| Title | : | Titan's Son (Children of Titan #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 312 |
| Publication | : | First published March 5, 2019 |
Kale Drayton knows his place. As a Ringer born on Titan, he's used to keeping his head down and his mouth shut - no matter how much the Earthers abuse him or his own kind berate him. So, when he's caught stealing from a wealthy merchant, he's lucky to be sentenced to low-paying maintenance work on a gas-harvesting ship instead of life in a cell... or worse.
But when his mother is quarantined, Kale finds himself backed into a corner. To pay for her medicine, he needs money - the kind of money he'll never make sweeping floors and cleaning ships. When he receives a mysterious offer asking him to do a simple job in exchange for his mother's treatment, Kale takes a chance once more. All he must do is upload a program onto his employer's ship and all of his problems will disappear.
What starts as a straightforward smuggling gig soon reveals its shattering repercussions. The people who hired Kale are more dangerous than he suspected - and he's more important to them than he ever could have imagined.
Grab the exciting sequel to Titanborn, which will transport you to the other side of the conflict on Titan, and the Ringers’ fight for independence. You can also enjoy the Children of Titan series on Audible, narrated by the award-winning RC Bray.
Titan's Son (Children of Titan #2) Reviews
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Update 1/26/17 Re-read:
I still very much enjoyed the book the second time!
In some ways this is a superior book to
Titanborn in that the rising action culminates in something much bigger than personal tragedy. Those of the Titanborn revolutionaries finally get their day in this book.
Both are set in the same frame, but don't go expecting much in the way of overlapping characters. The settings, however, are very much characters in themselves. Sickness and exploitation is rampant, as is the sense of deep disparity between the classes (and locations).
The world-building is something very cool to behold, working ever so steadily on our consciousness until it gets firmly rooted and we begin feeling the deep ambiguities inherent in living in a real world. Thievery and desperation and constantly having to wear personal protection sits right up against a deep desire for doing the right thing, finding love and finding purpose.
This is a novel of a rising star. We go from nothing to the top of the food chain and the path is not simple or easy or really that expected. Kale isn't an alpha dog and all he really has going for him is his ancestry and the faith of a bunch of desperate idealists, and yet he finds his way to a really grand resolution. What more can we ask? Explosions? Ah, well, we get those, too. :) A lot of them. :)
This is truly some great Space-Opera, folks. It focuses much more on good storytelling than on technogadgetry, and that's great because it allows us to really get inside the characters. :) Bravo! :)
Original review of a pre-pre-release:
I promised not to reveal anything after getting a sneak peek, but there *is* something that I can say.
It's AWESOME.
And for all ya'll praying and hoping to get into the grit, please be patient. Once you get your hands on this, you'll be very satisfied. Or you might Gaaaahahhhhhaa like me and demand that the author keep writing, double-time, and give us more or else.
That being said, It's So Cool.
This is real SF, focusing on truly entertaining us and giving us great characters and great solar system adventure with complicated situations. The real treat is in how it's written. :)
Keep your eye out! -
Moon is a Harsh Mistress meets Nietzsche.
“What does not kill us makes us stronger” is taken to SF extremes in Rhett C. Bruno’s dramatic thriller follow up to his 2016 novel
Titanborn. While this is not a sequel, it is in the same universe and describes a SF construct where humankind has colonized most of the solar system following a cataclysmic meteor detonation on Earth. The diaspora of humanity that follows has been drawn into new sub-races contingent on where they have settled. Those born on Saturn’s moon Titan have become taller and paler (and weaker and more susceptible to viral diseases than their petri dish cousins from what’s left of Earth).
But the shorter, stronger, more immune and robust earthlings find out that the Ringers (those born in and around Saturn’s moons) are more than meets the eye and like Heinlein’s Loonies and Herbert’s Fremen, they are a sleeping giant waiting for a reckoning.
Bruno has created more than a space opera. The distinction made between the earthlings and those born on Titan creates a dramatic tension between the two groups and serves also as an allegory for new and old world extended into space colonization. Also, the connection to Trass (a pioneer leader in the Titan colony) bordered on hero worship and was PhilDickian in Bruno’s presentation.
Bruno’s setting within the gaseous atmosphere of Saturn is a fecund ground for SF imagery and Bruno uses this made-for-film backdrop to full effect. With settings and imagery vaguely reminiscent of Ann Leckie, this would make for a cool SF film HINT HINT!!! HEY RIDLEY SCOTT!!!
Like Titanborn, Bruno highlights the ascension of corporate interests alongside or even surpassing governmental structures, like Neal Stephenson or William Gibson. Also like Gibson, Bruno has explored themes of death and rebirth in the Earth to Saturn colonies, as well as the continued but changed humanity still surviving on Earth after the catastrophe. Bruno’s characters are scarred and brutalized by the past, dramatically symbolized by the Ringer’s deficient immunity to earth germs.
This also somewhat reminded me of Samuel Delaney’s 1968 novel
Nova as both authors blend elements of myth into a SF vehicle.
Bruno is onto something cool and I am already anxious for the next Titanborn novel.
*** A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review
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Stayed up almost all night to read this. I'm so TIRED! 2 hours of sleep is definitely not enough for me. However, that is also the reason I couldn't pen a review afterwards. And now, my brain is mush from sleep-deprivation so you'll have to wait a few more hours to hear the praise for this fantastic story.
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After an infusion of good old English Breakfast tea directly into my blood stream, here is my review (please don't expect greatness from me today, I'm worn out):
This is the second book in the Titanborn series. It’s not really a sequel, rather a side-step to illuminate an event from the first book and explain “the other side”. A prospect I didn’t like at first since the first book had left me severely hung over and I wanted to know what would happen next. But the author seems to enjoy torturing me and I just can't seem to stay away.
