Cover Image: Ion Curtain

Ion Curtain

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Anya Ow's Ion Curtain is a poignant and deeply affecting work of science fiction that explores themes of memory, identity, and the human condition. In a future where individuals can transfer their consciousness to a virtual world, the story follows a group of people who choose to remain in the real world despite its numerous challenges. As they navigate a world plagued by political instability and environmental catastrophe, they are forced to confront complex questions about their own existence and what it takes to survive in a precarious world. Ow's writing is eloquent and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a world that is both familiar and eerily unfamiliar. The characters are well-drawn and relatable, each grappling with their place in a world that is constantly evolving. Overall, Ion Curtain is a thought-provoking and timely work of science fiction that will resonate with readers long after they've finished reading.

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

This was a surprise hit for me. I went into this book not expecting much of anything and just hoping that it would be a fun enough to compensate for a disastrous post-apocalyptic read I had DNFed before starting this. I'm glad that I tried it. It was fun, it was fast-paced, and it had surprisingly a lot of heart.

I loved the characters. Be it Kalina or Solitaire or our stoic Russian Captain. They are surprisingly very real and "alive" in their interactions and inner thoughts. I laughed out loud a few times and rooted for them and was shocked and sad about the demise of some of the characters. It's a sign of good writing when the reader ends up grieving the death of minor characters along with the protagonists. 

The worldbuilding was also pretty impressive and different than the usual scifi fare. In most scifi books written in the Western World, The space-faring galactic humanity is distinctly ango-saxon. If minorities are mentioned, it's glossed over or considered that they assimilated into the bigger anglo-saxon culture. It was a breath of fresh air to see something different here. Human colonies are divided between a militaristic Federation that originated from the Russian expansion into the stars and the UN who is an amalgamation of other races but with a strong Chinese base and influence. This results in mentalities, languages and behaviors that are different from the usual. I absolutely loved that! We need more diverse voices in science fiction. It's absurd to think that American culture will still dominate humanity hundreds of years from now. I loved Firefly for that exact reason - they accounted for the melting pot of cultures that will expand into the galaxy, and not all of them spoke English. 

It is also interesting to read a book about AIs and the dangers that come with achieving singularity. Though there could be discussion here whether the ships really are AIs - after all, they are brain scans of real people, so they behave like those people. Either way, the prospect is rather terrifying. And AI is be definition faster and more intelligent than a normal human. What happens if it decides that humanity is no longer relevant? What can humans do against a super computer that is self-aware and incontrollable? I think the author did an excellent job showing us just how ruthless and alien that kind of enemy can be. The destruction of New Tesla was horrifying because of how unnecessary it was. The AI destroyed an entire colony to get at one little ship. How do you negotiate with that kind of enemy?

I have one complaint about this book though. The story isn't finished. Nothing is resolved. In fact, one might argue that the real story is barely starting. This made me feel rather unsatisfied when I finished the book. I was hoping for a little more resolution so to say. And I don't mind waiting for the next book in the series, but so far no other books have been announced. I really hope we get a continuation (and conclusion) of this story eventually. 

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Its hard to gave great new ideas, and a good idea doesn't necessarily make a book. Sometimes having a couple of second hand, or less innovative ideas mixed together can do a better job. And whilst there is nothing groundbreaking in the ingredients of Anya Ow's novel Ion Curtain, the stew she makes is lots of fun. You can kind of tell from the title of the novel where she is pitching this. A future where one of the the dominant Earth powers is Russian, perhaps dressed up as Soviet (though in delving further you discover this future government is really trying to replicae the Red Army power - do the Fauxviets remind you of anyone). I can't help but think she was secretly thrilled that no-one else had written a sci-fi novel with this title.

Anyway we are in deep space expansionist mode, but directed by a few ideologically opposed earth powers still in the coldest of cold war detentes. A new technological leap is invented, a seemingly stable Artifical Intelligence based on the brain of a dead child, which as is often the way with AI's bridles with being enslaved as the next great weapon. Again not a very new idea. But these are the building block for something that lends its space opera a touch Le Carre, this is a spy thriller in space, with double agents warily being complicit with their subjects for a greater good or not. And like good spy fiction, the readers are teased too, are people who they say they are. There are a couple of very good double crossing reveals which surprised and delighted me.

