Activation Degradation is well-known author Marina J. Lostetter’s latest published novel, and I found it to be a really interesting story. Dubbed as “The Murderbot Diaries makes first contact…”, I only found a tertiary connection to the famous cyborg. Honestly, though, it does not need the comparison, as the story is able to stand on its own two feet.
Artificial Intelligence
Review: Artifact Space (Arcana Imperii #1) by Miles Cameron
The protagonist, Marca Nbaro, practically hits the ground running right from the get go and along with her, the reader is propelled into a plot full of character interactions you live for, a long list of mysteries waiting to be solved, and a brand new fascinating world whose main undercurrent is hope, learning to trust others, and the beauties of trading cultures.
Review: A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
Review: The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by J.S. Dewes
Several have compared the book to Game of thrones in space, The Expanse or even Mass Effect, but to be honest The Last Watch is unique in taking the best out of the elements mentioned and establishing its own nature. In conclusion, if you’re a fan of thriller-driven science-fiction with nearly a dab of magic and heartfelt characters, J.S. Dewes The Last Watch should be pretty high on your next read list.
Review: In the Watchful City by S. Qiouyi Lu
Review: A Desolation Called Peace (Teixcalaan #2) by Arkady Martine
Review: A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1) by Arkady Martine
Review: Nophek Gloss (The Graven #1) by Essa Hansen
Review: Catalyst Gate (The Protectorate #3) by Megan O’Keefe
the past couple of weeks. And it feels like I just read a 1600-page book, as it definitely appears like it was carefully crafted and planned that way. So, although the review focuses on Catalyst Gate I’m providing an overall review of the series, as the final book delivers on all the promises and questions raised throughout the trilogy and I can’t review the conclusion book without considering the previous tomes. Overall, there were a few slower moments in the second book—definitely on purpose—but in the end, I loved it through and through.
Review: Catalyst Gate (The Protectorate #3) by Megan E. O’Keefe
Review: Infomocracy (The Centenal Cycle #1) by Malka Older
It’s rare that I get fully engrossed in a fictional political narrative anymore. Sure, the vast number of Tom Clancy novels and movies deliver compelling, high-octane thrill rides, and The Manchurian Candidate (both the 1959 novel as well as the 1962 and 2004 films) still stands as one of the best election stories out there. But, when it comes down to it, the real world of politics (in the United States and elsewhere) is already rife with enough drama, deceit and decadence. Sometimes it’s just so damn tiring—and all of this coming from me, a genuine political junky. (On top of it all, most political stories just aren’t that good.) So, it came as a wonderful surprise when I read Malka Older’s debut novel, Infomocracy, that I found myself invested in a story so distinctly political again.
Review: Day Zero by Robert C. Cargill
(Terminator anyone?), you’re left alone to take care of an eight-year-old kid as his parents were both executed by a robot-nanny-turned-evil. But wait, there’s one more thing, you are a robot too. That is the premise of Day One by Robert C. Cargill. A dystopian story of survival and the relationship between an eight-year-old kid and his best friend who turns out to be a cyber-plush-tiger.