I sometimes get the idea that Titan gets some mixed reactions here on the forum. Some people love it, others hate, others seem caught in the middle. I'm of the latter group. Titan has been hit and miss for me, with more misses then hits I'm afraid. That being said, two of my favorite novels do come from Titan. Orion's Hounds is one of those Christopher Bennett novels where he just has the perfect mix of character development, science, fiction, action, humor, drama. I can re-read this one over and over and just don't get bored really. The other one would be Synthesis. Swallow shows us a great new take on cybernetic life, but also really takes you in with gripping story-telling. The description of the home-system of the Machines takes my breath away every time. Swallow really seams to get the Titan crew.
I enjoyed the first two, due to the aftermath of Star Trek Nemesis providing a great backdrop to them.
I have to give it to Sword of Damocles. Such a cool time-twisting story. Absolutely loved it, and was totally taken in by Jaza's personal journey. Orion's Hounds is SUCH a close second.
I haven't read enough of them to cast a meaningful vote, yet. However, if I had to rank the four I've read so far, it'd be: 1. Taking Wing 2. Orion's Hounds 3. The Red King 4. Sword of Damocles
Orion's Hounds if one of my favourite Star Trek novels altogether. Synthesis not far behind. Both because they explore such interesting sci-fi ideas. I'm also pretty fond of Over a Torrent Sea. The rest of the series I've found less engaging generally, very hit and miss. However because I've liked the books I have enjoyed in the series so much, I always look forward to a new one.
I would have to say that "Synthesis" was the best and it was really tragic that the Avatar program didn't get the chance to be in more novels.
Well, I guess it's a fairly common opinion, but Orion's Hounds is my favourite. Synthesis and Sword of Damocles are pretty high on the list too.
I voted for Destiny but it was not easy because I really like Taking Wing because it sets up the series. I was interested in the idea of showing this multi-species crew learning to work & live together, something we humans still haven't figured out. Orion's & Damocles were enjoyable too. I just liked how in Destiny the Titan crew were the ones rushing in to save the day.
Rather enjoyed Orions Hounds, although I wince every time I see the name star jellies(and I didn't like the crystalline direction mind-wise). Really brilliant eco system creation in that book. Titan in Destiny was awful, I was actually hoping Ree would eat troi at one point just to spice it up. I stopped reading the series at that point as Hounds was the only one I'd actually frigging enjoyed, and even then that was far more due to the mission then the characters. Ree is the only one I really found interesting.
I wasn't crazy about it myself, but I honestly couldn't think of a better alternative. "Medusan" was taken, and "astrocnidarian" is ghastly. I thought of "cosmedusan," but it felt awkward.
Well, Destiny is a no brainer. I know a lot of people consider Orion's Hounds the best, but I actually enjoyed Over a Torrent Sea more. Synthesis is another great one.
Overall I enjoy the Titan series, but I find it a bit hit and miss. Overall I like the characters - the core characters are all quite engaging, but the "secondary" cast is a bit uneven. I enjoyed Taking Wing, Orions Hounds, Sword of Damocles, Destiny...contrary to popular opinion (judging by the poll), I wasn't particularly engaged by Over a Torrent Sea, and I didn't really like Synthesis. I would have liked it more if its portrayal of technology had just made a bit more sense. Seize the Fire was just painful to read - the plot was fine, but the large number of unpronounceable (and unmemorable) names just made it feel like a struggle - and to be honest, if I'm struggling to read a book, I'm not enjoying it. In general, I'd read more Titan, but I'd like some more from Mack, Bennett or Thorne, as I've kinda disengaged with Martin's style. He worked better when he was co-writing with Mangels.
I'm not overly fond of Titan generally, and although some might find it odd for a Trek fan, I'm really bored by the 'Strange New Worlds' part of Trek. After so many planets/aliens of the week episodes of TOS, TNG, Voyager, Enterprise and occasionally DS9 and all the pre relaunch novels, I've had enough. That's probably why I like the political stuff so much. An exploration story, particularly Titan, has to be really special to get my vote. Over A Torrent Sea really was. Fantastic novel...
Destiny is the best thing on that list overall, but just looking at it from a Titan perspective, I think Sword of Damocles gets my vote. What I loved about the idea for this series is that it could take new authors, new voices, new situations and give a chance to explore and play; Damocles had the most unique, most fantastic story, and I loved how different it was.
Destiny I don't even consider to be a part of Titan, since the Titan storyline was only one part of the overall story, since you had three other series contributing major story arcs to the trilogy, with Enterprise contributing the fate of the Columbia story, TNG and DS9, and to a very small extent Voyager, giving us the Borg wrap up storylines, that Destiny cannot be attributed to just one series. "Seize The Fire" I can accept as part of he Titan series since, aside from a small scene where Titan receives its orders from HQ, it is a stand-alone story, just under the TP. Banner.
I voted for Taking Wing. I had high hopes after the first book but sadly every book I've read since was less satisfying. But I keep reading. I think the foundation of the crew keeps my interests and hopes up for the series.