<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

To begin, I loved reading this book. With its descriptive, inventive, witty, yet unpretentious prose, I was immediately hooked. This book had all the energy of Pacific Rim, Gundam, and Evangelion. I'm excited to see where this series goes next, and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. If you're looking for a fun Space Opera that doesn't bog itself down in serious political dramas, I can't recommend this enough.

<b>Plot Summary</b>
At the supposed end of the world, Gus Kitko is ready to embrace the inevitable. However, just as the Vanguard Juliette reaches Earth, so too does another: the Traitor Vanguard Greymalkin. In the midst of their clash, Gus is made a conduit -- a pilot of sorts -- for Greymalkin. Together, they turn the tides of the battle, and must learn to work together with other Traitor Vanguards and their conduits in order to save humanity.

<b>Characters</b>
At the heart of this novel is the relationship between the two main point of view characters: August "Gus" Kitko, and Ardent Violet. Gus is a gay, introverted, and incredibly talented jazz pianist, though really only well-known to a niche group of equally talented musicians. Ardent, on the other hand, is a non-binary, extroverted, and narcissistic world-famous rockstar. Although one might expect the collision of these two to be anything but love at first sight, they would be wrong.

Because Gus and Ardent are so drastically different from each other, switching between their narrative voices over the course of the novel was such a treat. I especially loved getting to see their flaws in action. Gus' self-deprecation and Ardent's narcissism were so vital to the way they responded to each situation. They were gorgeously developed, and their relationship grew with them, evolving from a meet-cute to a partnership that was truly foundational to the emotional core of the novel.

<b>Pacing</b>
At times, it felt like the story was ripping along at a breakneck pace. For moments of action, this was fantastic. Vanguard battles, in particular, were described in cinematic detail, and I was always left wanting more at the end of each chapter. No scenes were dull or wasted.

However, I also found this to be a drawback at times. Though things do develop into something beautiful and believable, the introduction to Gus and Ardent's relationship happened so quickly that there was hardly any time to get to know them. That crucial first meeting, and the early days they spend together, felt like a summary. In the initial chapters, especially, their concern for each other came across as a little insincere. While this does absolutely change, it was a hard impression to shake.

That breakneck pacing also meant that, for about the first half of the novel, I found myself waiting for the chance to learn some key background details about the Vanguard's conflict and motivations. Again, that does eventually come, but I was surprised by how long it took -- there just wasn't a moment to breathe and have that discussion earlier. Emotional beats didn't always land for me either, as those scenes happened so quickly. Characters seemed to just embrace new developments, good or bad, in stride. Conversations that I had been waiting for were over in the span of a few pages. If I had to pin down my biggest gripe that kept this from being a 5* read for me, it would be the pacing.

<b>Tone</b>
This book isn't afraid to have fun. Characters are witty, impulsive, and unafraid to say the quiet parts out loud in a way that often left me chuckling. The Vanguard names, in particular, require the same sort of suspension of disbelief that one has to bring in order to enjoy Pacific Rim.

However, it is in these names, as silly and as edgy as you expect to find in any anime or JRPG, that I found myself stumbling again. The Vanguards are, rightfully so, terrifying. Juliette is introduced as a destroyer of worlds. So too are subsequent Vanguards. However, the naming conventions had a sort of worshipful reverence. It made sense in terms of Pacific Rim, because the Jaegers and their pilots because these celebrities, and clashes between Jaegers and Kaiju were like a form of entertainment for those whose cities weren't in immediate danger. However, that isn't the case for the Vanguards, and so that tonal dissonance was often distracting. While it helped to keep track of everything, it also felt jarring in this context.

<b>Assorted Musings</b>
• I kept finding myself wanting a Glossary. There just were so many names and terms that I couldn't keep track of everything. I considered, at times, making a spreadsheet.
• In terms of the Vanguards, I often found myself wondering just how many of them there were. Being able to keep track of things a little more would have helped with the buildup of anticipation, rather than being surprised in the middle of a conflict as to how many enemies there were to face.
• The ending was satisfying, and felt like a well-earned emotional catharsis. Any remaining mysteries just left me wanting more. Summer 2023 can't come fast enough!

First, if you look at the title and think, "Isn't the 'in space' redundant? Don't ALL mecha come from space?" I need to say WOW. Please set your preconceptions at the door. Some mecha are DUG UP from the GROUND.

