DNF AT 20%

I loved the idea of this book, and the fact that the two MCs are musicians is original and interesting. I also loved the setting, I wasn't expecting to find myself in some futuristic version of places that I know, and this is always a small pleasure on its own. But the writing didn't really work for me here.
I was intrigued, then bored out of my mind, then intrigued again, but then my interest was nowhere to be found. It was tiring so I just decided to let this one go.
The idea is great and I wanted to know more of what was happening, that's true, but it was just too much work for me and I was not in the right mood for it. The rollercoaster with my interest is not a thing I appreciated.
But I still recommend you give this one a try, because if the writing works for you I think you'll be in for a real threat!

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

The blurb for this book sounded FANTASTIC, and spoke to me on two main levels...I love sci-fi, and I love music - and I love sci-fi books, and I love books with music in them. I was excited to receive this eARC, and granted, the writing is charming and vivid (if sometimes a little overwhelming), and the non-binary co-protagonist a breath of fresh air. But after giving it 100 pages (out of 440), I finally had to admit that this book might not be a good fit for me. I expected something different, maybe more along the lines of a band of redeemed Cybermen forming an alliance with humans to save Earth from their own kind - and while I commend White for their original approach to space mechas, the latter's...um...connection to August made me queasy (despite my consuming a lot of horror - but a certain brand of body horror is hard for me). I also realised that I wasn't forming a strong emotional bond with the characters, and I wasn't crazy about their budding relationship starting to take center stage (which I probably should have expected, because hello? space opera?). So I decided to call it quits, but that doesn't have anything to do with lack of quality. This book has a number of raving reviews for a reason (or, well, more than one), even I can see that. So check them out if you think August Kitko can be your jam...

This is something close to an LGBT Transformers film directed by Edgar Wright. August Kitko and the Mechas from Space is great fun, filled with preening musicians who play power chords and bust out wailing solos that can actually determine the fate of the world. Truth be told, White does struggle to maintain the energy level as things go on; the opening set-piece, which sees dreaded giant mechs from space crashing down in a future (but still fabulously glitzy) version of Monaco sets the stage in spectacular fashion. It's almost as if the band have opened up with that one song you thought you'd have to wait all night to hear.

There's still plenty to enjoy as the story progresses though, with a "Getting the band together" sub-plot that's particularly entertaining, and more lore than you might expect for a book with such a knowingly (and wonderfully) goofy title. Its romantic elements are also very engaging, and you really care about the characters. August - or Gus as he's generally known - really gets put through the wringer, and it's very easy to get invested in his journey.

All in all, August Kitko and the Mechas from Space is exactly what I hoped it would be from its premise - widescreen, technicolour fun that'll leave you grinning from ear to ear. I await the soundtrack CD eagerly.

"August Kitko and the Mechas from Space" by Alex White is a fun and action-packed middle-grade novel that will delight young readers with its engaging characters and exciting plot. The story follows August, a young inventor who, with the help of his friends, builds a giant robot to defend Earth from an alien invasion.

White's writing is engaging and fast-paced, with plenty of humor and heart. The characters are relatable and likable, with August's ingenuity and determination making him a compelling protagonist.

The novel also does an excellent job of exploring themes such as teamwork, friendship, and the power of imagination. The robot battles and action sequences are thrilling and well-written, and the world-building is imaginative and well-crafted.

Overall, "August Kitko and the Mechas from Space" is a fantastic read for young readers who love science fiction and action-packed adventure. White's writing is accessible and entertaining, and the novel is sure to capture the imagination of its target audience. The book is also a great introduction to the genre for younger readers, and will leave them eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series. I highly recommend "August Kitko and the Mechas from Space" to any young reader looking for a fun and exciting sci-fi adventure.

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White has giant mechas from space that are arriving on Earth to destroy everything they can see,  August has met someone he loves, and has also found that he can get into a mecha and control it, somehow.  Maybe its not the end of the world, after all!

A world ending story with giant mechas being the cause is a little different!  I liked the story line with an LGBTQ+ positive couple.

This is an adventure book with fast packing and jeopardy around every corner!

If you enjoy Gundam anime or transformers, then I recommend you give this a try!

August Kitko and the Mechas from Space was published on 12th July 2022, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Alex White on Instagram.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book Group.

Really loved this book!

I love a space opera at the best of times but this story with queer characters, giant robots is next level!

So much fun to read and really interesting protagonists!

3.5 stars/5 stars

It is fun and a new way of sci-fi that involves musicians and mechas. It is a colorful and quirky read!

