From Ice to Ashes

A humble laborer is caught in the tensions between Earth and Titan, the now-colonized moon of Saturn, in a standalone novel set in the universe of Titanborn (“Sci-fi noir at its finest!”—David Simpson, author of the Post-Human series).

Kale Drayton knows his place. As a Ringer born on Titan, 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. All he has to do is upload a program onto his employer’s ship and all of his problems will disappear.

What starts as a straightforward smuggling gig soon reveals its shattering repercussions. The people who hired Kale are more dangerous than he suspected—and he’s more important to them than he ever could have imagined.

Praise for From Ice to Ashes

“Bruno uses skillful worldbuilding and rising tension to construct a fast-paced, action-packed tale of the far future.”—Publishers Weekly

“A relentless sci-fi thriller with characters that leap off the page and a chilling ending that will leave you breathless.”—Nicholas Sansbury Smith, USA Today bestselling author of Hell Divers and the Extinction Cycle series

“Rhett C. Bruno has created a wonderful tale of intrigue and conspiracy, one that throws an underdog into the deep end and keeps us at the edge of our seats. Fans of The Expanse are sure to love From Ice to Ashes.”—Justin Sloan, writer on Telltale Games’ Tales from the Borderlands series and bestselling author of the Reclaiming Honor Series

“[Rhett C. Bruno is] a master at world building, character development, and the art of storytelling. . . . Tragedy, noir, ethical action saga . . . Whatever it is, Bruno spins it with consummate skill.”—Perihelion

“From Ice to Ashes is a powerful story of oppression and discrimination, expertly painted in the colours of a science-fiction future set among the moons of Saturn.”—By Rite of Word

Praise for Rhett C. Bruno’s Titanborn

“A fun romp around the solar system . . . Raw and gritty . . . A thoroughly enjoyable read . . . Don’t miss out on this sci-fi gem!”—M. Pax, author of the Backworlds series

“Bruno expertly weaves action, capitalism, smuggling, fragile alliances, and revolution around the hard choices of a life-worn man who regrets always following orders.”—Publishers Weekly