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4.0
The Only Way Out Is Up
ByPublisher Description
A small-time scrapper and his pet robot will fight their way out of the junk-heap in a tournament that will either make them richer than gods or rip them apart in the first book of Django Wexler’s lightning paced progression fantasy adventure for fans of Cradle and Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Taj has always fought. He's fought for survival from the gangs, for enough scrap metal and sigils to pay for his next meal, and to keep his robot Star a secret. You see, most robots are useful but dumb. Only as smart as the instructions you can yell at them across a room during a battle. But Star is something Star thinks (he's a bit of a smart-ass, to be honest), and he seems to have a unique psychic connection to Taj.
So far, they've managed to make enough money to get by and stay under the radar, but when Taj gambles big and loses, he's got to do something desperate to get back on his feet... like enter the most dangerous bot-fighting competition in the entire world. The Ascent isn't just some rinky-dink competition. Every level they ascend, the bots get bigger, badder, and deadlier, Taj's ability to build better bodies for Star and outwit his opponents is challenged, and Star's secret is at greater risk of being revealed.
Taj has always fought. He's fought for survival from the gangs, for enough scrap metal and sigils to pay for his next meal, and to keep his robot Star a secret. You see, most robots are useful but dumb. Only as smart as the instructions you can yell at them across a room during a battle. But Star is something Star thinks (he's a bit of a smart-ass, to be honest), and he seems to have a unique psychic connection to Taj.
So far, they've managed to make enough money to get by and stay under the radar, but when Taj gambles big and loses, he's got to do something desperate to get back on his feet... like enter the most dangerous bot-fighting competition in the entire world. The Ascent isn't just some rinky-dink competition. Every level they ascend, the bots get bigger, badder, and deadlier, Taj's ability to build better bodies for Star and outwit his opponents is challenged, and Star's secret is at greater risk of being revealed.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Only Way Out Is Up Reviews
4.0
“My first Django Wexler book did not disappoint! I do see DCC fans really enjoying this! High-stake tournaments, an underdog storyline, and a funny and smart robot companion. It was so easy to get into!
I really enjoyed the world building. We get junkyard survival, mysterious sigils, and intense robot battles. With each challenge, we get a sense of advancement (kinda like “leveling up”), make the pacing feel pretty fast, making it almost impossible to put down.
Taj is your underdog protagonist and he is so easy to root for. His bond with Star is the heart of this book. I loved watching their bond strengthen with back and forth jokes and statements of wisdom, while facing many unknowns.
While the action is a strong suit, I also really appreciated how we explore social class and economic inequality. This is such a huge theme we follow here. Wexler does an amazing job showing both hope and desperation of the competitors, along with Taj. It adds weight to the story and doesn’t taint our or Taj’s adventure. Nor does it overshadow the humor/light hearted parts.
My only wish is to explore more of this world. I assume the world will be expanded for us in the next book to come. Especially with the way that this ended! I’m so curious to see where Taj and Star’s journey goes from here!
Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this arc!”
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