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alkaiadyne's review
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
blasterbee's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
legtart's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
amysbrittain's review
4.0
White's first Starmetal Symphony installment offers deadly deep-space robots, showcases the power of music, and illustrates how love can persist even in the face of imminent demise. I loved the main characters' fashion, banter, and stubbornness.
In the first book in Alex White's Starmetal Symphony space opera series, Gus is a jazz pianist whose biggest hope for the pending end of the world was to play at the most epic goodbye party of all time. After all, the Vanguards, giant, deadly AI robots, are headed from deep space to destroy Earth at any moment.
But when the Vanguards arrive, the sudden, brutal ending Gus has envisioned for himself doesn't happen. Instead, Gus and a few other Earthlings are pulled in by a small group of traitorous Vanguards--and tasked with being modified, temporarily melded with the robots, battling other robots--and saving all of humanity.
I really liked the way music is a key and powerful element; how working together benefits all; the quirky characters and their banter; the presence of giant fighting robots (they are not imbued with personality but are battle machines with infinite knowledge); and the fight for love in this LGBTQ space opera.
My obsession with the irresistible dry humor, grudging and undying loyalty, and love for the series The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon on the part of Martha Wells's Murderbot (check out my rave review in Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and AI--link on the blog) may have ruined me for all other robot characters forever.
But August Kitko isn't about the robots from space. The robots and the imminent demise of the human race that they seem perched to enact serve as a catalyst for the main characters to assess their own purposes and consider what makes life worth living. They forge desperate human connections and struggle with loss and an uncertain future, and I loved the impractical, invigorating, stubborn love in the book.
There's a light tone running through the heightened, saving-the-universe tension, along with entertaining, offbeat fashion, which is vividly described. (There is also a copious amount of goopy fluids described--they are dispersed both in battle and in the melding of humans and robots. I could feel my face contorting as I read about the immersive goo.)
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see August Kitko and the Mechas from Space.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
In the first book in Alex White's Starmetal Symphony space opera series, Gus is a jazz pianist whose biggest hope for the pending end of the world was to play at the most epic goodbye party of all time. After all, the Vanguards, giant, deadly AI robots, are headed from deep space to destroy Earth at any moment.
But when the Vanguards arrive, the sudden, brutal ending Gus has envisioned for himself doesn't happen. Instead, Gus and a few other Earthlings are pulled in by a small group of traitorous Vanguards--and tasked with being modified, temporarily melded with the robots, battling other robots--and saving all of humanity.
I really liked the way music is a key and powerful element; how working together benefits all; the quirky characters and their banter; the presence of giant fighting robots (they are not imbued with personality but are battle machines with infinite knowledge); and the fight for love in this LGBTQ space opera.
My obsession with the irresistible dry humor, grudging and undying loyalty, and love for the series The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon on the part of Martha Wells's Murderbot (check out my rave review in Six Great Stories about Robots, Humans and Alien Life, and AI--link on the blog) may have ruined me for all other robot characters forever.
But August Kitko isn't about the robots from space. The robots and the imminent demise of the human race that they seem perched to enact serve as a catalyst for the main characters to assess their own purposes and consider what makes life worth living. They forge desperate human connections and struggle with loss and an uncertain future, and I loved the impractical, invigorating, stubborn love in the book.
There's a light tone running through the heightened, saving-the-universe tension, along with entertaining, offbeat fashion, which is vividly described. (There is also a copious amount of goopy fluids described--they are dispersed both in battle and in the melding of humans and robots. I could feel my face contorting as I read about the immersive goo.)
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see August Kitko and the Mechas from Space.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
whatwentsent's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
3.5
simoneandherbooks's review
4.0
I didn't know what I was getting into when I first started reading August Kitko. In fact, I only knew that it would include a person named August, giant mechs, jazz music, and a race to save the world. Now I know that it's way more than that and one of my favorites this month. Thanks Orbit Books for the gifted read!
If you're a fan of cinematic movies like The Matrix, Armageddon, and Transformers, then this is the book for you. The book takes place in the very far future, about 600 years, in a world that's still thriving, but on the brink of destruction. Five years prior, an alien tech arrived destroying human beings by the thousands, absorbing their memories. The whole the world believed that this was the end of humanity, an unceremonious wipe of the human race. August Kitko, a jazz pianist who's already lost his entire family to the tech, is ready to die. On the night the world was scheduled to end, Gus attends a party hosted by a prominent lord to play out the end of the world with some good times.
