Titan by Daniel Mignault and Jackson Dean Chase is subtitled “An Epic Novel of Urban Fantasy and Greek Mythology” and is the first book in new series The Gods War. Mignault and Chase have created an unusual blend of ancient Greek mythology with vicious high school and societal control.
Titan’s hero is young Andrus Eaves, adopted son of a rich couple, in his final year of school training to go into the warrior service of the New Greek Theocracy. Titan’s world developed because the primeval Greek god Kronus defeated his children including Zeus and Thanatos (Hades or Death), and rules supreme over the tiny remnant of earth left after the devastating war. Kronus “mercifully” let humans live, providing him with worshipers and service. No one can die, not matter how injured, because Thanatos is imprisoned.
Andrus pretty much takes his life for granted, is satisfied with his future service until he begins to have segues that disorient and distract him. He loses face when he loses a climbing test to his arch rival, and his teacher then assigns both young men to a final test, with a catch: both must pair with one of the weakest people in their class and both must make it to the top before the other pair. The evil arch priest takes note of the contest and this spawns the action.
Back Story and Setting
Mignault and Chase have built a horrific world, one where everyone is at the mercy of Kronus and his sadistic priests. Everyone must attend temple weekly and kneel on stone floors for hours. Any who fall over or settle back – even old and infirm – are turned into “worms”, without legs or arms, and thrown to Kronus to eat. Anyone out after sunset curfew is fair game for centaurs who enjoy eating people, although rich folks may purchase tokens from the priesthood that allow them later hours.
The world has some odd side notes. For instance, it is set on the US West Coast and Andrus’ parents are rich because he discovered oil on their former property. Andrus’ father drives a new red Ferrari, although Europe and the Farrari factory are demolished.
Rich folks own slaves and the priests or the security force can condemn anyone to be a slave. Poor people live in a ghetto area with few services and very little opportunity to escape unless they are able to pass an exam. Andrus’ climbing partner is one of these poor folks and if he and Andrus lose then he will suffer greatly.
Characters
The characters were the weakest link in the story. Andrus is fairly well developed but his new friend and climbing partner is less so. Andrus meets and supposedly falls in love with his friend’s sister, but the romance feels more a literary convention than anything real.
The villains are stock characters: the bloodthirsty and vicious priest, the nasty and vindictive centaur. Andrus’ parents and their slave butler are reasonably well done, obviously with mysteries that are not revealed in this first novel.
Overall
Titan has some YA fantasy conventions, most obvious with the romance and the easy-read writing style. The authors don’t challenge anyone’s brain with this book.
I enjoyed Titan for the most part, despite the tedious and unnecessary romance, and may possibly try the next book in the series. You can get Titan and the rest of the series on Kindle Unlimited.
3 Stars
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