Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

The question of what it means to be human is a well-worn one in SFF.  Greg Chivers gives us his take in his novel The Crying Machine (review copy from Harper Voyager). 

Clementine is an artificial being, an AI consciousness in an augmented human body.  She arrives in Jerusalem a refugee from a Western Europe devastated by war and corrupted technology.  She tries to find her place in this strange, divided city.  In an attempt to get some money she falls in with criminals contracted to steal something from the museum.  That something turns out to be the Antikythera Mechanism- an artifact from Ancient Greece that is probably the world's first computer.  Shenanigans ensue, and Clementine finds herself caught up in Jerusalem city politics and on the run from the authorities. 


I'm afraid I was left rather cold by this techno-thriller.  It felt confused at times, and I struggled to engage with, or care about, the principal characters.  Although the focus of the story was on Clementine's time in Jerusalem, too little was sketched in of what was happening in the wider world to have resulted in her arrival there.  This was a frustrating level of hand-waving world-building. 


Goodreads rating: 2*

Crime, sci-fi thriller mash up

Set in a future Jerusalem, a refugee flees Europe looking to escape from what they are, seeking who they might be. A low level criminal is attempting an audacious heist while a corrupt minister yearns for power and will stop at nothing to get it. Their paths cross and their destiny becomes intertwined.

The story is told from a three person perspective which works well and helps with the pacing and doesn’t slow it down at all. All three characters are given the same time to develop. It’s refreshing to see a story told from the aspects of the ‘bad guys’ even if two of them aren’t that comfortable with that label. All are interesting if not a little predictable.

Clementine is the standout, an enhanced AI female struggling with her emotions and what she is. She forms a nice relationship with her partner in crime,Levi. She’s intelligent, strong, lost and looking for answers.

I liked the idea that Europe had been taken over by ‘Mechanicals’ after a series of wars and Jerusalem had become a refuge for the lost. The image of people enhancing themselves with technology was nightmarish and compelling, especially when some have gone too far and have become more machine than person. The fact that there is a cult worshipping machines is both super cool and creepy

Future Jerusalem feels a lot like Mos Eisley, a hive of scum and villainy. The author gets this across really well and,although being sci fi, it has a nice crossover of old fashioned crime fiction.
Although Jerusalem is vividly brought to life, the world building is not as impressive as it should be and it alls seems a little small.

An interesting book that I enjoyed and after thought, enjoyed quite a lot. It took a little while to get into but liked how the characters developed.

I don’t usually favour sequels but would love a second book to see how the characters evolve and also to see a greater exploration of the interesting (but currently limited) world created.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC, in return for an honest review.

The characters in this book were excellent - very well fleshed out and deeply human.

The story itself seemed somewhat jumbled in terms of interconnecting AI and the wider historical and sociopolitical context - I feel like perhaps the exposition was placed moreso in character development as opposed to the wider fictional world built up. I would have preferred a more even balance of this, but the characters were exciting enough that it didn’t detract too much from how enjoyable it was to read

My thanks to Harper Collins U.K./HarperVoyager for an eARC via NetGalley of Greg Chivers’ ‘The Crying Machine’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is a complex, fiercely intelligent thriller set in a post-apocalyptic Jerusalem and involves themes of politics, science, religion and artificial intelligence. The narrative switches between its three main characters: Levi, Silas, and Clementine.

Levi is an ambitious young criminal, who is hired to steal a valuable religious artefact. Silas is the Minister of Antiquities, a title that he considers gives him “licence to divert a certain proportion of the city’s excessive historical wealth into private hands.” Finally, Clementine is a young refugee with unusual technological abilities, who is looking to disappear when her path crosses Levi’s.

I was very impressed with the characterisation throughout. There wasn’t a great deal of exposition about the wider world though enough to provide a sense of the historical context. Chivers’ focus on ideas linked to religion, philosophy, and AI put me in mind of Philip K. Dick’s writing.

