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elwirax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
CW- gore, death, mass murder, blood, torture
Rep- Biracial ( Korean- white), lesbian MC, Biracial (Korean- white), bisexual MC.
Rep- Biracial ( Korean- white), lesbian MC, Biracial (Korean- white), bisexual MC.
“It makes sense that, when the times were desperate enough, when the people were frenzied enough, at a certain point we went past praying to deities and started to build them instead."
"Because you choose sides in war and I choose the one that makes me feel human and this I will not apologise for."
Gearbreakers immediately caught my attention with a promise of the found family trope, Asian representation, Queer enemies-to-lovers, mechas, and swordfights. Despite this, I didn't want to set expectations too high for myself and ended up enjoying it well enough.
The start to Gearbreakers was uneven and I think this is something most people who have read it would agree on. In the first 20% the writing felt very messy and at times over written to the point it was clunky and nonsensical. The writing style almost made me DNF this book at 8%. I decided to continue and found that by the 30% mark the story began to fall into a sort of enjoyable rhythm. The world building was atmospheric and interesting although it could've been expanded in some areas as I found it difficult to picture the surroundings. I also wish we had learned more about Godolia's history, what the need to build mechas was and how this way of life came to be. While you get inklings of the answers, I still found myself questioning this throughout.
Gearbreaker was a very thematic book as it's set in a world were there is never truly peace and focuses on the struggles faced by children stuck in the crossfire of pointless war while trying to stay alive. It gave good commentary on being biracial. The use of Korean words and reference to Korean culture was a great way of establishing the identities of the main characters and their need to reconnect with this part of themselves.
The main characters were great. I found myself liking Sona more that Eris. The former's development as a character was more fleshed out compared to the latter who (while likeable) seemed rather repetitive in her actions. The author did a great jobs of contrasting the background of these two characters (Hollows vs Godolia) which made their meeting that much more tense. While the romance between them is not the usual type, there is a warm bond established there. There is no physical intimacy just the fierce will to fight for one another and I must admit that this is definitely one of the best romances I've read in a while.The crew of Gearbreakers was also a great aspect of this book. Through them you get to see the characters as the children they are which made me sympathise with them much more. While non of them were particularly memorable they were definitely entertaining in the calm portions of this book. Additionally, I very much appreciated the sister dynamic between Eris and Jenny- they quarrelled a lot but it was clear they really loved eachother.
I had issues with the last part of the story which was infuriating to say the least. Hopefully it will be resolved in the sequel. Not going to lie, I also hated the continuous use of "growls/ed", (but that's just a personal irk).
Overall, I went into Gearbreakers with low expectations and I enjoyed it but it didn't fully do it for me. However, it terms of a debut release this was a solid start and I'm really interested in seeing what Mikuta releases in the future as well as how she choose to continue this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Torture
mar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, which was great - the narrators matched the characters perfectly, the audio quality was smooth and well-edited; my only complaint would be that the narrator for Eris's chapters occasionally spoke at a slightly faster pace than the other, so I had to switch between 1.25x and 1x speed every now and then between chapters, but other than that it's very easy to listen to.
All that out of the way - it took me until about 1/3 of the book to get properly into it, but once Sona's and Eris's paths finally cross, DAMN. it gets GOOD. I love their fierceness, their enemies-to-lovers dynamic, I love the found family of it all of the Gearbreakers. Any minor criticisms I might have fade in comparison to how much I enjoyed this book. I just KNOW I would've become completely obsessed with it if I read it in high school, it's so unlike any other YA book I've read.
My favourite part of the book was Sona's internal conflict - her hostility towards her own body, the disgust she feels for Godolia and what they turned her into versus the power she feels when piloting a mecha, her attempts at forming a new identity for herself as a Gearbreaker. It's so compelling, and I love that she's not just fighting to get revenge for her parents, but for herself, too. It's so angsty in that distinctly YA way, but it GOT to me, okay!!! The ending is a gut punch after gut punch and I cannot wait for the sequel. I Am Not Immune to teen girls who had their childhoods stolen away fighting against the regime, taking down huge mechas and falling in love 🥺
(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!)
All that out of the way - it took me until about 1/3 of the book to get properly into it, but once Sona's and Eris's paths finally cross, DAMN. it gets GOOD. I love their fierceness, their enemies-to-lovers dynamic, I love the found family of it all of the Gearbreakers. Any minor criticisms I might have fade in comparison to how much I enjoyed this book. I just KNOW I would've become completely obsessed with it if I read it in high school, it's so unlike any other YA book I've read.
My favourite part of the book was Sona's internal conflict - her hostility towards her own body, the disgust she feels for Godolia and what they turned her into versus the power she feels when piloting a mecha, her attempts at forming a new identity for herself as a Gearbreaker. It's so compelling, and I love that she's not just fighting to get revenge for her parents, but for herself, too. It's so angsty in that distinctly YA way, but it GOT to me, okay!!! The ending is a gut punch after gut punch and I cannot wait for the sequel. I Am Not Immune to teen girls who had their childhoods stolen away fighting against the regime, taking down huge mechas and falling in love 🥺
(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Gore, and Torture
Minor: Vomit
starccato's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, Child death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Slavery, Emotional abuse, and Self harm
Minor: Cursing, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Stalking
bugthebard's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Torture and Xenophobia
Minor: Confinement
e_flah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gearbreakers was an emotional ride from start to finish. The world-building and character development were both so well done. Each was seamlessly woven into the story in a way that made for a really engaging reading experience. I loved Sona and Eris. Both of them were rich, complicated characters with a distinct POV.
