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scearceka's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book from the very start. While reading, I compared it somewhat to "The Expanse" (the TV show, as I haven't had a chance to read the books yet), which I also thoroughly enjoyed, as well as "Star Wars," considering the idea of inter-world bounty hunters and so forth. However, this book has its own distinct flair which sets it apart and makes it a new unique story all its own.
Sci-fi books can be hit or miss a lot of times, but this one is definitely a winner, and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates the genre. I know I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this author.
4.5 stars
I liked this book from the very start. While reading, I compared it somewhat to "The Expanse" (the TV show, as I haven't had a chance to read the books yet), which I also thoroughly enjoyed, as well as "Star Wars," considering the idea of inter-world bounty hunters and so forth. However, this book has its own distinct flair which sets it apart and makes it a new unique story all its own.
Sci-fi books can be hit or miss a lot of times, but this one is definitely a winner, and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates the genre. I know I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this author.
4.5 stars
waylander101's review against another edition
4.0
After three decades as a Pervenio Corporation Collector, chasing wanted offworlders and extinguishing protests throughout the solar system, Malcolm Graves doesn't bother asking questions. So long as the pay is right, he's the man for the job. But his latest assignment doesn't afford him that luxury.
A high-profile bombing on Earth has the men who sign Malcolm's paychecks clamoring for answers. They force him to team up with a strange, augmented partner who's more interested in statistics than instinct, and ship them both off to Titan to hunt down a suspected group of extremists: Titanborn rebels who will go to any length to free their home from the tyranny of Earth's corporations.
Heading into hostile territory, Malcolm will have to use everything he's learned to stay alive. But he soon realizes the situation on the ground is much more complex than he anticipated...and much more personal.
While Titanborn at first glance feels very derivative of James S.A. Corey's Expanse series it's actually more a detective noir with sci-fi trappings. I found the characters to be well rounded for the most part and the story intriguing. I'll probably try to get hold of the next book in the series before I make a final decision on it's worth as a whole but I have to say I enjoyed this book and R.C. Bray and his no nonsense gravelly voice were a delight as usual.
pebbajebbas's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pjonsson's review
4.0
This review is based on a eARC copy that the author graciously provided to me in exchange for a fair review. Normally I am a bit hesitant when it comes to reading eARCs since they are sometimes a bit too unfinished and rough around the edges for my taste. This author however (I really do not know the guy apart from a few interactions on Goodreads) has surprised me by providing eARCs that are actually of better quality than some of the released works out there so I felt reasonably safe to jump into this particular eARC. The author did not disappoint this time either.
This is a quite good adventure story. A crime / thriller story set in a post-apocalyptic setting in our own solar system. If you are looking for a space opera with space ships travelling huge distances and armadas of space ships slugging it out then this book is not for you.
This book is about the characters, the interaction between them and the development of both the story and the characters. As far as the characters goes the author have created quite a few (very) interesting characters which compels you (me at least) to want to read the next page in order to get to know what happens, perhaps not so much as far as the story goes which is sometimes a wee bit predictable. Nothing wrong with that though, I rather have a wee bit predictable story than one that splatters the book with ludicrous twists in each chapter. However the main interest to me was rather the characters themselves and what they are about to do next.
I quite liked the main character as well as his, forced upon him, somewhat bizarre, sidekick. I think this relation was my main enjoyment of this book. It was really fun to read and the few pages where both of these colleagues/antagonists where not present felt that they were actually missing something. There are a few other characters as well which has a rather profound impact on the events but I will let you discover that for yourself in order not to spoil the book.
The book also delves into a few subjects like big corporations, class systems, life after the apocalypse etc. All of these subjects are threated quite well although, to me, whether it was intentional or not they were overshadowed by the actual crime plot and the character interaction. I am not complaining though since this is how I like it. These things provided a nice backdrop to the story but they did not overwhelm the “good stuff” in it.
Now we come my main gripe about this book. The ending. Those of you who have read my previous reviews knows that I am a bit particular about my endings. I am especially getting a wee bit upset about tragic endings. Now, as I have pointed out several times before I am not a professional reviewer so I allow myself to let my reviews be coloured by personal preferences. I also would like to point out that it is not at all a bad ending but a wee bit tragic one. I am especially, shall we say upset, about the ending since I had hoped that there would be a continuation of all the relations that was built up between the various characters and now I have some difficulty seeing how that could happen.
