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rashellnicole 's review for:
Metal from Heaven
by August Clarke
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for letting me read an e-ARC of Metal from Heaven by August Clarke! This released on October 22, 2024, so you can pick it up from your favorite bookstore or request it from your local library!
Marney Honeycutt is luster-touched. After spending her childhood working with ichorite, she cannot be around the substance without being in pain and hallucinating - it seems to slowly eat away at her body from the inside. Marney witnesses the death of her entire family when they’re picketing the ichorite factory that is completely decimated by Yann Chauncey, and she’s the only survivor.
The entire book is written in an almost stream-of-consciousness format with Marney frequently addressing the reader as “you” (their childhood friend and would-be lover, Gwyar who was killed in the attack). We are thrown right into this world of child labor, capitalist greed concerning ichorite (a toxic substance stronger than steel), and Marney, who wants to avenge her family and friend’s deaths by single-handedly killing Yann Chauncey, herself. We witness her journey as an orphan taken in by the Choir (a group of bandits) to becoming an undercover socialite trying to win the daughter of Chauncey’s hand in marriage games. The plot twist at the end got me really good (I audibly gasped) and the final chapters were a mind-boggling experience that took me 10 minutes to adjust to (just read it and you’ll see what I mean), but I cannot emphasize enough how much I LOVED the journey.
The story is an absolute fever dream tinged in pink hallucinations with consistently bloody and brutal undertones. It is not a fantasy tale for the faint of heart. It took about 50% of the book to feel completely immersed in the world, and then the last 50% of the book is a mad dash of chaos to the bitter end. I was surprised this is a standalone novel, as I think a duology may have served it well and would’ve presented an opportunity to flesh out some key characters more. Overall, I loved this book. I would absolutely recommend it to fans of The Locked Tomb series for its lesbian shenanigans, scheming games, and butchy revenge. It’s just so HOT!
Marney Honeycutt is luster-touched. After spending her childhood working with ichorite, she cannot be around the substance without being in pain and hallucinating - it seems to slowly eat away at her body from the inside. Marney witnesses the death of her entire family when they’re picketing the ichorite factory that is completely decimated by Yann Chauncey, and she’s the only survivor.
The entire book is written in an almost stream-of-consciousness format with Marney frequently addressing the reader as “you” (their childhood friend and would-be lover, Gwyar who was killed in the attack). We are thrown right into this world of child labor, capitalist greed concerning ichorite (a toxic substance stronger than steel), and Marney, who wants to avenge her family and friend’s deaths by single-handedly killing Yann Chauncey, herself. We witness her journey as an orphan taken in by the Choir (a group of bandits) to becoming an undercover socialite trying to win the daughter of Chauncey’s hand in marriage games. The plot twist at the end got me really good (I audibly gasped) and the final chapters were a mind-boggling experience that took me 10 minutes to adjust to (just read it and you’ll see what I mean), but I cannot emphasize enough how much I LOVED the journey.
The story is an absolute fever dream tinged in pink hallucinations with consistently bloody and brutal undertones. It is not a fantasy tale for the faint of heart. It took about 50% of the book to feel completely immersed in the world, and then the last 50% of the book is a mad dash of chaos to the bitter end. I was surprised this is a standalone novel, as I think a duology may have served it well and would’ve presented an opportunity to flesh out some key characters more. Overall, I loved this book. I would absolutely recommend it to fans of The Locked Tomb series for its lesbian shenanigans, scheming games, and butchy revenge. It’s just so HOT!