Set in the near future, this book looks at the growing influence of AI and the monetisation of our personal data. Although things have progressed a little further in the world of the book, the issues are certainly nothing new to what we are dealing with in the real world.
In the first half of the novel, our heroine Julia is helping Piers find his missing wife, the dream artist Elli. The second half of the novel builds on this, but I did feel like this was two separate stories put together in one book.
There was plenty of adventure and intrigue in this novel. And I really liked the way Liu brought the technology to life. For example, there were lots of tech words he invented (or that I haven't heard of at least), and they fit seamlessly into the story. He really brought out some of the major ethical issues that we are currently facing in the growth of AI, too.
The biggest lack in the book for me, was the characters. I had no emotional connection at all with Piers and Elli. Julia felt like a typical empty action hero, although I did like the little bit of backstory that was revealed about her childhood. The main bad guys were just basic bad guys.
Overall, an enjoyable read - 3.5 stars rounded up. I will definitely be on the look out for the promised next book in the series!

Ken Liu’s The Dandelion Dynasty remains one of the most unique and breathtaking series I’ve ever read—an epic that fused science, philosophy, and politics into something truly visionary. So naturally, when I heard that Liu was returning with a brand-new science fiction thriller, All That We See or Seem, I was incredibly excited.

Let me start with what absolutely worked for me: this novel has some fascinating explorations of what society could look like in the near future, when AI has become deeply embedded in our identities and daily lives. Liu poses deeply thought-provoking questions about how technology reshapes not only our experiences, but also our sense of self, reality, and emotional connection. The concept of “onierofexes”—dream artists who can craft and share communal dreamscapes—feels dystopian and black mirror like. There are moments where the book offers sharp and timely warnings about the fine line between escapism and manipulation which I appreciated.

Unfortunately, the novel doesn’t quite hold up when compared to Liu’s previous work. The characters, especially protagonist Julia Z, never really came to life for me. For someone with such a rich backstory—“orphan hacker” turned reluctant hero—Julia felt emotionally distant and underdeveloped. Similarly, the plot, while initially intriguing, quickly lost momentum. It often felt like Liu had a handful of really fascinating ideas he wanted to explore and only afterward tried to fit a story around them. The result is a book that feels idea-driven rather than story-driven, with pacing that struggles to build tension or emotional stakes. It’s as if the narrative was in service to the themes, not the other way around.

In the end, All That We See or Seem is a novel with a brilliant premise but one that ultimately feels forgettable. I admire Ken Liu’s mind enormously and still believe he is one of the greatest speculative fiction writers working today. While this book didn’t land for me, I will absolutely be reading whatever he writes next.

2.5 / 5

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This was an extremely compelling and sharp narrative, with some very interesting takes on AI. I wish the characters had been a bit more fleshed out, a little stronger; but overall I found this an enjoyable thrill ride.

Ken Liu is a well-known author for me. I’ve read some books of his epic fantasy series The Dandelion Dynasty, his multiple award-winning short story The Paper Menagerie, and books he translated. So I was very excited when I heard he was going to release his first sci-fi thriller in a new series. I was kindly gifted this ARC by Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

All That We See Or Seem, releasing in October, begins as a straightforward mystery when the main character Julia Z is approached by Piers, a man desperate to find his missing wife Elli. She is a dream weaver, known for hosting collective dream gatherings. Julia and Piers partner up to find Elli and unravel the mystery.
Although this all seems very simple, there is so much more happening. This adventure is only a part of the overall book, which left me feeling misled by the blurb. Ken Liu tries to do a lot in this book, but prioritizes fast-paced prose and cliffhangers over deep character work and believable plot lines.

Julia’s backstory is well integrated into the narrative and this could make her a multidimensional and intriguing character. However, the author undermines this with convenient events that need to happen to keep the plot going. For example, Julia is often portrayed as socially awkward and lonely, yet every time she needs help, there is some old friend with a safe house or she meets a trustworthy stranger. Even Julia mentions it herself in the book, when thinking “this was an unexpected stroke of luck”.

The book focuses on Julia, but there are moments when Liu decides to switch POV’s to characters on the ‘other side’. This adds to the scope of the story, but makes one of my gripes with the book obvious. All the other characters feel secondary and flat. Even Piers, who gets much page time, is bland and unbelievable. He starts off as a nervous lawyer, but transforms into a criminal mastermind within two days, only to revert back to being a clueless guy just to serve a dramatic plot line.
The character work on the ‘bad guys’ is even worse. They are exactly that… bad. They have no other character traits whatsoever.

