This is an incredibly tricky book to review because while it feels disingenuous not to give it a 4/5 stars, there are plenty of parts that were well below a 4 and this is definitely going to have a niche audience.

DISCLAIMER: DO NOT READ THE AUDIOBOOK. Honestly I don't even recommend immersion reading. This should be eyeballs only.

Okay. So.
I quite enjoyed the initial story. The inciting incident is very traumatic, but sets an appropriate backdrop to be haunting the narrative and explain the choices of the main character. The characters are larger than life-- Bonnie and Clyde types who live fast, short, incredible lives that go out with a bang. They preach an ideology that's rarely given the spotlight in Western media (though I really wish the book had taken time to go deeper on this). There are also a lot of different, colorful cultures that made the world-building really enjoyable. Again we only see glimpses of many and I wish there was more offered, but it's an aspect I really enjoyed.

And the magic system is quite unique and interesting, but I think the author really struggled with how to give it limits so the MC isn't too OP. There are times when her powers are both too much and not enough without a clear rhyme or reason apart from the current scene and desired narrative tension. Which is fine. It's fine. I'd rather this outcome than the inverse. But it's less than the ideal which would both serve the narrative AND have a more clearly-defined magic system.

All that said, there's a LOT of required suspension of disbelief that these powerful people who steamroll over humanity would be perfectly fine with 1. having a bunch of daughters, 2. having daughters who are not blood related to them in any way, 3. those daughters being almost exclusively attracted to women in a society that generally looks down on homosexuality and has numerous derogatory terms for women who love women.

But the book would not only have you believe this, but also devotes at least a good hundred pages to these sexually charged interactions and sometimes erotic scenes and it was... a lot. I personally didn't enjoy it or find that it strengthened the story, but ymmv. The first 220pgs or so and the last 40 were really what made the book for me, everything in between got really unfocused and messy.

After the twist there's only a short amount of time before the story really goes off the rails and not only goes super high concept, but breaks down format and gets intentionally weird with it. (My favourite page in the book just had the word "okay" written in lowercase at the top of it and nothing else on the page at all.) I think a lot of people will find that really off-putting and confusing.

Overall this was a fever dream of a book that in many ways reminded me of The Dawnhounds or The Locked Tomb series. It's definitely original and pushing a lot of conventions of genre and of writing craft in general. But it's not a very tight book, needed more of its darlings killed, and took me 9 months to fully chomp into.

"Such pride I had for the whole world. Such pride I had in my own survival. Such love for the Fingerbluffs, for the Choir, for my families, for you. My blood was thick and vibrant. Cut me and find grenadine. Cut me and find white hot light."

[Review contains spoilers]

I think this was a strong case of not for me personally, as many people adore this book. Metal From Heaven was one my most anticipated releases but it has taken me several dnf's and then restarts in order to get through this completely.

Despite all of the death and destruction, Metal from Heaven's first chapter is one of the most beautifully written openings to a fantasy book ever. In fact, it was a sampler of the opening sequence that had me so excited to get to this book in the first place. Little did I know that the writing would be this book's ultimate downfall for me. Other reviewers have pointed these issues out much better than I am able to so I will not rehash, but this one sums up a lot of my feelings. The author had a lot of fun waxing poetic about different things in this book but despite all the verbosity I never got a clear picture of anything. The writing felt like it was used to cover up flimsy ideas. The worldbuilding is so all over the place as a result, and certain ways in which the story played out were just silly (i.e. how did the Choir even think for a second that letting the fake heir go on any heists where she could be in danger even if it was just as the "driver" be OK???? So of course you know Candor was going to immediately get shot and it came as no surprise. Also who cares because we don't even know who this side character is because we spent no time with her).

Don't get me wrong it was incredibly refreshing reading a story with so many cool women, but things felt like they were trying to be a little...too cool at times bordering on being "edgy." Like I could just picture the author nodding their head while writing some parts or characters in this book being like "yes, that was SO badass." Everyone was in love with everyone, banging everyone, or for sure lowkey into our main character. Personally, it got real old, real fast and just added to the growing sense of exasperation that I was already cultivating for this story. Which is a shame because if you zoom out far enough the overarching plot arc is fantastic. **MAJOR SPOILERS** If there's one thing I can go feral for, it's two childhood friends or siblings or lovers etc etc who find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict. **END MAJOR SPOILERS** That is GOOD STUFF right there. Unfortunately, so much of it here was bogged down by all these other issues.

