Titan's Wrath

by Rhett C. Bruno

***UNPUBLISHED. SEE CHILDREN OF TITAN SERIES FOR CURRENT BOOKS 1-4.

Two men are caught on both sides of a violent, off-world rebellion.

After inciting rebellion against Earth throughout Titan's off-world colonies, Kale Trass learns that leadership isn’t only about fighting. Keeping control of his people--even his own family--requires a different set of skills. Following a pivotal battle over Saturn, Kale travels deep into enemy territory under the guise of seeking peace, though peace is the last thing on his mind.

Malcolm Graves used to be an infamous Collector for a powerful Earther corporation--and then he nearly lost his life on Titan. Now he’s retired. But when Kale’s wake of destruction follows Malcolm to Mars and claims the life of a friend, it's time for the ex-Collector to dust off his pulse-pistol and leap back into a fight he thought he’d left behind.

With the solar system divided, heroes are few and short-lived ... but someone has to put the self-proclaimed King Trass of Titan in his place.

Genres: Science Fiction

400 pages, ebook

First published December 10, 2017

About the author

Rhett is happy to hear from his fans and can be reached at rcbruno44@outlook.com. Please subscribe to his newsletter for exclusive access to updates about his work and the opportunity to receive limited content and ARCs.
http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter/. Or join his facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Rhett...

Rhett Bruno grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and studied at the Syracuse University School of Architecture where he graduated cum laude.

He has been writing since he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic short stories when he was young to show to his parents. When he reached high school he decided to take that a step further and write the “Isinda Trilogy”. After the encouragement of his favorite English teacher he decided to self-publish the “Isinda Trilogy” so that the people closest to him could enjoy his early work.

While studying architecture Rhett continued to write as much as he could, but finding the time during the brutal curriculum proved difficult. It wasn’t until he was a senior that he decided to finally pursue his passion for Science Fiction. After rededicating himself to reading works of the Science Fiction author’s he always loved, (Frank Herbert, Timothy Zahn, Heinlein, etc.) he began writing “The Circuit: Executor Rising”, The first part of what he hopes will be a successful Adult Science Fiction Series.

Since then Rhett has been hired by an Architecture firm in Mount Kisco, NY. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to work on “The Circuit” and all of the other stories bouncing around in his head. He is also currently studying at the New School to earn a Certificate in Screenwriting in the hopes of one day writing for TV or Video Games.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titanborn saga comes to an end!


The author sent me a copy of the book in exchange of a honest review.


GRAVES V. TRASS: DAWN OF TITAN

Rhett Bruno’s Titanborn main characters, Malcolm Graves and Kale Trass, come to an epic clash in the astonishin finale of the saga.

Kale Trass was a natural born freedom fighter, but…

…if you’re any good on it, sooner or later…

…the fighting would end and the time to govern would begin…

…and Kale Trass is finding out that he’s not that excited for this expected development of what he was doing for the freedom of Titan.

Malcolm Graves was a natural born collector, and…

…he only wanted to be left alone and in peace nowadays…

…however the explosive liberation war in the Solar System…

…keeps making impossible for Graves to be really retired.

The fate of several moons and planets is in the balance…

…and the confrontation between these two characters…

…will decide that ominous fate.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good entry in the Titanborn saga and further demonstration that Rhett Bruno is a bright star on the speculative fiction lineup of talented writers.

What makes this work is Bruno’s outstanding world building that he began in Titanborn and From Ice to Ashes. His is a post-cyberpunk, gritty vision of a future where humans exist on a brutal fringe of space, colonizing the solar system, scratching out a hardscrabble existence in deep space rigs, asteroid stations and oxygen domes.

Bruno’s choices for protagonists are also tough examples of survival in this new world, a hard-boiled collector and a naïve freedom fighter learning too late that fighting might be the easy part. Bruno’s characterization and dialogue are again exceptional and this adds to rather than detracts from the book (an aspect of some speculative fiction that is notoriously lacking).

Describing an anarcho-capitalistic power structure that will intrigue Neal Stephenson fans this has a solid action base and a springy step that keeps the pace moving. Bruno also adds in idealistic and theological undertones that further strengthen the plot and storyline.

