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Titan Hoppers #3
Fleet Champions
Basic 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.
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.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2024
186 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Rob J. Hayes
44 books1,939 followersWinner of Mark Lawrence's 3rd Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO) with Where Loyalties Lie
Rob J. Hayes has been a student, a banker, a marine research assistant, a chef, and a keyboard monkey more times than he cares to count. But eventually his love of fantasy and reading drew him to the life of a writer. He’s the author of the Amazon Best Selling The Heresy Within, the SPFBO-winning piratical swashbuckler Where Loyalties Lie, and the critically acclaimed Never Die.
Rob J. Hayes has been a student, a banker, a marine research assistant, a chef, and a keyboard monkey more times than he cares to count. But eventually his love of fantasy and reading drew him to the life of a writer. He’s the author of the Amazon Best Selling The Heresy Within, the SPFBO-winning piratical swashbuckler Where Loyalties Lie, and the critically acclaimed Never Die.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
June 4, 2024
Pretty entertaining book, but found a couple plot points really frustrating.
Main character makes a decision to go somewhere else to save his own life. He never brings up that as a reason when he tells his friends why he's doing it. ????What????
Main character makes a decision to go somewhere else to save his own life. He never brings up that as a reason when he tells his friends why he's doing it. ????What????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2024
Consider this really more of an overall review of the series to date, as Fleet Champions is the third entry into Rob Hayes’ wonderfully entertaining Titan Hoppers universe, and I’ve yet to do more than rate one of the books. I rectify that wrong today!
[b]The premise[/b]
Humanity is, as far as it knows, reduced to a population in the hundreds of thousands, all living aboard spacefaring ships of varying size as part of what they call Home Fleet. The ships all possess incredibly advanced technology the citizens didn’t invent or understand, and all of their resources come from a Titan. Imagine a moon-sized ship actually shaped like a ship.
The fleet docks with the Titan to gather everything from medicine, to new parts for ships, and especially food. They’ve been doing this for so long, nobody alive remembers a time when they didn’t, and someone clearly wanted it that way; their history books are altered and obfuscated regarding any reference to pre-Titan history.
What they DO know is when they came to the Titan, a certain percentage of the population began manifesting extraordinary abilities along an established set of class lines. Which is good, because as it turns out, the Titan wasn’t empty - it was full of monsters of any and every type one could imagine, and their primary purpose is to kill and eat anything that is, well, “not monster.”
As these superpowered individuals became more and more prevalent, they became known as Titan Hoppers - “hopping” in squads from the fleet to the Titan, to act as protector, explorer, and everything in between.
Our story starts with the shit really hitting the fan and Home Fleet evacuating the Titan as it explodes like Luke Skywalker just hit the reactor with a couple of proton torpedoes.
[b] What’s good?[/b]
I mean, pretty much everything. Rob Hayes is a wonderfully gifted writer, and while this is more sci-fi than sci-fi fantasy, the magic system definitely has a fantasy feel to it. It’s got some steampunk, coming of age, a little magic school goodness, with great character development, fast-paced and creative action sequences, and emotional beats that hit hard. These are characters to which you will find yourself deeply attached, which makes the trials they endure and overcome so much more heartbreaking and satisfying.
[b]What’s bad?[/b]
The fact I don’t have Book 4 in my hands right now. Like right this second.
I’ve been trying to be more judicious with my five star ratings, so when I jump into my back catalogue I can trust something was truly exceptional.
Fleet Champions earned that sucker. Four Home!
[b]The premise[/b]
Humanity is, as far as it knows, reduced to a population in the hundreds of thousands, all living aboard spacefaring ships of varying size as part of what they call Home Fleet. The ships all possess incredibly advanced technology the citizens didn’t invent or understand, and all of their resources come from a Titan. Imagine a moon-sized ship actually shaped like a ship.
The fleet docks with the Titan to gather everything from medicine, to new parts for ships, and especially food. They’ve been doing this for so long, nobody alive remembers a time when they didn’t, and someone clearly wanted it that way; their history books are altered and obfuscated regarding any reference to pre-Titan history.