[Thank you to the publisher for the arc which I received through Netgalley. My review and thoughts on this book are entirely my own.]

Ichorite is the backbone of industry in this world, and Yann I. Chauncey has the only means of manufacturing this metal. Unfortunately, he's also a butcher, and when workers strike because they're upset at the way ichorite has gotten into their children (they're called lustertouched), Chauncey has them all killed. Except, a child survives, and Marney Honeycutt crawls away, and falls in with revolutionaries and criminals, and remakes their life into one of revenge against Chauncey.

Ten years later, Chauncey's daughter is looking to marry well, and Marney, still full of rage and vengefulness, goes undercover to get close to the woman so they can finally kill the man. Unfortunately, Marney develops feelings for the young woman, complicating matters.

I was so looking forward to reading this, as revenge stories can be fun, and plot-wise, it totally delivered. I, however, found the style of writing difficult to get through, and kept bouncing off the text, much as I loved the story, and the social and environmental commentary. I kept getting lost in Marney's long, convoluted descriptions, scene settings and comments, and after a while felt overwhelmed and a little frustrated by this tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

WOW what a unique book. I really, really enjoyed this. I’ve already seen some people compare it to Harrow the Ninth, which I do think is fair (messy lesbians, confusing prose and plot that keeps you on your toes), just don’t go in expecting the same type of humor and snark that’s in HtN. Metal from Heaven is more luscious prose, atmospheric, and ethereal (but not delicate… I don’t think I’d describe any of the characters as such either).

It’s a little slow at the beginning but I’m really glad I stuck with it. It’s one of those books where you never really know where it’s going. I loved the slow way how things worked in this world got revealed. I also love that it’s a standalone—it felt both resolved and open ended in a way that was really nice.

The characters are fantastic. It’s somewhere between first and second person POV so we see everyone through Marney’s eyes. Vikare was my personal favorite but there are so many strong and distinctive characters. The book as a whole felt very character driven; while there are objectives Marney is trying to accomplish and larger goals within their world, the relationships between characters is the driving factor in a lot of that.

This review has been really hard to write because it’s kind of a difficult book to describe. It’s about love and determination and has a slow build. I recommend if you want a book that is weird, immersive, and unique.

I thought the writing style of Clarke was beautiful and intricate, although confusing at times. I found myself lost when it came to plot quite a few times and unfortunately couldn’t connect with the MC. However, why so many people adored it! This is sooo gay in the best way possible.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

4.5 stars rounded up.

This book had one of the oddest writing styles and prose that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's definitely something that won't work for everyone. I'd even argue that only a small percentage of readers might be into this.

I gotta say though, as part of that tiny niche, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the story so much that I bought a signed and personalized copy from Seminary Co-op Bookstore in Chicago.

Even with its unnecessarily difficult to comprehend prose, the in media res beginning that threw me off my feet, and the entirely new worldbuilding (with its different words for familiar terms and concepts, such as "crawlies" for sapphics/wlw), I had a great time going on this anti-imperial adventure with Marney and co.

While this might officially be compared to the Locked Tomb series, I'd say it's more like Vajra Chandrasekera's novels and short stories. As much as I love the Locked Tomb from the depths of my cold, dark heart, I don't really think it's the right comparison since Metal from Heaven approaches its themes (power structures, queer identities, etc.) in a slightly more grounded manner while the Locked Tomb uses a more whimsical approach.

Despite its quirks and oddities, this is a classic tale of community building and revolution, mixed with class consciousness and queerness. If you love those types of fantasy novels, then give this a try.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for this arc.

I knew I loved August Clarke as an author since I first read The Scapegracers years ago, but Metal From Heaven pushed them into elite level for me The prose is some of the most delicious that I’ve read in years. Their approach gender and sexuality is so authentic and raw and true to life. August doesn’t shy away from the messiness which is something I’ve always loved.

