SOME stories sweep you away to other worlds, while others invite you to see your own world more clearly.
For award-winning fantasy and science fiction author Cathryn deVries, storytelling is about doing both.
Her books combine immersive world-building, clean romance, and profound themes such as restorative justice, empowerment, and the search for true self. For her, writing is more than escapism.
It is about creating stories that highlight humanity’s connection with nature and spirit while reminding readers of their own resilience and capacity for hope.
That’s certainly true of her multi-award-winning debut, Son of Osivirius, launching at the Tamborine Mountain Library on February 17.
Praised for its “delicious world building and characters that sparkle with agency” by Aurealis Award–winning author Pamela Jeffs, Son of Osivirius offers readers the perfect blend of dystopian grit, romantic tension, and richly layered themes.
Set on the colonised planet of Osivirius, the story follows Jayden, a fledgling pilot desperate to give his family a better life, and Nettle, a fierce rebel determined to protect her people from the colony’s corporate machine.
Their chance encounter, after Jayden’s crash-landing, sparks conflict, empathy, and an attraction neither of them expected.
As loyalties clash and choices become impossible, both must decide where they truly belong. Fans of James Cameron’s Avatar, The Hunger Games, and The Left Hand of Darkness will find themselves captivated by this sweeping tale of survival, identity, and resistance.
Cathryn’s path to becoming an author is as unexpected as it is inspiring.
A former Air Force engineer, she began writing unintentionally while chronicling a Dungeons & Dragons campaign her daughter created.
What started as a fun family project slowly transformed into a novel, and now, an entire trilogy under contract to be published in 2027.
Today, she balances writing with homeschooling her children from their home on Tamborine Mountain. Living in the rainforest fuels her imagination and, as she says, lets her pretend to be an elf every day.
Book your place at the launch, and prepare for a wonderful afternoon of books, questions, and giant flying cats.
To book phone Tamborine Mountain Library on 07 5540 511 or book online via the QR code below.
