A review by caelin
Metal from Heaven by August Clarke

4.0

Metal from Heaven was a very interesting read. I normally go into books that are compared to Gideon the Ninth with a grain of salt, but I think fans of Gideon will like this thanks to the sheer amount of lesbians. I don't know where the Princess Bride comparison comes from, I don't think it fits with any of the themes. I knew August Clarke wouldn't disappoint me since I've read the whole Scapegracers trilogy by them and loved it. I really liked the characters, and as someone who enjoys reading about political machinations and scheming in my fiction, this was pretty good. I felt like it took a while to get to the actual meat of the book and about 30-40% was set-up, but after that the book had me in its grasp. I also didn't totally understand everything going on with the ichorite, but I don't think you're meant to. It's fantasy plastic with weird powers. The fact that the main character is a butch lesbian is another thing I really appreciate, and she wasn't the only one. It's nice to be able to see myself in books. I'm only giving it four stars because I don't think it's going to stick in my brain or leave as much of a lasting impact as other books I've read, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it!