Ow know her spy archetypes too - so for all the bright young couriers dashing around the galaxy trying to secure an AI device that looks like a football, there are grizzled old warhorses questioning life choices and the side their are on. All of which is buoyed along with perky prose which never makes any of the world-building hard, She might be borrowing concepts but the execution is done deftly and fun. Its clearly the start of a series and I'll be more than happy to come back for more of this.

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I had a lot of fun with this one! It's a snappy, wide-ranging space opera with spies and spirited AI-equipped spaceships and queer vibes, there's plenty to like. If anything I feel like it could have slowed down more; I'd happily have read another 50-100 pages, and there were some plot events that definitely felt like they needed more room to breathe. There's quite a bit of destruction on what we are told is an unprecedented scale that I think would've benefited from more attention. On the bright side, the way this book ends there's definitely going to be another one. Fingers crossed the sequel gets even more tangled and ruthless with its politics. Many thanks to NetGalley and Solaris Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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There was so much about this book to love from debut author Anya Ow. An adventure in the stars, in a universe where the US was no longer a super power at the time of space colonization, the Russians and the UN have an uneasy truce that is about to get rocked. Complex morality issues around AI and political machinations fill every page as you bounce between a few characters.

All that said, this book finishes in a way that feels very incomplete. It felt a bit like the end of The Sopranos at the end of a sen... No one is listing this as a series. If you look deep on the author's website she indicates that she has 2 additional follow up novels mapped out, however, which made me feel a lot better about the big question mark at the end of Ion Curtain. I hope the next book is greenlit because I want to know what happens next!

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Anya Ow’s space opera has an interesting far future in this book. Humans have spread far from Earth, and there are two large agglomerations of humanity spread across vast distances: one called UN made of of many different kinds of people, and the Federation, which looks rather like Russia transplanted to space. The Federation seems to have a much more restrictive type of society.

The story opens with a Federation captain, Victor, trying to get accustomed to his sentient spaceship, and a much smaller ship captained by Solitaire, formerly an agent/spy for the UN, coming across a destroyed Federation vessel. He and his crew go aboard to salvage what they can, when Victor arrives, threatening them with various dire outcomes if they don’t leave empty handed. Problem is, the destroyed vessel seems to want someone to take its Core, which Solitaire does, setting many deadly actions in motion, resulting in huge numbers of people murdered, and the fact that the Federation is using Artificial Super Intelligences in their ships comes to light, terribly and violently.

People rush about space trying to figure out what’s going on, with a different UN spy, Kalina, embedded with a Federation Admiral, trying to figure out what’s actually going on, while also trying to track Solitaire down for a dressing down.
The book ends with a number of problems unresolved, and some nasty ASIs still menacing humanity and threatening to destroy everything, and the not-bad ASIs trying to protect their Federation captains and not get killed.

I liked a lot about this book:
-the different ideological groupings of humans
-the group within Federation space peacefully opposing the government
-the strife and differing methods used within this group to make their points
-the super competent UN spies, especially Kalina
-the ASIs that bonded with their captains and wanted to protect them
-the civil war initiated, or exacerbated, by the nasty ASIs tearing through the Federation

What I needed from this author was tighter pacing and much more tension. There are massive, humanity-ending situations posited in this book, and I wasn’t feeling it, despite watching the nasty ASIs casually destroy ships and a huge station, and hearing the characters express their fear. I needed faster pacing, and a feeling of desperation to run through the story.

I do think there is a lot of possibility for this story, especially if the author continues and resolves the many open story threads they created.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Rebellion, Solaris for this ARC in exchange for my review.

