Blog Archives
Saving Mathis
Saving Mathis is the second installment in the Cyborg Reborn series, which follows the story of Mathis, the head medic on a cyborg ship called Freedom. His past is riddled with the trauma inflicted upon him by humans over many centuries. However, despite this horrendous mistreatment from the Human Alliance, Mathis vows never to harm a human or any species considered weaker than cyborgs. Instead, he practices healing and strives for a life of peace after having escaped his ruthless captors.
Mathis adapts to life on the Freedom ship. He enjoys an existence without human contact until an unexpected event involves the rescue of a dozen human survivors from another ship, where they were held captive and impregnated by an alien species. This development poses a risk to the lives of twelve vulnerable humans saved from the Vesperian ship, and there is also a shift in priorities. Mathis’ focus quickly shifts to these women, who hold no power or future in this cold, robotic world of cyborgs and patriarchal rule. Without any memory of the traumatic events before the rescue, Tara, one of the twelve women, must rely on Mathis and his assurance of her safety, despite an uncertain life where women have few rights.
Throughout the book, the author reels readers in with vivid imagery, electric action, and a palpable feeling of dread, all while delving into the developing relationship between Mathis and Tara. Tara adjusts to a new world after waking from a coma and finds herself helpless and unlikely to survive. She must navigate her feelings and strategize how to live in this new world. I found her journey to be so compelling. Readers will find her endearing but capable and this dichotomy is explored in interesting ways in the story. As a survivor of human cruelty, Mathis, too, must find peace in this new life and decide if he can trust again. He is a character that has surprising depth and I found myself paying very close attention when he was on the page because I was deeply intrigued by his personality.
Saving Mathis offers a riveting sci-fi tale of survival and perseverance in a futuristic world where darkness and inequality reign, but a glimmer of hope shines through from the unlikeliest of species. Denna Holm’s writing is sharp and engaging, ensuring readers quickly lose themselves in this epic science fiction drama. Saving Mathis is a fantastic cyberpunk space opera that delivers some thought-provoking ideas in an entertaining story.
Pages: 353 | ASIN: B09VK943KN
Fall of Titan
H. G. Ahedi’s novel Fall of Titan is the beginning of a sci-fi epic mostly taking place within range of the perimeter, a shield built by the spacefaring humans near Saturn to protect Earth. Constructed after, a comet named Nemesis impacts Earth and decimates the population.
The perimeter is the location where humanity makes violent first contact with an alien species dubbed the Orias. However, this becomes a much-needed shield when the humans realize the extent and power of the Orias fleet.
The space station Titan watches over the perimeter, and while the command crew faces the political ramifications caused by the appearance of the Orias, Emmeline, a young astrophysicist, strikes out with her friend, Delta, to unlock the secrets of a mysterious plaque handed down through generations in her family.
Author Ahedi immediately thrusts the reader into the action, instantly capturing the reader’s attention. Even though the book starts off with a bang, I felt it was hard to follow all of the characters’ names that the reader is introduced to within the first few pages. However, once past the opening chapter or two, the book’s pace does slow down and becomes a smoother read.
The author has created a compelling plot filled with tension as we follow Emmeline’s quest to unlock the plaque’s mysteries. This quest forms the centerpiece of the novel. The author seamlessly transitions from different character perspectives during the events on Titan station, allowing the reader to understand the emotions and thoughts of each character. Some you will be rooting for, and others not so much. H.G. Ahedi manages to fit a lot into only a few hundred pages, and all of it drives the plot forwards to its culmination in an explosive ending that does leave you wanting to know what happens next.
Fall of Titan is an epic science fiction novel with paranormal fantasy elements that keep readers on edge. This first contact series takes off with a compelling mystery taking the protagonist and readers on an adventure with lots of action as different races battle for dominance in the galaxy.
Pages: 295 | ASIN : B085BPMPWN
Promise Of The Visitor
A pair of police officers are called to the residence of Jacob, Amy, and their artificial intelligence alien that resides in a golden sphere called “Arcon.” They all have to muster up the courage to explain why Jack Markham is unconscious on their floor. They discover he is an international criminal. In a battle of self-defense, Jack was rendered unconscious.
