Months before its release, this was dubbed one of the books of 2025 – and rightly so. Scary in parts, unnerving in others, think of the world in 2050 and a vote for a global leader. Imagine that one of the candidates is the world’s first political AI. Imagine too that some people live in domed islands, safe from the impact of climate catastrophes, while others are struggling to survive. Imagine being able to tap into a memory, or a longed-for memory (even if it isn’t true) and then imagine what you’d do if you found yourself in a murder investigation. That’s what journalist Marcus Tully and his team discover when the creator of Solomon (the AI) is murdered. That’s difficult enough but the world craves leadership, plus there are plenty who’d do everything possible to prevent the truth from coming out. The fact that it’s in 2050 makes it all the more unsettling.

A stunning, complex and engrossing techno thriller and murder mystery which grapples with issues of ethics, AI, propaganda, social media and manipulation within the setting of a near future earth devastated by climate change. An absolute tour de force. Couldn't help wondering if there was a Brexit reference there too with the 52/48 election result. Highly recommended.

This took me a little while to get into but it is really worthwhile sticking with it if you’re in a similar situation. There’s quite a few novels using AI as the storyline but this one is cleverly written with characters you can empathise with in a mix of dydtopian, climate change and thriller genre.

Thank you for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The world building, tech creation and characters are all so well done that for the first 80% of this novel, I could not shut up about it. I was recommending it to everyone.

And then the ending happened and I just felt a little flat after so much convoluted plot points that seemed rushed as they hurtled towards the finale.

With that being said, this really is a fun read and for the most part, I would definitely recommend.

An idiosyncratic thriller with a thoroughly engaging hook (one that, importantly, feels close to what the future for humanity could entail). While there may be some level of exhaustion in the book market about stories concerning AI, Weaver does something different and bold enough here to make this stand out above the rest.

Though the many plot twists and dramatic reveals bring a great deal of anxiety and stress, they are delivered with panache and skill. An exciting novel by a new talent.

This book was really interesting. It's a thriller set in the near future where an artificial intellect is running against a former American president to become ruler of the world. The world is severely damaged by global warming - high humidity heat waves, flooding and other natural disasters are extremely common and the world is full of the disposessed. Those who can afford it, live on climate controlled floating islands.
Marcus Tully is an investigative journalist who is still grieving his wife who was killed in heatwave that descended on the Persian Gulf. A mysterious whistle blower has given him evidence to suggest that it was genocide, rather than a natural climate catastrophe. When the creator of the artilect (Solomon) is murdered, Marcus (and his friends) are determined to get to the bottom of who did it. But when everything is manipulatable, who do you trust?
The murder mystery was great - especially as the tools used (lik eindoctrination and radicalisation through echo chambers, doctored images and AI generated videos) are all available now. The idea of an AI artilect that is created for an apparently noble purpose 'to avert cimate disaater and save humankind' was interesting, particularly when you look at the conclusions you could reach if you relied on logical thinking and removed ethical, emotional and religious debates.
I read this book when the UK was in the middle of a heatwave. Reading it while you're lying on the floor trying not to melt really drives home the message of looming climate catastrophe.
I found this a really interesting read and I'm still thinking about it days later.

A timely dystopian novel about politics, technology and climate change.

Despite a slow start, I quite liked this book. The main characters were believable and well written, however the secondary characters were slightly bland and generic. It was also well paced and thrilling but I found the ending to be rushed and predictable.

Entertaining in places but I wouldn't recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for the ARC.

It is the year 2050 and earth is in the middle of climate catastrophe. There seems to be one solution, electing a global leader to steer it through the coming apocalypse. Two candidates are chosen, one is the ex-US President Lockwood and one is Soloman, the worlds first political artificial intelligence.
Investigative media journalist, Marcus Tully, and his team find themselves privy to whispers of a global conspiracy and investigate. Except what they find goes deeper than they could have imagined.

This was not my usual read, being sci-fi/dystopian, but it was so interesting and disturbing, as you can just imagine all of this would be possible so many years down the track. It really makes you really think about the future and what you may choose in the situation, with AI advances. I look forward to reading more by this author.

