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I"m not going to lie. I struggled with Engines of Empire. It felt a bit like Ford was trying to put too much into the book and I wished we would slow down a bit to spend more time with the characters. So I'm delighted to say that Engines of Chaos felt like a huge step up. The first half was much more character focused and I was so much more invested in the Hawkspurs and especially Ansell. Despite taking more time to focus on characters the plot kept going and kept me intrigued. The back half of the book felt more plot heavy, but I was so much more invested now that I liked the characters. The the reveals at the end - I'm super curious about what's going on with the magic and how R.S. Ford will wrap this up!

I mostly listened to the audiobook, and really liked our narrators and they told the story well!

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for an advance eARC and an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Truly an exciting new series to pick up, try it and you won't be disappointed. Constant action, heart, and a bit of romance go a long way in this book.

DNF 35% in.

The first book of this series was so propulsive that I never really got attached to the characters and then there was a wait for this one and that was a mistake for me to not reread. I felt totally disconnected from the story and there were a bunch of new POVs and I couldn't really remember who they were or what their goals were. Not sure why publishers don't include a sum up before every book, it takes like a page or two. Regardless, I just absolutely could not get through this. I think Ford wrote an interesting world that he is too afraid to give a bit of breath to; some slowing down would do this series wonders.

This book was very interesting. It picked up exactly where the first book left off, but went into a different direction altogether that I did not expect. I thoroughly enjoyed the new characters introduced to the story. Keara, Ansell, and Veryn provided a much different perspective to the story and brought fresher view of the world, the magic system, and the overall conflict. I enjoyed how they were more unique than the original characters in the story (Tyreta, Connal, and Fulren), and I loved how they were neither morally good or bad, but somewhere in between. Each of them had their own agenda, beliefs, and mission in this uprising that I think will later contribute to the overall plot of the series. I also enjoyed how their stories intertwined with the original characters. It made the plot all the more exciting.

I was very worried where the story was going because I felt like there was no progress to the plot at all. Every time I thought I was being led somewhere, the story would change drastically, and I'm left to wonder where it would pick up next. This pattern was purely consistent with the first book, but I trusted Mr. Richard Ford, and hoped that the end would be worth it. The last few chapters were a great setup for the next book in the series. That Epilogue though...it connected all the pieces together. Just when I thought the story was going nowhere, we were finally being led to a much bigger and exciting plot. I'm still baffled and confused about the magic system and the world, but I'm excited to learn more about them in the third book! Can't wait!

My thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a digital copy for review.

Quite frankly, I loved everything about this book. The characters all grew and found themselves in harrowing situations, and the way they handled them really spoke to the growth they had overall. Even my least favorite character, Tyreta, came into her own and I rooted for her along the way. Honestly, it was the secondary characters that I enjoyed reading from the most. This book has everything that a fantasy/steampunk fan would enjoy and I would highly recommend this book. I cannot wait for book three!

While I do think that to some extent, Engines of Chaos suffered from classic "middle book syndrome" in that it's mostly build-up which left some sections feeling sort of slow in pacing, I still had an enjoyable time with the story and was never left feeling bored. This book also did a great job building on a lot of the characters (mainly Rosomon and Ansell, who shined the most here) and putting them in situations that left me genuinely excited for Engines of War in order to see how things work out for them. There was a lot exploration of morals and motives and while I think Rosomon and Ansell had the best character work here, the character that I'm most excited to see in the sequel is Conall. That poor boy spent the entirety of this book just GOING THROUGH IT- sure the other characters aren't exactly partying 24/7 and loving life but man Conall could NOT catch a break. It was also incredible to see Tyreta exploring her newfound abilities and really leaning into her new role- all of the characters were honestly great here and it was great seeing just how different they are from book 1. I'm really looking forward to reading book 3 and seeing in what new ways the author decides to make the Hawkspur family have a terrible time.

The Hawkspurs are having a rough go of it. In R. S. Ford's "Engines of Chaos" we pick up in the fallout of the battle at the Anvil. The Ministry has seized the capital, overthrown the Guilds, and is pushing their religion on everyone. We follow most of the same POVs as they seek allies, survive the plots of demons, grapple with unexplained powers, and see corruption they have enabled.

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for the copy!

Reasons to read:
-Character growth for people who bad poor choices in the first book
-They really don't have a plan for what to do after they take away artifice... Let's see how that pays off
-The conflict is way bigger with more players than I expected
-War crimes
-Some comeuppance
-It isn't precious with it's characters

Cons:
-Animal deaths

Engines of Empire was one of my favorites last year, so I was super excited for this one. It did not disappoint.

I'm not going to get into the plot since this is the second book in the series, but I will say it has everything I want in a fantasy. It's well written, the characters are fantastic, the world is interesting, there's political intrigue and the magic is great.

After loving the first book, I was concerned that this would suffer from middle book syndrome, but it was just as good as the first.