The central themes of this book—classism, workers rights, exploitation, socialism, queerness, found family—is SO apt and extremely important in today’s society.

What a cool universe August Clarke has created in Metal from Heaven. I really found the idea of being luster touched so interesting and how those were impacted by it. A great read and I look forward to more from August Clarke in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Liked the politics and the plot, hated the writing style and the way August Clarke's books have the vibe of a less problematic, lesbian version of Jay Kristoff's.

Literally lost my mind. This is the lesbian SFF locked tomb fans needed. Would give 30 stars if I could

A hundred gleaming ichorite stars for this bananapants, insanely awesome book!
Clarke develops a mythos of multiple religions, labor relations, class warfare, extreme style, and true love and devotion. And lots and lots of sex. It's a complex love story wrapped in all the above. I will be handing this book out like candy azurines on ichorite platters.

More. More. MORE!

A really, amazing, amazing book. Review @ Strange Horizons: http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/author/dylan-haston/

Loved this intriguing, complex and intriguing page turner
Liked it . Due to health issues cannot will write a proper review at a later time
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mineA more extensive review will follow

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-Arc of this novel! Metal from Heaven is an action-packed fever dream revenge story. Other readers have compared this to Gideon the Ninth, and I can certainly see the connections. I enjoyed the overall aesthetics of this book, however the prose sometimes felt a little bit too over flowery and I caught myself sometimes needing to revisit passages. Similarly, I would have appreciated a little more balance in the overall pacing of the story. I really enjoyed the explorations of end stage capitalism, labor exploitation, and resistance, and think Clarke did a great job of highlighting these dynamics and tensions. Overall, this was a memorable experience and I know several readers that will love and run to pick this one up!

Actual Rating 2.5

This is a tough one for me to review. On one hand, there were aspects of this book that were 4 or 5 stars for me, but there were also aspects that were 1 or 2 stars, which led to this somewhat average rating overall.

I loved the idea of the characters. They were unique, and included a lot of hardcore, bad*ss females, which I will always get behind. Unfortunately, the way this was written, it was really difficult to find any sort of emotional connection to most of the characters. Since it was told from first person, it was easiest to connect with the protagonist, but even that was difficult for me. There was basically no connection with the secondary characters. There was also some very graphic sex included - while I don't prefer this, the scenes did fit with the tone of the read overall.

There were a lot of interesting aspects relating to worldbuilding, especially surrounding different cultural practices and religions as related to how they interpreted this world. There were so many fictional terms for these cultural/religious aspects that I honestly couldn't keep track of who was what and what they believed, etc. A glossary was much needed.

I loved the plot. Being motivated by realistic revenge, the inclusion of found family, the protagonist having limits but also reasonably excelling at other things, all of these aspects worked together to enhance the story. But a lot of times these things got lost behind the writing style. It was an odd mix of run-on sentences, a lot of words being used without anything being said, but then also a lot of sentence fragments, sometimes only one word long. I really disliked the style and felt like it kept a lot of emotion and personality of the characters buried.

This work would make a fantastic mini-series. If you're someone who cares about writing style, you may not enjoy this one as it's not very approachable. If you're looking for a fantasy that focuses on revenge, capitalism/industrialism, and is unique, then this is a must read. My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

So a brief and off the cuff review just because I appreciate being able to read this book so soon- uh personally I don’t get the hype. It felt incredibly overwritten and a lot of the world’s lore just didn’t make sense even when the main character was explaining things to the reader. And like I think my biggest problem was just that I couldn’t quite connect to the mc the way I thought I would. Marney read as a very Classic Butch archetype and I knew they had an end goal in sight but idk they just felt very passive and like they just didn’t have individual character beyond reacting to events happening around them. Also at a point they just kind of struck me as like. Very stupid? And I don’t believe that was intentional, but their reaction to the last twist was like. Cmon man, seriously? It’s kind of disappointing because this book was hyped up the be The book for dykes but it sadly didn’t speak to me I guess. The writing is like objectively beautiful and the story is very unique so it has that going for it at least.