Thus, instead of a continuation of book #1, this second book is mostly about Kale, a Ringer (a person born on Titan; descendant of humans that left Earth a long time ago before an awful meteorite strike and that are now physically quite different from Earthers due to the difference in gravity and other conditions on Saturn’s moon). He’s quite young but accustomed to hardship. He nevertheless managed to get a decent job on a gas harvester – classic case of kid growing up in horrible neighbourhood but fighting his way to a somewhat better life. However, now his mother has fallen ill, which usually is a death sentence (Ringers don’t have a good immune system and them dealing with Earthers means they need to wear facial masks and gloves and can still contract diseases they can’t handle). So what would you do if you had no money but suddenly the opportunity to save the one person that means the most in your life?!
To make matters more complicated, he really is a good kid and despite his mother being so important to him, it’s not as simple as that since he cares about people’s lives in general. And yes, this all ties back to the movement that caused such chaos in the first book.
It feels slightly smaller in scale but not in a bad way - the first simply opened up an entire solar system while this one was more focused on one point.
The remarkable thing about this story is that I didn’t need time to get back into this world. From the first line onwards, nothing mattered but the story. Even though I started this in November but had to abandon it due to a reading slump. It took me no time at all and I remembered everything I had already read vividly.
There was a lot of (very well done) action I enjoyed tremendously, but despite the breathtaking dash through several levels of the habitations on Titan, the characters were all wonderfully “fleshed out” and richly characterized. Some funny, some infuriating, some quirky, most of them heartbreaking. I already knew what would happen to the ship Piccolo from the previous book, of course, but there were enough details the reader didn’t know to make me sit at the edge of my seat (we only got to see the events from one perspective last time and this completes the picture so to speak). And of course that wasn't the only thing happening here. I mean, I don’t stay awake almost all night and only get 2 hours of sleep during a working week for nothing!
Also, the depiction of the history between the Earthers and the Ringers was epic again. Not just the corporation-run politics in the solar system (interesting forecast and definitely possible in the future), but also the racism … especially after my last book (an autobiography of someone who lived under Apartheid) I couldn’t help but see the parallels and notice the realism with which Rhett described the world he created, thus firmly grounding the reader.
That plus the fantastic technology in this universe (space travel is possible but many ships are basically rust buckets and not shiny like a brand new Apple product – think “Firefly” rather than “Enterprise”) made everything so awesomely real.
So despite sleep deprivation and yet another case of I-might-seek-out-the-author-at-his-house-to-avenge-my-broken-heart syndrome, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book. But read them in order. It really is better.
In fact, read all of Rhett’s books (I’ll read his other series soon as well) because this author is so good (no, I’m not saying that because I’m friends with him here on GR, but because I know quality when I see it) that I nominated the first book of this series for a HUGO. If that doesn’t convince you, nothing will.
Usual (still silly) disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review (because usually I’m a lying piece of *peep*). ;) -
From Ice To Ashes is Rhett C. Bruno's second novel set in the world of his earlier novel Titanborn. It isn't really a sequel as it doesn't follow on from the events of the previous book so much as explore some of the same events from a completely different perspective. It's very cleverly done and, while you don't need to have read Titanborn to enjoy this new book, I'd recommend doing so as you'll get a lot more out of this one if you do.
It was great to submerge myself into this world again, as it is such a well thought out setting. The characters and various factions really add to this feeling, as one of Bruno's great strengths as an author is that he doesn't do 'goodies' and 'baddies'. All his characters are very much shades of grey on the moral spectrum, all capable of doing good and evil to greater and lesser extents, much like real people. There were a lot of passages in this book that had me extremely conflicted over the actions of our central protagonist. I often felt like I either couldn't root for him at all or that I felt bad about rooting for him. In fact, there were sections of this book that made me feel deeply uncomfortable, if I'm completely honest.
I'm not sure who said it originally but the whole book brought to mind the saying 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter'. If you read this book (and I really do recommend you do) prepare to have your preconceptions about a protagonist's morality challenged.
The book is fast-paced and action-packed and straddles the line between space opera and speculative fiction with confidence and ease. Oh, and a message to fans of Titanborn: you're going to love the epilogue! I shall say no more.
Full disclosure: I received an advanced review copy from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. -
Titan's Son by Rhett C. Bruno and narrated by R.C. Bray really takes this story on further and gives it real life! The characters seem to really come to life in this book and the prejudice ways and treatments are more apparent. This is more individualized in how each might feel! Much more personalized. I liked that. There is still plenty of action and adventure!
If course R.C. Bray performs stunningly! -
A gripping sci-fi revolution tale written by someone who knows his business.
This book is set in the same universe as Rhett Bruno's previous book,
Titanborn, which I also
really enjoyed. In fact, one of the awesome things about this book is that it is set in the same basic timeframe, but shows the OTHER side of events.
So, here's the thing. Looong ago (but still in the future for us), Earth was about to be slammed by space-rock, a la President Morgan Freeman. Some of the population was all like, "EFF this place, we out!" and moved to other, less gravity-ish planets to eke out a hard but honest life. Some of the people were like, "No damn space-rock is gonna scare me!" and stayed, with a small percentage actually surviving the impact and the devastation to Earth that resulted.
Fast forward generations into the future, and there are Earthers (descendants of thems that stayed) and Ringers (descendants of thems that left). They reunite, and eventually the Ringers are completely subjugated by the Earthers. You know, virtual enslavement and complete exploitation of people that are different from us. Because we're dicks, and that's how we historically and ever-lastingly roll.
Backstory phase complete. So this book follows a Ringer worker/sometimes-thief as he gets drawn into a conspiracy that may have far-reaching results.
Like in his previous book, Bruno takes a very well-known literary trope (the aforementioned "regular dude" pulled into a political conspiracy/revolution") and breathes new and glorious life into it. This world is fully-fleshed out, the characters well-written and complex, the themes behind the words thoughtful and important.
I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading MOOOOORE set in this world! -
I really loved the decision to follow-up Titanborn with this stand alone. Here we get the perspective of the Ringers – settlers born on Saturn’s moon Titan. The Ringers are treated as a subservient lower caste by the Earthborn, and you can really see the injustices firsthand in this novel. I think you could call this a sidequel, in that the action is taking place simultaneously as the action in Titanborn. From Ice to Ashes can absolutely be read before Titanborn, except for From Ice to Ashes’ short Epilogue which I believe takes place after Titanborn's events.