Second: oh my god do I love me some mecha and White did an A+ perfect holy shit job describing mecha.

August Kitko and the Mechas From Space is a Queer Space Opera about some mecha who WERE wiping out humanity, but some of them turned traitor and need the assistance of musically talented humans to gain an edge over the murdery mecha. And now one of those humans is Gus.

AKMFS a DELIGHT. Gus is sweet, and Ardent is feisty, and their dynamic is fun. There's some great lines and discussions about mental health and living for the future. White has a vibrant writing style and a really good eye for scenes and details. I loved loved LOVED the mecha descriptions and the fight scenes were sooo good. (And it's hard to write a good fight scene, let alone a mecha one!)

Unfortunately, AKMFS suffers from uneven execution. There are tender descriptions of music, glorious mecha fights, and popstar hijinx, plus White has a great knack for humour. But there are also a few bland moments, and more than once we get key information about Gus or the world too late for it to hit the reader effectively. The central romance is a "one night stand that turned into more" plus a dash of instalove, which is definitely a YMMV thing.

Ultimately, despite any hiccups along the way, AKMFS was an incredibly fun read, and I am 100% getting the sequels (isn't Starmetal Symphony just the coolest series name??) and checking out the rest of White's work!

Rec'd for readers looking for a fun, feel-good queer space opera and mecha fans!

(Also, my fave mecha is the Stargazer Gundam 💖)

(Thank you to Orbit Imprint and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

HIGHLIGHTS
~the BEST Big Bad
~simultaneously the scariest and cutest ghosts
~everything is queer
~jazz saves the day
~(sorta)

I’m not completely sure what I think of this book – but I do know I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel!

Centuries into the future, Earth is braced for annihilation as the giant robots that have destroyed every other human settlement in the galaxy close in. August Kitko, aka Gus, a jazz musician, has managed to hook up with one of the biggest popstars in human space and is attending the biggest possible end-of-the-world party when the robots arrive.

Things do not go as expected.

It turns out that the Vanguards (don’t call them robots) are not united on the whole destroying-humanity thing. A few of them are fighting to defend humans from the rest. But each Traitor Vanguard, as they’re known, needs a human to help them beat the other machines. Only a human can access the Fount, the store of memories harvested from all the humans the Vanguards have killed; only by utilising the experience of millions of human fighters can the Traitor Vanguards defeat the other Vanguards.

The Traitor Vanguard nicknamed Greymalkin pairs up with Gus, and the fight is on.

Where White shines, as usual, is with the characters and the worldbuilding. Mechas alternates between the POVs of Gus and Ardent, the latter being the aforementioned galactic popstar who hooks up with Gus just before doomsday and won’t let him go off to fight alone. Gus has a kind of everyman vibe about him, which makes him hella relatable, whereas Ardent is a nonbinary glitz-and-glam fashionista who’s flamboyant as fuck and hides panic attacks behind their deadly fierceness. Ardent is objectively more interesting, but you can’t help falling for Gus’ deep earnestness. They’re both pretty damn inspiring.

The romance between them… It all seemed to get very intense very fast, but that is what happens in intense, life-threatening scenarios – history and science have both proved that over and over. That being said, I have to admit that some of the kissing/sex made me cringe: I thought we were collectively past ‘their tongues danced’. Or maybe it’s supposed to be silly? I’m not good at picking up on jokes like that, so, perhaps. Regardless, I loved both these characters, even if I wasn’t completely sold on their love story.

But the worldbuilding! I loved what we got to see of far-future Earth, where humans seen to have gotten their act together, finally. I loved the tech and the queernorm default; I loved words like ‘joyfriend’ for a nonbinary datemate and the use of ‘folx’; I loved all of Ardent’s incredible clothes! And I was utterly delighted by the reveal of the Big Bad and the motivation/purpose of the Vanguards; I can’t talk about it, because spoilers, but White has managed to completely justify this very cinematic way of taking out humanity. It’s not handwaved or left to our suspension of disbelief; there’s very, very good reasoning behind it all, and that makes me so happy! And it’s SO COOL AND CLEVER, YOU GUYS!

I LOVE IT. SO MUCH.

I did not love the fight scenes; I found them very clunky and dull. But most of the book is not fight scenes, and on the flip side, I was surprised to find myself loving the Traitor Vanguards – especially Greymalkin – as characters in and of themselves as the book went on. I loved how they interacted with each other separate from their human partners: I loved seeing them protective of their injured. The final scene in the book, in which the Traitor Vanguards are the stars, just sealed the deal for me. I would have read the next book anyway, because I’m a huge Alex White fan, but now I need the next book!

omfg!