The prose flows across the pages and is easy to follow, but Ken Liu sometimes kept important information hidden, while Julia already knew it. I think that’s a lazy way to keep the mystery and suspense intact.

The book touches on themes like racism, conspiracies, belonging, AI, … to spark some introspection and lift this novel above a standard sci-fi thriller. It’s in these moments that I recognize Ken Liu’s voice the most. Beneath the rather superficial story lies a well thought out world, with interesting ideas about the use of technology. I definitely notice the potential within this story, but the execution falls short for me.

You will enjoy this if you are a fan of fast-paced sci-fi thrillers in the likes of Blake Crouch. However, I expected more from Ken Liu.

All That We See or Seem completely caught me off guard, in the best possible way. A treasure hunt disguised as a high octane thriller, this genre-defying novel blends advanced technology, AI, and alternate realities with sharp pacing and a layered mystery at its core.

Julia Z is a standout protagonist, jaded yet deeply human, shaped by a vulnerable childhood and her past as a hacker. When she’s drawn into a complex missing person case, her ability to outthink and outmanoeuvre those around her becomes her greatest weapon. The twists and turns are clever, the world-building richly imagined, and the storytelling both cerebral and emotionally engaging.

This is the kind of book that keeps you guessing, and thinking, long after the final page. Ken Liu has crafted a sharp, smart, and surprisingly moving story with a strong female lead I’m already eager to follow in the next instalment.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, this one is an absolute must read for fans of speculative thrillers, tech driven mysteries, and fierce, intelligent heroines.

Basically a thriller set in the not so distant future that makes the reader think a lot about Artificial Intelligence and its developing influence in society. It reminded me of some James Bond films with its very powerful baddie controlling the world from afar and having secret underground lairs.
I liked Julia Z the infamous hacker who had retreated into obscurity until recruited by Piers to find his successful dream spinning wife Elli who has disappeared. She was also an interesting character who has been seduced by fame until she realises she is trapped in a life she no longer wants. Other characters are not so padded out and a bit cliched.
It works well as an easy to read fairly realistic thriller with a final twist that I think most readers will have guessed in advance.
Thanks to NetGalley and head of zeus for the ARC

All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu is a sci-fi thriller set in the near future. It takes place in a society where people heavily rely on AI for nearly everything, and data is constantly being collected from everyone. I thought this world was fascinating, but also creepy, as I'm a bit worried that something similar might become reality.

As for the story itself… I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t feel invested in the characters, and although the mystery/thriller aspect started off strong, it lost momentum as the book went on. Around the 60-70% mark, it felt like the story was wrapping up, but then it just kept going, which felt weird. Up to that point, I would have rated the book 3 stars. Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy the last part. The plot started to feel more and more unrealistic, and I found myself dreading picking it up again.

Overall, the story didn’t feel well-constructed, which is a shame because the world itself was cool (and a bit unsettling).

*Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

ARC received from Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.
(Expected release: 9th Oct 25)

Ken Liu’s All That We See or Seem is an exceptional blend of science fiction and thriller, offering a provocative meditation on identity, consciousness, and the human condition. Set in a near future where AI and pervasive technology infiltrate every facet of life, the novel pushes readers to question what it means to be human when memory, autonomy, and even perception can be engineered.

Liu’s world-building is as intricate as it is unsettling, and his prose carries the precision and elegance fans have come to expect. However, the pacing is uneven—some sections unfold with deliberate slowness while others accelerate abruptly, creating occasional dissonance. Minor grammatical issues appeared, though this is unsurprising in an ARC and did not detract from the experience.

Great fun reading the new novel from Ken Liu. However, it seems like a step back compared to the philosophical and profound short stories and the complexity of the Dandelyon series. This near future seems extremely near, could be mostly even today, and the innovations depicted are not very surprising.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve loved Ken Liu’s work since first reading one of his collections of short stories several years ago. I devoured the next collection, really appreciated his work translating The Three Body Problem, then found out about his Dandelion Dynasty series and got into that as well. I was really excited when I heard about All That We See or Seem, and very grateful when provided an ARC through NetGalley.