When I finished this book, I immediately wanted to reread Titanborn. Don't get me wrong, I also would've liked a straight continuation from Titanborn's amazing ending, but I can really appreciate the author wanting to give us a different perspective- a different side of Titanborn's events. This approach is not something I see often, so bravo in deciding to present the story in this way. When you can sympathize with both sides and they are both full of compelling actors, you get a great and well-rounded story. The character's motivations always make sense especially when faced with some pretty harrowing choices. Some of the characters and settings we were briefly introduced to in Titanborn were further fleshed out here.
This story really flowed and the writing was clean, fast, and efficient. Bruno never gets bogged down in technical jargon or in superfluous sidetracks. I’ve read about five of Bruno’s books already and I can attest that they do not waste time. I can really appreciate that.
I still slightly prefer Titanborn, but this was a great follow up. This is turning out to be a very cool series, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next. -
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2017/01/2...
Publisher: Random House
Publishing Date: March 2017
ISBN: 9780399181610
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 3.9/5
Publishers Description: Kale Drayton knows his place. As a Ringer born on Titan, he’s used to keeping his head down and his mouth shut—no matter how much the Earthers abuse him or his own kind berate him. So when he’s caught stealing from a wealthy merchant, he’s lucky to be sentenced to low-paying maintenance work on a gas-harvesting ship instead of life in a cell . .
Review: Holy shjtballz this was good. A meaty bite of science fiction that satisfied my need. Kale is a thief just trying to save his mom from an earthborn sickness and soon finds himself offered a chance to save his mom if he smuggles something onto the gas harvesting ship he works on. What follows is a wild and imaginative SciFi ride through our solar system.
The character development was great in that it grew along with the constant and intense movement. The world building was rendered in spectacular detail and thus created an ease into visualizing the narrative.
Still, a highly entertaining read. -
Ahoy there me mateys! I discovered this novel when the author asked me if I was interested in readin’ this one in exchange for me honest musings. The premise sounded fascinating and so I said yes. Those of me crew that have been reading me log these last several days have seen that I had to abandon ship on me last two reads. I was feelin’ rather disheartened and didn’t want to be fighting off the dreaded readin’ slump. So I finally deemed that it was time to read this book and hopefully keep the slump at bay. And it worked! Arrrrr!
I found this book to be an excellent read that was gripping, fun, and certainly lightened me mood considerably. While technically the second book in a series, Matey Bruno assured me it could be read as a standalone and I am so very glad he convinced me. I absolutely loved the world of the Ringers!
The Ringers are descendants from a starship that left Earth to settle on Titan (one of Saturn’s moons) in the face of an asteroid destined to hit Earth. They worked hard and slowly adjusted over the centuries both genetically and culturally. However, some Earth-folk survived and eventually make their way to Titan to co-exist. However Earth disease runs rampant among the immune systems of the Ringers which lead to the Earthers taking over the moon and the Ringers becoming second-class citizens.
In this novel, a Ringer named Kale is struggling to get by. He used to be a small-time thief until he got caught. His mom helped him get a legitimate job aboard a gas harvester. But then his mom gets sick and Kale needs a lot more money to help her survive. Much more than his small salary provides. A seemingly to0-good-to-be-true opportunity comes along which may solve his problems. But what happens if he takes it? A wonderful story that’s what.
Now do not get me wrong, I loved the plot and the characters. I thought Kale was a fantastic protagonist. There were lots of plot twists that I did not see coming. Some of which kinda broke this grizzled Captain’s salty heart. It was a seemingly simple story that has greater depths. But it was the juxtaposition between the Earthers and the Ringers that made the book for me.
Ye see the Ringers have adapted to life on Titan which makes them tall, like extremely cold temperatures, and need lower gravity. The problem is their immune systems are so bad that they go dressed in decontamination suits at all times. Any direct contact with an Earther can be fatal. The Earthers need heat, are immensely strong in comparison to the Ringers, and of course prefer Earth gravity. But they need Ringers to help maintain Titan and their lifestyles. So in situations like cleaning of the gas harvester, the two groups have to work together. But when they clash, and clash they do, it is fascinating to watch them interact.
I really can’t do justice to the world-building in this post. It just felt so real and plausible. The space ships, the jobs, the technology, the relationships are all gritty in many ways. Yet underneath that grit is determination to survive. Kale himself seems to encapsulate love for those in his life and even understanding and compassion for some of the Earthers. Watching his journey was wonderful.
The only small flaw for me was the epilogue which had a character that I didn’t know. But I got the gist and so it was no big deal.
Much thanks to Matey Bruno and I certainly will read the first book in the series at some point. Arrrrrr!
To see me other reviews check out
https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp... -
I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review after being approached by the author to review his newest release.
As a Ringer, Kale knows where he belongs and how to keep his mouth shut and his head down, no matter how much abuse he suffers at the hands of the Earthers, or his own people for that matter. He knows he's lucky to only be sentenced to maintenance work on a gas-harvesting ship after getting caught stealing from a rich merchant. Then when he learns that his mother has been quarantined, he knows that his back's to the wall. He'll never be able to pay for her medicine, so he jumps at the chance to take a simple yet mysterious job in exchange for his mother's treatment. The only thing he has to do is upload a program to his employer's ship and all of his trouble will be taken care of. What should be as a simple smuggling gig actually has huge repercussions. The people Kale's working for are much more dangerous than he expected, and he's much more important to them than he could know.
From Ice to Ashes by Rhett C. Bruno starts off with a bang and just speeds up from there. It's set in the same universe as the author's novel, Titanborn, but you don't need to be familiar with that story to fully understand the events of this novel. I'm sure being familiar with that novel would only benefit the reader, but even though I've never read it I never felt lost here. Butler's novel still managed to suck me in right from the very beginning regardless. His writing is compelling and I didn't want to put this book down for a minute. His world-building, character development, and action scenes in particular are all top notch. One thing that really stood out to me from early on are his descriptions of the Ringers (people born on Titan, the colonized moon of Saturn) in comparison to the Earthers. Just that detail really began to set the tone and the atmosphere of the novel for me. I also particularly liked that none of the characters are exclusively good guys or bad guys. Everyone tends to occupy a morally gray area, which is certainly refreshing. The descriptions and action are all quite visual - I could easily picture the events of this sprawling space opera as if they were on the big screen.
