Fall of the Iron Gods - (The Mechanists) by Olivia Chadha (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The sequel to Rise of the Red Hand, a searing portrayal of the future of climate change in South Asia. After inflicting a devastating blow on the autocratic provincial government, Ashiva, Synch, and their remaining allies must take on the planetary government, which wants the Red Hand exterminated."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

The compelling conclusion to the Colorado Book Award winning Rise of the Red Hand, perfect for fans of Marie Lu and Zoe Hana Mikuta's Gearbreakers.

The sequel to Rise of the Red Hand, a searing portrayal of the future of climate change in South Asia. After inflicting a devastating blow on the autocratic provincial government, Ashiva, Synch, and their remaining allies must infiltrate the planetary government before it can exterminate the Red Hand and everything they stand for.

Despite hard-won victories, the revolutionary forces known as the Red Hand are more endangered than ever: the Planetary Alliance Commission--the PAC--has branded them public enemy number one, ramping up their efforts to eliminate the Red Hand's remaining members even as the pandemic rages on.

In order to protect the progress they have made, the team must adopt new tactics. Ashiva, armed with a new bionic upgrade, leads a team back into the fray on a dangerous mission across a toxic wasteland wracked by storms. Synch sets out to fortify their hidden Himalayan stronghold, but his presence may hurt their cause more than the Red Hand knows. And Taru, determined to prove herself, punches deep into the heart of governmental research facilities in a desperate gamble to bring down the regime from the inside.

Greedy and unyielding, the PAC is all too willing to sacrifice the people of a province to achieve their optimal results, leaving Ashiva, Synch, and Taru to save their homeland from a government claiming to act for the greater planetary good.

Review Quotes

Praise for Rise of the Red Hand

"Steeped in elements from real-life South Asian cultures, the worldbuilding is original and intriguing, incorporating dystopian and utopian elements along with current hot issues such as societal inequities, digital surveillance, and technology's impact on humanity. . . . [A] strong and intricate story." --Kirkus Reviews

"Olivia Chadha's heartfelt, adroit, brisk and thoughtful debut novel proves that everything old is new again. . . . Rise of the Red Hand proves itself willing to shatter daringly all its initial assumptions and verities, putting its cast through life-altering fires, in order to create new forms of beauty and hope and possible salvation." --Locus Magazine

"Rise of the Red Hand mixes the best of cyberpunk and anime with a tale of family and revolution to create something completely unique--intimate yet action-packed, touching yet thrilling. Olivia Chadha delivers as much action as she does heart, all with a healthy dose of mecha. It kicks ass." --Mike Chen, author of Here & Now and Then

"A captivating sci-fi debut that masterfully weaves in commentary on climate change, technology, and class inequality. Rise of the Red Hand delivers on its promise of an action-packed story of rebellion and resistance, and you'll be rooting for the badass revolutionary hero, Ashiva--a girl with teeth, and a metal fist." --Farah Naz Rishi, author of I Hope You Get This Message

"An exhilarating and relevant story that gives voice to those often unheard and sticks with you long after that last page." --Alechia Dow, author of The Sound of Stars

"Innovative, smartly written, and harrowingly relevant." --Julia Ember, author of The Seafarer's Kiss

"It's everything I want in a cyberpunk story: devastating political and existential stakes, a surging pace, and profoundly rad cybernetics." --H. A. Clarke, author of The Scapegracers

"This is speculative fiction as we rarely see it--with the global south speaking up in a powerful and compellingly imagined near future. Rise of the Red Hand explores the most urgent issues of our time, the soullessness of technology and the gap between rich and poor, with non-stop action propelled by a sharp young cast. More brilliant speculative fiction like this, please!" --Ausma Zehanat Khan, author of The Bloodprint

"Fun, exciting, thoughtful, and very hard to put down. If you're looking for a story about resistance and family set against a world that blends the best of cyberpunk and anime, this book is for you." --Mary Kenney, author of Gamer Girls

About the Author

Olivia Chadha writes novels and comic books for MG, YA and adult audiences. She has a PhD in literature and creative writing, and her research centers on the history of exile, precarious borders and boundaries, global folklore, and the relationship between humans, machines and the environment. Balance of Fragile Things is her debut adult literary novel. Rise of the Red Hand, her YA debut, was awarded the Colorado Book Award for Young Adult Literature. She is a contributor to the YA folk horror anthology The Gathering Dark, the desi anthology Magic Has No Borders, and STAR WARS anthology Return of the Jedi: From A Certain Point of View. When not writing she's searching for butterflies on a hike in Colorado. She can be found at www.oliviachadha.com.