I switched between ebook and audiobook, and I have to say I preferred the audio. The multiple narrators did a fantastic job and I had a great time!

An absolutely explosive sequel. I already was in love with this world, but book two has sealed the deal that--if the series continues this way--it will be one of my absolute favorites. Everyone for years has wondered what the next Game of Thrones is, and I honestly think this is the closest we've come to it. It's brutal, it's shocking, it's bizarre, it's exciting; it's everything I could ask for in an epic fantasy story. I'm now upset that I have to wait for book three.

I ended up reading about 55% of Engines of Chaos before ultimately decided not to continue. I LOVED the first book in the series and it made one of my Best Books of the Year lists, so I was really looking forward to the sequel. Ultimately I found the characters to be very tedious and there were too many POV chapters to keep up with *because* I didn't care about most of them. Conall was the most interesting (who doesn't love a good gladiator arc?). The moments that were supposed to be emotional or explosive ended up falling flat for me. I definitely seem to be the odd one out with this opinion because it has great ratings from many other folks. Rather than forcing myself to read something I wasn't enjoying, I decided to call it quits. I could see myself trying this series again once all the books are released - perhaps I would have a better experience if all the installments were read one after the other!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Orbit Books for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The newly released "Engines of Chaos" by R.S. Ford is the second book in the "Age of Uprising" series. In the first book we follow a hand full of characters in an epic fantasy world that is ruled by the guilds of industry. The political system is thrown into chaos through the influence of outer forces and intrigue in their own ranks.

The second book in the series is a great continuation of the first novel. It expands on some of the POV's of the first book and introduces new characters from various sides of the empire. I liked to get a peak into the opposition and the struggles those characters have with the new rule. Especially Ansell's POV had me emotionally invested from the very beginning. I found many of the story lines to be interesting but two of them didn't convince me. Both Rosomon and Tyreta lacked a bit of personality in my opinion. Especially in comparison to another female POV Keara the former two fell a bit flat. I found Keara's conflict exciting and I liked her way of plotting and the exploration her weaknesses.

While I loved seeing all those different perspectives I found the side characters in every perspective to be too many. I had a hard time telling all of them apart and their fates sadly had no emotional impact on me. On the other hand one of the main POV's absolutely wrecked me with the way their story went. I believe the multitude of POV's added to the world building but hindered my investment in most of them individually.

What made this world special for me is the idea of the guilds and their artifices in this fairly classical fantasy world. I wish there would have been even more implementation of the engines. I see how the political climate has influences that decision but I nonetheless wish for more creative and epic engines.

I'm curious how the factions that have been plotting in the background will be integrated in the next books and how the story lines converge. Looking forward to more!

A great sequel. I look forward to seeing where the story goes in book 3. Highly recommend starting with book one. It was a favorite of mine as I just loved the world building and everything about it.

Engines of Chaos, a steampunk Game of Thrones, is the second book in an absolutely gripping epic fantasy trilogy. As Sanctan Egelrath tightens his grip on power, Rosomon must find it within herself to overcome recent tragedies and lead a resistance, while her surviving children face their own obstacles and demons. R.S. Ford builds a fascinating world with interesting (and often morally gray) characters, all while skillfully weaving together numerous storylines through multiple POVs. The way the author develops each character is masterful - I honestly feel like I personally know the characters. I cannot praise this series enough! Easy 5 stars!

The main thing I have to say is that I found this book consistently entertaining and I felt like the plot consistently moved forward, which is great for a second book honestly. I did have a few issues with it in that one character in particular really annoyed me. (I can't say why because that's spoiler material and the book isn't out yet, but maybe I'll come back and update this to reflect exactly what I'm talking about.) To be fair I felt like it fit the character but the fact that it was obvious to me so early on probably made that more frustrating than necessary. Overall, I really enjoyed it though. I will absolutely be waiting for the third book. (My actual rating was 4.25 stars.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

Engines of Chaos is a great installment in the Age of Rising series by R.S. Ford. Though I enjoyed this slightly less than the first book, the world continues to be very unique and I am quite attached to the characters. I very much look forward to the next installment in the series.

I did a reread of Engines of Empire before reading this and that was needed for me as I forgot a things about the book. The reread WA not as good the second time for me and wonder when I do a reread of Engines of Chaos how that will go. I think this rather good in many aspects from the writing to the story itself. In regards to the story and the journey you go on with the characters I was pleased for most part. I wanted something more though I suppose or I it's the what happens didn't go as I thought it would. For some reason I thought the dragons that see as their gods would be shown to be behind the overthrow of the guilds but it turns out just one mans lust for power. There other threats that hinted at but those will become more apparent in the next book. Never like to see characters get killed off but then they are at war so that does realistic for that to happen. The growth and trials the characters go through are all rather interesting and rather challenging to mind, body and spirit. There are some surprises for sure but that is something I wouldn't want to spoil for others when they read this book. There are moments of and triumph mixed with moments of misery and sadness.but each character finds a a way to keep moving forward. I will eagerly await the next book to see how this story continues. Thanks to netgaley and the publishers as always for the opportunity to read another good book by a talented author.

