Rating: 5 stars out of 5
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?
We emerge into the world of Lander just as the reunification of the two worlds ends and start to see its shocking results upon the lands, Skythane and Lander kingdoms, even Obercorp itself. All is chaos, more so brought on by the climatic and environmental changes wrought by the collapse of the atmosphere that separated the two halves.
The author’s vivid and moving descriptions of the aftermath of reunification quickly pull us into the madness and turmoil that our characters find themselves embroiled in. Xander and Jameson struggling to find everyone in their group, Robyn and Quince, and yes, Alix returns to add an unusual thread of romantic drama as well as one of suspense of another nature.
Unlike other reviews where you can somewhat discuss elements of the plot, with J. Scott Coatsworth’s incredible Oberan Cycle Trilogy it’s almost impossible to do that without giving away important hints to one of the stories and clues to a huge plot point, something I won’t do. What I will say is that the author continues to build on the exciting and fascinating worldbuilding he started in Skythane. It was so original and imaginative! So too his characters and their plight. What a journey they had throughout Skythane!
And then Lander. Oh my. This is less a romance but truly a science fiction saga. Yes, there is love, of many forms. Not just the love between Xander and Jameson which is tested, but Alix who loves Xander, Quince and Robyn (two incredibly strong female characters), even the love of Xander and Jameson for their people. Plus Morgan is still here as well. More twists and turns than you can count and all flowing smoothly through a tale you can’t put down until it says The End.
Yes, it’s beautifully written.
But it’s more than that. It’s vast. It’s huge on every scale you can think to rate a story. It hits home emotionally, it’s suspenseful, it grabs at you intellectually, keeps you thinking about all the possibilities that may lie in store, and yes, makes you anxiously await the final chapter.
Each book now has been titled with the name of one half of the world’s people. Will the third and final story bring them all together as one? This one ends not with a cliffhanger but yes, nothing is quite settled. It can’t be. Not yet. The biggest battle is yet to come. What can I say? Read the books! This is definitely not a standalone story. You must read Skythane first, then Lander. What joy!
I highly recommend them both. The Oberon Cycle is looking to be a classic scify saga!
Cover art: Anne Cain. Powerful imagery with a united world in the background.
Sales Links: Amazon | Dreamspinner – eBook | Dreamspinner – Paperback
Book Details:
ebook, 294 pages
Published February 13th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640804760
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 
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