you'll love it!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Giveaway
Scott is giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate and three copies of his queer sci fi eBook "The Stark Divide."
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Exclusive Excerpt
Alix led his party over the foothills that sat at the base of the Mountain. The fallen trees were thick here, slowing their progress as they scrambled over and under logs through the tormented hellscape. At least the rain washed some of the dirt off.
Robyn paced him now. The queen looked at him from time to time, her arched eyebrow saying, more than a torrent of words, what she thought of him and his kind. He was probably an idiot for staying in skythane territory after what landers like him had done in Gaelan. He could have hightailed it back the other direction when the worlds came together, but he felt a strange responsibility toward the queen and her people.
He stared at her for a moment, but he was the one who turned away first.
The rift between skythane and lander went deep, and the subjugation of Gaelan hadn’t helped matters any.
The rain had slowed, and the worst of the thunder and lightning had moved on, but Alix was sick of being cold and wet.
“You were one of them,” Robyn said unexpectedly, her voice carrying over the downpour. Her tone left no doubt what she meant by them. Even soaked to the skin as she was, she retained her regal bearing.
He nodded. No point in denying it. “Yes, ma’am, I was.”
They locked eyes again, and the weight of her judgment fell on him like a blow. She stared at his hands, roughened from the work camp. “Why were you sent to the camp?”
He looked back at her, surprised. Not judgment, then. Not yet. “I stood up to Dani. I told her she was wrong to use Xander that way.” He lifted a fallen tree branch out of her way.
Her eyes narrowed. “What did she plan to do to my son?”
Her tone sent chills down his spine, like the screech of metal on metal in space. One wrong move and death came in for a visit. You could take the queen out of the castle… “She wanted to drug him with pith, and then use him to take over Gaelan.”
Robyn hissed. “She would have killed us all.”
Alix laughed harshly. “Apparently.” Without Xander, the shift wouldn’t have happened, and if the shift was real, he was guessing that Oberon-adjacent space was a damned inhospitable place to be right now. Solar flare and all.
“I may have misjudged you.” The words sounded like they were being dragged out of her.
He looked back at her, surprised. The queen didn’t apologize. Ever. “Thank you.”
Robyn held out a hand.
He took it. She had a firm grip. If she knew half the things he’d done in Gaelan in the name of keeping the peace, she might feel differently, but now was not the time to bring them up. It seemed they had common cause, at least for the moment.
“So what happened to your wings?”
She looked down at her hands, her face suddenly pale. “They were… removed. Most painfully. Dani wanted answers.” She turned away, but he pulled her back gently.
“I’m sorry… Your Highness?”
“Just call me Robyn. I’m no longer the Queen of the Gaelani.”
“Robyn, then. Dani Black’s not human inside. Not like most of us.” There was a darkness in the woman that she seldom let show. He shuddered. What she had done to Robyn…. “Did you tell her what she wanted?”
Her returned glare could have melted ice. “No. Not a word.”
It would have been understandable if she had. “Then how did she know about Xander?”
Robyn shook her head. “I don’t know. I’d guess there’s a traitor in Gaelan.”
Alix nodded. “It would seem so. Do you know who?”
“I have my suspicions.”
Excerpt
Xander stared at the torrent of water pouring over the cavern entrance. Somewhere out there, Quince and the others were lost in the storm.
“What happened to everyone else?” Jameson shouted, putting his hand on Xander’s shoulder.
“I don’t know. Last I saw them was before the lightning strike.” How had things changed so quickly?
Jameson started toward the exit. “We have to look for them!”
Xander pulled him back.
Jameson’s eyes were wild.
He squeezed Jameson’s hands, trying to reassure him. “Hey, calm down. There’s nothing we can do right now.”
“We already lost Morgan.” Jameson’s eyes pleaded with him. “I can’t lose the rest of them.”
Xander shook his head. “It’s no use. We’ll never find them in this tempest. They’re seasoned veterans. They can take care of themselves. We’ll go looking after the storm passes.” The loss of Morgan weighed on him too, though he was less and less certain that Morgan had been a human boy at all.
Jameson looked doubtful.
Xander felt it too, but there really was nothing they could do. “Hey, it’s gonna be all right.” He pulled Jameson to him, enfolding the two of them with his wings. Jameson was soaked, but Xander didn’t care.
Jameson nodded against his chest. “You’re right. Gods, I know you’re right. I’m sorry. I thought we were done with all this.”
Xander held him out at arm’s length. “Gods, huh? We’re doing the plural thing now?”
Jameson gave him a half smile. “Trying it out? When in Rome….”
“How’s your hearing?”
