AMAZON NO. 1 HOT NEW RELEASE (MAY 2019) AND NO. 1 BESTSELLER (AMAZON UK: JAN 2020 & JULY 2019/ AMAZON USA: JULY 2019/AMAZON CANADA: SEPTEMBER 2019) WITH MORE THAN 250 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS/RATINGS ACROSS AMAZON AND GOODREADS.Two alien races go to war, and Earth is caught in the middle. Now it’s up to an ace fighter pilot, a stuntwoman, a super-assassin and a prankster to save humanity from … from annihilation.
The Akakies, a peaceful, technologically advanced alien species known as “the galaxy’s pranksters,” are under attack by the Xortaags, a vicious military race bent on conquering the universe. The Xortaags are deadly, but Tarq, the Akakies’ chief strategist and legendary shadow master, has a plan.
Meanwhile on Earth, Jim, a wise-cracking, movie-quoting, OCD-suffering fighter pilot, is about to propose to his girlfriend Liz when his childhood friend Kurt shows up at his house, injured and covered in blood. Kurt is a freedom fighter/super- assassin hunted by a brutal military dictatorship’s security forces. Soon after, Jim, Liz and Kurt’s lives are set to crash with a galactic war that threatens the very existence of the human race.
Can our heroes save humanity from the wrath of an overwhelming enemy?
The Crimson Deathbringer seamlessly blends breathtaking action sequences with mischievous humor. If you are a science fiction/space opera fan, this book, with its memorable characters, formidable antagonist and Game of Thrones style shocking moments, is written especially for you.
Praise for The Crimson Deathbringer:
The Crimson Deathbringer is a mix of funny and clever dialogues, action and adventure, with scenes that made me chuckle, bite my nails, and shed a tear or two. All while it kept me at the edge of my seat, trying to guess what would happen next. And no, most times I guessed wrong.
Jina Bazzar, the author of Heir of Ashes
The Crimson Deathbringer is the first novel from Sean Robins–and a great debut it is. It’s chockablock full of action. You have dramatic alien-versus-human-versus alien encounters, exciting space battles, an insane race to save the world, some warm-hearted romance, and a lot of waggish humor (reminiscent of Douglas Adams). If you can get this granite face to break a smile, you’ve accomplished something major and Sean has done just that–by infusing campy fun at the right times, in the right places.
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Alien Invasion! Future Coming Faster Than We Think! Hold On To Your Senses! My experience in this realm consists of Star Trek and Star Wars, plus a handful of other books I’ve read in the sci-fi genre in the past year. It seems I might like this genre more than I thought… after a few excellent authors I’ve added to my list this year, I’m adding another one with Sean Robins, writer of The Crimson Deathbringer, published in 2019.
When I first read the title, a bloody crash came to mind. After starting the book, I thought… this doesn’t seem all that sci-fi. It’s more post-apocalyptic world settling, but then… all hell breaks loose. What I commend the author for most… is starting with great characters and a solid story. I was immediately pulled in by the first couple of characters we’re introduced to. And then, when the aliens invade, I felt even more connected with the story. There are two different alien races, and I had to choose which one I liked. Rather than provide more details on the actual plot, here’s what you need to know: Young love. Strong female fighters. Bonds of friendship. Trust in a species you haven’t ever encountered before. Cool technology with mind altering systems. Betrayal. Humor. Just the beginning of this series.
Interested? Sounds kinda intense, and it is… but don’t think there aren’t laugh out loud moments and some good old-fashioned romance. Robins includes tons of references that even a clueless guy like me picked up on. I knew several from Star Wars, Star Trek, and Game of Thrones. There were others I vaguely knew of, but it all made for a witty and clever approach to telling the story. Love blossomed between unlikely characters and world domination was a clear theme. Has it hit too close to home? Possibly, but only in the good ways.
