The Augmentors

This book sounded like something I would enjoy. I was not disappointed. An us vs them, man vs machine, science vs nature tale woven with intrigue and grey areas, it lived up the steampunk description.

But don't let that dissuade you from reading it if steampunk often feels to “science-y” for you. The author did a great job of describing scenes, items, and contraptions without detailing the science behind them. A gun is a gun, we don't need to know how a plasma gun works to know what happens when it's fired. In fact, not knowing the science is part of the plot – how does this new locomotive like thing work?

She also did a great job giving the setting a Victorian / Gilded Age feel without being a historical novel – which again is a key element of steampunk.

The story is also timely. As the question of AI is all over the news, this book questions the morality of augmenting humans with mechanical parts. Sure, we already do some of that with prosthetic limbs, but this takes it a step further, implying primitive robotic technologies and their autonomy.

All the logistics aside, it was also a fun read. The characters were relatable – both the good and the bad. The politics of the conflict were easy to follow, quickly explained from the start and elaborated as the story progressed, including the grey areas and personal conflicts. The cast of characters was socioeconomically diverse but limited in quantity – which is a good thing, there weren't a gazillion people to confuse while reading.

The only thing that caught my attention was the women's “sleeves” - a type of physical branding mentioned repeatedly in the beginning as an important part of a socialite's upbringing. They were hardly mentioned later in the book. Insignificant detail to note, but there it is. For all I know, there will be more about them in any possible sequels.