The Path of a Titan, The Proving, by John Bennett
“You either win or you die.”
Bennet does a fantastic job with his debut novel. I was extremely impressed with the amount of character development in this novel. He does a wonderful job.
At the start of the story, we have Carson and Kylie. They are living a normal life attending school and fighting off bullies. They are relatively happy at the start until their world is dumped on its head. Their parents are gone. They are taken to an orphanage and life really takes a turn as they struggle to fit in and move forward. Things happen and bring the two to their breaking point and the two find themselves living in an odd place.
Carson struggling to make ends meet and take care of his sister and himself gives up his dream of becoming a titan until Kylie surprises him. Carson enters an intense tournament to gain a spot for the Proving to become a titan. An unlikely ally steps in and changes his course. With strange occurrences and life altering events Carson’s only choice to move forward is the get into Tyke’s military. He must uncover secrets left behind by his father while also surviving the Proving. Can he do all this before it’s too late?
I absolutely loved Carson and Kylie. As a reader you follow them as they grow from an easy going highschooler to a survivor. The things these two go through and how they manage them was impressive. The world Bennett created for these two is intense. Only the strongest survive here.
The storyline of this novel was full of action and easy to follow. There were multiple climatic events that kept me hooked. The author easily hooks you at the start of the series with a classic bully picking on his little sister. Carson steps up and teaches him a lesson while also teaching his sister how to defend herself.
The world building in this novel was extraordinary. There are different cultures scattered out with different social norms. It was interesting to see how they all interacted and how Carson was from a culture considered the scum of the planet. His view on life is radically different than those he meets along his path to the Proving, and I can only hope in this author’s future books that Carson rubs off on those he meets.
This book overall made me think of a mash up between Iron Man and the Hunger Games. I think anyone from age 16+ would enjoy this book. Specifically, those interested in coming of age, fantasy, sci-fi, underdog, and adventure stories. There are a few scenes where there is fighting and blood but it’s not over the top. I highly recommend this author.