This is far future noir that works and entertains.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titan's Wrath
By: Rhett C. Bruno
Narrated by: Justin Thomas James
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
This book was filled with politics, intrigue, action, adventure, character studies, and emotional upheaval. I really got caught up in the action and plot. I loved the sci-fi and the interactions between the characters. The ending...I did not see that coming at all! Wow!
The narrator should get 10 stars! Wow, what a performance! I could FEEL each emotion from the characters! What a awesome job! Thanks for making this book even better! If I just read the book it would not have been this exciting.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this book in the Titanborn universe for a while. I'm happy to say that my expectations have panned out wonderfully and I had a great time!

My main complaint with book two was that I was kept away from Malcolm for so long. The old man had been through so much and the reveals he'd had at the end of Titanborn just screamed to be resolved. Of course, that's not to say that the rise of the rebellion and the rise of Kale Trask in the second book wasn't great, but I'd had my heart set on the old Collector.

The third book does wonders to bring these two characters together on opposite sides and the wider relationship issues between them practically had me jumping out of my seat with giddy anticipation throughout the novel.

So much grousing. So much grousing. :) Loved it.

Kale is discovering that peacetime efforts are a lot more difficult than the wartime ones. I really love how all the lines are crossed and everyone works in a mightily grey area. What's justice? Who is right?Of course, that's the mark of a thoughtful tale in the midst of so much action, strife, and heartache.

It looks like everyone is going to get their hands dirty today.

Between the first book and this one, I'm having a hard time deciding which I like more, but in the end, it's gonna be the final buildup and final resolution that wins out. :)

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Keeping control of people requires a different set of skills than does inciting a rebellion against Earth throughout Titan's off-world colonies. It's not all about fighting as Kale Trass finds out. After a key battle, Kale moves deep into enemy territory "seeking peace", but peace is far from his mind. Malcolm Graves used to be a retired Collector, but following Kale's wake of destruction he finds himself ready to jump back into a fight he left behind him. The solar system is divided and heroes are hard to come by, but someone is going to have to put Kale Trass back in his proper place.

I'm glad to be back for my third Rhett C. Bruno novel - they just keep getting better and better! Titan's Wrath is a stand alone sci-fi epic set in Bruno's Titanborn Universe. While this novel is technically the third and final book set in that universe, you don't need to have read any of the others to follow this novel. I will say though that already being familiar to with From Ice to Ashes, Bruno's previous Titanborn novel, is certainly a bonus. There's only one novel in this group that I haven't tried yet, and that's Titanborn itself - I definitely want to see how it all ties together and I'd like to see more of Malcolm Graves, one of the major characters here. Like before, the action, world-building, and complex characters are excellent. So much happens in this novel's four hundred pages! I particularly enjoyed the fact that all of the characters are multilayered and that all of them fall into a gray area, the level of description detail, the political intrigue, and, of course, the action. Plus, I think it has the coolest cover of all of his novels.

Overall, I highly recommend Rhett C. Bruno's Titanborn Universe. There's so much to enjoy about these stand alone books set in the same universe. He has done a marvelous job of making each engaging on its own terms, but it's even better if as a reader you can tie them all together. I will definitely be following Bruno's future projects, and I still hope to read Titanborn as well.

Thanks again, Mr. Bruno!

[Rhett Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

***The Complete Titanborn Trilogy will launch later this year in digital, print and audio! Stay tuned.

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright, it’s the end of the month and I’m calling it. I enjoyed the first two books but I’m not dragging myself through this.

The characters have CHANGED.


The sexy, competent, dangerous bounty hunter from book one is now a broke falling down drunk living above a bar when he’s not sleeping in barf covered alleys. Ugh.


Aria, the selfless orphan adopting doctor of lost causes, is now executing people and knowingly working for and sleeping with terrorists. WTF?

Kale... well I’d love to tell you about Kale but in every scene he’s in Maya is yelling. Ever tried having a conversation while a German Shepherd barks its head off. I have, it sucks.

I don’t care what interesting interstellar political thing happens because I no longer like the characters.

No more!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

The more you read this series the better it gets, when you add writing like this along with a vision of a perhaps too real future you get a book which is a joy to read.
The titanborn have became very real and their plight and quest for revenge have become something I believe in if of course they were real. 
Although this has became one of the great series I still look at how some more established authors may have been helped by Brunos vision and perhaps it's not just good writing but something that could happen.
5 stars all the way

[The Shayne-Train · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a superb ending to this trilogy!