I do enjoy parts wherein that battle involves playing instruments haha. It is unique and entertaining.

August Kitko & The Mechas From Space begins the day before the apocalypse. The remainder of humankind are resigned to their fate and have gathered for one last party before the AI Vanguards arrive and continue their stampede of galactic destruction. August Kitko is an unassuming jazz musician who's just in town for the party, and then adventure finds him...

This is a pretty wild journey of a book. It's chaotic and vibrant, and a lot of fun. I thought the world building was fantastic. The author has created a diverse and distinctive universe, one that's brimming with energy and definitely waiting for more stories to be explored.

It's by no means a slow start to the book, but it did personally take me a little while to warm up to. However, by the time I was a third of the way through, I was invested and interested in seeing where the story would go.

I also loved seeing a non-binary character that just is. There's no big coming-out plot or space given to negative reactions or wider discussions about gender. They're accepted and celebrated for who they are. Wonderful stuff!

AKATMFS is an epic, cinematic space showdown where queers save the world. What's not to love?! I'll be picking up the second installment for sure. Recommended for fans of space operas, mechas and queer stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I need to disclaim that I did not finish this book as I stopped reading at chapter three. The rating is a reflection of the writing style combined with my personal taste.
The vibe of this book was giving me Scott pilgrim vs the world, that kitschy, vibrant, comic book style. I would also liken it to Borderlands. I am a fan of both of those pieces of media however, for some reason I just was not gelling with that vibe in this format. I also found the writing style felt a little stunted and didn’t flow in a way that I liked.

I think there are plenty of people out there who will enjoy this book, but unfortunately this one was just not to my taste.

A veil drawn across the galaxy. Long established colonies disappearing one by one in the darkness. What little is known comes from grainy images of death and destruction and then..... nothing. Now the Vanguards are coming for Earth.

In the luxurious palaces of Monoca, August Kitko should have been playing at the victory party celebrating Earth's defeat of the Vanguards. But now it's an End-of-the-World party and the Vanguards are here. It might be time for one last jam.

This was a strange book for me. Look, all reviews are subjective and what is one person's jam is another's marmite. Although this is possibly the most space opera of all space opera (literally) and there are giant robots fighting, it took me a while to relax into this book. Being about as musical as a mollusc, I found the heavy use of musical notation and theory was enough to throw me off several times. Instead, I would skim reading sections that got a bit notational heavy. However, if you are interested in musical theory and how they relate to giant automatons, you are in for a treat. Another issue was the relationship between Kitko and Ardent Violet. I guess the potential end of the world and the associated events would make things a bit different but it seems that their relationship went from nothing to can't-live-without-each-other in the space of a few days. This also dictated their actions, which didn't always fit with their personality types, particularly Ardents. Except it might, if you get into a deep psychoanalysis of their psyche. But that would be another book.

A few negatives aside, I did start to enjoy this about a third of the way through. It is beautifully written, with some exquisite prose; "These are gods and they speak with infinite choirs" being one of my favourites. The Vanguards are well detailed, with some super weapons (Massive robots in space! How much more space opera can you get?!?). The various fight scenes are fast paced and breath-taking, with August seemingly getting the raw end of the deal on various occasions. It's nicely set up for the next book, with the Falchion developments possibly being a point of interest. It took a while but I did enjoy it in the end.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

The world is ending. That's what Gus (August) Kitko knows. He gets to spend his last days in a virtual palace in Monaco and when the Vanguards touch down he thinks 'this is it.' But he's not willing to go down without playing the best show of his life. Only instead of killing Gus, the Mecha saves him, encasing him in his 'suit' and performing a mind meld like technique linking Gus not only to the Vanguard, to but to an unlimited font of human knowledge. It seems like some of the Vanguards are turning against their creators and Gus has been dragged into a battle he is ill prepared for. Along side his, hopefully, romantic partner Ardent Violet, Gus travels light years to protect his planet, and if he survives this, he's going to have to play one hell of a concert.