What they DO know is when they came to the Titan, a certain percentage of the population began manifesting extraordinary abilities along an established set of class lines. Which is good, because as it turns out, the Titan wasn’t empty - it was full of monsters of any and every type one could imagine, and their primary purpose is to kill and eat anything that is, well, “not monster.”
As these superpowered individuals became more and more prevalent, they became known as Titan Hoppers - “hopping” in squads from the fleet to the Titan, to act as protector, explorer, and everything in between.
Our story starts with the shit really hitting the fan and Home Fleet evacuating the Titan as it explodes like Luke Skywalker just hit the reactor with a couple of proton torpedoes.
[b] What’s good?[/b]
I mean, pretty much everything. Rob Hayes is a wonderfully gifted writer, and while this is more sci-fi than sci-fi fantasy, the magic system definitely has a fantasy feel to it. It’s got some steampunk, coming of age, a little magic school goodness, with great character development, fast-paced and creative action sequences, and emotional beats that hit hard. These are characters to which you will find yourself deeply attached, which makes the trials they endure and overcome so much more heartbreaking and satisfying.
[b]What’s bad?[/b]
The fact I don’t have Book 4 in my hands right now. Like right this second.
I’ve been trying to be more judicious with my five star ratings, so when I jump into my back catalogue I can trust something was truly exceptional.
Fleet Champions earned that sucker. Four Home!
November 17, 2024
wonderful, as always!
There’s something about this series, I don’t know if it’s the wonderfully vibrant characters, if it’s the depth of the world and the clarity of focus, or the unique levelling system, all of it combine into one off absolute favourite series.
If you’ve not tried this yet, get it now and enjoy!
There’s something about this series, I don’t know if it’s the wonderfully vibrant characters, if it’s the depth of the world and the clarity of focus, or the unique levelling system, all of it combine into one off absolute favourite series.
If you’ve not tried this yet, get it now and enjoy!
February 7, 2025
So much wrong
It's really hard to concisely say what is wrong with this book that earns it a 2 stars (below average). From the poor psychology frequently causing bludgeoning, where people always just stand around forgotten from a scene non-reactive, to what... just WHAT was that culmination point towards the end?
Endless grammatical errors making it seem like cobbled together google translate or cheap content generation AI. Like frequently saying for example "good job I brought this" when the saying is "good thing". Just, so many grammar, syntax, rough edit misplaced words, incorrect word order in sentences. It is very rough. Too much to bother reporting errors, else you'd spend all your time on that instead of reading.
Mufasa referencing common 20th century media some millenia in the future like it would all keep like Shakespeare, except, no. No it would not. And pretending common things like wheels or helmets are not there in space age technology as they trundle past carts and jump through space. Ummm. Cool. No clue what horses are? But IMMEDIATELY mention old knight stories? Spoiler alert, knights are inherently tied to horses. You don't have knights without their horses. Not in reference to medieval armor certainly. Maybe Sir Elton John kind of knights. So drop the shtick, it makes everyone seem stupid. He can pop off his Star Lord personality type and people can just say what? Or what do you mean? Instead of coming across like druling lackwits that have no capability of understanding context.
There are all kinds of things wrong about pacing and development. Maybe reference the speed of Iro of being 1 year in to being as progressed as his peers that prepared for 5 years. Because claiming he is unprecedented at almost 20 to his peers that are making it to the same gate as him shortly after (Eir, Tohiko, numerous others) at 2nd gate while he never sees his lock. Kinda undercuts his speed of progress when he's only weeks ahead of training mates. Focus on anomalies of progress, stop saying speed when that is factually undercut repeatedly.
Setting and psych. It is just inherently bizarre for people to be acting like Harry Potter 3rd year children students a year into fighting for their lives daily against Warhammer 40k gruesome monsters and watching friends die. They aren't kids. They are young adults. Watch Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, American Sniper, and various flicks to better grasp the psych of soldiers being maimed and scarred. The realness of it all should have settled in book 1. Here book 3 and acting like it is the Tri-Wizard Tournament, all friendly and harmless.
The nonsensical "epiphanies" that don't match the moment and are absurd leaps. Like Toshiko when she has the moment about tradition. That is nothing but leaps. Over giant chasms.
And for the love of god all that plant for the payoff, an utterly POINTLESS fight! "You have hours to live", instead of just telling that, nah, "you're holding me back", "too weak." When clearly I DIE IF I DON'T was explicitly said repeatedly. The medic surveyor had just told him to say his goodbyes and he ignores the understandable looming DEATH all for selfish power image? Why, to set up a nonsensical place for the future that makes absolutely no sense? Forced unnecessary drama? That was an unbearable moment of reading.
It gets an extra star for compellingly interesting plot settings and an interesting growth dynamic (that is frequently redefined, inconsistent, undercut, and contradicted).
It's really hard to concisely say what is wrong with this book that earns it a 2 stars (below average). From the poor psychology frequently causing bludgeoning, where people always just stand around forgotten from a scene non-reactive, to what... just WHAT was that culmination point towards the end?
Endless grammatical errors making it seem like cobbled together google translate or cheap content generation AI. Like frequently saying for example "good job I brought this" when the saying is "good thing". Just, so many grammar, syntax, rough edit misplaced words, incorrect word order in sentences. It is very rough. Too much to bother reporting errors, else you'd spend all your time on that instead of reading.
Mufasa referencing common 20th century media some millenia in the future like it would all keep like Shakespeare, except, no. No it would not. And pretending common things like wheels or helmets are not there in space age technology as they trundle past carts and jump through space. Ummm. Cool. No clue what horses are? But IMMEDIATELY mention old knight stories? Spoiler alert, knights are inherently tied to horses. You don't have knights without their horses. Not in reference to medieval armor certainly. Maybe Sir Elton John kind of knights. So drop the shtick, it makes everyone seem stupid. He can pop off his Star Lord personality type and people can just say what? Or what do you mean? Instead of coming across like druling lackwits that have no capability of understanding context.
There are all kinds of things wrong about pacing and development. Maybe reference the speed of Iro of being 1 year in to being as progressed as his peers that prepared for 5 years. Because claiming he is unprecedented at almost 20 to his peers that are making it to the same gate as him shortly after (Eir, Tohiko, numerous others) at 2nd gate while he never sees his lock. Kinda undercuts his speed of progress when he's only weeks ahead of training mates. Focus on anomalies of progress, stop saying speed when that is factually undercut repeatedly.
Setting and psych. It is just inherently bizarre for people to be acting like Harry Potter 3rd year children students a year into fighting for their lives daily against Warhammer 40k gruesome monsters and watching friends die. They aren't kids. They are young adults. Watch Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, American Sniper, and various flicks to better grasp the psych of soldiers being maimed and scarred. The realness of it all should have settled in book 1. Here book 3 and acting like it is the Tri-Wizard Tournament, all friendly and harmless.
The nonsensical "epiphanies" that don't match the moment and are absurd leaps. Like Toshiko when she has the moment about tradition. That is nothing but leaps. Over giant chasms.
And for the love of god all that plant for the payoff, an utterly POINTLESS fight! "You have hours to live", instead of just telling that, nah, "you're holding me back", "too weak." When clearly I DIE IF I DON'T was explicitly said repeatedly. The medic surveyor had just told him to say his goodbyes and he ignores the understandable looming DEATH all for selfish power image? Why, to set up a nonsensical place for the future that makes absolutely no sense? Forced unnecessary drama? That was an unbearable moment of reading.
It gets an extra star for compellingly interesting plot settings and an interesting growth dynamic (that is frequently redefined, inconsistent, undercut, and contradicted).
April 6, 2025
Fleet Champions takes Titan Hoppers to new heights. This is without a doubt the best entry to date and the most emotional entry as well. All the stakes are raised.
