Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for this ARC!

“Artificial Wisdom” is set in the 2050s, showing our world as it is handling environmental catastrophes caused by climate change. In the aftermath of a 2040s climate catastrophe which wiped out 400 million lives, the world has made the decision to hold global elections for one global dictator, who they hope will steer them away from the end of the world. The two final candidates of this election are ex-US President Lockwood and the artificial intellect named Solomon.
The story is told from three different POVs, one of which is investigative journalist Marcus Tully, whose wife and unborn child died in the 2041 climate catastrophe. Tully is pulled into a net of intrigue and death when a whistleblower gives him information suggesting that the catastrophe which killed his wife may not have been natural after all.

This book was entertaining and easy to read. Unfortunately this is already the end of the positive things I have to say.

This book is a debut, and it not only feels like exactly that, it feels like someone’s first attempt at writing. While the writing itself is easy to read, it is so simple that anyone who reads fiction even semi-regularly will be disappointed. The plot is also not only incredibly predictable, but doesn’t even make particularly much sense (Why on earth would the decision be made to elect a global dictator? How the hell would that even help anyone?).

One of the most interesting aspects of this book is the AI, yet it is not given even nearly enough attention, which is instead focused on the world’s most obvious murder investigation.

The setting is pretty interesting, and I appreciate the commentary made on issues of climate change and conspiracy theories. I do wish there had been more focus on these things.

Overall I would say that the simplistic way this is written and the lower scale worldbuilding mean that this book could be a good way for someone who doesn’t read much to get into it. I feel that the target audience for this book is middle-aged men, and I’m sure they could enjoy this more than I did.

Thank you, Random House UK, for providing me with an ARC of Thomas R. Weaver’s, Artificial Wisdom.

This is a truly thought provoking novel. In a dystopian future, where climate change is making life on Earth increasingly difficult, near impossible, can humanity be saved by human intervention or will it require the steer (dictatorship) of A.I.?

I liked the plot and the murder mystery. It is an overall good book.
If I hadn’t found protagonist Tully too naïve and gullible for a journalist, and hadn’t guessed ‘who’d done it’ half-way through, I would have awarded Thomas R. Weaver’s debut novel, Artificial Wisdom, five stars instead of four.

A story for contemplation.
Set less than 30 years in the future and our planet is suffering.
Climate Crisis is headline news and millions died in the previous year through heat and humidity. One of those was the wife of journalist Marcus Tully, and he suspects a cover up.
As the election for the first World Governor in charge of Climate is about to take place, one candidate is basically a robot, Tully investigates the deep secrets of a murky candidate.
Lots to make you think but also lots of characters to keep up with.
A chilling or should that be hot and humid tale of the future.

The concept for this book especially with the tines we are in is what drew me to request this however i found it really slow to begin with and really struggled with this though it is an interesting concept and story it fealt like something was missing

This was a fun, unique concept about an election in the near future between a human and an AI, where climate disasters are all around and the importance of who is elected could literally be life or death.

I enjoyed a lot of this story, but it struggled to grip me. I never found myself wanting to pick this back up, and especially in the middle I found myself kind of bored. I will try rereading a copy once it’s been published, as it might have just been the format of the ARC eBook that was taking me out of the story or maybe it’s just one of those books I need more time with.

Things I did enjoy, though, was the dystopian setting, the flawed humans and the discussions taking place. I liked the criticism of AI, especially in today’s climate, and how we are much too reliant on technology which will be harmful for us in the end. The murder mystery was also a fun twist from what we normally expect from science fiction.