R.S. Ford's opening book in The Age of Uprising trilogy Engines of Empire was such a wonderful blend of epic and heroic fantasy. I really enjoyed it a lot when I read it last year and it definitely struck me as a series with a ton of potential. So when I saw the cover reveal for book two ENGINES OF CHAOS a few months ago I started getting excited again as I couldn't wait to continue my journey with these amazing characters and compelling world. Soon thereafter I was fortunate enough to snag an early copy thanks to the publisher Orbit and away I went, sucked back into what has quickly gone from "potential" to one of the best fantasy series out there right now.

As this is the second book in the series I will stay away from potential spoilers to book one and stick with how this book made me feel and how I believe it advanced the story. ENGINES OF CHAOS is one of the few middle books that doesn't fall into the setup syndrome. In fact, this book takes the action to unheard of levels and doesn't relent one iota from the opening pages to the breathtaking final chapter. Honestly this is one of those sequels that makes you ask yourself why more authors don't take this approach. I found it completely refreshing and the action just made me want to have book three in my hands yesterday.

Having finished the first two books now I can say that I adore everything about this story. The treachery, intrigue, suspense, warring factions, captivating world with an interesting history, just all of it is epic fantasy the way it should be written. And what I love best is that Ford is not shy about putting his characters in extreme peril and yes even killing some off if necessary. Absolutely no one is safe. These to me are the books I enjoy reading the most because they keep the palms sweaty and the nerves frayed at all times, making the reading experience that much more rewarding.

Make no mistake the stakes are upped significantly in ENGINES OF CHAOS and this is all leading up to what I have a strong suspicion will be a finale that will both shock and delight in equal measure. We use the term "must read" series quite often as reviewers but if any series is worthy of that label, this is the one. If you like fantasy that is dripping with conspiracies, political maneuvering, heart-stopping battles, conniving villains and inspirational heroes, then you better get into The Age of Uprising series right now. This truly is fantasy that breaks all of the popular conventions and delves into uncharted areas with extraordinary results. And I for one cannot wait to find out how it all ends.

Review posted to Goodreads
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9/10

Warning, this review will NOT contain spoilers for Engines of Chaos (EOC) HOWEVER it will assume knowledge of Engines of Empire (EOE) so if you have not read EOE yet please stop reading now and go do so.

Once again R.S. Ford has brought to life a fantastic world with a (mostly) great cast of characters who feel genuine. The reader can really understand the characters motivations and what drives them to do the things that they do, whether they agree with them or not.

The story is told mainly from 7 different character POV's, with the occasional chapter from a different POV, or from the POV of multiple people. This allows for a diverse story to be told and for each character to have their own voice, as well as to help build suspense. My favorite POV's were probably Tyreta's, Rosomon's, Conall's (The Hawkspur family is awesome ok), and Lancelin's, but all of them are unique and well done. The only POV I didn't enjoy as much was Keara's, while it was still done well, and I by no means hated it, it just didn't feel as good as the others. This could just be because I am not a huge fan of her character and her ideologies though.

The plot of EOC picks up right where EOE left off and brings us to new locations and into the wider conflict between the Guilds and the Ministry. The unique setting of a fantasy world with elements of industrialization works just as well in EOC as it did in EOE, possibly more so due to certain plot points and what has become a civil war in Torwyn. We continue to see different cultures, religions, and ideologies and how they conflict or synergize with each other. We also continue to see and learn more about the different artifices and magics in the world. Battle and fight scenes are done extremely well, sparing no details of the carnage and grim realities of a civil war. Tactics are cleverly employed between the combatants, you wont just find one army rushing another here.

My only real complaint would be that I wish the magic system was a bit more of "hard magic" system with more outlines rules on how it is governed as that is my preferred style. That being said I suppose given the mystic of magic and how much knowledge of it has been lost to time or only known by certain cultures a softer system makes sense in this case.

The prose throughout the book is easy to understand but by no means dumbed down (Similar to Brandon Sanderson's work) and the pacing of the story feels just right, for a book that is 561 pages (at least my ARC was) it never feels drawn out or like space is just being filled. This is especially noteworthy as this is a notorious problem for second books in a series.

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5/5 stars! This is the second book in the "Age of Uprising" series and I felt like I did miss a bit of the story starting here. But that was on me for not realizing it was a sequel until I'd already dove in. That said, this book blew me away. There were so many intricate plotlines and I found myself getting caught up in Rosomon, Lancelin, Conall. and Tyreta's stories. This book was the definition of epic fantasy and didn't suffer from the filler problem that second books in trilogies often do. This book was fulfilling and packed full of action, angst, mistakes, and consequences. I cannot wait to read the final book in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily