From Ice to Ashes by Rhett Bruno is a standalone book but is connected to Titanborn by Bruno as it expands more of what happened to make Ringers and Earthers so different. From Ice to Ashes gives you a story about how hard it is to be a Ringer and live as such. Our ‘Hero’ of this story is Kale Drayton he is young and has done some things in his life but he’s going straight, or well trying to at least.



When his mother gets ill Kale quits his job and goes back to the life of crime that he tried to leave before. What he doesn’t know is the repercussions of actions will do and how much is going to change for everyone. Once he does realize it, it takes him time, because he’s trying to figure out how to fix things and save things, and also save his mother. He does make a lot of mistakes while trying to do what’s right, which is okay. It makes him feel not perfect, a little more human than what you would expect in some futuristic books. Rhett did a good job in making sure to keep his audience hooked, there were some down points but overall I did enjoy it.

Kale has had a hard life and now has even harder decisions to make. This is an exciting adventure and watching the characters live with their choices makes for a great read.

Outstanding book by a fantastic author. Great scifi not my usual genre, but enjoyable

“From Ice to Ashes” eBook was published in 2017 and was written by Rhett C. Bruno (http://rhettbruno.com). Mr. Bruno has published nine books.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set many centuries in the future. Humanity has spread across the Solar System while life on Earth was almost destroyed by an impact.

Now after centuries apart the remnants of humanity on Earth have joined with those in the rings and moons on Saturn. The ‘Ringers’ are taken advantage of by those from Earth. Now there is growing resentment and resistance.

The major character in this story is Ringer Kale Drayton. He has had skirmishes with the law, but is now trying to eek out a living. His mother is sick and when he is contacted and given the opportunity to have her taken care of, Drayton takes it. Little does he know how this will affect his life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 274 page Science Fiction story. This is a stand-alone novel, though author Bruno has other publications set in this universe. While a young man thrust into the role as a rebel is not a new plot, I did like how this one was laid out. I also liked how the author made the character of Drayton grow over the course of the novel. The cover art is OK. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

This was a good sci fi book but because I like my sci fi novels to be a bit more fast paced, I felt this book kind of dragged in places. Overall it's well-written and there are a lot of details but we don't really get any kind of significant action until the ending.

Another fantastic read in this universe of Earthers and Ringers. A standalone from the first, you get a real sense of the struggle and what the Titanborn humans go through trying to live life. Highly addictive series, highly recommended. I cannot wait to read more!

I don’t believe the underlying biology and economics of this series but I decided to try the second in the series. I got to the 10% mark and quit. The book is just too poorly written to be worth my time.

I received a review copy of "From Ice to Ashes" by Rhett C. Bruno (Random House – Hydra) through NetGalley.com.

This is not exactly riveting fare. Although it is interesting. It would be nice if the author realized that readers are not dumkaufs and can actually remember from page to page that the Ringers are long, skinny humans with very slender hands and not a lot of strength. Instead, we are constantly reminded. We are constantly reminded that germs are deathtraps to Ringers, and the cleansing process one must take moving from level to level is also drilled into the noggin. These constant reminders drag the story to a snail's pace. With some really good editing, this could truly be a riveting spacer saga. The language is coarse, but I've found that to be the case in almost all sci fi I've read lately. Sigh...

The reader can easily skip over the constant reminders and find a pretty good storyline. It's probably worth the eBook price.

Awesome book I can't wait to read more of the series. I was hooked from page 1.

Maybe it was me but I just did not get this.
I could not relate to the characters and the plot was lost on me.
Sorry but not for me.

This is some strong Sci-Fi. Right up my "alley", typically. The universe is called Titanborn. Then it kind of went tragedy style. Sighs. Yeah, I could compare it to some famous tragedy, but why do that? People are dying. Our hero is unaware of who and what he is. The ending, well, it wasn't what I hoped for, but it works. I wish the ending were stronger and different and I'm not thrilled with the massive tragedy aspect.

My copy came from Net Galley. My review and my thoughts are my own.

‘From Ice To Ashes’ by Rhett C. Bruno is a standalone novel set in the same world as ‘Titanborn’. The books are related and reading one will enhance the experience of reading the other.


From Ice to Ashes by Rhett C. Bruno (book review)
In ‘Titanborn’, we learned about the history of Bruno’s Earth and the meteorite that changed everything. In ‘From Ice To Ashes’, Bruno outlines the further repercussions of the mass exodus of Earth and resettlement of the Solar system. Yes, I said resettlement. Titan was already home to a massive population of humanity known as the Ringers. The arrival of the Earthers not only messed up the delicate social balance between Earth and the outer planets, but the biological balance between them as well.