I said I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book, and I think that’s because The Mechas From Space is not one clear and simple thing. I might even go so far as to say it’s pretty messy, as though White wasn’t quite sure what the tone of this story was supposed to be: it’s both light-hearted and deeply dark, full of grief and fear and despair that doesn’t quite mesh with the rocking out and joking around. At the same time, it seems believable to me that people make ridiculous jokes or focus on tiny, unimportant-in-the-scheme-of-things stuff when they’re in the trenches. How else do you deal with being in the trenches? So although it reads as messy, it does also seem legit and fair to be this contradictory, this dual-natured.

But being able to explain it and justify it doesn’t mean it’s perfectly effective. Mechas works quite hard to be upbeat, to be hopepunk rather than grimdark, and it’s clear from other early reviews that most readers were able to embrace the vibrant parts and have fun with this book. I was actually pretty surprised when I skimmed through other reviews to see all the people talking about Mechas like it’s a very light-hearted story, because I didn’t get that at all. I was never able to forget how awful and tragic and terrifying the characters’ situation was, and I don’t think that’s just me being a downer; I think White took care to remind the reader constantly that, giant battle-robots aside, this isn’t a game, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. So I can’t quite bring myself to call Mechas fun, or describe it as escapist.

But I seem to be the only one. So. Your mileage will vary.

What Mechas definitely is, is fundamentally a book about not giving into despair, and working together against overwhelming odds; about doing the right thing even if it’s going to hurt, or even if it kills you – about doing the right thing even if your death won’t accomplish anything. And there is something massively beautiful and spine-shivering about that.

A FUN AND GLITTERY ROCK 'N ROLL SCIENCE FICTION SPACE BATTLE ROMP WITH GIANT AI ROBOTS

This was great fun. Nothing deep, but lots of action and imagination

PROSE STYLE

I thought at first that the author's prose style was going to be problematic. I was afraid that they were going to be one of those narcissistic authors that use a
flashy style to draw attention to their writing chops and smarts and away from the
story. I find that sort of writer very annoying.

But I need not have worried. True, the writing style is flashy and full of neologisms.
But it doesn't detract from the story. In fact, the writing style suits the story quite well.

STORY SUMMARY

It's the year 2657, and human life on Earth is facing down the Apocalypse, in the form of
gigantic, sentient, AI powered robots called Vanguards which are bent on destroying humanity.
They've already wiped out all other known human colonies on other planets.

People have resigned themselves to the end of homo sapiens, and there's even a party
happening in Monaco for the last night of life on earth.

But surprise! Some of the Vanguards, realizing that what they're doing is wrong, rebel and
decide to protect the human race.

Even this still means survival of humankind is dicey. The group of Vanguards bent on destroying humanity is more numerous and more destructive than the so-called Traitor Vanguards. The destructive Vanguards have the advantage.

HUMAN CONDUITS

The rebel Vanguards need human "Conduits" to ride along inside them. The Conduits give them an advantage in communications and fighting ability.

The Vanguards are musical. So they gravitate towards selecting musicians as Conduits.

OUR MAIN CHARACTERS

Enter the last hope of humanity: our main characters.

So our main characters are selected as the Conduits. (Which means they must engage, along with their Vanguard hosts in very dangerous battles fighting other Vanguards).

Our two main characters are August "Gus" Kitko (of the book's title) and Ardent Violet.

Gus is a gay jazz pianist. He's an accomplished (though very specialized) musician.
He tends to be reserved and isn't fond of the limelight. He's a kind, calm, and humble guy. Although handsome, he isn't vain at all.

During that party in Monaco (which is supposed to be the last night anyone is alive), he
meets Ardent Violet. Ardent Violet is a world famous rock star. They are beautiful,
flamboyant, vain, and of non-binary gender.

The two hook up, and both become Conduits for Vanguards attuned to their particular
natures (and styles of music). Gus does this first; Ardent later.

SECONDARY CHARACTERS

They are eventually joined by two other musician/Conduits.

Hjalmar (a.k.a. "The Swedish Raven") is a huge, intimidating guy who's a genius djent drummer (djent is a subgenre of extreme metal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djent).

