Ren Unkno, orphaned mechanic from the Outskirtz of the great Meticity, finds his life—and possibly the world—dramatically altered by a series of apparently random encounters and the revelation of his destiny. But will the powers-that-be manage to squash the changes he hopes to bring to their carefully engineered world?
Ren Unkno’s name makes it clear where he stands in the post-climate-change world of carefully designed Meticities and their rowdy Outskirtz: on the outside, an orphan abandoned by parents he never knew, and who gets by on his talents as a mechanic in a shop in the Outskirtz. But when a chance encounter with a Paladin fighter and a racer gives him the opportunity of his dreams, and a rescued droid claims him as a long-lost master, his life is turned upside down. Ren is brought into the buzzing realm of the Meticity, where quality of life depends on social credit. There, a tragic accident and a kidnapping lead him to figure out who he truly is and what he must do (for the good of the Meticities and all of humanity)—but can he achieve his goals without being suppressed by the powers-that-be?
The final answer is left for a future book, as L.K. Wintur’s THE ENGINEER’S MECHANIC ends on something of a cliffhanger, but the story has been started with a rousing and energetic launch. From the whirl of the racetrack to the sweetness of a sung lament, the story is vivid with human emotion and alive with energy. The background context of this post-apocalyptic world is richly developed and revealed naturally to the reader without excessive backstory, immersing readers immediately in a believable and engrossing civilization with a history and culture all its own. Characters are richly developed and their motivations clear from their backgrounds and personalities—from the rough but kindly Outskirtz mechanic (who serves as a father figure to Ren) to a racer driven by both delight in speed and the desire to redesign his world to a disgruntled but brilliant woman left to complete the work of her late husband (with which she does not entirely agree). There’s a bit of a “Chosen One” trope here, but with some interesting twists—so it will be fun to see how that develops in future books.
Throughout the novel’s action, chance encounters, which only seem random on the surface, drive the story in ways that twist and turn the plot in wild new directions without stretching the reader’s suspension of disbelief. At the end, the reader is left with just enough resolution to want more—making THE ENGINEER’S MECHANIC a very promising start to a compelling story.
A promising beginning to a new series, L.K. Wintur’s THE ENGINEER’S MECHANIC is an action-packed adventure set up in a well-crafted future world with engaging characters and an intriguing premise.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader