Title: Gearbreakers
Creator: Zoe Hana Mikuta
Genres: Science fiction
Pages: 416
Publisher: Feiwel Friends
Review copy: Purchased
Availability: Available now!
Summary: Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other–in Zoe Hana Mikuta’s high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu’s Legend series.
We went past praying to deities and started to build them instead... The shadow of Godolia’s tyrannical rule is spreading, aided by their giant mechanized weapons known as Windups. War and oppression are everyday constants for the people of the Badlands, who live under the thumb of their cruel Godolia overlords.
Eris Shindanai is a Gearbreaker, a brash young rebel who specializes in taking down Windups from the inside. When one of her missions goes awry and she finds herself in a Godolia prison, Eris meets Sona Steelcrest, a cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot. At first Eris sees Sona as her mortal enemy, but Sona has a secret: She has intentionally infiltrated the Windup program to destroy Godolia from within. As the clock ticks down to their deadliest mission yet, a direct attack to end Godolia’s reign once and for all, Eris and Sona grow closer–as comrades, friends, and perhaps something more… [Cover and summary via Goodreads]
Review: Between Gearbreakers and Iron Widow, it’s been a pretty great year for mecha YA. Gearbreakers has definitely been on my radar for a while. I was on board with the premise, plus the queer romance, and of course, the cover is just amazing. If you haven’t read the summary and checked out the cover (just scroll up!), do that ASAP and you’ll see what I mean.
Gearbreakers follows two protagonists, Eris Shindanai and Sona Steelcrest, who are on opposing sides of Godolia’s war. Sona belongs to a group of elite pilots who control weapons called Windups, while Eris is a rebel leader fighting to destroy the Windups that have wrought so much destruction. When their paths cross, the two discover they might have more in common than they thought as they seek to take down Godolia in their own ways.
When you pick up Gearbreakers, settle in for the long haul — you won’t want to put it down. It’s a thrill ride from start to finish, with gorgeously vivid writing and enough dramatic tension to keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole read. I loved getting to see Eris and Sona’s relationship develop over the course of the story. Gearbreakers is everything advertised, and more.
If you’re looking for some thrilling mecha YA, then Gearbreakers is an absolute must-read. I’m really excited by the crop of new YA science fiction coming out, and I can’t wait for the sequel to Gearbreakers!
Recommendation: Buy it now!