I like Robins writing style. It’s easy to digest without the clunk of super-sci-fi stories that sometimes go over our heads. There is A LOT of all that futuristic stuff, but it’s described in a very understandable manner and it makes you kinda interested in exploring it more. Until, of course, death happens. No alien invasion can be successfully thwarted or pulled off without pain and loss. I’m happy to say that 1 of my 2 fave characters survives this international / foreign / outer galaxy war, but I did have to hold back a tear or two when some bad things happened. As an author, I know what it’s like to do that to someone you’ve created whom you love… which tells me I know Robins painfully made this decision, and probably because it was the right one.
We’re left with a bit of a “what could happen next” moment at the end, but I’m along for the ride. Looking forward to the sequel!
The Crimson Deathbringer, by Sean Robins. Rated 5 stars by Iris Chacon.
The year is 2047, and Jim Harrison, famous fighter pilot, has written a best-selling memoir of his exploits in the war for a United Earth. Now, an evil dictator has taken over the U.E. government, and Jim’s former war buddies are part of the Resistance, trying to restore democracy to the world.
Jim and his warrior friends, Kurt and Allen, don’t yet know that they (and Jim’s girlfriend, Liz) are about to be conscripted to fight in a third conflict they don’t even know is occurring: Earth is about to be invaded by the Xortaags.
The year is 2047, and Jim Harrison, famous fighter pilot, has written a best-selling memoir of his exploits in the war for a United Earth. Now, an evil dictator has taken over the U.E. government, and Jim’s former war buddies are part of the Resistance, trying to restore democracy to the world.
Jim and his warrior friends, Kurt and Allen, don’t yet know that they (and Jim’s girlfriend, Liz) are about to be conscripted to fight in a third conflict they don’t even know is occurring: Earth is about to be invaded by the Xortaags.
This is a rollicking war story with a shipful of originality, plenty of action, a soupcon of romance, and a great deal of humor. Jim Harrison sports the cocky fighter-pilot attitude and constantly quotes from ancient television shows — especially Star Trek. (He decided to marry Liz the first time she quoted Mr. Spock.)
Sean Robins has crafted a fun and easy read that will keep you entertained from start to finish. I gave this sci-fi delight a full five stars out of five. Recommended.
Warning: Curse words appear occasionally.
The Crimson Deathbringer by Sean Robbins
The main character, Jim, returns home to find his best friend, Kurt (a freedom fighter and assassin) hiding out in his house. Earth is under alien invasion and Kurt confesses to killing their dictator, General Zheng. The house is raided and the two men plus Jim´s girlfriend, Liz, are destined to be killed. When their demise seems a foregone conclusion, they suddenly find themselves thrown into an Alien battle between the humorous Akakies and the Zortaag warriors, whose aim is to change all humans into slaves. This makes for a good read as all the participants are fighting their own inner conflicts and have their own reasons to participate in the war.
This well written book is action packed, the characters are believable and there is no shortage of humour and pop culture references which true Sci-fi/space opera fans will be unable to miss.
Highly recommended. A good read.
Earth is in the grip of a dictator. The resistance led by the son of the peacemaker that was killed. Space has its own problems when the prank loving Akakies are defeated in battle by the Xortaags. They arrange a hasty treaty and the Xortaags decide to defeat and inhabit the primitive planet called Earth with their Crimson Deathbringers and the Voice of God. What could go wrong? The Akakies send two of the military strategists to Earth to build up a resistance force in a hidden base in the far North of Earth. Meanwhile on Earth, Kurt, the Resistance leader is wounded and seeks refuge in the house of his old childhood friend Jim. Jim just happens to be the flight jockey known for his flying and fighting abilities. He and his fiancé to be tend the wounded Kurt. They are all tracked down and sentenced to death. Just as the sentence is to be fulfilled, Tarq and Barook, the Akakies, transport them to their base and begin building their forces as the Xortaags attack and kill millions while setting up the Voice of God to reduce human kind to a bunch of willing slaves. The Xortaags also set up their defenses while waiting for the arrival of all of the settlers. Then Maada, their chief military expert, will eliminate all of humanity. The humans being trained and led by the Akakies have just weeks to defeat the enemy. This action-filled gem is filled with characters you’ll love, root for, and weep for when they die. The references to Star Trek and Spok can be hilarious. So many die while defending their way of life is mind boggling, but the tale is told well. I recommend this one to all scifi lovers
Ahhh! This is a brilliant Sci-Fi I read in one sitting. Here’s the deal, when I was asked to read this book, I read the blurb and immediately knew I needed to read The Crimson Deathbringer. It felt like the Sci-Fi I had been waiting to read for a while. And I was right!
