Metal from Heaven

A YA author (author of The Scapegracers as H.A. Clarke) steps into adult literature with this bombastic, ambitious novel. Set in a fantasy empire that takes inspiration from the desperate work conditions of the early industrial revolution, the book follows Marney, an orphan cast into the world after the violent suppression of her working-class family. Marney must learn to survive by allying herself with a band of outlaws, all while mastering her “luster-touched” magic—a mysterious side effect from her labor in the factories; it is equal parts curse and gift. The action scenes burst off the page, and the romance will set every heart aflutter, thanks to Clarke’s excellent sense for evocative language. Vico Ortiz’s narration is outstanding. Listeners will be invested in Marney from the first sentence, thanks to Ortiz’s perfectly tailored voice, and each subsequent character is injected with life and depth of their own. From despondent and hollow-voiced depression to soaring passions of love and anger, Ortiz adds even more to Clarke’s richly described world.