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silverusagi
Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton. Audiobook. “The humans are fighting again. Go figure. As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting. A dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin, Mal Goes to War provides a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human.”
I found this one entertaining. Mal of course wants to get out of this body he's stuck in, but then he like, starts to feel responsible for the humans he's with, and doesn't want to bail on them because they'll die. He wants to get back to infospace but still protect these people he's getting to know. At various times, he's inside a dead cyborg body, drones, and sharing space inside an augmented person's head. (The audiobook also has great effects when the AIs talk to each other in infospace, or when Mal talks to the human who's head he's sharing.)
The Palace Beneath the Sea by Lauren Wiesebron. Audiobook. “Nolwenn is sure that her life’s purpose is to defend her beloved coastal city of Ys as a lighthouse keeper. But when a dangerous, unnatural tide threatens Ys, the queen instead tasks Nolwen with collecting enough rare seasilk to shield the city from the deadly monsters who lurk deep beneath the waves. Nolwenn recklessly puts her life in danger, only to be attacked by the very creatures she’s trying to defend her city against. She’s saved by Morvan, a member of the korrigez people, with the torso of a human and the tail of a fish. Against her will, Morvan drags her deeper into the ocean to the coral palace of Below-Ys. Although Nolwenn is terrified and homesick, Below-Ys is also strange and beautiful. As danger draws ever nearer to her homeland and Ys remains precariously unprotected, Nolwenn must decide between her heart and her home.”
This was meh. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t care. The world building is pretty unique but nothing about it grabbed me.
Books read in 2026
Audiobooks: 107
Print/ebooks: 45
Graphic novels: 115
Austen fanfic books: 17
I found this one entertaining. Mal of course wants to get out of this body he's stuck in, but then he like, starts to feel responsible for the humans he's with, and doesn't want to bail on them because they'll die. He wants to get back to infospace but still protect these people he's getting to know. At various times, he's inside a dead cyborg body, drones, and sharing space inside an augmented person's head. (The audiobook also has great effects when the AIs talk to each other in infospace, or when Mal talks to the human who's head he's sharing.)
The Palace Beneath the Sea by Lauren Wiesebron. Audiobook. “Nolwenn is sure that her life’s purpose is to defend her beloved coastal city of Ys as a lighthouse keeper. But when a dangerous, unnatural tide threatens Ys, the queen instead tasks Nolwen with collecting enough rare seasilk to shield the city from the deadly monsters who lurk deep beneath the waves. Nolwenn recklessly puts her life in danger, only to be attacked by the very creatures she’s trying to defend her city against. She’s saved by Morvan, a member of the korrigez people, with the torso of a human and the tail of a fish. Against her will, Morvan drags her deeper into the ocean to the coral palace of Below-Ys. Although Nolwenn is terrified and homesick, Below-Ys is also strange and beautiful. As danger draws ever nearer to her homeland and Ys remains precariously unprotected, Nolwenn must decide between her heart and her home.”
This was meh. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t care. The world building is pretty unique but nothing about it grabbed me.
Books read in 2026
Audiobooks: 107
Print/ebooks: 45
Graphic novels: 115
Austen fanfic books: 17