Overall, Rhett C. Bruno's newest novel, From Ice to Ashes, is a tightly written and action packed adventure from start to finish. If you're looking for a new space opera to dive into, I have a feeling that you'll like this story whether you've read it's companion, Titanborn or not. You may also like Bruno's style if you are a fan of Neal Stephenson's work. After reading From Ice to Ashes, I definitely want to return to this universe and try Titanborn.
Thanks again to the author and NetGalley for providing this free eARC! -
Heroes rise when they are needed.
Now I was a fan of
Titanborn, it was an original work of cinematic science fiction. This parallel sequel wasn't. It was Star Wars: Titanborn Edition and I loved it!
No one needed a Luke Skywalker, a leader, a hero, more than the Ringers. Made second class citizens on their own world, these beautiful people are heartlessly left to die of disease and lack of resources by the Pervenio Corporation. It's a slow genocide the Ringers are finally rising to fight. Every win for these underdogs feels good.
The epilogue touches base with Malcolm Graves and has me in fearful anticipation as to what Bruno has planned for Pervenio Strikes Back. -
This was the first Sci/Fi I've read in quite a while and I have to say I really liked it. The story kept me engaged and entertained.
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Loved it! From beginning to end pure entertainment. To take the human race after living off earth and heart's environment and gravity, is not something I remember ever seeing done. And it totally works and makes sense. As the survivors from earth and Titan reunite, you expect joy not rivalry. As the story develops it takes you to unexpected places and unexpected outcomes. This book is suitable for older teens due to violence and adults.
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GETTING “SPACED” USED TO MEAN something fairly harmless and fun, but science fiction authors have turned it into a death sentence more certain, more horrifying, than walking the plank. Great adventure stories used to deliver protagonists who’d survive getting planked. How last-century. Two novels in a row, I’ve witnessed spaceship doors open only to have perfectly good people sucked into the icy vacuum of the universe. Oh, I’ve complained. Why invent these memorable characters and go to great lengths to bring them to life and get me to care about them, only to make me see them getting flushed into eternity? It happens in Joe Occhipinti’s “Ashfallen.” It happens in Rhett Bruno’s “From Ice to Ashes.”
Bruno apparently took it to heart last year when I said “Titanborn” reads like a Greek Tragedy.
“Hah!” he tweeted. “Science fiction Greek Tragedy. It's my specialty!”
“Science fiction noir at its finest!” is what David Simpson, author of the Post-Human series, called that novel. Call it what you will; just keep me away from any more compelling and magnificent stories from an award-winning Random House novelist who has a career as a professional architect and a misleadingly wholesome, boyish author photo.
“From Ice to Ashes,” the rallying cry of Titan’s martyrs and revolutionaries, is a dead giveaway of a title, if ever I saw one. Nobody’s compelling me to get clobbered watching more beloved characters suffer and die in another brutal Bruno novel.
“There will be some bittersweet endings one day though, I promise,” Bruno tweeted.
Bittersweet, not happy ending? Sorry. My heels dug deeper into terra firma. And yet, like a lemming to the sea, heeding some literary Pied Piper, despite the title with its Biblical reminder of ashes to ashes, dust to dust, I started reading “From Ice to Ashes.”
Murder, blood, bodies twitching in the throes of death, in the very first paragraph? And I kept reading this because ... why?
There’s the taut pull that Bruno’s prose exerts on our emotions, but I hate that about him. Hate it, hate it, hate it. And yet I cannot avert my gaze. The world-building is spectacular. So what? Lots of novels offer that—without the anguish of meeting lovable mute Gareth, his tongue “sliced off at the back of his throat by the Earther captain.” Dexter, the villain in the wheelchair, had both legs crushed by machinery, which is all in a day’s work for too many Ringers amid the clamor of welding torches and raucous machine belts. Those who aren’t dying of off-worlder germs are snorting synth drugs. What reader wants to invest hours of her life in this world?
The genius of the novel is that Bruno’s characters feel absolutely real. Once he launches into a tale, the story moves along at a thriller's pace, yet our involvement with his characters just deepens. What happened to the cardboard cutouts and 2D characters that allow fans of violent thriller genres to regard this stuff as escapism?
Bruno gives us a sympathetic collection of ruffians, revolutionaries, hit-men, idealists, screw-ups, lost souls, and damaged human beings. They suffer the consequences of fragile alliances, loving those who can’t love in return, putting career before family, risking lives to save the world. How can we help but love them, flawed and human as we are?
Keeping Bruno’s cast of heroes, villains, and in-betweens straight is a challenge, what with the similar names: Dexter the villain, Desmond the annoying coworker, Maya the assassin, Mazura, the hacker—and lover of Malcom in Book One. With so many rebels, terrorists, subplots and even worlds, it’s hard to do justice to a plot summary. Yet for all the disparate elements, Bruno achieves a oneness of tone, structure, and movement. His work possesses mythic elements, along with an understated, unconventional love story for the modern, tormented soul.
I was so mad at him for it, I dropped “From Ice to Ashes” cold. Happy endings exist, and I’d find ’em! My Kindle is packed with titles like “Capturing the Cyborg’s Heart,” “Love in Space,” “Alien Bride,” and—uh, hey, I was afflicted with existential angst and despair, thanks to Rhett Bruno. What can I say?
Sadly, I couldn’t swallow the cure. Not with lines like “my heart jumped into my throat, happy and eager to mate for life” with a scaly man who has six-pack abs and dragon wings. Okay, back to Bruno, especially on hearing that “Titanborn” won another award, not from tragedy-loving, classics-pushing professors, but from regular book buyers who launched Bruno to the top of the annual Preditors & Editors Readers Poll (for “Titanborn,” 2016).
The backstory would be worthy of a prequel, but we already know the ending.