The story is told from the alternating POV's of Gus and Ardent Violet. Gus is an absolute fantastic hero. He's just like me and you, normal. So when he gets saved by a traitorous Vanguard and told that he is Earth's only hope, he's a little shocked to say the least. But if he is one thing it's resilient, determined, strong.... even if he doesn't realise it. He's witty, and a little broken in side, but this just makes him the perfect person for the job, someone who knows loss, who was prepared to die but has now been given a new chance, maybe not for himself, but for humanity. Ardent Violet didn't think that an end of world affair would end with their partner being roped into a galactic war with robots, but if there's one thing Ardent knows it's how to handle the spotlight. They are fierce and unbending, even in the face of multiple government agencies who want Gus to do what they say, not to stray from the line. They know what they have to do to help save humanity and, even though it's terrifying, can't let Gus do it alone. Neither character is perfect, Gus is extremely melodramatic and Arden loves the spotlight a little too much, but when push comes to shove, they are the perfect people who save humanity as a whole.

Now for the Robot's. White describes every single Vanguard in detail, giving them all names, weapons... reasons we should fear them. It's easy to see why humanity was ready to give up when you realise how some of these Vanguards are made, and because of the descriptions we get some pretty epic battle scenes. Whether in Space or on land White's battles are epic in proportion and I loved how the traitor Vanguards had to use the 'pilots' to access the wealth of knowledge inside them, from master martial artists to film fight scenes, our characters used this knowledge to fight the Vanguards and try to save earth.

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book, the few reviews I'd read had said it was quirky and it definitely was, but it was also filled with so much heart, something I didn't expect. Greymalkin gave me big Optimus Prime vibes, someone breaking from their fellow Vanguards to protect humanity, with other Vanguards not being quite as 'friendly' to their pilots. The choice to start the story at what would usually be the end, the end of the world, humanity, was incredibly well done, it added a whole boat load more emotions to the story and made what Gus and the rest of the traitorous Vanguards were doing even more important. White's use of music as a language, a communication device was incredibly well done and, as someone who loves their music, I loved the scenes where this was put to use. You can see they have a deep love for music of all kinds, and I especially loved the scene where all our Vanguard pilots came together to try and make something together, despite their cultural and musical differences.

If you like your stories a little quirky, filled with action and plenty of heart then look no further. This story isn't going to be for everyone. It's fast, a little crazy in parts, intense from the first page and a story that just never quite lets up. White did a terrific job of keeping the pace and intensity, whilst still giving us some slower moments to grow to know and love their characters. The ending was brilliant, and I'm incredibly excited to see where the story will go in book two.

I wanted to love it, it appeared to have everything I love - a bombastic storyline, interesting characters, MECHAS!

But I just...didn't like it. I couldn't connect with Ardent's point of view and I just couldn't get into the story. No one is more disappointed about it than me because I was so excited to read it :(

Review not posted anywhere else.

Book Review: August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White
4 Stars

I was provided an e-ARC on Netgalley by Orbit in return for an honest review.

Recommend if you like: Gundam or basically all mechas, good LGBTQIA+ representation or a sci-fi romance blend
Not recommended if you dislike: Love on first sight, soft Sci-Fi or apocalyptic settings

August Kitko is a brilliant jazz pianist, but he has two problems; the new love of his life Ardent Violet isn't talking to him and giant robots are about to destroy the world. Using his music he communicates with these robots and reconnects Ardent. This starts a wild ride through the universe, filled with Mecha, Music and a bid to rescue the remaining human race.

This blend of music and mechanics is an amazing concept, masterfully used by Alex White to make humans and machines interact on a common ground. The Mechas gave me very nostalgic flashbacks to the Gundam Wing series I used to watch as child. Also the fight scenes are *chef's kiss* good. I really felt like I was there during an amazingly written space battle between the giant Mecha's. It was all very cinematic.

Kitko himself is what you would expect a brilliant but awkward musician, this works especially well because his lover is the extravagant Ardent. They complement each other extremely well. I also love the way Ardent is represented as gender neutral, by the author. From his descriptions they sound like the most unique person you will ever meet.

My biggest annoyance in the book is the love at first sight romance aspect. The book takes place in about 2 months, but within seconds the main characters cannot live without each other. Although if you love this trope and the star-crossed lovers trope, this book is certainly for you!

All in all I'm really curious too read the second book, which is coming out in 2023 already! I would also like to thank the publisher and author for making me able to review this!

When Gus helps save the Earth (at least temporarily) alongside an unlikely ally, he unwittingly becomes an instrumental part of the government's plan to beat the aliens. Now, he is stuck in the middle of the galactic war, trying to save humanity and appease their allies. To make matters more complicated Gus has fallen for Ardent Violet, a narcissistic pop star, and trying to date in the middle of the apocalypse is proving to be a challenge...

