The second entry in a military SF series from genre master Greg Bear (War Dogs), Killing Titan continues the story of Master Sgt. Michael Venn. The novel begins after a near-death experience on Mars and subsequent quarantine at a government facility with the aim of figuring out why he's hearing the voices of a long-dead alien and a recently deceased commanding officer.
A rogue faction within the military hierarchy manages to smuggle Venn out of the facility, only to place him with a group of space marines, intelligence agents and another man with similar symptoms. They face incredible odds on their journey to Titan, one of Saturn's moons, which likely holds an explanation for the voices Venn hears, and other secrets on the origin of sapient life in the universe.
Bear's signature talent, besides his thorough grounding in solid scientific speculation, is his ability to imbue his characters with strong personalities, no matter how far removed from modern day the setting is. Venn is smart and spirited, yet sees the world through the eyes of a career soldier; the story unfolds from his perspective, colored as it is by his outrageous experiences.
Killing Titan keeps the thrills coming, with engaging future-tech and descriptions of solar system travel, and never loses sight of what makes a great science fiction: conflicted human beings having to come to terms with the vast and scary universe that lies beyond our own experience. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor