Review – Of Metal and Wishes (Of Metal and Wishes, Book 1) by Sarah Fine (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Length: 336 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: August 5, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1442483583
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Of Metal and Wishes series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic, housed in a slaughterhouse staffed by the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor. Wen often hears the whisper of a ghost in the slaughterhouse, a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. And after one of the Noor humiliates Wen, the ghost grants an impulsive wish of hers—brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including the outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the ghost. As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen is torn between her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. Will she determine whom to trust before the factory explodes, taking her down with it?”
This is the first book in the Of Metal and Wishes duology. I really ended up enjoying this steampunk YA book about a girl who lives in a factory with her father (who is a the factory doctor). This is based on The Phantom of the Opera and it does a great job of paralleling that story while introducing a unique world and characters.
The story does start out a bit rough; the writing was a bit stark and simple for me. However, as I progressed through the story I found myself incredibly engaged with this world, the characters, and the story. I would have liked to see more of the broader world and maybe a bit more world-building because we never really leave the factory area. Hopefully the next book will show some of this.
Overall this was a good read and I enjoyed it. I would recommend to those who enjoy steampunk mystery reads. This is a lighter read but does combine some interesting themes. I plan on continuing the series.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
