This was a fun read filled with genuinely surprising plot twists.

Each character was distinctive and multi-dimensional, really bringing the story to life. I did feel like the upfront world building could have been fleshed out a little bit more, and some of the transitions between scenes/chapters could have had a bit more flow. But there are some truly beautiful scenes in this book, and overall, Metal Slinger feels particularly exciting and unique within the Romantasy genre.

This is clearly a book that will take on new meaning with a reread, and I’m excited to do so – and to see the continuation of the story in Book 2!

This book was an ok fantasy. i might have gone in with too high expectations since ive heard great things about it. Not bad, but didnt stand out to me either.

i told myself i would write my review once i recovered from the ending of this book — i still haven’t recovered and have been stuck in a reading slump ever since!!!

this book is unbelievably underrated !!! everyone needs to read it, and once you have read it, you need to force all your romantasy besties to read it too so you can live vicariously through them!!!! this book was a breath of fresh air in the romantasy world and reminded me why i love this genre so much!!

I KNEW this was going to hit and it did.

Going into this book the blurb didn't give too much away but I really liked that. The characters and their dynamics are so well written - they keep you on your toes and had me gripping my kindle wishing I could jump into the pages.

One of the best things about this book was how easy it was to read. If you're an entry into romantasy reader - this may just be the book for you. The world building was clear and the characters were easy to follow. Fantasy books can feel intimidating but this one definitely didn't.

Also the ending? Cruel. Absolutely CRUEL.

Thank you Netgalley and SMP for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars! Rachel is a mastermind! The ending is jaw dropping has you wanting to go back and reread to piece together things. It’s everything I want in a Romantasy! I absolutely cannot wait for book 2, and I’m so glad this is getting trad published!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins | Saturday Books for the complimentary eARC! All opinions and ratings are my own!

3.5 Stars

I have been hearing a lot about this book over the last 6 months and was really excited when I saw it was available to read. I read this book so quickly and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It appears this is the authors debut into fantasy romance and Rachel Schneider it was a great start into this genre.

The overall story was intriguing. I liked the idea of floating cities, it was a bit hard to fully visualize it at times and understand how each of these cities interact together. Because the cities are separated by a vast ocean, half this book was about the two characters floating on an ocean and trying to survive. At times that was a little slow, but it did provide time for our characters to get to know each other. Gave us time as readers to know the characters. I enjoyed them both for the most part, however chemistry between the two were lacking at times and the amount of times we read Aker forcing his tongue down Brynn's throat I could have gone without.

I think this book showed a lot of promise for a start of a new series. I do plan to read the next book as the ending was pretty shocking and I did not see it coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Books for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

i am so excited for rachel getting trad published!! i cant wait for this series to continue and for the audio!! it is such a deserving book of the hype!

4.5 Stars

Brynn's people, the Alaha, have been exiled to live on the sea by the Kenta, but Brynn has always wanted to visit the annual market they host. As a guard in training, she finally gets her chance but an encounter with a Kenta soldier changes everything. After returning home, there's the possibility that a century-long peace treaty has been jeopardized by the events at the market. When a visitor arrives and is imprisoned, Brynn learns of hidden magic and the whisperers of returning war. Now she's caught between the allure of the soldier she met in Kenta and the loyalty and love of her best friend, Kai.

Metal Slinger started off exactly as the kind of fantasy read that I love, and then I was completely shocked by the last two chapters of the book!! I don't want to give much away, so I will keep this more of a generalized review, so I don't spoil too many of the details. The book drew me in with some of my favorite tropes...elemental magic, fated mates (in this case matching bond), hidden identities/secrets, forced proximity, and political agendas.

As I finished the book I was definitely impressed with the complexity of Brynn's character. I also thought her relationship with Acker worked really well, and felt like they had some great moments of swoony banter. Acker brings the perfect MMC vibes to the story and I can't resist a he falls first storyline. There are also some interesting side characters, and I found Beau to be one of the more well-written, but I'm hoping to see some of the others more fleshed out in the next book.

I really enjoyed the overall storyline and arc for Brynn's character, and the way Schneider wrapped up the end of the book with that cliffhanger was one I didn't see coming!! I can understand that it might not work for some readers, but I absolutely LOVED it!! One of my big problems with fantasy books is that most of the time you get the same old same old, and Schneider definitely doesn't do that in this book. I really appreciated the fact that she did something different and completely derailed my expectations.

I did feel like there were some pacing issues that made some parts of the story feel rushed, and the change from one chapter or event to the next, sometimes made me feel like I missed something. I also felt like the book could have benefited from dual POVs, with chapters from Acker, especially with the reveal of the twist at the end of the book.

I really like the way Schneider set up this first book in the series, by giving the reader some really juicy storyline, but also leaving you with a lot of questions and room to continue world building and character motives. If you love easy to read fantasy with complicated relationships, magic wielders, betrayal and secrets, and unexpected cliffhangers, then I would highly recommend Metal Slinger.

My jaw DROPPED!
This book is incredibly entertaining and the plot twist!!! OMG
Metal slinger is like the adult version of Prison Healer - take that as you will
I feel like everything happened and nothing happened at once, but Rachel Schneider had me sat.
the pacing is a little interesting, time will pass but you won’t know the exact amount - just that it is a number of days later
Also I looked up a fanart of Alaha AND ITS SUCH A COOL CONCEPT I love it. I think that’s what really got me into it at first and then I became more attached to our characters about a 100 pages in.

This has a jaw dropping twist you do not see coming. Honestly, I can’t even tell if there were any clues to the twist and I wish that existed.

I have this title shared on my Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/p/DIUhNcmB8gZ/?igsh=MWlmYXJ3eWljNXltbw==

Metal Slinger is officially being traditionally published — and how incredible is that?! A book this powerful, clever, and unforgettable absolutely deserves a place on every shelf. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A flawless 5-star read that completely swept me away. Metal Slinger is a fast-paced, diabolically clever romantasy that delivers the perfect blend of epic fantasy, sizzling romance, and pulse-pounding action. Expect knife fights, elemental magic, seafaring adventure, twists that will leave you reeling, and a slow-burn romance that will set your heart on fire. I’m still recovering… and already desperate for more.

Rachel has crafted a world that is both richly imaginative and meticulously built. The politics are intricate without ever feeling dense, the elemental magic is vivid and powerful, and the seafaring elements add an adventurous edge that hooked me from page one. It’s the kind of immersive world-building that feels effortless — you fall into it and never want to climb back out.

The characters are brilliantly developed, with layered personalities and dynamics that spark in every interaction. Their relationships — romantic, platonic, and adversarial — are all beautifully crafted and believable. I especially loved the push-and-pull tension between the main characters, a slow-burn romance with enough chemistry to practically ignite the pages. Every duel, every secret, every glance is packed with meaning.

And the plot… oh, the plot. Fast-paced, intense, and absolutely packed with twists and turns that left me breathless. Rachel is a mastermind when it comes to foreshadowing — planting seeds that bloom spectacularly just when you least expect them. The ending left me sitting straight up in bed, audibly gasping and startling my husband (yes, it was that serious). It was the kind of twist that felt shocking but perfectly earned, pulling together threads I didn’t even realize I’d been holding onto.

Metal Slinger is a perfect storm of smart storytelling, rich world-building, and characters that will haunt you long after the last page. If you’re a reader who craves morally grey characters, knife-sharp action, elemental magic, slow-burn romance, and plot twists galore — this book is an absolute must-read. Rachel has me counting the days until the next installment.

So good. Going to be a top fantasy summer read. Will be talked about all over social media and something people are not going to be able to put down.

5 star read!!!! Loved the magic system and the plot twist at the end-so happy this is getting trad. published!

That twist at the end....my jaw was on the floor I fear.

This is a previously independently published book being picked up for traditional publishing. I start off on that note because there are some significant errors in the ARC that really need to be addressed before the publish date in June. As just one example, the main character mentions the names of people that she doesn't meet for the first time until after she mentions them (which makes no sense!)

Brynn is our main character, and she's a member of the Alaha, a group of people who have been exiled and forced to live at sea. She's an outsider among them, training to be a guard, but is close friends with the son of the leader of the Alaha. The Alaha, although exiled, trade with the landed kingdoms, and the book begins with Brynn traveling to one of these markets in the Kenta kingdom for the first time. While there, she is accused of being a thief by a strange man, which leads to conflict between the Alaha and soldiers of the Kenta and risking the fragile peace that has existed between these groups for years. The strange man, Acker (sorry I just can't take that name seriously I truly wish he had like almost any other name), follows Brynn to the Alaha's location and tells her that she's not actually a member of the Alaha, but a princess of the Maile kingdom and was kidnapped by the Alaha. She helps Acker escape and adventures ensue as Brynn attempts to return to her homeland. Acker and Brynn were childhood friends and possibly more...but there are secrets held by all of the characters and a brewing conflict between the various kingdoms as they fight for land and power, with Brynn caught in the middle.

The twist tore me up like I can't believe that I really think I'm going to have to read the second book just to see how this goes. There were some moments where Acker kind of gave me the ick which is unfortunate since he is the love interest and it's like girl I have to say she kind of has more chemistry with her friend Messer but it is what it is. Acker is giving a men's rights vibe that I just don't appreciate. Free Brynn! FREE HER! You love her but you don't know her at all I'll say it!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I picked up this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect and now that I’ve finished it, I cannot wait for the sequel. This book felt so unique to me and had an amazing cast of characters. The romance was so fun and a lot of the twists surprised me. While the ending initially felt abrupt, a few days later I was able to appreciate the shocking twist and cliffhanger for the masterful choice it was. This is definitely worth picking up if you love romantasy books or if you’re interested in picking one up!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books for the eARC.