Book 1: re-imagining of sci-fi buddy cop story.

Book 2: re-imagining of "everyman pulled into vast conspiracy" scenario.

book 3: both get mashed up in a breath-takingly well-told revolution.

GO READ THIS SERIES!

[odedo1 Audio book worm. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never ever as far as I can remember handed 5 Stars just like that!
It’s just that this is perfection, a masterpiece of a story which I actually couldn’t find nothing wrong with, the opposite is the truth,
The performance was also perfection ( you’d think this was done in Hollywood ) each person with a different voice and they are all perfect.
I loved this book, I’m glad that I’ve discovered this author and the narrator, I sure will do a search on those names and see what else have they done, they just took my breath away and I thank them.
There is so much that can be said about this book but it will be a waist of words, so all I’ll say is get it, you won’t be sorry, I even believe that none science-fiction lovers will appreciate this book.
True it’s a SiFi but it’s also about humanity and it fits exactly what is going on with humanity behavior today.
Just get it and I dare anybody to prove me wrong!
You won’t be able to!!!

Seriously I full heartedly recommend this book, you won’t be able to put it down.

Got this audiobook for free for reviewing.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grim and violent sci-fi setting with characters to match.

Note: I received a promotional copy of this audiobook.

Titan's Wrath is set in a future where ruthless corporations run everything and parts of our solar system have been settled. We follow a washed-up, alcoholic bounty hunter and a young, naive freedom fighter leading the residents of Titan in a revolt against the status quo.

The first part of this book moved too slowly for me and embraced too many cliches, but a twist in a major character's arc made for a much more interesting Acts II and III, and it also served the purpose of validating earlier complaints.

Part of the problem in getting into the book is unlikable protagonists, but that complaint is partially resolved by the twist part way through and that dislike ends up being a pro rather than a con within the context of the story. (hope that's vague enough not to be a major spoiler.)

Parts of the world building were interesting to me, even if some bits of tech seemed more fantasy than science fiction. I liked the corporate-dominated setting, particularly the bits of the story set on Mars and the interactions with the Church of the Three Messiahs.

The book features plenty of action and a lot of violence, and many of the characters are macho and ready with one liners. Still, the story is an enjoyable use of cliches, especially as you get farther along and the arc of one of the protagonists character development becomes more clear.

That said, I think the tidy resolution was a bit of a cop out, and I almost would have preferred a full descent into evil rather than a last-minute, partial redemption.

Second note: I didn't know this was a later entry in a larger series until I got online to write this review. The author says each stands alone, and that's true of this book, but it does make sense that it's part of a series as characters do allude to prior events that seemed very significant and know I know why.

On an audio note, the narrator for the audible edition does a respectable job, 3/5 stars. He manages most of the gruff male characters quite well, and his voice for most of the female leads was different enough to read feminine but not falsetto enough to be off putting, however one female character's read did come across as more shrill than anything else, which was a bit grating and made me grow to dislike the character more than I would have otherwise. Still, overall a good read.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! More Malcolm Graves, Ringers and some touching family moments. I found myself picturing myself in the streets of Blade Runner and Total Recall. I did not think the characters could possible get more complex, but Rhett pulled it off!

So if you are a Titanborn reader you will love this installment, if you are new - where have you been - start reading!

[Aviar Savijon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titan's Wrath

A great book that I completely enjoyed action and adventure packed. I loved it!!! Brilliantly written by Rhett C. Bruno.

[Justin James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. An intricately woven and highly satisfying plot, complete with characters whose heartbeats you can practically feel. Reading this was an experience I won't soon forget.

I did not read the prior two books in the series and did not feel like I was missing anything. This still felt like a full book to me.

Plenty of synopses in other reviews, so I'll stick to what I enjoyed about the book. The #1 selling point of this book for me is the characters. They are relate-able from the get go and evolve in such a natural yet intriguing way throughout the story that it is hard not to feel the emotional impact of every change that's forced out of them.

#2 would be the Titanborn Universe. Bruno does a fantastic job making a futuristic Sol feel quite realistic. He doesn't just focus on technology though and one aspect I truly enjoyed was the detail he gave to sociological practices (for example Clan families) that evolved naturally out of the events leading up to this story.

