I was obsessed with this book to the point that I couldn't stop reading it and wanted to do nothing but open it back up. Then the last 7% happened and what was going to be a 4.5 star read went down to a 2 star read.

There are a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies within the story - I was more than willing to overlook them because honestly I was having a good time. There were plenty of instances where I felt like the author had done some editing but forgot to actually change the parts surrounding the edits therefore making it seem out of place.

Normally, I wouldn't let such a small portion of the book affect my rating so drastically but honestly I feel 100% justified in my opinion and have yet to find someone that is able to give me a solid counter argument about why it's okay.

It's hard to really discuss it without spoilers so if you'd like to know a title that did something similar I will list it here, but just know if you click it you will absolutely know what happens at the end: <spoiler> It ends similarly to How Does It Feel by Jeneane ORiley</spoiler>

The rest of this review will have spoilers so if you want to give the book an honest try I suggest you do not read. If bad form storytelling gets you heated then maybe skim this and see if they are things that you can deal with:

<spoiler>
That ending. How do you have an entire book written in FIRST PERSON, where you SEE ALL OF HER THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS, and then just go "haha guess what tricked ya!!". That's not how first person works. If the author had been extra careful about the exact wording of Jovie/Brynn's feelings then sure - *maybe*. But in order to reasonably pull off a big "gotcha" moment you really should consider third person not first. I'm shocked that Saturday read this book and didn't make that change. It makes zero sense as is. It's entirely illogical.

And not only does Jovie/Brynn have this huge betrayal reveal - it comes to light that Messer is in on it? The same Messer that is a shape shifter that hung out with her constantly in Alaha that her thoughts actively discussed and NOWHERE did she make any indication that she was aware of who or what it was. Just dumb. Dumb dumb dumb.

All the scheming and she somehow convinces Beau to help her off-page in like a day? She betrays her brother and family and country for this girl she's known for a couple weeks? Jovie/Brynn doesn't even TRY to convince Acker to join her? Doesn't bother to do literally anything besides trick him? And for what? To what end?

As for the "rebellion" we DID get a tiny bit of a mention of its existence early on - but within her own thoughts she doesn't indicate that she's part of it. And what are they even rebelling for? Against what country? What person? Are they fighting everyone? Wren? Kenta? Maile? None of the above? It just makes zero sense and was NEVER mentioned again after the very beginning.

I could forgive a lot of things. But when you write a book that explicitly shares the character's inner thoughts and internal monologues with you you can't just decide that the character is lying to themselves the entire time. It just does not make sense. Brynn/Jovie actively contradicted literally the entire end scenes throughout the book. Even when she was alone with her thoughts she was apparently just pretending???
</spoiler>

Anyway, I'm very sad over this because I truly thought that this was going to be a new all time favorite and comfort read and now all I wish is that I had those two days of my life back.

I ended up DNF-ing The Metal Slinger, and I want to be really clear: my decision had nothing to do with the story itself or with Rachel Schneider as an author. I’m genuinely so excited that she got picked up by a traditional publisher—her journey from indie to St. Martin’s Press is incredible, and I’m rooting for her every step of the way.

That said, I know e-ARCs are unedited and often rough around the edges, but the version I read had so many typos and structural inconsistencies that it pulled me out of the story. At times, I couldn’t even tell which character was speaking, which made it really hard to stay immersed. The bones of something really interesting are definitely there—I was super intrigued by the worldbuilding and where the plot seemed to be going—but the execution just wasn’t quite working for me in this format.

I’m absolutely open to revisiting this book once it’s gone through final edits, because I think there’s a great story here. It just wasn’t the right time for me to read it in this form.

I inhaled this book! No slow starts here - we get thrown right in the middle of action from the get go. Intrigue, action, romance, betrayal! This story has it all. And to top it all off, it was twistier than most thrillers I read!!!

This book was initially indie published, blew up on BookTok (I’m so glad I was unaware of the hype going on) and now is being traditionally published. If you’re looking for action packed romantasy with an interesting magical system and high escapism factor, this one ticks all of those boxes.

Grab this one if you enjoy
⚔️ enemies to lovers
⚔️ fated mates
⚔️ action packed romantasy
⚔️ slow burn romance

Loved that this was our #burriedinbookbuddies pick for this month. I know it’s going to be an interesting chat!

A huge thank you to Saturday Books St Martin’s Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First, I want to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book. I loved the premise of this book. It is so unique and interesting. I found the magic system interesting and the awakening aspect was really cool.