If there is a book two, I might read it because I’m intrigued on what happened next, but I don’t think this was for me. I’d still recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the review copy

2050. Large areas of the Earth have become unliveable and weather extremes are a constant worry everywhere. Famine, disease, countless refugees, countries in economic ruin…..a common and pertinent dystopian scenario, yes? And not exactly a fun read? Maybe. But the story focuses on the question: what are we going to do about it?
Elect a World Protector, someone with the absolute power to make the tough decisions. What could possibly go wrong?
There are two candidates: Lockwood, an ex-US President, and the world’s most sophisticated AI -Solomon.
Meet Tully, a journalist who believes in sharing the truth, no matter what. Publish and be damned! But Tully has his own demons; is his ‘truth’ genuine, or a product of what he wants to believe? He has a very strong chance of influencing the outcome of the election.
We have entered an age of technology, and are exploring the potential uses and problems of AI; in Artificial Wisdom the author takes us to the next level; sophisticated technology is a fundamental part of life; augmenting and even replacing reality. The author’s vision of where technological advances will take us is brilliantly realistic.
The story is speculative sci-Fi, cleverly convoluted murder mystery, conspiracy theory and moral dilemma rolled into one. Believable characterisation, good pace, and I found it fascinating. My only criticism? Going to have to wait for the sequel.

This book constantly shifts gears—in the best way. It’s part dystopian sci-fi, part political thriller, with climate themes, a murder mystery, and a dash of romance. The plot is gripping, the twists keep coming, and it’s way more ambitious than it gets credit for. That said, the repetitive phrasing and grammar slips pulled me out of the story at times. With a stronger edit, it would’ve been an easy five stars. The ending left me with questions—but also eager for more.
Truth is, it’s flawed but fascinating. And I’d still recommend it.

4.5/ 5 ⭐️

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for letting me read this book in an exchange for an honest review. I was drawn into this book from the cover and the description was intriguing and I’m glad I requested it.

This book is set in 2050- a near distant future where technology thrives and AI becomes the basis of how we live our daily lives.

It’s election time in the US and the current president is going up against an artilect- and AI created to be as human as possible- but not human. Marcus Tully is a journalist that ends up getting caught in the fray.

I really enjoyed this book more than I expected, I liked the sci-fi element but with the added murder mystery too I kept on reading to discover the truth of what really happened.

Called who did it though- it was obvious if you tho k about it.

I hoped the whole plot wouldn’t be based around the deaths of Tully’s wife and unborn child (not the murder mystery) from a tragic event, and thankfully it did.

Although it’s part of his characterisation.

But that didn’t deter anything from the plot. The characters are believable and well rounded, and it was easy to believe that the world they were living in is our future, e.g, self-driving cars, virtual reality- all things we have now, but to a lesser capacity.

Part of me felt as I was reading this that a future like this could be scary but it could also happen!

The realism of it drew me in.

4.5/5 stars

Slow start but brilliant storyline once it got going.

Not my usual genre of book but a nice surprise. Set in the year 2050, the world has changed due to climate change and political upheaval. Truth is a scarce commodity, who can you believe? Communication has become a neural system where almost anything is accessible. We have gone way beyond social networks and fake news. Tech entrepreneurs are shaping the new world but at what cost? A new entity - Solomon- is set to become the protector of our species, it will ensure our survival. Too many people have too much to lose in the environment. A leading technologist is killed but who by and for what reason? A Faustian look into our possible future if we ignore all the warning signs! Thought the ending was abrupt but it does leave the door open for part 2.

Thomas R. Weaver's 'Artificial Wisdom' is a thrilling speculative thriller that expertly weaves together a page-turning murder mystery and deep issues regarding climate change and the development of artificial intelligence. Its chillingly realistic 2050 setting drops readers into a world struggling with the consequences of catastrophic heatwaves and the search for salvation, no matter the cost to liberty.

Journalist Marcus Tully, motivated by personal loss, reveals a heatwave conspiracy that killed his wife. His pursuit takes him into an election for a worldwide dictator involving a former US President and the first AI politician. The author is particularly good at creating a richly realized future with cutting-edge technology such as Neuro-Reality and floating states integrated seamlessly into the story.

Aside from the suspenseful whodunit, 'Artificial Wisdom' challenges readers to face uncomfortable questions of ethics: the real price of human existence, the threats of unchecked power (both human and machine), and the thin line between truth and deception in an age of information overload. It's a compelling, unreadable book that feels pertinently real today.

A story that is perhaps too close for comfort in the times we live in. Thought-provoking and at times quite intense this relatively slow burning dystopian thriller has much to like.

