I really enjoyed the concept of this story. The pacing and overall feel was reminiscent of watching a jack ryan film: non-stop action and political secrets. I also really enjoyed the characters. I would have personally loved a bit more world-building and description to help give context to all the goings-on. The introduction of AI in this way felt fresh and very interesting.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to read this ARC!

3.5 stars

It's been a while since I've read a dystopia novel and I really liked the concept of a dictatorship political race between human vs AI.

What starts out as a journey of Marcus Tully uncovering the truth of a climate disaster that killed his wife gets him embroiled in a murder investigation of a long time friend and creator of Solomon, Martha Chandra.

I liked the sci-fi elements - floating states, pods, head/earsets and neural reality - all of which aren't too crazy to conceive given the times we live in today. They was seamless integration of these aspects of the book that made it easy to imagine what it would be like.

Tully is a broken man who has bandaged his wounds with the distraction of his journalistic work to reveal the truth of key political figures. His sarcastic, and often awkward nature, made him endearing to read. Livia's grief at the loss of her sister was tangible, but it would have been good to see her transition into the persona she adopted in the second half of the story.

I did see the initial twist coming but it turned out to be a double twist which I didn't guess. I did question why certain characters made decisions that didn't seem to agree with how they were presented, but it appeared necessary to unravelling the plot. Based on the ending, there is potential for a sequel, however the open ended-ness of it works well too

Look, maybe I'm just dumb, but 90% of the book went over my head.

Don't get me wrong, the storyline is easy to understand if you're an avid reader of dystopia, technology advancement, AI, and conspiracy theories. But I wouldn't recommend this to beginners wanting to jump into speculative dystopia.

It is very well written. That's why it stands at 3 stars, but I can't make it 4 or 5 simply because I didn't enjoy it. The ending wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be, which dampened my whole experience.

Overall, this is a great choice for avid sci-fi readers, especially those wanting AI topics in their book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC!

This book was really good! I really enjoyed the concept of a weapon that can control the weather, as terrifying as that may be, and how dire the world became in response.

I also really enjoyed the concept of the AI world dictator, especially paired with the “evil” counterpart we meet.

I do think this book would have been more enjoyable if it was just set a bit more into the future. 2050 is not very many years away and it’s hard to believe that all of this could happen in just twenty six years.

Thanks to the publishers and the author for my copy of this book! All opinions are my own

This book was a great concept. I picked it up because I’ve been seeing it all over Instagram and I was intrigued by the cover. I look forward to reading more by this author, it combines two of my favorite things, sci fi and thrillers.

This made me feel all sorts of things (mainly fear) about the future, especially the future of AI. The book is cleverly written and well-thought-out. I hope more people will read this. I feel like I'm gonna be thinking about this book for the next few days.

In a nutshell, the year is 2050 a decade after a heatwave killed 400 million people across the Persian Gulf. There’s also a worldwide election for a global dictatorship between a human and AI politician. The mandate: to prevent a climate apocalypse.

The main character is Marcus Tully, an investigative journalist whose wife died in the heatwave. He tries to uncover the truth about the heatwave: was it a natural disaster or a weapon of genocide? He gets dragged into a murder investigation that’s at the heart of the election which he learns is being swayed.

There is A LOT going on in this book … sci-fi, politics, murder, conspiracy theories. The futuristic world the author painted was extremely vivid. The use of neuro reality was kind of cool but felt very distrusting. The level of technology had me at a loss for words and to think that some of us might possibly see this in the future is a little scary.

There were moments when I thought I had the story figured out and then everything gets completely turned around. This book kept me engaged the entire time and after reading it, I have a new profound love for techno thrillers.

This was a solid dystopian novel steeped in climate catastrophe. In the near future, the world is on the verge of total collapse and only a dictator can fix it. If that doesn’t sound like the start of a really bad idea, I’m not sure what is. The author plays on the fears of humanity, by using the real threat of today, to show a world where desperation becomes a driving force. The protagonists, Tully and October, are well-developed characters who are a force to be reckoned with. Tully, a broken man in search of the truth about his wife, will do anything to discover the truth. October is a by-the-book cop who also wants the truth but by completely honest means. As a team, they lead the reader down a series of paths that may or may not lead to the truth.

Not only does the author develop a detailed plot with hard-hitting prose, he takes the reader down multiple rabbit holes of possible answers. Just when you think you have figured out what is going on, and who the villain is, a new clue emerges that throws your whole conclusion out the window. It’s cleverly written and not easily solved.

I enjoyed this novel and the what-if’s it presented. If you are a fan of science fiction or futuristic books, this one’s for you.

A gobsmacking roller coaster. 5/5.

I was intrigued with this story from the very first page, drawn to Tully’s journey and perspective. I loved the pacing and was swept away in the emotional throughlines. I can see so much of this world and definitely imagine this as a long standing series. It’s futuristic detective noir vibe and the main character reminds me so much of Bladerunner. It draws you in and the world itself has a way of becoming a mystery. To me, this was quite believable once I could visualize the experience of everything, which Weaver makes easy in his descriptions. From technology to politics to business practices and changes in culture it was all compelling and believable, that this imagined version of 2050 really isn’t so far off. It was a chilling, emotional read. Something that will stay with me and I see myself going back to.

