I really wanted to like this novel because the premise sounded interesting. However, I really struggled with this novel. I could not connect with the characters. The world-building was confusing. The plot was slow moving and hard to follow. Therefore, this novel had great potential. However, it was not executed well.

firstly, I'm so sorry for reviewing this book like a freaking year after I was supposed to. I was super distracted and procrastinated.

now let's get into the review.

I've decided to rate this book 2 stars and not 1/1.5 stars because I didn't think it was problematic. it just really wasn't for me and I couldn't get myself to like anything about it. but it wasn't that horrible. just not that interesting.

firstly, I really disliked the main character. taryn was boring, stuck-up, and, quite frankly- so were all the other characters. it was annoying. if I can't get attached to any of the characters in a book I can't enjoy it.

secondly, the premise and plot weren't really all that. I found them to be quite boring, to be honest. I kept zoning out because I couldn't get invested in anything that was happening. but, who knows. a lot of people seemed to enjoy it.

thirdly, I'm not really into dystopian novels. they're always so serious and I'm all about fun and joy. but I made an exception because this book looked nice. oh well.

lastly, this felt written like a letter in academic writing- and by that I mean instead of it's or they're the author kept saying it is and they are. in a book, that just feels very odd.

once again, sorry for the super late review and I'm glad most people enjoyed this one even if it wasn't for me.

I can honestly say that I have never read anything like this book and my mind is blown. The whole Steam punk sci-fi aspect of this book was so unique and a lot of other sci-fis I've read that I though were "good" before pale in comparison to this book. I thought that the characters were interesting, and multilayered which I absolutely adored. I think that storyline and characters are also super unique and I love the complexity of it all. I think that this is a brilliant start to a series that I will without a doubt be continuing. I adore Tyran and I like Emmet however I hope in the next book there is a little more to him. Overall a great read, and one I totally recommend.

I so wanted to love this book by the description alone but as soon as I picked it up, I couldn’t get into it.

Sedition by E.M. Wright is a welcome addition to the steampunk genre. It had me hooked from the beginning and I truly enjoyed getting to know the characters and the world in which it is set.

This book takes place in an alternative London in the late 19th century. Taryn was pulled from a fire by a man who saved her life by giving her a prosthetic limb made of clockwork. In this world, people with these prostheses are known as biomatons, and are taken to be slaves, no longer seen as human. Taryn has been hiding her clockwork arm out of fear that should anybody discover her secret, she would be torn from the life she has built and worked towards into a life of slavery. After she is essentially kidnapped from her boarding school where she is learning to be a biomechanic, Taryn realizes she is no longer in control of her own life. But Taryn has six years of memories she cannot recall, and her true purpose has been kept hidden from her...until now.

This book was a solid series starter. The world building was excellently done and the characters were flushed out. I was concerned that the author wouldn't explain why biomatons are seen as less than human, besides their outer clockwork appendages, but she does go into detail about why humans do not accept that biomatons are still human. I though that was fascinating. I don't want to reveal more here, for fear of spoiling anything.

I will say this book is not for the weak of heart. Human characters are extremely cruel to Taryn and other biomatons like her, torturing her in order to break her spirit. I do think the book could have used some kind of lightheartedness or comic relief because it gets and then stays heavy. But this heaviness is also important because it forces readers to realize that so many people are not treated fairly. I do understand why the author made those choices, but it was difficult to read in places.

Overall, I'm excited for the next book in the series because I think the author's got big plans for what's next. I can't wait to see what's in store for us.

Content: No swearing or physical romance, but there are scenes of abduction and torture.

In an alternate Victorian era London, people with missing limbs and failing organs can be repaired with clockwork technology. The downside? The law demands that they also be fitted with mind-numbing technology that turns them into subservient automatons, condemned to a life of slavery. After being rescued from a fire as a child and fitted with a clockwork arm, Taryn has successfully avoided discovery, and is living as a human. But when her secret is discovered, she learns that she was created for a special purpose.

This was meh. The basic premise just set me off - why would anyone willingly agree to this? Because the implication is that most people do this on purpose? The writing is somewhat stilted - no one uses contractions, which I think is meant to make the dialogue sound old-timey, but just ends up being odd? Taryn is extremely Mary Sue-ish (multiple people just immediately fall in love with her within hours of meeting her, and she has magic robot fighting powers!) and the surprise! plot twist is screamingly obvious.

Sedition by E.M Wright was an amazing book! I love books set in Victorian England, and the author’s writing felt like I was right there.

Sedition by E.M. Wright is a really good new YA steampunk type novel. The main character Taryn is a girl that has a robotic arm, originally she is going to school, but is soon taken aboard an airship and is headed to a place to be sold because she is an Erikkson original creation. The first half of the book was kind of slow for me and then it really took off and got good. I really liked the Taryn and Emmet characters and their interactions. The ending is somewhat of a cliffhanger so I look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Sedition in exchange for an honest review!

I think this was a really good series introduction! Sedition is a steampunk sci-fi set in 1800s London following cyborg Tyran who's been living in secret as a human to try and avoid the slave status her robotic arm would earn her. I found the world really interesting and Tyran is an easy to root for, yet complex character and I'm interested in seeing where Wright takes her story from here. I do wish Emmet was more developed (I'm not a fan of books pointing out their insta love as if that fixes the fact that it's insta love) and hope he develops more of a personality and motives separate from Tyran in later books but for now, he was fine. Same goes for Ace who I don't think warranted his own perspective here but I recognize that it could have been key to include that now so further books are better executed.

I want to thank Netgalley, E. M. Wright, and The Parliament House for giving me a chance to read this book in exhange for an honest review.

Let me first say, that this book broke my heart. This was such a heartbreaking read because the torture and suffering of Taryn and Emmett makes me feel so bad to read. When I got into 26% of the book I thought it was the peak of bad things that will happen to the characters but I was wrong. Their suffering did not stop there. However, when I started reading the book it really wasn't hard to understand or grasp what is happening. Even though I am distracted with some things I can still clearly get what the narrator meant.

I was a little underwhelmed by the plot though. I thought it has a rebellion trope, but it just mentions it. I also wished that it explored more in the world-building rather than just focusing on the characters. I get that this book was saying that the biomatons were treated badly in this world, but I really don't see it. It mentions that the biomatons are slaves, but all the books was showing is Taryn being discriminated and tortured. I feel like the book was just revolved around her. And as the story got into the last half, I got so frustrated reading it. What Taryn and Emmett is experiencing feels so hopeless and really frustrating to read. I feel like the last half of this book is about them being tortured.

Though I say that this book was really lacking of world-building, I think the set of the characters is really interesting and I can see that it's somehow makes the plot going further. For Taryn, she is such a rational character. Yes, she has this rebellious side of her but she is rationally smart that she will think before she will act in some of the moments from this book. I just really feel bad for her because her being a biomaton makes other people take advantage of her. Her character is like those characters in a dystopian book. She really questions everything and refuse to accept what she thinks is not right. One of the thing I really admire in Taryn is her humanity. Her kind was mostly considered of not a proper human being, but she is more human than the other characters here in this book. And one thing I am mad about is the book didn't do justice regarding Ace's character. He was such a great and fascinating character from the start but later on he became annoying. It's such a shame though because I was really expecting that he will be a big part of Taryn's life. I feel like he's character has gone to waste because of the plot.

Overall, I rated this 3 out of 5 stars. The plot went downhill for me but I think it still worth give it a try because of the characters. It's an interesting start to a series though. So if you're looking for a character-driven book, maybe you should get this book a try!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

What everyone knew: Taryn Roft was the first girl to attend Grafton’s School of Mechanicks. What they didn't know: she was also a biomaton.

In the English Victorian universe where Sedition takes place, biomatons are cyborgs (who were once human), built to serve as slaves. Their brains are controlled for the same purpose, but Taryn is different. She is human. She feels human.

The book really starts when Taryn is captured by privateers and taken to the Castle Black, the worst place for a biomaton. She is mistreated, humiliated, manipulated and, fortunately, awakened.

I expected a few doses of action, but there was almost none. The reading was very smooth (which surprised me, as I normally find steampunk books very “dense” and boring to read). In addition, the author described the cruel and inhumane way that they treated biomatons very well. I spent several moments hoping that Taryn would attack everyone, especially Captain Storm and the people at the Black Castle.
Overall, I thought it was a great introduction to the series. I'm looking foward to the next books, the ending leaves you wanting more.

This was a great book. The characters were all wonderful and the world that the author has created worked well. I fell in love with this entire set up and plot and I am excited to see what the author has in store next for these characters.

I got to read a snippet of an early draft of this book so I was ecstatic when I got approved for this! Sedition is E.M. Wright's steampunk novel which debuted yesterday and I already have two copies of this one!! I loved that this book talks about facing injustices and it is also extremely relevant with what 's happening today. Taryn's the protagonist in this one and is definitely a personal favorite! She' missed six years of her life due to an incident when she was younger. But, the memories she's missing could be the key to changing the world! This is a fast-paced gripping novel that can be finished pretty quickly and I'm really excited to see whatever Emily writes next!

