The Titans of the Sky by Marc J. Gregson, the choice of the Coulommiers bookseller

See my news
Follow Le Pays Briard

“Remember that true power is not measured by the power you exercise over others. Crushing someone who is weaker than you does not make you stronger. No, a real Supra pulls others up while remaining at the top.”

Today, I'm going to talk to you about the first volume The Titans of the Sky of the Outrenoir trilogy, written by Marc J. Gregson. It's a dystopia and a young adult fantasy which was a big favorite for me. In summary, I was already convinced. Humans live on islands in the sky and a brave, elite handful take on giant flying snakes covered in metal scales? I'm in. A science fiction reminiscent of the universe of Brandon Sanderson, Pierce Brown and with a touch of Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama? I'll sign right away. I admit more to having rushed into this novel as the big fan of Attack on Titan that I am, always looking for a story that could transport me so much.

A futuristic universe

In a futuristic and dystopian universe where humans live on floating islands, Meritocracy reigns. Men and women are divided into distinct classes. At the top of this pyramid, we find the Supras. In the center, there are the Mids. And at the bottom of the ladder, the Subs. These statuses are not definitive because merit leads the strongest to rise by winning duels. Even the king can thus be challenged to a duel and lose his place. “This is how meritocracy works. The weak fall. The strong rise. »

We follow Urwin's Conrad as he struggles to survive in the Lower Town, with his seriously ill mother. He wasn't always a Sub. Before his uncle assassinated his father, Archduke Alfred of Urwin, in order to dethrone him, Conrad was a Supra. He is driven by the desire to take revenge and recover Ella, his younger sister whom his uncle is holding back in order to make her the heir of the Urwins. To do this, he must regain his place as Supra by joining one of the twelve guilds that constitute the society: the Hunters, this elite dedicated body and soul in the fight against the gorgantauns – the giant metal snakes.

The characters

I appreciated the character of Conrad because he fits this merciless universe in which he lives. He is resentful, lonely, suspicious, driven by anger, stubborn and ambitious. The number of times he recalls his uncle's betrayal might seem redundant. I saw a teenager haunted in spite of himself by the horror he experienced and who only has this to relate to to give himself courage to repair the injustice. I had a lot of fun watching him evolve. He ends up understanding that he must break away from his father's strong-willed philosophy in order to embrace his mother's compassionate and caring philosophy. “Because you are strong, because you are good, do what others will not do. »

Initially, he chooses to open up to others so that he can have all the chances on his side to find his sister, but subsequently, he discovers friends whom he sees as his new family. As for the other characters, I found that the fact that yesterday's enemies could become tomorrow's friends is very revealing of this merciless world where one must betray to hope to rise.

A promising first opus

I particularly enjoyed following his training within the Hunters' Guild, having found it very detailed and immersive. The military atmosphere and the fact that this guild has a significant number of deaths following perilous missions reminded me with pleasure of the critical atmosphere of Attack on Titan: young recruits are trained to hope not to be devoured alive . A large part of the book is devoted to the Gauntlet, the tournament where the Selec crew who has killed the most gorgaunauts will win the competition and have the right to become captain, keeping their ship and crew. The fight scenes, losses, betrayals, tensions and unexpected twists kept me in suspense from start to finish.

It is therefore a first opus of a promising young adult series of which I can't wait to know the rest and which I wholeheartedly recommend!

Marc J. Gregson, Outrenoir, Volume 1: the Titans of the Sky, Lumen, 580 pages, €18

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.