#3 and lastly, the emotion and dramatic tension is delivered in a tasteful and subtle way. It draws you in and gives you just enough information that makes the emotional weight of a scene come to life. Bruno masterfully avoids simply telling you how a character is feeling and instead shows you, sometimes with details so delicate and understated that they almost flit right by without notice. A double take was occasionally required during my read to catch some of these little sparks.

5/5

[E W · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad on so many levels. I hated every single one of the characters. Graves was the least bad guy but too weak to be a hero. Trass was too busy with his Communist utopian delusions to gain any sympathy points from me. The entire plot is driven by a pathetic teenage loser acting like a pathetic teenage loser. So yeah, the last minute redemption twist did not work.

Literally the only positive thing I can say about this book is that is indeed a standalone as advertised as I have never read anything else by this author and had no trouble following along. Alas, it will also be the last thing I ever read by this author because the character development was so shoddy that it was not worth the time I spent reading it. The plot itself was surprisingly devoid of action as most of the time characters were moping their way through their backstory and not doing anything. The few action filled scenes were frustrating as everyone wore plot armor until they didn't. At the 80% mark, I just wanted everyone to die and for aliens to nuke Titan out of existence to end the pettiness of the whole conflict.

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd novel in the Titan Universe .... and I've devoured all 3 .... this last installment can be enjoyed as a Standalone! However, I'm sure you'll want to go back and read: Titanborn & Ice To Ashes.
Rhett Bruno proves to be a master of the modern-day Space Opera genre. He skillfully worldbuilds a universe of imagined futuristic technology that remains plausible. And conceives a complex plot with multilayered characters.
The storyline alternates an action viewpoint between legendary and failed retiree "Collector" (kind of a bounty hunter hired by a powerful Earther Corporation) : Malcolm Graves and Kale Trass, the rebel leader of the Children Of Titan.
Tension and conflict build to a crescendo as Kale Trass will stop at nothing to avenge the perceived damage done by the Earther corporation to his beloved home and countrymen on Titan. The moral high ground blurs ...... Who actually is the the Bad Guy?
Thanks to Rhett Bruno for allowing me access to the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Titan's Wrath is the third book in the Titanborn series. While this book can be read as a standalone, it does start where the previous book ended. There is a lot of violence.

The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that all of that info here. This book continues where Book two left off. The author does a good job with keeping the characters real and the struggle between the Earthers and the Ringers believable. This book does have a lot more violence in it than the previous books in the series had. But it also serves a purpose to remind us that freedom comes at a cost...and that cost is usually in lives lost.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titans wrath is the third standalone set in Rhett's Titanborn Universe . It is a much darker book than Rhetts previous books.
Rhett Bruno pulls out all the stops in this book, it sometimes makes you feel uncomfortable but is undoubtably a stonking good read.
If you have read Rhett's books before then you know you are in for a roller coaster ride of emotions.
If you haven't read Rhett's books before then after reading this you will be a convert and will want to read them all.

Once again Rhett has written an outstanding blockbuster.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle unlimited, getting a bit confusing but think that's on my end, reading and reviewing way too many books this year so time to back off when that happens, been insteresting and think even did some arcs back whenever but it's more beta reading now and my eyes won't hold up for that, the arcs can let my voice reader do. Look for other books in the Titanborn and other stories and collections.

Two men are caught on opposite sides of a violent, off-world rebellion in this standalone, Science Fiction epic set in Rhett C. Bruno's bestselling Titanborn Universe. 99-Cent Launch Sale until 12/18!

After inciting rebellion against Earth throughout Titan's off-world colonies, Kale Trass learns that leadership isn't only about fighting. Keeping control of his people--even his own family--requires a different set of skills. Following a pivotal battle over Saturn, Kale travels deep into enemy territory under the guise of seeking peace, though peace is the last thing on his mind.

Malcolm Graves used to be an infamous Collector for a powerful Earther corporation--and then he nearly lost his life on Titan. Now he's retired. But when Kale's wake of destruction follows Malcolm to Mars and claims the life of a friend, it's time for the ex-Collector to dust off his pulse-pistol and leap back into a fight he thought he'd left behind.