One of my favorite things about this series is the found family. I was a bit upset heading into Spire Climbers and finding that Iro would no longer be hanging out with his homies in Rollo's training squad. Yes, it made sense, he was too strong, and he needed to move on to being a full hopper. It didn't change my feeling though, and honestly, Toshiko, Gadise and Justice took a while to grow on me. This book brings most of the characters along with it and we get to experience all of them together. Rob Hayes really excels with characters in my opinion, and I love each and every one of them in Fleet Champions. They all continue to grow and change.
The plot expands in book 3 and some of the lingering questions begin to be answered. Not even close to all of them. The mystery of the history and the workings of the Titans, Gates and Black Cloaks continue to be ever present with little sprinkles of answers throughout. Trust me when I say that there are some shocking revelations to the point that I was gasping.
The progression system is also a highlight. All of our characters will push their training, talents and current to the limits. Hayes really takes this system to new levels, and I have no clue how he comes up with this stuff.
Fleet Champions is possibly my favorite single Hayes book to date. That is a big statement for me because I hold Never Die and God Eater close to my heart. Recommend this series to all.
One of my favorite things about this series is the found family. I was a bit upset heading into Spire Climbers and finding that Iro would no longer be hanging out with his homies in Rollo's training squad. Yes, it made sense, he was too strong, and he needed to move on to being a full hopper. It didn't change my feeling though, and honestly, Toshiko, Gadise and Justice took a while to grow on me. This book brings most of the characters along with it and we get to experience all of them together. Rob Hayes really excels with characters in my opinion, and I love each and every one of them in Fleet Champions. They all continue to grow and change.
The plot expands in book 3 and some of the lingering questions begin to be answered. Not even close to all of them. The mystery of the history and the workings of the Titans, Gates and Black Cloaks continue to be ever present with little sprinkles of answers throughout. Trust me when I say that there are some shocking revelations to the point that I was gasping.
The progression system is also a highlight. All of our characters will push their training, talents and current to the limits. Hayes really takes this system to new levels, and I have no clue how he comes up with this stuff.
Fleet Champions is possibly my favorite single Hayes book to date. That is a big statement for me because I hold Never Die and God Eater close to my heart. Recommend this series to all.
September 19, 2024
I'm a big fan of Rob J. Hayes, and of this progression fantasy/sci-fi series. It took me a little bit to get into the book, but the tournament arc was well done, with the other fleet being worthy antagonists, especially their emperor. The Black Cloaks being at the tournament was interesting, especially as to once we figure out why they are there.
May 18, 2024
Worth the wait
The great thing about a series like this is that it’s worth the weight for the next book in the series. Another excellent volume or chapter what have you to the Titan hoppers series. Without spoiling anything it’s another great book. There are some very unexpected things that occur. You aren’t ready for what happened here and perhaps what’s most important is you don’t see it coming. There were times when I really had to stop go back and reread a few pages and say wow didn’t see that happening. Questions are answered more questions are left unanswered but after this book, you’ll be hungry for more.
The great thing about a series like this is that it’s worth the weight for the next book in the series. Another excellent volume or chapter what have you to the Titan hoppers series. Without spoiling anything it’s another great book. There are some very unexpected things that occur. You aren’t ready for what happened here and perhaps what’s most important is you don’t see it coming. There were times when I really had to stop go back and reread a few pages and say wow didn’t see that happening. Questions are answered more questions are left unanswered but after this book, you’ll be hungry for more.
October 21, 2025
This book is so freaking good! It picks up with a bang from where book 2 leaves off and doesn’t slow down. The characters continue to develop in their own ways and the team Four Home grows closer as well. I loved every second of this book. Especially near the second half when the heat really turns up and the stakes get high. We see each of our Hoppers start to grow into their potential. And see where that may take them, while they prepare for and face big challenges. This book was high octane, action packed, mind blowing goodness! The ending was crazy and leaves so many questions for the remainder of the series! You NEED to read this series
June 22, 2024
I really love this series. I've read most of Rob J Hayes' work but this one is just something special for me.
Third part in a great series that has all the awesomeness of its predecessors. I particularly like the wider focus on this one giving us time with different characters and using the arena to explore the diversity of techniques. The addition of combos, unique talents and multiple classes just expands the horizons and makes character progression really exciting.
