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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Jameson is sent to Oberon to see why the supply of pith has all but dried up. Xander is his guide into the Split, the *quite literally* underbelly of Oberon following a catastrophic event nearly a millennia ago. It was supposed to be routine, in and out, job done. But Jameson's arrival on Oberon is all but routine, and a chain of events is set off that will either destroy all life on Oberon, or reunite it with it's other half, Titania.
Sci-fi is, for me at least, very hit and miss. Sometimes the technology goes way over my head, and sometimes the words used means I don't fully understand what I'm reading about and I'm not ashamed to say that!
But here?? None of that! I loved this book!
The story flows like a river, from its source, getting faster and faster, deeper and wider until.... well, until it reaches the sea! There is no massive info dump that you sometimes get in this sort of story, it comes in drips, so you can process each drip before you get the next one. Or in my case, many times through this book, you can pull a face at the kindle and " say what now???" when you get a particularly fat drip!
The relationship between Jameson and Xander grows at a steady and even pace, even with the assistance of Quince and the pith. I was ...surprised by the route these guys took. Our introduction to Xander led me to think this book might be more explicit, which, you know me, I'd be happy with that but Jameson and Xander shut you down just as they get to the good stuff!! Very much fades to black but I LOVED that, I really did.
I love books that make me think, make me plan ahead as to where I think the story is gonna go, and how it's gonna get there, watching it either pan out the way I thought, or unravel before my eyes in a totally different way. And this book made me question every little fat drip and drop and I loved it!!
But what made this book were two things, for me, anyway.
One: there is a bit at the front of the book, telling the story of this story, as it were. How long its been sitting, waiting to be fully told. I don't usually read the bits at the front, but I'm glad I did.
And the other bit was the epilogue. Because up to that point, the story was told, finished, done and dusted all wrapped up in a big fat bow, sporting 4 stars. THEN, Coatsworth throws it all for a loop with that epilogue! And I WANT book two! Because I'm told there will be a book two. I wonder how THAT character is gonna affect Jameson and Xander's bond, and how Quince will react to the other character.
Basically, I'm left hanging. And sometimes that's good, sometimes not but here its bloody brilliant and I LOVED this book. *did I say that yet, don't think I did, did I??*
A stunning 5 star read
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Jameson is sent to Oberon to see why the supply of pith has all but dried up. Xander is his guide into the Split, the *quite literally* underbelly of Oberon following a catastrophic event nearly a millennia ago. It was supposed to be routine, in and out, job done. But Jameson's arrival on Oberon is all but routine, and a chain of events is set off that will either destroy all life on Oberon, or reunite it with it's other half, Titania.
Sci-fi is, for me at least, very hit and miss. Sometimes the technology goes way over my head, and sometimes the words used means I don't fully understand what I'm reading about and I'm not ashamed to say that!
But here?? None of that! I loved this book!
The story flows like a river, from its source, getting faster and faster, deeper and wider until.... well, until it reaches the sea! There is no massive info dump that you sometimes get in this sort of story, it comes in drips, so you can process each drip before you get the next one. Or in my case, many times through this book, you can pull a face at the kindle and " say what now???" when you get a particularly fat drip!
The relationship between Jameson and Xander grows at a steady and even pace, even with the assistance of Quince and the pith. I was ...surprised by the route these guys took. Our introduction to Xander led me to think this book might be more explicit, which, you know me, I'd be happy with that but Jameson and Xander shut you down just as they get to the good stuff!! Very much fades to black but I LOVED that, I really did.
I love books that make me think, make me plan ahead as to where I think the story is gonna go, and how it's gonna get there, watching it either pan out the way I thought, or unravel before my eyes in a totally different way. And this book made me question every little fat drip and drop and I loved it!!
But what made this book were two things, for me, anyway.
One: there is a bit at the front of the book, telling the story of this story, as it were. How long its been sitting, waiting to be fully told. I don't usually read the bits at the front, but I'm glad I did.
And the other bit was the epilogue. Because up to that point, the story was told, finished, done and dusted all wrapped up in a big fat bow, sporting 4 stars. THEN, Coatsworth throws it all for a loop with that epilogue! And I WANT book two! Because I'm told there will be a book two. I wonder how THAT character is gonna affect Jameson and Xander's bond, and how Quince will react to the other character.
Basically, I'm left hanging. And sometimes that's good, sometimes not but here its bloody brilliant and I LOVED this book. *did I say that yet, don't think I did, did I??*
A stunning 5 star read
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
If you are looking for something unique and will capture your attention, this is the book for you. Long held secrets are coming to light just in time for world destruction to be averted. There are mysteries to figure out, changes to accept, and an interesting story to take you to another world. Jameson and Xander will have you smiling and tearing up as you read their story.
