Books, Boots and Bakeries

A woman I work with recommended this to me, shamefully, weeks ago. Between uni and work I just hadn’t had time to pick it up. But this last weekend I had a six hour drive to Sydney ahead of me and, with my hubby driving, I finally had it booked. Get it? Booked?

Metal Slinger is chaos in book form. It’s a romantasy that throws you straight into a world of magic, danger and political mess with barely a map to guide you. At the centre is our male lead…the actual metal slinger, who can bend and control metal like it’s an extension of himself. The world treats him like both a weapon and a threat, which should be the perfect setup for the kind of morally grey leading man I adore.

And yet, I wasn’t in love. He had the grit, the skill, the tortured backstory, but not enough of that delicious edge where you can’t quite tell if you should root for him or run from him. I like my leading men dark, messy and unpredictable. He had moments of it, but never fully tipped over into the “I’d follow you into danger even though I know better” territory. I think I needed more grit.

The FMC though? I liked her a lot. She’s sharp, stubborn and refuses to play the role people expect of her. She’s not just there to orbit his story, she’s got her own agency, her own fights, and her own dangerous streak. I’d happily follow her into a sequel just to see what she does when the world stops underestimating her.

I also loved the side characters. They added colour and texture to the story, the kind that makes you think they’ve got whole lives and adventures happening just out of sight. The magic lore was another highlight. It was creative, layered and with enough mystery to keep me hooked. I just wish I’d had more of it. More world building, more history, more insight into how it all fits together. The hints were there, but I wanted the full feast instead of just the entrée.

The romance simmers in the background, sparking between battles, betrayals and political power plays. It’s more slow-burn tension than sweeping declarations, which I actually don’t mind. It keeps you watching for those little moments where they drop the armour and let something real slip through.

And then we get to that ending. What the actual hell. It’s the kind of ending that makes you flip back a few pages to check you didn’t miss something, and then sit there staring at the wall wondering if you’ve just been set up for emotional destruction in the next book. I’m going to be sitting with it for a while.

As of yesterday, part two of this duology now has a release date: 19 May 2026. Which means I’ve got a long, impatient wait ahead. And honestly? I’m not sure I’m okay with the sneak peek that came in my ebook version. If that’s any indication of where we’re going, I might need to start bracing myself now. Super early emotional support chocolate anyone?

Naturally I’ve now recommended Metal Slinger to a girlfriend because someone else needs to sit in this emotional purgatory with me. If I’m going down, I’m not going down alone.