I liked the character development in the story and it was a really plausible scenario of how we could see technology control even more of our lives in the near future. It wasn’t dystopian, but certainly something I could see developing. I consider myself a bit of a tech geek and I loved the descriptions of future gadgets and gizmos, and new systems, and how they formed a part of the story. It was a really cool book - and I’m so glad it’s intended to be the first in a series.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC.
I haven’t read the Dandelion dynasty saga so I had no expectations whatsoever - I was fascinated by the premise of the book and that’s why I requested it.
It wasn’t the book for me, I’m sad to say.
The characters of this story were kinda flat: that’s what happens, I believe, when you let them go through stuff without showing how they affected them intimately, how their actions have been shaped (or not) by their past and why: saying that they are the way they are because of their upbringing or trauma is not enough, as I prefer a deeper dive in their thoughts and feelings and not just being presented with the facts.
The book is filled with acronyms and functional descriptions of technology some may be familiar with, that ultimately make the book way too wordy, stalling many passages with technicalities. I lost focus on the importance of AI being used on a larger, coercive scale, threatening individuality and privacy, by having to read countless derivative paragraphs that felt like an instruction manual.
The thriller aspect was kind of weak: the whole ordeal was basic in plot and execution, with different povs that gave away too much, leaving the reader as a spectator of things they already know and taking away the fun of trying to decipher the mystery.
Overall not the book for me. I didn’t enjoy reading this but pushed through, hoping it could deliver something by the end, but unfortunately it wasn’t the case.

The new sci-fi thriller from Ken Liu, ‘All That We See or Seem’ follows orphan hacker Julia Z who is enlisted by a lawyer to find his kidnapped wife, a case in which he's the police’s prime suspect. Known for ‘The Paper Tiger Menagerie and Other Stories’ and ‘Dandelion Dynasty' this book may seem a little surprising to Ken Liu fans, however it's not dissimilar to his ‘Hidden Girl and Other Stories’ collection and the ‘Pantheon’ TV adaptation that stemmed from it. The world building in this novel was brilliant and vivid and the way in which Liu used the various technological devices were intelligent and exciting. Ironically much of the best character work in this book were the supporting cast rather than Julia herself, while Julia was still a strong character she felt a little too close to the orphan archetype at times, albeit in a different setting. Still I'm excited to see what happens with her character throughout the rest of the series, and the characters were overall a real strength of this book. While the plot was exciting and fast paced, making great use of the setting to elevate it, Liu makes an odd decision structurally about two thirds of the way through which didn't quite hit for me. Despite that this is a truly fantastic book and while it would work perfectly as a stand alone I cannot wait for the next entry into this series.

This was a book with a really interesting plot and premise. I liked the plot and the setting of a not so distant future with humanity having a heavy reliance on AI and machines. The plot was entertaining up until the 70% mark when everything comes to a head. After that mark, I felt as though the story dragged on a little bit and the book then turned into a crime investigative thriller with a subplot. I had more questions than answers at the end especially relating to Elli. The book was enjoyable to read.

Julia has a troubled background. When Piers comes to ask for her help finding his missing wife, she’s reluctant. Julia says yes but has no idea what she has truly gotten herself into.

This book had a lot of really exciting moments and some excellent concepts. There was a good amount of action, which helped the parts that I could not understand at all.
I had a couple issues with this book that made it hard to read. It felt as though there were two different books trying to be tied into one. The rising and falling action led into another somewhat obscure path for the main character that just felt not tied to the rest of the book. My other issue was the fact that I didn’t know what the characters were talking about half the time. There were long sections of ‘explanation’ that were boring and not helpful to the plot.

I did like the occasional perspective shifts. And I enjoyed the plot overall. Just wasn’t my favourite.

Weird book. Felt like it ended two-thirds in and then just... kept going? The pacing is all over the place—like dreaming of running a marathon, to then wake up and realise it's the day of the actual marathon.

The AI themes are actually really smart, and you can tell Liu’s got a sharp mind for the philosophical side of tech and humanity. But the story itself? Not so much. It’s pretty half baked and unforgettable .

Characters were paper-thin, which was disappointing. No one really stuck with me or felt real. Hoping his fantasy stuff (which I’ve heard good things about) has more emotional depth, because this one didn’t hit on that front.

Still, props for ambition. Just didn’t quite land for me, won't continue series

A refreshingly relevant dystopian sci-fi, All That We See or Seem is about the power of community amidst a worls that prioritises convenience, possibly at the cost of privacy and reality. The main character, Julia, is a classic loner, and seeing her character arc grow throughout the book and help her develop skills that were used in the final conclusion was immesely satisfying. Piers and Eli, and the other side characters, felt realistic and well rounded to read about. There were well-written reflective themes woven through the fast-paced plot, which I won't describe for fear of spoiling it, but if you're a fan of sci-fi like Ready Player One and The Stardust Grail, this might be one to check out.