As with the books in The Circuit series this one is not the longest one around weighing in at 246 pages. What is there is good quality though and well worth reading. It is only personal bias/preference (the ending) that prevents me from giving it another star.
This is a quite good adventure story. A crime / thriller story set in a post-apocalyptic setting in our own solar system. If you are looking for a space opera with space ships travelling huge distances and armadas of space ships slugging it out then this book is not for you.
This book is about the characters, the interaction between them and the development of both the story and the characters. As far as the characters goes the author have created quite a few (very) interesting characters which compels you (me at least) to want to read the next page in order to get to know what happens, perhaps not so much as far as the story goes which is sometimes a wee bit predictable. Nothing wrong with that though, I rather have a wee bit predictable story than one that splatters the book with ludicrous twists in each chapter. However the main interest to me was rather the characters themselves and what they are about to do next.
I quite liked the main character as well as his, forced upon him, somewhat bizarre, sidekick. I think this relation was my main enjoyment of this book. It was really fun to read and the few pages where both of these colleagues/antagonists where not present felt that they were actually missing something. There are a few other characters as well which has a rather profound impact on the events but I will let you discover that for yourself in order not to spoil the book.
The book also delves into a few subjects like big corporations, class systems, life after the apocalypse etc. All of these subjects are threated quite well although, to me, whether it was intentional or not they were overshadowed by the actual crime plot and the character interaction. I am not complaining though since this is how I like it. These things provided a nice backdrop to the story but they did not overwhelm the “good stuff” in it.
Now we come my main gripe about this book. The ending. Those of you who have read my previous reviews knows that I am a bit particular about my endings. I am especially getting a wee bit upset about tragic endings. Now, as I have pointed out several times before I am not a professional reviewer so I allow myself to let my reviews be coloured by personal preferences. I also would like to point out that it is not at all a bad ending but a wee bit tragic one. I am especially, shall we say upset, about the ending since I had hoped that there would be a continuation of all the relations that was built up between the various characters and now I have some difficulty seeing how that could happen.
As with the books in The Circuit series this one is not the longest one around weighing in at 246 pages. What is there is good quality though and well worth reading. It is only personal bias/preference (the ending) that prevents me from giving it another star.
righteousridel's review
4.0
Unexpected Grimdark
Titanborn feels like a throwback to a different era of science fiction, when mega-corporations were the big problem and the future was a dirty and hopeless place. Popularized by movies like Blade Runner and Total Recall, the antihero is always dealing with terrorists that are somehow always going to upend civilization. After reading the back of the book, you could probably write the novel yourself.
Malcolm Graves has all the classic failings of a bounty hunter, but remains charasmatic enough to carry the story through a cold open and the bombing. The introduction of the augmented partner is where the story picks up; a classic combination of new and old blood, naive and cynical, analytical and instinctual. Their rapport carry this thriller throughout the solar system.
The more we learn of this future, the worse I feel for humanity. WH40K fans take note: you don’t always need decaying skulls to create an oppressive atmosphere. Avoiding self-parody, this is a universe where shortly after expanding to the stars, Earth suffered an extinction level event. After recovery, those humans sent to reconnect with their kin on Titan end up bringing disease similar to Europeans to North America, ravaging the populace again. The cultural and societial impacts of such horrors are brilliantly woven throughout the story.
While this opening act is nothing exceptional, the combination of faceless corporate overlords and bounty hunters on the verge of becoming warrior-judges is something I particularly enjoy. The grimdark setting lifts Titanborn out of mediocrity, and I’m excited for the sequel.
Recommended.
That ending though, right? There’s a moment just before the plot twist that it becomes obvious to the reader, and building that sense of forboding is brilliant. From there on, it felt like our heroes were trapped and there was no way out. Everyone was going to lose.
Genius. That's the moment I realized I wanted more.
Titanborn feels like a throwback to a different era of science fiction, when mega-corporations were the big problem and the future was a dirty and hopeless place. Popularized by movies like Blade Runner and Total Recall, the antihero is always dealing with terrorists that are somehow always going to upend civilization. After reading the back of the book, you could probably write the novel yourself.
Malcolm Graves has all the classic failings of a bounty hunter, but remains charasmatic enough to carry the story through a cold open and the bombing. The introduction of the augmented partner is where the story picks up; a classic combination of new and old blood, naive and cynical, analytical and instinctual. Their rapport carry this thriller throughout the solar system.
