Wrench is still reeling from her battle with Plum and an Old God keen to rip their world apart. Her struggle to banish the Old God back to its own dimension has gained her kudos and quiet respect among many, but it has taken her magic.

Bot, her giant mechanoid commanding officer, partner in battle (and friend), is applying the pressure for her to perform her Brasswitch and Magical duties in their unit named Thirteen. She has been practising and trying to rebuild her magic back up, but little has changed.

She is feeling a liability in their campaign to find Plum and his team of aberations/remarkables, fearing she is putting Thirteen in danger every time her magic fails. She is also hiding something from Bot and the others about the battle with Plum. This guilty secret, her inability to do magic, and her need to find out why her parents died when she was a child, is tearing at her inside.

A new member of Thirteen may just have the answer for Wrench, even if she does feel threatened by her presence. As if that isn’t enough to deal with, Flemington is still a thorn in their side, doing everything he can to discredit Bot and his team. This leads to questions, then inquests into their past actions, taking Thirteen away from their mission to find Plum.

Plum however is determined to bring devastation to humans and Regulators like Thirteen, for the constant, age-old persecution of aberrations and remarkables like him.

The battle between good and evil never lets up in this 2nd part of this series. No matter what Wrench has done to prove herself and stand up for Remarkables, prejudice is still rife, especially among the ranks higher than Bot and his officers.

Wrench’s inner struggles are strengthened by the loss of her magic, and she wonders if she will ever get it back. Regardless, she is determined to fight her old friend Plum and his team of terrifying monster aberrations. Little does she know, she will soon face the ultimate price.

These internal battles made me feel further for Wrench when all she wants is to do the right thing. Indecision on who is the right side arises again, but her friends Octavia and Bot help her with this.

The banter between Wrench and Bot made me laugh out loud throughout the book, lightening the turmoil enveloping Wrench. This 2nd book in the series has just as much battle action, creepy monsters, and mind bending gadgetry that would make James Bond envious, as the first (Brasswitch and Bot).

Again, the writing is rich with imagery, simile and description. You’ll learn more new words too.

Author – Gareth Ward

Age – 10+

Read more reviews for Gareth Ward’s Books here (Click on the Covers)

(2021, Walker Books, Series, Action, Friendship, Prejudice, Steampunk, Monsters, Good and Evil, Fantasy, NZ Author, Award winning author, Kiwi Reads, Wardini, Tension, Humour, Sarcasm, Gadgets, Revenge, Murder, Secret)