The plot of Gearbreakers was moderately paced. It took a bit for things to get going but events unfolded at a relatively steady pace from then on. For an impatient reader like me, I found that the characters immediately grabbed my attention and were enough to keep me reading until the main action got started.
The mechanized weapons, called Windups, were beyond fascinating. I really loved how Mikuta built them into the religion and society of Godolia. The different Windups were fun to read about and I hope there's more of them in book 2. The Windups also opened the door for some interesting questions about humanity and morality in combat when the person committing the bloodshed is sort of at a remove from the horrors they've inflicted. These themes added a lot to what was already a dark, gripping story.
Gearbreakers was a really enjoyable debut novel. If you like revolutions, found family, dark settings, and/or a slow-burn F/F romance, I'd definitely recommend checking this book out.
The plot of Gearbreakers was moderately paced. It took a bit for things to get going but events unfolded at a relatively steady pace from then on. For an impatient reader like me, I found that the characters immediately grabbed my attention and were enough to keep me reading until the main action got started.
The mechanized weapons, called Windups, were beyond fascinating. I really loved how Mikuta built them into the religion and society of Godolia. The different Windups were fun to read about and I hope there's more of them in book 2. The Windups also opened the door for some interesting questions about humanity and morality in combat when the person committing the bloodshed is sort of at a remove from the horrors they've inflicted. These themes added a lot to what was already a dark, gripping story.
Gearbreakers was a really enjoyable debut novel. If you like revolutions, found family, dark settings, and/or a slow-burn F/F romance, I'd definitely recommend checking this book out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Death of parent, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
autumnrevisited's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Torture and Blood
Minor: Vomit
mo345's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Vomit
danipippin's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I think my brain is too small for scifi because i kept speeding over the descriptions to read the dialogue and then had no idea what was going on, but that’s on me and my soft brain. The perspective switching also confused me a lot but again maybe i’m just dumb
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Torture, and Gore
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Confinement
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Enemies to possibility, romance, and rebellion - Gearbreakers has it all. While the start was pretty rocky - in terms of all the world construction and getting to know the POVs - I quickly became obsessed. At the beginning, it's just difficult to get a handle on the technology, the differences and the intricacies of Eris and Sona. Conceptually, cyborgs and SF worlds will always get to my heart. So I was overjoyed when it became a bit clearer and I was able to focus on the story and the characters.
Gearbreakers blooms into a story about found family, rebellion, and loyalty. For fans of Skyhunter, Gearbreakers has to be the best reading companion! I loved the side characters, the ways they're all reeling from the effects of the rebellion, the days they spend running for their lives, and the nights haunted by loss. The ways we fear the symbols of death, oppression, and loss, but they're just made of metal. Gearbreakers examines the different avenues of rebellion. Of commitment and what we are willing to lose.
Enemies to possibility, romance, and rebellion - Gearbreakers has it all. While the start was pretty rocky - in terms of all the world construction and getting to know the POVs - I quickly became obsessed. At the beginning, it's just difficult to get a handle on the technology, the differences and the intricacies of Eris and Sona. Conceptually, cyborgs and SF worlds will always get to my heart. So I was overjoyed when it became a bit clearer and I was able to focus on the story and the characters.
Gearbreakers blooms into a story about found family, rebellion, and loyalty. For fans of Skyhunter, Gearbreakers has to be the best reading companion! I loved the side characters, the ways they're all reeling from the effects of the rebellion, the days they spend running for their lives, and the nights haunted by loss. The ways we fear the symbols of death, oppression, and loss, but they're just made of metal. Gearbreakers examines the different avenues of rebellion. Of commitment and what we are willing to lose.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you to Netgalley and Fierce Reads for an arc of this book!
Sona has been turned into a Valkyrie--an elite class pilot to the the giant Windups that Godolia uses to control the people of the Badlands; her body is no longer her own. As a Gearbreaker, Eris has devoted her life to taking down Windups and hating Godolia. But when Sona offers Eris a chance to escape capture, the girls team up with the rest of Eris' Gearbreaker crew to take Godolia down.
This book is so good! It has an incredible mix of fantasy and scifi elements, and the world-building and mechas are so incredible to read about! Sona and Eris are chaotic and feral main characters with hatred in their hearts and fire in their veins but I love them so fiercely.
I really like the writing in this book, as well, and all the amazing elements of Found Family, enemies-to-lovers, and more! This was honestly the Queer SciFi I needed to read and I highly highly recommend!
My only (tiny) complaint is that I sometimes forgot whose POV chapter I was on, so there could have been a little more distinction between Sona and Eris' voices.
I can't wait for the sequel!
Pub Date: June 29, 2021
Sona has been turned into a Valkyrie--an elite class pilot to the the giant Windups that Godolia uses to control the people of the Badlands; her body is no longer her own. As a Gearbreaker, Eris has devoted her life to taking down Windups and hating Godolia. But when Sona offers Eris a chance to escape capture, the girls team up with the rest of Eris' Gearbreaker crew to take Godolia down.
This book is so good! It has an incredible mix of fantasy and scifi elements, and the world-building and mechas are so incredible to read about! Sona and Eris are chaotic and feral main characters with hatred in their hearts and fire in their veins but I love them so fiercely.
I really like the writing in this book, as well, and all the amazing elements of Found Family, enemies-to-lovers, and more! This was honestly the Queer SciFi I needed to read and I highly highly recommend!
My only (tiny) complaint is that I sometimes forgot whose POV chapter I was on, so there could have been a little more distinction between Sona and Eris' voices.
I can't wait for the sequel!
Pub Date: June 29, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Vomit