Book Review: Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine

Title: Of Metal and Wishes Series: Of Metal and Wishes #1 Author: Sarah Fine Published: August 3, 2014 by Simon & Schusters  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis:There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.  Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her... for a very long time.  As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront 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. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her... and she might go down with it.

For some reason when I first learned about this book, the fact that it's a Phantom of the Opera retelling passed my attention. Had I known that, I may have pushed it up on my TBR. I'm a fan of the original work, the novel by Gaston Leroux, as well as the musical adaptation. Sarah Fine was able to take inspiration from the original and crafted a unique and gritty reimagining.

One of the things that I found really creative about Of Metal and Wishes is the world that the author was able to create. For one thing, this is a hard book to categorize. Some might call it fantasy, but to me it reads more like dystopia. Sarah Fine has been able to create a complex world with an undercurrent of prejudice and threats of revolution in the factory that is serving as a microcosm of the larger world. I wouldn't call it political intrigue but it has those kinds of elements that you see so often in dystopian novels. It also had some steampunk elements and machinery courtesy of the Ghost which I really liked. In general, I felt like the writing was really descriptive and I could perfectly imagine the larger world as well as the specific world of the slaughterhouse. That's right friends, this book takes place in a slaughterhouse and there are some bloody moments.

The plot of the book is complicated but compulsively readable. You see, there's a lot going on here. In addition to the elements of revolution with the world building, which I liked and added an undercurrent of drama to the book, it also has most of the elements of the original Phantom of the Opera story. It's not a shot for shot retelling but the references are there and you can see how that was the basis for this story. We of course have our mysterious phantom helping people through less than savory methods sometimes. The part with the Ghost was really interesting. Learning about his story and his use of steampunk technology was fantastic. That was the part for me with the thrilling action and a few gruesome moments along the way. And these two different stories did mostly blend together but sometimes it felt a little incohesive. Everything really built to a thrilling conclusion and was well-paced despite a few bumps. I just devoured this book needing to know what was going to happen next

Another element of the book that further complicated the plot was the romance, which was also inspired by the original story. If you are unfamiliar with the romance in The Phantom of the Opera (do those people exist?) it is a love triangle that works. And what I liked about the romance here is that Sarah Fine perfectly captures my feelings on that love triangle. This may be an unpopular opinion but I never found the Phantom a viable choice. He's a creepy stalker and a kidnapper. In Of Metal and Wishes, all the romantic qualities of him are removed and we can spend most of our time getting behind the other guy. And boy wasn't that a treat. This was the kind of romance that really grew on me and that was so fantastic and refreshing for me (you know how I feel about romance). It was a slowburn and it was a star-crossed, we shouldn't be together kind of romance.

And maybe the romance worked because I loved these characters. Fine is able to create a complex cast full of secrets and mystery and still achieves an empathy for many of them even when their wishes are contradictory to someone else you like. You can't help but feel for all these characters and want to see them achieve their goals of acceptance and independence even when their methods of achieving them aren't quite positive. Wen was a great main character with so much compassion, intelligence, and a feisty attitude that made her easy to get behind. And the Ghost was also really fascinating. Dark and diabolical at times but really interesting and sympathetic. He had some great character development throughout the book, development on par with the original Phantom. But he wasn't the only character that elicited that feeling of displeasure. In fact he was one of the more likable ones on the spectrum. So many characters were completely odious which made it even easier to root for the protagonist.

On the whole, Of Metal and Wishes was an engaging and thrilling retelling that fans of the original story will love and people looking for a gritty book about the struggle for acceptance will enjoy as well. It had a fascinating world, a thrilling plot, and a great romance.

I give Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. A great book whether you are familiar with the original or not. It's got a descriptive and interesting world and thrilling plot that reads like dystopia and great characters with a fantastic romance. If you're looking for a gritty and complex read pick this up.

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Have you read Of Metal and Wishes? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!