“Titanborn” opens with a ruthless anti-hero, Malcolm Graves, chasing down the leader of some rightly disgruntled miners, and witnessing their incredible resolution to die rather than concede to corporate demands. It’s just one scene of many that a reader can never un-see. By the end of the novel, Malcolm finally starts questioning orders. His creed was simple: do what he’s told, no questions asked, and collect his pay. For thirty years he’s killed whoever he was hired to, until some of those Ringers start tugging not just the readers’ heartstrings, but his as well.
We will not discuss the ending of that novel.
I thought “Ice to Ashes” was a sequel, but instead, it’s more like an overlap. The first-person narrator is eighteen-year-old Kale, who'll do anything to protect his dear, long-suffering, quarantined mother, even give up his life of crime. But crime is about the only way he'll ever come up with the credits to pay her medical bills.
Time after time, de ja vous turned into “aha!” when I realized I was reading about the same thing that happened in “Titanborn,” but from a different point of view. Certain people from that novel would make a sneaky cameo, like the Q-zone doctor we recognize as Malcolm’s daughter even though we never see the nameice to ashes Aria. We even recognize Malcolm and Zaff, when Kale watches a grainy newsfeed in the aftermath of his unfortunate new role as a rebel. A reporter tells the story of Ringers attempting to crash a gas harvester loaded with flammable gases into Pervenio Station—but an unidentified Collector “heroically” thwarted the attack and managed to detain surviving crew members. The reader sees through Kale’s eyes a pair of men in Pervenio armor: one a middle-aged Earther with graying hair, the other tall and young, with a strange yellow-colored lens apparatus stretching over his right eye. They barely attract Kale’s notice or interest. But we notice. We remember.
When Cora is taken prisoner, we hustle back to the previous book to re-read that scene from Malcom’s point of view. Clever, if you like Easter Egg hunts. Maddening, if you hate yourself for loving characters who face only bad choices or worse choices, and no matter what, they’ll unleash terrible consequences.
Our hero Kale turns out to be more than he appears to be, and much more than he ever could have imagined himself to be. It’s worthy of the “Star Wars” theme music, except for the part where we realize we read about Kale’s father in “Titanborn” without having any clue as to his true identity. Oh, the timing, the what-ifs, the Greek tragedy of it all!
One of the motifs, the haunting Greek chorus, is that back story. In what would be twenty years from our time, a visionary thinker, say, a better version of Elon Musk, learns a meteorite is heading toward Earth. The visionary Darian Trass builds a space ship and plans a colony on Titan. Only the most qualified humans are allotted a place in the limited space of the ship. A statue on Titan commemorates the great man on his final day on Earth, standing beside a little girl as they point toward the sky. All Ringers (so called for Saturn’s rings) know the story: Trass sacrifices his position on his ship so that the girl can go, even though she doesn’t meet the requirements. He could sacrifice any of the other three thousand passengers—“He could’ve been king of Titan if he’d wanted. Instead, his line merely became one of the many families that helped establish The Ring in the centuries that followed.”
September 3, 2034 (omigosh, that’s in our lifetime!), is the day the Meteorite wipes out nearly all of humanity from the universe. “Titanborn” opens with a band of rebels plotting a terrorist attack during the commotion of “M-Day,” favorite holiday of Earthers whose ancestors survived the Meteorite.
Ringers, on the other hand, celebrate Trass Day, the date his chosen ones first touched down on Titan, November 10, 2036. These dates could make a person nervous. Let us remember, though: Bruno is an architect, not a scientist, not a prophet. Twenty years from now, if any meteors head our way, we’ll have implemented plans to divert objects threatening to smash into us. At least, I hope we do.
While billions drown or burn or get crushed, and animals are hardest hit by the Meteorite, humans don’t go extinct after all. Survivors “rebuilt their world, all while seeking new ones so that Armageddon could never happen again. They spread from Earth to Mars, to the asteroid belt, and then beyond.” They reached Titan, where Trass’ people have established a new human civilization. “It was supposed to be an incredible moment of unity after centuries apart, but with the Earthers came all the sicknesses our immune systems had forgotten about” since the annals of pre-Meteorite Earth. Thousands upon thousands of Ringers died off; the Earthers established “order” with quarantines (Q-zones) and separated living areas before more of their kind overran Titan.
One post-apocalypse group believes the Meteorite served as a cosmic punishment for our transgressions. Others abandon faith in some form of higher power and cling instead to tangible things, like power and wealth. Corporations rebuild Earth, colonize Mars, mine asteroids, and recreate all the old problems of greed, exploitation, and suffering, even as Big Government controls all aspects of human society to ensure “Never Again” will humans face extinction. Never will they see the irony of sacrificing innocent people for the alleged good of others, namely, their own self-serving interests.
The Titan-born have evolved into tall, thin, pale humans, adapted to extreme cold and low gravity. Ringers, ever in fear of infection from off-worlders, wear masks and gloves as they slave away in noodle factories, mines, and gas harvesters, scary old space ships that extract precious gases from Saturn’s rings. Life is cruel. And cold. Evil lurks in the very language and the corporate names. Pervenio. Vento. The Collectors and Bounty Hunters they hire.
Somehow, I actually hoped things would go better in the second novel, but consider what sells: “Game of Thrones” and “Outlanders”—the books, the TV shows—deliver nothing but suffering, conflict, violence, and loss of loved ones, scene after scene. So, it should come as no surprise when I scream “Bruno did it again!” I feel like Charlie Brown running after Lucy’s football. Where are the triumphant scenes of victory and glory, the soaring notes and roaring fanfare that underscore all the “Star Wars” soundtracks by John Williams?
Okay, maybe it’s a little gratifying when our hero, Kale Drayton, spaces one of the villains, who “couldn’t even scream as Titan’s cold embrace greeted him ... I could hear the thud of his body falling forward into the hatch. A swipe across the controls signaled the airlock to repressurize, and the inner seal slid back,” (and I won’t say whose!) “frozen body fell through. His head and torso cracked into so many pieces they looked like one of Saturn’s ice rings wrapping ...” Well, you need to read the whole scene, the whole book, to really feel the impact.