I was only aware of this SF novel a few days before publication and when my request to HarperVoyager was approved I elected to buy its audiobook edition to allow me to combine listening with my reading. The audiobook has three narrators to voice the sections allocated to Levi, Silas, and Clementine.

Overall an engaging read that combined ideas with an exploration of what it means to be human. I look forward to his future projects.

This was an unexpected delight. A small-time criminal and fugitive hacker team up to steal an ancient antiquity. Add in some local mobsters, cyborgs, religious zealots, russian spies, corrupt politicians and ancient demons, and it starts to sound like Indiana Jones on crack!! It may sound like it's gone overboard and there's too much crammed in there, but it totally works. Intricate details, refreshing plot, decent characterisations and an ingeniously clever heist puts it more on par with the Italian Job than a Indiana Jones adventure ... or should that be the Jerusalem Job!?!

Recommended for readers who enjoyed Wayfarers series, Blackfish City, Annalee Newitz or AI in dystopian futures.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I started this book three times because I was a bit confused by the plot and 3 was the magic number.
Even if it's a bit confusing at the beginning, after the first part it becomes an enjoyable and entertaining read.
I liked the world building, even if some more details would be appreciated, the plot and the characters.
It's a character driven book and I appreciated how the characters were developed.
A good book that I recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Set in the future where the world has gone through may world wars and technological advances, old games are still being played in the Holy City. A minister who plots to rule the city, a small time crook planning a heist bigger than he's ever done and a girl with technological abilities looking to disappear. And an ancient artefact that brings them all together.

It took me a while to get in to this book, at first I was confused with the narrative and where in time this all took place. After a few chapters I started to really get into it. The different narrator's all had their own unique voices and personalities. The world building was good with discriptions of all the places you would find in Jerusalem from years past, but all with new technology from AIs to personal communicators attached to the ears.
Overall I liked this story and the ideas in it.

I'll be honest, I was hesitant after the first chapter, wondering what I'd gotten myself into but I kept on and the other chapters were still a bit 'hmm' for me until about 30 pages in and then it all just clicked, Chivers had me hooked.

The premise was already right up my alley, Sci-Fi/Dystopia and I'm always a sucker for books about AI (or movies or anything else lol). 

Clementine is a nugget and I want to protect her with all my heart and hiss at anyone who gets near her.

But, not to go crazy and mention a whole bunch of names that will mean nothing to you all, let's start small.

The story switches between three characters, each chapter is told in the first person and not two chapters in a row are from the same perspective/character. The characters are Silas, Levi, and Clementine who I've already mentioned. It's fun to have the perspective go from one of the 'good guys' to the corrupt minister and I really enjoyed that. The story is set in Jerusalem and I like that the reason it is, is because the Mechanicals/Machines have taken over Europe and the US. This means that the people coming to Jerusalem from those people are mostly refugees and that's a pretty interesting take. As this is set in the future, Jerusalem's history is mentioned but nothing is in depth on it, which is pretty good for this particular book, I applaud Chivers on balancing that well enough. He doesn't try to write about what he doesn't know as far as setting the book in a different country goes and that's always a nice and refreshing thing, and his own take remains in our futuristic world he's built.

I would have enjoyed more of his world building for this dystopia setting and that was probably my biggest let down in this novel. But this is more character driven and not only that but the plot doesn't need you to know more than what he gives. 
Overall this book really touched on humanity, showing an AI hybrid what it means to be human, and along the way perhaps a few others learn the meaning too [such as our ambitious criminal] and though there is talk about religion it's not to shove it in your face, it's part of the ties to the past and I really LOVED that there is a religion based off worshipping machines, and not to mention God is referred to with she/her in this so, I'm already like 'damn straight' lol. 

The minor characters were interesting as well and I can say Yusuf and Amos were my favorites in that regard but I won't give away too many details.

Really loved this and was so satisfied when I finished, it was an unexpected favorite for me.