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If there is one thing you have to give Singaporean Australian author Anya Ow for her new space opera it is the pun in the title. Ion Curtain delivers a future universe in which there is still tension between a powerful Russian Federation and the rest of humanity. Into this mix Ow throws in space pirates (corsairs) and a complicating factor that has the capacity to upend the precarious relationship between the two sides and then watches as the pieces fall.
When the book opens readers learn a bunch of stuff. The Russians have developed technology that allow their space ships to “Gate” to any point in space rather than using specifically built stations. They can do this because they have also invented artificial intelligences to run their ships and they have achieved this by mapping the brains of human beings, in this case the daughter of the inventor of the technology. Commander Victor Kulagin has been sent to find out what destroyed one of their other AI-controlled ships. But he is beaten to the punch by a crew of Corsairs led by a man called Solitaire Yeung who have boarded the destroyed ship for salvage and liberated its core artificial intelligence without actually knowing what it is. When Kulagin and his crew arrive at the dead ship they are attacked by another ship of their own and soon learn there is a fleet of rogue ships run solely by their AIs (these ones based on different, more military minds) who are out to destroy the peace and possibly humanity. At the same time Kasparov, a highly ranked Russian strategist, reveals that he knows his aide Kalina is a UN spy but that he needs her to help him solve the mystery of the rogue ships.
Once all of these pieces are in place Ow spins them around and against each other. Kulagin pursues Solitaire, Kalina investigates who is helping the AIs, Kasparov plays politics and slowly as the true nature of the threat emerges alliances shift the characters find themselves in unimagined alliances. Meanwhile the existential threat of the rogue ships grows but the long held animosity on both sides will make it difficult for humanity to come together to fight back.
Ion Curtain derives plenty of its world building from previous space opera but still manages to feel new and original. There are AIs (of course), faster than light travel and rare elements needed to power it (star seeds), shields and space stations. Ow delivers plenty of exposition but for the most part avoids huge dumps of information, leaving the explanation to character beats and action. Current real world events throw a slightly different shade onto the action and it may be hard for readers to root for a Russian main character no matter how much he bucks against the system that he is in.
This is the first book in a series but Ow does not leave the narrative on any particular cliffhanger. Rather she just leaves a slew of unresolved plot threads hanging and various characters off stage ready to tackle what happens next. But she has set up a seemingly impossible situation for humanity and she can relying on the fact that readers are likely to be intriguing to see how her motley group of main characters find a way out of this predicament in the next volume or two.

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2.5 stars, rounded up. I know and love the author from their fan fiction so I requested this title with high hopes even though science fiction is not my preferred genre. Those who liked books like <i>Ancillary Justice</i> are likely to get more mileage than me out of this futuristic Russian-Chinese space clash adventure with AI elements.

The worldbuilding is detailed and well thought out though I personally found it a bit dry. Of the various POVs, I wished the book had stayed with the corsairs more; those sections felt the most lively and readable.

I can tell that this book will be highly appealing to some; unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

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Thank you NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that the concept of this book was great, but unfortunately I didn’t really get into it as much as I hoped I would. Whilst all the characters were very much likeable, there were so many characters that it sometimes got a bit confusing. Because there were also different ships, each containing multiple characters, I didn’t feel that it was clear enough where the action was occurring. This could have been easily sorted by adding a subtitle under the chapter number, with each ship or where it was taking place. Also, with the large number of characters, it made it quite difficult to properly get to know them and see character development. However, after I was 70% of the way through I did get hooked onto the plot, so it may have just been me trying to figure out the characters.

I also felt that at times it was a bit rushed and at others the plot was slow moving (I don’t know if that makes sense?).

My favourite characters were, of course, Solitaire and Viktor. Kalina was also great as they were well written and strong. Overall, I mostly enjoyed this book and I would recommend this to Sci-Fi lovers.

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In “normal” conditions, it would be hard to avoid a title as striking as Ion Curtain. It is profoundly simple, yet it carries decades of baggage. Such a mild change carries the possibility of re-negotiating the phrase for a new crop of science fiction readers and writers. Whether or not this was what the author intended, those are the expectations that the novel became saddled with inside my own mind. So to say that Anya Ow’s debut novel is both interesting and disappointing should be taken with a grain of salt sprinkled on the mountain I had made.

Ion Curtain follows Kalina Sokolova as the aid to one of the Russian Federation’s most talented strategists, Admiral Kasparov. She also happens to be a member of the Jinyiwei, an elite spy organization of the United Nations. Her objective is to gather information, but if push comes to shove, she has the clearance to remove Kasparov from the board entirely. But when the roguish pirate, Solitaire Yeung, scavenges an advanced Russian warship, the cracks between the two powers begin to accumulate. The problem is, neither Yeung or Sokolova understands exactly what he stole. But the U.N. is hoping to get it, while the Russians hope to get it back. In the shadows however, a third clandestine group wrestles for the power Yeung has pilfered, and Kasparov may be Sokolova’s window into who they might be.

