Eris and Sona are two girls on seemingly opposite ends of Godolia — Sona is responsible for piloting an advanced mecha, designed to protect Godolia. Eris is a Gearbreaker, responsible for taking down these mechas and fighting against Godolia. However, they become unexpected allies and team up to fight against the tyranny that is starting to spread.

Gearbreakers was on my list of most anticipated books — it's got enemies to lovers, morally grey characters, complex worldbuilding, and found family. It had clearly defined POVs for both Eris and Sona, and really allowed to reader to understand their backstories and motivations. I thought that the book was well-paced and balanced relevant lore with plot. However, around the halfway point of the book, I felt the plot start to drag and had a hard time trying keeping up with what was happening. I'd love to pick this book up again in the future (and am excited to see what the sequel brings), but for now, I'm shelving it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I ended up DNFing this book about 40% through. I wasn't a big fan of the writing style, a lot of the dialogue seemed very forced as well as the character interactions. While I did find the worldbuilding to be fascinating, there was just too much going on (too many characters, too much detail at some points, etc) that it made me lose interest in this story. I've heard that other people enjoyed this book, but it just wasn't for me.

This book was action packed and kept me on my toes. It was so cool to see these giant robotic mechanized weapons being used to control society. Usually these contraptions are portrayed as tools to help humans fight back against monsters but in this case, they were used to control outer regions to a capital, making sure that they meet quotas and such for resources to be sent to the capital.

Enter the Gearbreakers, which are brave individuals that take on these mechanized weapons by taking them down from the inside. I have to give props to them because this would be such a dangerous job where your life would be on the line daily.

I definitely got Hunger Games vibes during this book with a mix of Divergent/Red Rising. The book focuses on fighting back for what you believe in and doing everything you can to break the normal ways of how society currently works.

There is also a sapphic relationship in here which I was rooting for from the very beginning! You will feel pain, love, longing, fury and so many other emotions if you decide to read this book.

I would recommend this book for lovers of Pacific Rim or any of the books mentioned above. You will not be disappointed!

Gearbreakers is set in a post-apocalyptic future and follows two girls on opposite sides of a war. Sona is a cybernetically enhanced pilot of a giant mecha known as a Windup. Eris is a renegade tasked with taking down said Windups. When Sona, who's dream is to take down the Windup program from the inside, meets Eris they begrudgingly start to work together—and fall in love along the way.

Starting with things I liked, I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The universe it's set in and the idea of the giant mechas is a really fascinating concept. I was also really interested in the relationship between Sona and Eris and how it progressed throughout the book.

Moving on to things I didn't like as much. The first third of the book was definitely a little hard to get through. The writing was quite excessively wordy and hard to follow at times. While I did love the universe in Gearbreakers, I don’t think I truly understood the worldbuilding until the end of it.

I usually love side characters way too much but with this book, I couldn't really tell most of the side characters (Eris' crew) apart. Even by the end of the book I had trouble remembering who was dating who and I still mixed up all their names. I will say though, I read this book over two months, so it may have been my fault.

Overall, I think Gearbreakers suffered in the writing department. However, the last half of the book really saved it for me. I’m really excited to see where the sequel will take these characters and what Zoe Hana Mikuta will do in the future!

I’ve been putting off writing this review because I honestly have no clue how I’m meant to do this stunning book justice. I fell hard for Sona and Eris and their story and just absolutely adored this book from beginning to end. Unfortunately however, the ending has left my brain all mushy with no thoughts except feral sapphics, found family and when can I read the sequel?

What first struck me about Gearbreakers was the writing. The prose was gorgeous and vivid and expertly wielded to capture the atmosphere of the book. From the towering power of Godolia and its mechas, to the deserted wasteland of the Badlands, every setting was so clearly, beautifully described. The contrast between our two main locations and their people was so stark and I loved seeing the crossover through Sona’s character.

I absolutely adored reading from both our main perspectives, Eris and Sona. They each had distinct voices, personalities and motivators and this clearly influenced each of their decisions. They were each feral and determined and ready to do anything to protect those they cared about, particularly each other and Eris’s team of gearbreakers. Speaking of, I adored Eris’s team and the found family of misfits vibe they had going on. Reading scenes with them all, especially with a newcomer in the mix, was just a joy.