Jameson cocked his head. “It’s better. But everything sounds muffled.”
Xander nodded. “I can tell.”
Jameson blushed. “Am I talking too loud?”
“Just a little.”
Jameson smiled sheepishly. “It’s weird. It feels like my ears are full of water.”
Xander kissed him gently. “It’ll pass.” He looked around the cavern at last, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dim blue light.
The place was a faeryland, filled with rows of golden stalactites and stalagmites, like the bulwarks of an eldritch castle. Each one was a miracle of minute detail, like candle wax dripped from above. The whole cavern was lit by a turquoise-blue glow.
Xander looked around for the source. It came from pools of water on either side of the cavern. The scintillating light shimmered along the walls, creating complex, ever-changing patterns.
“Look, Jameson… it’s beautiful.” They were both a muddy mess. “We’re stuck here until the storm blows itself out. Why don’t we get cleaned up and try to rest? Then we can figure out what to do next. We have a long flight to Gaelan.” He was still shivering from the rain.
“A bath sounds like heaven.” Jameson let Xander lead him to one of the glowing ponds.
“Do you think it’s safe to go in?” Xander asked, pulling off his boots and testing the water with his toes. It was warm.
Jameson looked queasy, but then he smiled. “They called them faery ponds. There’s a microscopic organism that makes the light. It’s harmless, but beautiful.” He grinned. “Romantic, even.”
Ah, that’s how you knew this place. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” he said, slowly and clearly, gesturing to indicate Jameson and the cavern. His own generational memories were still fleeting, occasional things.
Jameson’s smile fled. He shrugged. “Not me personally….”
“Shhh. I know.” If he closed his eyes and focused, he could see this place too, but he seemed to be able to block them out when they were inconvenient. “Too many memories.” Xander pointed at his head.
Jameson nodded. He looked relieved. He reached out and pulled Xander close, his hands warm on Xander’s waist.
Xander slipped his arms around Jameson and kissed him once, twice. He wrinkled his nose. “You’re filthy and you stink! So do I.” He held up his shirt as proof. It was covered in mud stains.
Jameson laughed. “We can fix that.”
He helped Jameson unlace the sides of his shirt, pulling it off to reveal the naked skin underneath. Jameson returned the favor, his hands lingering for a moment before withdrawing to pull down his own pants.
They shucked their wet and dirty clothes and descended into the water. It was surprisingly warm, silky and smooth around Xander’s waist.
The pool was about three meters across and sloped down to about a meter deep at the far end. There was a warm, gentle current drifting past Xander’s legs, and the stone beneath his feet had been worn smooth by water and time.
Xander washed the grime off his skin, and it drifted off into the water around him.
Jameson pulled him in deeper and gestured for him to lower his head.
Xander lay in Jameson’s arms, and warm water washed over him, carrying the mud and dirt out of his hair. Jameson massaged his scalp, pulling away the twigs and bits of gunk he’d accumulated on the mad run through the forest in the storm.
Xander’s desire threatened to overwhelm him at Jameson’s gentle touch. He dipped his face into the water and rinsed off. It was so fucking good to get clean.
He shook his head, splashing Jameson, who shot him an aggrieved look.
The look turned into a wicked grin, and Jameson splashed him back. Then they were going after each other and laughing, a fine mist of water flying through the air.
Damn, it’s good to hear you laugh again. Xander grabbed Jameson and kissed him, harder this time, and Jameson’s body responded. They fell back into the water, and Jameson was hard against him, his own need naked before Xander’s desire.
After all that had happened, Xander needed to feel human and alive again. He tugged Jameson back to the shallow part of the pool and pulled his skythane down on top of him, Jameson’s skin warm against his own.
He kissed Jameson’s neck and nibbled on his ear, eliciting a low moan.
Jameson wanted this as much as he did. He could tell.
For a long, slow, ecstatic hour, Xander forgot all about the storm.
Author Bio
Scott lives between the here and now and the what could be. Indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine, he devoured her library. But as he grew up, he wondered where the people like him were.He decided it was time to create the kinds of stories he couldn’t find at Waldenbooks. If there weren’t gay characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.
His friends say Scott’s brain works a little differently – he sees relationships between things that others miss, and gets more done in a day than most folks manage in a week. He seeks to transform traditional sci fi, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something unexpected.
He runs Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, sites that bring queer people together to promote and celebrate fiction that reflects their own reality.
Author Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth
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Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/
Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Scott-Coatsworth/e/B011AFO4OQ
love the excerpt
ReplyDeletejmarinich33 at aol dot com
Congrats on the new release. Thank you for the excerpt =)
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