I'm still psyched to dive further into the mythology and understand more about the titans themselves. Bring on book 4!
Third part in a great series that has all the awesomeness of its predecessors. I particularly like the wider focus on this one giving us time with different characters and using the arena to explore the diversity of techniques. The addition of combos, unique talents and multiple classes just expands the horizons and makes character progression really exciting.
I'm still psyched to dive further into the mythology and understand more about the titans themselves. Bring on book 4!
May 15, 2024
Progression, Twists, and Text Messages
I have the say I really enjoyed this one, I mean who doesn’t love a tournament arc? Good fun there! Some awesome character progression was had, and there are some interesting twists that should make book 4 a very fun read! Also we got more of Toshiko and her rampant ADHD, which was fun! And group messages that were usually amusing for the naming as well as Iro’s mom and her very “not techy mom” texts. Can’t wait for the next one!
I have the say I really enjoyed this one, I mean who doesn’t love a tournament arc? Good fun there! Some awesome character progression was had, and there are some interesting twists that should make book 4 a very fun read! Also we got more of Toshiko and her rampant ADHD, which was fun! And group messages that were usually amusing for the naming as well as Iro’s mom and her very “not techy mom” texts. Can’t wait for the next one!
May 24, 2024
Rob did it again!! The continuation did not disappoint.
I loved to be back with "Four Home" and I am rooting for them every step of tge way. Their development is fantastic and their dynamic together so wholesome. The autodages are perfect companions.
Can't say a lot since it would spoil previous books but suffice to say, i loved the tournament and all around it. Gripping read. Also great getting a bit more about the Raiders.
Cannot wait for whatever comes next for our Heroes.
I loved to be back with "Four Home" and I am rooting for them every step of tge way. Their development is fantastic and their dynamic together so wholesome. The autodages are perfect companions.
Can't say a lot since it would spoil previous books but suffice to say, i loved the tournament and all around it. Gripping read. Also great getting a bit more about the Raiders.
Cannot wait for whatever comes next for our Heroes.
May 21, 2024
Just wow
Not good at expressing my thoughts and that's why usually I don't write reviews.
But i feel that since this series has me reading non stop from the first few words I needed to write a few words. Not just this book the whole series has been a non stopping read for me.
Really can't wait for the next one.
Sincerely, thank you Rob
Not good at expressing my thoughts and that's why usually I don't write reviews.
But i feel that since this series has me reading non stop from the first few words I needed to write a few words. Not just this book the whole series has been a non stopping read for me.
Really can't wait for the next one.
Sincerely, thank you Rob
June 2, 2024
I think this is the best entry in the series so far! There’s still so much to learn about the world, but we’re starting to get those peeks behind the screen. There’s plenty of action happening and the character interactions all feel very natural. Plus everyone loves a good tourney arc. I wish I already had book 4 available!
October 17, 2024
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————————————————————————————————
MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: Kindle Whispersync
What an absolute thrill Fleet Champions is, I’ve been excited to jump back into the Titan Hoppers series since I finished book 2 earlier this year in May, with the audio finally available, I knew I had to que it up! Going into this, I was dreading one thing about this series and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be upset or not. My biggest fear was that this would only be a trilogy, and I’m happy to report that it is in fact, NOT! Whew, what a relief that was, 50% in to this and I was like, this is not wrapping up at all, HE BETTER NOT RUSH THIS ENDING, OR I WILL GET ON A PLANE AND THROW SOMETHING AT HIM! So, since it’s not a trilogy, I didn’t throw anything, and regardless of that fear, I enjoyed every moment, every fight, every conversation, all the hilarious banter, and if I’m being completely honest, I think that I am enjoying this more than I enjoyed Will Wight’s Cradle.
It’s always a joy to read any of Rob’s works because I love his writing style, his prose is easy to read and he always leaves some of the best most eloquent quotes that fit perfectly within the story and you can also use in everyday life as well. Fleet Champions was fast paced but felt even faster with how I was devouring every page wanting to know what happened without stopping, while hitting me with all kinds of emotions throughout, which made for a very enjoyable reading experience. Another thing hat made the experience even better, was that Michael Gallagher put on yet another great performance narrating this story. I’ll repeat this over and over, “there’s narrating a story by reading the words, and there’s narrating a story by getting into the characters and emotions” and that’s where Gallagher excels over a lot of other narrators.