Unfortunately, what is actually happening in this book is completely undecipherable. I spent so much time flipping between pages, trying to figure out where we were, who we were talking to, or what just happened. The book is descriptive but the descriptions don't help generate any meaningful picture in your head. It took 21 chapters to find out what color the hair of the fmc was & I still don't know if Alaha was a boat, a smidgen of land, a boat with a rock base? Literally no idea. Some times conversation snippets would say something and I'd genuinely sit there and be like when was this brought up?? How do you know this? It was really frustrating to read. I clocked Kai ick from the beginning but I'm shocked at how much Acker gave me the ick during this story. I hate how he seems to manipulate Jovie because of her lack of understanding. Overall, this book just wasn't for me & the plot holes were too great for me to vibe my way through it with any enjoyment.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-copy of this book.
Sadly, I did not enjoy this book. I initially wanted to read this book from the reviews of people saying it was the best plot twist ever. But the plot twist was just a plot hole. It makes zero sense and does not align with the entire 95% of the story.
The characters were not well-rounded, so much was missing from the story itself, and even some of the world building (while a great premise) did not make sense.
While it ended on a cliffhanger, I will not be reading the next book.

4.25 stars...first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC of the book. I also saw it a lot on booktok and some on my book groups on fb. I really enjoyed this one. Loved the magic/powers and the characters, the banter, the little bits of spice, and the plotline. I was hooked from the beginning and very intrigued. I will be patiently awaiting the next book in the series. What's not to love?! And hello cliffhanger! Yes I would recommend this to readers just because.

Was this the biggest plot twist I've ever read?? Possibly.
WHAT IS REAL ANYMORE!

I have been begging for a fantasy book like this for a while. I wanted adventure, a little magic, ROMANCE, fighting, and a good betrayal.
Oh boy did this deliver. I am obsessed.

We have Brynn who is an actual badass in the military and can keep up with the boys without making it her entire personality... Her friends are loyal, she has a childhood crush that is so sweet and finally reciprocated, and then we have an explosion.

Our MMC is swoon worthy and so gently, while also strong and a huge support.
We border on miscommunication so much without fully going there that it is almost as annoying as actual miscommunication. There is a lot of filler that could have been flushed out for me, which is why I am giving 4 stars. But honestly, that freaking ending deserves a whole star rating system for itself. I was floored and I need to re-read it again to feel that rush. wowowowowow.

“You’re kind of beautiful when you lie.”

OH WHAT IN THE EVERLOVING FUCK

“I will sleep wherever you want me to. Whether it’s on the floor or in the dirt or in your bed, I’ll be there if you want me.”

4.5 stars

I’ve seen comments everywhere about the end, mostly about how it ruined it, but NO SIR NOT FOR ME. I cannot wait to see how this plays out! I do wish it was a little less “in your face” though, more organically thrown in instead of spelled out like it was.

“Tomorrow morning, I’m taking you down to start training.” He leans close, placing soft lips on mine. “I’m eager to see you with a sword in your hand.”

This ending actually raised the rating for me, you know, shock-value, because I had some big issues with this, mainly the editing. I read the ARC of the trad published version, so why were there still so many grammatical issues? The formatting problems? Hopefully just the ARC but come on, these editing issues were obvious and annoying.

“You’ve been feeding me with the same dagger you put through a man’s eyeball?”

The beginning was also awkwardly written, I dunno, I had a hard time for the first 30%-ish? But once a certain event happened, I was ALL IN LET’S GO

“Don’t worry [Brynn], I’m going to court you so well you’ll be begging to climb into bed with me.”

I loved the boat journey and their trek across land too, it was so heartbreaking, watching them kinda wither away at some points. Seeing them grow closer and you know, almost die, was great for their development.

THE FUCKING BIRD yes - loved all of that, and how it played out in the end

There were actually a few things I didn’t love about Acker. Don’t get me wrong, there were lots of things I loved, but a few that just didn’t sit right with me. But I am very much invested in the outcome of this series.

I loved the relationships that formed in the book, not just between our main characters but the side characters and the main characters as well!

“Cold soup as payment for saving your life,” I say, lifting a brow. “When you put it in perspective, couldn’t you have at least saved the whole roll for me?”
He quirks a sardonic smile. “After hearing my captor profess his love for you? I would have rather died.”

So that doesn’t sound like a positive review, but I still really enjoyed this! Obviously, I rated it pretty high lmao. Anyway, thank you to Saturday Books and the author for this ARC!

Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider was such a wild, adrenaline-filled ride. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect going in, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. The world-building is gritty and immersive, and I loved how raw and unapologetic everything felt, from the action scenes to the emotions. The main character is tough, but with just enough vulnerability to make you really care about what happens next. There’s this great balance of chaos and heart that kept me totally hooked. If you’re into fierce characters, dystopian vibes, and stories that don’t hold back, this one absolutely delivers.

Oh. My. This was AMAZING.
This is one of the most perfectly addictive fantasy romance books I’ve read in a long time. It was so good. It was fantastic. And it had a twist I absolutely did not see coming. Not for one second. I adored it.

The characters were so well done. I loved all of them and the side characters were flushed out but I can’t wait to see more from all of them. Literally this book is not put downable. Unputdownable. That’s a word now.

If you’re looking for high stakes fantasy, romantic tension, unique/elemental magic systems, with political intrigue and danger. This is it.

ONE bed ONE ship, and ONE horse. There’s a lot of tension. I’m obsessed and cannot wait for more.

I believed Metal Slinger was a very fun journey overall. Rachel got me with the plot twist at the end, something I was not expecting at all. For a Romantasy, I thought the world and the magic was very digestable. Our FMC, Jovie/Brynn was a joy to have as a POV and I am very interested to see how the story plays out with her with that big reveal at the end. I honestly wanted more Acker. I hope in the next book we get a chapter or two in his POV because I think that would be extremely interesting to see how it plays out in the story. I felt like there were some pacing issues especially after the first two or three chapters until about the middle of the book which is why it is not a five star read for me. I do believe that if you are fan of the Romantasy genre, you would overall enjoy this book.

Wow, what a doozy this book is on the ole’ brain! For me, Metal Slinger required a significant amount of time processing after I finished it, but I will say I was not as shocked by the cliffhanger as others have been. It was a fun journey to that ending: sea voyages, explosions, elemental magic, forced proximity, and a pet bird. I went in with no expectations (outside of the cliffhanger), and I enjoyed reading this overall.

This is a challenging review to write because it’s tricky to find aspects of the book to share thoughts about without giving anything important away. Here’s what I can say:

I liked some of the side characters, including Messer, Beau, and Hallis. Depending on which side character we’re talking about, they added levity and sarcasm, or companionship and support. She had a much smaller role, but I also enjoyed Greta, the librarian. She had arguably the best joke in the entire book!

This story is also very fast-paced; I read it in just a couple of days. One aspect that helps with the pacing, I think, is that the setting frequently changes. They’re on a ship sailing to and then from the Market; then they’re in Alaha; then a precarious sea voyage; and so on. This frequent change in location added to the world-building, as well, allowing you to “see” different territories.

I do have a couple of critiques about the plot, though, which I’ll share next.

While the plot twist was shocking and exciting, I do think it performed at the expense of more solid character development. I felt like I couldn’t say anything significant to describe the FMC for at least the first half of the book. It was a little strange reading from her POV the entire time but simultaneously feeling like I didn’t know anything about her. (IYKYK, though!) I will say, though, that I felt like I got to know the MMC fairly well, even though we didn’t get his POV at all.

My other big critique is that I feel there are too many questions left unanswered at the end of the book. The longer I process, the more questions I think of! This is going to be a duology, and I feel like there’s going to need to be a lot of backtracking to explain some things. I hope the sequel is up to the task.

I can’t wait to reread it, though, knowing what I know now!

DNF @12%. Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

The bday present i gave to myself today was DNF’ing this book ❤️

I tried to start this book 4 times this past month and I couldn’t get through the first chapter. To me, I didn’t enjoy the writing style, and the world-building was nonexistent. I got the gist of the rift between the Kenta and Alaha people, but it hard to imagine their worlds, politics, or even the setting when my brain kept thinking “pirates”.

It eventually got better once they were off the boat but not much. Like the hand scene was insane and lowkey a jump scare!

Last thing bc I’m not letting it pass but “Dang Rabbits” kept reminding me of Robbie Ray Stewart saying “Dang Flabbit” to Miley all the time 😂

This feels like its going to be a romantasy series that takes off. All the elements are there! Really enjoyed it personally and definitely will recommend it.

I saw so many great reviews for this one, unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into the story. Maybe it was wrong timing

A highly anticipated indie gone trad romantasy! This was one of my most anticipated books for this year.

