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maisy_ally's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
While it didn’t completely blow me away (I found the ending almost a bit anticlimactic?) it was a super fun romp through space and time. The author does an excellent job of setting a scene and making you feel like you’re in it. And I appreciated not being spoon fed what every piece of tech is, what every event in history leading to the world we’re in was, etc. Sometimes I find that there is so much world building that needs to happen in sci-fi that I’m bogged down with the who, what’s, and where’s of it all. I liked that Alex White wrote as if the reader already knows what’s going on in the world(s) in which the story takes place, and left it up to us to fill in!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent and Drug use
alkaiadyne's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
While not a horrible book, I found myself wanting with what I had desired to get from reading this book.
Overall August Kitko was still a fun read, and I appreciated the queer normative world. But I was left wanting in terms of character depth and the relationship between the MC and their partner felt very service level and superficial to me. With also none of the MCs character development in regards to these giant mechas from space feeling very earned or worked for and instead like developments of convenience. There was though, some commentary and reflection of the MCs mental and emotional health in response to the events which happened throughout the plot that I believe were handled very well.
I would say that this book would be good for people who enjoy stories that are queer to their very core, are fast-paced and enjoy narratives with a lighter tone to them even in the face of dire events.
Overall August Kitko was still a fun read, and I appreciated the queer normative world. But I was left wanting in terms of character depth and the relationship between the MC and their partner felt very service level and superficial to me. With also none of the MCs character development in regards to these giant mechas from space feeling very earned or worked for and instead like developments of convenience. There was though, some commentary and reflection of the MCs mental and emotional health in response to the events which happened throughout the plot that I believe were handled very well.
I would say that this book would be good for people who enjoy stories that are queer to their very core, are fast-paced and enjoy narratives with a lighter tone to them even in the face of dire events.
Content Warnings
Minor: Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Gore, War, Dysphoria, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Gun violence, Blood, Self harm, Medical content, Genocide, Death of parent, Death, Suicide, and Terminal illness
talonsontypewriters's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Violence, Body horror, and Medical content
Moderate: Grief, War, Gun violence, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Genocide
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Cancer, and Alcohol
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is an exciting ride the whole way through.
It starts on the last day of the world where Gus, a jazz pianist of very minor fame, gets connected to a super robot (a Traitor Vanguard named Greymalkin...which is the name of the author's cat and I love that!). The story then follows Gus and his fellow Vanguard Conduits (and joyfriend Ardent Rose) as they attempt to save the world from an evil AI and its super robots bent on destruction and death. The story heavily involves music as a fighting tool and intense battle sequences, so if you like those things, you'll likely find a lot to enjoy!
I will say that the romance between Gus and Ardent feels a little underdeveloped for me. They don't seem to have much in common nor much in the way of chemistry. It made me really think of forced proximity in the sense of "these people say they're in love because they think they're the only two people left". This being said, the romance felt really secondary to the main plot, so it didn't bother me much during the story. If you were someone, however, who was going into this for the romance, I think you'd be disappointed.
It starts on the last day of the world where Gus, a jazz pianist of very minor fame, gets connected to a super robot (a Traitor Vanguard named Greymalkin...which is the name of the author's cat and I love that!). The story then follows Gus and his fellow Vanguard Conduits (and joyfriend Ardent Rose) as they attempt to save the world from an evil AI and its super robots bent on destruction and death. The story heavily involves music as a fighting tool and intense battle sequences, so if you like those things, you'll likely find a lot to enjoy!
I will say that the romance between Gus and Ardent feels a little underdeveloped for me. They don't seem to have much in common nor much in the way of chemistry. It made me really think of forced proximity in the sense of "these people say they're in love because they think they're the only two people left". This being said, the romance felt really secondary to the main plot, so it didn't bother me much during the story. If you were someone, however, who was going into this for the romance, I think you'd be disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, War, and Body horror
Minor: Sexual content
ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-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
There was stuff I loved and there were other things that didn't work for me as much. The concept of the Fount was cool and used really well at the end. The characters felt a little flat, hopefully there's more character development in the next book in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Body horror, and Terminal illness
alexalily's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
azrah786's review against another edition
3.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, injury, body horror, medical content, suicidal ideation, war, genocide, death, death of parent (off page)
--
A highly entertaining and action packed space opera that cranks the volume up high!
August Kitko and the Mechas from Space takes place far into the future at the end of the world. Giant alien robots with their shapeshifting robotic beasts in tow, are zipping around the galaxy destroying the countless worlds humanity has ventured out to and Earth is up next. After a fall out with famous pop star Ardent Violet, Gus Kitko is aimlessly wondering the “greatest goodbye party of all time” alone but decides to see the final moments out by playing some piano. Except his jazz resonates with Greymalkin, one of the Vanguards that crashes onto the planet, and rather than destroying him it chooses Gus to be its Conduit to help it fight.
When it becomes apparent that Greymalkin is not the only Traitor Vanguard, both Gus and Ardent find themselves drawn into a mission to prevent humanities annihilation.
This was such an entertaining read and gave me major Transformers and Pacific Rim vibes with some added rock ‘n roll and great queer rep. Though the beginning is a little slow it’s not long before the chaos kicks in and grabs your attention. Both Gus and Ardent were such fun protagonists to follow, I loved their individual personalities and their relationship was sweet despite developing a little fast / being a bit insta lovey but hey it’s a book set at the end of the world so..
The worldbuilding was really well established and the heart racing action and battle scenes gave the whole story a cinematic edge.
The idea behind the Vanguards/mechas and their accompanying ghosts was equally fascinating and terrifying – be aware there is a fair amount of body horror involved. However, I really loved the involvement of music in both the overall plot and the process of bonding with the mechas, who each had their own unique characteristics too.
