Cailleadhama: Through the Veil

By: J. Scott Coatsworth

Narrated by: Drew Bacca

Colton is a trans man living in a climate-changed world. He plies the canals that used to be city streets, earning a living taking tourists on illicit journeys through San Francisco's flooded edges beneath the imposing bulk of the Wall.

Tris is an elf who comes through the veil to the City by the Bay - the Caille - on a coming-of-age pilgrimage called the Cailleadhama. He is searching for his brother Laris, who went missing after crossing through the Caille years before.

The two men find they have common cause, and together they set off to find Laris in a world transformed by the twin forces of greed and climate change. And in the end, they find out more than they ever expected, both about the warming world and themselves.

©2019 J. Scott Coatsworth (P)2021 J. Scott Coatsworth

On a quest for my 'pharmacist'

This is a fun urban fantasy with a touch of romance. Colton was my favorite character. He’s been on his own for years at this point and lives in a near-future San Francisco. It’s a world where overpopulation and environmental damage has made hard times for all but the rich. Colton is certainly on hard times but he’s upbeat because he’s been worse off. Now his ‘pharmacist’ has sent him on a quest of sorts and he’s over his head. Luckily, he quickly gains an ally – Tris, an elf from across the veil, who is trying to find his long-lost brother. Together, with the help of expert hacker Nis, they may just be able to find him.

There’s enough action to keep the plot moving forward without there being gore. It’s a light, fun read. I’m not usually into romances but I really liked the simmering undercurrent between Tris and Colton. Also, hurray for a trans character having a lead role! Fantasy needs more characters like Colton. That said, the near-instant love was a little rushed for my tastes and also I felt that the much desired gender transformation for Colton was a little too quick and easy too. Perhaps I just wanted a longer story to develop these characters a bit more.

The tale does wrap up this story arc while leaving the world open for a sequel. I look forward to it. 4.5/5 stars.

The Narration: Drew Bacca had a good set of voices for this story. I liked how he was able to manage Colton’s changing voice while also keeping it distinctly Colton. His Gaelic accent for Tris was a little muddled but Tris quickly loses his accent to better fit in. Bacca captured the emotions well and sounded engaged in the story as well. For the most part, his female voices were good but sometimes Nis’s voice was a little blurred, especially when slipping back and forth in conversation with another character. There were no tech issues with this recording. 4/5 stars.

Cailleadhama

This was a wonderful,fantastical story!A trans person,looking for their brother,finds love and purpose beyond the veil. Drew Bacca was a terrific narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'