The beginning had me hooked pretty quickly with the writing style. Possible love triangle, deceits and treachery, and forbidden love, combined with a strong FMC and Pirates? Sign me up. Metal Slinger's world building and unique magic hit the spot for me. Unfortunately, the style of banter was just not my thing. It felt a little forced. But the twist at the end?! I need book two now!!!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eArc!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️|🔥🔥

Metal Slinger is the first book in the Fire & Metal duology. I went into Metal Slinger blind after seeing it recommended as an indie book being republished as trad.

Taken in as a young child, Brynn was raised by her adopted community, the Alaha people. Now grown, she embarks on the rite of passage to attend the market held by those who exiled her people. When Brynn breaks her captain’s rule of not wandering alone at the market, a century-long peace treaty is broken after she is intensely pursued by an enemy soldier. When the solider pursues her across the sea to Alaha, Brynn is faced with harsh truths that test her loyalty to the people who raised her. As more secrets are uncovered and the magic she was denied revealed, Brynn questions everything she knows, and, who she loves.

I devoured this book in 2 days and was forced to pause at 98% when my flight landed. I finished reading while waiting for my husband to get our rental car. I proceeded to crash out (slide 2) and stare blankly at the wall in front of me while waiting for him to return. Once in the car, my husband witnessed my crash out continue, aka *a lot* of yapping while I tried to process the ending and put pieces of what led there together in my head. He is a good egg.

So why did I love this book? A few of the many reasons include 1) the FMC was strong, brave, capable, and smart (and her approach to the romance was realistic), 2) it was an action-packed adventure in a well-built world, and 3) the ending surprised me in the best way possible. I love when I do not see a plot twist coming, and am absolutely in adoration when it makes me question my entire perception of a story.

I ordered a copy of the indie paperback after reading my ARC, and it will be republished traditionally this month! Metal Slinger is out in the US in paperback on June 17 and will include a teaser from Book 2 that I can’t wait to get my hands on!

Thank you @rachelschneiderauthor and @saturdaybooks for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I didn't really like this book.

I found the premise to be interesting, but the writing and dialogue felt stilted and I didn't see any chemistry between the main character and the love interest. The romance felt out of place and unnatural. Even the side characters didn't hold my interest, which was a shame.
The story was confusing to keep up with, and I will attribute it to the lack of worldbuilding. I still don't understand how magic works, how it's passed down; there are all these territories, but I wouldn't be able to explain why there are conflicts between them. If I were to guess, I'd say the choice to keep most information a secret was on purpose in order for the big reveal at the end to work, but for me it didn't.

However, to its credit, I couldn't stop reading. When I woke up in the mornings, the first thing I did was reach for my kindle. I went through my tasks every day as fast as possible so I could go back to reading.

I'm still unsure if I'll read book 2, but I would recommend as it's an easy read and it keeps you hooked.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider is a first person-POV fantasy romance. The people of Alaha move from place to place, unable to stay anywhere for long. As a child, Brynn was found by Kai’s mother and brought onto their ship as an orphan. Now adults, Brynn and Kai are discussing possibly becoming life partners, but Acker, a young man from a different kingdom, throws a wrench in those plans.

What I liked was the magic system. I’m always down for elemental magic that contains ideas of power and responsibility. I also appreciate a magic system that has a similar thread to Pacific Rim where the two can enter each other’s minds and there is a bit of a struggle from one or both people around that. It is an invasion of privacy if it is done without consent and even if there is consent, it can still feel weird or uncomfortable at times, so I did like that the nuance was touched on.

The worldbuilding felt like fantasy Canada including a city called Calgary and having pancakes and maple syrup. I cannot decide if Alaha is meant to be fantasy Alaska or Hawai’i, I’m leaning towards Hawai’i, but the coding felt almost like a dystopia set in the remains of what was once North America and included mentions of feudal kings of the past like I would expect someone to talk about European history.

I would recommend this to fans of fantasy romance who like magic systems similar to the Drift in Pacific Rim

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

I don’t even know what to say. I loved this book. Fast-paced, gritty, and totally addictive — Metal Slinger had me hooked from page one. But that plot twist at the end?! WHAT. THE. HELL. (In the best way possible). I did not see that coming and now I’m just sitting here, jaw on the floor, wondering how I’m supposed to function after that.

I went into this book blind (as I do with most books), and I highly recommend doing the same. Don’t read about it. Don’t watch reviews. Just dive in. Let the story surprise you, because Metal Slinger is absolutely worth it.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.