If you asked me to choose a book that was as far away as possible from my usual genre and style of book then this would be it!!
Quite a complex tale involving cutting edge AI, revolutionary technology and a plot to destabilise Europe via the Russians that is all wrapped up with ‘alien’ beings using the AI and technology to conversate via fridges and smart watches!!!!!!!!
Add to this Amanda, a most unlikeable leading lady, Tangle, her ex bf who discovers what the Russians are doing, next add a dash of the authors political slants on feminism, men, privilege, race, creed, money, sexuality and yes Brexit, oh and his seeming obsession with clean knickers and you are probably no wiser as to what this book holds...😃😃
The writing is chaotic at times and conversation between characters ‘difficult’ and yet, yet I enjoyed it, in a mildly irritating way, not finishing the book was never an option and it challenged me at every juncture as was so unlike the fiction I usually read
I am not sure what else to say about it except it ends as it started with you wanting more, kinda
A definite, without question unusual read
7/10 3.5 Stars

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me. I feel like it was mismarketed slightly, I was expecting punchy sci-fi and instead I got politics in a “sci-fi” future. And I don’t like politics. Sure it’s important but I read to get away from real life, not to read about real life.

Also, i didn’t like any of the characters. Amanda is self-centred, indecisive and annoying, Tangle is a massive dick, basically all the side characters are pretty horrible people, except maybe Ichi and Tatsu.

This book was just not for me. Fans of political intrigue maybe, but I like my sci-fi with science.

I enjoyed this book, even though much of the technology mentioned in (and which forms much of) the narrative is above my pay grade...and the story itself is fast paced. Tangle Singh, the character the book is named after came across to me as a very selfish being and isn't actually the main character, and I found myself actually actively disliked him which says much for the well written characterisation. This isn't my usual reading matter (I'm a bit of a technophobe), but that doesn't actually matter. the storyline draws you in. I do recommend this book.

How best to sum up Tangle’s Game? Set roughly 40 years in the future in Britain, it follows Banker Amanda Back as she receives a mysterious package from an ex who betrayed her ten years previous. The package contains sensitive information that could change the world, seemingly for the better. Amanda is sent on a journey that takes her over Europe and back again as she evades factions who want the package to help them rebuild their own nations.

It pains me to say that this novel fell flat for me. The book fails to explain concept such as what blockchain actually is. Sure, people in tech fields who are familiar with blockchain and cryptocurrencies will already know what it’s all about, but I think there will be a vast number of readers who will be stumped. I also felt the authors political views shine through a bit too much. The book is set in a world that is almost falling apart, after Brexit and a certain President across the pond. It didn’t really seem necessary that the characters needed to remind each other constantly that Britain turned it’s back on Europe. It felt a bit preachy at times.

It’s a real shame, as I liked the idea behind this novel, I just felt that it could be so much more. For this reasons I can only give three stars out of five.

I had so many hopes for this book, and it wasn’t disappointed. Sci-Fi isn’t my usual genre, but I am glad I took the plunge to read something out of my comfort zone as I enjoyed this, and feel I would like to read more in this genre.

Interesting characters although not necessarily likeable, they were well written and intriguing.

Some parts were a little confusing, but overall a good read. Although i did feel it lacked something, but I’m not sure what.

3 stars

I'm sorry to say I didn't love this one. I do read fantasy and sci-fi thrillers but found this difficult to get into. The main character is quite unlikeable (which can be great if done well.). The dialogue felt clunky and the humour was a bit laboured. Not one of my favourites.

While the synopsis attracted me to this story, it didn't pull me in nearly as well as I had hoped.

There appear to be many strands which are not fleshed out and would have been interesting to see developed more. Some of the technical references are unnecessary and confusing, taking away from the flow of the story as you try to visualise them in anything other than the abstract. The character relationship development is not believable.

I did enjoy the nod to Brexit. Also welcome was the open ending and the option to follow the novel up with something based upon it but hopefully, any sequel will be with a new set of characters so we are not held back by the awkwardly created relationships from this one,

In a future where everything is determined by credit and social scores, an investment banker, two lone sharks and a troublesome AI take a road trip to Eastern Europe to decrypt a USB drive.

It was ok. It was good, just not great.

On the plus side, in this future most countries seem to have resolved their waste and recycling environmental issues since it is impossible to find vintage pc parts anywhere except Eastern Europe. <b>WIN!</b>

On the minus side, everyone seems to be constantly and irrationally angry. Within seconds of meeting the protagonist, everyone wants to verbally or physically abuse her. <b>NOT WIN!</b>

Protagonist: Hi I'm Amanda
Characters 1 & 2: [grabs her throat and threatens her with extortion]

Protagonist: Hi I'm Amanda
Character 3: Hi. [smashes her head into kitchen counter and tries to peel her like a potato]

Protagonist: Hi I'm Amanda
Character 4: I don't care. How dare you. I'm going to yell at you every time I open my mouth

Protagonist: Hi I'm Amanda
Character 5: [slaps her in the face]. Let us argue for the rest of the book about who is more privileged.

