"There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.
Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.
As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it."
Of Metal and Wishes is steampunk. I'm not sure which country it is in, but it is definitely somewhere in Asia. Probably Japan. Or China. Most likely, China. I don't know which ethnicity the Noor is, but I can easily tell they are foreigners. Or something.
Anyway, let's focus on the story, the book.
First of all, Wen is a great character. Although she is a bit dramatic sometimes. There are some parts that are cheesy (though I'll explain a bit more in the next paragraphs), but she is really good and has a lot of common sense. Her instincts are usually on point. However, I wish she noticed the signs earlier. Then again, all her life she has only been studying medical texts. And some people don't always recognize the signs of an insane person/(possibly) abusive person.
Melik is a better character. He is much more understandable than Wen or the Ghost (oh, I can't say anything because of spoilers, but I will analyze him as a character...). Out of the three main characters, I'll say that Melik is the easiest to empathize with. However, there are some parts about him that are a bit... Unusual (and I'm using the term very nicely). He is apparently a leader. Now, I'm just going to point out that most leaders are old, because they are wiser or more knowledgeable in events. So it is a bit weird that we have a seventeen year old (or older) guy leading a group of people.
Then again, he actually understands Wen's people's language unlike his people, so... I guess it is a bit more plausible, yet still a bit... questionable in the matter of reality.
Okay. I'll stop being so realistic.
The Ghost shouldn't even be considered a love interest. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of spoilers (so you might want to skip this paragraph). The Ghost has all the signs towards an abusive guy, and he views Wen like a possession. And it is downright creepy. If there is a redemption path to him (and there might not be), then it is going to be a much interesting path for him to go down. But he has a long way to go. Mostly, because he killed like 3+ people in the entire book. And possibly murdered a few more. And he attempted murder... Oh. It is hard to keep track.
The beginning is totally cheesy. I mean, the first chapter made my eyes roll. Wen being compared to a bright light... Oh, my gosh. I just wanted to slam my head on my computer. It was just too cheesy to my eyes!
Overall, Of Metal and Wishes is an awesome steampunk. It remains interesting and exciting. However, the author could do a bit more in exploring the world of Of Metal and Wishes. But there is a lot of potential for this series.
Rating: Four out of Five
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