I adored reading the slowburn build of Sona and Eris’s relationship from enemies to something more. I felt that the development was at the perfect pace to build tension and fit with the characters’ distrust of the other and the intense, impossible situation they each found themselves in. They each complimented each other so well and I loved reading their banter and flirting. Their tender moments stood in harsh contrast to the violent, dangerous situations they were in which just made them feel all the more special and raised the stakes perfectly.

I found the development of the plot to be at the perfect pace to allow the characters to develop and learn to trust one another, while remaining fast paced and creating a lasting tension. The fight scenes and mecha takedowns were so fun to read and I loved the questions they brought up of what it means to be a god, and what it means to kill one. The whole concept of mechas and pilots was unlike anything I’d ever read and served to create a vivid, engaging world and story.

Gearbreakers is a love story at its heart and maybe that’s why I loved it so much. With feral sapphics, found family and giant mecha deities, Zoe Hana Mikuta has created a stunning book guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. If you need me, you’ll find me anxiously awaiting the sequel and hoping that my girls will make it through it intact.

The premise is great. Asian sapphics take down mechas? Found family? I'm here for it. Unfortunately, it falls short in almost all aspects.

Let's start with worldbuilding. There are some really cool snippets that are thrown here and there, like Archangels and the role religion plays, but it's like digging for gold. Despite the excessive info-dumping in the first part of the book, the reader never gets a sense of the world and Godolia as an institution. This is a huge part of the characters' motivations, though without understanding why, I was left frustrated and confused.

Next up, the two main POV characters are both infuriating in their own ways. Sona is inconsistent, ranging wildly from robotic to randomly seductive to emotional and vulnerable. It's hard to know which POV is hers because she's so different in every single chapter. Eris on the other hand is just a hugely arrogant hothead who throws out - and repeats - so many cringey one-liners that I wanted to scream. The found family is supposed to be the backbone of the story but there were so many side characters that I couldn't even keep track of who was who. Eris' crew is all introduced by name within approximately 2 sentences with minimal distinguishing details. All I know is that there are several (2? 10? who knows?) extremely chaotic side characters who like to blow things up, run through the halls, and play outlandish pranks on each other. There were so many side characters that I wasn't sure who played a big role and who didn't because their names and descriptions all blended in together.

I was really looking forward to the romance between Sona and Eris, however it felt very insincere. The book opens up with Eris in an established relationship. However, after moments of knowing Sona, Eris becomes incredibly attached to her. On what basis is their chemistry founded?

After the initial 20%, the writing becomes much more fast paced and easy to understand, though it's hard to picture what's going on because the visual descriptions are kept to a minimum. Additionally, there are several important scenes (battles, romantic moments, etc.) that fade to black, so right as you get hooked, the chapter ends. It's like riding a roller coaster and having the ride end as you get to the top of the first climb. The dialogue feels forced and overly dramatic, in addition to horribly repetitive, so it's hard to stay invested especially when you're already not invested in the characters.

I think Mikuta's ideas are great and there are definitely some sentences that are very beautifully written, but I'm not sure if I will read book 2. Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings (May contain spoilers, may be incomplete): torture, blood and gore, graphic descriptions of injury, murder/attempted murder, mass murder, gun violence, body mutilation, mentioned death of family members

10/10 love me some pissed off knife girls. The people in this book have to make tough choices in order to survive in this dystopia and it's interesting to see how different characters handle it. One drinks, but most of them choose to stand and fight instead. The writing makes it clear what's happening and even the fight scenes are easy to follow. F/F enemies to lovers is always *chef's kiss* for me and this book is no exception.

Two angry sapphic girls with an affinity for the mechanical and a thirst for vengeance go forth and wreak havoc. Eris is a rebel whose parents were killed by Godolia's mechas, who has made it her life's work to destroy as many of them as she can. Sona is a pilot of one of those mechas, a position she has dedicated herself to with the goal of eventually taking down the empire from the inside. The collision of these two strong personalities ends up with sparks flying in more ways than one - Godolia won't know what hit it.

