Titan's Tears

I just finished reading ‘Titan’s Tears’ by Chad Lester, and I’m still in shock. This book started off a bit slow, but as you read on, the more intriguing it got. The bond Bella and Juno have is one to be admired, and the more you read and learn the more you find out. This book had me at the edge of my seat the entire team. I cannot wait to purchase the physical copy. A job well done.

Overall I enjoyed reading this, I did read it quite quickly. For the most part I felt pulled into this book, at times it did feel like there was a lot going on btu I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Titan's Tears is a captivating and intense novel that delves into the lives of three compelling characters whose paths become intertwined on an isolated island off the coast of Alaska. The enigmatic Belle, arrested for murder, the reclusive slaughterhouse worker, and the brilliant but troubled scientist, Sophia Eccleston, are brought together in a gothic odyssey of technology unleashed.

Author skillfully weaves together a narrative that explores the intersection of mystery, survival, and the consequences of uncontrolled technological advancement. As the characters confront murder machines, transgenic creatures, and personal challenges, readers are drawn into a world where bizarre security protocols and the enigma of a secretive daughter add layers of intrigue to the plot.

Titans Tears offers a thought-provoking and thrilling exploration of the darker side of humanity's relationship with technology and biological experimentation, providing a compelling and immersive reading experience.

This is such a gripping book - I’m not a sci-fi kind of fan, but this six-fi dystopian thriller really had me hooked. I felt myself slipping into another world when reading it. The twists and turns wrote by the author are definitely unpredictable. 10/10 would recommend.

I am so floored with this book. It was gripping, such a page turner, and had so many twists and turns I couldn’t believe.

I loved this book, absolutely outstanding. The different perspectives and different characters were great, and everyone was so fleshed out. I cared so much about each of them.

And the story was just incredible, so so so good!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this book, I’m so chuffed I got to read it.

I found it hard to connect with the book, too many things in the beginning were tropes I don't particularly enjoy, the orphanage, the aggressive mega-company takeover, the unreliable psychologist, the unexpected amazing job... it was just too much the same in too short a span. Everything kept pulling me out, so I found it hard to actually read and found myself skimming through the book.
It's fast-paced and I'm sure many won't mind the re-hash as it serves its emotional anchor purpose. But I think I like my techno-warnings with a slice of humour, and this just isn't the style. Also, I'm very character driven, and we were definitely told too much how to feel about them.
It's ok, the writing style is fine, even if not overly personal and a little distant, but this wasn't for me.

Titan's Tears gripped me from start to finish. It offers a hellish vision of a dystopian future where AI runs amok, seemingly intent on taking over humanity's functions. The scary thing is this might not be particularly far from the truth. In this scenario, we have secretive entrepreneur billionaires like Sophia Eccleston, who runs her mega corporation from a remote facility off Alaska, offering procedures that are supposedly for the betterment of humanity such as artificially extending aging. She hires Belle, jobless and sequestered in a tiny village in the wilderness, as a nanny for her eight-year-old daughter Juno, a precocious child genius who apparently only has one defect: she's blind.
At the same time, we meet Seth, who also gets called to the island in a strange sort of hero's mission after suffering devastating personal tragedies, which form the basis of how he gets lured there. The intersections of all these characters' stories give the second half of the book its impetus, and the pace ratchets up into a pretty effective techno-thriller after the slow world building of the book's beginning. It could be said that the pace is quite uneven, but I think it works, allowing the reader to get to grips with this nightmarish setup before hitting them with a nifty series of twists (not all of which I saw coming).
What really marks this book out is that at the heart of it, despite all the soulless technological trappings, is a story of real human love and affection. It's nicely done, and not necessarily what I expected going into it. The reader's sympathies are built in the right places, and for the right people. This is an author to watch out for. Recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. It didn't disappoint! Must read!!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

What I liked most about this book is the pacing. It does a great job setting up the key players in the first half of the book. I'm wondering how/ when they are going to meet while immersing myself in a setting in a not so distant future. Then the second half of the book ramps up with twists and turns sprinkled throughout. They were well timed too because I would realize what the twist could be a page before it happened. It was truly a rewarding reading experience. The twists were really well done. I enjoyed the characters and following them through the events they are thrust into.

As for some cons
The blurb could be improved because it’s not really intriguing. The arrest itself is the midpoint so having it in the description is misleading because there is no mention of it in the first few chapters. Together with the question posed as the end makes it read goofy and awkward and this book is not that. Say who the characters are when you first see them and then the thing that launches them into the unknown. Why mention Sophie at the end of the description when it would have made more sense to mention her plight after she is introduced? Weird. I don’t think I would have given this book a chance if it wasn’t an automatic acceptance on NetGalley. Also

I prefer characters with more depth that these characters didn’t satisfy but it didn’t take away from the story. They served the story well and that’s what matters despite my preference. There were a few pieces of dialogue that felt cartoonish and a tad bit too long.

Overall the book was enjoyable and I have recommended it to friends who enjoy the genre.

Titan's Tears fancies itself as a pretty serious near-future sci-fi thriller. Each chapter is titled by its lead character, and then a timestamp "Modern Era - Post-Singularity" (or occasionally Twenty-Five Years Earlier), which is to say this is our world but with the trappings of other sci-fi novels thrown in to make it more futuristic. So the tech billionaire genius - Sophie Ecclestone - lives on an island in Alaska full of extinct animals - not like Jurassic Park, but enough like Jurassic Park to make a breathless escape through the woods exciting. Sophie, who is well in her seventies but holds the secret of slowing aging, has hired Belle to be the Nanny for her ten-year-old blind and slightly odd daughter, despite Belle having "a mysterious past", not applying for the job, and being wildly unqualified. Sophie also owns the world's smartest sentient AI (The Augur), and her company board is trying to take her down. It's not easy being Sophie.