Nisha Kohli is a petite, goofy Indian dynamo who is the only one of them not a professional (and famous) musician, although she has a wonderful singing voice developed from singing traditional Indian music with her grandfather's band.

MUSIC

The author clearly knows a lot about music, as the book is brimming with details about instruments, musical genres, etc. I wasn’t surprised to find that their bio mentions that they write music.

BATTLES

Much of the story revolves around battle scenes in various locations (space, Earth, the Moon)
between the renegade Vanguards (with their chosen Conduits inside them) and the other
Vanguards who want to trash humanity.

ROMANCE

The romance between Gus and Ardent is sexy, sweet and touching.

Part of why I read fiction is to learn about life from viewpoints other than my own.

I'm not gay, but I enjoy reading about people of different sexual orientations and gender identities.

I also like reading about people of different nationalities, cultures, time periods, etc.

A MINOR CHARACTER QUIBBLE

Ardent is called a narcissist.

He does have some narcissistic qualities (he's in love with himself, big ego, can be cruel, etc.)

But he's not really a person with full blown narcissistic personality disorder. (I know about
such people because unfortunately there have been a few in my life).

Ardent has empathy. People with NPD have no empathy. Ardent cares about others.
People with NPD do not.

A MINOR STORY QUIBBLE

I might have preferred a bit more backstory and world building. We find out that "Infinite", the creator of the Vanguards, has a grudge against humanity (possibly because humans are destructive and selfish and humanity has been such a poor caretaker of the resources of earth), but I would have
liked a bit more background on the evolution of the War between the Vanguards and
humans. However, this is a minor issue. I could live with the story the way it was
presented.

THE COVER

The bold and colorful cover goes well with the contents.

SUMMARY

This was a delightful read. I think many readers will enjoy it.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book will be published on July 12, 2022.

#NetGalley

No Spoilers. I received an advanced e-galley of this books compliments of the publisher and NetGalley.
Book has great cover art and title (5* for both). I felt it was written for the young adult crowd so it did not appeal to me on many levels. Action scenes were interesting and the (no spoilers) art tie-in with the mechas was very interesting. It was an easy read, with not much science/technical writing. 3*

Giant intelligent robots (Vanguards) invade from space and it seems the world is coming to an end. But jazz pianist Gus forms a special bond with one of them through music, and it turns out there are other “Traitor Vanguards” who don’t want to wipe out humanity, either. Gus and an interesting cast of characters plan a last stand for humanity with the help of these new friends.

This book was a wild ride! It picks up steam as it goes along and just keeps going. And you’re going to want to meet Gus’ joyfriend, Ardent. It was a fun read with a lot of heart. I liked it a lot. Plus…intense giant space robot battles. This is the first book in a series, but it has a satisfying conclusion—no cliffhanger here. It comes out July 12. Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for my copy.

The drawing point was "mechs but make it super gay." That's apparently all it takes for me to step away from my fantasy reading binge and pick up a sci fi.

It was like reading an anime, in the best way possible. Gus is the awkward gentle soul that I crave as a MMC and that we got not only him but arguably the best described and written mech battles that I have ever seen was a blessing. Each fight felt straight out of my wildest Evangelion/Gundam dreams. Not just grappling and tossing like a Transformers level brawl, but busting out the <i>big swords</i> too?!

And of course, how could I exist without the bit of romance sprinkled in. We get the one I loved even more than Gus, his loud rock star lover Ardent Violent that juxtaposes with Gus's downcast and dreary jazz self just perfectly.

This isn't some straight (haha) laced space opera, it is everything wild and crazy that you would expect. Think Pacific Rim. Anime. If you love sci fi but want a little flavor added, pick up August Kitko and the Mechas From Space immediately.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Alex White for this ARC copy! It was a joy to read.

I've never thought to myself, 'Wow, I wish this were a military sci-fi novel' before, but reading August Kitko has checked that box. Seriously, the premise for it is so good. Giant enemy mechas have slowly been whittling away at humanity's various space colonies, keeping each isolated from the others, with humanity on its last legs. Miraculously, one mecha and one human bond and must work with humanity's remaining forces to turn the tide. There's so much potential there! Tragically, this all gets ruined by one manic pixie dream enby named Ardent Violet, who spends more time narcissistically worrying their clothes aren't colorful enough or that they haven't kissed August recently than the fact that humanity is fucking dying?? Even the underdeveloped military leaders were more interesting. (Granted, I never like the 'omg sparkly I'm so random' characters so I have some bias). I've never devoted so much energy praying for a character to die, even if said character is a POV character. If you want a story about music-powered giant mecha battles and fighting intergalactic threats, save your time and go watch Macross Frontier instead. Overall, I rate this book a 1.5/5.

I love space operas and I love when they travel across space. I also love big robots. And I love queer rep. And this book had it all! It was action packed but also emotions packed. Twists and turns and a lot of info to archive in your brain for later consultation. It was all done so well that you were also part of the story.
August is an amazing character; flawed and full of potential. He was going through a very rough patch, he didn't care that the mechas were going to destroy everything. He was ready to end his life. A fateful encounter with rock star Ardent Violent will change everything for him and not only because Ardent is amazing and the sex is incredible, but also because, due to some things that happened after they meet each other, August and Ardent will find themselves neck deep in the war against the mechas that want to wipe out humanity.
The book is a page turner and I can't wait for the sequel!

If there’s one thing you need to know about me before we get into this review, it’s that when Pacific Rim came out in 2013, I went and saw it approximately 238472394 times in the theaters. I adore that absolutely absurd movie. It is fun all wrapped up in a Transformers movie, dipped in a kaiju movie. Is it supposed to be taken seriously? Absolutely not. Does August Kitko and the Mechas from Space scratch that same ridiculous itch? 100000%.

Giant robots come to Earth (and all the human-colonies) in an attempt to upload their minds and kill their bodies. Basically, they’re trying to wipe out the human race in whatever horrible, violent way they can. A few of these robots betray their cause and actually switch sides to help the humans fight off the other robots. But these traitors need humans to act as conduits — basically pilots. Is this sounding familiar at all???

One of the main characters — the aforementioned August Kitko — is a depressed, semi-sort-of-famous pianist. He is frequently mopey, but does his best to do what he can to help humanity. He is a fine main character. He does the job. The other main character, and Gus’s lover/joyfriend, Ardent Violet, steals the show. They are a non-binary rock star with an outrageous personality, and a fabulous sense of style. I loved reading their chapters, and frequently found myself wondering when they would be back on page. Gus and Ardent’s relationship is a little insta-love, a lot of teasing, but they really do care about each other, and it’s a joy to watch.

If you enjoyed Pacific Rim at all, if you like giant robots fighting other giant robots, then you will enjoy August Kitko and the Mechas from Space. The fight scenes are awesome, the chase scenes are scary, the tech described is just phenomenal. I can’t recommend this one enough.

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space is the first in a new space opera series from Alex White, author of the Salvagers trilogy. The Salvagers trilogy was a really great space opera found family series, with a hybrid magic/sci-fi system and a cast of characters that was both really good, and incredibly humorous at times as they dealt with a group of elites doing unspeakable things in exchange for power and acted to bring them down. So I was excited to hear about this new series from White - especially given that it contained this title, suggesting a return to the humorous space opera that I loved from them.

And yeah August Kitko and the Mechas from Space is fairly enjoyable, even if it doesn't quite have as much of the humor of the last series (or as much of the thematic resonance). Instead you have a story focused upon two musicians - the eponymous Gus Kitko, a pianist with no one to care for from a has been minor band, and Ardent Violet, super pop artist with their guitar and voice - who get involved in humanity's last stand against a strange unknown enemy wielding giant mecha....one of which responds to Gus' music by switching sides and taking him on as essentially a pilot. The result is a story about a pair of people with very different personalities and plenty of issues trying to figure out how to survive and handle this whole thing....even as official forces and others want to control them to try and ensure humanity's survival...for better or worse. As the start of a new series, this is pretty good, especially if unlike me you really like combat scenes (between giant mecha!).


--------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------------------------
Jazz Pianist August "Gus" Kitko is prepared for the end - and maybe prepared to hasten that end by jumping off a cliff. Everyone he loves - his parents, his former bandmates - is dead, and the ones that destroyed them - the giant powerful robots known as Vanguards, which have spent the last few years destroying every human settlement or colony out there - are on their way to Earth to finish off the rest of humanity. And to make it worse, after he was invited to a "goodbye" party and found himself in the bed of super popular rock star Ardent Violet, the two had a fight and Gus finds himself even more miserable and alone, on the edge of a party where no one cares about him. It's easily enough to make a man want to jump off a cliff.

