Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss and the author in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

“For any reader with a sense of humor and an appreciation for the glories of bone-deep geekiness, The Timematician is your book…the transparency of Doctor BT’s bravado is LOL funny and exquisitely painful; we are dying to know the backstory of a protagonist who demands the pronunciation of his laboratory be 'la’bore-ah:tore-ee' because 'What are we, Neanderthals? Respect the middle O!'”—IndieReader Reviews (5/5 rating)

A prequel/sequel to the award-winning bestseller, Generation Manifestation. Read The Timematician first, second, or all on its own. With his unique time abilities, Doctor BetterThan has all the power he needs to thrash pesky superheroes intent on thwarting him—and make them pay for decades of disrespect. “Triumphi!” Destroying the world solves everything. Until she comes along. On the cusp of total victory, fellow tech maniac Mairi Lin Monroe plays her surprising hand, and sparks fly as she and her cybernetic lady-matons threaten to transcend Doctor BetterThan’s grand plan. Can he achieve new depths of deceit to defeat her and be the last person standing? Can he become The Timematician? Or has he finally met his match?

Review:

I really enjoyed the the first book in Steven Breznai's Gen M series, Generation Manifestation.  Set in a dystopian world where some humans manifested into super humans, it had an interesting premise.  Would all super humans be super-heroes?  Or would they use their power to control others?  In that book, there was a side character, a nerdy-guy who was good with tech. who befriended the main character, Caitlin.  As the story ends, we find out that he is actually a time traveller who has gone back in time to help Caitlin.  This new novel, The Timematician, explores his backstory.  

I really wanted to like this book.  I felt sympathy with the guy in the first book.  He was a nerdy kid who was often overlooked by Caitlin, only to be the guy with the solutions when she had a problem.  However, The Timematician shows him to be a misogynistic incel who hates on women because they aren't attracted to him.  It's really a hard sell to feel any sympathy with him.

What I Hated:

Misogyny:

Usually, I start reviews with what I liked, but I want to get into the crux of the issue right away.  I didn't find the guy's behavior funny, or sympathetic, as was clearly the intent of the author.  There is nothing funny reading about a guy who calls women whores and speculates on how immoral they are, while he kills them.  It was disgusting to see the violence with which he focuses on killing Caitlin because she as turned him down.  

Also, he uses his "genius" to program a series of femme looking robots that he can order around.  They all also seem to resemble his mother???  Okaaay.  I think this was meant to be humorous, but I just found it deeply disturbing.

Story:

The story revolves around the rivalry between him and the one other genius-level person left on Earth who just happens to be a woman.  He is indigent over the possibility that a women could be smarter than him.  And sets out to kill her.  Of course.

I was rooting for the woman the whole time.

Rating:  ⭐⭐

Release Date:  August 2nd, 2022

Author:  Steven Bereznai

Publisher:  Jambor

Genre: Science Fiction

Page Length:  192 Pages

Source: Edelweiss

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  I know this was supposed to be a parody of science-fiction villains, but this story was so offensive, I just couldn't enjoy it.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

“You are the next step in human evolution.”

At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything’s different. He just feels a little . . . sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep.

But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him—even those he loves most—in whole new ways.

The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy.

Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large—at a terrifying cost.

Because of his new abilities, Logan’s the one person in the world capable of stopping what’s been set in motion. But to have a chance at winning this war, he’ll have to become something other than himself. Maybe even something other than human.

And even as he’s fighting, he can’t help wondering: what if humanity’s only hope for a future really does lie in engineering our own evolution?

Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, Upgrade is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity—and our boundless potential.

Review:

Upgrade, by Blake Crouch, was a fun, fast-past thriller.  In a world where it's become easy to alter your DNA, doing so is illegal, and for good reason.  Logan's own mother was the architect of a scheme to alter DNA to help increase food production, but it had world-wide disastrous results.  Now, to alleviate his guilt, he has become part of a special law-enforcement unit to catch people changing DNA.  This could be done for profit (there's a market for genetically enhanced animals), or for terrorism.  Either way, it's almost impossible to put that genie back in the box. 