With the solar system divided, heroes are few and short-lived ... but someone has to put the self-proclaimed King Trass of Titan in his place.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really wanted to like this book more. Didn't realize it was the last of a trilogy, but to its credit, it stands alone. Maybe if I had read the other two books, I would have had more appreciation. I like the world building (earth mostly destroyed by a meteor, ring worlds are the new frontier and those residents are 3rd class citizens). Also liked the dark aspects of the story... the two leads are really both self-centered villains. That would have been awesome if the author would have stuck to that concept, but we're manipulated in lots of transparent ways to jump on board with the two leads as heroes, including a last minute redemption that I just didn't buy. There are at least a couple strong female characters that aren't there as prostitutes or damsels in distress.

This story also has an unnecessarily high body count, where anyone not a main character is going to be shot, blown up, crushed, etc. (This is something that has really started to annoy me lately. Can't a great story be told without all the head shots? And why does everyone not a main character have such shitty aim?) Too many places there's a gun held against someone's head as leverage
("put down your gun or the girl gets it!"). That happened to one character like three times in the span of a few pages and about a half dozen times throughout the story. She should have had a t-shirt that said "Hostage - Point Gun Here."

OK for the world building and the action, gripes aside.

[Charles T. Fincher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complex story you can’t put down

The story twists and turns from the lower world that one always sees in this series to the world of those who rule the Titan world. The book stands alone and makes since without knowing the content of the other books in the series, but I would encourage reading them all, because then you will appreciate this satisfying ending to the story. Right up to the last pages things happen that were unanticipated. Great writing from a good writer.

[D. Mark Detrixhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Titan anyone

A greatly entertaining tale of near earth destruction, colonization of Saturn's rings and the struggle between two groups to rebuild 300 years in the future.
Wonderfully developed characters that have a few surprises you won't see coming.
Great read.

[Ken Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying end to the series.

While there were a couple place where the direction of the narrative shifted too abruptly or became briefly unclear, I found “Titan’s Wrath” to be a well-told and satisfying end to the “Children of Titan” series.

[Jas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Titan’s Wrath is written from the points of view of Kale and Malcolm, characters from previous books, but this is written in such a way that you don't need to have read the others, there is a good amount of back story to make this a standalone. Kale as he seeks to stamp his authority on Titan, the Ringers, and make the Earthers understand that they will not be used anymore, that they are a force to be reckoned with. Malcolm on the other hand is this shadow of his former self, having given up his previous job, and is now just a lowly bouncer, too old to really be anything threatening, but too set in his ways to give up on what he was and actually move on and let go.
The contrast between the two characters is utterly fascinating, one at the start of their career, so desperate to show everyone that he is capable of doing everything, and doing it right, so self-righteous in his stance for the Ringers, and so set on his course for justice for those he believes have been wronged. The other, at the end of his career, and possibly his life, bitter, twisted, and full of self-righteous fury at all he has had to endure, who believes he has had a career full of dealing out justice to those who don’t do things as per the law. It is captivating watching these two circle each other as both their stories unfold toward climatic conclusions. What is equally fascinating is the fact that the two of them, so different in their upbringings, their lives and backgrounds, are so alike in so many ways, not that either of them would ever see it. Also rather amusing is that they are both in love with the same woman, although one in a romantic way and one with the true love of a parent.
As well as extraordinary character work of Kale and Malcom, there is this beautiful backdrop of a world that these stories are played out in. Bruno has created this universe that is a damaged Earth, a divided humanity, set amongst grimy back streets and a gritty underground. Within this there are also areas that are perfectly created, with extras like ‘Earth’ wood in the Titan habitats for the rich, but that is only in the deeper areas, where there is less radiation and it is a more exquisite place to live. For the rest, it is a scene from Bladerunner, grimy streets, flashing lights advertising the basest human desires. Bruno’s worlds are beautiful, regardless if it is above or below ground, or on-board some starship.
The other thing to remember is, that Kale and Malcolm are just the main characters, this doesn’t even cover Aria, the girl in the middle, or any of the secondary characters, Mira, Maya, Gareth just to name a few, each with their own very clever back story, each written so well that they could easily be the main character, or have their own series without the need to go into that much more depth. Bruno has done a wonderful job of creating lasting characters that are exceptional and make this a truly wonderful story.
This is all parts Sci-Fi Thriller, some parts political thriller as Kale tries to navigate the tensions between Earth and Titan, as well as some parts old style Bogart Noir, as Malcom starts to try and work out what is going on and try to save his estranged Daughter and some others he finds he cares for.
If you have read the others in this series, you will absolutely love these ones, and if you haven't, then Bruno's work is worth reading. Wrath is able to be read as a standalone as I said before though, as there is strong back story provided for newcomers.. This is a brilliant combination of Sci-Fi thriller, political and mystery thriller and full on action. Make sure to read it!

