Smoke and Iron

Once again, Rachel Caine has raised the stakes and further developed this fascinating world. This book played with multiple POVs, a change from prior books in the series necessary because of where the characters wound up. Caine handled this phenomenally, giving us further insight into every character and also into the structures of the Great Library, the Iron Tower, and even smuggler communities. Getting to see the inner workings of these places really broadened the already fantastic world building. Major events occur in this one with equally major consequences, and you truly feel not only for the people directly involved, but you worry for the citizens of Alexandria as well.

Plus, that new automata design... hot diggity damn. This is really shaping up to be a favorite series for me.