A review by jazmin
A Machine Divine by Derek Hackman

4.0

"Friends, family allies. All of them beaten, exhausted. All of them with their stories, their sadness, and their burdens. She felt an odd harmony, a beginning that only disaster brings. They were united. And that gave her hope."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

⇢A Machine Divine in under 10 words
- Steampunk fantasy !!!
- Twists & turns
- Theme of friendship
- Secret societies

⇢Summary

We are not the cogs. We are the cog makers. And this machine runs because of us.

Asher Auden is a biology prodigy whose work led to an economic boom for his rural hometown but has left him feeling isolated and alone. Callendra Saint is an introvert and the town’s most prolific, yet reluctant, animal trapper. The two are presented with an opportunity of a lifetime when they are accepted into a prestigious university at the heart of the nation’s capital. As they adjust to new surroundings, Callie embraces her independence while Asher’s gifts land him the social acceptance he’s long desired.
But, they aren’t the only new arrivals.

A gas-masked terrorist has begun plaguing the city, poisoning its leaders, and sowing political discord. Equipped with the prowess to develop an antidote, Asher sets out to protect his new friends while enlisting the support of Callie, the only person he can trust. In doing so, he unknowingly ensnares them both in a covert investigation, an ancient society’s conspiracies, and the ambitions of a deadly menace.

A Machine Divine is a young adult steampunk fantasy that explores whether the value of acceptance is worth its cost.

⇢My thoughts

I really enjoyed this novel! First of all, I was ecstatic when I realized that this was a book within the steampunk fantasy genre, because the steampunk subgenre is something that I really enjoy, but don’t see nearly enough of. MORE STEAMPUNK PLEASE! (Also, go read this novel if it’s a genre that you’d like to explore!)

As for the characters, CALLIE!!! I loved her personality, and definitely found her the most relatable. I wish we got more of her perspective!

Next, the world building. Remember how I said I love steampunk fantasy? I also write for fun, and I was once considering writing something in this genre, but ultimately shelved that project because of the complexity of the world building. Creating a steampunk world is no easy feat! But the author accomplished it so well in this book. The world was complex but understandable, and it didn’t take me too long to be able to learn all of the terms and places in the book. (And the map definitely helped haha.)

Overall, I think that this book was as unique as it was because of the author’s unique lens in areas like science, spirituality, etc. Go check out the author’s full bio, but I definitely think his prior knowledge made this book seem more… authentic?

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

my carrd ❦