And then not one, but two Vanguards come crashing down to Earth....and strangely begin fighting each other, and Gus hears what he thinks is music coming from them. And so, inspired, he decides to spend the end playing Piano, only for his playing to draw one of the Vanguards to him....and for it to make him part of it. And so Gus winds up kind of piloting a Vanguard for Earth's future.

Now, after just a bit before being ready to be done with the World, a World that didn't care about him, Gus finds himself the most important man on Earth, knowing and possessing power that none understand. And so Gus and Ardent find themselves dealing with so much more than just music....or maybe realizing that music is just as important as they've always imagined....as they try to figure their next moves out, for the sake of themselves, and the sake of humanity......
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This book, despite the title, is the story of two point of view characters who share the book pretty much evenly - Gus and Ardent. The two both have some serious issues of very different characters: Ardent is very much your Zaphod Beeblebrox type egotist manchild* musician....except unlike the comic Hitchhikers character, they're fully aware of how limited they are and how much they depends upon their agent Dahlia, and how much they struggle and figuring out what to do when mere fame and musical talent doesn't mean anything....maybe. By contrast, Gus is depressed and insecure about his own self worth, afraid to believe anyone could truly value him, and very much affected by others trying to either use him, or rely on him, or worse: both. Gus is far more of a realist than Ardent...but that doesn't do him much good when the odds look so dire and things are so much about of his expectation.

*Ardent is non-binary, so I really need to find a different word for this*

And so the book throws both of these characters into a world of giant robots - each with their own minds (and they don't like to be called robots) and personalities....but not necessarily fun personalities, with one being kind of homicidal and the other, the main one Gus deals with, trying to be understanding while still being very very inhuman. None of the Vanguards have personalities that make them seem at all human, and that goes double for the ones who aren't on the human's side....to say nothing about the eventual antagonist, whom I won't reveal here. The resulting conflicts that emerge challenge our heroes and humanity quite a lot, by continuing to throw at them things they can't understand, forcing them to grow and develop and confront their own many many insecurities....as well as the humans who don't know what to do without control like heads of governments and militaries...if they want to make it through it all.

So yeah there's some great character development between the two leads, some very amusing interplay between Ardent and their manager Dahlia (but really not too much comedy elsewise) and a lot of actions sequences. If you really like action sequences, such as....I don't know, giant robot battles with various robots having different special abilities? Yeah this will definitely appeal to you. As readers of this blog may know, I have trouble with picturing action scenes in books (even as I love Mecha Anime or other shows), so that part of this book wasn't for me...but I can tell it's well done, and it comes with what you'd expect from a book of this title.

So yeah, August Kitko and the Mechas from Space very much did what I wanted here, in giving me an enjoyable fun book filled with mecha combat, some solid characters, and some really different versions of a similar-esque plot, even if some parts are pretty cliche. Recommended, as usual for an Alex White work.

Alex White has written a fine first book in his new series and I am already looking forward to the next volume. Gus Kitko is a charming, very relatable hero, thrust into importance as humanity is threatened with destruction at the hands of the Vanguards, enigmatic and inimical mechs from space. Somehow scarier than the Vanguards are their chilling companions, the Ghosts, which seem to harvest peoples identities in a thoroughly brutal and disconcerting way. When Gus, a pianist, musically bonds with a rogue Vanguard, averting Earth’s imminent destruction, he becomes the focus of much official scrutiny, seeking to explain and exploit his success. As this unfolds, so does a delightfully portrayed romance between Gus and Ardent Violent, a flamboyant rock star of indeterminate gender. The book is wild and chaotic and moves at a manic clip, but never loses its internal logic and never ceases to drag the reader along. The characters are endearing, the dialogue crisp, the threat palpable, and the love story charming. Bravo.

I was so excited for this because I love space operas. And the first few chapters, I was so in. However, then the book took a turn and lost me. I just found the writing hard and the plot confusing. There was a lot of filler that didn't seem relevant.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

This was a blast! I mean, the end of humankind... but, wait! We are saved by music and the sweetest guy on earth and an amazing robot (with a sword!!!). This story has everything; Action, drama for days, a beautiful understanding of music and emotional connections, and love. This is a psychedelic masterpiece that has the kind heart and compassion that truly is world-saving. A thrilling and fantastic read!

Out July 12th!

