The Only Way Out Is Up
Taj lives at the bottom level of a four-level underground world, barely surviving as a scavenger, collecting just enough to keep him and his siblings on this side of starvation. His constant companion is a robot construct he built himself named Star, and the pair put life and (robot) limb on the line to retrieve sigils from the semi-sentient metal beasts that roam the massive trash heap on the base level of their world.
When pickings become slim, Taj has no choice but to infiltrate the upper levels, where wealth exponentially increases. A few harmless thefts from the rich above will keep food in the mouths of those he cares about the most. On one such thieving expedition, Taj's prospects change, when he meets someone who can get him into the "Ascent", an ultimate multi-level fighting tournament (think Battle Bots for constructs like Star) whose prize would make him rich beyond his wildest imagination. With the pressures of the world closing in on him, he and Star see no option but to enter.
Full review coming soon.
The experience of loving a book is not complete until you have turned around to someone and said, “You have got to read this.”Ann Patchett
Based on what I thought of this book, do you have one in mind I'd like? I love suggestions!