Back Cover blurb (summary of reader reviews below):
In Harbinger of Doom, Glenn G. Thater transports you to a time of legendary heroes, spectacular duels, courtly intrigue, otherworldly evils, and ancient forbidden magics. This first volume in an epic series is certain to delight fantasy fans everywhere. When mad sorcerers open a gateway to the very pits of hell, releasing demons of darkest nightmare upon the world, only the intrepid knights of House Eotrus stand in their way. Claradon Eotrus recruits Angle Theta and Gabriel Garn, mysterious knights of mystical power to stand with him against the tide of chaos that threatens to engulf the world and destroy mankind. Theta and Garn take up their swords one last time against the coming darkness – a darkness from which only one will emerge. But Claradon has bought far more than he’s bargained for, when his comrade Ob discovers the terrifying secret of Angle Theta. A secret so horrifying as to shatter a man’s mind and call into question the very nature of good and evil.
Sample Reader Reviews:
— Glenn Thater’s “Harbinger of Doom”, set in a world of men, gnomes, elves, and wizards, asks a tough question: what if we’ve got it all wrong? What if the God we follow turned bad, and the one we call the Devil is really a maligned angel on a quest to rid the world of evil? So goes Thater’s tale, and he tells it in a voice as pretentious as Tolkein’s. His world is called Midgaard, its capital called Lomion. Thater populates Midgaard with knights, a young-man-turned-king, a belligerent gnome, a couple scardey-cat wizards, Sir Gabriel, and Lord Angle Theta, the Harbinger of Doom. …what fascinated me was the clever idea that Azathoth/Odin/God’s heart turned black, and the one we know as the Bogeyman is really the one who is trying to save us. What a twist, and what an imagination!
— Dennis Batchelder, Author of Soul Identity
(Reposted from Goodreads.com)
— Storytelling is an ancient and sacred tradition, and as an avid reader and author, I recognize right away when an author has penned something truly great. Harbinger of Doom is such a story, and Glenn G. Thater is such an author. This is a fantasy novel about events, people, and places that are most ancient and highly colorful. Mr. Thater’s writing style suits this time-honored genre to perfection. Harbinger of Doom is flawless storytelling about an ancient time where good people are threatened by an unspeakable evil. This is a time of brave knights, skilled wizards and sorcery, dark spells, and all manner of curious creatures. An evil so malevolent that it breaks all bounds of sanity befalls a good people. They must summon the courage and strength, and forge uneasy alliances to face a foe immensely terrifying and strong, one that is not of this world, and should they fail, all will truly be lost. There are scenes so frightening, I would caution younger readers, and after reading them, I thought twice about going to sleep right away. The story verily delivers the armies of hell and pulls no punches in describing the horror of war that must be waged between the forces of good and evil.
Harbinger of Doom is a tale of ancient myths and legends, and is populated by one of the most intriguing, diverse, interesting, and entertaining cast of characters in memory. Chief amongst these is the enigmatic and deeply mysterious Lord Angle Theta. This story is graced with sharp, clever, highly sophisticated writing peppered with humorous moments. Its scope is vast; its lessons eternal, and you will recognize parallels to many other well-known legends, even those biblical. To quote some excerpts from the story: “The stories of many religions oft have a common basis…there is some kernel of truth contained…Though the truth may be twisted by the tellers.” Harbinger of Doom has all the hallmarks of such a story, it is as good as any fantasy tale you will read, it honors the tradition, and adds to our lore a story so good, so well told, I hope it will be remembered forever. In fact, if there came a day when all the great storytellers of the ages would be called to be seated at the same table, I would shout out that Glenn G. Thater be granted a place for this novel. Harbinger of Doom is fantasy most excellent and is a story for the ages…
– Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— I’m not normally a fan of stories of knights and sorcery, but Harbinger of Doom blew me away. Glen G. Thater has an uncanny way of writing in an ancient prose that matches the period. His vivid description of all the characters allows the reader to vision them in their minds. The author paints each scene and battle so clearly that I felt I was in the middle of the action. Curious ideas were brought about regarding our present day thoughts of Good vs Evil as opposed to earlier days. I’m still in a trance attempting to unravel the mysterious revelations in the final pages. I will not give it away, so buy this book and decide for yourself. Do we have Good and Evil reversed?