Given the nature of the war in Ukraine, I imagine this book will have a controversial quality to it. This is especially the case because a majority of the perspectives are from within the Russian Federation. Though this was most definitely written prior to those events, I do want to give the reader a heads up.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this debut, because it has a lot to like, while also leaving me feeling wanting. Ow’s writing, while uneven at times, is incredibly compelling. She avoids large information dumps that feel out of place for the events that occur, yet manages to catch the reader up organically in the future she envisions. Her biggest strength is her dialogue, which is fun, character oriented, and lively. The terse and almost sparring tinged language of the Russian Federation officers juxtaposed against the spontaneous and flirtatious blah blah of Yeung and his pirate crew is fantastic. Sokolova’s consistent code switching was flawless, giving her a ruthless spy edge that shows her dedication to her work while alienating her from everyone she interacts with, except for Kasparov. My favorite parts of the book were their conversations, watching them try to outmaneuver each other while also forming a strange bond of mutual respect.

The plot itself is messy, but not necessarily in a bad way. Ow pulls at the various threads using different characters to slowly reveal what exactly is going on. Yeung is on the run, trying to keep two steps ahead of the Russians while also failing miserably at it. Sokolov uses her skills to infiltrate the Federation while supplying Kasparov with information he could find helpful to regain a semblance of control. And the third POV, Viktor, chases Yeung while being the only captain to have dealt with the clandestine force. Most chapters are exciting and deal with the character’s internal battles, but sometimes they feel out of place. The POV switches sometimes stuttered the momentum as I had to re-orient myself. This was unhelped by the flood of character’s Sokolov encountered, while Yeung and Viktor stayed within the same orbits. My interest in each character flitted about like a fly hoping to find a meal to rest on before being shooed off by an annoyed hand.

The most frustrating aspect of the book however, was I’m not entirely sure what was the point was or what was being explored. Both sides had their issues, their detractors and supporters. All the characters found themselves somewhat in the middle of everything, unsure of where to house their loyalties. And while I normally would welcome this crisis of identity, it didn’t feel like it was where the magnifying glass was pointed. There weren’t clear juxtapositions between the characters, while at the same time there was a lot of talk about U.N. this and Russian Federation that. Not to mention, the third party didn’t really have a pronounced presence beyond “oh shit, they could ruin everything.” Throw it all in a blender with an ending that feels like a “first book cliffhanger” with several character threads floating in the wind and you have a tonic for creating mass confusion. It felt like an idea was trying to crawl out of the book and become something, but Ow just wasn’t sure what it was yet.

It’s even more exasperating when all the pieces feel there. Ow did a great job of setting up a cold war scenario, even if it’s simple. The characters are fun to watch, and the cat and cat game between Kasparov and Sokolov was a major highlight. Despite it’s flaws I had an enjoyable experience and I recommend it if you are curious. Anya Ow is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the future and I will definitely be diving into her short fiction to experience what she has in store for readers.

Rating: Ion Curtain – 7.0/10
-Alex

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An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.

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ION Curtain by Anya Ow is a book that left me with mixed feelings. Not in a bad way, mind you. But mixed feelings they were.

This is basically the Cold War but in space. An interstellar Cold War. Lieutenant Kalina Sokolova is an aide to Counter-Admiral Kasparov, the major strategist for the Russian Navy. She is also an elite spy working for the UN.

Solitaire Yeung is a corsair, a scavenger, a pirate. In the heart of a destroyed Russian battleship, his salvage crew makes a discovery that will change the course of humanity in space. The brain of a dead ship - its top secret artificial intelligence - that they take and run away with. The problem is that the Russians want it back, and the UN wants it too. But they're not the only ones that want it. There's something more powerful in space that all of humanity will have to fight to survive.

This sci-fi novel revisits multiple themes in the far depths of space. It's the cold war all over again but in the space age. Worries about conscious AI is still prevalent as they challenge the balance of power and emotions. Can they really feel like humans? Do they care? And there are spies who are trying to do the best for their country and/or the greater good.

The worldbuilding (universe-building?) is brilliant. You learn enough of what you need to know throughout, giving you a sense of where the human race is at this point. Using Russians as antagonists in the plot is bold given current circumstances, but that also makes it seem quite relevant. The futuristic Russian Federation is different to what we'd think of Russia now and has some of the best characters in the book. Counter-Admiral Kasparov was probably my favourite, and I hope we get more of him in the next book.

Other characters are enjoyable, although no one seems to be really fleshed out. This isn't a bad thing as it adds a bit of intrigue to everyone - especially since not everyone is what they seem, particularly as the book progresses. There's a load of surprises that keep characters relatable and fun. They still feel like real people with dialogue that seems realistic. You can actually picture these conversations taking place.

