Thank you Byte Wyght Books, NetGalley, and Dystro Han for this ALC!

This was my first Cyberpunk book and I really enjoyed it!! Plus as soon as I seen this one was MM I knew I wanted to read it and it did not disappoint. From start to finish this book pulled me in and I wanted more by the time I finished. I just know that I will be continuing this series!

Brendon North did a phenomenal job at narrating this one. Not only did he bring some high level emotions into the story, but I was also shocked at how distinct the accents were for our main characters. I could easily tell when he was voicing Danil and Tiernan. The pacing of the narration was great, but I think this story had a lot going on throughout it as well that at times it was hard to keep up with the whole plot.

Overall, if you’re a cyberpunk fan, who also loves MM, and spice and kink, this book is most definitely for you!! And the audio is the way to go after listening to these accents!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5 stars

**Static Bind by Dystro Han**

Okay, I was absolutely not prepared for how much fun *Static Bind* was going to be. This is a short story, but somehow Dystro Han manages to pack so much chemistry, tension, chaos, danger, and emotional denial into it that by the time I reached the end, I was already wishing I had the rest of the Hack & Harrow series in my hands.

If you like cyberpunk settings, morally grey characters, enemies-to-lovers energy, MM romance, mercenaries who are terrible at communicating their feelings, and two people who would genuinely rather fight each other than admit they care, this is absolutely worth checking out.

Tiernan and Danil are the kind of pairing where you can immediately tell that things are going to be a complete disaster — and I mean that in the best possible way.

These two have *so much chemistry*.

Their dynamic is basically constant provocation, competition, attraction, and denial, and I was entertained from the beginning. Tiernan is tired, wants a quiet night, and would presumably like to have some semblance of control over his evening. Naturally, Danil has absolutely no intention of allowing that to happen. Instead, he drags Tiernan into an impromptu side heist involving a wager, because apparently being fugitives and mercenaries isn't enough excitement for these two.

I loved how their relationship is built around this constant push and pull. They are allies, but they're also rivals. They're attracted to each other, but neither seems particularly interested in acknowledging what that attraction might actually mean. They have an arrangement, but there is very clearly something more complicated happening underneath it.

And Danil's obsession with kissing was honestly hilarious.

The fact that he's perfectly happy with their arrangement but is increasingly frustrated by Tiernan's apparent allergy to kissing gave their relationship such a fun little point of conflict. It sounds ridiculous on paper, but it works because it becomes another way of showing how different they are emotionally. Danil can joke and tease and push boundaries, while Tiernan seems much more determined to keep everything detached and uncomplicated.

Which, of course, means it is neither detached nor uncomplicated.

I really enjoyed watching that denial start to crack.

One of my favourite things about the story is that the romance doesn't feel separate from the action. Their chemistry is tied directly into the danger they're constantly putting themselves in. They're both competent, dangerous men, and neither of them is particularly sensible when the other is involved. Their competitiveness makes them fun to watch, but it also makes their relationship feel genuinely volatile.

There is this wonderful sense that these two could either save each other or make the absolute worst possible decision together — probably both.

The cyberpunk setting was another major highlight for me. Dystopian Boston is such a fun backdrop for this kind of story, and even though *Static Bind* is short, it gives us enough of the world to make me curious about what the larger Hack & Harrow series is going to explore. I especially liked the contrast between the grimness of the setting and the ridiculousness of Tiernan and Danil's interactions.

You've got fugitive mercenaries, violence, heists, dystopian danger, and a world that feels harsh and unforgiving, while these two are essentially bickering, competing, flirting, and refusing to admit they have feelings.

It works incredibly well.

The action also helped keep the story moving. I liked that this wasn't simply a romance taking place in a cyberpunk setting; the danger and mercenary lifestyle are genuinely part of the story. There is a sense that these characters are constantly operating on the edge, and that made their relationship feel even more intense.

And then there is the heat.

This is definitely a high-heat romance, and the intimate relationship between Tiernan and Danil is a huge part of what makes their dynamic so entertaining. What I particularly enjoyed was that the physical attraction doesn't magically solve their emotional problems. If anything, it seems to make things worse because these two are much more comfortable dealing with physical attraction than actually talking about what they want.

Their arrangement gives them a convenient excuse to avoid the emotional side of things — at least for a while.

And we all know how well that tends to work in romance.

The emotional messiness was actually one of my favourite aspects. Both men have reasons for keeping things casual, and there is a definite sense that neither is prepared to admit that this relationship might mean more to them than they intended. The tension isn't just about whether they are attracted to each other. It's about whether they are willing to acknowledge what that attraction means.

I also appreciated that the story doesn't try to make either character perfectly well-adjusted. These are messy, morally grey men who make questionable decisions and aren't exactly emotionally healthy about their attraction to one another. They are violent, sarcastic, stubborn, competitive, and completely ridiculous.

And somehow, they work.

I think the short length actually suits the story really well as an introduction to the series. It feels like a concentrated dose of the characters and their dynamic rather than a complete standalone novel, and by the end I was definitely left wanting more. I want to know more about this world, more about Tiernan and Danil's history, and, most importantly, what happens when the emotional consequences of their arrangement become impossible to ignore.