— Mike Monahan, Author of Barracuda
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— An amazing tale of swords, sorcerers, and more!…In the foreword, Thater has introduced the legend of Angle Theta. He is a character that has been cited in a number of ancient writings, and is the stuff legends are made of. … Thater’s writing has you in the heat of the battle, and leaves you wanting more of this epic story. …[Angle Theta] reminds me a little of Moorcock’s Lord Elric of Melnibone, who struggles with issues in the fight of good and evil. Cannot wait to read more of this saga from Glenn G. Thater. For those of us who love to read of demons and dragons, knights in armor and legends of long ago.
— “Ellen in Atlanta”, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— …now I have something I can reread over and over again. Harbinger of Doom has just shattered everything I knew of the epic fantasy realm and created a sub genre all of its own. With a masterful craft of writing with sly wit you are pulled into an epic tale of dark portions. If you are like me, you will scream at the book, and several characters in certain parts as they become like kin folk. The characters own the pages, the story never disappoints, and thank God for this author! In addition, if you are a Brian Lumley fan, I would suggest you give this book a try. A must for fantasy fans!
— “PoetryLover”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— I find Mr. Thater’s book, Harbinger of Doom, to be an excellent foray into dark story adventure, … good story, good action. Excellent flow of the story line to hold the attention. Overall very well done.
— Jacamo Peterson, Author of “A Hard Place: A Sergeant’s Tale”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— At its core, Harbinger of Doom is a story of heroes and villains and explores the nature of good and evil, of religion and even politics. But this is no four color comic book world, it’s a land where the good guys can die, and where it’s not always clear who is the hero and who is the villain….
— “P. Martucci”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— This is a complex but highly entertaining swords and sorcery story, reminiscent of the pulp novels of Robert E. Howard, but with more depth and undercurrents to the plot. Thater’s character `Lord Angle Theta’ is an almost larger than life hero like Howard’s Conan or Kull. And although he’s perhaps their equal in brawn, he’s far their better in brains. The other characters are all memorable and interesting, especially the grumpy gnome called Ob….
— “Fantasy Fan”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— Harbinger of Doom by Glenn Thater is what this genre of literature is all about!…I truly did not put the book down!
— “Greg M.”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— Who can resisit a good sword and sorcery book? Not me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Harbinger of Doom. It plunges you into a magic fog right at the start, and the action never stops! Fast-paced and exciting, it’s a page turner. The characters are interesting folk. I loved the twist of the weak-kneed wizard, and the gnome was highly entertaining. I also smiled at the references a true sci-fi fan would appreciate. Clever nods to Dr. Who and Star Trek, to name but two! There are dark secrets and many mysteries in this tale of good vs. evil. I hope it continues!
— “Susan Jane”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— …It took me by surprise because I had never heard of this author and was blown away by how exciting this story and the characters were from the get go. I literally could not put this book down once I started reading it. …It has all the adventure and excitement of the Star Wars Saga but set in a different world of endless time.
— “Mythical Books Aficionado”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— …Thater takes his fantasy and places it inside your brain. I wasn’t reading a book, I was standing in the middle of the action, looking to pick up a sword and jump in…
— “George T”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
— My New Favorite Book. Ok, that’s saying a lot, but this book is just that good. The author doesn’t just spit out a story here – he’s crafted every line and word – there’s a rhythm to the way it reads; both the exposition and the dialog. It draws you in; providing a more immersive experience than you’d expect in fantasy fiction. The depth of the world, and the complexity of the characters, and an underlying ambiguity as to who’s really the hero and who’s really the villain make this story a true standout. I liked it so much, I actually read it twice – and found that on the second read I picked up all sorts of subtleties and nuances that I’d missed on the first go round.
— “Connie Brady”
(Reposted from Amazon.com)