With all the recent developments and conversations around AI, and just personally in general, I am usually optimistic. This story had a way of drawing me into the emotions of every believable moment only to be betrayed and torn apart. Weaver makes the unlikely likable and the unimaginable so….enticing. I will be raving about this book for months and recommending it to more than friends and family. It will absolutely change the way you are thinking about technology and our future. The story unfolded in the most unassuming way, through the perfect character (in my opinion). I could have seen this told through Livia as a young female coming of age stepping into her strength and confidence under these insane circumstances, and as much as I think I would love that story, the perspective of Tully and all his brokenness are so heart wrenching because of who he is and what he realizes on this journey.

Is survival worth the cost? Does humanity deserve it? Which do you prioritize, life or liberty?

Despite all that, it is not pessimistic. Actually very hopeful and defiant.

I am incredibly invested in this storyline and can’t wait to see where Weaver takes us. Please keep writing and sharing your stories with us, Thomas Weaver. Thank you for the free edition in exchange for an honest review.

“That was the thing about truth. Sometimes, you were judged more harshly for revealing it than for concealing it.”

“Artificial Wisdom,” by Thomas R. Weaver

A decade after a heatwave killed millions in the Persian Gulf a whistleblower brings Tully, whose wife died during the heatwave, into an investigation to uncover what really cause the deaths. All this amongst an election for a global dictator to prevent more climate apocalypse situations. Tully takes it upon himself to convince the world to make the right choices for all of humanity.

I liked the futuristic aspect of the book, and the concept was great. Unfortunately, I was bored through most of the book. It just wasn’t for me. 2 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

I was hooked from the cover and description and so glad I was able to read this. It had that murder mystery that I was hoping for and enjoyed the idea of this book. It had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish and so glad it was so well done. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and glad it was well done.

I think this book was good. I requested it because it sounded interesting, and it was. The cast of characters was interesting and all so different from one another. I love the setting and environment this book created it really helped to create well rounded and dynamic characters

Ten years before, A heatwave killed millions of people across the Persian Gulf. The wife of journalist Marcus Tully, was included in the tragedy. Now it’s 2050 and climate change has heated up the world, leaving no choice but to have a dictator to battle the issue. This results in a past American president and the first AI politician. Marcus Tully investigates the past heatwave and the election, digging himself into tough situations.

Thomas R. Weaver wrote a murder mystery revolving around the future world and what it could look like.

Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐️

Opinion: Climate change is terrifying and this book does an amazing job at showing what the world could look like because of it.

I thought the commentary on ai, social media, and politics was done well. This book kind of indirectly discusses the danger of social media and how it could affect the future. So is already becoming so important, and the story shows what it could become. The politics seem to not change, there’s still corruptness even when the world is in danger. That’s how I interpreted it at least.

The neuroreality concept was a nice touch. The headset and the jello like substance that they had to take to use virtual reality were nice choices.

In general, I thought the world building was great. I’d like to see more about the floating states as I thought that was an interesting concept.

I liked Marcus Tully a lot and felt the most connection with him. I didn’t care much for any of the other characters.

Now, I was aware that this was supposed to be fast paced, so I’m not really adding this opinion into my rating, but the pacing was strange to me. Fast at times and slow at others. Sometimes I felt it could have been flushed out more.

Overall, I did like this book a lot!

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

I've really enjoyed reading this book. New Carthage, a world in a dome, a world ran by AI, a place with VR headsets and politics. A murder occurs, who is responsible and what are their motives? This story really gets you thinking about the future, it is set in 2050, not that far ahead really. I wonder what the future holds for us and if AI could control more in the world for themselves and others?

I love Livia and Tully, they are brilliant characters, have a lot to bring to the table. Solomon is an unusual one but still has bits to offer the team.

I like the mystery aspect of this, I also like the idea of an egospace, a personal, virtual place you can transport to, somewhere you can materialise things into and be happy in. It sounds amazing and can become anything and anywhere you want.

I really enjoyed the future setting. It opens up a world of imagination and makes you think what could be.

The story of Zainab brings a whole new level to this book, also more mystery to why what happened, happened. All is not what it seems!

Would recommend this and look forward to more from Tom soon!

It’s 2050, a decade after a heatwave that killed four hundred million across the Persian Gulf, including journalist Marcus Tully’s wife. Now he must uncover the truth: was the disaster natural? Or is the weather now a weapon of genocide?

A whistleblower pulls Tully into a murder investigation at the centre of an election battle for a global dictator, with a mandate to prevent a climate apocalypse. A former US President campaigns against the first AI politician for the position, but someone is trying to sway the outcome.

Tully must convince the world to face the truth and make hard choices about the future of the species. But will humanity ultimately choose salvation over freedom, whatever the cost?

An enthralling murder mystery with a vividly realised future world, forcing readers to grapple with hard hitting questions about the climate crisis, our relationship with Artificial Intelligence and the price we'd be willing to pay, as a species, to be saved. Perfect for fans of Blake Crouch, Harlan Coben, Neal Stephenson, Philip K. Dick, Kim Stanley Robinson and RR Haywood.

Very interesting premise and plot. Believable and relatable characters and just enough action and adventure to hook you fairly early. I will be looking forward to reading more books in this world and by this author!