Synopsis:
Titanic meets Aliens in this tense YA science fiction horror series by #1 New York Times bestselling author E.K. Johnston.
Celeste knows every inch of this ship. She’s proud of her work as apprentice engineer. And as the maiden voyage of the Titan launches, she’s optimistic for the promises of this new journey from Earth to Mars — this new life.
Dominic arrives at his suite where his valet is busy unpacking his things. His chest is tight, already feeling anxious inside his dad’s precious new ship. Once it launches, he’s trapped, inside the ship and inside the life his father has chosen for him — a life that will leave his dreams of art school behind.
Discovered under melted ice caps, ancient aliens have been brought onto the Titan as well, and stored in display cases for the entertainment of the passengers . . . until an act of sabotage releases them into the ship, with zero discrimination for class, decks or human life . . .
Review:
You might think I would be more knowledgeable about Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise than I would James Cameron’s Titanic — but you’d be wrong. The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was released in theaters my freshman year in college. I was blown away by the movie and ended up seeing it four times at the theater with three different girls (Reader: the last two times I went, I took the girl who I ended up marrying.).
Now, I do love a good chest-bursting alien as well, but I’ll confess my first experience with one of those was as a kid watching Spaceballs, seeing the parody at the tail-end of the movie. I’ve since enjoyed my fair share of the Alien movies, and had a great time with E.K. Johnston’s Titan of the Stars as a YA space horror book.
I did have some slight deja vu while reading this and you probably will as well if you’ve seen the David Tennant 2007 Doctor Who Christmas Special Voyage of the Damned. A recreation of the Titanic in space and disaster strikes…there are some similar beats to the story, but all-in-all, Johnston manages to create a new story with some fun moments, a book that can work really well with a middle grade and young adult audience.
Our Jack and Rose are Dominic and Celeste. Dominic is part of the upper crust and Celeste is part of the crew of the Titan. But both have backstories that bring them closer together and bridge the gap that the wealth inequality might normally bring. Dominic’s father, however, has a secret project that could threaten every life on board (it’s aliens — not really a spoiler, it’s basically in the book description). A lot of the plot is right there in the synopsis, but there are plenty of surprises and twists to be had before the last page.
While I enjoyed a lot of the book, the pacing is a little stilted at times. There is a lot of set-up before any alien action and the book seems a little truncated. However, this is the first in a duology, so I’m hoping that the action is dialed in from the get-go on Book 2 when that releases. I think it also helps that the audience is occasionally treated to an alien POV and we slowly find out that they are more complex than a simple, violent, evil force.
Just like how the iceberg and freezing water of the North Atlantic didn’t care for class or status when it wrecked the Titanic, the aliens here also act as an equalizer between the haves and the have-nots. Titan of the Stars has a great ending with a legitimately well-done cliffhanger, so Johnston is well-positioned to finish the duology strong.
E.K. Johnston has made a name for herself in recent years with Star Wars novels about Ahsoka and Padme and I think she did a great job with some fun alien horror action in this YA novel.
Titan of the Stars by E.K. Johnston releases on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
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