Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
This third book in a major series by a bestselling science fiction author, Printz Award winner, and National Book Award finalist is the gripping story of the most provocative character from his acclaimed novels Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities. Tool, a half-man/half-beast designed for combat, is capable of so much more than his creators had ever dreamed. He has gone rogue from his pack of bioengineered "augments" and emerged a victorious leader of a pack of human soldier boys. But he is hunted relentlessly by someone determined to destroy him, who knows an alarming secret: Tool has found the way to resist his genetically ingrained impulses of submission and loyalty toward his masters ... The time is coming when Tool will embark on an all-out war against those who have enslaved him. From one of science fiction's undisputed masters comes a riveting page-turner that pulls no punches.
Tags
Is Tool of War appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This military SF novel features a genetically engineered half-human soldier designed for war who rebels against his creators. Expect strong combat violence, themes of slavery and dehumanization, and the psychological effects of genetic conditioning.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include slavery, violence, and war (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens interested in biopunk and dystopian fiction will be gripped by Tool's fight for freedom and his journey from weapon to self-determined being.