How do you get past the baggage of your family?  And what are you willing to give up in order to save the world?  I really enjoyed this book, and could easily see this as a highly entertaining movie.  If you enjoy thrillers and speculative fiction, you are in for a treat.

What I Liked:

Set-Up:

Logan lives in a world where scientists (specifically, his own mother) have tried, and failed, to use DNA splicing to fiddle with Nature.  Changing DNA has become easy, and many people would love to use the technology to do anything from create enormous alligators, to obtain super human abilities.  I loved all the science, gadgets, and back-channel government organizations.  This is a world where one should be paranoid!

Characters: 

Logan has tremendous guilt over his part in starting a global disaster.  He blindly followed his charismatic mother, a scientific genius, as she tried to play god.  Now, after doing prison time for the incident, he is doing what he can to mitigate the damage he has done.  But it will never be enough. 

Logan is the ultimate people-pleaser.  First, he worships his brilliant mother, seeing (too late) that she is an egomaniac.  He also can't match his sister, who is a badass military officer.  He is constantly trying to be someone he isn't.  He even does this to his wife and child.  The guilt is killing him.  I loved that Logan didn't have all the answers.  He is the sidekick who tries, and fails to become the hero.  But, in doing so, he has the one thing his mother and sister don't, a moral compass.  

Story:

There's a lot of twists and turns in this story, which I loved.  You often don't know who the good guys are?  And I don't think the "good guys" really understand if they are doing anything wrong.  It's that old adage of the ends justify the means.  Which never really absolve one of accountability.  If you have to use that excuse, you've already lost the argument.  

This was  a quick and absorbing read, and would make a perfect summer vacation escape. 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  July 12th, 2022

Author:  Blake Crouch

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Genre:  Speculative Fiction

Page Length:  352 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  This was a really fun thriller filled with science, genetics, and family ghosts.  If your in the mood for some escapism, you will love this book.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

An impossible crime. A detective on the edge of madness. The future of time travel at stake. From the author of The Warehouse.

January Cole’s job just got a whole lot harder.

Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing’s simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their “flights” to the past.

Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion—and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls.

None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see.

On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology—and the world’s most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims.

January is sure the timing isn’t a coincidence. Neither are those “accidents” that start stalking their bidders.

There’s a reason January can glimpse what others can’t. A reason why she’s the only one who can catch a killer who’s operating invisibly and in plain sight, all at once.

But her ability is also destroying her grip on reality—and as her past, present, and future collide, she finds herself confronting not just the hotel’s dark secrets but her own.

At once a dazzlingly time-twisting murder mystery and a story about grief, memory, and what it means to—literally—come face-to-face with our ghosts, The Paradox Hotel is another unforgettable speculative thrill ride from acclaimed author Rob Hart.

Review:

I really enjoyed Rob Hart's previous novel, The Warehouse, with it's Amazon-esque mega corporation controlling America.  The Paradox Hotel, Hart's newest science-fiction thriller, speculates on what would happen if time travel were found to be possible.  Would the ultra-wealthy take time travel vacations to, say, 1776 Philadelphia to watch the signing of the Declaration of Independence ?  Would they try to manipulate the past to gain even more power?  Both seem likely.

This novel is full of the fun aspects of how time travel would work, and (of course) of all the potential pitfalls.  It is also a wonderful character study of a person experiencing grief. Add to that a timey-wimey mystery, and you have yourself a highly entertaining novel.  I loved it!

What I Liked:

Time Travel (The Good, The Bad, and the Timey-Wimey):

The novel takes place sometime in the distant future where time travel has been invented, and monetized by the U.S. government.  The Paradox Hotel is a launching off point for time travel "vacations" by those who can afford it.  There are people traveling to ancient Egypt, the Aztec period of Mexico, and all sorts of other destinations!  But how will that work?  I won't spoil it, but I'll just say that the author has had fun fleshing out all the details.  

  via GIPHY

January Cole works as the head of security at the hotel.  But she has also traveled back in time to stop people from trying to change the future.  Too much time travel leads a person to become Unstuck.  There are different stages of being Unstuck, from small moments of déjà vu in the first stage, to all out madness in stage three.   January is in denial, but she is nearly at stage three, which makes it hard for her to be taken seriously when she starts to see the future deaths of some of the guests.