I love the dialogue. There is humorous and cleverness in the lines, and I was highly impressed with the characters. There are multiple POVs, which sometimes I think can be the downfall of a book, but Sean Robins has proven himself a mighty fine author in this one.
The Crimson Deathbringer is action-packed, adventurous and sometimes emotional. I spent the entire time reading trying to figure out all the details, and I was surprised in the end. I was left wanting more, and I am really looking forward to reading more from Sean Robins! Highly recommended, and going into my favorites of 2019!
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Science Fiction is not my preferred reading but this book fits into some which negate that rule. I enjoyed the characters but for the arrogance of one principal character. My choice, given the opportunity in reading or writing, is to create or read about a character at length which has a measure of cockiness but mixed with a sense of humility. If you are a science fiction aficionado you will love this one. It postulates a war between earth, one which earth is bound to lose, but a secret alliance with the Akakies, another alien culture, which presents the opportunity to fight back. Will earth win? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
The Crimson Deathbringer is the first book I have read by this author. I am not normally a science fiction fan, but my wife is devoted to Star Trek and suggested (commanded) that I read this book. Always a dutiful husband, I obeyed, and was glad I did. Written with multiple POV, including first and third person, Crimson Deathbringer is about alien wars and a dictatorship on Earth and that’s all I will say about the plot as I don’t believe in spoilers. The writing is original, with references to a host of science fiction films, but the characterisation is interesting and, I think, quite accurate. The plot is clever, more complex than I expected and subjects the reader to a number of highs and lows. All in all, this book was worth five stars of anybody’s money, if they still use money in the future.
When I started this book, I had 0 expectations, no idea of what I was going to find.
And man, was I surprised.
The Crimson Death Bringer is a mix of funny and clever dialogue, action packed adventure, with scenes that made me chuckle, bite my nails, and provoked a tear or two.
All while it kept me at the edge of my seat, trying to guess what would happen next. And no, most times I guessed wrong.
In this book, Sean Robins takes us into a futuristic adventure where aliens have come to conquer earth. Seems familiar? Add another alien race who decides helping humans will benefit them in the long run, and there you have it: A ruthless species who wants to conquer earth and treat humans as their slave-poppets vs. another alien race who are technologically advanced…. but are dubbed the galaxy’s pranksters and will need the humans to pilot and fight the enemy.
The result? Well, a complete disaster!
There are multiple pov’s in this book, something I know isn’t easy to write, but Sean pulled it off perfectly. His characters are well drawn, his descriptions clear and easy to envision.
And the ending will make you wish for more!
The Crimson Death Bringer is a compelling, thrilling and fun read that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Totally recommend it!
Hugely enjoyable and engaging space opera. Alien invasion of Earth with a twist sounds like a lot of other stories, the execution makes all the difference. Sean Robbins has the confidence to have big ideas and a huge cast as well as the craft to balance them. The narrative shifts across aliens and humans and to give each the space to engage the reader, everyone has a motive and a context and when they clash the action has weight and consequence. The plot mechanics are ruthlessly efficient, Sean Robbins pushes the story at a considerable pace and no one gets to escape unscathed. Victory for anyone is hard won and harder to maintain, everyone learns from their mistakes and has to make new ones to keep alive and in the struggle. The action is intense and beautifully staged, the reveals are cunningly timed and move the story forward with force and increasing momentum. The cast are hugely engaging, the leading characters are determined and individual, they drive the plot and are driven by the plot in a wholly satisfactory way. The walk on cast give depth and flavour to the story, Sean has a gift for very quickly introducing a character who is fully fledged in a short space, there is nothing impersonal about this conflict. Aliens and humans are given scope and motive so that the struggle between them has depth and engagement.