After the ordeal, this novel skips ahead. Readers are taken to a cold night in November, where all three stand on the beach awaiting a space shuttle. The shuttle is operated by an alien woman who comes to them for rescue after her own home is destroyed by enemy forces. However, she didn’t just bring new technology to earth in her escape but also managed to get the enemy to their doorstep. So it is now their job to save their world from a similar fate to the alien woman’s home planet.
Author David Gittlin’s world-building skills are excellent and bring the readers right into the action, experiencing everything the characters do. With under 200 pages, this is a short quick read filled with thrilling action. Since this is book 3 of the series, I recommend readers have read books one and two as the author dives right into the action of book three, assuming that the reader knows of the character’s history. Gittlin expertly develops the characters in the story, and I grew fond of the AI that assists Jacob and Amy. The back and forth banter and the humor sprinkled into the dialogue made this book hard to put down.
Promise of the Visitor is a fast-paced, exciting novella that will have you hooked from the turn of the first page. I highly recommend this quick read to those who are looking to go on an entertaining journey through space.
Pages: 142 | ASIN : B09Y2FHL5R
Literary Titan Book Awards May 2022
The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
Gold Award Winners
Poems for the End of the Age by Hanz Peter Zell
Silver Award Winners
Bible, God and Free Will by Vasile Ghiuta
On a Fallen Wave by Benjamin Anderson
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Teamwork, Determination, and a Strong Moral Compass
Crucible: Records of the Argos follows a young captain who embarks on his first mission and finds an enemy threatening his ship and the inhabitants of the system he was sent to investigate. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The previous series, The Host Saga, had come to an end. I wanted to try something new with new, young characters. I picked the son of the previous lead character from The Host Saga to be the lead in this series. His assignments and adventures, however, would be completely different. His crew would be a diverse mix of characters that he meets along the way or is assigned. I had in mind that this new young crew and ship would develop as a team in their own rights and that they would find themselves in new places and in circumstances that would challenge them and see them grow. Finally, I wanted something different to separate this crew and ship from those of the previous series. That comes in the form of an onboard AI that undergoes a dramatic change when the ship, the Argos, strikes something odd when exiting hyperspace. The changes in the AI become, to be nice, quirky with an odd sense of humor.
Nick Hall is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
First, there is a link to the previous books in that Nick is the son that Van Childs did not know he had until the end of the Host Saga. Therefore, he has some of his father’s characteristics but has his own style. He has a mix of military experience as an intelligence officer for the U.S. Navy and experience in Iraq. Second, He wants to be his own man and chart his own future with a team and a ship he can trust. Third, he will make mistakes and learn from them. Fourth, the team operates an old, tired cargo ship which has been extensively upgraded internally to support an intelligence mission. It also has some unique but limited combat capability. Finally, even though women have thrown themselves at Nick in the past, he has still not figured them out.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Teamwork, determination, and a strong moral compass. Nick will normally choose what he thinks is morally correct even if it conflicts with his orders. His attitude is that if his superiors don’t like it, he will quit and move on. Both Nick and his crew never give up despite the odds or the difficulties they face. The crew count on each other, are proud to be the team they are and have no plans to separate.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
Unfortunately, the prime antagonists from Crucible escaped capture. Nick’s next set of orders is to find them and bring them to justice. The follow-on book, Retribution, follows the crew of the Argos as they seek out the Arkon Red, Gurko, and the Arkon Blue, Berzalius. As in life, nothing is easy. In a new planetary system from their previous adventure, the team is exposed to a more complex and diverse group of countries than in Crucible. The countries in this book are less advanced than in Crucible, making the team’s job more of a challenge. They are also hampered because of tighter restrictions on their actions from higher authorities. Finding the bad guys might be the easy part. Capturing them, not so easy.
Author Links: Amazon | Website | Facebook
Threatened By An Advanced Race
Dark Enemy follows the Earth’s space force leader as he tries to unify the allied forces while fighting politicians back on Earth. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
The idea for the start of the series was the question: What would you do if you learned that the Earth was threatened by an advanced race while at the same time finding a source of advanced technology? Add that the person finding this out was at a point in his life when he was seeking simplicity.
Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing, or did the characters’ personalities grow organically as you were writing?