Characters:

January, the main character, is not immediately likable.  Since the hotel is it's own little universe, everyone who works there has become part of a found family.  But January, always rude and sarcastic, has never felt close to her co-workers.  This changes when she falls in love with Mina, another employee at the hotel.  Mina draws her in, and helps her learn to be part of the life of their little community.  When Mina tragically dies (before the start of the novel), January reverts back to her introverted ways.  But others now know she is actually a smart, fierce friend.  They try mightily to keep her connected with the group.  

January's grief is a huge part of the book.  How do you deal with the death of a loved one if that was the only person who you felt really got you?  January actually has lots of other people cheering her on.  But her grief is so deep that she can't see it. 

Mystery:

This was another entertaining aspect of the book.  The U.S. government, hard up for cash, is taking bids from Billionaires to take over the hotel and time-travel tourism.  There are ego's in abundance as entitled mega-rich guys (yes, all guys), come to the hotel for a conference.  But January sees parts of a future where several people wind up dead.  Who is trying to stop the conference?  Is it one of the groups opposed to time travel? Or could it be someone who is trying to get rid of their competition?  And, who let the dinosaurs loose in the hotel lobby?  It's all connected.  This is a complex mystery, but it keeps the story moving forward.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  February 22nd, 2022

Author:  Rob Hart

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Genre:  Speculative Fiction

Page Length:  336 pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-book

Recommendation:  This is really entertaining, and establishes Rob Hart as right up there with Andy Weir as one of the best science fiction writers around now.  Read this book! 

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Earth, 2050. Pregnant, unemployed, and living back home with her father, climate scientist Quinn Buyers wonders how she got to this point in her life. Her famous scientist mother is mysteriously missing, the planet is at risk from a massive solar storm, the Transhumans want to take a colony to Titan, and her assisted living companion, a robotic meerkat, is showing clear signs of anxiety and depression. But her biggest challenge is her partner. How can she reconcile her long-distance relationship with this reserved, enigmatic cyborg?

The sequel to Sarah Lahey's debut novel and the second book in the Heartless Series, Nostalgia is Heartless delves into the world of the near future, exploring a society on the brink of climate catastrophe. This time, Quinn's adventures take her across the globe to Antarctica . . . where it rains all day, every day. Readers will delight in following Quinn's journey as she races to save her family, her planet, and — hopefully — her love life.

Review:

I was fortunate enough to read the first book in this series, Gravity is Heartless, last year.  I highly recommend that you read that book first.  Nostalgia is Heartless starts out several months after the first book ends.  Set about thirty years in the future, the world is in disarray.   The polar ice caps have mostly melted.  As a result, the atmosphere has changed, and there are food shortages, wars and environmental refugees.  In other words, the world is in chaos.

And the characters are also in chaos.  Quinn is facing lots of change.  Pregnant by a man she barely knows, she is suddenly unemployed and living with her father, a survivalist who Quinn finds to be super annoying.  Mori the AI meerkat is having an existential crisis.  Tig, the transhuman who impregnated Quinn, is hiding a big secret, and Quinn's mother is still missing.  Oh, and several Terminator-types are trying to kidnap Quinn and the meerkat.  

This book was so much fun to read.  The characters are written with much humor and humanity.  And the adventure and excitement kept me reading well beyond bedtime!  I highly recommend this book.

What I Liked:

Setting:

Although this is a science fiction novel, the setting shows a very realistic scenario for what Earth would look like if climate change remains unchecked.  The Earth is getting hotter and hotter.  The wealth inequities are stark.  There are cities for the wealthy where people live in climate-controlled comfort.  And other places where people are scraping by.  Food sources have changed.  Instead of eating potato chips, Quinn nibbles on dried insects, and other food grown in labs.  Humans have adapted by integrating technology into their bodies.  When they have more tech in them then flesh, they are known as transhumans.  It's a really stark picture of our future.

Characters:

Quinn is now heavily pregnant with Tig's baby.  And while the baby is well on its way, their relationship is still sputtering.  They barely know each other.  It doesn't help that Tig is so mysterious.  He is a transhuman who is hiding some significant secrets. And, strangely, he seems to know a lot of small things about Quinn (like what her favorite meal is) even though they are still new to the relationship...