All right. Fine. Never mind that Bruno has no compunction about killing his characters. (In lurid detail.) This guy knows how to write. If only he wrote badly, I could ignore him, but no, he’s a master at world building, character development, and the art of storytelling.
“From Ice to Ashes” is as every bit as Biblical as the title threatens. Tragedy, noir, ethical action saga, “just fiction, honey.” Whatever it is, Bruno spins it with consummate skill. (Dismissing anything as “just” fiction, i.e., “not real,” only inflames rather than consoles me, but I’ll save that rant for another day.)
If only he wrote badly, I could ignore him. -
‘From Ice To Ashes’ is part socio-political thriller, part space opera, part coming of age story. The world Bruno has built reminds me a lot of the ‘Expanse’ series by James S.A. Corey, but is still unique enough to be original and interesting. While I really enjoyed Kale’s journey, I will admit that my favourite part might have been the epilogue where we again catch up with Malcolm Graves from ‘Titanborn’, giving us a hint where we might go next.
Full review at
SFCrowsnest. -
I had previously read Titanborn (review here) by Rhett C. Bruno and absolutely loved it!! So when Rhett emailed me and offered an ARC of From Ice to Ashes, I jumped right on it. Let’s just say that I wasn’t disappointed.
From Ice to Ashes start around where Titanborn ended. I say around because certain events in Titanborn are rewritten into Ice to Ashes from Kale’s perspective. If I had to give a timeline, maybe 3-4 days before the end of Titanborn. So it made for a very interesting perspective to the events at the end of Titanborn. Very interesting and very thought-provoking.
I liked Kale and felt awful for him. Life hadn’t been kind to him and the other Ringers. They are forced to live in subhuman conditions in the lower levels of the Darien and they are used as cheap (they get paid a lot less than the Earthers do). They also do not have the immune system that the Earthers’ do and get sick easily. Since they are “Ringer’s”, medication is not readily available to them as it is to the Earthers’. They are forced to pay for better medication and for cleaner rooms (the rooms in the Quarantine area are horrendous). So, when Kale’s mother gets sick, every last penny of his check from the gas harvester goes into paying for her to get better.
When we meet Kale, he is in a Ringer bar, waiting to lift a hand held terminal from an ex coworker named John. He quit his job on a gas harvester called the Piccolo to be closer to h is mother and was working two jobs to pay rent and her fee’s for quarantine. That wasn’t cutting it and he started turning to his old way of stealing to supplement his income.
After agreeing to do a job for his former boss (for lack of a better word), he gets a message and a video from a mysterious M. This mystery person wants Kale to do a job for him/her and they send along a video of Kale’s mother in Quarantine. She is deathly ill and is being kept in squalid conditions. This person tells Kale that if he does the job, she will be given medication that will cure her. All he has to do is get his job back on the Piccolo and upload some data. Easy peasy…right. Yeah, not so much.
As with all my other reviews, I am not going to go much into the book. There are a few surprises and one twist in the plot that took my by surprise. I want to add here that the mental image of the handheld terminal that I have is of a Pip Boy from the Fallout video games (BK loves playing those games).
The ending did kinda surprise me. I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen (and I am talking about the very end of the book). The author did leave it open for possibly a 3rd book in this universe and if that is the case, I will be anxiously waiting for it to come out.
How many stars will I give From Ice to Ashes: 4
Why: A wonderfully written space opera that will keep your attention from beginning to end.
Will I reread: Yes
Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes
Age range: Adult
Why: Violence and one mild sexual situation
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy** -
In the first book of this series, we were given the story from the point of view of Malcolm Graves, a Collector who worked mainly for Pervenio Corp. This gave us the ‘Earthers’ side of the story.
Children of Titan, the second in the series gives us the chance to see the other side of the coin, those that live on Titan, known more commonly as ‘Ringers’ due to the rings of Saturn, by those from Earth, or, as Titanborn by those that actually live on Titan.
The story is told from the point of view of Kale Drayton, a young Titanborn, struggling to survive, and trying to look after his Mother who is in quarantine. This is the problem for most of the Titanborn, when the Earthers returned to Titan, they were kind enough to not only bring some supplies, but also all the diseases with them that several hundred years of isolation had caused those on Titan to lose, and thus they fell victim in droves to simple diseases, but to which there were no longer any vaccines or medicines.
Now the Children of Trass (the Man who sent them to Titan), have now lost everything to those from Earth, their jobs, their homes, money, lives and dignity, as they walk around with masks and gloves doing menial jobs, trying to scrape by to earn a living whilst those from Earth live on the upper levels in relative luxury with no problems. Meanwhile, those of the Titanborn who are sick are quarantined away in horrendous conditions and left to die.
This is the story of how those that have been oppressed for too long have decided to take back what they feel is their birth-right, and the story of how a young man finds out he is to become the leader of that movement, whether he wants to be or not.
This is a book of powerful emotion, on a multitude of different levels, from young Kale struggling to survive, trying to help his Mother, having to survive the bullying and brutal conditions, to the love he finds.
It is also the start of a revolution against a seriously unjust oppression that has gone on for decades, with horrendous outcomes, not just in the sick and dying, but in some of the physical and psychological abuses as well.
The character writing is incredibly well done for each of the characters, from Kale, his Mother, to the various other major and minor characters we come across (trying not to give away any spoilers). Bruno has done a masterful job of writing some outstanding characters that are incredibly in-depth, and his world building around this characters is absolutely brilliant, providing a truly engaging and captivating story you will not be able to put down.
This is a sequel that is one of those rare few that is superior to the original in nearly every way, and not because they original was flawed, it was extraordinary, but because this book is just spectacular, and exceptional at every level.