My only real issue with the book was that I got lost with some of the music/musicology lingo. Not being much of a musician myself there were some conversations and descriptions that were just flying over my head and in a scifi book where there is already going to be a handful of obscure science lingo that I am only half going to understand without Google, having the two together meant I was feeling more than the usual amount of confusion at times.
This did not diminish my overall enjoyment of the plot and development of the characters though and I am looking forward to seeing where The Starmetal Symphony is going to head to next!
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
**I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, injury, body horror, medical content, suicidal ideation, war, genocide, death, death of parent (off page)
--
A highly entertaining and action packed space opera that cranks the volume up high!
August Kitko and the Mechas from Space takes place far into the future at the end of the world. Giant alien robots with their shapeshifting robotic beasts in tow, are zipping around the galaxy destroying the countless worlds humanity has ventured out to and Earth is up next. After a fall out with famous pop star Ardent Violet, Gus Kitko is aimlessly wondering the “greatest goodbye party of all time” alone but decides to see the final moments out by playing some piano. Except his jazz resonates with Greymalkin, one of the Vanguards that crashes onto the planet, and rather than destroying him it chooses Gus to be its Conduit to help it fight.
When it becomes apparent that Greymalkin is not the only Traitor Vanguard, both Gus and Ardent find themselves drawn into a mission to prevent humanities annihilation.
This was such an entertaining read and gave me major Transformers and Pacific Rim vibes with some added rock ‘n roll and great queer rep. Though the beginning is a little slow it’s not long before the chaos kicks in and grabs your attention. Both Gus and Ardent were such fun protagonists to follow, I loved their individual personalities and their relationship was sweet despite developing a little fast / being a bit insta lovey but hey it’s a book set at the end of the world so..
The worldbuilding was really well established and the heart racing action and battle scenes gave the whole story a cinematic edge.
The idea behind the Vanguards/mechas and their accompanying ghosts was equally fascinating and terrifying – be aware there is a fair amount of body horror involved. However, I really loved the involvement of music in both the overall plot and the process of bonding with the mechas, who each had their own unique characteristics too.
My only real issue with the book was that I got lost with some of the music/musicology lingo. Not being much of a musician myself there were some conversations and descriptions that were just flying over my head and in a scifi book where there is already going to be a handful of obscure science lingo that I am only half going to understand without Google, having the two together meant I was feeling more than the usual amount of confusion at times.
This did not diminish my overall enjoyment of the plot and development of the characters though and I am looking forward to seeing where The Starmetal Symphony is going to head to next!
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Genocide, Death, Violence, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
jessie_h's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Do you ever start a book and know within the first chapter that you are going to love it? August Kitko and the Mechas from Space was one of those books for me. This book is hands down my favorite book of the year so far! I tried to savor this exquisite space opera slowly but it was such a cinematic thrill ride that I ended up devouring it in every free moment I had. Holy Moly, y'all! I never knew I needed a book that combined music and mechas! Add in that it was an epic Gays in Space romp that is so delightfully and unapologetically queer and my heart was a goner! I cannot tell you how excited I am that this is the first book in a trilogy because I need more! Alex White is quickly cementing their place on my favorite authors of all time list.
It is the end of the world for humanity and all August Kitko wants to do is kiss gorgeous rockstar Ardent Violet and jam with them before they die. Then the unthinkable happens during their impromptu rockfest to play out the end of the human race. One of the murderous alien robots scoops Gus up so he and the rogue Vanguard can work together to destroy another Vanguard hellbent on destroying Earth. And it is nonstop action from that moment on.
I have been obsessed with mechas since I was a kid and the Traitor Vanguards have taken their spot on my favorites list. The Vanguards are like the Pacific Rim mechas on steroids had a baby with an AI. They are truly alien and have done some despicable things but are scarily cool. Actually, the only scarier thing than a Vanguard is their army of Golden Ghosts. The mecha battles in this book are so epic! Alex White did a fantastic job designing and outfitting the Vanguards with their abilities and weaponry! Each was so unique and I couldn't wait to see what they had up their sleeve next! And be still my heart! The tech in this book was absolutely fabulous in more ways than one!
I came for the mechas and space battles but I stayed for the characters and the romance. The story is told from the dual POVs of August and Ardent and I love them both so much! I just want to wrap Gus in a blanket and keep him safe. What I love about this book is that the characters are deeply flawed and not instantly transformed into badasses when they become Conduits. They feel more human because of it. Gus is a depressed cinnamon roll who knows more about jazz music than he does fighting styles. He's a bit mopey but his heart is ready to help save humanity anyway he can. His heart is also totally gone for rockstar Ardent Violet and he would do anything to keep him safe.
I loved so many characters in this book but hands down my favorite character is Ardent! They are loud and proud and a more than self-obsessed. But they have a heart of gold, can admit when they're wrong, and are totally head over heels for Gus (and their guitar, Baby) and just want to be their joyfriend. I found myself anticipating their POVs and when they would be present on page. They are gloriously epic with a wardrobe to match. I loved them and their agent, Dahlia, so much! I lived for the moments when Ardent and Gus got to be together on page. Their relationship and its development was so well done that I was literally squealing out loud at the cute one moment and yelling at them to get their act together the next.
I could go on and on about what and how much I loved this book but it is one that discovering its awesomeness is best done by reading it yourself. I need more space operas like this one in my life and the wait for book two next year might just kill me. If you are a fan of The Murderbot Diaries and/or Pacific Rim, this book is for you!
This review was originally posted on the Goldilox and the Three Weres blog.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
This review was originally posted on the Goldilox and the Three Weres blog.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Mental illness, Violence, War, Blood, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical trauma
Minor: Body horror, Drug use, and Death of parent
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