Everything about this book was a delight. The overwhelming (and totally valid) anger from both Eris and Sona was balanced by the found family made of pure, unadulterated chaos while still relentlessly driving the plot forward. The interpersonal conflict was realistic, the mech battles were riveting, and the twist at the end was entirely unexpected. This is a fast-paced book that pulls no punches and will leave every reader counting down for the next book in the duology. Highly recommend for anyone who finished THE HUNGER GAMES but wanted more, and everyone who wants more characters being gay and doing crimes.

This book was fast paced and action packed and I really enjoyed reading! I loved both the main characters and how they both spent their lives trying to take down the oppressive system but in vastly different ways.

This book starts with Eris being captured and taken to one of Godolias prisons where she meets an unlikely ally in Sona who is a windup pilot and who helps her escape and goes with her back to the rebel base. There Sona helps the rebels and joions Eris’s team of gearbreakers to overthrow the oppressive regime that is Godolia. But can a small team of teenagers do enough to overthrow a tyrannical regime that has wealth, power and resources not available to them and then there’s also the issue that not everyone trusts Sona.

There are some incredible heart racing, action packed scenes of gearbreakers fighting and taking down the giant machines sent to kill all rebels and the descriptions are so vivid that you can truly imagine the whole scene as it happens. Then you also have the wonderful fun scenes between team mates and the family they build for themselves. The squabbling and fighting and yet they all look out for and care deeply for each other.

We also see a slow burn romance bloom between Eris and Sona and how they slowly learn to trust each other and protect each other. I am looking forward to seeing more of them in the sequel and what will happen to them especially after that ending!

This is a wonderful action packed story with a great found family who fight an oppressive regime to be able to live freely and safely.

DNF at 39%

Yeah, this one was disappointing. Especially because it sounded <i>so</i> good. I fell in love with the cover, synopsis, and first chapter, but sadly, this didn't stay good.

I think the main problem for me was just the way this was written. It was so jumpy, and I couldn't get a grasp of who was who and what was happening before the scene jumped. Because of this, the reading experience felt incredible disjointed and confusing.

I don't think I gave this long enough to have any complaints about the characters or romance, but nothing in me is motivated to give this another chance. Maybe later in life, but for now, I'm off to a different read.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!</i>

ENEMIES TO LOVERS + FOUND FAMILY TROPE
This book is a dream come true for all cyberpunk fans. This is the perfect mixture of Pacific Rim meets Alita: The battle angel. It will take you a few chapters to get into the book but once you understand the world of Godolia you won't be able to escape. The bond built between Eris and Sona leaves you wanting more. Whereas each member of the Gearbreaker crew makes you want to throttle them and hug them at the same time 😂😂😂
🤖
This book will make you angry, laugh and cry throughout the book. This is one of a kind book with amazing battle scenes. ( I am a sucker for good action scenes 😜). Plus, I want to be as flirty as Sona and as brave as Eris. This book is gonna stay with me forever.

oh my gosh! I loved this! This was everything my sci-fi and robot loving lesbian self could have ever asked for! I flew though this book and loved every single page of this book. I gobbled this up in one night because I just couldn't put it down. I finished it and wanted the sequel right away. Please please do yourself a favor and go get this fantastic book!

I think my favorite part about this book was the fact that it brought into sharp focus how horrific it is for children and teenagers to feel responsible to fight in a war that was not started by them. In this book, our protagonists and their friends are all teenagers and children who have lived through and done things no one at their age should have. The amount of violence they deal with daily has an impact, and the author doesn’t glorify it. Although there’s scenes where the protagonists feed off the adrenaline of what they’re doing, they’re ultimately shown in their more vulnerable moments where their actions take a toll on them. It was so amazing to see a novel legitimately not tying to gloss over the horrors the protagonists were experiencing.

I’m not going to lie. This book was a little outside of my comfort zone. But I’m SO GLAD I branched out! This one is pitched as “two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose―and falling for each other” and with a description like that, who wouldn’t be intrigued?

Characters:

The characters were my absolute favorite part of this story. Obviously we have our main characters, Eris and Sona, but there’s also a whole crew of gearbreakers to fall in love with! If you love found family crews of misfit characters, you NEED to put this book on your radar. Each and every one of the teammates was funny, loveable, and valuable to the mission. They speak my love language – playfully mean, teasing to show affection.