A steampunk novel set in Victorian England, where biomatons (part human, part robot) people are considered slaves. If someone loses a leg and is given a mechanical prosthetic one, he or she is then enslaved because they're said to have lost their humanity. This story focuses on Taryn, who lost her arm in a house fire at a very young age. However, she has kept the secret of her mechanical arm for years.....until she is discovered. And so begins this story. From her capture until her eventual release, not much happens (I was waiting for a huge battle or something). Apparently, this is the first book in a new series, but there wasn't much that happened before the abrupt ending.

Sedition is a compelling story, set in a vintage, steampunk London with enjoyable characters. It was an easy read and I flew through this book.

Sedition’s world is well thought out and the detail is evident, from the systemic prejudice to the advanced technology, the settings are vivid and plausible. It gave me ‘Infernal Devices’ vibes, but with more steampunk elements.

As for the characters, I found them to be enjoyable. I enjoyed the main character’s struggle with morality and her desire for finding her true identity, but at times it felt repetitive. I also wish we got more of the minor characters. Many of them were mentioned at the beginning, but then never (or rarely) brought up again. These characters are vivid and well-rounded, but I was left wanting more of them.

Finally, the plot. The story was nice- it satisfied me and I think the build-up to the climax was well done. The main character’s struggles and hardships were well done and evident. The relationships between characters never seemed fully polished and neither did the ending. There was all this build-up to the climax, only for the denouement and resolution to be crammed into 30ish pages- I would have loved for some moments to be longer, rather than be rushed ‘in the heat of the moment so to say. With this, though, the story was easily digestible and enjoyable. In particular, I loved the airship and the tensions woven into the crew. It was interesting to see not only the history of how captain and privateer came to be but also the effects of their backstory on the rest of the crew.

Overall, I would rate Sedition ⅗ stars. It was an enjoyable book with an interesting plot. Although it falls short in character relationships, its strengths lie in worldbuilding and attention to detail. I would recommend this book to fans of the Infernal Devices series due to its ‘British steampunk’ elements and to Shatter Me fans for its ‘unknown powers’ aspect, but with a vintage twist.

Thank you to IPG and NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First of all, let me share what I liked about Sedition by E.M. Wright. Taryn was a wonderful character who I was able to get behind right from the start. She is feisty and engaging and I really invested emotionally in her journey. The plot was interesting and the story moved at a good pace throughout. The book also managed to hit all the marks you would expect in a steampunk story without devolving into cliché.

On the negative side, one point I must raise, because it bugged me the most, is that the French character's French was frequently incorrect. There were issues with grammar and spelling in several sentences, and also mix-ups between informal and formal speech. He addresses Taryn both formally and informally, which doesn't make any sense. It should be consistent--either one or the other. Then, at the end he meets a character who is a) older than him b) a new acquaintance and c) in a position of authority over him... and he addresses this person informally, when each of those points on their own would require formal speech. It may seem like I am being pedantic here, but I believe that if you want to use foreign sentences in a book, they ought to be correct. Sure, readers who don't speak those languages will never know the difference, but the errors will leap off the page for anyone who does, and I found the inaccuracies highly irritating as they kept pulling me out of the story every time. I do acknowledge that I was reading an ARC, so perhaps someone will have fixed the problems with the French by now; however, it was more than just picking up one or two missed typos, which makes me think a native or fluent French speaker has not looked over those sections.

In conclusion, I am giving this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the story and would certainly be interested to see where Taryn's journey takes her next; however, the foreign language issues were a major sticking point for me. If not for those, I potentially would have raised this rating to a four.

I received a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise is very unique and intriguing, I like the concept of cyborgs living in the nineteenth century and how they were treated. Clockwork cyborgs, also known as biomatons, are considered mind-controlled machines subservient to the wealthy families who owned them.

The story follows Taryn Roft, a seventeen-year-old female student at Grafton's School of Mechanicks in London. Orphaned at the age of six, adopted at the age of twelve by a well-known family, Taryn has firmly kept a secret that will surely upend her life once discovered.

The story has great worldbuilding and interesting characters. The narrative arc was a bit of a letdown for me because I was expecting some major events that would showcase the main character's extraordinary abilities like more action-packed scenes and unexpected circumstances. I guess some dramatic turn of events and revelations will be highlighted in the next book. There was not enough backstory for the other supporting characters involved like the biomechanick who created our main character.