I loved Matt, Quinn's hippy dad.  He is a former musician who has amassed a fortune over his career.  And what did he do with his money? He used it to build a glass house in a forest, complete with a doomsday bunker.  He has been prepping for Armageddon, which comes in handy when a bunch of transhumans decide to go after Quinn.

There are also some amazing side characters with a sister and brother named Anvil and Stratus.  They have certain abilities which come in handy in the story.  But they are also just wonderful people.  Anvil tries to look after her little brother, but he keeps getting kidnapped!  Stratus seems to have a very special blood type that others want to harvest.  But he still maintains a sense of wonder with all the gadgets he can find.  And Anvil has the ability to harness electricity and zap people.  But both of them are exhausted from the struggle of survival.  Quinn finds them and takes them under her wing (a little maternal practice, perhaps?).

Story:

As Quinn's due date nears, she has to cut back on how active she wants to be.  She is used to being independent, and it's hard for her to acknowledge that she might need help to stay safe.  Her need to be self-sufficient is put to the test when several transhumans affiliated with a shadowy organization try to abduct Quinn and Mori the meerkat.  What follows is a rollicking adventure as Quinn, Matt, and her friends have to navigate an underground labyrinth to get to a secure bunker.  This takes a large portion of the book.  But I loved it

Even when this part of the book is over, there are more adventures to come.  Tig and Quinn start to unravel the mystery of the Shun Mantra organization.  And Quinn is still looking for her mom.  Could she have time-travelled?  

Sarah Lahey has created a dystopian world that still has people with an intense desire to affect positive change.  This hope in the future is what makes this series so compelling.  There will be a final book in the series.  And I can't wait! 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  October 26th, 2021

Author:  Sarah Lahey

Publisher:  She Writes Press

Genre:  Science Fiction

Page Length:  314 pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  E-book

Recommendation:  With a Science Fiction backdrop, this book is all about relationships.  It's fun, and full of adventure!  I loved it.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian--while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

Review:

I think the reason I enjoyed Weir's massive hit, The Martian, so much was because the main character used science as a means to survive a nearly hopeless situation.  The plot of the author's latest novel, Project Hail Mary , centers around a problem humanity will probably never face: the Sun is cooling.  As the world tries to science its way out of the coming apocalypse, we see the epic space journey to save humanity, interspersed with the background of how the project came about.  This was a very entertaining, suspense-filled story that is Weir's best work to date.

What I Liked:

Premise:

The Sun is cooling and it's due to an organism that's taking energy from the sun at a small, but significant, rate.  Scientists notice this is happening in other solar systems as well.  What this means for Earth is a cooling of the earth that will bring on another Ice Age.  And it will happen in the next dozen years, wiping out food supplies, and causing mass starvation.

Could all the countries on Earth find a way to solve the issue together?  What kind of effort would that look like?  And what might happen if it fails?  These are all parts of the plot of this novel.  Unlike scenarios such as if a meteor were about to hit Earth, the kinds of steps the world's scientists take seem plausible.  

Characters:

Due to the structure of the book, we see all the people who work on finding a solution to the problem, and to what lengths they will go to achieve it.  The head of the project, given unlimited authority by all the world leaders, is Eva Stratt.  Stratt is a no-nonsense, ruthless person who is single-minded in her search to solve the problem.  She is willing to do anything to save the planet, including massive environmental destruction, kidnapping, and who knows what else.  She has unlimited resources, and her authority is absolute.  She fully expects to be tried for crimes against humanity when the project is complete.  But she feels it's all worth it to stave off a world -wide disaster.

Ryland Grace is the main character, a brilliant scientist who's had some setbacks in his career.  At the start of the book, instead of leading ground-breaking research, he is teaching science to middle school children.   He is not someone who seeks conflict.  Instead, he craves safety.  No high powered career, no exciting love affair.  He seems quite content to live a quiet life.  But, when Stratt discovers Grace's doctorate thesis, concerning organisms that may not need water to survive, he is plucked from obscurity and lands right in the thick of Project Hail Mary.  Will he rise to the occasion?  Or will fear hold him back from making the ultimate sacrifice?