Its not easy being Seth too, as Lester takes us back twenty-five years to the life of an online superstore shelf picker. He meets the love of his life and has a kid, but gets involved in an industrial accident that harms his wife's health and kills his child, so he puts his wife in cryogenic stasis and grows embittered off the grid, waiting for more ripped from the headlines satire to happen to him and the to catch up with the rest of the book so he can then get turned into an unstoppable assassin. Its pretty much at this point all bets of this remaining serious fell by the wayside.

Titan's Tears (which I can only hear in a Tindersticks way), does its best to tap into a few zeitgeist. Its super-powerful AI is a danger, so is limited by another super-powerful AI. But when it comes to its action, its still people shooting at each other whilst running around an island of saber-toothed tigers. Everything fits together in a preposterous way and even though I had guessed half the twists, there were more for me to slack-jawed laugh at. A little too over-engineered for its own good.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars.

There were some interesting ideas here about AI and its connections with humans, but the story and the characters just didn't connect with me. The writing felt a little choppy and I pretty much had to force myself to finish. I really didn't care about any of the characters, and the setting, which was a draw for me to read the book, really didn't come into play. I'm a little disappointed; I wanted to like this.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.

A bleak utopia with a bright horizon, and the overwhelming consequences of creation. I am often drawn towards books with a similar premise to Titan's Tears and I was not disappointed with this story- though I feel the pacing up until the halfway point was just slightly too slow to keep my focus. Although the characters take awhile to draw a strong attachment, it is worth the hike to the middle and the easy, thrilling trek to the end. Juno, a mysterious child with beautiful (and blind) eyes, is the soul of the story. She is lovely and strange and it is worth reading even if just to get to know her. The descriptions of scenery and animals and architecture are truly stunning and lush, even during the slower points of the story.

I was fortunate enough to request and receive a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley, and my opinions are all my own. For casual readers this may not be enough of an attention grabber, but for science fiction and dystopia/utopia fans, I can easily see this becoming a cult classic.

This book was in my opinion Slow yet well written. He book is set in some time in a dystopian future . We are following Sophia the CEO of an advanced computer/AI and bio engineering company. Her 8 year old daughter Juno
Juno’s nanny and a miserable old man named Seth. Even though we are following four different characters they are so different in their perspective and their ages, and they are such well-developed characters that it was very easy to follow along and if you didn’t see whose name was at the beginning of each chapter you would still know we were in.

There was so much action packed into this pretty short book. It was only 298 pages, but there was so much happening yet it was easy to follow along, and all of the scientific terms were well explained, Reading this book made me feel like I was watching an epic sci-fi movie

Maybe I’ve read too many similar books but a couple of twists were predictable but the last one had me.

I will admit that when I first started reading, I didn’t think that I would enjoy the book as much as I did. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers if they like sci-fi, or dystopian novels.

There was one other thing that I noticed about this art, which was that there were a lot of grammatical mistakes. There are added words, missing words, punctuation, not present where it was needed, and there was repetition of certain phrases as well so I do think that the novel does need further editing before it is fully released.
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ARC received by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

*** I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review***

I typically books very quickly and I struggled with this one. I could not get into it, and the story line seemed jumbled. It is set in the unspecified future where AI has a heavy presence in the world. The premise and cast of characters did not seem to mesh well and it seemed like too many elements were thrown into the plot to try and make it more interesting. This one was not for me, but I would try reading something else by Chad Lester.

Thank you NetGalley.

I want to start by saying that the conclusion weaves the different story threads together and answers your questions. Getting to that point, though, was arduous for me. As you follow Belle's, Sophia's and Seth's lives, there is so much that didn't make sense or was left unsaid. I do understand that the story was told in an 'all will be revealed in time' manner, but that left me feeling that some of the actions were unlikely. The tale is futuristic and foretells genetic technology that has potential, while also discussing the ethical implications. There is a small character set and the setting is focused on the island. Juno is a powerful character, while also being understated and fun. I did enjoy the story even though I had my reservations. And, again, the conclusion had some surprises and tied all of the loose ends together in a very clever manner!

As a reader, I am really enjoying how there is a strong trend toward speculative fiction/ Dystopic Fiction combined with Sci-Fi and it's becoming a more and more plausible concept (which in turn places it firmly into the thriller/psych thriller genre also)

Belle receives a once-in a lifetime offer to go and work for Sophia Eccleston, the number one scientist in the world. This was an offer that was impossible to refuse; a remote Alaskan island, opulent (if a little strict on the security front - strict could not be more of an understatement at this point) Everything is bliss, if a little, strange, until, she is arrested for murder and her life begins to spiral out of control

Titan's Tears explores how AI and Robots begin to take overhuman roles, beginning with simple tasks and becoming more and more prolific, making human life more and more obsolete.