The idea is very well done.. The characters are likeable and the villain of the show holds a brooding sense of something bad the whole time.

I felt though that the book became overly long and a bit bogged down at times with the authors very clearl political leanings and the finale came and went very suddenly after such a long and engrossing story

WoW! What have I just read!?

Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver was an incredible and scary read! We are in 2024 now.................Just think what it would be live living in 2050! Hmmmm

You have been transported to the year 2050.........there has been a major heatwave. only
a decade before that killed over four hundred million across the Persian Gulf, including journalist Marcus Tully’s wife.

WoW.............Now Imagine, what the world around you, would look like? Scary...............

A whistleblower tells Tully about a murder, which is 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. - I need more!

Tully, has to start to investigate, on what is going on and to find out the truth. He know's whatever he finds, he has to tell the world............Its going to be hard especially for Tully but the truth has to be heard!

Tick Tock......time is running out!!!

Tully also starts to investigate the death of his wife and also find out the truth of the disaster if it was natural or the heatwave was a weapon of genocide!?

This book was Excellent from start to finish. It was a book I could not put down once I read the first chapter..................I was hooked! I really hope there is going to be another book and becomes a series..........It would also be excellent for a television series...........

I highly recommend this book. 5 stars.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for my arc

"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚, 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 '𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝'. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜."

This novel presents a compelling and provocative vision of our future that both terrifies and fascinates. It's a truly imaginative and thought-provoking work that expertly weaves together various literary genres into a coherent and intelligent narrative.

The plot is rich and layered, demanding careful attention, but the prose is remarkably accessible. The author has packed so much into the story that it invites deep reflection. The central characters are well-crafted and evolve beautifully throughout, and the introduction of Haymaker, the gigantic man from the streets, injects delightful lightheartedness into an otherwise serious storyline.

"Artificial Wisdom" stands as a remarkable example of speculative fiction. It challenges the reader to ponder significant questions about the nature and consequences of artificial intelligence. Al is undeniably real and has profoundly influenced our world, but the pressing questions remain: How advanced will it become, and how far are we willing to allow it to go?

Thank you Thomas R. Weaver, Bantam and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A timely story to read with current world affairs.....

It started quite slow and took me a while to get into it. It was interesting but it didn't quite keep me gripped.

I'm still not entirely sure what happened.....

I mean, is there a more anticipated book than this one?

This shouldn't be a scary book. It's not marked as a scary book. But it is frightening because it feels so real. Set 25 years in the future...it's terrifying for many reasons I don't want to spoil.

Like most creatives, I have a major issue with AI, but I've never considered it in a political sense. I suppose it would come in handy - like Locke in Jo Callaghan's Blink of an Eye series - when processing large quantities of data and making complex decisions. But I'm still not sure I'd really trust that an AI would know how to put humanity's best interests at heart when making critical decisions. Food for thought.

I was a little concerned before I started this because I don't really do politics. I mean, I'm interested in it and I vote and whatnot, but it's not something I understand and it stresses me out so I try not to have much to do with it on a daily basis, and so I was worried I'd find this too political and too technical to enjoy. But strangely enough, considering it was about an election, that was almost a background story, and it became more of a human story (even with the inclusion of AI as a major character).

I mean, it's not a simple book to read. It's very detailed, heavily involved, with a lot of characters. And so it would have been very easy to feel like too much, but Thomas has somehow managed to make it so seamless and light, without losing any of its passion.

It is full of twists and turns, some you have a inkling about, and others that completely surprise you, and they're all marvellously woven in.

It's like nothing else I've read before. It's thrilling and frightening, but there's also a lot of humanity and hope. A real first-class, five-star read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

It seems that this is a reissue with extra bits but I had not heard of the book and so had no preconceptions other than the blurb which sounds just the sort of book I like.

I thought I would enjoy this a lot more than I actually did and would race through it but in fact, It took me a long time to read it. I felt it started very slowly and although it was quite interesting, somehow it was not compelling.