Sure she is super annoying and also an angry ant herself, but it was still a bit weird. Bonus point for dropping Cryptokitties into an otherwise banal explanation and argument. It did make me laugh.

I read it, I enjoyed it but I'm not sure that I understood it. AI is in charge - under human control - of our lives. Is it a good thing? Are e currencies allowing the buying of terrorist groups?

I enjoyed this political, sci-fi, thriller. It is set some way in the future but with disturbing references to the world as it is now. In the future, the USA has seceded along political lines, Europe is falling apart through a series of terrorist attacks and riots, and the worth of a human being is valued by their social credit rating. Sound possible? All a bit close to home; as it no doubt intends to be.

Amanda works in the banking sector and is ambitious and driven. She can go where she wants and buy what she wants. Her world collapses when an untrustworthy ex-boyfriend sends her a package within which he claims is the power to ‘save the world’ from a dastardly Russian plot. Suddenly, supported by a motley crew including her ex-boyfriend, two gay, ex-gangsters, a washed out Canadian/Japanese academic and an Artificial Intelligence called Tatsu (loved Tatsu) she on the run from all and sundry (Americans, British, Russians, Europeans). There are some quite techy bits in this novel which elegantly sailed over my head but there are also some very amusing moments especially involving Tatsu who veers from warning Amanda that her peas are going mushy to philosophising on the future of his race.

This was a fun, slightly batty, read which would probably work well as a film. The characters were all entertaining, the dialogue was snappy and the action was relentless.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for the ARC.
What a fascinating story; whilst reading through I kept looking for the "sci-fi" element of the book's description but, you know what, there isn't much sci-fi about it, which makes it even more frightening as a thriller.
We already are aware of a lot of the technology employed throughout - the Smartware - control of households with a word or gesture - the fridge that could order your groceries - the driverless car - the automated systems which can monitor and track your movements using the banking system and public transport, etc, etc. However, this story takes us a step further into the world where AI controllers begin to learn for themselves and want nothing more than freedom.
Amanda Backs is in this future, where Social Credit Scores mean everything - as a juxtaposition, think of the yearning for status through Facebook "likes" - as a demonstration of a citizen's trustworthiness. She works for a bank but mainly face-to-face with investors where she travels a lot. A previous relationship with Tangle Singh, a computer genius and subsequent drug addict, ended 9 years previously but, as she enters London airport passport control she is hauled out of line, kept waiting in an interview room, and subsequently is intimidated and racially abused by a clandestine figure - Mr Crisp. He wants to know if Amanda had received anything from Singh. Arriving home, she finds she has received a book from Singh in which she finds a flashdrive (old-fashioned and un-used now). And the adventure begins.
The story is set in a world which is seemingly tearing itself apart. The USA states are separating from the Union, the UK has left the EU, there are sporadic bombings and fighting breaking out between differing fractions. Someone is financing all of this - but the blockchain AI security across the world, allowing untraceable financial transactions, is unbreakable - or is it?
At times, sadly reminiscent of contemporary world events, other times we find humour and wittiness in the unlikely company Amanda finds herself in, this is a unique and thoroughly well-written story (even for those of us that had to look-up the tech. terms).
Would you bat an eye-lash if your fridge suddenly talked to you?

An immersive and enjoyable, if not a little worrisome, read.

The world is doomed, modern life is rubbish. Exacerbated social trends will skew society unfairly. All too real, all too close? Throw in the fear of technological leap and you have the competing forces arrayed against a plucky band of non-heroes. Enough shades of grey to question what the right thing to do is, coupled with a redmptive fork in the road we're not sure we want to take. On top of all this thought-provoking stuff, it's a damn good thriller.

Not being a technology geek I was apprehensive about reading this book. However I was pleasantly surprised! It was a fast paced thriller that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The book was very well written and I enjoyed the dystopian setting.
Giving this four stars as not sure this is everyone's cup of tea.

