Tool of War

Starred review from August 7, 2017
Bacigalupi’s intense and violent follow-up to Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities finds Tool—a powerful “augment” made from animal and human DNA—finally in control of the Drowned Cities (the onetime District of Columbia) after years of battle. Before he can take in his victory, he’s attacked by a missile strike and barely survives. He makes his way to the small ship that belongs to Mahlia, who—along with former soldier boy Ocho and his crew—is running her own operation, smuggling art and other artifacts out of the Drowned Cities. Meanwhile, Tool’s creator, General Caroa, is determined to end his existence—after all, Tool has found a way to overcome his programming, and he answers to no master. Bacigalupi’s environmentally ravaged world remains both richly described and terrifying, his characters diverse and complex. Through Tool, he explores free will and the consequences of humans playing at being gods. Not unlike the previous books, this amounts to a bloody, brutal race to survive, and is well worth the wait. Ages 15–up. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary.

Starred review from August 1, 2017

Gr 10 Up-The third entry in his award-winning dystopian series, following Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities, tells the story of Tool the "augment," a genetically engineered "half-man" made up of a cocktail of genetic material-human, dog, tiger. Augments are designed to be the ultimate killing machines while remaining fiercely loyal to his creators. However, once Tool discovers that he can suppress his submissive instincts, he rebels against his creators and splinters off from his augment pack to lead an army of soldier boys-human child soldiers-to capture the Drowned Cities. Tool's creators find him and wipe out his army, which forces him back into hiding. With the help of a new pack-a band of teen merchant sailors-and old allies, Tool resumes his desrtructive mission. Bacigalupi proves once again that he is a master of world-building; the world he created in the previous two books is just as desolate, violent, and intriguing in this installment. The tension-from the time Tool's creators rain fire down upon him in the Drowned Cities, to when Tool finally comes face-to-face with the man who built him-is relentless throughout the narrative, and the lack of primary character development (perhaps a result of expecting readers to have plowed through the first two books) allows for the introduction and development of supporting characters, such as Jones, a junior analyst and young prodigy for Mercier Corporation who is helping track Tool down. The amount of violence and bloodshed makes this more suitable for an older audience. VERDICT A strong, entertaining continuation of Bacigalupi's postapocalyptic series; teens will be hoping for future installments. Hand to those who devoured the first two books.-Tyler Hixson, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2017
Bacigalupi returns to probe his brutal, post-apocalyptic American landscape and darkly provocative characters in this third installment of the series begun in Ship Breaker (2010) and continued in The Drowned Cities (2012). Following the pattern of existential fracture found in its predecessors' narratives, this latest novel further explores the consequences of war and corruption with a focus on the DNA-spliced "augment" called Tool. Tool (also called Blood, Blade, and Karta-Kul the Slaughter-Bringer) is a finely honed weapon, bred for massacre, survival, and loyalty. But after breaking free of his conditioned servitude, Tool represents a serious threat to his former masters, who attack with everything available in their considerable arsenal to destroy him lest they be forced to face the terrifying question of what happens when a weapon turns on its creators. For Tool was uniquely designed for more than just the tactical strategy and lethal bloodlust of most augments--he has a power that, now unleashed, could spell the end for a violently factionalized, inhumanly cruel humanity. Told in third person, the novel alternates among the perspectives of several new as well as familiar characters, none of whom shy away from the constant gore and near-paralyzing moral complexities of their war-torn existence. After playing fascinating, catalyzing roles the first two books, Tool is at center stage at last as readers move through Bacigalupi's exploration of the intricate relationships connecting hunter and prey, master and enslaved, human and monster. Masterful. (Dystopian. 14-adult)

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August 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Five years after The Drowned Cities (2012), Bacigalupi returns to his award-winning Ship Breaker series. This opens with a rare moment of peace in the Drowned Cities. Moments later, Havoc missiles rain down death on Tool and his young army, turning humans and city into ash. The Mercier Corporation and General Carora have finally located the DNA-enhanced Tool and are desperate to annihilate their renegade augment. The action is nonstop as Tool is marched through a series of brutal battles, meeting main characters from the earlier books along the way. The number of plot conveniences and narrow escapes is almost as high as the body count as Tool seeks revenge on his corporate makers. The central issue of Tool's humanity is burdened by plot contradictions that overwhelm character development, and the searing passion of the earlier books seems missing. Still, Bacigalupi's action scenes are brilliantly cinematic, powering the pacing with breathtaking superhero stunts. Tool, as ever, is a character impossible to forget, and all loose ends are tied up in an epilogue.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)