Eris is a Gearbreaker who gets captured by the opposition while on a mission. It’s during her capture that she meets Sona, a talented pilot with a troubled past of her own. The two must learn to put aside their difference and find common ground so they can work together to destroy the society that ruined their lives. Both of these characters grow so much throughout the story and their interactions had me rolling!

I can’t wait to see more of these characters in the next book!

Writing:

There is a lot to take in in Gearbreakers. While many things are similar to the world we live in, the idea of the mechas and bots and everything was a lot to take in. I think it was written really well. It could have very quickly become too confusing and too much information to take in, but the way everything was described broke it down in an easy to understand and enjoyable format.

Gearbreakers was snarky and hilarious and a joy to read. There is never a dull moment. With all the high-stakes missions these crews go on, there is always room for something to go drastically wrong, and Mikuta has filled this book with twists and turns you won’t see coming.

Overall:

I loved Gearbreakers! The story was full of laughs, has unforgettable characters, unrelenting excitement, and a touching love story. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book in the series.

Fast-paced and engaging, Gearbreakers takes you to a world where war is fought and conquered people are controlled by giant machines run by cyborg pilots trained by the state - Godolia - from an early age. The war has been fought for so long that most of the soldiers, on both sides, are teens, and some are younger; the best way they've found to combat the monstrous robots is from the inside, by sabotaging specific parts that cause a cascading failure that destroys them. Godolia recruits talent from wherever it finds it - including from among the the guttersnipes who infest its cities, and that may be their mistake. Bellsona - Sona to her friends - survived a disciplinary action by a Godolian robot and fled to the nearest city trying to survive, where she was picked up by the Academy's training program and trained to pilot not just any robot, but a Valkyrie, the most elite group in which she could have been placed. Shortly after completing her training, Sona encounters Eris, a gearbreaker who has destroyed dozens of the deadly machines, and helps Eris to escape in return for taking Sona with her. Together, they plot to destroy Godolia. Join them, along with Eris's crew, on their quest to destroy Godolia's machines once and for all.

I dont know what it is with 2021 and the abundance of sapphic books, but I love it. Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta is the edgy, sort of meta kind of gay book I never knew I wanted.

Thank you Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I don’t think I have any thoughts left in my brain. Just one is replaying over and over again: I need the sequel, I need the sequel. That ending?! WHAT THE **** DID I JUST READ? Oh my word.

I am not normally a Sci-Fi kind of girl, but the blurb of this book absolutely drew me in. I screeched a little when I got approved for the ARC. I am gobsmacked by how incredible this is. It was so good. The way Zoe was able to create a world with such vividness and characters that were complex but relatable is no easy feat. Just that is what was done. I fell in love with every character. Plus that slow build romance? Yeah, I have never loved anything more. This whole book was everything. Absolutely INCREDIBLE. I will never get over it. Honestly.

Sona and Eris are some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about. Their dynamic in their relationship was so well crafted. I loved the way they were enemies to lovers, but the slow build and dismantling of walls was *chefs kiss.* I also really enjoyed the way Sona interacted with the Gearbreakers. The way the relationship with them flourished naturally as she proved herself was so nice to see. She was such a trooper. Eris too. There was so much goodness yet growth and learning that this had EVERYTHING.

Give yourself a pat on the back, Zoe. This was STELLAR and I can’t wait for the sequel!

I had high expectations for this book, but it fell flat for me in a lot of ways. The premise was really exciting, with sci-fi mechas and a sapphic romance, but I never totally was able to grasp the plot. Godolia never seemed fully tangible to me, and the gearbreakers didn't seem like they actually did much at all. Eris and Sona were both interesting characters, but both seemed a little too two-dimensional. Eris never seemed to have real motivation and Sona's reasons for becoming a pilot seemed a little bit wishy-washy. The romance was cute, but the pacing of it was off. Overall, there were some really great side characters and the plot was interesting, but I felt like I never totally grasped why everything was happening.

On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks to Zoe Hana Mikuta all about her debut book, and it’s a good one, the YA sci-fi fantasy Gearbreakers which is being described as “Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other–perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu’s Legend series.”

