Amy 
science fiction, young adult, action/suspense, post-apocalyptic
Paolo Bacigalupi is back! I had not even realized a third novel in the series was in the works and, then, there it was! I like this series that is brutal and scary and makes me think. This is more of an actual sequel (and continuation of the story arcs) for the first two books in the series whereas the second book (The Drowned Cities) was less of a sequel/continuation and more of a new story set in the same future world as the first one (Ship Breaker). Tool of War fit well with the base stories established by the first two to make a true trilogy.
In this installment, the war is over and Tool (a genetically altered half-man) has led his troops to victory in the Drowned Cities. However, Tool’s past has caught up with him and he must fight for his life while chasing after those trying to destroy him. Coincidentally, he meets up with Mahlia, the girl around whom The Drowned Cities centered, and Nailer and Nita, from Ship Breaker. These coincidences were too convenient but I enjoyed the reunion with the characters so much that it didn’t bother me a lot. Tool has been the one constant —the only character appearing in all three novels. However, this novel features Tool as the main character instead of a secondary character. It was a nice way to grab my interest immediately.
Bacigalupi’s writing in this one is wonderful. He continues to be descriptive and violent while forcing the reader to think about how the characters got into this situation. In this one, we did not have to face, so directly, the consequences of global warming and technological advances that have caused more harm than good to human life. However, the environmental undercurrents set up in the first novels of the trilogy still existed in this setting. This novel was more about the characters than the harsh future. And that is probably why I liked it so much. Bacigalupi did not have to spend as much time painting a picture of society, the Earth’s condition, and the cities themselves. Although, I will say that the only slow sections of the novel were those where Tool was ruminating to himself for long periods of time. They dragged. They could have been cut by 50% and this reader still would have understood Tool’s motivations sufficiently. Stop the monologuing! :D
Seriously, this is a great read and it makes me want to go back and recommend this series to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic fiction, action, and a fast pace.
I listened to the audio book and was pleasantly surprised that Sunil Malhotra was the narrator. He also narrated the male sections in Eleanor & Park (Rainbow Rowell) and he’s fantastic! He exhibits a great variety of voices and is an amazing voice actor. He earns an A+ for this one!
In this installment, the war is over and Tool (a genetically altered half-man) has led his troops to victory in the Drowned Cities. However, Tool’s past has caught up with him and he must fight for his life while chasing after those trying to destroy him. Coincidentally, he meets up with Mahlia, the girl around whom The Drowned Cities centered, and Nailer and Nita, from Ship Breaker. These coincidences were too convenient but I enjoyed the reunion with the characters so much that it didn’t bother me a lot. Tool has been the one constant —the only character appearing in all three novels. However, this novel features Tool as the main character instead of a secondary character. It was a nice way to grab my interest immediately.
Bacigalupi’s writing in this one is wonderful. He continues to be descriptive and violent while forcing the reader to think about how the characters got into this situation. In this one, we did not have to face, so directly, the consequences of global warming and technological advances that have caused more harm than good to human life. However, the environmental undercurrents set up in the first novels of the trilogy still existed in this setting. This novel was more about the characters than the harsh future. And that is probably why I liked it so much. Bacigalupi did not have to spend as much time painting a picture of society, the Earth’s condition, and the cities themselves. Although, I will say that the only slow sections of the novel were those where Tool was ruminating to himself for long periods of time. They dragged. They could have been cut by 50% and this reader still would have understood Tool’s motivations sufficiently. Stop the monologuing! :D
Seriously, this is a great read and it makes me want to go back and recommend this series to anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic fiction, action, and a fast pace.
I listened to the audio book and was pleasantly surprised that Sunil Malhotra was the narrator. He also narrated the male sections in Eleanor & Park (Rainbow Rowell) and he’s fantastic! He exhibits a great variety of voices and is an amazing voice actor. He earns an A+ for this one!
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