Fast paced cyberpunk from the legendary Ken Liu.

Very enjoyable story that grips you from the start. Likeable characters and some very fun, cyberpunky moments.

Much different from the authors fantasy epic, however Mr Liu does not fail to deliver another great story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus publishing group for the ARC!

I was so excited when I was approved for this ARC as Ken Liu is one of my all time favourite authors, and I have to say, he did not disappoint. As a major fan of his Dandelion Dynasty, this is definitely a different direction to his previous authorial works, but I honestly loved the plot and writing, which was excellent as always- you can definitely see Ken Liu's expertise in the realm of sci-fi and hi-tec from his translation work coming through here.

The story focuses around the mystery disappearance of Eli, a dream-weaver, and her husband Piers' search to find her, which leads him to request the help of Julia, our main character. Julia's own story is woven into the plot nicely, enhancing our understanding of her reactions, and I loved how she was a more realistic (if amazingly intelligent and capable) character with a deep backstory. The focus on data security and growth of AI was also fascinating here and really well drawn out- although it's not quite the world building of the Dandelion dynasty because of the different genres, the technological side of the novel was one of the parts I liked the most about it, as well as the profound questions raised about the future.

Thank you so much for the ARC and I can't wait to continue Julia's character development and story in the next instalment!

Tenía las expectativas muy altas con la nueva novela de Ken Liu, inicio de una trilogía de ciencia ficción de futuro cercano tras la mastodóntica The Dandelion Dinasty. Y, si bien All That We See or Seem me parece un thriller muy emocionante, no es menos cierto que esperaba más del autor.


Y es que después de leer los relatos de Liu, cualquier cosa que no te explote la cabeza sabe a poco y la primera entrega de la saga de Julia Z parece un poco descafeinada. Principalmente porque refleja un futuro tan cercano y tan verosímil que se pierde un poco el sentido de la maravilla, cayendo en lo mundano. No es menos cierto que la peculiar estructura de la novela, que alcanza su clímax aproximadamente en el 70% de la lectura tampoco ayuda. Con esto no quiero decir que sea una mala novela, no creo que el autor afincado en Boston sea capaz de escribir cosas malas, si no que no alcanza su, por otra parte excelso, nivel habitual.

Julia, como personaje, me parece todo un acierto. Una joven prodigio, con un pasado que se irá desgranando a lo largo de la novela, pero que sabemos que la expuso desde muy joven a la presión de las redes sociales con toda su crudeza, dejándola con una desconfianza tal hacia su entorno que apenas tiene huella digital. La verdad es que Julia se ve envuelta un poco a su pesar en un supuesto secuestro y tendrá que hacer uso de todo su arsenal informático para hacer frente al problema.

El mundo que imagina Liu es plausible, de hecho es una especulación bastante cercana a la realidad actual, sobre todo con el auge de la IA. No creo que sea un mundo en el que nos gustar vivir, pero sí creo que puede tocarnos en suerte en los próximos años. Es todo tan convincente que resulta poco emocionante en ocasiones, aunque como todo buen thriller que se precie, tiene sus persecuciones y sus momentos de acción trepidante y estos también están muy bien narrados.

Sin ser una experta en ciberseguridad, pero con algo de barniz sobre el tema, todo lo que aparece en el libro de Liu tiene base tecnológica y científica, si bien extrapolado a unas capacidades de computación muy superiores a las actuales y con unos modelos tremendamente optimizados. No es menos cierto que algunas de las situaciones se resuelven más bien por pura chiripa que por las innegables cualidades de Julia, lo que hace que la suspensión de la incredulidad del lector se vea un poco tensionada.

Sigo interesada en todo lo que escribe Ken Liu y en la continuación de la serie, pero espero que el autor suba un poco el nivel especulativo de la saga, que al menos para mí queda un poco por debajo de lo que esperaba.

After reading the synopsis and knowing it was written by Ken Liu, my expectations for All That We See or Seem were high! While the way Liu incorporated the use of AI into a sci-fi technothriller/mystery was unique, the execution missed the mark. I enjoyed reading about the different characters and their respective backgrounds and I also took to the elements of satire, rebellion, mavericks, and how they were all woven into the AI themed storyline. But, it just felt like it was missing something. Don't get me wrong, it was certainly readable but I wasn't completely hooked. Being book one in a new series, it will be interesting to see where and how things go.

Thank you @headofzeus and @netgalley for this eARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5