Sean Robins’ control of the narrative is impressive, there are a huge number of shifting viewpoints, including a first person narrative, none it is is confusing. The structure gives the room for a widespread look at the conflict and moves from the global to the specific with ease and impact. It opens the scope of the story very nicely, placing Earth in the middle of a galactic struggle naturally and effectively. You do need a high tolerance for pop culture references and jokes, they never get in the way of the story, they do not quite come off cumulatively as Sean Robbins might have intended. They hide the character who indulges in them the most a little more than they reveal him.
I do have a concern with the attrition rate in the cast. Not the fact that it is high, rather that it does not bend the story the way it should. The reader is encouraged to have an investment in some of the cast, they take up enough story space to become significant and their demise does not have the following impact that I would have expected.
I bought this book to support a colleague, I read it because I love science fiction, I greatly enjoyed it because Sean Robbins has delivered a great story that pulls the reader into the action with tremendous skill and confidence. I strongly recommend it because the benefits of reading excellent science fiction are clinically proven to improve your joy in living. Do yourself a favour, get the benefits of first rate space opera that The Crimson Deathbringer so happily delivers.
Hitchhiker’s Guide Meets Independence Making for a Thoroughly Enjoyable Read
I must say, I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book. I was expecting straight space opera or military SF. And though I enjoy both genres, this book transcended both of them to create something truly unique and, in a nutshell, pure fun.
At first the plot starts out quite dystopian, with a Chandlereque narration style and a authoritarian government who’ve taken over Earth. But there’s a much larger threat looming from outer space who also are taking interest in the planet, and that’s as much of the plot I feel I can give away without introducing any spoilers.
The author has an incredibly tongue-in-cheek writing style which reminds me in many ways of Douglas Adams. But then there’s a lot of references to pop culture, with references to many much-loved sci-fi films, and the occasional one we all know from history.
This is an entertaining, light-hearted read (with a few tear jerkers thrown in). Mars Attacks for the new generation. Except much, much better than Mars Attacks.
Robins weaves a unique space opera that actually involves refreshingly unique alien species. By focusing on several central characters, the reader experiences a cosmic battlefront through the eyes of feasible individuals. With a simple prose, “The Crimson Deathbringer” is an easy read that succeeds in engrossing the reader from start to finish.
Well wow, you would not believe that this was Sean Robins first book! At the end when I read his short bio and discovered he is a teacher that made sense – because the book, especially for a first novel, is beautifully edited, easy to read and well-structured.
If you’re a SciFi fan then you’re going to love this big book. It’s meaty (long and detailed) bringing all the characters to life, making you like and care for them. They’re real people, in hopefully, not so real circumstances. Normally long books lose me, but not so this one. Each chapter kept bringing everything to life, definitely could see it as a mini tv series. Loved the alien humour – who’d of guessed that four legs and antenna could host a joke prankster?
I really enjoyed that you saw the ‘bad guys’ (aliens) through their own eyes so you could see each aspect of the story as it came together. Well I could go on and on, because as you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed this story – highly recommend. ps also loved the GOT references, nice tough!
Never tell me the odds…
I almost didn’t read The Crimson Deathbringer because the title and cover seemed to target 12-year-old boys. I didn’t want to rush to judgment, though, so I looked inside. I had to read the first sentence three times just to get the syntax right in my head. Not encouraging. Still, I’ve never given up on any book after just one sentence, so I plodded on.
After the first few paragraphs, I found I wasn’t plodding at all — suddenly I was reading with fresh eyes. The characters came alive almost instantly. There was tension. There was wit. I decided to read the book, and I’m glad I did.
The Crimson Deathbringer, very loosely speaking, is kind of like Star Wars meets Ready Player One. There’s just enough technobabble to make the world of the story seem real but not so much that a reader who doesn’t much care about how the guns and laser cannons work (like me) might become bored to tears.
Robins is especially adept at writing powerful action sequences, especially those that are up close and personal.
The stakes are high, and the scale is massive, and everything depends on a few stalwart and heroic characters. Best of all, the book has a lot of heart. Robins gives us deep emotional pits and lofty highs. There’s friendship, love, laughter, and a sprinkling of mundane activities to keep things real. His villains are interesting and three-dimensional. You almost root for them at times.