If there’s one thing Mr. Hayes is good at, well, there’s a lot of things he’s good at, but making very likable characters has to be high up on that list. With a main cast of characters like Iro, Emil, Toshiko, Justice & North, Rob expands that by adding in even more support characters are given expanding roles, like Eir & Bjorn. Though Iro is the main character of the main cast, Emil & Toshiko absolutely shine just as much as Iro does, while giving Rollo, plus a few new/old faces a lot more time to grow for his readers to love or dislike. The character development and progression of all the characters was perfectly paced given the plot of the story taking place as a tournament for control of the wing that both fleets currently occupy on the Titan. With that said, North makes everything better, his perfectly timed quips made me giggle on many occasions, because he was the perfect break for some of the more serious tones.
If I could say something else that Rob is amazing at, is telling a story filed with action. The tournament made the epic more epic, each fight that took place was not only tense, but so effective in telling a story within a story. Whether it was Iro having to prove a point that he was the baddest of them all or Toshiko using Steel Lotus to blast her problems away, each battle was edge of the seat exciting. This was honestly some f the most fun, yet intense tournament style of fighting that I’ve read and it’s honestly worth a re-read with just how good it was. Knowing now that it’s not a trilogy, has gotten me even more excited about this series that could go on for another three books or more, with how deep the story and the evolution of progression can be. I NEED MORE, ROB! GIVE. ME. MORE! 😂
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For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/
————————————————————————————————
MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: Kindle Whispersync
What an absolute thrill Fleet Champions is, I’ve been excited to jump back into the Titan Hoppers series since I finished book 2 earlier this year in May, with the audio finally available, I knew I had to que it up! Going into this, I was dreading one thing about this series and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be upset or not. My biggest fear was that this would only be a trilogy, and I’m happy to report that it is in fact, NOT! Whew, what a relief that was, 50% in to this and I was like, this is not wrapping up at all, HE BETTER NOT RUSH THIS ENDING, OR I WILL GET ON A PLANE AND THROW SOMETHING AT HIM! So, since it’s not a trilogy, I didn’t throw anything, and regardless of that fear, I enjoyed every moment, every fight, every conversation, all the hilarious banter, and if I’m being completely honest, I think that I am enjoying this more than I enjoyed Will Wight’s Cradle.
It’s always a joy to read any of Rob’s works because I love his writing style, his prose is easy to read and he always leaves some of the best most eloquent quotes that fit perfectly within the story and you can also use in everyday life as well. Fleet Champions was fast paced but felt even faster with how I was devouring every page wanting to know what happened without stopping, while hitting me with all kinds of emotions throughout, which made for a very enjoyable reading experience. Another thing hat made the experience even better, was that Michael Gallagher put on yet another great performance narrating this story. I’ll repeat this over and over, “there’s narrating a story by reading the words, and there’s narrating a story by getting into the characters and emotions” and that’s where Gallagher excels over a lot of other narrators.
If there’s one thing Mr. Hayes is good at, well, there’s a lot of things he’s good at, but making very likable characters has to be high up on that list. With a main cast of characters like Iro, Emil, Toshiko, Justice & North, Rob expands that by adding in even more support characters are given expanding roles, like Eir & Bjorn. Though Iro is the main character of the main cast, Emil & Toshiko absolutely shine just as much as Iro does, while giving Rollo, plus a few new/old faces a lot more time to grow for his readers to love or dislike. The character development and progression of all the characters was perfectly paced given the plot of the story taking place as a tournament for control of the wing that both fleets currently occupy on the Titan. With that said, North makes everything better, his perfectly timed quips made me giggle on many occasions, because he was the perfect break for some of the more serious tones.