Overall, this book has a very important message to deliver with regards to the true meaning of humanity. I love how well the author described the sufferings and hardships of being discriminated against. I can't wait to read the next book and I would highly recommend this book to you.

I'm grateful to the author, the Independent Publishers Group, The Parliament House, and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review an e-ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sedition is a debut novel by E. M. Wright and it starts Children of Erikkson series. It's steampunk fantasy set in alternate Victorian England with airships and biomatons, humans that have been altered with clockwork parts and mind modifiers. Because of these changes, they’re no longer considered human and are treated as slaves.

Taryn is a young student of biomechanics with a secret: she is a biomaton too. She’s been pretending to be human for several years now, after she was discovered from the streets by a son of an aristocrat. Then her secret is discovered, and she’s taken to a lair of a cruel lordship who collects biomatons. Taryn is put through examinations and torture that nearly breaks her. Only, her mind-control doesn’t quite work like others’.

This started as a four-star book. The language was smooth, and the first third progressed in a good pace. Then Taryn was taken captive, and everything changed. The rest of the book lacked a proper plot with a clear goal that the protagonist would try to work towards. Taryn was passed along in a progression of scenes where she was submitted to humiliation and/or torture over and over again, with no recourse. The sadistic cruelty of the other characters soon became tiresome, especially since Taryn had no agency and no way to influence her situation. The story happened to her, not the other way around. The ending was abrupt and came across like a deus ex machina, especially since the build-up was for a different solution entirely.

Taryn was an interesting character, but not someone I could identify with. I sympathised with her at first, but even that became difficult when she had no influence on her situation or any initiative. The idea that her emotions were dampened was fairly repulsive, especially in how it made her regard her only friend.

The side characters were odd, to say the least. Ace was probably meant to be a love interest of a sort, since he was given his own POV chapters, but he was cowardly and useless. Emmet was mawkish and then pitiful, through no fault of his own. The rest of the characters were merely a collection of sadistic torturers that would make Marquis de Sade envious. At least there was no sexual violence, which was probably due to this being marketed as YA fiction.

Things could be said about the idea of slaves as non-human (or vice versa), especially since the book is set at the time when America was fighting the Civil War over slavery, but since the author chose not to make the comparison, I’ll leave be. All in all, nothing else kept me reading than the obligation to review the book. I won’t be following Taryn’s path longer than this.

I don’t have much experience in reading steampunk books let alone steampunk fantasy. So I was going in there without any expectations. I did enjoy this book a lot! The plot especially was well thought out and executed perfectly! I will be looking for more books in this genre!

This was one of those books were I did not know what to expect before reading it. Looking back, I am so glad I gave Sedition a chance because wow! Just wow!

Even though I haven’t read a lot of steampunk fantasy (although I very much like the genre) and thus doesn’t have much to compare this book with, I still feel it’s safe to say that Sedition by E. M. Wright probably is one of the best ya steampunk books on the market today.

The book follows Taryn Roft, a young woman with a mysterious past but a seemingly bright future. That is, until someone discovers her darkest and most protected secret. A secret that threatens to change everything and forces Taryn to abandon the life she so carefully built, including the one person she trusts the most. It’s a story of horror, of nightmares brought to life. But it is also a story about love, hope and trust. A story about making horrible mistakes and having to live with them. It is a story about redemption but also, of course, of Sedition.

While Sedition has an intriguing plot, multi-layered characters and even some romantic tension between enemies (which I love), this book also focuses on darker topics, mainly what I would refer to as racism. However, in this book, people aren’t treated differently because of skin color or nationality but rather because some part of their body isn’t made of skin and bones but of metal. People who need clockwork parts to survive are called biomatons and in Taryn’s steampunk version of Victorian Britain, biomatons are nothing more than slaves, property, designed to be bought and sold. But what is humanity? What makes us human? Is it that our bodies are made of skin and bone? Is it our feelings? Follow Taryn on her journey and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find the answer to this questions along the way. Or, at least, getting a bit closer to what your answer to these questions are.

Sedition is not a standalone because while Taryn’s journey in this book is both long and eventful, it is clear that this is just the beginning of her story and I’m really looking forward to discover what the future has in store for both Taryn and her friends (or should I say enemies…?)

If you want to read a good, fast-paced YA fantasy or science fiction book, you should definitely give this book a try, especially if you like steampunk. Never read a ya steampunk (science fiction) book before? Then Sedition is the book for you because it sure shows just how much this genre has to offer.