This sort of SF is right up my alley. Even though there is a health dose of dystopia in this (Titania and Oberon are a world that has been split into two) it is the background more so than the driving force. (One of the things I truly dislike about dystopias is we’re constantly being reminded every third paragraph how terrible this place is and that isn’t the case here). Instead, it’s very character driven and what delightful characters they are.
Xander is something of a skythane bad ass (skythane being the winged humans who lived on Oberon first, and are being oppressed by the landers, the second wave of humans (sans wing) and the heartless company that’s out to exploit the world for all it’s worth). He comes from a pretty crappy background, abused and sold as a young man by the local drug lord (and I’m a sucker for seeing that sort of character overcome their background). Jameson is a psych, a psychologist, who’s come to Oberon on a job. He’s busy worrying about his fiancée who seems to be more his parents’ choice than his (and the parents and the fiancée are of the conservative, homophobic religious sort, more concerned with status than anything else).
Thanks to Quince, another skythane and something of a mother figure to Xander, not only do their paths cross, she blows their lives right out of the water. Nothing they know about themselves is true. Quince drags them out into the wilds based on the strength of an old prophecy and her promise to Robin, queen of Titania and her lover whom she’s not seen in two decades after escaping to Oberon with her charges in a semi-failed attempt to keep them safe. While in the wilds, Xander comes across a young boy, Morgan, with secrets of his own.
The quartet has a simple mission: to save the world and free the skythane from the yoke of the company. They’re all great characters. I loved Quince. Once they got to the wilderness I was drawn in completely. The world building is great and the action excellent. Xander and Jameson are a lot of fun. Their romance is more of a subplot (and a fade to black type) but I liked that. I was far more interested in the action anyhow. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Xander is something of a skythane bad ass (skythane being the winged humans who lived on Oberon first, and are being oppressed by the landers, the second wave of humans (sans wing) and the heartless company that’s out to exploit the world for all it’s worth). He comes from a pretty crappy background, abused and sold as a young man by the local drug lord (and I’m a sucker for seeing that sort of character overcome their background). Jameson is a psych, a psychologist, who’s come to Oberon on a job. He’s busy worrying about his fiancée who seems to be more his parents’ choice than his (and the parents and the fiancée are of the conservative, homophobic religious sort, more concerned with status than anything else).
Thanks to Quince, another skythane and something of a mother figure to Xander, not only do their paths cross, she blows their lives right out of the water. Nothing they know about themselves is true. Quince drags them out into the wilds based on the strength of an old prophecy and her promise to Robin, queen of Titania and her lover whom she’s not seen in two decades after escaping to Oberon with her charges in a semi-failed attempt to keep them safe. While in the wilds, Xander comes across a young boy, Morgan, with secrets of his own.
The quartet has a simple mission: to save the world and free the skythane from the yoke of the company. They’re all great characters. I loved Quince. Once they got to the wilderness I was drawn in completely. The world building is great and the action excellent. Xander and Jameson are a lot of fun. Their romance is more of a subplot (and a fade to black type) but I liked that. I was far more interested in the action anyhow. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I liked it but
There were things that happened I found a little too convenient. A major helper, the amazing adaptation and something you could see coming from miles away.
Why four stars? We got to see a romance develop and even got to learn why it happened the way it did. The mystery of what the skythane really are remains uncertain, as are the workings of Oberon and Titania. We got a complete story but there are some subplots left dangling. You could read the book and we done or continue on to the next.
There were things that happened I found a little too convenient. A major helper, the amazing adaptation and something you could see coming from miles away.
Why four stars? We got to see a romance develop and even got to learn why it happened the way it did. The mystery of what the skythane really are remains uncertain, as are the workings of Oberon and Titania. We got a complete story but there are some subplots left dangling. You could read the book and we done or continue on to the next.
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****
4.75 Stars - What an awesome start to a new series! I loved the world and its characters. I want to start off by saying be sure to take the time and read the Author’s Note: it gives some insight into the story. The only thing missing in the story from the teasers is the gay sex… for which I was a little disappointed. I so wanted to see these two together on page.
The worlds of Oberon and Titania are imaginative and compelling. The details are richly told without being overly flowery in language. I loved that it wasn’t a planet with only one city, as you so often see. I also loved that the planet wasn’t a mini earth but had unique plants and animals. I appreciated that they weren’t likened to earth creatures except in the glossary. It helped immerse me in these worlds.