A little bit slow to start, but that’s not a deal breaker for me. The subject genre is superb, I love dystopian books, the characters are very well written and just enough depth. I quite enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.

Set in a future where global warm has impacted everyone, AI is part of the regular narrative and the world is on the brink of imploding. Countries are getting hit by natural disasters and hundreds of millions of people have died so it is decided that there should be one governing leader of the world to see humanity through the crisis…the nominees are a human and an AI. Throw in a high profile murder and conspiracies everywhere and this book had me hooked!

I love a fast paced thriller and this was definitely that. I really enjoyed the characters and the unfolding mystery but for me it did feel that the last 20% was rushed compared to the build up. I did have my theories, which did turn out to be correct, and yet this did not take away my enjoyment at all.

A great sci-fi thriller that had me wanting to drop my responsibilities and keep turning those pages. Highly recommend

Thankyou to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately not for me. Made it to 19%. Started off well but was getting a bit tedious and long. Dystopian is my favourite genre so was hoping for good things. Sorry.

Set in the not too distant future, this was a terrifying read! The world as we know it is no longer; it has been devastated by climate change and there is more to come. The world needs a Protector - someone who will put the best interests of the Earth and its inhabitants at the heart of decision making in regards to the way forward. Two candidates stand against each other for the role, former US President Lockwood and Solomon, an AI artilect. Tully, a journalist, uncovers some worrying facts relating to the race for the role of Protector and goes to visit Martha Chandra, Solomon's creator just before she is murdered...

Part sci-fi, part crime, this is a novel full of moral dilemmas and the resulting choices made - are they right or are they wrong? Who has the right to make them. This was a hard-hitting novel that showed the positive and negative impact of technology. It was an uncomfortable in places and made me question what the world is going to look like for my grandchildren. I came away believing that we need to focus on getting the future right, even if that comes at the expense of some of our creature comforts today.

Artificial Wisdom is calling out for a sequel!

I genuinely thought this was going to be a 5* book for me after the first chapter but eventually found it a little long-winded and drawn out. The subject matter was excellent, the characters were well written and the writing was good… Perhaps just a little too long and a disappointing ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC.

Artificial Wisdom appealed to me because it was such an urgent topic for today, with the rise of AI and increased corruption and manipulation by governments and big tech, and the growing impact and denial of climate change.

The population of Earth is given a choice - they need to choose their first global president who will be accountable for tackling the climate crisis. One candidate is a former President of the USA, with what appears to be a history of corruption, and the other is an AI, created by a female tech genius.

Pitched as sci-fi (or maybe future reality, who knows!), this is a tale of politics, deceit, manipulation, with the edge of a crime thriller. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks to Thomas R Weaver, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

You know you are reading a good book when you don't realise that two hours have gone by. Needless to say, I was hooked to this novel.

Set in 2050, we are in a climate apocalypse and there is a a worldwide vote for a Global Protector to fix the crisis. They've finally got to the last two and one of the candidates is an AI named Solomon. Intrigued? Well things become even more stark when Solomon's creator is murdered.

This isn't a dystopian novel. It blends crime and political thriller with ease. For anyone that loves a good murder mystery, this is one with a twist. Nothing is straightforward in this story, but that's one of the reasons why it is so good.

There is a lot of technology in the book with the characters using headsets in neuroreality, which does make me think claiming that this is in 2050 is slightly far fetched. Add another century and that would have been more realistic for me. But that did not detract from the story.

The characters are flawed as all humans are, which shows our fallibility and maybe why there is a need for a Solomon. However, can we really trust AI to fix the world's problems? Weaver deliberately doesn't give us the answer, which I respect. The story ends with some unfinished elements which I would love to see in a sequel.

This book is original and gripping. One I would definitely recommend.

In all honesty, I read about 60%, lost engagement and scan read until the last 10%, but I still rate it a 4 star. Why? Because, honestly, it was a good read. Was it for me? Perhaps not, but the very characteristics I didn't like, I know are others go to tropes. I think perhaps the main problem was that going in I was expecting an ai dystopian style novel, and instead I got a murder mystery with Agatha Christie vibes, with political ai undertones. Yes, the ending bumps up the ai theme a lot more, but as I was lost by about 60%, it was a bit too little too late for me.