The more we learn of this future, the worse I feel for humanity. WH40K fans take note: you don’t always need decaying skulls to create an oppressive atmosphere. Avoiding self-parody, this is a universe where shortly after expanding to the stars, Earth suffered an extinction level event. After recovery, those humans sent to reconnect with their kin on Titan end up bringing disease similar to Europeans to North America, ravaging the populace again. The cultural and societial impacts of such horrors are brilliantly woven throughout the story.
While this opening act is nothing exceptional, the combination of faceless corporate overlords and bounty hunters on the verge of becoming warrior-judges is something I particularly enjoy. The grimdark setting lifts Titanborn out of mediocrity, and I’m excited for the sequel.
Recommended.
Spoiler
The following is in spoiler tags, and I say so since some Goodreads clients may not respect it. You’ve been warned:That ending though, right? There’s a moment just before the plot twist that it becomes obvious to the reader, and building that sense of forboding is brilliant. From there on, it felt like our heroes were trapped and there was no way out. Everyone was going to lose.
Genius. That's the moment I realized I wanted more.
abeautytoyourbeast's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I have no feelings towards this book. It’s a decent story but the ending didn’t quite fit. I’m sure in the greater scheme of the books it will make more sense but as book one it seemed a bit of a switch. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters and even the possible twist wasn’t that shocking.
The book reminded me of Star Trek in some capacities while also having some very original aspects too. Malcom is an okay main character but he seems a little too surly and stuck in his ways. Zhaff on the other hand is all process and procedure with zero personality making it hard to connect with him on the whole.
The chasing down of a rebel cause in this space exploration time period seems like something I’d truly enjoy. I liked Red Rising and this could be a little similar but I’m unsure if I will ever read further into this series. I do encourage you to try the book if the synopsis captures you. It’s still worth the read and maybe you’ll want to see the adventure further.
Happy reading!!
The book reminded me of Star Trek in some capacities while also having some very original aspects too. Malcom is an okay main character but he seems a little too surly and stuck in his ways. Zhaff on the other hand is all process and procedure with zero personality making it hard to connect with him on the whole.
The chasing down of a rebel cause in this space exploration time period seems like something I’d truly enjoy. I liked Red Rising and this could be a little similar but I’m unsure if I will ever read further into this series. I do encourage you to try the book if the synopsis captures you. It’s still worth the read and maybe you’ll want to see the adventure further.
Happy reading!!
mcbeezie's review against another edition
5.0
What a fantastic bit of post apocalyptic scifi Mr. Bruno has given us! It reads as part bounty hunter, part buddy detective, part space opera. The story was engaging from beginning to end. The setting is reminiscent of Firefly, with corporations ruling the show. I was hooked to the very last word. I hope to see more of this world in the future as I am truly intrigued to find out where the story goes from here. This will make a fantastic series and I can't wait to read more. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC for me in exchange for my review.
marcin8383w23's review
3.0
listened to it about a month ago and dont even remember the ending anymore... so not memorable enough IMO... but there was potential that it could be a buddy cop story similar to Almost Human (greatest show to get only 1 season) so i will probably pick up the sequels.
honu_girl's review
4.0
More like 3.75
What happens when humanity is threatened with destruction? Some fled to the rings of Saturn, others hunkered down. Society diverged, and clashes occur now that they've come back together.
Malcolm Graves cleans up some of the mess, on behalf of one of the major corporations that now runs Earth. Malcolm is extremely flawed. He works alone, until he messes up pretty badly, and then has a partner forced upon him.
I enjoyed this story, because of the character flaws, right up to the final act - which seemed too predictable and somewhat forced - like the author realized he had to wrap things up RIGHT NOW with no loose ends.
What happens when humanity is threatened with destruction? Some fled to the rings of Saturn, others hunkered down. Society diverged, and clashes occur now that they've come back together.
Malcolm Graves cleans up some of the mess, on behalf of one of the major corporations that now runs Earth. Malcolm is extremely flawed. He works alone, until he messes up pretty badly, and then has a partner forced upon him.
I enjoyed this story, because of the character flaws, right up to the final act - which seemed too predictable and somewhat forced - like the author realized he had to wrap things up RIGHT NOW with no loose ends.