“Only an idiot would venture into the center of the Heap. For one thing, there’s the obvious problem that you never know when a junkfall is coming. At any moment trash could start raining from the sky, a light shower of shattered concrete or chunks of steel the size of buildings. They emerge like turds tumbling from the Asshole, carom off Hod’s armored inner walls, then tumble down to crater the surface of the Heap. Each impact throws up a spray of shattered junk that lacerated the surrounding area.”
The Only Way Out is Up
The Only Way Out is Up is my first read by Django Wexler and gosh, am I hooked. I did initially pick this up thinking it was a standalone, but it is not. It is the first in a series, but a really fun book, and I completely loved it.
Taj lives in the Heap, a literal junk heap where him and his chosen family- his brother Somi and sister Spike live. He spends most of his days working on his runic (a construct he built) named Star. Unlike all other runics, Star and Taj can communicate without speaking, and Taj knows this is rare so he has never told a soul, not even his family. Taj spends most of his days scavening for parts and fighting the Twisted or entering Star in fighting matches so he can support his family and help keep them in a home.
One day, when money gets harder to come by, Taj climbs out of the Heap and into one of the levels above it in an attempt to rob one of the wealthy homes there that he believes to be empty. But instead he encounters Ky, a down on her luck citizen of Hod who tries to persuade Taj to let her sponsor him for the Ascent, a competition that will allow them both to become rich and for her to regain some of her former power.
Initially Taj refuses, but it’s a hard offer to ignore when it seems like nothing else is going to pan out. And despite the risks it creates for him, Taj knows he will do anything to protect his family and keep them safe. But Taj also wants to see how far he can go with Star because he dreams of seeing the actual stars one day and a life greater than the one he’s in.
This book was so great. The setting initially reminded me of Catherynne Valente’s Garbagetown from her novella The Past is Red, but both are unique settings, and I really enjoyed Django Wexler’s world building. Taj, Star and Ky are a great set of characters who are working toward achieving so much, and I’m just massively in love with this one and very much looking forward to the next book.
Massive thanks as always to Orbit for sending me an early copy. The Only Way Out is Up releases 9/29!
Of Worlds Forgotten 
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