Titanic: Relative Fate
by: V. C. King
Published by: iUniverse
Buy From Amazon.com
Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart
Engineer turned author V. C. King mixes fact and fiction with past and present in her debut novel, Titanic: Relative Fate.
Set in contemporary times, shipbuilder Bruce Janus is a Titanic fanatic. He has built his novelty cruise ship, “Titan’s Sister,” with all the modern amenities, but the hull resembles the majestic Titanic, the unsinkable ocean liner that sank in 1912. Titan does have enough lifeboats, although to lend authenticity to the experience, the ones easily seen by passengers, are stenciled with “Titanic.”
Many people oppose Janus’s plans. It’s creepy and blasphemous. Readers see only some of the outcry from the public that pickets the ship on launch day. It would have been nice to see more of this, but that’s okay. Still, Titan will sail completely sold out, so who cares.
The novel opens on launch day, in northern Florida (versus England). Titan’s route is to make the voyage Titanic never made–from west to east. Blake Tellemann, the shipyard’s superintendent, hasn’t yet made it to the yard, but that doesn’t stop Janus. Against the advice of the ship’s lead welder, Abram Harwood, Janus goes through with the launch. The cold weather creates a hitch, and the ship’s bow is stuck in the slipway.
As welder Harwood searches for superintendent Blake, he sees three men dressed in early-19th century clothing. Sure that Janus has hired actors, Abram tries to ignore them but can never locate either of the men that he saw. When Blake is found dead beneath the anchor, Harwood begins to wonder if creating a Titanic look-alike was such a good idea. And who could those strangely dressed men be?
Before the passengers board, a raging fire almost destroys the ship. The fire, which seems to have its origins in Abram’s tent, makes detective Melika Jones suspicious. Readers are given a great story about the fire, but it seems that Titan is almost destroyed one day and begins her maiden voyage the next week.
Once Titan’s Sister set sail, eerie things begin to happen; things that connect the ship to Titanic and its ultimate fate. Will she go down too?
King gives Titanic enthusiasts a wonderful read and provides a stunning conclusion that will raise goosebumps!
Armchair Interviews says: A very good read, regardless if some requires you to suspend belief a bit.
Author’s Web site: http://www.VCKing.net
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