This book begins steady away but as Lester builds the world, leads into a powerful crescendo. The second half of the book is fast-paced, intricately woven and demonstrates a powerful insight into the human psyche as it adapts to an ever-decreasing role in the world while trying to survive against a seemingly unstoppable force hell bent on taking over life as we know it

A phenomenal novel that is as captivating and intriguing as it is chilling. Chad Lester artfully combines genres and insodoing, creates a novel that is a real powerhouse of a read and could match War of the Worlds (HG Wells) and Asimov's Robot series in it's insight of human nature in the face of non-human dominance/ evolution of AI and I would highly recommend it

Thank you to Netgalley and Chad Lester for the opportunity to read this incredible ARC. My review is lef tvoluntarily and all opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley and Chad Lester for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Titan's Tears shows us the pros and cons that can come with a technologically advanced future. It takes place in a dystopian reality where robots are taking the place of workers and human organs can be grown in a matter of minutes. All three protagonists give the reader a different view of the bizarre ways of the world, from Seth being declared obsolete in the workplace to Juno's "Forever Kitten" that seemingly doesn't age.

The buildup was a bit slow, some major events not occurring until more than halfway through the book, but otherwise I really enjoyed the pacing. It gives you plenty of time to learn about and care about each character. I was DEEPLY invested in Belle & Juno's relationship; in one of the first few chapters Belle mentions how much she loves to work with children and always wanted to be a teacher, and that is perfectly conveyed through her interactions with Juno. The author did a good job of show don't tell, but there were a lot of repeated phrases such as nervousness being portrayed by characters "wringing their hands together" multiple times, and I would've liked more variety in that regard.

At times I was confused by the narrator asking rhetorical questions as if they were asked by the character in their own head which didn't make a lot of sense in a third person POV, but I don't think it took away from the overall impact of the story which is where this book shines. It subverted my expectations, and ended in a way that left a bit up to interpretation while still tying up the important loose ends. It's not a story I will be forgetting anytime soon, and one I genuinely enjoyed. I hope to read more books from this author in the future.

Such a fabulous read, I’m not usually fan sci-fi but this book had me frantically turning pages wanting to find out what happens next, there was a lot of plot twists that I didn’t expect. The different characters and their development was excellent and unique.
The parallels we get between AI technology and the interactions between characters is something special I didn’t pick up on at first but on reflection is quite impressive.

Although the book takes a while to get started and doesn’t particularly create an atmosphere like some books do, I still found it enjoyable.

Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time!

A mysterious blind child an AI empire and a nanny with a hazy background what a great concoction. Easy reading and left me guessing what on earth was going on . I found the characters really likeable specially Juno ,the story was great and the ending left me satisfied.

The future is almost here, and those who hold the knowledge hold the key. Can they be trusted with the technology to do the right thing? Is it all as it seems? Read to find out. Very intriguing book on futuristic genetic technology.

This book had me gripped from the beginning. Wanting to work out who everyone was, what linked everyone together etc. It had so many twists and turns, I didn’t know what to expect. The plot twist at the end was also incredible - I didn’t see it coming. I loved all the characters and haven’t read anything like it. Really enjoyable!

A really gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to look out for more by this author.

This wasn’t the book i was expecting, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Overall I enjoyed this. At times the language felt a little forced/unnecessarily verbose but the writing on the whole was excellent.

There were many aspects I wasn’t expecting, which kept it interesting. In time there will be a lot more science fiction written on this topic, but this will manage to stand up amongst them.

I devoured Titan’s Tears in only a couple of days. Although it starts off on the slower side, taking its time to set up the scene and characters, it’s worth sticking with it because it really picks up. It’s like diving into a future that feels familiar yet is laced with the kind of sci-fi elements that make you do a double take. Sophie Ecclestone is a tech genius living on an Alaskan island that’s like a toned-down version of “Jurassic Park,” and dealing with boardroom drama. She mysteriously hires Belle as a nanny for her gifted daughter. The story also introduces Seth, whose past brings a gritty, real-world edge to the mix, showing just how rough things can get.
I thought the book played well with the theme of “being careful what you wish for”, especially with the current buzz around AI. It’s this mix of thrilling storyline and a thought-provoking message that kept me turning pages. The chapters are titled by character and time which helped me to navigate through the twists and turns of the characters lives in a world that’s feels familiar but fully embraces the sci-fi genre. Even though it begins leisurely, the action ramps up, delivering excitement and some great twists—some predictable, others surprising. The balance between action and the exploration of themes like human ambition vs. technological overreach is well-handled, and really got me thinking whilst being fully entertained.
Despite a start that requires a bit of patience, “Titan’s Tears” evolves into a compelling read that’s a mix of action, speculative fiction, and commentary on our potential future. The blend of character-driven stories with a backdrop of technological intrigue makes for a unique tale. Some parts might feel overdone (the Pleistocene Park), and you might guess a few plot points, but the entire book is packed with enough surprises and depth to make it worth your while. I’m giving it a solid 4 stars for managing to both entertain me and provoke my thoughts, it’s a recommendation for those who like their sci-fi with a side order of introspection on where we might be headed under the gaze of Artificial Intelligence- well done.

If you were not worried about Artificial Intelligence already then you will by the end of the book. Throw in some Killer robots and jurrassic park like animals and there is plenty of action which is centred in a small island off the Alaskan mainland where Sophia ruthlessly runs a company that is involved in gene editing and has developed the best AI in the world.
There is a gradual build up to this as we are told of workers getting replaced by machines by heartless bosses and people getting mental implants and selecting their genes and becoming more machine like and less human themselves.
Belle ,who’s background is left vague but whose life is going nowhere, surprisingly becomes nanny to Sophia’s daughter Juno. She is blind and has a very restricted life not being allowed out of the compound where she lives. But Juno is under threat and Belle is determined to protect her and is the only person who seems to care at all about Juno.
I think this book is very enjoyable regardless of whether the tale twists are spotted or not and the action in the last section of the book between the AI and the forces that are trying to control it make for engrossing page turning.
Apart from an episode of bullets getting turned to dust in mid flight, most of the action is fairly believable which makes our future all the more worrying.