I've been going back and forth what to rate this book. I liked the end-of-the-world, giant robot fights set-up, but I didn't like that it was drowned out by the fluffy, superficial tone, too light, out of place banter and romance focused on an infantile, egocentric character... Normally, I love a sarcastic, witty tone (think T Kingfisher or John Scalzi), but I felt it was out of balance in this book. There was a great chance to comment on government sacrificing lives to save the majority, on how loss and grief affect us, how we deal with the knowledge that the world is about to end.. But instead we got a few watered-down glimpses, overshadowed by Ardent's egocentric remarks... I'm disappointed

I didn't love this and I think it comes down to Alex White's writing just not being for me. This sounded amazing and right up my alley and whilst I did enjoy it well enough, it didn't woah me. I felt the same about A Big Ship at the End of the Universe. I kept losing interest in the chapters and struggled to focus.

The plot is fascinating and the cast of characters seemed very cool, the rep in this is also great. It is, though, very much a Space Opera. A lot of books marketed as Space Operas, just aren't. This one most definitely is, which is a big plus for it.

This is definitely an interesting read with a lot to offer. It just wasn't it for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

When a bunch of giant mechs have been destroying the colonies out there in space and are coming for you, what would you do?

Turns out that sometimes the correct answer is very simply; play music. Turns out that if you can keep up with a mech's song, you might be able to help them fight for the world. And when multiple musicians manage to establish this form of communication with a mech, the world might even survive its, well, invasion by those evil mechs. .

In my usual methods of not spoiling anything, here's what this book has:
-the actual most space Opera of space Operas
-a fascinating form of symbiosis
-dual POVs
-Male X Genderqueer romance
-a clear love for both mechs and music of different genres

This book made me laugh out loud, I messaged my friend multiple quotes, and I desperately wait for its sequel. The only question I have, aside from "how dare you end on a cliffhanger" is "why would you use the word folx".

CW: suicidal ideation, drug use, violence (obviously), anxiety, probably more but these are the ones I specifically picked up.

People might, rightfully, compare this book to Evangelion, I personally feel that is a very superficial comparison, but on the other hand, this book says "Mechas" on the title, and granted, the gigantic robots (don't call them that) from space are hard to ignore.
But for me this book felt far more like The Fifth Element. Futuristic, but not in a clean post-armageddon renaissance of humanity such as Star Trek (and this said as a devoted trekkie), but more as a neon gritty cynical humans in Space sort of way. Still, this book has that almost naïve wonder in the face of saving humanity, that for all that we can be such rubbish, we can create beautiful things, that reminds me more to Leeloo deciding love is worth saving.

The story starts in media res, my favourite. We are at a party for the end of the world and we see things through August Kitko, a pianist virtuoso who is spending his last night of life alone because he was a snob to this, decidedly fantastic, joyfriend Ardent Violet, a super mega pop star.

Gus and Ardent are not only the main characters and the two POV of the story, but also contrapoints that balance each other out. Where Gus is introvert, Ardent shames extrovert as a word that is not doing enough for them. Were Gus is a musicians musician, Ardent is loved across the galaxy. Where Gus doubts, Ardent's certainty burns with the passion of a thousand super novas.
Where Gus has given up, Ardent is unstoppable.
This balancing the two characters out makes the book truly great, because both by themselves could easily become overwhelming. And they make each other greater, more than the sum of their parts.
This is another thing I love about this book, it gives love (of partners, friends, family, fans, etc) its rightful due. In a world coming to a rather horrendous end, the book is in earnest about love being the only thing making people do anything.

The world-building is just amazing, the work put in in understanding and explaining music, and musicians, communion in music, it is beautiful. There are several jam sessions quite literally from out of this world, making maybe this book the one to take "Space opera" far more literally than other sci fi.

The story moves across worlds, we meet other traitor Vanguards and their conduits (read the book) and we come to understand better what happened here, and also have a satisfying end to the first act. This book does not exactly end in a cliffhanger, but it is not far from the cliff's edge either. However, I am looking forward to seeing Gus and Ardent again.

A fabulous sci-fi adventure with giant robots from space and a villain that highlights the worst side of humanity. Our lead character is Gus; a jazz pianist who meets and falls in love with rockstar Ardent at an end of the world party. However, instead of playing out earth’s final moments, he is swept up by one of the robots who understands his music on a deeper level.
I loved the premise of music saving the universe, and the different musicians we meet are so diverse and yet they work together to create a song that will defeat evil. I also really enjoyed the love story between Gus and Ardent, it was wonderfully wholesome.
This was fast paced and really entertaining.