The Dragon Eater

The Tharassas Cycle: Book One

J. Scott Coatsworth

Raven’s a thief who just swallowed a dragon.

A small one, sure, but now his arms are growing scales, the local wildlife is acting up, and his snarky AI familiar is no help whatsoever.

Raven's best friend Aik is a guardsman carrying a torch for the thief. A pickpocket and a guard? Never going to happen. And Aik's ex-fiancé Silya, an initiate priestess in the midst of a magical crisis, hates Raven with the heat of a thousand suns.

This unlikely team must work together to face strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a world-altering threat. If they don’t figure out what to do soon, it might just be the end of everything.

Things are about to get messy.

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About The Author

J. Scott Coatsworth

J. Scott Coatsworth

J. Scott Coatsworth writes stories that subvert expectations, that seek to transform traditional science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something new and unexpected. His writing, whether romance or genre fiction (or a little bit of both), brings a queer energy to his stories, infusing them with love, beauty and power and making them soar. He imagines a world that could be and, in the process, maybe changes the world that is, just a little.

A Rainbow Award-winning author, Scott’s debut novel, Skythane, received two awards and an honorable mention. With his husband, Mark, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, Liminal Fiction, and Other Worlds Ink. Scott is also the committee chair for the Indie Authors Committee at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA).

12 reviews for The Dragon Eater

  1. Timothy Bult

    “I love it! I was engaged from the first page, love the world-building, the characters, the lurking mystery, the bits of magic, the AI, all of it. My kind of science fiction: intelligent, a well-imagined world, with complex and diverse characters, passion and intensity.”

    Timothy Bult, Author

  2. Ulysses

    “The only thing wrong with this book is that it ended. Scott Coatsworth has produced an adventure that is a rich mélange of science fiction and fantasy, creating the world of Tharassas and its denizens with vivid detail … It’s going to be hard to wait for book two. Five stars.”

    Ulysses, Liminal Fiction

  3. Maryann

    “Coatsworth creates a colorfully written sci-fantasy tale in The Dragon Eater. The novel is well plotted, and has a good flow. The world building, along with the characters, are descriptive and make for a clear and vivid picture… I highly recommend The Dragon Eater — there is so much more to this story that’s expertly and brilliantly told. I can’t even begin to imagine what the author has planned for Raven next. I’m really looking forward to the next exciting book.”

    Maryann, Queer Sci Fi

  4. Lori

    “What starts out as an act of petty thievery escalates steadily, with action and intrigue ramping up to an ending that already has me tapping my fingers while waiting for the next book in the Tharassas Cycle series. 5 stars.”

    Lori, Sci-Fi Radio

  5. Menoa

    “I craved dragons and that’s why I choose to read The Dragon Eater! The writing was super easy to read, the three main characters were fun and full of personality … I’m super curious about where all of this is going! 4.5 stars.”

    Menoa, Goodreads

  6. Joscelyn Smith

    “A very intriguing start to the series. I can’t wait to see where their paths take them next, I’m so ready for book two! 5 stars.”

    Joscelyn Smith, Goodreads

  7. Artsy Poet

    “Coatsworth introduces us into a rich world of unusual creatures, hencha plants, and endearing characters … The author is also to be commended for having a large number of strong female characters … A fun, easy read.”

    Artsy Poet, Amazon

  8. Jaime L. Voss

    “Scott has one of the most vivid imaginations of any writer I know. His worlds are fully realized and populated with unique and somewhat weird creatures, and his blend of science fiction and fantasy work really, really well … fun and engaging, while still being serious with high stakes. A great escape read. Recommended.”

    Jaime L. Voss, Amazon

  9. Archer Kay Leah

    “Like many of Coatsworth’s other works, The Dragon Eater is an engaging work of speculative fiction featuring queer characters, this time blending traditional high (and epic) fantasy with the shiny glimmers of science fiction … As a fan of fantasy and sci-fi, I loved this book. The author’s experience with both genres shines through: the writing is tight and clear with everything well thought out and intertwined … the storytelling has great movement and texture. The dialogue is easy, full of tone and emotion, and carries significant depth. The glimpses into the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings give a full-bodied storytelling that kept drawing me all the way to the end—and it’s absolutely left me wanting more… Another really awesome aspect is how easily the genres are blended here. There’s an effortless flow of genres that makes sense, rather than feeling contrived or forced … Overall, I give the book 5 stars. I can’t wait to see where Book #2 takes this cast. I couldn’t have asked for a whole lot more from this first installment, except for maybe one super tight hug full of TLC for my boy Aik near the end. 5 Stars.”

    Archer Kay Leah, Author

  10. Christine Fernie

    “Thanks for creating a world with such potential. The story and characters dragged me into Tharassas where I could happily stay, exploring an alien world! … I am looking forward to the whole Tharassas cycle — get writing! (I could read more slowly …)”

    Christine Fernie, Amazon

  11. Anthony Avina

    “Captivating, thrilling, and entertaining, author J. Scott Coatsworth’s “The Dragon Eater” is a must-read space opera sci-fi meets fantasy novel and a great first chapter in the Tharassas Cycle series. The cliffhanger endings that leave the core group on their own paths by the book’s end and the spine-chilling tease of the Spore Mother’s continued evolution will have fans hanging off of the author’s every word, eager to dive into this imaginative world once more.”

    Anthony Avina, Author

  12. Gordon Bonnett

    “A great read from beginning to end! It features wonderful, relatable, complex characters, deftly avoiding the common fantasy trope of the Good Guys being flawless and the Bad Guys being irredeemably evil … I’m so looking forward to the next book.”

    Gordon Bonnett, Author, Amazon

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