I had an idea about the main character, Van Childs, but the rest introduced themselves over time. In fact, the characters dictated the story. I planned to stop at the third book, but the characters said no and took me to a fifth, Dark Enemy.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The reluctance of Van Childs to get involved. The lack of the technical skills on Earth to reproduce the technology of the Host in a timely manner. And the fight of greed over the need to survive.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The next book is called Crucible and is the beginning of a new series called Records of the Argos. Crucible is available now. After that will come Retribution which will be available in July or August of 2022.
Author Links: Amazon | Website | Facebook
Silvano’s Redemption
Tessa wakes up and finds herself in a strange ship surrounded by robots and lizards. When Silvano, a cyborg commander of the space vessel Freedom, rescues her, tension quickly builds between them. Follow these star-struck lovers as they go on a thrilling adventure in space.
For thousands of years, the human alliance has held cyborgs like Silvano as enslaved people. Now they are trying to hunt Silvano down. While on the run, Silvano and Tessa develop a relationship despite their differences. The alliance wants the cyborgs under their control and will stop at nothing to ensure humans are in control. Will Silvano and Tessa be able to defeat the alliance and live happily ever after?
Silvano’s Redemption by Denna Holm is a steamy, action-filled, suspenseful novel that you will not want to miss. Holm’s work immerses the reader completely into this cyborg-filled futuristic world. This well-written book does contain some graphic scenes between the characters in a few parts, but they do not overrun the story.
Holm’s worldbuilding skills are fantastic, giving readers a look at our possible future. The details of the physical environments and the social and political climate make this world highly believable. The characters are exceptionally well written, and the tension between Tessa and Silvano grows as the reader learns more about them. I definitely found myself attracted to the commander at one point or another.
As for the ending, I would have liked to of known more about what happens with Tessa and Silvano. I felt the author left a lot of loose ends; perhaps there is a second novel in the works. I feel like there were characters on the Freedom that have a story of their own to tell.
Silvano’s Redemption is an imaginative cyberpunk science fiction novel that will take readers into a reality that is not entirely improbable. The fact that this reality could happen will have readers on edge with the action and adventure of an intergalactic chase. As the main characters struggle with figuring out the budding romance between them, questions of morality and the direction of the future will have to be answered.
Pages: 440 | ASIN : B09V8919CB
Allure of Oartheca
Allure of Oartheca, the first book of The Oarthecan Star Saga by author James Siewert, is the galactic tale of the rogue Captain Rowland Hale of Earth. On the score of a lifetime, with his crew on their ship Luck of the Draw, Hale is ambushed by the dreaded Pryok’tel, who takes his crew, and a world-altering technology, as the injured captain can only hide and watch.
Coming to his rescue is the disgraced Captain Toar Grithrawscion of the Oarth race of Oartheca. Along with his mining crew of Lurcaster’s Claw, they try to aid Rowland in the retrieval of his crew and the dangerous technology they stole. It’s an instant attraction between the captains, but can they overcome their broken pasts, Oarth laws, and biological difficulties to be together?
This thrilling and fast-paced novel reminded me of Firefly and Star Trek combined. This captivating book is over three hundred pages, and Siewert’s pacing of the novel is perfect. While the book only takes place over a few days, the action scenes and attention to detail keep the story moving and readers engaged. Siewart’s descriptions are beautiful, and when he presents a concept that is not the norm for humans, he explains them perfectly. The author’s tone for the story is light and fun, even in the dark moments.
It was funny reading the thoughts of what an alien species make of humans, and likewise for the human Rowland’s observations of the Oarths. The author’s creativity really shines when he describes how a species eats. I would’ve liked to have the Under explained sooner in the story, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.
The romance is done well in this book, and I applaud the author for making the protagonist gay. The relationship is an Alpha and Omega kind of love that is balanced while keeping both characters as strong individuals. In addition, I appreciated that the author gave both male protagonists a realistic body type. Rather than use the overdone chiseled abs and the perfect body, the characters are relatable to a broader range of readers.
Allure of Oartheca is an exhilarating space opera with intriguing LGBTQ+ characters. This science fiction novel is filled with action and adventure as the characters race across space trying to save the galaxy.
Pages: 365 | ASIN : B095S3V2S1
LITERARY TITAN 