I have been such a fan of the Tensorate series from The Black Tides of Heaven to The Red Threads of Fortune all the way to The Descent of Monsters. (Killer titles!) So I knew I would basically love this from before I opened the book. Little did I know how much I’d fall into this world.
Summary
Something terrible happened at the Rewar Teng Institute of Experimental Methods. When the Tensorate’s investigators arrived, they found a sea of blood and bones as far as the eye could see. One of the institute’s experiments got loose, and its rage left no survivors. The investigators returned to the capital with few clues and two prisoners: the terrorist leader Sanao Akeha and a companion known only as Rider.
Investigator Chuwan faces a puzzle. What really happened at the institute? What drew the Machinists there? What are her superiors trying to cover up? And why does she feel as if her strange dreams are forcing her down a narrowing path she cannot escape?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
If you haven’t been reading the Tensorate series, this is your reminder to go do so. It’s silkpunk, but it’s also so much more. This book draws you in completely. You have to keep reading it feels like a conspiracy theory meets mystery meets horror. It’s been a while since I read one and two, but this one hooked me in a way that seems to be unique. I had to keep reading because this felt right up my alley. It felt like I was being enfolded into the world. I devoured it.
The Descent of Monsters has it all. There’s emotions, and intrigue and characters. (Also the sibling pull gets me every time). Not just that, but this book asks us about the costs of science. How far is too far? I couldn’t help wondering because there’s this subtle parallel drawn between the experiments. At the same time, our characters ask how we can break this cycle of cover ups?
(Does this feel somewhat timely to anyone else besides me? or is that just wishful thinking) Sometimes we have to break the rules to right the wrongs. We have to take a stand and possibly lose everything to find the truth, give the voiceless a story. Check out The Descent of Monsters on Goodreads.