Xander, Jameson, and Quince all have parts to play in this tale. It was great getting to know more about them. I loved seeing both Jameson and Xander grow as individuals.
For the most part, the points of view were clearly identified, although there were a few spots of head hoping. Each had a distinct voice within the book.
Although it is not listed as a series, the book ends with one chapter of the saga completed and a teaser for more. I can’t wait to read the rest of the story!!!
4.75 Stars - What an awesome start to a new series! I loved the world and its characters. I want to start off by saying be sure to take the time and read the Author’s Note: it gives some insight into the story. The only thing missing in the story from the teasers is the gay sex… for which I was a little disappointed. I so wanted to see these two together on page.
The worlds of Oberon and Titania are imaginative and compelling. The details are richly told without being overly flowery in language. I loved that it wasn’t a planet with only one city, as you so often see. I also loved that the planet wasn’t a mini earth but had unique plants and animals. I appreciated that they weren’t likened to earth creatures except in the glossary. It helped immerse me in these worlds.
Xander, Jameson, and Quince all have parts to play in this tale. It was great getting to know more about them. I loved seeing both Jameson and Xander grow as individuals.
For the most part, the points of view were clearly identified, although there were a few spots of head hoping. Each had a distinct voice within the book.
Although it is not listed as a series, the book ends with one chapter of the saga completed and a teaser for more. I can’t wait to read the rest of the story!!!
This was a great surprise! Many of the boxes on my checklist were checked off. a) It was well-edited. That's becoming rare these days and that includes the big publishers. b) Great pacing and dialog. I felt like changes in character view-points were clear without being in your face about it. c) The environments and settings were described enough to build a good picture without getting bogged down in excessive detail. d) Got to know the characters at a natural pace, neither too slow, nor abruptly fast. I will say that the characters' could have done with more depth and details.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and am eager to continue on with wherever the story is leading next. Cuz with that ending, there's obviously more coming. There better be anyway.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and am eager to continue on with wherever the story is leading next. Cuz with that ending, there's obviously more coming. There better be anyway.
OK so it's probably not fully 5 stars, closer to 4.75 I think, but I like to round up.
It's hard to explain in brief the story but I'll try. Xander lives on Oberon where he's been on his own living a hard life since his adopted parents were killed. He's assigned by his employer to escort an offworlder - Jameson - on a quest to find out what happened to the supply of pith, a drug that's used for both recreation and health purposes. Quince knows a secret about both men and has secretly brought them both together as they hold the fate of Oberon, and its' twin planet Titania in their hands.
I realise this is a re-release of one of the authors' earlier works, but this is a fully realised world. I like when I'm reading fantasy or sci-fi that I can imagine the world it's set in, and here I really could see the filth and desperation of Oberon, and the desperate escape of Quince, Jameson and Xander from it. The romance part of the story is almost secondary to the real story of uniting the two worlds, and that's okay. This is more about destiny, Jameson and Xander are fated to be together but somehow it never really feels forced, if anything it's all a little too neat with Quince and Morgan and everything coming together as it does.
I liked what little I saw of Xander's home, but I do want to see more of Jameson's home, the focus here was Xander but Jameson is just as important and I hope that's explored in future books. I'm certainly going to find out, because that ending was so open that I'd love to see where the author took it from here.
It's hard to explain in brief the story but I'll try. Xander lives on Oberon where he's been on his own living a hard life since his adopted parents were killed. He's assigned by his employer to escort an offworlder - Jameson - on a quest to find out what happened to the supply of pith, a drug that's used for both recreation and health purposes. Quince knows a secret about both men and has secretly brought them both together as they hold the fate of Oberon, and its' twin planet Titania in their hands.
I realise this is a re-release of one of the authors' earlier works, but this is a fully realised world. I like when I'm reading fantasy or sci-fi that I can imagine the world it's set in, and here I really could see the filth and desperation of Oberon, and the desperate escape of Quince, Jameson and Xander from it. The romance part of the story is almost secondary to the real story of uniting the two worlds, and that's okay. This is more about destiny, Jameson and Xander are fated to be together but somehow it never really feels forced, if anything it's all a little too neat with Quince and Morgan and everything coming together as it does.
I liked what little I saw of Xander's home, but I do want to see more of Jameson's home, the focus here was Xander but Jameson is just as important and I hope that's explored in future books. I'm certainly going to find out, because that ending was so open that I'd love to see where the author took it from here.
You can read my review of “Skythane” at my web site.
