Review: Fleet Champions by Rob J. Hayes
Blurb:
Basic Evolution: Survival of the Strongest.
After surviving the Spire and opening their Second Gates, Iro and Emil are named Heroes of the Fleet, their faces on posters across every ship. But with the benefits of notoriety, comes a dangerous new responsibility.
The Raider Fleet, not content with stealing their food and murdering their people, demand ownership of the wing. To avoid an unwinnable war, the Home Fleet agree to a grand martial tournament, Hopper against Raider, and both Iro and Emil must compete.
Can they fight their way through the competition to claim the title of Fleet Champion? And why are the Black Cloaks so eager to see who wins?
A progression sci-fantasy perfect for fans of Cradle and Iron Prince.
Review:
Book 3 of Titan Hoppers, and man do we have a lot to unpack. So strap in.
What I liked:
I’ll just get this out of the way—I LOVED Emil’s arc. He has been, and continues to be, my favorite POV character since book 1. SPOILERS! Emil is stalled by the end of book 2. However, trust Emil to not let that hold him back. Dude just goes and figures out a way to unlock a new crest. WHAT? How? Not only does he break out a new crest, he goes ahead to choose something uncharacteristic to him as a Hopper, but perfectly makes sense because of the person he is. Every single chapter with Emil’s POV was a delight, especially the ones where he discovers his second crest, and his brief visitation to the upper ship. Admittedly, I didn’t like that his arc ends abruptly in this book. Iro’s arc took precedence, and I’ll get to that bit. Except that minor complaint, Emil’s arc was near perfect.
Of course, Emil isn’t the only amazing character. In true book 3 fashion, Fleet Champions expands our POV roster, giving us a lot more from new characters. Some felt one-dimensional, but others added a whole new perspective that expanded on this world full of crazy planet-sized spaceships. My favourite of these was Mufar’s. His blabbering casually reveals quite a few mind-blowing pieces of lore and magic. I had loved this bit in SC, and to get so much more of it in FC was a treat!
Rollo’s POVs were refreshing. I don’t think SC focused too much on him, which is forgivable given how much of an important role he plays in FC. Of all the action sequences and fights, I enjoyed Rollo’s the most. I didn’t particularly enjoy Toshiko’s arc, despite there being some really interesting nuggets. She felt kinda one-dimensional, especially given that she’s on the cover, but Emil and Iro got arcs with such massive growth.
Lastly, coming to the Iro. Man, do I have a love-hate relationship with this dude. I found him very whiny in TH, loved his arc in SC, and with FC, I went from finding him annoying at first, to screaming in support of him in the end. Iro’s arc is arguably more compelling than Emil’s. His dynamics with Ashvild especially made for some stellar scenes. I wish we got more of Iro and Ashvild, instead of Iro and Eir. Not that Eir wasn’t a much-needed relief in the midst of all the tension, but I genuinely feel Iro and Ashvild’s chemistry was better (and I don’t mean in a romantic sort of way).
The plot itself is a typical tournament story, where two factions are competing for literal survival. It reminded me of Dragonball Z and the Goblet of Fire, which is appropriate given the ending. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The entire book shows quite a lot of growth, especially from Emil and Iro. Where SPOILERS—Emil discovers new ways to use his current and unlock a new crest, Iro learns about how to use his paths to unlock new talents and use them strategically to become a better fighter, meanwhile Toshiko finds creative solutions to growing traditionally whilst using unconventional training methods.
All those training and growth arcs are paralleled by the raiders’ side. We only get a little more than what we got in SC. However, those little glimpses expand on the world, while raising a lot of questions which set up future conflicts. Of all these raider portions, Emperor Book was my favourite addition. Everytime a raider is defeated, the Emperor kills them. Book is a looming presence in FC, whose scant appearances present an overpowered villain that is sure to wreak havoc. He is a menace, an absolute tyrant, a sociopath with the potential to end the Home Fleet’s existence. When in the end SPOILERS—he goes back on his promise and just declares war despite Rollo’s victory, it’s kinda of expected. A man of such absolute power would never go down without a fight. He's contained for now, but he won’t remain off the board for long.
Which ultimately brings me to Mufar and Arrow, whose presence throughout the book fits into place in the final arc. I suspect some people finding this final portion and SPOILER—Iro’s decision to leave with the Black Cloaks a little abrupt and odd. But, it made complete sense to me. Iro’s growth, his thrist for finding out the history and origins of the titans, as well as the many questions he has regarding the very nature of their strange existence all lead to this decision. It’s emotionally charged, and it is heartbreaking. However, when they finally depart, and reach the titan’s core, we get the last line of the book. I won’t spoil it for you, but I really had my jaw hanging when I read it.
What I didn’t like:
While I enjoyed the expanded roster of characters, I found that the balance in POVs wasn’t as neat as in SC. Toshiko especially felt underused. Given how quirky and weird her character is, her place in the book is severely overshadowed by Emil and Iro. The same can be said about other side characters. Although we get glimpses of Eir, Rollo, Bjorn, and Justice, none of them were fully fleshed out, dooming them to pale in comparison to our main duo.
The tournament arc too was a fascinating and fun journey. But, it takes about 20-25% of the book before the tournament is even announced. So, what exactly are we doing for that time? Apart from dealing with the consequences of Book 2 events, we don’t necessarily get a lot. The characters are a delight to be with, but the plot only really picks up around that point, with it jumping gears after the halfway mark. IIRC, I had a similar issue with pacing for TH. This one isn’t as big, especially since everything ties together in the end in a mind-blowing, action-packed finale with emotionally charged clashes.
Conclusion:
Fleet Champions was everything I expected it to be, and more. The further expansion of lore and world-building is positively fascinating. Every entry of Titan Hoppers has grown my intrigue for this world, and I genuinely cannot wait to read the next book. More importantly, I cannot wait to see where Iro and Emil’s respective journeys are headed.
TL;DR:
WHAT I LIKED: Emil and Iro’s character arcs, world-building and lore expansion, the ending
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: weak secondary character arcs, some pacing issues