If I could say something else that Rob is amazing at, is telling a story filed with action. The tournament made the epic more epic, each fight that took place was not only tense, but so effective in telling a story within a story. Whether it was Iro having to prove a point that he was the baddest of them all or Toshiko using Steel Lotus to blast her problems away, each battle was edge of the seat exciting. This was honestly some f the most fun, yet intense tournament style of fighting that I’ve read and it’s honestly worth a re-read with just how good it was. Knowing now that it’s not a trilogy, has gotten me even more excited about this series that could go on for another three books or more, with how deep the story and the evolution of progression can be. I NEED MORE, ROB! GIVE. ME. MORE! 😂
August 19, 2025
Feels like this series really dropped in quality in this book. While i think the concept of these massive planet sized ships and the powers are super cool, it feels like the power progression and character motivation...etc just got thrown away in this book. This book is basically a tournament arc and where most books tend to make this an extremely fun and interesting part of the story this one is just...not. It manages to emphasize all the weaknesses of previous books. For example, the characters that are on screen actually exist and the whole rest of the fleet are just cardboard cutouts that make it look like there's something there. This is never more apparent when the fate of the fleet in the tournament falls on to the MC and friends who are fairly new, untested and seem to constantly be outclassed by all the other hoppers in the fleet. Where are the legacy families and their kids who won't team up with the misfit main characters? After struggling to be a competent fighter for 2.5 books against allied characters, MC is all of a sudden the best fighter ever. Then he comes up with a strategy to be MYSTERIOUS by wearing a mask to scare the other ship's hoppers during the tournament! Despite him being in the ~adolescent division, this is supposed to significantly change how the opposing hoppers, who have been consistently wrecking the protag aligned hoppers, view their fleet. Somehow he wins a bunch and the MYSTERIOUSNESS seems to be working. Then the final is cancelled because the person he's supposed to fight advances to the next stage. But he fights them anyway because ??? Mid fight he is having too much fun so he takes off his mask for no reason. Also this entire fight he seems to forget like 1/3 of his power set and only use it toward the end for no reason.
Pretty disapointing.
Pretty disapointing.
July 30, 2024
This review was originally posted on SFFINSIDERS.COM
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. 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. 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 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
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. 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. 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 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
July 7, 2024
Spoilers below.
I had to drop this to a 3/5.
Iro is now the most uninteresting character in this story. This book was him being some angsty edgelord and the story didn't really sell me on it being an interesting arc for him.
Also, it creates a MASSIVE plothole at the end of the story. Everyone rushing off to rescue him and he thinks he needs to beat the shit out of them to make them leave . . . why didn't he just say he was dying? He could have just told them that only the Black Cloaks can save him and they would have just been like, "Oh yeah, go ahead."
Very forced intra-party fight to create angst and drama.
I especially don't like this whole "breaking the gate" thing. The pinning of in-universe power to character growth was by far the most interesting aspect of this story as a progression fantasy. And this reeks too much of Iro leaning into being some super-special snowflake with totally unique, OP cheat powers. Which is disappointing because up to now it felt like each character had a unique angle that made each of them useful, but in different ways.
I'm hoping that the author is trying to ameliorate that with the monster seen at the end, something like Iro can break his gates and gets the stat boosts but it comes at the cost of his unique ability being something that will only try to kill him if utilized.
I kind of hope the next book ignores Iro by and large. Everyone else is way more interesting right now, especially Emil and Toshiko. Justice also needs some help.
I had to drop this to a 3/5.
Iro is now the most uninteresting character in this story. This book was him being some angsty edgelord and the story didn't really sell me on it being an interesting arc for him.
Also, it creates a MASSIVE plothole at the end of the story. Everyone rushing off to rescue him and he thinks he needs to beat the shit out of them to make them leave . . . why didn't he just say he was dying? He could have just told them that only the Black Cloaks can save him and they would have just been like, "Oh yeah, go ahead."
Very forced intra-party fight to create angst and drama.
I especially don't like this whole "breaking the gate" thing. The pinning of in-universe power to character growth was by far the most interesting aspect of this story as a progression fantasy. And this reeks too much of Iro leaning into being some super-special snowflake with totally unique, OP cheat powers. Which is disappointing because up to now it felt like each character had a unique angle that made each of them useful, but in different ways.