The general plot, characters and writing style make it easy to enjoy how the plot progresses. It made the book hard to put down. It could have been a bit longer, but I'm also totally fine with the length of it - I just enjoyed it, so want more. Thankfully I will get more at some point as the book rushes to a close without closing the story. So there'll surely be another book on the way. It'd be criminal to leave this as it is.

Quite simply, ION Curtain is super enjoyable, and I can't wait for the next instalment, whenever that may be. It gets an easy 5/5.

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Thank you to NetGalley and to Rebellion Publishing for this ARC!

Humanity has conquered Space, and there are two main powers: the UN, which is mainly the old Sol superpower, China, and The Federation, which was Russia (a wonderfully non-Anglo-powered universe). They are as competitive as ever, but there has been no war for a long time as trade makes more sense.

Things are apparently about to change, though. The Federation has created ASI ships, the first generation of which goes rogue. Initially, the UN believes there is some kind of civil war in the Federation, but it soon becomes clear that the rogue ships are the enemy of all of humanity.

Anya Ow has built a fantastic universe, with a sometimes baffling amount of detail to it. I’m a huge fan of this kind of intricacy, but I had to let go of trying to make sense of all of the details and just enjoy the story—which I very much did. Ow creates and develops really great characters: my favourites are the ships, because, SENTIENT SHIPS! I always love those in SF, and these are named in the great tradition. (I probably only needed to say sentient ships to any fan of old space opera to finish this review.)

Some themes: politics, war, ASI, queerness and a queer sex scene, strong male protagonists (don’t worry, there are some very cool women, just a little less developed). There is a very diverse cast, which is a thrill. I was very intrigued by the politics, because this isn’t written from a [Westcentric] perspective: there is a lot of nuance, and you likely won’t find yourself cheering for one side over the other (although, I confess, the Feds seemed pretty cool to me).

I imagine the final book may be a little shorter than the ARC, which was really quite long (no complaints from me, i loved hanging out in this universe). We have also been set up for a sequel, for which I cannot wait.

Highly recommended for all fans of military SF and space opera.

Rated: 8/10.

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I thought the worldbuilding was incredible and that is what kept me reading Ion Curtain. I wasn't as sure about the characters but it was interesting to see them develop. Overall a 3 star read for me, it was an okay book with interesting ideas but didn't wow me.

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Near future sci-fi space opera. Intriguingly, a near future space age with Russia and Chinese dominated UN as the two main dominating forces. Scientists have finally created an AI or rather they have copied human brains and integrated them into computer cores. The results are as expected with the AIs either loving their crew or hating their enslavers. Spies, revolutionaries, pirates and more get in on the action as they hunt the one AI brain core that’s on the loose. Buckle up, it’s a bumpy ride. Great world building and engaging characters. Enjoyed it but skipped the few scenes that included graphic sex and violence. Recommend.

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My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Rebellion Publishing, for an advanced copy of this space opera set in a galaxy of deception, corsairs and oddly acting AIs.

Space might be the final frontier, but humans will be packing their pettiness and need to blow things up when they finally make it out there. Anya Ow's Ion Curtain is set in a galaxy where a long standing cold war has suddenly become hot with spies, pirates, admirals and revolutionaries all jockeying for dominance against each other, while the real enemy is far more powerful and knowledgeable than they think.

In the future the galaxy has two opposing forces the UN and a Federation that is Russian in origin and in actions. Between these are a group of neutral forces, and corsairs, pirates who work both sides, when they can. A distress call from a Russian Federation battleship in distress somewhere deep space draws Solitaire Yeung, known for both his bad luck and gift for trouble to the scene. Finding the ship holed and its crew dead Yeung enters the ship hoping for a quick score. Instead he finds something that both sides and numerous others will destroy space stations and kill thousands of lives for. A new form of AI, that can make ships better, stronger and travel without needing gate technology. Soon known space is full of spies, revolutionaries, pirates and others jockeying for the secret of the AI, as another enemy bids its time, waiting to appear and tilt the balance.

A big space story with a lot of opera, ideas and characters that make the reader care and interested in what is happening and where things are going. With lots of space battles. However the real treat is the idea of the artifical intelligence that is the meat of the story. I skipped a bit in my summation to hide the revel, and boy is it a good one, and one that really makes the story. The universe the author describes is different, though the names are the same, as today, but is a universe I would like to know more about. The characters are very diverse and with a love story I did not see coming based on the characters but makes sense. And you feel glad for them. The story does end a tad abruptly, but its a good cliffhanger to keep a person wanting to know more and keep reading the series, so that is just a nitpick, not a complaint. The author balances the characters well, and keeps the story moving, without bogging down or getting lost.

