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A review by justabean_reads
Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf
4.0
I saw this on the library's Express Reads shelf, and just had to pick it up, less because of the blurb, and more because for whatever reason the library had the deluxe edition with sprayed edges and illustrated end papers, and it was super pretty, and I just wanted to pet it.
Given that I picked it up solely on aesthetic grounds, I'm pleased with how much I ended up enjoying it. It's sort of A Knight's Tale with mechs, but also in space, and also the protagonist is extremely murdery. Actually, pretty much everyone is extremely murdery, except a couple of knights who seem to think they're in a different genre.
I'd have been happy just to go along with handwavy "Jousting Space Mechs," but I ended up really liking the worldbuilding here. The author made a few leaps, but for the most part it made a certain amount of sense as to why they had the mechs and why they were jousting, in terms of internal continuity, and in relation to medieval jousts. The society of the space station was a little less well drawn, with stark class segregation in a way that felt like it could've been more nuanced, and a couple notes felt over the top. However, the story is about mechs jousting in space, so I'll allow it. (Though I did find the actual jousting a bit difficult to visualise at times.) I was able to call several of the plot turns ahead of time.
I like the angry murder heroine, the and how the other characters use/interact with/misunderstand her motivations, and the ways class structure affects that. She felt more well rounded than the recent crop of angry murder protagonists, and that the plot took that kind of emotional damage more seriously. We get to know a few other characters as well, though the love interest had a few too many Poor Little Richboy vibes. I do live in hope for at least an OT3 with one of the lady knights, but the heroine keeps thinking of her as a sister, so maybe not.
Book ends with a massive cliffhanger, so wait for the next one (I think it's meant to be a duology not a series) if that's an issue. I subscribed to the author's newsletter so I can get updates on when we'll get more story.
Given that I picked it up solely on aesthetic grounds, I'm pleased with how much I ended up enjoying it. It's sort of A Knight's Tale with mechs, but also in space, and also the protagonist is extremely murdery. Actually, pretty much everyone is extremely murdery, except a couple of knights who seem to think they're in a different genre.
I'd have been happy just to go along with handwavy "Jousting Space Mechs," but I ended up really liking the worldbuilding here. The author made a few leaps, but for the most part it made a certain amount of sense as to why they had the mechs and why they were jousting, in terms of internal continuity, and in relation to medieval jousts. The society of the space station was a little less well drawn, with stark class segregation in a way that felt like it could've been more nuanced, and a couple notes felt over the top. However, the story is about mechs jousting in space, so I'll allow it. (Though I did find the actual jousting a bit difficult to visualise at times.) I was able to call several of the plot turns ahead of time.
I like the angry murder heroine, the and how the other characters use/interact with/misunderstand her motivations, and the ways class structure affects that. She felt more well rounded than the recent crop of angry murder protagonists, and that the plot took that kind of emotional damage more seriously. We get to know a few other characters as well, though the love interest had a few too many Poor Little Richboy vibes. I do live in hope for at least an OT3 with one of the lady knights, but the heroine keeps thinking of her as a sister, so maybe not.
Book ends with a massive cliffhanger, so wait for the next one (I think it's meant to be a duology not a series) if that's an issue. I subscribed to the author's newsletter so I can get updates on when we'll get more story.