While Ringers have adapted to life in among the outer planets, their bodies suited to the cold, low G environment, their immune systems are not prepared for the onslaught of diseases that still thrive on Earth. To make matters worse, upon their arrival, the Earthers set themselves up as a superior caste, banishing the Ringers to the lowest echelons of society, to be the workers or to simply sicken and die.

Ringer Kale Drayton is young, but far from idealistic. After graduating from life on the streets of Darien, Titan’s main settlement, to a job aboard a gas harvester owned and operated by Earthers, he’s just trying keep his head down and earn a living wage. When his mother is sent to quarantine with a mysterious illness, Kale quits his job, believing that returning to a life of crime will be more lucrative. Medical care for Ringers is nearly non-existent and therefore expensive.

Unfortunately for him, going back isn’t easy. His reputation isn’t what it was since he went straight and there’s only one ‘job’ available to him. The reward could mean a cure for his mother. Failure…well, that’s just not an option.

I loved the setup for this novel. It has a very Bruno feel in that this is yet another world gone wrong and it’s our fault. Titan is supposed to be the legacy of Darien Trass, the man who gave his life for the dream of humanity living out there, making their own way and their own rules. Then the Earthers come in and mess it all up.

What makes this particular story enjoyable is Kale’s innocence. He really has no idea what his actions will set into motion and, once he takes in the repercussions of his actions, he’s terrified. He doesn’t immediately rise, hand in the air, and say, ‘I’ll be your hero.’ Instead, he makes a number of mistakes, many of which may endanger the mission he’s been thrust into the middle of. It’s only when Kale learns the truth about his family and his ‘legacy’ that he begins to take on board just how important his role is.

‘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.

Kelly Jensen

March 2017

(pub: Hydra/Random House. 256 pages ebook. Price: $ 4.99 (US), £ 4.49 (UK). ASIN: B01M3WP9N4)

checkout websites: http://www.randomhousebooks.com/brand/hydra/ and http://rhettbruno.com/

Once the story got going I couldn't put it down. Non stop action n, great characters and an exciting story line. Once more Rhetts' imagination holds sway and the Titanborn rebel to over throw their oppressors. Loved it!

This is the second book in the Titanborn universe, but I feel that it is enough of a stand-alone book that you can read it without having read the first one. It's an exciting thriller, full of great world-building. The characters are well-developed and it's a fun ride.

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.
Kale Drayton knows his place. As a Ringer, 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. So 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.
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 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

A sci-fi story with a real kicker of a plot. Young Kale, sentenced to time-served on a junk space vessel for a crime of the heart, finds himself backed into a corner of treachery and chaos that quickly spirals out of control. I enjoyed every minute of this book, and think it would make an amazing entry on the big screen. Highly recommended!

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!

At the time when I read this novel, I was unaware that there had been a prequel to it. That being said, most of the story made sense even without having read Titanborn, the first novel set in this world. I would probably recommend that others read the first novel before reading this one, however, as I'm sure it would set the stage up better for this story. I found that nothing was really fleshed out very well in this story; again, this might be because I read this as a standalone rather than as a sequel. There was definitely a lot of action and the plot moved along quite quickly. The problem with that, however, was that it made the characters appear more one-dimensional; when the action happens quickly and the characters don't get the time to develop and show depth, then it makes them appear weak. I liked the overall story as it greatly resembled Red Rising. However, this should not be read as a standalone as that would make the story quite confusing. I hope that the publishers will brand this as a sequel when it is released as that would be very helpful to readers!

Please refer to my review on Goodreads of this exceptional book

A thief forced to go legit on a spaceship quits when his mom gets sick, and goes right back to stealing when he’s back on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons.
There’s a gruesome fight scene to start, and it’s not called back until half the book had passed, so I had to go back to remember it. The story doesn’t get any less grisly, mostly because Kale always tries to come off as tough with nothing to back it up. It’s really just sad, and a bit depressing, though I figured the author had done this so he could grow later on.
It took a while for the plot to show up, by which time I was wondering if I should continue. Fortunately it got better. . . until a big plot point about three-quarters in, which I absolutely hated. Like this whole book wasn’t depressing enough. . . I get that it’s done to set up the protagonist, make him angry. But how is this going to make me want to read more of this? Perhaps the words I should use is invested. I invested in this character, only to be tossed aside.
There’s nothing wrong with the writing, which is as good as the previous outing from this author that I’ve read (though I don’t remember that other book being like this). The world building in particular is done well, despite never getting a good picture in my mind of life on Titan, or on the spaceship. The plot is a bit weak, and it’s obvious there’s going to be a series, considering the ending. I just didn’t like the depressing tone throughout.