ARC Review: Of Dreams and Rust by Sarah Fine

Title: Of Dreams and Rust Series: Of Metal and Wishes #2 Author: Sarah Fine Published: August 4, 2015 by Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster)  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: War erupts in this bittersweet sequel to Of Metal and Wishes, inspired by The Phantom of the Opera and called “relentlessly engrossing” by The Romantic Times.  In the year since the collapse of the slaughterhouse where Wen worked as her father’s medical assistant, she’s held all her secrets close. She works in the clinic at the weapons factory and sneaks away to nurse Bo, once the Ghost, now a boy determined to transform himself into a living machine. Their strange, fragile friendship soothes some of the ache of missing Melik, the strong-willed Noor who walked away from Wen all those months ago—but it can’t quell her fears for him.  The Noor are waging a rebellion in the west. When she overhears plans to crush Melik’s people with the powerful war machines created at the factory, Wen makes the painful decision to leave behind all she has known—including Bo—to warn them. But the farther she journeys into the warzone, the more confusing things become. A year of brutality seems to have changed Melik, and Wen has a decision to make about him and his people: How much is she willing to sacrifice to save them from complete annihilation?

**** This is the second book in a series and may contain spoilers for book 1. If you haven't read Of Metal and Wishes, read that first (let me persuade you), and then come back. ****

When I started reading Of Metal and Wishes a few weeks ago, I was talking to Britt, my bookish soul sister about how much I was enjoying it because I knew she was also planning to read it soon. She very sweetly offered to share her ARC with me of book 2 (thanks so much Britt) and when I did finally finish Of Metal and Wishes, I was so glad to be able to devour the next book in this series. And while Of Dreams and Rust was a very different book it was still fantastic.

If you are unfamiliar with Of Metal and Wishes (I told you NOT to read this review), it is a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, a classic that I am a big fan of. I loved Sarah Fine's retelling of the original and found her spin to be creative but stay true to the source material. I was really interested to see where she would take things, I mean there is no Phantom of the Opera 2 (I pretend the sequel to the musical doesn't exist). But in this case, the author was able to craft something totally unique and it was honestly just as captivating. Subtle elements from the first book all combined to make a different and unique plot. The synopsis informs us that we are at war here, and that always leads to really action-packed scenes but add the steampunk elements as well and you get the trapping of a really complex and interesting plot.

And the world of this series became just as important to the plot development. In the first book, everything took place within the confines of the slaughterhouse, which made for a really interesting setting and here we are able to explore the larger world. To me, this series reads mostly like dystopia because it's a world where oppression leads to rebellion. Here, a lot of the focus is on the prejudices and misunderstandings. Wen leaves the world that she knows and travels to where the Noor are from. While she is there she learns all about their customs which seem so different from her own. It takes a while for her to get accustomed to them but that made for an added conflict within the book. I really liked learning about this different culture and seeing Wen out of her comfort zone.

The fact that Wen had to learn about the world and adapt to a culture very different from her own also made the romance in this book more enjoyable, despite a few things that I didn't totally love. Things really heated up in this book for Wen and Melik, and they escalated quickly. While I definitely ship it and I understand the reason behind why things moved so fast, I did find myself thinking it seemed a little too serious a little too quickly. But I loved the fact that while the love triangle elements were there, it still never felt like a serious triangle and I further loved the fact that it was the "we shouldn't be together because we are so different" kind of romance. They even had moments where they wondered if they were just too different which was really refreshing and there were a lot of really great facets to this relationship which in the end made me really appreciate it.

And all these under-arching themes of prejudice and cultures who misunderstand each other coming together added to some really interesting character development. In particular I really enjoyed all the main characters here. Wen is a fantastic heroine and so easy to root for. She is strong-willed, determined, and always puts other people's needs before her own. She assumes the best in people and is so kind. This sometimes gets her into trouble of course as she puts herself at risk, but I respected her for that. Bo, who is our Phantom, wasn't quite so mysterious but is just as odious and sympathetic. He had great character development which once again reminded me of the ending of The Phantom of the Opera. And then there is Melik. He made such a great impression on me with this book. He does not have things easy but he is strong and dedicated to those he loves. All the characters that Sarah created here are as complex and interesting as the rest of the book.

This series is a duology but I really don't want it to end. I kind of feel like things haven't really been wrapped up plot wise. It's not that I need it all to be in a neat and tidy bow but there just felt like there are some loose ends here and there really wasn't much of a resolution for me. But that may have been because it took a little bit more to get into this one and when it was all over it felt a little abrupt. I think I would have liked about 100 more pages to resolve some of the story of this is the end of the series. But if I'm being completely honest, I don't want it to end. I'm not ready to say goodbye to this world or these characters and that is the mark of a good book.

I give Of Dreams and Ruse by Sarah Fine 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you were a fan of the first book then you definitely need to get your hands on this one too. It's a great continuation of the series and despite being really different, takes you on just as interesting a ride. This series is a fantastic dystopianeque steampunk story which has a perfect balance between character-driven and plot-driven.

Read This If You Liked 
Of Metal and Wishes by Sarah Fine
The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkowski
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

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

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.

Read This If You Liked

The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkowski

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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!