This is a complicated book to review because I loved many things but also really did NOT enjoy others. This was not an easy read. The writing style is unusual, blurry, and rambling at times, but it works well when the reader is supposed to be disoriented with our main character Marney. Ultimately I’m still debating if it was worth the struggle for me?

The beginning gripped me immediately. We follow Marney, a child laborer who escapes a protest gone violent and joins an all women gang of anti-capitalist bandits called the Choir. She vows to get revenge against the industry leader responsible. Marney is “lustertouched” from her exposure to the resource ichorite, which gives her the ability to harness (kinda gross) magic but at a cost.

Unfortunately, the story fell off a bit during the second quarter. It’s been a couple days since I finished the book now, and at this point I don’t think I could tell you much that happened in that quarter of the book. I do remember being very distracted by the prose then, but it was not an issue for me at all in the second half.

As other reviews have said, the events in the book’s description didn’t really pick up until the second half of the book. It almost feels like the start of a sequel—so much so that I wonder if this would’ve been better as a duology, which would’ve given us more time to experience the Choir and appreciate Marney’s relationships with those characters more.

At the halfway point, the reader meets a whole new cast of characters—all at the same time via dialogue from one of said new characters. Each of these characters had their own religion, background, political goals, and past romantic relationships with other characters. This was all very hard to keep track of because the characters have such similar seductive and brash personalities. It also didn’t help to be stuck in Marney’s head because Marney is attracted to pretty much everyone. Marney’s reverence for women is an essential part of the character (and was so refreshing to read!) BUT, when everyone is crazy and hot, they all kinda blur together.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that there are also clearly parallels/nods to lesbian culture specifically, but I am sure I missed many of these because I’m not a member of the community. I’m leaving the review of this aspect to people who know what they’re talking about.

This is absolutely not a crowd-pleaser fantasy, but I do think it has the potential (and deserves) to garner a devoted following from the right readers. I’m seeing comparisons to Gideon the Ninth, and I think that’s right to an extent, but the tones are a bit different. I would also throw out a sprinkle of Arcane and A League of Their Own, but there’s something grittier here.

This is not a romance, but note there are sex scenes. Some relationships and scenes are quite toxic and even abusive, which was hard to read. StoryGraph has a great list of content warnings.

2,75⭐️

Jestem prostym człowiekiem. Dostaję kompilację "Disco Elysium" i "Gideon the Ninth", to sięgam w ciemno. Co mogę przyznać, zawarte w blurbie bloody lesbian revenge jest najlepszym podsumowaniem tej opowieści. Bardzo podobał mi się pomysł stojący za tą fabułą, czeka tu dużo refleksji na temat tego industrialnego świata, fascynujące jest nazewnictwo, dużo potencjału kryje się za tym tytułem. Nie będę ukrywać, wszystko wskazuje na to, że jest to idealna kontynuacja tego niszowego gatunku, który obejmuje safickość, sci-fi i humor.

Tym, co niestety nie zadziałało, był sposób pisania. August Clarke składa proste zdania, a jego styl momentami jest wręcz surowy. Ma to swój urok, nadaje pewnej atmosfery całej lekturze, ale nie będę ukrywać – w pewnym momencie mnie to zmęczyło. Straciłam wątek. Liczyłam na idealne wypełnienie dziury tęskniącej za Arcane, jednak pacing był tak specyficzny, że nie potrafiłam się dostosować; doceń bardzo, że wstęp do historii, który jest kluczowy dla pozostałej fabuły, trwa wystarczająco długo, by nie był tylko punktem wyjścia, a faktycznie znaczącym elementem. Jednak czasami osoba autorska skacze między rozdziałami w taki sposób, który przypomina bardziej rozplanowanie niż pisanie. Lubię specyficzne narracje, jednak miałam dwie próby do tego tytułu, i przy obu ten sam element mnie uwierał.

Cóż, już teraz ta książka ma swoich zwolenników. I całkowicie to rozumiem. Sama oczekiwałam czegoś trochę charyzmatyczniejszego. Ale na pewno tym spragnionym tejże specyficznej atmosfery przypadnie do gustu.

I came for the gritty Gideon the Ninth comp and unfortunately couldn’t get past the 20% mark. Maybe I will revisit someday but it just didn’t wow me like I wanted it to.