Is there anything more attractive than the idea of people having wings? For me, at least, there isn’t. Since I was younger, I’ve always relished the idea of having actual wings attached to my back, and whenever I see those “Would you rather?” questions about super powers, I always gravitate towards the wings. I want the power of flight, but I better have some big, beautiful wings to do it. I don’t care how much they get in the way. Bring it on!
With that said, Skythane appealed to me. The cover is gorgeous, and I liked the idea of people who at one point were genetically engineered to have wings. That, coupled with a world that is literally split in half, and I was hooked. It sounded like such a fascinating premise. Mixing science fiction and fantasy is not always a good move, and there are many authors who have attempted to do so and failed, but Coatsworth pulled it off nicely. While the first half of the book was more focused on the science fiction, the latter half was dedicated to the fantasy, and the divide was done neatly.
Xander is a skythane man living in Oberon, a planet that has literally been split in two by some cataclysmic event in the ancient past. How it happened and how the planet doesn’t collapse, no one knows. He is given a job to collect a psych who is coming to work for OberCorp to discover the pith shortage.
Jameson is the psych, a lander from the religious world of Beta Tau. He’s a bit stuffy, does his job well, and is more or less resigned to the fact that he is going to marry a woman. It’s what his parents want, after all.
When the two men meet, they are immediately attacked by enforcers from OberCorp, and soon their entire lives are flipped upside down. Nothing is safe and they no longer know who they even are. When Xander’s friend Quince arrives to help them, it becomes clear she has a lot of secrets she’s been keeping, and she is planning something big. But what?
Xander and Jameson were interesting characters. I enjoyed seeing Xander grow as a character and become more serious and focused on his forced task. Jameson grew even more. Not only did he discover his true past, but he became a strong individual determined to do what needs to be done in order to save the world.
Quince was a bit hit or miss for me. While I did like her character, she made some choices that I had serious problems with.
While it bothered me just a little bit at first, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I don’t know whether to believe the characters truly care about each other, or if their feelings are because of the drug. And that is disappointing.
Morgan was an interesting character, but I wanted to know more about him. He’s introduced randomly, and he becomes integral to the plot, driving it along at the perfect times (and conveniently so) in order to get to the end goal…and then nothing. What is he? Why was he at the abandoned farm? Was he placed there for Xander? How long was he waiting?
Two other things bothered me, not enough to not enjoy the book but enough that I noticed it and was bothered by it. First, the use of flashbacks. They’re used often. A little too often, to be honest, and while they reveal interesting things, I wish it had been done a little less or in different ways. Finally, the lack of sex scenes. Now, I don’t need sex scenes in a book to enjoy it; however, the author hinted at them throughout the book and I was getting excited to see the tension between Jameson and Xander finally break (plus, hey, hot wing sex), but when the moment comes, it fades to black very quickly. This lack also helped in my wondering how much the characters truly cared about each other because I couldn’t feel it.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. I really did. I liked the characters and the world building was fascinating. The explanation for how the worlds were able stay without crumbling and collapsing under the force of gravity was explained in a very unique way. The book is also left WIDE OPEN for a sequel ,and I’m curious as to what will happen because I was unsettled by the ending. So, will I read the next book? Yes, I will.
Fans of sci-fi fantasy blends should enjoy this book. If you’re a fan of men with the power of flight due to gorgeous wings, then this will also appeal to you as it appealed to me.
Reviewed by Jennifer for The Novel Approach Reviews
With that said, Skythane appealed to me. The cover is gorgeous, and I liked the idea of people who at one point were genetically engineered to have wings. That, coupled with a world that is literally split in half, and I was hooked. It sounded like such a fascinating premise. Mixing science fiction and fantasy is not always a good move, and there are many authors who have attempted to do so and failed, but Coatsworth pulled it off nicely. While the first half of the book was more focused on the science fiction, the latter half was dedicated to the fantasy, and the divide was done neatly.
Xander is a skythane man living in Oberon, a planet that has literally been split in two by some cataclysmic event in the ancient past. How it happened and how the planet doesn’t collapse, no one knows. He is given a job to collect a psych who is coming to work for OberCorp to discover the pith shortage.
Jameson is the psych, a lander from the religious world of Beta Tau. He’s a bit stuffy, does his job well, and is more or less resigned to the fact that he is going to marry a woman. It’s what his parents want, after all.
When the two men meet, they are immediately attacked by enforcers from OberCorp, and soon their entire lives are flipped upside down. Nothing is safe and they no longer know who they even are. When Xander’s friend Quince arrives to help them, it becomes clear she has a lot of secrets she’s been keeping, and she is planning something big. But what?
