On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks to Zoe Hana Mikuta all about her debut book, and it’s a good one, the YA sci-fi fantasy Gearbreakers which is being described as “Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they’re fighting for a common purpose–and falling for each other–perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu’s Legend series.”
Here’s the summary…
We went past praying to deities and started to build them instead…
The shadow of Godolia’s tyrannical rule is spreading, aided by their giant mechanized weapons known as Windups. War and oppression are everyday constants for the people of the Badlands, who live under the thumb of their cruel Godolia overlords.
Eris Shindanai is a Gearbreaker, a brash young rebel who specializes in taking down Windups from the inside. When one of her missions goes awry and she finds herself in a Godolia prison, Eris meets Sona Steelcrest, a cybernetically enhanced Windup pilot. At first Eris sees Sona as her mortal enemy, but Sona has a secret: She has intentionally infiltrated the Windup program to destroy Godolia from within.
As the clock ticks down to their deadliest mission yet, a direct attack to end Godolia’s reign once and for all, Eris and Sona grow closer–as comrades, friends, and perhaps something more…
Gearbreakers has a ton of heart, some real-world messaging that we should all appreciate, a pair of lead characters you’re not likely to forget, and more beautiful mecha action than you can shake a stick at. It really is an auspicious debut for Zoe and we’re going to be reading her books for many years to come. You’d be right to think Gearbreakers is a covered in grease and oil, bit of action storytelling, that’s certainly a part of it, but Zoe is wise beyond her years and goes much deeper than that, “Just pretty things suffocating hard truths. I have long learned to be cautious of pretty things. Of beauty, of the grace of Gods formed from steel and wire…”
Steve and Zoe talk about the cinematic appeal of the book, all those mechas, found family and first meetings, Gearbreakers of course, and much, much more.
Gearbreakers is out now, click HERE to order a copy today!
About the Author:
Zoe Hana Mikuta currently attends the University of Washington in Seattle, studying English with a creative writing focus. She grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where she developed a deep love of Muay Thai kickboxing and nurtured a slow and steady infatuation for fictional worlds. When she is not writing, Zoe can be found embroidering runes onto her jean pockets, studying tarot or herbology, or curled up with a cup of caramel coffee and a good, bloody but heartwarming book.