I shall perish from waiting to read the sequel!
I have so many feelings about this book, but as I stayed up until 1 AM to finish it, I will have to try and detangle them later.
Such action. Much romance. Wow

“Then why do you fight for us? // Because the right kind of demise trumps the wrong kind of survival.”

AUGUST KITKO AND THE MECHAS FROM SPACE is the first book in a queer, music-driven space opera about finding hope for humanity when it seems all is lost. Set in a world several hundred years ahead of our own, a climate-ravaged Earth that has barely survived and been forever changed faces an extraterrestrial challenge in the form of massive mechas from space. Outfitted with artificial intelligence that makes them nearly impossible to defeat, they’ve drained the memories from millions on Earth and its galactic colonies, and are bearing down to end humanity once and for all. That’s where we meet August, a jazz pianist, preparing for collective death at a massive, somber goodbye party. But then Greymalkin, a so-called traitor vanguards arrives, a mecha who has defected from the group and decided to fight alongside humankind. Gus and Greymalkin team up with other abdicators and their conduits (including Gus’ new lover, the rockstar Ardent Violet) to challenge the mecha force and perhaps change the tide of war whose end seemed all but guaranteed.

This book was fun! Epic space battles between huge robots, a very cool music-inspired kind of fighting, fun technologies like mecha-sized swords and super-powered corsets, a nonbinary pop celebrity with a penchant for neon, and queer romance at the heart of this galaxy-wide conflict. Gus has suffered significant losses, been depressed and suicidal, and has felt hopeless about the future of the planet; Ardent manages panic attacks and their own anxieties about their family. I loved how these experiences were represented, the care and tenderness they show each other, and how hope is integral to them individually and as a couple fighting for what’s possible. It felt incredibly relatable to the state of our current world, with the recent isolation of the pandemic and the ongoing devastation from human-induced climate change. It was beautiful and inspiring to see how important music is for each of them and I really enjoyed how the value of creativity and collective memory was integrated into the plot. This book was a bit too action-heavy for me personally, but it was really well-executed and I’m sure it will work for others. It’s incredibly cinematic and I would absolutely watch a screen adaptation of this series. Thanks to Orbit Books and Hachette Audio for the review copies!

Content warnings: suicidal ideation, completed suicide (past), loss, grief, violence, body modification, hospitalization

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Orbit Books for an advanced copy of this science fiction novel.

Few things in life to me are as good as picking up a book and going I know what this is about just from the title, starting it and going Dang, I was wrong this is different, and womp the book blows me away. From the expected to a journey with first class writing, ideas, and the power of music, literally. And love. Between two people, for art, for humanity and for the wonders that life can be. August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White takes a lot of familiar themes from science fiction and presents them in new ways for a story that is both fresh, very engaging, and fun, and again full of love.

The final moments of Earth are here, and many humans are doing what they do best, throwing huge parties and drinking until the apocalypse, which was to come from alien Robots the size of buildings called Vanguards. To one of these End of Things partys jazz pianist August Kitko has been invited, and as the world celebrates the end he thinks about ending it early, as things have not been going his way. Earlier he had met the biggest pop idol on Earth, Ardent Violet, had a great 24 hours, insulted her music, and was wandering around thinking of a long series of failures and lost people in his life. The first Vanguard appears, crashing to the planet destroying buildings and taking lives, along with a second Vanguard who attacks the first. Knowing this is the end, Kitko begins to jam on the piano, playing out the human race. Soon he is joined by Ardent on guitar, but their playing has gained a new audience as a giant fist punches through the wall grabbing Kitko and taking him away.

I won't say anything more. This is a book that has to be read and discovered. Yes there are giant Mechas from Space, yes there is a lot of destruction. But there is music, love, life, world building, great characters, interesting dialogue and so much hope for the human race. And hope that a person can forgive and learn to love themselves, so that they can love and help others. The writing is very good, propulsive during the action scenes, and there are a lot, but full of emotion during human interaction scenes. The world building is immense. Earth is much changed, the universe is bit smaller, but music is music and still has the power to enchant. Plenty of representation, with characters who even the smallest ones you care for. Really a very good novel, and a start to what looks like a great series.

This is the first book that I have read by Alex White, and feel I have been missing out. Again this is part of a series, and I can't wait to read more, and see where they take us. This is a world that many stories could take place in, and I am very excited to expierence it. Recommended for those who love big stories with big robots and characters who a reader really cares for. Also for readers of the Noumena series by Linsay Ellis and The Divide by J. S. Dewes.