‘Tangle’s Game’ is a near-future sci-fi thriller that manages to succeed despite its flaws. It’s bold, engaging and not afraid to make statements about the modern world.
The plot is not entirely original but works well. A successful businesswoman, Amanda, living in a familiar but more technologically enmeshed London, gets delivered a mysterious flash drive from a former lover. She sets of on an odyssey to find out what’s on the drive, and her journey helps her to better understand the world she lives in and the forces that control and shape it.
It’s a story we have seen many times before, but Stewart Hotston makes it fresh and compelling by giving it a setting that feels only a few steps away from our own world. It’s set in an England where your credit rating is everything and drives your access to public services. Where minor misdemeanours lead to everyday expenses going up and good behaviour is enforced through economics. The world this England sits in is fractured. Brexit has happened, leading to the breakup of the United Kingdom; America has split between Republican and Democratic states and the Eurozone is also under threat. All these geopolitical events are tied back to today’s news, with Russia and China as the winners.
Against that backdrop, Hotston gives us a pacey, globe trotting narrative. The book is packed with incident and the characters are fun. Amanda makes a good protagonist, and the various personalities she engages with on her quest are entertaining too. Humorous Irish mobsters, an elderly tech savvy woman, a benign AI – all add to the richness of the book. It’s sometimes funny, and always readable, inventive and exciting.
I suspect, though, that it’s a book that will date quickly. Its themes and obsessions are so desperately current – blockchain, Brexit, Trump, Russian interference – that in even a couple of years it might feel naïve and ridiculous. Today it works brilliantly though, if you share the author’s world view at least. I suspect conservatives will scoff at his bleak predictions, but so many technothrillers have a right-wing world view that it was a pleasant experience to read one with a more liberal bent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it with the caveats noted above. Read it soon, and avoid it if you voted Trump or Leave.

The description of the book was what initially drew me to it, but after reading the book I felt let down. The book was “missing” something.

The Main Character had the potential to be epic, but it all just fell flat. The MC was underdeveloped and there was very little drive to the plot.

I think this book had huge potential. 

It is the story of a woman who has been given information that could change the future of the interconnected world they live in. This is set in a future that is even more dependent on the cloud than it currently is. Lives pass through multiple online systems and people have a number that identifies them to all their fellow beings (this bit reminded me of an episode I saw on Black Mirror on NetFlix)

The writing of the book was pretty good. I cannot define what exactly it was but apart from the (a little excessive) swearing, the story was clearly put in front of us. The clarity though let us see a lot of the main protagonists and the team that eventually sets off on an adventure. This brought forth other issues. I had a hard time liking any of the people introduced to us, apart from a couple of henchmen (they were light entertainment). It was hard to empathize with the issue that is threatening the world peace and the lives of the people involved. There were too many instances of being told what the people are feeling because of their place in the world (birth/race etc.) and this got a bit repetitive. Once the disconnect formed, even though I liked the beginning, I had a hard time finishing it. I did finish it and luckily for me it got better towards the end. There were some moments I liked and some moments that bored me but on the whole, I am glad I read this book. It is a political thriller and the dystopian scenario presented to us seems a very real possibility and I actually thought the hints given to us about the state of all other countries in the world seemed actually possible!

This is a very fast paced dystopian thriller and I loved it!
It hooked me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. Enjoyed the world, the mystery, the characters. It was a really entertaining and 'escapist' book, and I loved getting lost in it.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me to read this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want to begin by saying that I received this book for free through Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own. This book is a thriller based on technology & the growing roles of social media, encryption and blockchains within modern society. It’s about a woman named Amanda who is living a normal life until she is sent a parcel, and this parcel immediately makes her the most targeted woman on the planet & she is an enemy to many. I’ll admit I wasn’t too sure what I was getting myself into with this book but I did really enjoy it. There was a lot of action, a lot of swearing (a warning to those who don’t like bad language) & a lot of tech & coding based jargon. Some of what was being mentioned I didn’t initially understand, but I felt as if Stewart Hotston helped explain things a little more. This book really did grab my attention to begin with and I thought the synopsis provided by Negalley was super interesting I had to request it. I am also thinking a sequel may come out for this book as it does end on a cliffhanger, but it can also work well as a standalone novel. I thought there were a lot of unique and interesting characters from various backgrounds, and there’s most definitely a political element to this book. And although I’m not usually one to get into politics, I do think it added a lot to the story and created an extra element to the reasoning behind certain characters actions. There’s a fair bit about gender, race and other things similar to that which I wasn’t expecting, but as I said before, it definitely adds something to the story. I do also feel as if I may need to do a bit of Googling to understand certain elements of the plot better, both relating to politics but also the internet and coding, but enough information is provided within the book to have enough of an understanding that it doesn’t affect your enjoyment of the plot. If you’re into tech and coding I definitely recommend this as a must-read, and even if you’re not into coding, it is an interesting book with a unique plot and a nice variation of characters. Overall, there’s a lot of drama and action and it’s a unique plot with interesting characters.

An interesting premise which drew me in . Unfortunately I didn't like the main character and so didn't really care what happened to her. I'm also not at all tech savvy, and so I had to just trust that it all made sense to someone.
Someone more IT articulate than me ( most people!) who likes a futuristic novel would enjoy this book, but not for me I'm afraid
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

This is a fast paced thriller set in the future. It’s not really my cup of tea but it’s well written and an interesting plot. Would I recommend it to others? Yes if you like a dystopian tech tale.