Thursday, August 13, 2015

Review: Of Dreams and Rust

OF DREAMS AND RUST
Of Metal and Wishes #2
Sarah Fine
Young Adult
288 pages
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
n 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?


MY THOUGHTS
Of Dreams and Rust is a stunning sequel, moving us out of the dirt, grime and politics of the slaughterhouse and out into a world we didn't get to experience at all in the first book. The taste of freedom we get in this story only has us turning the pages faster, eager for details about the escalating war between the Itanyi and the Noor, and thirsty for knowledge about a people of whom we only got a select sampling in Of Metal and Wishes. Suddenly what was a world of walls and blood is now vast and brutal, but death is as prevalent out in the open as it was amidst steel and machinery.

Wen, despite hearing nothing from Melik in over a year, is determined to warn him of the changing tide of the war, setting off on her own to save as many lives as she can. What she finds is not the clear cut battle of good vs. evil she expected, and Ms. Fine does a beautifully horrifying job of showing how war can make monsters of anyone, with mercy being a luxury neither side can afford. Though the new light cast on the Noor shakes the foundations of everything Wen learned of them in the first book, she takes the blow with a grace that's undoubtedly a rarity on the field of battle, continuing her quest to save human beings without separating them into Itanyi and Noor.

She keeps her feelings for Melik tight to her chest even when it's revealed that not everything she felt for him a year ago was the lie she initially thought, keeping our hearts in our throats as the tension between them remains at an all-time high throughout. As Ms. Fine has proven in previous books, she rarely pulls her punches, and though we desperately want everyone in this tale to miraculously dance their way out of death's reach, we're painfully reminded that life–even in fiction–is rarely fair. 

We're not left only with tears and heartache by the time we reach the last page however, instead our time with Wen and Melik comes to a close with a hopeful look toward the future, the fond memories of those we lost along the way a comfort in the grief of their passing. Ms. Fine never fails to write emotionally rich and romantic stories, delighting with layered and complex characters who slide easily under our skin and take up shop, refusing to budge no matter how many books we read after we close the back cover.

Rating: 4.5/5

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This book was  sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

25 comments:

  1. I do want to try this series...one day

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    1. I hope you're able to get to it, I've loved everything Sarah has written:)

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  2. I have 5 Sarah Fine books but only very recently read my first one (Sanctum) and loved it. I have the first book to this and look forward to reading it. I'm finally on the Fine train! :D

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    1. SANCTUM WAS SO GOOD CHRISTY!!! Welcome to the Fine train:)

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  3. I have the first book and I'm so ashamed to say that I haven't read it yet! The romance sounds so angsty--definitely my cup of tea. ;) Awesome review, Jenny! So glad the second was as awesome as the first. ^_^

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    1. The romance has plenty of drama in that it's got a forbidden quality to it, but it's not the frustrating, unnecessary type of angst:)

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  4. Oh Jenny, this sounds really good! I'm trying to get my hands on a copy of Of Metal and Wishes as this series is one that I think I would enjoy and Sarah Fine's writing.
    Lovely review as always :)

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    1. I so enjoyed this series Kim! Sarah Fine has yet to disappoint:)

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  5. Jenny, I'm so happy to see that you enjoyed this one as much as I did. I loved this book and yes to everything you said about it. The romance especially was so beautiful, but it also HURT so much. I loved it! One of those deaths in the end was very painful, but I also thought it was realistic. Still. I wanted to cry!
    Lovely review, Jenny! :)

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    1. NICK!!! Melik was stomping all over my heart in this one. And Bo. BO! So good:)

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  6. The first book wasn't my cup of tea, unfortunately, so I'm not really all that gung-ho about reading the sequel. I'm glad it was just as amazing for you, Jenny!

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    1. That's too bad Joy, but it definitely was not a story for everyone:)

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  7. I'm so glad to see you enjoyed this one, Jenny! I've heard that there are faint traces of a love triangle in this, which worries me, but I'm glad to see that the romance between Wen and Melik is nevertheless a solid aspect of this novel. Fantastic review, as always, dear!(:

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    1. No worries on the love triangle front Keertana, she loves Bo for sure, but it feels more to me like she feels a certain sense of responsibility for him, it's not the same romantic love she feels for Melik:)

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  8. So glad you liked it! Sounds like a heartbreaking story.

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  9. I'm just starting this today Jenny and I'm so excited!!! Beautiful review!

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    1. YAY!!! I can't wait to see what you think Ali!

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  10. I haven't been able to fit this in but it's on my pile and your review has me anxious to read it! I'm excited to see more of this world.

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    1. I loved getting a whole different look at this world Candace. My one complaint with the first book was I didn't get a sense of the world outside of the slaughterhouse, but that was remedied in this one!!

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  11. Oh this sounds so good! I just recommended the first book to our library and now I know I'll have to recommend this one as well. I've been wanting to read more books with complex characters and I'm so glad we have one here. Adding this one to my wishlist!

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    1. I can't recommend this series enough Melissa! I love Sarah Fine:)

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  12. I really want to listen to this series. I love her adult urban fantasy series

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  13. After absolutely loving her Servants of Fate trilogy I'm ready for more Sarah Fine books and I think this duology is next!
    Great review Jenny!

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  14. I haven't read the first book in this series yet but it is a series I have on my TBR and really want to start! It sounds like the sequel is just as good as the first book, which can be hard to find sometimes. So glad you could love it <3

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