What I liked most about this book is that beneath all the dystopian chaos and mecha mayhem, it’s really a story about choice. Who gets to decide what you are? How much should your past define you? And what happens when you finally get the freedom to decide for yourself?

I went into this expecting a sci-fi adventure, and it delivered exactly that. But I loved how much heart was tucked underneath all the chaos. The themes of personhood, autonomy, purpose, responsibility, and identity ended up being what stayed with me most.

The story does such an interesting job of questioning whether we are defined by what we were created or expected to be, or by what we choose once we have the freedom to make those choices for ourselves. I especially loved watching those ideas unfold through the relationships between the characters. The found family aspect gave all of those bigger philosophical questions something really emotional underneath them.

The flashbacks worked really well for me too. They gradually piece together how this world became what it is, showing how climate disasters, pandemics, political instability, misinformation, displacement, corruption, and greed can compound until everything starts to fracture. And honestly, some of it felt way too familiar.

I also really loved the dry humor throughout. There were so many moments where things were objectively horrifying and someone would respond with the most casually deadpan observation imaginable. 😂 It gave the story breathing room without taking away from the seriousness of what was happening.

My biggest complaint is the ending. I can see why it ended the way it did, and I don’t necessarily think it needed some huge, drawn-out finale. I just wanted a little more. After so much setup, I wanted the payoff to feel a bit more proportional to everything the story had been building toward. It worked, but I was left wanting, more.

Still, I really loved the characters, the questions this book left me sitting with, and the unexpected tenderness at the center of it all. And apparently I have developed strong attachments to a certain extremely opinionated dog and a wonderful 7 foot ex war-mech.