If I had one complaint, it would simply be that I wanted *more*. There are definitely aspects of the world and characters that I would have loved to see developed further. Because the story is short, some of the emotional beats move quickly, and I think there is so much potential for this relationship to become even more complicated as the series continues.

But honestly, that's a pretty good problem to have with a series introduction.

If a short story leaves me immediately wanting the next book, then I would say it has done its job.

The writing also has a really fun energy. There is a sharpness and irreverence to the dialogue that perfectly suits these characters. Danil's teasing in particular added so much personality to the story, while Tiernan's responses made their interactions feel like an ongoing battle neither of them actually wants to win.

The banter was definitely one of the highlights for me.

I could have happily read an entire book of these two being forced to work together, getting into increasingly dangerous situations, arguing about absolutely everything, and slowly realising that maybe their “temporary arrangement” isn't nearly as temporary as they thought.

Overall, *Static Bind* was such an entertaining introduction to the Hack & Harrow series. It has everything I want from a dark cyberpunk romance: danger, morally grey characters, an intriguing dystopian setting, action, ridiculous banter, intense attraction, and two men who are spectacularly bad at dealing with their feelings.

Tiernan and Danil's chemistry absolutely leaps off the page, and I loved the fact that beneath all the heat and chaos there is the beginning of something much more emotionally complicated.

These two are, without question, **unhinged** — and I am very much here for it.

I also really appreciated that the story doesn't pretend these characters are going to have an easy or uncomplicated journey. The content warnings definitely aren't there for decoration, and the romance explores some darker dynamics and boundary-pushing elements. But within the context of the story, that messy intensity is very much part of what makes their relationship distinctive.

For a short story, *Static Bind* made a surprisingly strong impression on me. It introduced the characters, established their chemistry, gave us a taste of the world, delivered plenty of action and heat, and most importantly made me want to know what comes next.

**4.5/5 stars.** Chaotic, sexy, dangerous, hilarious, and completely addictive. Tiernan and Danil are an absolute disaster together, and I genuinely cannot wait to see how much worse things get for them in the rest of Hack & Harrow.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I really loved the narrator for this book! The banter between the characters was amusing, and I found myself smiling and laughing throughout this audiobook on numerous occasions!

Thank you to NetGalley and Byte Wyght Books for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

Absolutely wild that this is a debut short story! In 77 pages I got everything I needed to be interested in the series as a whole: characters I want to root for, an interesting world that I want to know more about, and a potential romance full of chemistry. Dystro Han gets banter in a line by line way that is hard to replicate but beautiful to read. Tiernan and Danil are sexy and their relationship is even sexier. I'm so excited for what's to come in this series! There's absolutely no reason Brendon North had to moan like that JFC. Made the book even sexier than it already was!!!

Thank you Byte Wyght Books, NetGalley, and Dystro Han for this ALC!

This was my first Cyberpunk book and I clearly enjoyed it! I went into this expecting a quick, spicy listen, but Brendon North’s narration honestly made it so much more fun for me. This is a short story that works as a teaser for the larger story that’s coming, and even though it flew by, I was completely entertained the entire time.

I really enjoyed Danil and Tiernan together. They have that perfect combination of teasing, arguing, tension, and obvious feelings that neither of them seems particularly interested in admitting. Their chemistry was so good, and I loved all the little moments between them. Danil calling Tiernan “princess” had me giggling every single time. There was just something about the way he said that I loved. I also really liked the way their feelings slowly came through underneath all the banter and their ridiculous inability to just talk about what they actually want.

The cyberpunk setting was another thing I enjoyed. There’s enough of the world and the futuristic elements to make me curious without taking over what is ultimately a short, character-focused story. I especially liked getting those little glimpses of the technology and the world these two are living in. It definitely left me wanting to see what the full story has in store.

Now, the narration. Brendon North did such a great job with this audiobook. I was honestly impressed that he narrated both characters because they felt distinct enough that I never had trouble following who was speaking. His voice and delivery for Danil, especially with that Russian accent, completely worked for me. I was hooked on it from the beginning, and I definitely found myself paying extra attention whenever Danil was speaking.

And the spicy scenes? Brendon really committed to them. The gasping, moaning, reactions, and the way he delivered those moments made the scenes feel much more immersive. It didn’t feel like he was simply reading the dialogue; he actually brought the characters’ reactions into the performance, and that made a huge difference for me. There were definitely moments where I was just sitting there listening and thinking, okayyyy, I see what we’re doing here.

The pacing also worked really well for the length of the story. The audiobook moved quickly, but it never felt like the narration was dragging or difficult to follow. I was so into it that by the time it ended, my first thought was basically, wait that's it? I need more. And honestly, I think that says a lot about how much I enjoyed listening.

My only real complaint is that I wanted more time with Danil and Tiernan. More of their banter, more of their relationship, more of the world, and definitely more of whatever the hell is going on between these two. Since this is a short story and a teaser for what’s coming, I’m taking that as a good sign because now I’m genuinely curious about the full story.

Overall, Static Bind was a quick, fun, spicy, and entertaining audiobook, and Brendon North’s narration made the experience even better for me. I loved his character work, I loved the Russian accent way more than I expected to, and Danil calling Tiernan “princess” will absolutely be one of the things I remember from this listen. I finished this wanting more, which means I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next story because I need to see where Danil and Tiernan go from here.