I think it was a cleverly written novel, that was realistic despite its futuristic attributes. I enjoyed the chemistry aspect to the murder investigation, although felt as I was reading, that I didn't feel enough towards the secondary characters to have much investment in the murder. I did however, empathise strongly with Tully, hence why I got all the way to 60%, and my heart still breaks when I think about the loss of his wife and future child. The ending was climatic, and I can imagine that this book would make a good cinematic film.

All in all, if you want to try a futuristic Agatha Christie book with some dystopian undertones, I'd recommend this book. Perhaps not what it is marketed as, but I feel it pulls that off well!

Part sci fi, part dystopian part possible world future. This was a different book to what I normally read but I like to challenge my reading material. It was in the main an enjoyable book with interesting characters and scenario. I was hooked and eagerly read the book. through the majority. However, I found the ending a bit disappointing and also a bit confusing. It all seemed a bit rushed which was a shame.

This is a timely book about climate change, politics, technology and wealth.
2050. Many people have died. Marcus Tully loses his wife and there is an election between two candidates, one of which is non-human.
Tully needs to resolve conspiracies and find his wife's murderer.

There is a twist near the end, which many readers can find rewarding.

This was an interesting read with some interesting topics. I can see how some audiences may find it engaging.

In my personal case, I look for a different experience, with different layering of the plot, characterisation and subtext as well as the craft, but I appreciate having read this book.

I read that it was published before and picked up by Penguin, and this version contains additional content. This is a wise choice. The book deserves to be widely accessible.

The author's life story and approach to writing are intriguing too.

IF I COULD GIVE THIS SIX STARS🌟, I WOULD!!!
Part dystopian, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, and climate fiction, this debut will blow your world off its axis.

Still grieving, journalist Marcus investigates a whistleblower’s account that the death of 400 million people, his pregnant wife being one, was the result of geo-engineering failure which the American government is covering up.
This could have huge repercussions as the race for world dictatorship is counting down between the American president and an Artificial Intelligence.

<b>That was the thing about the truth. Sometimes, you were judged more harshly for revealing it than for concealing it.
“The responsibility lies with those who did the deed and those who prop them up, not the ones exposing it."
</b>
It is scarily realistic. It is 2050. The world is suffering from extreme climate change. The crisis is real. The people are rioting.

This story explores the idea of the cost of knowledge, of sharing truth, and who should be held responsible for those consequences, especially in a fiery world already fuelled with rage and fear.

If I could force the world to read it, I would.

<b>”We should be putting the resources into turning around the current situation instead of creating safe bubbles from which the rich can watch the poor die."</b>

I know this will be appealing to a lot of readers - short chapters! This kept me on my toes and the story absolutely gripping!

Like every other reviewer, I don’t want to give too much away. If anything, I would say go in completely blind. Don’t even read reviews. Obviously, you’re reading this, so sorry! But this was one of the best reading experiences I have had.

<b>"You've thrived by adapting your environment, while other animals adapt to the environment. But now you must do both, as the very fabric of the planet tears, as the continents rise up to shake you loose.”
</b>
Thank you to the author for sending me the physical copy in exchange for a review!
It’s gorgeous!


REREAD June 2025 for traditionally published version.

I still stand by my review - there is something in the book for everyone.
If you have read the indie version, there are extra scenes (even a new pov) to look forward to!

Go pre-order and buy it for your friends and families and book clubs!

Physical arc gifted by Transworld and Del Rey.

Set in a dystopian (but not unrealistic) future where the Earth climate is spiralling out of control, this is a story of a journalist who is investigating his wife's death only to be embroiled in a political conspiracy. Two candidates are vying for the position of a global leader, one of them is an ex-president of the United States, another Salomon, an artilect. Then Salomon’s creator is murdered and Tully finds himself looking for the truths he never envisaged to find.

I liked the concept of the book, I liked the mystery and the twist (yes, predictable, but ok), but the end of it just made no sense to me at all.