I'm hoping that the author is trying to ameliorate that with the monster seen at the end, something like Iro can break his gates and gets the stat boosts but it comes at the cost of his unique ability being something that will only try to kill him if utilized.
I kind of hope the next book ignores Iro by and large. Everyone else is way more interesting right now, especially Emil and Toshiko. Justice also needs some help.
November 12, 2024
Debated giving the book a 4 star, but ultimately decided to settle on a solid/high 3.
The story is taking a turn where it seems to try to do everything, but none of it really well. The academy piece kinda works, the "human's from the past" gets explained, but shoddily. The dungeon dives become less and less, and the friction with the other set Hoppers doesn't solidify, per se.
Pick a lane and do really well on it.
The story is taking a turn where it seems to try to do everything, but none of it really well. The academy piece kinda works, the "human's from the past" gets explained, but shoddily. The dungeon dives become less and less, and the friction with the other set Hoppers doesn't solidify, per se.
Pick a lane and do really well on it.
September 15, 2024
Rob J Hayes es un maestro en lo suyo. Novelas entretenidas, sin moralina por detrás.
Los personajes nos dan lo que necesitábamos. Mejoran, crecen y asumen nuevos retos. Ahora, una competición con los Black Cloaks.
Tiene cierto toque a Bleach, en el sentido de que poco a poco los Capitanes van sacando sus Zampakutohs y Bankais, y tienen habilidades escondidas.
Muy entretenido.
Los personajes nos dan lo que necesitábamos. Mejoran, crecen y asumen nuevos retos. Ahora, una competición con los Black Cloaks.
Tiene cierto toque a Bleach, en el sentido de que poco a poco los Capitanes van sacando sus Zampakutohs y Bankais, y tienen habilidades escondidas.
Muy entretenido.
November 16, 2025
The obligatory tournament book.
The justification for the tournament is at best questionable, but the setting is used to good effect for character development for all the main characters. And we finally get a start at explanations of the origin of the situation found here.
I'm looking forward to book 4 of this series.
The justification for the tournament is at best questionable, but the setting is used to good effect for character development for all the main characters. And we finally get a start at explanations of the origin of the situation found here.
I'm looking forward to book 4 of this series.
May 17, 2024
LOVE THIS SERIES
It’s so good! There are mysteries, great character arcs and progression, really interesting fights and plot points.
I really can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
It’s so good! There are mysteries, great character arcs and progression, really interesting fights and plot points.
I really can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
December 9, 2024
Really enjoyed how it built on elements introduces in the last book, character motivations make sense and we get alot of interiority with the characters. Plenty of action in between to keep the pages turning.
December 31, 2024
Twists built on twists
This one was a little slower than the previous entries but is making me think more and more about the main character and his friends in a different light, especially with how Emperor Book is established.
This one was a little slower than the previous entries but is making me think more and more about the main character and his friends in a different light, especially with how Emperor Book is established.
December 5, 2025
so much fun!
This book is the best of the 3 so far. The previous character development has paid off and the adventure and world gets much bigger and more exciting. Moving on to book 4 immediately -so many mysteries-loving it!
This book is the best of the 3 so far. The previous character development has paid off and the adventure and world gets much bigger and more exciting. Moving on to book 4 immediately -so many mysteries-loving it!
May 10, 2024
Got to read the ARC. The story is developing very well. Really rocked along. Good pace and a few surprises. Looking forward to the next over.
July 17, 2024
Good new book in the series. If you liked the first two you'll like this one. Quite some mystery to unravel still!
October 15, 2024
3.5 stars, enjoy a tournament arc
November 3, 2024
More secrets revealed and plenty of action in the third of this series. I enjoyed it but I did like the first two better.
February 15, 2025
Super read - can't wait for the next one!
February 22, 2025
This series has got better with every book. This was the 3rd and we are starting to see more of the background story of the titans, very intriguing! Can't wait for the next one.
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