Django Wexler's Hard Reboot features giant mech arena battles and intergalactic diplomacy. When did academia get to be so complicated?
Kas is a junior researcher on a fact-finding mission to old Earth. But when a con-artist tricks her into wagering a large sum of money belonging to her university on the outcome of a manned robot arena battle she becomes drawn into the seedy underworld of old Earth politics and state-sponsored battle-droid prizefights.
Is it time to get back to the books, yet?
"Long on mecha action and character development... Though this stands alone, readers would surely welcome further adventures." --Publishers Weekly
"I came for the giant robots and stayed for THE GIANT FREAKIN' ROBOTS TEARING EACH OTHER TO SHREDS. WITH BLADES!" --Sylvain Neuvel
"I can see the speed lines! High octane full-hearted splintered metal entertainment!" --Max Gladstone
"This is exactly the sort of sci-fi we need right now, and Wexler nails it." --Jason Hough
"Pacific Rim meets Thunderdome--the fantastically fun cage-fighting Pacific Rim lesbian romance novel I didn't know I desperately needed in my life--two mechs enter, one mech leaves, and it's FANTASTIC!" --New York Times Bestseller Peter Clines, author of Paradox Bound and Terminu
Praise for Django Wexler:
"Warning: You'll probably be hooked on Wexler's insane 'flintlock fantasy' worldbuilding." --Charlie Jane Anders on "The Penitent Damned"
"A standout.... There's no time like the present to lose oneself in the military and political struggles of the Vordanai Empire." --Fonda Lee on The Shadow Campaigns series
"Ship of Smoke and Steel is a brisk, gritty adventure starring a heroine with genuine agency and power, despite the overwhelming odds stacked against her. The world is sharp and unforgiving, the mysteries are deep, the action is harrowing and triumphant." --Scott Lynch, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora
"A gripping, fast-paced fantasy enrapturing readers until the end... beautifully constructed with tantalizing details that evoke a variety of cultural influences. The characters are well-developed, and diversity--in ethnicity, ability, and sexuality--is abundant." --Kirkus Reviews on Ship of Smoke and Steel
"Wexler... has another engrossing winner on his hands." --Booklist on Ship of Smoke and Steel
"Three cheers for a female protagonist who demonstrates strong leadership skills without losing the prospect of love or friendship." --Kirkus Reviews on The Fall of the Readers
"Wexler is an exceptionally good writer, period." --Foz Meadows on The Shadow Throne