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to author Rhett C. Bruno for the offer of an ARC, but based on that initial reading I just HAD to buy the book. And then I had to stay up all night reading, because I haven't read anything so compelling in a long time.
First, a bit of "history." Three hundred years before the events of Titan's Wrath, a large meteor collided with Earth. This extinction-level event marked three things: the end of Earth as the self-contained ark of the human species; the successful relocation of part of the human species to Saturn's moon, Titan; and the first documented bifurcation in the identity of our species. For the first two hundred fifty of those post-M-Day years, the remnant of humans on Earth struggled to adapt to life on their permanently damaged planet. The Earther imperative was simple: SURVIVE. On Titan, those years passed in survival and adaptation as well, with the resource-rich asteroids and Saturn's gaseous upper atmosphere providing the vital raw materials that allowed trade, and the Titanborn, to flourish. Then Earthers decided to reunite the two estranged human populations, and all hell broke loose. Two hundred fifty years of genetic drift, and the next fiifty years of pain, suffering, conflict, political infighting, and subjugation by Earth lead the Titanborn to their own survival imperative: Titanborn independence. Earth will now know Titan's Wrath.
The revolution plays out through the alternating mating viewpoints of young Kale Trass, the leader of the Children of Titan, and old Malcolm Graves, Earther, former corporation Collector, (increasingly les)functional alcoholic and loose cannon. Two men who started as opposites enact the same personal odessey - where the survival imperative demands that each does whatever it takes, regardless of collateral damage, where each must draw the line beyond which their survival can only be at the expense of their humanity. All the cherished experiences of belonging - old loyalties, old friends, family ties, lovers, offspring - what is worth keeping? What is worth sacrificing? What will each man kill for? What will he die for?
The dramatic tension here is constant. The background of war, politics, betrayal and hidden agendas generates plenty of action and violence. The history between characters (major and minor) and their interwoven experiences fuels a full range of emotional interactions and experiences. It's all real; there are no stereotypes here. Every character has a personality, a history, a goal, and an Achilles heel. There are no innocents - each is in some measure both victim and volunteer, a contributing cause and an accidental effect in a solar-system wide conflict which ends its gruesome run in an uneasy outcome.
Rhett Bruno's genius as a writer is his gift to understand and interpret human motivation and behavior, on both the individual and larger historic scale. As spectators, we can see and feel right and wrong, reason and insanity, on both sides of the conflict. We "get" how the personal becomes political. We feel Kale Trans' outrage at the treatment his people receive. We feel the shocked despair of the Earthers whose reasons and pleas are blown away in the violence of revolution they couldn't foresee. We ache for Kale's losses, Malcolm's missed opportunities, Aria's fruitless humanitarianism, Maya's bearing the cost of success -all while we cringe at their blind spots and bad choices. In an oddly comforting way, Titan's Wrath holds a mirror to humanity and lets us see, as a species and as individuals, both our flaws and our own enduring worth.

[Jake Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Side note: I listened to the audio book, so I'm likely to spell some things incorrectly.

Kale Trass is a young man thrust into a position of power and leadership he had never prepared for. The secret heir of the former leader of Titan, Kale is now leading their rebellion against Earth as King.

Malcolm Graves is a wounded and retired Collector. He spent his life working for Earth's Pervenio Corporation chasing down criminals and stopping wars before they happened.

Equipped with a robotic leg, Malcolm Graves retires to the low streets of Mars, working at a bouncer at the dive-iest dive bar you've ever dived into. He loses himself in booze and hopes to flicker out his existence for the rest of his days.

Kale and his most trusted team, including Malcolm's daughter Aria, arrive on Mars under the guise of attempting peace discussions with the Earth. After an attempt on Kale's life and a chance meeting between Malcolm and Aria, everything begins to go wrong.