Gearbreakers has a ton of heart, some real-world messaging that we should all appreciate, a pair of lead characters you’re not likely to forget, and more beautiful mecha action than you can shake a stick at. It really is an auspicious debut for Zoe and we’re going to be reading her books for many years to come. You’d be right to think Gearbreakers is a covered in grease and oil, bit of action storytelling, that’s certainly a part of it, but Zoe is wise beyond her years and goes much deeper than that, “Just pretty things suffocating hard truths. I have long learned to be cautious of pretty things. Of beauty, of the grace of Gods formed from steel and wire…”

Steve and Zoe talk about the cinematic appeal of the book, all those mechas, found family and first meetings, Gearbreakers of course, and much, much more.

For the full author interview, click the link below...

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/shows/everything-is-canon-gearbreakers/

BOOK REPORT for Gearbreakers (Gearbreakers #1) by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Cover Story: Pan Pacific Defense Corps Propaganda
BFF Charms: Caution x2
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Talky Talk: Dystopian Debut
Bonus Factors: Jaegers
Anti-Bonus Factor: Cliffhanger
Relationship Status: Drift Compatible

Cover Story: Pan Pacific Defense Corps Propaganda
Looking to save the world from the Kaiju threat? The Pan Pacific Defense Corps needs you! Join the Jaeger program today!

The Deal:
Bellsona "Sona" Steelcrest is the youngest person ever to become a Valkryie pilot. The Valkyries—Godolia's best line of defense against the people of the Badlands and the rebel Gearbreakers—are the Gearbreakers' greatest challenge. But Eris Shindanai, also known as Frostbringer, is the right kind of Gearbreaker for the job: willing to put everything on the line to take them down. Until she gets caught … and Sona sees an opportunity to complete her life's goal: destroy Godolia and the entire Windup program and get vengeance for her dead family.

BFF Charms: Caution x2
It was hard to get to know Sona, and I'm still uncertain if I ever got to see more than a few glimpses of the real her. To protect herself and her goals, she crafted a version of herself that was a cover, and it's hard for her to let the walls down lest someone betray her. She's oddly formal and android-like, which, given the modifications Godolia performed on her to make her a Pilot (cyborg eye, connection ports, lack of pain), makes her seem non-human. But there's a real girl underneath all those trappings, and that real girl has a big heart and a strong spirit and would make a great friend.

On the surface, Eris seems like Sona's complete opposite. She's loud, brash, and acts with little regard for her safety or the safety of those around her. But she, too, has walls she's erected around herself, and those walls protect a young woman who wants to be valued and loved. She'd deny it to the end, but gain her loyalty and you'd have someone in your life who'd gladly give hers for yours. It would be an intense friendship, but a worthwhile one.

Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Both Sona and Eris are struck by aspects of each other from the very start, but their disparate lives—they can't trust each other at first, even when they're forced to work together—make it hard for them to examine those feelings too deeply. Sona's honest with her opinions, which sometimes makes it seem like she's joking, and Eris is only just working out what it means to be interested in women. So they have a ways to go. But I'm pretty certain that when these opposites attract, literal sparks will fly.

Talky Talk: Dystopian Debut
Mikuta is one of those authors that I both dislike and want to cheer on. She's extremely young and extremely talented, which makes me feel super old but also like a big sister who wants nothing more than for her younger sibling to succeed. Gearbreakers is a really solid debut with a great plot but room for growth; Mikuta's characters are strong and fully realized, but the world-building took a backseat to the action, and I would have liked to understand a bit more about the world in which it all took place. That said, the world's not the heart of the story. It's Sona and Eris and the way they both see the world—and the way those views change throughout the book—that really matters here.

Bonus Factor: Jaegars
Although they're called Windups in Gearbreakers, and there are no Kaiju battles in the story, I couldn't help but think about Pacifc Rim while reading this book. In the Windup program, pilots like Sona are hooked up to giant machines that they control with their minds and bodies, machines that are built for various purposes but all of which are battle-ready (i.e., bristling with weaponry). I only wish I got a clearer picture of what they looked like from the descriptions.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Cliffhanger
I saw it coming from the "time left" while reading, but damn if the cliffhanger didn't hit hard. Gonna need the sequel like yesterday.

Relationship Status: Drift Compatible
You might not need a partner to pilot your Windup, Book, but I'd like to think that we'd make a good team if it came down to it. You've got just the right mix of action and heart, and I'm excited to see what the future brings for us both, especially if we're in it together.