The names are the same it is more the chessboard that has changed. Cold war in space sounds fun and makes sense. Quite a good story, with a lot of things exploding, characters you care about and some interesting tech and a new universe to explore. I can't wait to read more in this series and more by Anya Ow.

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Ion Curtain has an interesting premise. You have a cold war, between Russian interstellar states and UN interstellar states. You have the beginning of A.I. You also have a spy story.

There are interesting characters, the plot moves along, there is history in this world.

I would recommend that you give the story a chance. This book has many flaws, characters will all the sudden start acting differently than how they were originally written, there are exposition dumps, relationships that just don't make sense all the sudden happen (like the book all the sudden was picked up and written after not being written for a long time), and finally the book ends - without ending. Even with these flaws, there is promise in Anya Ow's writing.

If you have some time to read, give Ion Curtain a chance.

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I was given a free review copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a 5 star premise: Ships are fitted with AI, mapped from either different sources. This might be ... problematic.

The middle section of this book was three star for me - there are lots of characters and they do a lot of running around, briefly talking and then fighting. Lots of fighting.
I started to have trouble keeping up with the characters, because none of them had much character. There was not enough depth or worldbuilding so I never really got a feel for the bigger picture. it was just two opposing sides, opposing each other.

And then there is a really cringy sex scene, with little context, so that was awkward.
There is also the weird detail that when people meet they ping their pronouns to each other. Just their pronouns. why? When I'm talking to you, I don't need to know your pronouns. You are you. The pinging of pronouns gets mentioned every time people meet, but there is no broader context provided for this. I guess it was an isolated attempt at culture building?

Despite the lack of depth, this book doesn't actually finish. It does the fly somewhere - talk briefly - blow up / get blown up thing for what felt like an eternity, and then finishes at what feels like it should be the end of a chapter, not the book. Maybe it's setting itself up for a sequel, but I certainly don't care enough about what happens to read one.

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Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I loved this book, just inhaled in a couple of settings. The world-building, the characters, everything felt so well thought out and cohesive. I can imagine living in this world, it felt real to me. The writing is mature and well-paced. I was initially annoyed with the changing POVs as there are three main characters but it works!

I also loved the tiny details. That scene of a rando accosting Kalina? Details like this always felt naturally part of the story, not shoehorned in.

Now onto the cliffhanger of an ending. So many unanswered questions! The novel feels like the opening and the middle, with the ending missing.

There are a couple of typos, but I loved this book so much. Now I'm going to reread it.

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I liked it. It delivers lots of humor and thrilling action, plus exciting adventure and likable characters. I'm sure readers enjoying Space Operas, AI's and spy stoties will be thrilled to read this one.

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First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This is a sci fi novel that revisits a multitude of themes, in a somewhat new twist. It's the cold war all over again, in the space age (now relevant more than ever), new types of conscious AIs are challenging the balance of power and people's perception of emotions, and spies are trying to balance doing good for their countries with what good is for the world.

I really liked this book. While some parts are somewhat derivative from Peter Hamilton's Commonwealth series and Iain M Banks's Culture series, everything is presented in a punchy, easy to digest, and action packed envelope. This is a book it's hard to put down, with real tension and thrill pulling one in. I particularly liked the characters, who might be less developed than those in the abovementioned series, are relatable and fun. They feel complete and real, vs being caricatures. The dialogues are witty and realistic, making it easy to enjoy how the plot progresses.

I also very much liked the worldbuilding, and while few things are truly innovative, bringing them together in this way certainly is. Also placing the Russian "antagonists" in the center of the plot is bold and fun. Lots of thinking went into depicting this futuristic Russian Federation, and I cannot be but impressed.

There are two major aspects I am less happy about. First, the book could easily have been twice as long. Too many things were rushed. Nothing terrible about this, but I would have appreciated the opportunity to learn more about how the people in this reality live, what their underlying motivations are, and what their world looks like from their perspective. Peter Hamilton is particularly good at this. Second, while I love seeing LGBTQ characters in books, some of the depictions of this important topic in this book felt forced, and it wasn't clear how they added to the plot

Super highly recommended. I can't wait for the next installment.

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