I went into this book with an open mind knowing very little about it and there was an awful lot to like! A really great premise and overall a very compelling read although I felt some of the scenes around the "Pleistocene Park" were a little unnecessary and didn't really add to the story. I enjoyed the relationship between Belle and Juno, and I loved the twists at the end where I found myself rooting for the "bad guy". This book has lots of interesting things to say regarding our relationship to technology and the places it might lead us.

Started slowly and slightly confusingly then gradually things became a lot clearer and interesting. The AI concepts were intriguing and perhaps frightening if they could become reality one day.

The story was well written and I liked the way everything came together at the end.

I've just finished reading Titan's Tears by Chad Lester. It's an unusual story based around the desire for eternal youth. Although a lot of the story is far fetched, it is basically a science fiction novel set in the future and the plot is interesting.
I found the story a bit slow and confusing to start with, once I got into it I was really involved. For readers who like dystopian novels I would recommend Titan's Tears as an interesting read.

I have to say the concept of this book both intrigued me and worried me at the same time but I am so glad I have read it. A very well written story that I would highly recommend. Not going to give any of the story away, read it.

I thought the isolating element worked perfectly with that isolated feel of Alaska. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the scifi feel of this. It had that mystery element that I was looking for and enjoyed going through this book. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed the Gothic feel to this book. It uses the technology elements perfectly in this world. I enjoyed the way Chad Lester wrote this and can't wait for more from them.

a read that starts off a little slow, but pays off in the end with a satisfying ending and a well-integrated story. it’s an interesting look into the future of a world heavily reliant on technology and with the recent rise of ai, it gives you a lot to think about. sci fi isn’t my usual genre even though i’m up for it if the premise looks interesting, and i’m happy this delivered. thank you for the arc!

This was such a great read. The twists had me confused right to the end and loved that it was set around so much unknown still in the world and the possibilities of what science can achieve.
Would recommend to all my friends

This is a dystopian future novel, covering topics of biomedical advances and artificial intelligence. It is narrated by a tech CEO, her daughter, a nanny and a gig-economy worker. It looks at the impact of technology on people in general and the god-complex attitudes of those creating the technology, all folded together in a mystery to be solved.

TITAN'S TEARS: A scary, gritty, gripping look at an AI-heavy near future.
AI seems to be all the rage these days, so I was quite hyped to find a book that wants to deliver on this statement at a quite literal level, and succeeds in doing so.
TITAN'S TEARS, written by a Mr. Chad Lester who has definitely become an author to watch for yours truly, tells the story of a not-too-distant future, where AI rules with an iron fist. Sophia Ecclestone, a billionaire, is using AI for the apparent betterment of mankind. She comes across Belle, who is jobless and isolated, and hires her as a nanny for her brilliant, blind daughter, 8-year-old Juno. Another arrival to the island is Seth, a tragedy-plagued badass antiheroic type. These four characters provide the emotional anchors of a story set in a cold, calculated world. This is a gritty, intense story, but also a hopeful one, filled with moments of human warmth and connection. A story we are in need of. Solid ten out of five.

Hang in there - this starts slowly, but it is worth the weight. Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I thank the author, Publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book in return for a fair review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, albeit that it required a massive suspension of disbelief as it neared its conclusion. It is a mixture of fantasy, science-fiction and mystery. I cannot say too much about the plot in order to avoid spoilers. The set-up is excellent introducing the reader to two of the main characters but giving us no clues as to their linkages and then throwing in a “mad scientist “. There are lots of twists and turns and the characters are well drawn to engage our empathy. I look forward to more books by this writer.

Sci-fi allows an author to make up rules (as long as they're plausible) and take you anywhere. I quickly got into this futuristic Alaska and the characters were well written. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing and there's a satisfying ending. Well done Mr Lester.

Titan's Tears is a futuristic tale of how far some people are willing to go to push the boundaries of science and what it means to be human. Is AI evil, or is it humankind?

The book follows Belle, who is an orphan but has limited memories of her past. She is offered the job opportunity of a lifetime, acting as a nanny to Juno. The daughter of the worlds most powerful and rich women, Sophia Eccleston. This makes no sense to Belle as she has not applied for the job, nor does she have any particular experience that would set her up for such an opportunity. It all seems too good to be true.

Alongside Belle's story, we get Seth's. Seth's story starts 25 years in the past and then quickly catches up to the current events. Both stories intertwine in a cat and mouse chase where it is unclear just whose side you need to be on.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, some aspects are far-fetched, but it is science fiction, not reality, so I am happy to suspend belief! I liked the different viewpoints, and they way it all came together and made sense at the end. The story kept me engaged, and I wanted to know what was going to happen. I will definitely look out for more books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author Chad Lester for providing an ARC copy for an honest review.

