Hounds of Orion: Book One

By: DM Rook

Narrated by: Erebus Esprit

In the future, gods don’t descend from the heavens—they pilot war machines.

The year is 2848. Wars aren’t won by nations—they’re brokered by corporations. A.R.M.S. pilots, warriors bound to towering mechs with the firepower of gods, fight for fame, fortune, and survival in the ruthless chaos of Free Space.

Cameron Pellyn was born a prince.
Now he's nothing but an exile with a stolen name and a death warrant hanging over his head. Betrayed by the very people who raised him, he has only one shot at reclaiming his life: enter the mercenary arena and rise through the ranks of A.R.M.S. combat.

But nothing about surviving as a rookie pilot is easy.
The battlefield is brutal, his mech is a relic, and his only ally is Logan—an ex-Guard Captain with a sharp tongue and a buried past.
To endure, Cameron must become more than a pilot.
He must become a weapon.

As war looms and an old enemy resurfaces, Cameron is forced to choose: cling to the past—or forge a new future in fire and steel.

Perfect for fans of Gundam, Iron Widow, Red Rising, and The Expanse.

• Gritty mech warfare
• High-stakes space opera
• Weak-to-strong character arc
• Morally gray decisions
• Political intrigue, personal vengeance, and found family

The Hounds of Orion are ready for war.
And Cameron Ket is done running.

©2025 Shadow Light Press (P)2025 Shadow Light Press

really like the character interaction, and fighting description

the Cliff hanger always puts me off, cause I feel like I have to reread the first when the second book comes out

Erebus narrates this story like an old pro

A likable relatable mc and the gruff caring mentor lead us into piloting mechs in a futuristic tale. Paired with a sharp mechanic I think I might be in love with makes this a great listen.

Like my title said, Erebus narrated this like someone with far more titles under his belt than he has.

All in all, quite happy even with the overly abrupt ending.

Good book

I enjoyed listening to this book series good writing and good narration highly recommend it

The next big mech saga

I can't overstate how much I enjoyed this.

The story itself is enjoyable, a young man who has everything except what he truly wants has it all taken from him, but in return he finds a new home with a mercenary outfit. The character interactions are especially good, one specific dialogue exchange made me laugh so hard I almost got in an accident.

Erebus Esprit was great as the narrator, minus a few instances of lines being repeated. It looks like this might be one of his first narration projects so I can let little stuff like that slide. The important thing was his actual voice quality. Each character has a unique feel, almost to the point that you don't need dialogue tags. He can only improve with time, and I look forward to hearing more from him, and from Rook.

All in all, a fun read that has me eagerly awaiting the sequel.