However, things change when the end of the world doesn't come and Gus is kidnapped by a giant mech forced to become a conduit of all the human memories that it absorbed. Gus finds out that the mech, aka Greymalkin, is no longer a villainous AI and willing to help the human race hold some semblance of life on Earth.
I loved this futuristic view of the world. It feels so familiar because it reminds me of what we see nowadays except with the added bonus of tech that automates everything for us. The world Alex White envisions in their story is remarkable. The descriptions are so vivid that you can literally see what they're describing and it lends itself well when it comes to the big fight scene between mechs in space. Their writing is also very casual and contemporary. I loved that while they're describing massive mech battles in space, there was also levity and humor in their voice.
I also thought that the story was so genius. It reminded me a lot of those futuristic sci-fi movies I mentioned earlier, but combining them all to create this intelligent world where sentient AI are out to kill the human race. I think that one of my absolute favorite things about science fiction like this is how humans come together to fight a bigger threat to them.
While Gus is the person named in the title, the book also follows Ardent Violet. They're a very famous pop star who hooks up with Gus at the "end of the world" party only to find themself saving Gus when he's abducted by the mech. They eventually become a part of the team designated to help save the world. I also really loved how different Gus and Ardent were. Gus feels more like this introverted jazz pianist who's spent a lot more time alone than Ardent has. While Ardent definitely carried the pop star/celebrity vibe, they were also so vulnerable and scared about what they're about to do.
The music in this book was also a major player. I loved how the mech responded to Ardent and Gus's talents choosing them to be their conduits and how that music plays throughout the story as a way for them to connect to their mechs. It was such a clever way to incorporate that piece of both these characters and not let it fall to the wayside.
This was such a solid start to a new series from Alex White. While it's my first by them, I'm definitely a fan now and I can't wait to see what happens to Gus, Ardent, and the giant mechs in the next book!
If you're a fan of cinematic movies like The Matrix, Armageddon, and Transformers, then this is the book for you. The book takes place in the very far future, about 600 years, in a world that's still thriving, but on the brink of destruction. Five years prior, an alien tech arrived destroying human beings by the thousands, absorbing their memories. The whole the world believed that this was the end of humanity, an unceremonious wipe of the human race. August Kitko, a jazz pianist who's already lost his entire family to the tech, is ready to die. On the night the world was scheduled to end, Gus attends a party hosted by a prominent lord to play out the end of the world with some good times.
However, things change when the end of the world doesn't come and Gus is kidnapped by a giant mech forced to become a conduit of all the human memories that it absorbed. Gus finds out that the mech, aka Greymalkin, is no longer a villainous AI and willing to help the human race hold some semblance of life on Earth.
I loved this futuristic view of the world. It feels so familiar because it reminds me of what we see nowadays except with the added bonus of tech that automates everything for us. The world Alex White envisions in their story is remarkable. The descriptions are so vivid that you can literally see what they're describing and it lends itself well when it comes to the big fight scene between mechs in space. Their writing is also very casual and contemporary. I loved that while they're describing massive mech battles in space, there was also levity and humor in their voice.
I also thought that the story was so genius. It reminded me a lot of those futuristic sci-fi movies I mentioned earlier, but combining them all to create this intelligent world where sentient AI are out to kill the human race. I think that one of my absolute favorite things about science fiction like this is how humans come together to fight a bigger threat to them.
While Gus is the person named in the title, the book also follows Ardent Violet. They're a very famous pop star who hooks up with Gus at the "end of the world" party only to find themself saving Gus when he's abducted by the mech. They eventually become a part of the team designated to help save the world. I also really loved how different Gus and Ardent were. Gus feels more like this introverted jazz pianist who's spent a lot more time alone than Ardent has. While Ardent definitely carried the pop star/celebrity vibe, they were also so vulnerable and scared about what they're about to do.
The music in this book was also a major player. I loved how the mech responded to Ardent and Gus's talents choosing them to be their conduits and how that music plays throughout the story as a way for them to connect to their mechs. It was such a clever way to incorporate that piece of both these characters and not let it fall to the wayside.
This was such a solid start to a new series from Alex White. While it's my first by them, I'm definitely a fan now and I can't wait to see what happens to Gus, Ardent, and the giant mechs in the next book!
stardust_princess's review
4.0
A super-fun read with a central romance I absolutely adored. Could have had more time for the Conduits to feel like a team, but, overall, I loved reading this! The stakes felt very high and "realistic"--or as realistic as giant mechas and evil AIs can be, anyway. Great read!
kirstendumo's review
5.0
I loved it. It was an exciting, interesting, and fun ride. I loved the musical element and it was so joyfully gay!