If you have been looking for a truly epic series that has a brilliant story, engaging as well as beautiful and amazing characters, you can’t go past this story!!! -
Said it before & saying it again...Rhett Bruno is a science fiction author you need to read as he knows how to write a good science fiction novel like many of the old school giants. You can read the story line overview from the synopsis portion of the listing or from most reviewers; just know Bruno's writing is fast paced, exciting, intelligent, witty, and just a wee bit twisted! It is great to read an author who knows how to play a character, keep the book on pace, and not have to make it tome that makes you feel you some kind of degree to read as some authors are wont to do these days. I was fortunate once again to get an ARC of FItA and, as usual, Bruno doesn't disappoint with this Titanborn follow up novel. I thoroughly enjoyed following Kale Drayton on his journey, finding the connection to This Long Vigil, and even the tie in with Malcom & Zaff. I cannot wait to see his next installment of the Titanborn Universe (includes Titanborn, From Ice to Ashes, and This Long Vigil so far). I wish a could write more of a review but I really don't want to give spoilers to those who want to immerse themselves in this great universe.
Highly recommend the whole Titanborn series as well as Bruno's The Circuit trilogy to any true science fiction fan out there or anyone who enjoys a great story! -
This book was a great continuation of the story started in Titanborn. You could probably read it as a stand alone story but I think it would be more enjoyable if you've read Titanborn for a little of the backstory.
A quick synopsis: a common worker on Titan is pushed into a conflict he didn't want any part of, but in the end he realizes that there really is no choice. When you've been oppressed for too long you reach a point where your only option is to fight. So Kale does.
There were parts of the story where I stayed up way too late because I just had to read what happened next, and I was never disappointed. Lots of action, but enough introspection and character development that I never felt cheated on that, either.
And the epilogue! Fans of Titanborn in particular will definitely be pleased and interested. I can't wait to find out what happens next! -
Titan's Son is a standalone set in the same world as Titanborn. I must say I liked Titanborn a bit more than this one because it took me a little while to really get into it but once I did I felt like I couldn't stop reading.
I don't want to give too much away about the story and its plot but I was really impressed with it. Especially the ending had me turning page after page, not wanting the stop. And then there was that epilogue that made me gasp out loud. I loved it.
I also feel like I should say that science fiction is one of my top three favorite genres and it's books like this one is what makes me love the genre so much. It was just outstanding, really.
Overall, Titan's Son by Rhett C. Bruno was such a riveting science fiction thriller. The non-stop action combined with the great writing and unique set of characters made this quite the page-turner. -
I was pleased to be offered an ARC copy of this new title by Rhett C. Bruno. An ever-growing favorite of mine, Bruno really outdid himself with this novel.
Bruno comes into this novel with a different voice from his other pieces of work — a subtler tone that invades the overall story. This voice resonated with me on a different level. I felt drawn in, in ways his other works hadn't quite captured. I was a hooked fish. This story truly shows Bruno's evolution as a storyteller.
I felt there was deeper character development than I had seen before with Bruno. I really felt entrenched in the story and the events that unfolded. I loved so much of the scenery that was painted for my imagination. One of my favorite scenes is when the characters enter the atmosphere wearing sky wings that allow them to soar like birds. I could feel the characters soaring through space, the atmosphere whipping their synthetic wings violently. What a great scene that remains with me even now.
It made me finally download Mass Effect, not because they are related, but because I needed another Sci-fi fix.
I was excited to be back in the Titan universe, and my love of Bruno's work continues on with this latest installment. Kale Drayton's (protagonist) story is an exceptional rebirth story, a criminal to hero tale. This is a dystopian novel, where the oppressed rise up when the chips are finally bloody enough.
If you are looking for a tale of unlikely and complicated heroes, then check this story out.
https://cellardoorbooks.wordpress.com... -
Overcoming the Odds
Titan’s Son is unabashedly a repeat of its predecessor’s plotline, but from the Ringer’s perspective. Combined with a switch in main characters, this is usually the point when a series loses me, but somehow the author pulls it off. The depiction of the downtrodden lower class is vivid, grim, and fills me with righteous rage. It does a great job of selling the dark future that Titanborn created, and it certainly ends on a high note.
That said, Kale Drayton is not Malcolm Graves. He is naive, powerless, and not a broken cynical mess. The story is also different, switching from a bounty-hunter / detective story to something more akin to a Coming of Age theme. Kale’s youthfulness encounters the bleak, miserable reality of being a Ringer. I never did find a reason to like Kale and his stereotypical impulsiveness though — perhaps that’s a me problem — but I can respect him as a narrative viewpoint.
Titan is the real star, and the author holds nothing back as he goes through what the plague-ridden lower class suffers. Petty tyrants, bullies, intimidation of the weak… the resentment I felt kept me reading as I awaited the reprisals that I knew were coming. The ending takes the story further than its predecessor, and it’s absolutely worth the wait.
I don’t like sequels that introduce a new main character, and definitely not those that retell the same tale from a new perspective. Titan’s Son somehow overcomes both these hurdles: its outstanding portrayal of an oppressed minority, coupled with complex dovetailing threads between both novels show tremendous storytelling skill. You don’t even have to like the main character, but do stick around because the ride is worth it.
Recommended. -
Pulsating plotted; Gruesome reality; Souped up serendipity.
Birth of hope in utter Chatsworth little planning and an unerring drive for survival. How are they to transform and gain cooperation from the intensity of manic, ingrained and reflected hatred? -
There are a lot of different elements to ‘From Ice to Ashes’, it is part Sci-Fi, part thriller, part Political Thriller, part Military Sci-Fi, and a lot of action. There are also some incredible relationships throughout the main story revolving around the main character.
The story sees the Ringers (those born on Titan or the Titanborn), being treated as a lower class of human by the Earthers, those born on Earth. Earthers have come to Titan and the areas around Titan as a result of a meteorite strike on Earth that has caused a massive amount of death and destruction several hundred years ago. Since coming to the Titan Colony, they have basically taken over from the Ringers and used their power to control them.
On top of this, those from Earth bring disease, and contact with a Ringer is bound to lead to death for that Ringer, meaning that they are required to wear masks and special contamination suits to avoid contact and getting sick.
A man named Trass came to Titan a long time ago, and is revered amongst the Titanborn as being a hero for bringing them hope, and helping establish the Colony.