Science:

I really liked how the characters use science to work out the various issues of the problem.  When they realize they will need to send astronauts deep into another solar system to find the answers to how the organism can be stopped, they must solve a host of issues.  How can they create enough energy to power the ship for the several years it will take to get there?  How can they ensure the astronauts survive years in space?  Can they do anything to buy the Earth some time?  

While purists will likely find some fault in the science presented (as they did with The Martian), most people will find the explanations plausible, and not too confusing.  I didn't need a degree in astrophysics to understand the gist of it.  

Story:

Ryland Grace starts off as a middle school science teacher, but winds up in a space ship headed to a far away solar system.  How does this happen?  The story is told in a series of flashbacks as Ryland awakens from a deep sleep and finds he doesn't remember anything!  Slowly, as his memories return, we see what happened.  

We also see how he works on the main problem.  What can kill the organism that is cooling the Sun?

What Ryland doesn't bargain for is... finding something astounding in space.  I cannot reveal what this is, as I do not want to spoil it.  But it's a doozy!  A good portion of the book is about how Ryland interacts with this revelation.  It's wonderful, and I hope a movie is made of this book as soon as possible (actually, I hear that Ryan Gosling has optioned the book!).

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  May 4th, 2021

Author:  Andy Weir

Publisher:  Ballantine Books

Genre:  Science Fiction

Page Length:  496 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-book

Recommendation:  Another entertaining story filled with science. and loads of humanity.  This is a wonderful book.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.

In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.

Whether they succeed or fail could change the fate of Teixcalaan forever.

Review:

The first book in this series, A Memory Called Empire, was one of my favorite books of last year.  This space opera explored colonialism, and how cultures see other societies, often as less than.  It also looked at what it means to be a person, as the main character, Ambassador Mahit, has the memories of her predecessor, Yskandr. embedded into her brain.  Is she Mahit, or is she Yskandr, or somehow both?  If memories can live on, is a person really dead?

Author Arkady Martine explores this further in A Desolation Called Peace.  With poetic language as a key component to the plot, there are new species of life, more wonderful characters, and a plot that kept me guessing.  This was a wonderful book.

What I Liked:

Language/Communication:

One of the themes of the book is communication.  How do species communicate with each other?  Is it only through spoken language?  Can it be done in other ways?  Is one way superior to another?  As the Teixacalaanli Empire encounters a new threat, it has to confront the ideas of how communication works. If a species communicates, in whatever form it does, can they be recognized as people?  Since the Empire always sees themselves as superior (and any other species as "barbarians"), this is a challenge.  

But the book also uses poetry, a form of language that Teixicalaanlis revere, to create haunting imagery.  Just the names of the Teixicalaanlis, from Three Seagreass, to Nine Hibiscus, evoke such beautiful depictions.  Pay special attention to the title of the book, A Desolation Called Peace.  The beginning of the novel begins with what this means.  When both sides destroy everything, then there is nothing left but peace.  It is both terrifying, and sadly how some wars resolve.

Characters:

Besides Mahit, and Three Seagrass, we learn much more about Eight Antidote, the eleven year-old clone of the deceased emperor, Six Direction.  Many of the chapters are from his point of view.  This is really a smart device, that lets us see how a new perspective, albeit from within the Teixicalaanli society, can be catalyst for fresh solutions.  

There are also several new military characters, like Nine Hibiscus, her second in command Twenty Cicada, and the ambitious Sixteen Moonrise.  There are strong bonds forged from years of shared experiences, to petty rivalries that all feed the story.  Their characters bring out the human costs of war, and the choices soldiers have to live with once a war is over.

Relationships:

I loved that many of the relationships from the first book continue on in A Desolation Called Peace.  We get to see how the feelings between Mahit and Three Seagrass are more complex than we can imagine.  Is Mahit Three Seagrass's "pet", as many refer to her as?  Is Three Seagrass drawn to Mahit mainly because she is an exotic foreigner?  We also see the very complex relationship that Mahit has with Yskandr (both old and young versions).  Will they be constantly an echo in her head, or can they all integrate?  Does Mahit even want that?  And I loved the relationship between Eight Antidote and the current emperor, Nineteen Adze.  Eight Antidote is the heir of Nineteen Adze, so they are much like a parent and a child.  But Nineteen Adze alway is aware of the burdens Eight Antidote will bear when he ascends to the throne.  With this in mind, she never treats him as a child.  She is a patient teacher and mentor for Eight Antidote, showing him how politics work.  Even when she was being ruthless, I liked that she never was impatient with her young heir.

