Rating: /10

Synopsis

A cyberpunk novel from M. J. Kuhn. Logan’s Run meets The Giver with a dash of Cyberpunk 2077.

In New Avarita, every person is born with a purpose. Once fulfilled, they are eligible for Ascent, a peaceful passing and assumed rebirth on the next plane of existence, celebrated for having left their perfect mark upon the world.

At least, that’s what the powers that be want them to believe.

When Liv Spencer’s husband reaches Ascent under more than suspicious circumstances, she doesn’t feel like celebrating-she wants revenge. Her path takes her deep into the neon-drenched streets of New Avarita’s seedy underbelly, a world filled with black-market cybernetics, synthetic drugs, and people who see Ascent for what it truly is: a killswitch.

Liv is soon embroiled in an anarchist plot to overthrow the ruling body of New Avarita, but the further she sinks into this world, the blurrier the line between “righteous rebellion” and “terrorism” begins to grow. With hundreds of thousands of innocent lives on the line, Liv must find a way to strike back against the fascist rule of the shadowy figures controlling New Avarita without getting flagged for Ascent herself.

Quick Review

Killswitch Protocol may be one of my favorite books this year. It’s a deeply character-driven story, with a quick pace, delivered through a fantastic cyberpunk setting. Perhaps most importantly, it leads with hope. To me, this book reads like a scream—fuck the system—but the answer isn’t to burn it all down. It’s to work toward something better.

Full Review

Killswitch Protocol lulls you into the cyberpunk city of New Avarita, largely through the perspective of Liv Spencer—a hard-working and loyal citizen who puts her faith in not only the powerful Board, but also the algorithm that governs everything. The algorithm determines how much food to produce, which couples should be given permission to have children, and even when a person has achieved everything they were meant to do. When a person has fulfilled the purpose they were born for (determined by the algorithm as well), they are selected for “ascent.” In other words, the algorithm kills them.

The book’s synopsis tells us what happens. We know that Liv’s husband is going to get killed this way. Author M.J. Kuhn takes her sweet time, though, to the point that when it finally happened I still felt that loss. Similarly, I knew that this would be the event that triggers Liv to get involved with a revolutionary group, but that decision wasn’t instant. It takes time for her to think that something might be wrong with the algorithm. It takes time for her to leave that life behind—and the result is a really satisfying arc as we watch her adjust her perception of reality and what she’s willing to do to find some kind of justice.

Killswitch Protocol contains all the trappings of a great cyberpunk story: cybernetics, AI, corporate conspiracies, cut-throat economics… But it’s motivated by very human drives: love, loss, betrayal, desperation, the way companions trauma bond during a coup. It’s this blend of cyberpunk themes and character-driven storytelling that sets M.J. Kuhn’s novel apart.

Liv is our main focus, but the rest of the cast is just as engaging. Signe takes on the role of the rebel soldier, but there’s enough to her personality and history which makes her stand out beyond that archetype. We even get some chapters from the point of view of a Board member, Reina Arthur, who provides valuable insights about the inner-workings of the city.

I also admire the way Kuhn approached each villain in this story. The power-hungry corporations, for example, were initially founded to help people and manage limited resources. Even the algorithm has a history that seems well-intended. There were moments when, even as I acknowledged there was a problem, I could see its original intent or the way a person in charge had twisted it. These choices made the story all the more interesting, since the line between right and wrong was never perfectly clear.

I highly recommend Killswitch Protocol. I’ll just say it: depending on how the rest of this year goes, this very well could be one of my favorite books I’ll read this year. Top 10 for sure. Top 5? I don’t like to rank books with hard numbers but I need you dear reader to know how serious I am.

I am stunned by Kuhn’s writing, by the way she makes us feel for these characters, in such a short time. The book really isn’t that long and she accomplishes so much without ever making it feel rushed. This book is a standalone, but if Kuhn ever decides to return to this world, I will be first in line to see what she’s cooked up. 

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Laura Jennings, who did an amazing job bringing the city and characters to life. I’d absolutely recommend it if you enjoy listening to your books.