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.

Bacigalupi returns for the third installment in the Shipbreaker series, focusing on Tool, a bioengineered "augment" and his quest for revenge. Sunil Malhotra's gruff, resolute narration is well matched to a dystopia with hardened characters, heavy backstory, and harsh environments. While prior knowledge of the Shipbreaker series may be useful to fully grasp the worlds of Tool's army and his foes, this installment is still vivid and engaging as a stand-alone work. Malhotra's pacing and vehement tone speak to the hardships of battle and bring richness to characters' internal monologues and past experiences. There's a sizable cast in this work, and Malhotra's characterizations give urgency to conflicting opinions and challenging conversations. K.S.B. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine