Metal from heaven A confession at the end

H. A. Clarke, 1997-

Book - 2024

"He who controls ichorite controls the world. A malleable metal more durable than steel, ichorite is a toxic natural resource fueling national growth, and ambitious industrialist Yann Chauncey helms production of this miraculous ore. Working his foundry is an underclass of destitute workers, struggling to get better wages and proper medical treatment for those exposed to ichorite's debilitating effects since birth. One of those luster-touched victims, the child worker Marney Honeycutt, is picketing with her family and best friend when a bloody tragedy unfolds. Chauncey's strikebreakers open fire. Only Marney survives. A decade later, as Yann Chauncey searches for a suitable political marriage for his ward, Marney sees the per...fect opportunity for revenge. With the help of radical bandits and their stolen wealth, she must masquerade as an aristocrat to win over the calculating Gossamer Chauncey and kill the man who slaughtered her family and friends. But she is not the only suitor after Lady Gossamer's hand, leading her to play twisted elitist games of intrigue. And Marney's luster-touched connection to the mysterious resource and its foundry might put her in grave danger - or save her from it." --

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Subjects
Genres
Lesbian fiction
LGBTQ+ fiction
Fantasy fiction
Novels
LGBTQ+ fantasy fiction
Lesbian fantasy fiction
Published
New York : Erewhon, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp 2024.
Language
English
Main Author
H. A. Clarke, 1997- (author)
Edition
First Erewhon hardcover printing
Physical Description
429 pages ; 22 cm
ISBN
9781645660989
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Marney Honeycutt's family and everyone she knows are gunned down for having the temerity to demand better working conditions. She stumbles onto a train and is rescued from whatever terrible fate awaits orphans in this grim, industrial world by a gang of dashing robbers--whom she in turn rescues with her own strange, "luster-touched" ability. She is raised by the inhabitants of the Fingerbluffs, a haven created when the servants of its hereditary owner rose up and took his place. She becomes the Whip Spider, known for manipulating ichorite, the strange metal that drives industry and has become increasingly indispensable. Marney can be forgiven for being something of an unreliable narrator, having been thrown quite young into a life of crime motivated primarily by the drive for revenge. Eventually, she will have her opening: the man who ordered her family's murder has an heiress who needs a suitor. More sex than romance, plenty of adventure, and a significant exploration of industrial-labor issues--this is certainly a thrill ride, and fans of Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth (2019) will particularly appreciate the snappy roughness of Marney's narrative voice.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

YA author Clarke (the Scapegracers trilogy, written as H.A. Clarke) makes their adult debut with a slick and sexy queer fantasy western. Ignavia City is on the cusp of industrial revolution and roiling with discontent. When Marney Honeycutt's family and childhood sweetheart are murdered in a strikebreak, she swears revenge on Yann Chauncey, the foundry owner who ordered the massacre. Fleeing the city, she falls into the hands of the Highwayman's Choir, a troop of bandit revolutionaries fighting to bring about the Hereafter: a golden future with no work, wages, or poverty. Thanks to in-utero exposure to ichorite, the toxic, eerie metal on which Yann Industry's fortune was built, Marney can control the metal and perceive memories of how it's been worked but suffers debilitating fits if she touches it. The Choir give Marney shelter, family, and identity, but don't hesitate to use her powers to further their cause. Together they hatch a plot that hinges on Marney seducing Gossamer Chauncey, Yann's daughter. Clarke delivers a masterful and tragic exploration of the intersections of violence, faith, sexuality, and power, perfect for readers of challenging political fantasy in the vein of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Tyrant Philosophers series. Lyrical prose, meticulous worldbuilding, and steamy lesbian sex scenes make this a surefire hit. (Oct.)

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