At the beginning of the book, Kale is a sympathetic figure. He's the plucky kid leading the revolution against the Mega Corps. Slowly throughout the book, he begins to lose his grasp on morality as he attempts to accomplish his mission. He holds Malcolm as a prisoner aboard his ship, and forces him to become "his" Collector. He kidnaps an important Earther scientist to design experimental engines for him. He begins to use Aria and Malcolm as hostages against each other to bend them to his will. Ultimately, he forces Malcolm to help him infiltrate Pervenio Corp headquarters to assassinate the leader Luxar Pervenio. He then uses the experimental engines to hurtle an asteroid towards Earth, threatening to let it crash unless they give in to his demands. When they do, he reveals he never planned a way to avoid the destruction.

Our view of Kale is represented through Aria. In the beginning of the book, she is his lover and only wants to help and support him. As he begins to make more and more questionable and difficult decisions, she begins to lose her faith in him. She attempts to flee Titan, wanting to take their unborn son away and to have nothing to do with Kale.

After accidentally killing Aria during a fight with Malcolm, Kale realizes the error of his ways. He realizes that his quest for destruction and vengeance was never for the people of Titan. He was seeking revenge for the death of his first love. It was all for himself. He sacrifices himself to fly down to the surface of the asteroid and destroy the engines by hand. He diverts the path, causing the asteroid to (mostly) harmlessly crash into the oceans of Earth.

I started this series on this book, and despite being the third entry in the series, I never felt lost or confused. Rhett C. Bruno has done such an excellent job of telling this story that if I hadn't known beforehand that there were other books, I might not have ever noticed. Everything relevant was in the book and it being explained never felt like it bogged anything down. I will definitely be going back and reading the others now.

This book was a fun and dramatic ride all the way through. I never wanted to stop listening. At the end, I was torn. Who did I want to win? Not Kale, but... also not the Earthers. It's hard to make both sides of a conflict so morally grey.

My only downsides with this book was that the early Malcolm chapters felt fairly cliche. He did a lot of cliche things and encountered some very cliche douches. But, as Malcolm begins to sober up, his story gets better as well.

I loved this book and I would definitely recommend it to all.

[Dee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on my review blog Deanna Reads Books

Titan's Wrath is the third and I think final book in Rhett C. Bruno's Titanborn Universe. I liked the first book Titanborn a good amount, and I still liked the second one From Ice to Ashes, but I struggled with this third book. I spent a lot of time debating on what star rating to give it. I went back and forth on if it should be a 3 star rating or not, but I eventually decided on 2 1/2 because I found that in the end I spent a good amount of time just not enjoying the story in this one.

I want to emphasize that this story just didn't work for me, and one of the reasons is the character development. I still really loved the character of Malcolm. I love morally grey characters that just go where the credits are. I just HATED Kale! He just felt like a completely different character from the one in From Ice to Ashes. I understand that he is fighting years of oppression and he wants his people to survive, but as the novel progresses he starts lashing out at anyone that disagrees with him. I was really NOT happy with how he starts treating Aria in this novel. Even Maya starts to realize that she created a monster. It's because of how drastically he becomes the villain in this novel that when he doesn't double down on what he is doing and rather has a redemption arc I just didn't find it realistic at all.

Kale is just one character, so it shouldn't have really bothered me that much, right? Except the majority of this novel is based on the Titanborn trying to take back their planet, and Kale leading them. I know we are not supposed to like him in this book and it's a message that in order to fight oppressive forces you have to be better than them. It's a lesson Kale learns too late. You spend a lot of time with Kale that I just couldn't stand him and had to put this book down a few times before I could finish it.

Aria kinda felt like she was just there and was a little two-dimensional. I couldn't understand WHAT she saw in Kale. If you didn't get the gist here, I really did not like Kale in this one. She was used as leverage a lot on this book, and that really bothered me. I did like that there were a lot of women in power in this book, and they all had different motivations, but I just felt disappointed by Aria. She felt like she was written flat in this one and I wanted to see more of depth to her.

The world that Bruno has built in this not-so-distant future is great! I think it's a pretty realistic take on where our future could be. I like his writing style too. I wanted to like this one so much more, but it just didn't work for me.

Have you read Titan's Wrath? What did you think?

*I received a copy of an ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest review. This in no way reflects my opinion on the book.

Happy Reads Everyone!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book quite a while ago, but then I had my vision go bad. I can no longer read because of a neurological problem.
So with that being said, the author, Rhett Bruno, graciously provided me with an audiobook version of this wonderful sci-fi story.
Because of my multiple medical problems, I’ve had to listen to the story in short doses, but I always hated stopping.
It is a wonderfully narrated book.
It is always exciting and so full of realistic action.
It really mirrors today’s society in so many ways even though it’s really centers around just a few main characters, but also quite a few support characters.
The larger environment is comparable to our world today, but the colorful characters, to say the least, steals the show, so to speak.
It’s extremely well done, both the writing and the job the narrator did with the voices.
One person doing so many voices for so many characters can never be perfect, but this narrator did an excellent job.
I hate giving away spoilers, so let it suffice to say that this is a sci-fi fan’s dream of a story.
Thank you Mr. Bruno for another wonderful world I could get lost in and help take me away from my earthly difficulties even if but for a short time.
One last note: I’ve read all of Mr. Bruno’s sci-fi stories with the help of my daughter and I’ve enjoyed them all. Every one of them are five star reads.
If you are a science fiction fan then please treat yourself to his work.
Sincerely,
Alan McDonald

[Cmadler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really hard time reviewing this book, so much so that I had to go back and skim through the other books in the series first. After a good bit of thought, the first 90% of the book was a solid 5 stars, but the last 10% or so was more like 2.5 stars. If Goodreads allowed half-stars, I'd probably give the book 4.5, but given the ending I couldn't give it 5 stars, so 4 it is.

This book picks up after the events of From Ice to Ashes, and ties in the other plot elements that were established in Titanborn, pulling the series together in an impressive way. While Malcolm Graves was a sympathetic protagonist in Titanborn and Kale Drayton/Trass was something of a heroic character in From Ice to Ashes, reluctantly taking the lead of the Titanborn freedom fighters, there are no heroes in this book. Graves is disillusioned about his career and his employer, while Kale struggles with the shift from leading a rebellion to governing his people.

This book was tremendously satisfying, if incredibly bleak, for the first 90%. To be completely blunt, the ending just didn't fit with everything that had happened up to that point. For me, there was no way to bring the book to an ending that would be anything but unhappy while still staying true to the way the characters had developed. Personally, if given the choice between a happy ending that doesn't really fit, and a dismal ending that's true to the spirit of what's gone before, I'll take the depressing ending every time, and I was extremely disappointed in the way things wound up here.

With all that said, this was still an enjoyable book, capping off an inventive and well-written series that's a throwback (in the best possible way) to the Golden Age of Science Fiction. In my review of Titanborn, I mentioned that the writing reminded me of a mashup between Heinlein and Bester (take that as a complement; Bester is one of my favorite science fiction authors), and I got that sense again here.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enter a world full of complicated people. Leaders you love then despise, crippled corporate owned hit men that drown their sorrows in whiskey and self-loathing, scarred and abused freedom fighters who just want a taste of equality. This is the world of Titan, a space opera full of entanglement and imagination.

Bruno has once again created a wonderful addition to his Titanborn Universe. I feel confident when I say that Bruno's storytelling continues to get better with each new tale he weaves. The level of character development was quite inspiring. I can't often recall having read a story that created such well-rounded and complex personalities. Whether the scene revolved around Malcolm Graves, the grizzly "Collector," whose one hand holds a gun and the other a glass of whiskey, or about Kale Trass, the rebellious freedom fighter who rotates a full 360 degrees in temperament, this story kept me engaged because of the master level characterization. It was quite remarkable. I think many authors could learn much from Bruno's gift.

Bruno is evolving with every story I read and I find that it is becoming increasingly difficult to offer any constructive criticism. There is just nothing I feel he could have improved upon at this time or with this story.

I am just happy he was able to write it. Trass and Graves stories needed to be finished and this installment gives the readers the satisfaction of seeing those journeys through to the end.

If you are in the mood for a high tech ride full of heart pumping action, emotions that are as real as your own, failed fathers and sons, corrupted leaders, revengeful citizens, but at heart a story of redemption, then check out this series by Bruno. You will not be disappointed.

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