Titanshade

The Carter Archives, Book 1

By: Dan Stout

Narrated by: Mikael Naramore

Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

This noir fantasy thriller from a debut author introduces the gritty town of Titanshade, where danger lurks around every corner.

Carter's a homicide cop in Titanshade, an oil boomtown where 8-tracks are state of the art, disco rules the radio, and all the best sorcerers wear designer labels. It's also a metropolis teetering on the edge of disaster. As its oil reserves run dry, the city's future hangs on a possible investment from the reclusive amphibians known as Squibs.

But now negotiations have been derailed by the horrific murder of a Squib diplomat. The pressure's never been higher to make a quick arrest, even as Carter's investigation leads him into conflict with the city's elite. Undermined by corrupt coworkers and falsified evidence, and with a suspect list that includes power-hungry politicians, oil magnates, and mad scientists, Carter must find the killer before the investigation turns into a witch-hunt and those closest to him pay the ultimate price on the filthy streets of Titanshade.

©2019 Dan Stout. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

perfect for fans of buffy or dresden files

absolutely loved it. I like noir, I like fantasy, I like strong world building and a whodunnit mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. this has all of the above. can't recommend enough!

Intensely satisfying.

As if the misunderstood cop with the new partner wasn't enough for me this story is rife with social commentary, questions of scientific ethics and even some really compelling ideas on metaphysics.
The story neatly blends very recognizable features of current culture with new species, religious ideology and law enforcement challenges all without loosing both its sense of humor and it's edge. The very end had me quietly sobbing even after hours of quality whodunit.

My kind of story telling.

Looking forward to more from both the author and this fabulous narrator.

Really good character driven story

My genre preferences are all over the board, But I do find more and more that I need good characters to really enjoy a book, and this story has that. So Just on character development alone I feel this book is well worth the credit. I also enjoy a noir detective story and this has that sort of feel, but goes a little off the rails in that department, not in a bad way though, just different, which I found refreshing. Ol' Carter does get in quite a few brawls, so if you're a Jack Reacher fan, you're covered.
Like I said this book is well worth the credit, click on my name, if this book was a piece of crap, I would tell you,
But why then, only three stars for the story, sorry to say, I need a twist at the end, I mean I saw one kinda (Trying not to spoil) but the "OH SHIT!" out loud twist to bump up to the 5 star level wasn't there, but I will absolutely be following this series, These characters held my interest much more than 90% of the books I listen to. And the performance was outstanding. Somehow Mikael managed to convey some over the top characters without overacting, what a pleasure to take in. Thanks Michael and Dan.

Solid police procedural- left wanting elsewhere

This delivered a solid, gritty police procedural. Befitting the noir vibe, it’s a slow burn with only small bouts of action. Yet, for as long as the story simmers, I was left wanting for more flavor.

There was so much barely referenced that I had questions, like is this an alternate Earth or a city on the moon Titan? (There are condors flying in the sky …. but a sort of ice tundra and a magical substance). How come there’s a disco aesthetic? (It’s also barely detailed, with only a handful of music mentions throughout the book) Why does everyone speak English? (Here’s where it would have helped if the narrator had given each species a more unique sound)

Usually I complain about too much telling instead of showing, but here I could have used a good prologue and some better picture painting along the way. Still, there was enough there to set the tone and allow my imagination to fill in the gaps. This was sex and F bomb free, with TV level violence and crime.
I’d get book 2, if it was out, although I might wait for a sale.

Brilliant and intense, this fantasy crime thriller

The Carter Archives are made for audio from Dan Stout’s writing style to the narration delivered by Mikael Naramore. If you love the Dresden Files, Law & Order or crime mystery cases, you’ll sink right into this urban fantasy where supernaturals live and work side by side with humans.

Eric Carter is a human homicide detective. He is great at his job, but a PR nightmare for the department. When a high profile Squib diplomat is murdered in his hotel room, they assign Carter to the case. However, Ajax, a Mollenkampi, fresh from the academy, is partnered with him.

The world building was impressive and had a 70s vibe that made me smile. If you lived it… then the pagers, payphones, and disco will be a trip down memory lane. We aren’t given info dumps but learn as necessary, allowing for a steady and addictive pace. There is magic, energy shortages, twists on religion and death, and a shifting of the continents.
The case hooked me from its gruesome start to the Candies they investigated. Corruption, politics and well-plotted threads wove together for a stunning listen.

The characters made the story from our flawed hero to villains. I loved the dynamic between Carter and Ajax, his Captain and the volatile situation between him and the case lead. It allowed for humor to offset the grim case.

It blows my mind that this is a debut novel. Dan Stout’s writing is smooth, addictive and translates perfectly to audiobook like that of a seasoned writer.

As I stated, Titanshade was made for audio. Mikael Naramore did a stellar job capturing Eric Carter and secondary characters. The snark, dark humor, horror and banter were perfectly delivered from inflection to tone.

Not want I expected or wanted.

From reading the online description, I got the impression that this story was more sci-fi than fantasy. Given the fact that this is listed as first in a series, I figured I’d receive a credible foundation for Titanshade’s world, its characters and species. I was wrong on both counts. There’s nothing sci-fi about Titanshade. It’s 100% fantasy, complete with magical substances and practices which don’t mesh well with the gritty Harry Bosch/Philip Marlowe style plot. Initially I thought the scene must be the moon Titan. The name plus a few additional elements suggested that was the case, yet too much didn’t fit. There were references to vented heat from the planet’s interior creating habitable areas on the surface, yet there was no mention of breathable vs toxic atmosphere, nor of protective domes over cities. There was much discussion of a miraculous substance called mana (think spice, as in Dune) and witchcraft rituals that allowed interrogation of murdered victims. Humans were featured, yet never connected to Earth. They seem to have evolved spontaneously alongside Predator-like beings, sentient frog like species and the cinnamon scented Squibs, all of whom can understand and speak English, who wear clothing and who engage in politics, crime and crafty business practices. Some very positive reviews credited the author with strong world building. I found the opposite to be true. The writing in regards to present day events in the story was very good, but I had too many unanswered questions about the origins of this world and its inhabitants. Elements of Earth such as pencils, chalkboards, vultures, extinct whales and petroleum mining are introduced, yet Earth—past, present or future—wasn’t part of the story. I didn’t feel an emotional connection to any of the characters in the book, mostly because I couldn’t relate to the deep fantasy basis of the story clashing with 20th century crime novelization. I’ll stick with series like the Harry Bosch books for crime solving dramas and with books like The Expanse series for sci-fi. I apologize if any of my concerns and dislikes are resolved late in this book. I’m stopping halfway through. Can’t spend any more time on this one. Wish I could get my money back, but since Audible only reimburses for full credit purchases, I’m stuck.

Really bad

I’m not sure what book theses others were reading. Tedious story and unlikable characters. I want Mr time back.