Sophia is not only the cleverest person in the world, Nobel prizewinner for the unifying theory, but also CEO of the worlds biggest, most innovative tech company. Belle is a disorientated outcast in a remote village who, out of the blue, receives a job offer she can't refuse - nanny to Juno, the blind daughter of Sophia.. She has to live in the tech company citadel, under the tightest security. Unbeknown to her there is a move afoot to dislodge Sophia from the head of the company. A drama is about to erupt. Its an action packed thriller set in a post Jurassic park swarming with deextinctioned beasts and forces Belle never could have imagined. Its a struggle between good and evil and the only thing Belle has to offer is that she loves Juno and will doo anything and everything to protect her..

WOW I really enjoyed Titan's Tears by Chad Lester it was my first time reading a book by this author. This is a sci-fi thriller which made me think that this content could well be the future outcome for ourselves and is actually happening in some parts of the world as we speak.

The story begins with an unmarried Mother Sophia placing her baby daughter into a convent as she wanted to further her career aspects and it would be feasible if she was single and without commitments.

This was a time when a third of the population were human and the rest android/bots. Sophia became the CEO of her own company called Eccleston Evolution where she has created the Dream Maker/Darwinisim.

Seth is an employee who worked in a warehouse and later a slaughter house to provide for his family Anna and baby girl Joan. Nobody warned the employees that they would be working with hazardous material and a lot left or went off sick and some tried to warn Seth not to work there but to no avail as he wanted to make a better life for Anna and Joan no matter what it cost.

Belle who was adopted from a convent by a couple who loved l her ike she was their own flesh and blood. Belle became a Nanny to disabled children but wanted badly to leave the village she lived in as life was so monotonous as the majority of the villagers were not socialble and she felt like she was being watched.

One day out of the blue Belle gets an invitation to leave the village and work for an inventor, Sophia as a Nanny to Juno who is her daughter.

Belle remembers her adoptive parents telling her "Love is blood sweat, and tears and it's both an agony and the highest form of beauty.

Parts of this sci fi reminded me of Jurassic Park and is jam packed with plenty of chases, danger, murder and also a beautiful love story.

Such an intriguing book - and a subject matter that is so apt right now. I am sure that there will be lots more in this genre.

With what feels like two entirely separate storylines, Titan's Tears doesn't feel all that far into the future anymore with daily updates on AI advancements in the real world. 

Chad Lester does a brilliant job of describing the futuristic world inhabited by Sophia and her wonderful inventions, while at the same time bringing the day to day drudgery of Seth's world to life. Lots to think about in Seth's world, with the sobering depiction of humans being continually replaced in the workforce.

I loved all the animals and species that were un-endangered and think this would work really well on Netflix.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this arc.

I love a dystopian novel and this one did not disappoint! At the beginning I didn’t quite connect but as I read more I then did and couldn’t put it down. The story focuses on four characters through three POVs a set in rural Alaska. There are twists and turns throughout, some I predicted but some I did not. A very gripping sci-fi dystopian novel I would recommend to many!

Oh my goodness. What a ride! I had no idea that this was going to be an exhilarating dystopian story that’s just on the right side of plausible. The setting; remote and I inviting, just off the Alaskan coast. That’s creepy for starters. The central characters; Belle, charged with murder, a slaughterhouse worker and Sophie, a troubled scientist. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot it seems. The story around these three characters is so carefully plotted and builds bit by bit after a relatively slow start, I was transfixed and it’s difficult to describe without revealing too much by way of plot, but it’s an engaging exploration of science going potentially mad and the awful consequences. Original, disturbing and I absolutely loved it.

I received a free copy from Netgalley to review, below is the blurb
"Just when Belle had thought her life couldn’t get any weirder, she finds herself arrested for murder. Only a few months ago, she was living in a peculiar village, cut off from civilization, where she suffered from bizarre hallucinations and nightmares. Then she received a mysterious invitation to work for the world’s most brilliant scientist—the enigmatic Sophia Eccleston. The pay was outstanding. The accommodations, second to none. The catch? Belle had to live on isolated island and follow strict, often bizarre security protocols.

Meanwhile a slaughterhouse worker is declared obsolete, replaced by machines, and becomes a bearded recluse. As he sits in his crumbling manor awaiting the cancer to take him, he too receives an unusual invitation to the strange island, where either his salvation or damnation awaits.

Things aren’t going well for Sophia, either. She’s facing the hostile takeover of her life’s work—her company—all while striving to keep the true identity of her eight-year-old daughter a secret. The three will meet on an isle where murder-machines and transgenic creatures run amok, in a gothic odyssey of technology unleashed."

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love reading stories where different characters tell their story that seem unrelated but eventually come together, and this definitely was one of these. A fascinating take on a popular theme at the moment on where AI might be taking us. I felt invested in all the characters in this novel especially Seth. A great read, however the ending did not feel as strong as the rest if the story. Having said that, I have been recommending it to friends as a great book.

Bella is a nanny but can’t get a job. She seems a bit lost and feeling like she is missing something. Stuck in a town that’s isolated and in what feels like a dead end life. She wants something more. Out of nowhere, Belle gets an offer she thinks is too good to be true.

Seth is good at his job, but the machines are taking over. So he tries his hand at another job, which he becomes more than proficient at. Unfortunately the machines have progressed again and he looses his job again. He has huge loss in his life and a diagnosis that he only has months to live. He becomes disillusioned with everything and resigned to his fate. Until he gets an offer he can’t refuse.

Billionaire Sophia is the figurehead of her company, a scientist, a recluse and she lives on a secluded island with her secret daughter at her research facility. Are Sophia’s experiments ethical? Is her science the future or the downfall?

This book has so many twists, turns and ‘I didn’t see that coming’ moments.
I found this book very hard to put down!