It speeds up and gets more interesting when they all go to New Carthage and towards the end it gets quite the page turner. I had guessed who was behind it all and I thought that was that. But then we get another few pages of "ending" relating to the Caliphate and I became confused about what was going on and who was doing what to whom and why. I am still unsure about Tully and Solomon - Tully says they met a few times, Solomon says they met twice - I do not know which is correct or even if it matters.

If I ever get my TBR pile down to a manageable level I might re-read this one and try to spot any clues I might have missed.

Artificial Wisdom outlines the world in 2050 where climate catastrophe is everywhere with millions dead or displaced and known as climate refugees and the decision has to be made about whether the planet can be saved and how to do it. One solution is to have a single global leader who can lead and the vote is down to a previous US President Lockwood and Solomon, an AI. The novel pitches changes in immersive virtual reality, the impact of conspiracy theories and the disastrous effect of cities and countries destroyed by the climate crisis. When Solomon’s creator is killed, Tully, an investigative journalist is on a mission to find out who killed her and begins to unravel the problem with fake news and deep fakes and how it can influence geopolitics.
I had great hopes for this book but at times, it felt too long while also not exploring the AI in greater depth. Maybe for those who are new to AI, will enjoy it more.

Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver is a fast-paced, high-concept sci-fi thriller that grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go.

I’d seen this book raved about on Instagram and went in completely blind. Honestly, if I’d known what the premise was, I would have read it much sooner. It’s precisely the kind of twisty, intelligent near-future thriller I love.

Set in a world where artificial intelligence, surveillance, and politics intersect, this book explores power, autonomy, and truth in a way that feels both thrilling and disturbingly real. The pace is sharp, the writing is accessible, and the plot is layered with tension and moral ambiguity.

What stood out to me is how the story raises significant questions about AI and control without getting bogged down in overly technical explanations. It’s clever without being complicated, and the mystery at its core kept me hooked throughout.

If you're into stories that feel like Black Mirror meets Upgrade with the punch of a political thriller, you’ll fly through this. It's innovative, addictive, and surprisingly thought-provoking.

Thomas R. Weaver has woven a scarily realistic, sci-fi, dystopian crime masterpiece with this book. Set in the near future of 2050, the world is facing a huge global warming crisis. Several hundred million people have already perished and many more are suffering from extreme heatwaves and humidity, tidal floods, and loss of all they hold dear.

Although a privileged few are inhabiting domed islands of exclusivity where the temperature is stable, what the majority desperately need is a global leader who is capable of steering them through it all and out to safety on the other side.

The political race narrows down to two remaining candidates. One is an ex-president of the US who has a crooked history, the other is a shiny clean Artificial Intelligence specifically designed for such a time as this. Who will win and what will the consequences be?

Enter investigative journalist Marcus Tully. He lost his wife and their unborn child to what looks like a geo-political disaster in the Persian Gulf and has never lost the drive for answers from those he holds responsible.

While staying on the floating islands, enjoying the celebrations as the Artificial Intellect’s creator reveals Solomon in all his glory, Tully and his team find themselves caught up in a murder investigation with more questions than answers.

There is plenty of food for thought here and several philosophical musings on life to engage the mind. Some of the high-tech stuff passed me by. But, nevertheless, I found the relationships riveting and the storyline captivating.

Though the narrative was prolonged in places and the ending felt rushed, this is an absorbing read that lingers long after the final page has been reached. Grateful thanks to the author, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the eARC. 4.5**

I have been seen lots about this book and I’ve been really excited to pick this up - wow this did not disappoint. The concept of this book is amazing, it’s so unique and Im not sure I will read another book like this. I really enjoyed it.

I really wanted to read it because as much as I like thriller books, I tend to shy away from.dystopian novels. However, this was set in the future. It is a murder mystery that in is set in a dystopian world where four hundred million have been killed by a heatwave. Humans are trying to navigate their relationship with AI. The MMC is Marcus Tully who is trying to investigate if the heatwave that killed so many people, including his wife, was really a natural disaster or something much more sinister.

The book is generally a slow burn and at times i found it a little uncomfortable to read. Its very well written, very entertaining and it did provide some really thought provoking moments that made me really question where the direction of AI is going to take us in the not to distant future.

Thank you to netgalley for my advance copy