Xander and Jameson were interesting characters. I enjoyed seeing Xander grow as a character and become more serious and focused on his forced task. Jameson grew even more. Not only did he discover his true past, but he became a strong individual determined to do what needs to be done in order to save the world.
Quince was a bit hit or miss for me. While I did like her character, she made some choices that I had serious problems with.
Spoiler
For example, to reveal Jameson’s true nature to him, she forced a change on him by giving him a chemical given to all skythane. Without his knowledge. Now, I get why it had to be done, as Jameson would never have believed her, but it still set off warning bells for me. However, she does it again later on to encourage Jameson and Xander to get together. While the attraction was starting to build between them, she drugged them with pith to encourage that attraction to speed along.While it bothered me just a little bit at first, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I don’t know whether to believe the characters truly care about each other, or if their feelings are because of the drug. And that is disappointing.
Morgan was an interesting character, but I wanted to know more about him. He’s introduced randomly, and he becomes integral to the plot, driving it along at the perfect times (and conveniently so) in order to get to the end goal…and then nothing. What is he? Why was he at the abandoned farm? Was he placed there for Xander? How long was he waiting?
Two other things bothered me, not enough to not enjoy the book but enough that I noticed it and was bothered by it. First, the use of flashbacks. They’re used often. A little too often, to be honest, and while they reveal interesting things, I wish it had been done a little less or in different ways. Finally, the lack of sex scenes. Now, I don’t need sex scenes in a book to enjoy it; however, the author hinted at them throughout the book and I was getting excited to see the tension between Jameson and Xander finally break (plus, hey, hot wing sex), but when the moment comes, it fades to black very quickly. This lack also helped in my wondering how much the characters truly cared about each other because I couldn’t feel it.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. I really did. I liked the characters and the world building was fascinating. The explanation for how the worlds were able stay without crumbling and collapsing under the force of gravity was explained in a very unique way. The book is also left WIDE OPEN for a sequel ,and I’m curious as to what will happen because I was unsettled by the ending. So, will I read the next book? Yes, I will.
Fans of sci-fi fantasy blends should enjoy this book. If you’re a fan of men with the power of flight due to gorgeous wings, then this will also appeal to you as it appealed to me.
Reviewed by Jennifer for The Novel Approach Reviews
I want to thank J. Scott Coatsworth for the opportunity to read the newly re-released version of Skythane (The Oberon Cycle, #1). Although I am thankful for the opportunity to read this book for free, my review has not been impacted by this generosity.
Jameson Havercamp showed up on Oberon to investigate a drug shortage for OberCorp. Jameson isn't exactly sure why he received this duty as a psych (basically a psychologist). His counterpart on the ground is a man named Xander Kinnson who is a native of Oberon. Of course, it's easy to tell he's a native of Oberon because of Xander's black wings. The first generation of humans to inhabit Oberon had altered their genetics to grow wings because of the planet's climate. Of course, the second generation of "landers" are not as keen as the first generation. So, right from the beginning, the book is dealing with some interesting class issues.
Jameson comes from a Christianist planet, which basically is highly religious and Puritanical in their approach to life and is ready to get home and get married. What he didn't expect was his immense attraction to Xander.
Of course, as with most stories, there is a lot more going on underneath the surface and you quickly realize that the collision of Jameson and Xander's worlds is not by accident. In fact, their future has been dictated for more than 25 years, unbeknownst to either of them.
Overall, I found this book really fun. I ended up getting the second book in the series just to see where this series takes us.
Jameson Havercamp showed up on Oberon to investigate a drug shortage for OberCorp. Jameson isn't exactly sure why he received this duty as a psych (basically a psychologist). His counterpart on the ground is a man named Xander Kinnson who is a native of Oberon. Of course, it's easy to tell he's a native of Oberon because of Xander's black wings. The first generation of humans to inhabit Oberon had altered their genetics to grow wings because of the planet's climate. Of course, the second generation of "landers" are not as keen as the first generation. So, right from the beginning, the book is dealing with some interesting class issues.
Jameson comes from a Christianist planet, which basically is highly religious and Puritanical in their approach to life and is ready to get home and get married. What he didn't expect was his immense attraction to Xander.
Of course, as with most stories, there is a lot more going on underneath the surface and you quickly realize that the collision of Jameson and Xander's worlds is not by accident. In fact, their future has been dictated for more than 25 years, unbeknownst to either of them.
Overall, I found this book really fun. I ended up getting the second book in the series just to see where this series takes us.