I received a copy from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Eliza’s abusive parents throw her out, she decides that it’s time for her and her best friend to finally get out of the slums. She and Jules just have to pose as foreign nobles and compete in the naval competition with prizes worth the risk of trapping themselves on a ship with their teammates. It’s how they find themselves on the Belladonna where they make enemies, find romance, and quickly discover that this competition doesn’t care who makes it out alive.
We follow Eliza and Jules through their rotating POVs as they work their way toward the front of the competition that asks them to face death at the hands of their rivals. They face racism at every turn in a world inspired by different points in history that you will quickly recognize. This story heavily deals with racism, diaspora, verbal and physical abuse, parental death, and deportation.
I loved Eliza and Jules in this medium paced steampunk historical fantasy. I also found Eliza’s smithy abilities interesting, so I’m interested in learning more about the magic system all together. The challenges were kind of all over the place whenever they were actively solving a riddle or building something, which kept taking me out of the story. Otherwise, it was an excellent read that was often character driven, which I really enjoyed. While I love my fast-paced books, I always really enjoy reading character driven stories. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next, especially after that cliffhanger.