It also makes you question, ‘Is AI a good or bad thing?’

I will be looking out for more Chad Lester novels.

#TitansTears #NetGalley

Now this was a really interesting story, a woman in nowhere’s ville Alaska becomes the nanny to one of the most powerful and richest woman on the planet to look after her daughter and that’s when things start to look a little odd. Why her?? This near ish future shows us the potential dangers of AI. One thing that I wasn’t to sure on was the way Belle, the nanny, was quite vocal with Sophia the scientist about how she should look after the child. But all in a exciting page turner with a nice twist.

Chad Lester’s “Titan’s Tears” is a mind-bending thrill ride that will leave you equal parts dazzled and deeply unsettled. Set in a near-future Alaska where human augmentation and robotic labor are the norm, Lester crafts a world both eerily familiar and terrifyingly advanced.

The beauty of “Titan’s Tears” lies in its slow-burn approach. We follow three seemingly unconnected characters: a disillusioned slaughterhouse worker, a brilliant but ostracized scientist, and a nanny grappling with a strange protege child. As the story unfolds, Lester masterfully weaves their narratives together, building a sense of unease that creeps up on you like a rogue AI in the night.

The real chills begin when hints of a superintelligence lurking behind the scenes start to emergehinting at the potential dangers of unchecked technology, making you question the convenience of a world where robots do your bidding and spare organs can be 3D printed. Buckle up, because as the plot threads converge with a series of well-placed twists, you’ll find yourself rethinking your morning commute in a self-driving car.

“Titan’s Tears” isn’t just a thrilling sci-fi adventure; it’s a stark warning about the potential pitfalls of progress. By the time you reach the climax, you’ll be both exhilarated and terrified, a testament to the power of this novel. “Titan’s Tears” is a dystopian sci-fi tale that will stay with you long after the final page.

This book was a little slow at first but then once the story got started I was hooked. I loved it and would recommend reading

I don't know what I expected when I requested this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I would consider this more plot-driven rather than character-driven and it was entertaining from start to finish. This book has some thoughtful Oryx and Crake-esque points and Jurrasic Park-level action. I would have liked the characters to be more hashed out and I wish their motives for certain things were more clear. I would be interested in reading more books by this author! This is a 3.75/5 rounded up to a 4.

Let me first start by saying that ordinarily this is not a book I would pick to read! Boy am I glad I did. Absolutely Brill. Very well written characters and story.

Thankyou to net valley for allowing me to read this early. I was pleasantly surprised at this was my first sci fi book and really enjoyed it. I rated this one 3.75 stars. For a more in depth review you can watch my tiktok linked below

A fantastic read, incredibly engaging and very fast paced. The unexpected twists and turns were intriguing and combined well at the end although the last quarter of the book seemed quite rushed but that didn’t take away my enjoyment. I definitely recommend this book. It would also make an excellent film! Going with 5 starts despite the ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Rounding up to a 4.5!

Not a genre I would usually choose but also, I’m not sure what the genre of this book would be classified as!? It had a bit of everything! My partner and I read it at the same time and kept overtaking one another and gasping at the twists and turns! I haven’t read anything by this author before but can’t wait to read what’s next.

My only criticism, the ending seems a little rushed compared to the detail and finesse of the main body.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exhange for a fair and honest review.

I requsted this book as the write up sounded very good and a thriller, it was not until I started to read that i discovered that it was sci fi which is noy my genre reading at all. Having said that depsite its very slow start it was a mesmerising read and I enjoyed the story. I felt that Chad had managed to intertwine all the characters so well and although the plots were really too far fetched for my liking I could still feel for the characters. Whilst reading I kept on wondering how would Seth, Bella and Juno fall survive and at what cost to them.
This was a thriller of sorts, just with a far fetched future basis. It is very twisty but the main thought that i have ended up with i that this demonstrates the fears and troubles that AI and Bots can cause. As humans we all need to temoer our thughts very carefully.

We’re off to a slow start, but things build up once Belle arrives at Sophia’s work/compound.
Throughout, there are sections of info-dumping, and the thoughts of the author regarding AI come leaping off the page, but this is interesting work. Three different threads converge in a way that isn’t too gimmicky.

The author carefully balances the potential goodness of technology with the bad. I did find myself skimming during the action scenes in the Pleistocene area, I do tend to drift off when there are pages and pages of action in a row, but I feel that they were unnecessary.

I found the ending satisfying. Although this is a dystopian novel, we are left with a sense of hope for the future.

I’m afraid I wasn’t able to finish this ARC - I managed about 10%, but I found it really underwhelming. It just seemed to be trying to do too many things at once; I couldn’t place the story in a time or setting I understood and I eventually lost patience with the number of times I read ‘she found herself in…’.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I liked the idea of this book more than I enjoyed the reading experience. It seemed to suffer from the same thing I find a lot of near-future sci-fi's do. Too many ideas with none of them executed to their full potential. This book had a super AI, currently extinct animals, a genius and reclusive scientist, a mysterious child, and more. Nothing was really explained science-wise and it did require a massive suspension of disbelief when it came to certain aspects of how things happened. It relied often on "The super AI did it", rather than coming up with actual explanations.

The characters also weren't the most compelling to read about. The main character, Belle, was a nanny with a past that wasn't given, so she didn't feel very well fleshed out. Yes, that was purposeful, but it meant that she became a background character in her own story. She felt like everything was happening to her, rather than her doing anything to further her own plot. The more compelling character was Seth. He at least had a backstory so I grew to somewhat care about him. But even then it felt like he had very little agency. He just did what he was told and never really seemed to control his own life. Reading about these character felt like reading about dolls, if that makes any sense.

The world itself was also confusing. The island this is set on was built somewhat like a theme park with no tourists. There was a whole escape scene where characters are running through the forest and the encounter every possible dangerous extinct animal. That scene felt like what this whole book felt like, very choppy, predictable, incomplete, and overwritten.

Now, I did dislike this book, as it may come across so far. There was some really cool ideas, I just wished they would have been explored more. There was an Amazon-like company that was overly controlling, ranked their workers, and performed massive layoffs so AI's could do things faster and cheaper. That scene was maybe five pages until we went back to a slow paced style. There were definitely sprinkles of really compelling stuff in this book. I think if Lester would have narrowed his focus, I would have enjoyed this much more. The length and sheer amount of ideas inside this book were overwhelming when paired with the pacing and characters that weren't enjoyable to read about.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This started off SO promising for me. I read the first third of the book within a day because I was so intrigued by what was unfolding. The sense of suspense was really present and I liked the integration of AI and futuristic sci-fi advancements with medical care and technology.
However, I found the three POVs quite jarring. Seth felt like a strange addition, and Sophia's chapters felt like a repetition of the last chapter we had from her perspective. The only POV I found myself excited to read was for Belle and Juno.
Overall, I felt like this was an interesting premise that fell short on the execution.

Wow! I didn’t see that coming. A fantasy story that starts with seemingly unconnected parts, has ninety degree turns rather than plot twists, and a pace that just keeps building. The ending - I really didn’t see that when I started reading. Summed up - superb fantasy. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given. Thank you to Chad Lester and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

This book had me catching flies in my mouth, such a page turner leaving you shocked and wanting more. This book was written so well with different perspectives and taeks into account how AI and robots start to take over human careers and activities.
This novel is captivating and left me wanting to read more. Lester is a very creative author and I can't wait to read more from him.

Review of eBook

An obviously desperate young mother stumbles through the snow to leave her infant daughter at the remote Oregon convent of the Carmelites. Thirty years later, Belle has survived a difficult childhood and now finds herself in the small Alaskan village of Kobuksville. Despite her best efforts, Belle’s job-searching has proven futile.

When she receives a strange offer for a job interview, she is whisked away on a private jet for a meeting with a brilliant scientist, Sophia Eccleston, the chief executive officer of Eccleston Evolution, the company she’d founded. It seems that Sophia needs a nanny for her eight-year-old blind daughter, Juno.

And she needs to fight the hostile takeover of Eccleston Evolution.

=========

This dystopian science fiction story focuses its terrifying tale on the potential dangers of both technology and Artificial Intelligence. The plot offers readers some unexpected twists as the unfolding narrative reveals some surprising facts.

Strong characters and an inventive plot pull readers into the telling of this near future tale from the outset. As the unfolding story reveals long-held secrets, readers discover the pitfalls of the technology that has been unleashed on humanity.

Readers who enjoy technological thrillers and/or science fiction will find much to appreciate in this intriguing tale.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from Chad Lester and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#TitansTears #NetGalley

A slow start but builds up to a wonderful book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Well drawn characters that you are invested in. Plenty of twists highly recommend. Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a review copy.

Overall a very enjoyable book, with good amounts of ominous and some cute aspects.. although some of the chapters could've been shorter and less 'wordy', I did find myself sucked in to the story..
So much so that I didn't see the full twist coming.
Very scarily possible as well, which I absolutely loved!

This book is told in 3 separate POV's with varying time differences.
6% - the descriptions so far of the town setting is absolutely gorgeous, and I want to go to there.
20% - I did not at all take this book for one that would make tears well up in my eyes, wtf.
Little Juno has my heart.

This is so good, the book is a little slow to start, not in a way that makes you want to put it down, still intriguing. BUT, once you hit that halfway mark the book goes OFF. I can't be stopped. I stayed up way past my bedtime to continue this one. The way the author bring everything together in the end is so surprising and so, so worth the read.

This will be a physical purchase for me.

TW: death of a child/ family member, and abuse

The all-too-possible possibilities shared in this novel scared the heck out of me. Technology’s pitiless tentacles into the minds and behaviours of mankind exist in ‘Titan’s Tears’ to horrifying effect. I found the first half of the novel rather a slow burn – wanted the characters to get on with it and make me turn the pages faster … the second half delivered. Tension, pace, astonishing effects and events, ruthlessness and the race for moral sovereignty leap off the pages. I awarded myself an extra glass of wine because I fathomed some of the connections and outcomes – and to calm the palpitations because of the harrowing potentials posited.

3.5* rounded up

Dystopian Science-Fiction is one of my favourite sub-genres of SF and I will always take a chance on an intriguing premise which Titan's Tear really has!

In this novel we follow Belle, Sophia and Seth all connected by Eccleston Evolution, and their mysterious campus. Belle is seeking a better life and is offered the opportunity to be a nanny for Juno, Sophia's daughter. The catch, she must live under strict and bizarre security protocols on an isolated island. Sophia, as head of Eccleston Evolution is facing a hostile takeover and she will do anything to avert it and Seth is declared obsolete, replaced by machines, at the slaughterhouse and becomes a bearded recluse but also received an unusual invitation to the island where either his salvation or damnation awaits.