Into this the Main Story erupts, with our young Ringer, Kale Drayton, trying to save his Mother who is sick. He has managed to get a job on a Gas Harvester run by an Earther. He works with some other Ringers, and a young women who is a half-breed, Cora, who Kale has strong feelings for.
Without giving too much away, Kale ends up caught in a mysterious plot, trying desperately to save his Mother, he takes on a job he shouldn’t, and inadvertently finds himself in the middle of the biggest rebellion the Sol System has ever seen.
This is a really incredible story, there are a lot of twists and turns, but the thing that holds it all together is the really amazing character writing. Bruno’s writing is outstanding as he tells the story of this young Ringer trying to make a living, trying to survive, trying to help his Mother, trying to find love, who is suddenly thrust into this world of Political Intrigue and Rebellion. His characters are both beautiful in their emotional strengths and their love for each other, and deadly in their loyalty to the cause and their willingness to die for it.
The technology and descriptions of the planets and inner systems is amazing, done with such wondrous detail, there is a lot of effort, and a lot of research to bring it to life so well.
This is a fantastic story, full of so much passion, so much captivating storytelling, it is a truly outstanding read. -
Last year I read and reviewed Titanborn, a rollicking space opera set in the far reaches of the solar system, charting the adventures of Malcolm Graves, who is a fixer for the corporation controlling most of the major industry out there. And the reason why I give it a mention here, is that if you don’t know that nugget of information, the epilogue at the end of From Ice to Ashes – a standalone set in the same world – appears to be completely random.
Like all Ringers, Kale is completely downtrodden. His ancestors fled to Titan before a meteor hit Earth and this outpost of humanity had survived and thrived on this bleak colony – before Earthers, who hadn’t all been wiped out, finally make their way to Titan after 300 years to reunite humanity. Only it doesn’t go all that well for the fragile, thin-boned colonists who die in droves, wiped out by Earth-based germs for which they have no immunity. Now encased in suits and masks designed to protect them and too frail to fight, they have been reduced to serfs. Treated as sub-human, abused and enslaved, they eke a living performing all the menial, dirty and dangerous tasks.
It is a compelling scenario and one that seems all too probable. I kept hoping there would be one decent Earther, who might show a shred of compassion or empathy with the Ringers – but no one did. And then I thought back to the generations of slaves right up to modern times – and wondered how many people they would encounter in their daily lives who would give them more than a glancing thought. Not many, I’m guessing.
You’ll probably realise that Kale gets caught up in events that take him out of his downtrodden, miserable existence – and to be honest, there were times when the speed and effectiveness of the flurry of adventures he is involved in did sort of stretch my credibility. But I was prepared to go with the flow because it was enjoyable, full-on action and I read far later into the wee small hours than I’d intended to find out what happens next.
Bruno is an accomplished writer, who produces cracking action scenes, strong supporting characters and Kale was both appealing and convincing as a confused, angry protagonist. But he isn’t a Malcolm Graves, who for me ticked all the boxes as far as compelling protagonists go – and I’ll be snapping up the next book in this not-quite series to find out what is happening to Malcolm.
8/10 -
Kale Drayton is a Ringer who works as a maintenance worker on a gas harvesting ship as part of his race's general servitude to the Earthers who took over his home planet. Then his mother is quarantined as part of being ill and he needs to earn a lot more money than he is doing that job so he decides to leave in order to be able to afford her medicine and care. Then he gets a surprise offer of care for his mother - all he has to do is go back on the ship and load a piece of code onto it. It all seems very simple and easy but then spirals into something much more important and dangerous, and his life go into a free-fall - will he find the courage to take control back?
I loved this story. It had lots of drama, action and twists and turns in the story. I definitely felt empathy for the characters at some points and was routing for him to get everything under control and get back some happiness in his life. Definitely recommend as a read. -
4+ stars! Another absolutely brilliant chapter in the "Children of Titan" saga!
OK, two things:
First, I may be slightly distracted during this review because tbh, I'm already about 2/3s of the way through with Book 3! I'm not even stopping at the last page anymore because this is the most fun I've had in a long time with a TruSciFi series! Without any spoilers, all I can say is - oh wow, hurry up and read this book because the next one is just as awesome if not moreso!
Secondly, my humble apologies to RC.Bruno because honestly, about 30-40 pages into Book 2, I was getting a bit whiney. I was really disappointed to see that things weren't once again centered around Collector Extreme Malcolm, who we last saw bleeding out and freezing to death on the surface of Titan! I mean, who is this kid named after some gross form of salad anyway? But man, was I wrong! Bruno manages to present the best parallel story-line since John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series was at its peak! Like a freakin' chess match with laser beams!
I admittedly had to go back and read some bits of Book 1 as things really got going. I don't think it's a negative at all that because what seemed like a minor point or a casual mention as we're busy into our hero worship really turned out to be a key clue to what's coming up in Book 2! And the way that the pacing and execution just ramp up to eventually bring our two casts of actors together is just magnificent. Sure, if I had to pick at a nit, Book 2 starts off slowly - well at least it seems to he says in hindsigh - but by the end you realize that this is kind of necessary. There's a lot to love in this book - and you can see that Bruno's writing is improving, too - and I don't mind saying either that there's a real 'Dune' feel to some of what's going on!
Now if you'll excuse me, there's some really wild stuff going down in Book 3 where I stopped, so I'm heading off to my reading nook pronto! I wonder if they'll manage to escape... oops I've already said too much! -
This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm hooked. From Ice to Ashes is a great story that is the story of Ringers (residents of Titan) and Earthers, the prejudice between the two and an uprising. There is lots of suspense, love and an uprising.
Bruno did a great job of creating his characters. They are all strong in their own ways and each have their own agendas. Earthers have come to Titan supposedly to be partners with Titan's residents but are essentially enslaving the Ringers. This only leads to problems as it always does when one group of people try to dominate another.
I really enjoyed this book and it is a 2nd in a series but can stand-a-lone as long as you don't read the epilogue. It will kind of confuse you. I did ask the author about it and he explained it was a teaser for those that read the first book about the book to come.