Of course, I have quibbles, but I’m the hypercritical sort who has quibbles with everything I read. That said, my criticisms are so small compared to what’s good and even great in The Crimson Deathbringer that they’re hardly worth mentioning… hardly. Here’s one I couldn’t overlook: “Kurt’d.” Seriously, Sean? You give us miles of dialogue without using contractions where most people naturally would, and then you toss in a “Kurt’d”?! … And typos. I know, every book has some — but that doesn’t make them OK. The fewer typos, the fewer occasions for readers to be yanked out of the story. The Crimson Deathbringer could have used one more proofreading pass. OK, done now.
I’d subtract maybe half a star for the small stuff if I could, but given my level of enjoyment, I decided to round up. The Crimson Deathbringer may be a little rough around the edges, but you’ll probably be too swept up in the story to notice.
This book ended up surprising the heck out of me! I really enjoyed reading this. I suppose it’s genre is Sci-fi but it is so much more! The author brings humor into the battle for earth and it works! Along with adventuresome battles, aliens, lasers, mind control machines and the possible annihilation of earth’s population.
The main characters are brought to life as they fight the invading Xortaag-a race going around forcibly colonizing planets. The Akaki-alien race whose planet would be next on the Xortaags list, decides to join with the people of earth to defeat them before they can reach the Akaki’s home planet! The survival of Earth rests on Jim, Liz, Kurt and Tarq! I enjoyed these characters so much! The author brings them to life with their love for humanity, for each other and he gives them a great sense of humor!
I was so engaged in the last fourth of this story I couldn’t put it down! Operation Royalty-final battle to save Earth from the Xortaags was terrifying! No character is safe in this author’s story! In my opinion he has told one heck of a tale and I enjoyed every word of it!
It will be weird for me to review my own book, so I am going to post a few editorial reviews written by other people:
Sean Robins tells an exciting story with engaging and sympathetic characters. The action generally moves the story right along, and the reader remains invested in what happens to the characters. A high level of interest and sense of suspense is maintained by (SPOILER!!) a particularly prominent or appealing character.
TouchPoint Press Acquisitions
The Crimson Deathbringer is an exceptionally well-written, high concept sci-fi futuristic novel with political overtones. In the opening the author introduces characters who get us engaged in his story. This is a massive project, although the author seems to have the skills to pull it off.
Submission Editor/WiDo Publishing
We enjoyed reading The Crimson Deathbringer. We found you had interesting and original ideas, and we particularly liked Jim as a character.
CBC Submissions
I enjoyed The Crimson Deathbringer a lot. I like the action, the humor, the shift between characters. What works really well is the friendship between the Akakies and the humans, the horror of the Voice of God and the (SPOILER!), the friendship between Kurt and Allen and Kurt and Jim, most of the pranks, and Maada’s role. I like the battle scenes. The ending(SPOILER, obviously). Moreover, You have a distinctive voice. It’s upbeat, humorous and hopeful.
Margaret Diehl/Editor
I really like your story. The way you have drawn the characters makes even the extra-terrestrials totally credible. The story is exciting and quite different from other books I have read in this genre, and your voice and storytelling style are unique.
Lionel Ross/Publisher
More than a Star Wars/Star Trek hybrid, The Crimson Deathbringer is a galactic space race for control of Earth, now under dictatorial control. The resistance is making advances, but their number is small and rather ineffective, and the Xortaags decide to defeat and take control of Earth, with the Voice of God and their Crimson Deathbringers. There had been such hope for Earth in 2077. The first president of the world had been elected and the entire planet rejoiced. Humanity had finally put its destructive tendencies aside, and was ready to unleash a glorious era of peace, cooperation, advancement and economic development. Within the year, everything imploded with the appointment of Graham Zheng, an influential American general of Chinese descent, who murdered the president and took power, declaring himself the ruler of Earth. With humor, drama, unbearable sadness and hope, this story is an enjoyable and fascinating trip to another world called Earth! The narration is impeccably done by C. J. Grey, with a dynamic voice, good range and the ability to give each character a distinct personality.