Plot:

The story follows the start of a war (one that Mahit kind of started in the first book), that Mahit's people hope will keep the Teixicalaanlis busy so they won't be conquered themselves.  Clever.  But the new enemy is powerful enough that the Stationers (Mahit's people) may be caught in the crossfire, anyway.  

When Three Seagrass is sent to try and negotiate with this new life-form, she brings in Mahit to help.  But why would a Teixicalaanli bring in a "barbarian"?  The actual motivation for Three Seagrass is that she really misses Mahit.  But who will believe that a Teixicalaanli would want to spend time with a "barbarian"?  There's got to be a secret reason!  Could it have something to do with Yskandr's closeness to the Emperor?  It's what makes all sides suspicious of Mahit.

With all the various factions so jaded, Eight Antidote lives up to his name, as he is a fresh set of eyes on the situation.  

The story moves from the battlefield to the Palace through time and space, in such an urgent manner, that I couldn't put the book down.  It was thoroughly entertaining, and thought-provoking.   

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  March 2nd, 2021

Author:  Arkady Martine

Publisher:  Tor Books

Genre:  Science Fiction

Page Length:  496 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  With beautiful language and thought-provoking themes, this is a worthy sequel to A Memory Called Empire.  

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this Audiobook from Listening Library in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling authors Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff comes an Illuminae prequel digital novella that gives readers a hair-raising glimpse into the calamity that befell the invincible AI system known as AIDAN–and the daring young programmer who would risk her life to keep it from crashing.

AIDAN is the AI you’ll love to hate.

The advanced AI system was supposed to protect a fleet of survivors who’d escaped the deadly attack on Kerenza IV. AIDAN was supposed to be infallible. But in the chaotic weeks and months that followed, it became clear that something was terribly, terribly wrong with AIDAN…

Review:

This novella, by one of my favorite writing duos, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, is a VERY short story, coming in at a listening total of just over ninety minutes.  But, it quickly packs a powerful punch.  But be warned, true to their signature style, the authors created a story that will rip your heart to shreds.

via GIPHY

What I Liked:

Narration: 

This novella may be short, but it keeps the strong production values of the other books in the series.  There is a full cast, with sound effects, and music, all of which bring this story to life.  I particularly liked the voice of AIDAN, the computer who is developing a sense of self.  Lincoln Hoppe does a masterful job of making AIDAN both child-like and disturbing.

Story:

This short story is a terrific introduction to the Illuminae book series.  I shows the origins of one of the main conflict in the series.   AIDAN, the AI that runs the Kerenza spaceship is developing a sense of self.  But, due to the damage he sustains in the attack (that occurs in this book),  his decision making skills are flawed.  Or are his actions self-preservation?  

This story works for fans of the series as well, as we get more backstory on the members of the crew of the Kerenza, and an achingly beautiful love story to boot.  I LOVED Ethan and Liv.  But, knowing how these author roll, I knew their story was headed for...  I'm not going to spoil it!  But have your tissues ready.

via GIPHY

Rating: 

Release Date:  October 20th, 2020

Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Genre:  Science Fiction

Audiobook Publisher:  Listening Library

Audiobook Length:  93 Minutes

Narrators:   

Olivia Klein, read by India Dupré
Ethan Wolf, read by James Fouhey
AIDAN, read by Lincoln Hoppe
Stephanie LeFevre, read by Emma Bering
Ezra Mason, read by Johnathan McClain
Narrator, read by Ryan Gesell
 
Featuring additional performances by Danny Campbell, Frankie Corzo, Chris Cuilla, Deepti Gupta, John Lee, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Donabella Mortel, Austin Rising, Erin Spencer, and Nancy Wu.

Print Publisher:  Knopf

Page Length:  84 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  A must read for fans of The Illuminae series, and a great introduction to this series if you haven't read it.