Also in this series: The Death Edge Series: The Metalwood Saga #1
on July 8, 2025
Pages: 432
Find the Author: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
Reading Challenges: 2026 Audiobook Challenge, All booksHer crew betrayed her. Her magic broke her. Her city isn’t ready for her return.
In the flying city of Newfris, where the elite soar above the clouds and the forgotten toil beneath the streets, Phoenix is more than just a killer—she’s a survivor. As a killgirl for Her Majesty’s Navy, she’s mastered the deadly art of forcefinding, creating powerful energy bubbles that can trap—or obliterate—anyone in her way. But when a mission goes horribly wrong, Phoenix finds herself cast out, hunted by enemies, and betrayed by those she trusted most.
Now, with only a ragtag crew of misfits by her side, Phoenix must navigate a treacherous underworld of magic, machines, and buried secrets. As she faces off against the ruthless Planners, deadly assassins, and the demons of her past, Phoenix will discover the true cost of power—and what it really means to be free.
Get ready for a pulse-pounding ride through the skies and shadows of Newfris, where loyalty is a lie, love is a weapon, and survival is the only rule that matters.
If you love the brutal, magic-fueled underworlds of Red Rising and the electric, high-speed anarchy of Akudama Drive, this sci-fantasy thriller will have you racing through its pages.
Review:
Listening to The Metal Wood (Audiobook) — Thoughts From the Trenches
I picked up the audiobook of The Metal Wood by Jeremy Thomas Fuller on a whim, mostly because I was in the mood for something loud, fast, and unapologetically intense. And honestly? That’s precisely what it delivered.
This is not a “sip tea and gently ponder the prose” kind of book. This is a strap-in, things are exploding, the city is flying, and everyone is a little unhinged kind of book.
The world hooked me first. A floating city. A brutal class divide. Magic that feels more like volatile energy than sparkly wish fulfillment. I love when a story drops you into the middle of chaos and expects you to keep up, and The Metal Wood absolutely does that. At times, I felt disoriented—but in a way that made sense for the world and its characters.
Phoenix, the main character, is… a lot. She’s sharp-edged, angry, reckless, and clearly carrying way more damage than she knows what to do with. I didn’t always like her, but I was almost always interested in her, which honestly matters more to me. She feels dangerous to herself, and everyone around her, and that tension kept pulling me forward.
Audiobook-wise, the narration really sells the intensity. The emotional moments land harder when you hear them out loud, and the action scenes move fast without feeling muddy. This is the kind of audiobook that makes chores go by too quickly because suddenly you’re standing in your kitchen thinking, wait—what just happened??
That said, the pacing is relentless. Sometimes I wanted the story to… breathe for a second. Some moments could’ve hit deeper with a little more space, and a few character beats that felt rushed past in favor of the next big move. Also, some descriptive choices pulled me out of the story now and then—not enough to stop listening, but enough to notice.
Still, when I look back on the experience as a whole, what sticks with me is the energy. The ambition. The feeling that this world is dangerous and messy, and not trying to be tidy for the reader. It feels like the opening act to something much bigger, and I finished the audiobook feeling wired instead of tired, which, for me, is usually a good sign.
Would I recommend it? Yeah—especially if you like gritty sci-fi fantasy, morally gray leads, and stories that don’t slow down to hold your hand. If you want subtle, quiet character studies, this probably isn’t your book. But if you want momentum, tension, and a world that feels like it might crack apart at any moment? Hit play.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