What follows is an initially slow paced and disjointed tale but with some great world building that bring a real sense of place to the story. Despite the pace and a little bit of confusion it kept me intrigued as to what would come next and at about the 50% mark it really took off and the build up paid off.

The various strands all came together with a mix of AI and androids involved. The whole book had a sense of foreboding to it and several ominous aspects including how much potential there is for some of the story elements to become real world reality. I wanted to keep reading to see what twists would unravel and secrets revealed.

Overall an enjoyable read and readers of technological thrillers/science-fiction will likely enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chad Lester for a digital review copy of "Titan's Tears" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

In my view, this book, though slow-paced, is exceptionally well-written. Set in a dystopian future, it follows Sophia, the CEO of an advanced AI and bioengineering company, her 8-year-old daughter Juno, Juno’s nanny, and a grouchy old man named Seth. Despite the different perspectives and ages of the four main characters, they are so well-developed that it’s easy to follow their distinct narratives, even without seeing their names at the beginning of each chapter.
The book, though relatively short, isn’t a particularly easy read. However, it is packed with action, the storyline is straightforward to follow, and the scientific concepts are clearly explained. Although some plot twists were predictable, the final twist genuinely surprised me.
Initially, I doubted how much I would enjoy the book, but it exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend it to fans of sci-fi or dystopian novels

Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley & the author Chad Lester for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Wow, where do I start? This review will be spoiler-free, so if you want plot details, this one might not be what you're looking for. Here, I'll focus on the book's vibe and my thoughts on certain aspects.

The story is unlike anything I've read before, blending sci-fi themes like AI and technological advances with multiple main characters and mysteries. Initially, the plot feels very disjointed, but it surprisingly comes together very well by the end. The intriguing ideas kept me hooked. And I personally very much love being able to predict some twists while being surprised by others & for me this book kept the perfect balance of that.

However, I didn't vibe too much with the writing. At times, it felt confusing, requiring multiple rereads to grasp the scenes. Another thing is the overuse of coincidences. That really broke my immersion at a certain point as I just became too aware of the frequency. While some can be explained away after finishing the book, I feel like there could have been more creative options.
Additionally, as a huge nerd, inaccuracies in facts bother me to no end. You really had me question my neuro knowledge & not even over advanced stuff but basics like what the cerebrum and cerebellum are important for.

Overall, I recommend the book, though it can be a slog at times. The payoff was worth it for me, and I look forward to seeing the author’s improvements and future ideas!

When Belle gets a job working for CEO and tech giant Sophia Eccleston, she is excited for the new direction in her life, but things on the mysterious island the company is located on, are not what they appear.

Titan’s Tears was a book of two halves for me – the first half is a thriller, there’s 3 central characters – Belle the Nanny, Sophia the Tech CEO and Seth, a factory worker who is slowly being made redundant due to technology. We are introduced to these characters in a way that kept my interest and each character is well defined and is different from the other two. Although Belle and Sophia’s perspectives cross together fairly early on, it’s more difficult to see how Seth fits into the picture until later. I didn’t feel like we learnt anything from Sophia’s narrative chapters, although she was keeping a lot of secrets, they weren’t really revealed until later in other characters chapters, so hers just felt a little dull when no new information was given to the reader, and it was frustratingly clear she was holding things back.

The latter half of the book is more of an action-packed techno-thriller, full of AI and murder-bots and Jurassic Park style once-extinct animals. This part wasn’t as interesting for me and a lot of it felt convenient to the plot, rather than fully formed world-building. The extinct animals park in particular, felt very underused and just thrown in to be able to compare it to Jurassic Park. The world at large was a little confusing, the ‘Modern Era – Post Singularity’ which heads up each chapter is confusing as this never changes, despite a few time-jumps in the narrative.

Overall, Titan’s Tears could do with a bit more of a stiff edit to tie it together to a cohesive story, but I thought there were some great ideas in there. Thank you to NetGalley and the author Chad Lester for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy.
An absolute blast. Loved every parts of this book.

Now, this is one Very Interesting book as it manages to take so many of today's discoveries and "over the top companies", move them into the future, and make them all far more dangerous than they already are in 2024!

Just like today's world, where there is "us" and "them", it offers what will be the "us" and "them" in a not too distant future and, speaking for myself, I can see us inching, day by day, towards the dystopian future that Titan's Tears describes.

The picture that Chad Lester paints is vivid enough that it reinforces, far too well, my expectations of the world to come. I know it is supposed to be fiction but, if you have been able to read the likes of Jules Verne's Paris in the Twentieth Century and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, you will know that Science Fiction/Fantasy has a tendency to become the world we end up living in.

This book had me very intrigued
I love a dystopian novel and this one I found rather fascinating.
The concept of science and AI I was invested from the off.
The chapters are perfect lovely and short for you to just keep reading one more, I did find it a little confusing to start and I feel reading it physically probably would of been a much better experience however, that being said I really enjoyed this book and will most definitely recommend.

Absolutely original and brilliant! As it progressed, this became a book that was incredibly hard to put down, and I devoured it in a short space of time.
I loved the unusual story; I read a lot of scifi and normally recognise themes etc, but this was a new one for me.
The twists that came near the end were fantastic.

A futuristic story that draws you in. Like all of this genre you have to go with the flow and suspend belief at times. The characters were well drawn and the twists that came later were well concealed.
It did become a little complicated towards the end but stick with it and it all becomes clear.
Not my usual type of read but I enjoyed it - and it did make me think.