Scott's Take: Titan Song (The Carter Archives: Book Three) by Dan Stout

Titan Song (The Carter Archives: Book Three) by Dan Stout is heavily based on the idea that readers have read the previous two books before picking up this read. This time Carter and Ajax are investigating a series of gruesome murders. The first murder occurs at a multi-day concert out in the ice plains (think Lollapalooza). As they investigate, Carter tries to keep secret his new ability to manipulate magic.

 

The above plot blurb barely touches what is going on in the very complicated read. If anything, the book is too complicated as there are so many factions and conflicting motives, one could use a diagram or chart explaining all of it. The book has so many characters that some characters get the short end of the stick such as Carter’s adopted daughter. There are so many characters with their own agendas that several antagonistic characters with a lot of storytelling potential end up getting very little page time. There is a lot of set up for the next book in this book.

 

It is very similar to the first two books so, if you liked the first two books, you will like this one too. Personally, I found it to be the weakest of this book series. This was true throughout the read but was really brought home with the ending as that fundamentally changed this series from what I expected. As the murders are based in magic and there is little evidence, Carter and Ajax sit around discussing theories for much of the book with little action.

 

While I still enjoyed Titan Song (The Carter Archives: Book Three), it was not nearly as good as the first two. Interested readers should definitely read the first two books in the series before attempting to read this one and should be prepared for an ending here that changes the series to something different than what readers would expect based on the other books.

 

The books in the series and my reviews:

Scott's Take: Titanshade by Dan Stout (March 2020)

Scott's Take: Titan’s Shade (The Carter Archives Book 2) by Dan Stout (January 2021)

 

Titan Song (The Carter Archives: Book Three)

Dan Stout

https://www.danstout.com/

Daw Books (Penguin Random House)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/663065/titan-song-by-dan-stout/9780756417468

April 2021

ISBN# 978-0756417468 

Hardback (also available in eBook and Paperback formats)

384 Pages 

 

 

My reading copy came by way of the Skillman Southwestern Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2021