I have heard so much about this book and it really did deliver on a crazy ending. Getting there was kind of shaky at first but this book was a wild ride and I could not put it down.

It left a lot of questions however and I am desperate for the next book. There is seriously a lot of things that were either forgotten about or just set aside for now. The vibes for this book were so good that I’m willing to over look that.

I really don’t want to spoil too much about the plot, characters and especially the ending. It’s really best if you don’t know too much before reading it.

I did enjoy it and it’s quick read despite being almost 500 pages! I love the short chapters which I feel most books really need to start doing.

Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider is a fantasy adventure set in a richly imagined world where the Alaha people have been cast out and forced to survive off-land, only visiting for brief moments to trade and resupply. Life on the water is all most Alaha ever know, and the book wastes no time immersing the reader in that unique, dangerous way of life.

We follow Brynn, a young Alaha girl in training to become a guard, as she travels to a market hosted by the land-dwelling Kenta. From there, the story slowly unfolds—introducing us to a mysterious stranger who seems to know more than he should, a treacherous journey over water, and magic no one was aware about.

The plot builds gradually, and while I enjoyed the ride from the beginning, I didn’t find myself fully hooked until the final two chapters. Up until then, I was hovering around a 3.5 to 3.75 star rating. The story was solid and the worldbuilding compelling, but I wasn’t entirely emotionally invested. Then, the plot twist hit: and it changed everything. It pulled everything I’d been reading into a new light and gave the entire narrative a sharper edge. That twist alone brought my rating up to a 4.25, because of how it reframed earlier moments in the book and made me want to go back and reread to spot the clues I missed.

As for the characters: Brynn is a strong lead, easy to root for, and her determination to protect her people and understand the truth gives the story a clear emotional center. Acker started off with a lot of promise—mysterious, confident, and interesting—but for me, he lost some momentum as the story progressed. His development didn’t quite keep pace with the stakes being raised, and I found myself more invested in the side characters than in him. Messer, though, completely stole the show for me. He is layered, complex, and so deeply loyal. He’s the kind of character who leaps off the page and stays with you long after you finish. I’d give my life for him, and I do not say that lightly.

The story itself is engaging, with a lot of heart and movement. The lore and magic are introduced slowly, but steadily enough that it doesn't feel lost. Even the more unbelievable elements (THAT PLOT TWIST) start to click when viewed through the lens of hindsight. There’s clearly a lot more to this world than what we’ve seen so far, and I’m curious to see where future books might take it.

Overall, Metal Slinger is a fresh fantasy with a strong heroine, a plot that builds to something truly satisfying, and a cast of characters worth following. Definitely a book worth reading.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Let’s talk about Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider

I can say without a doubt that I need book two right now. This book is so under-hyped that it needs to be in the forefront of some of the best Romantasy books out there.

Not only is the world building and characters so interesting, the magic system and politics within the story drive it home. It’s like you have this glorious ball of storytelling all in the palm of your hand and you cannot wait to gobble it up.

And the slow burn…the slow burn is perfect. Just enough to keep you yearning for more and more. Brynn and Anker characters are so well written, you can’t but help to love them.

Yet…the end of the book? Just - whoa. It made me so want to cry, scream, fall out of my bed on what happened. I have no words.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Saturday Books for my honest feedback.

This book was just amazing.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🔥🔥

✨ Found family
✨ Friends to lovers/enemies to lovers
✨ Slow burn
✨ World building
✨ Political intrigue
✨ Fated mates
✨ Magical system

Ok well HOLY FREAKING PLOT TWIST! I am unwell. I did NOT see that coming. I feel enraged. And upset! What a wonderful, twisty book! I loved how the setting of this world is described.
It was quite different from some romantasy books, and I appreciated the uniqueness of it.
I don't know who to trust now. Who to love. Who to hate. I am feeling so many emotions after the last several chapters. I feel like i have emotional whiplash! I am so heartbroken for Acker. I truly did not see that coming, and usually things like this are easy to spot. But wow. I am mind blown. I should've known considering the FMC started to annoy me at about 75% through. But man. I can't handle it. I need book 2 immediately!!! Everything I thought I knew about how I was feeling about this book has left me on a breeze. I have no Words!

This one got me. The twists and turns got me.

I’ve been seeing this book all over the internet so I HAD to pick it up. And I’m so happy I did.

I suggest going in as blind as possible honestly. It made for such a great reading experience.

Cannot wait for book 2!