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Marionette Task Force: A Cyberpunk LitRPG
One man. One sexy AI assistant.
And one too many enemy soldiers standing ahead of his freedom.
Kai’s evening just keeps getting better and better.
On his way to catch a flight to another planet, Kai’s day went from bad to worse when the Solar Coalition invaded the planet Eden, instilling its colonists with fear.
Alone and injured after surviving the opening salvo, and really pissed off that he missed his flight, Kai encounters a mysterious AI who likes to appear as a holographic lab assistant.
And she totally wants him . . . to take her on a wild journey to escape the doomed planet.
While shooting lots of bad guys on the way.
Imagine his surprise when her idea of escaping involved recruiting a pair of rifle-wielding android babes known as marionettes and a cyborg mechanic with a couple of gizmos up her sleeve.
Battling the hostile forces in the neon-lit city streets won’t be a walk in the park. The enemy knows about Kai’s new AI companion and the secrets she’s got tucked away in her databanks.
Someone programmed her to be more than just an AI assistant. And if Kai’s not careful, he and the girls at his side might not live long enough to find out what that more is.
Why is the enemy willing to sacrifice countless soldiers to capture a sentient AI woman?
Contains graphic violence, adult language, and explicit sexual content.
And one too many enemy soldiers standing ahead of his freedom.
Kai’s evening just keeps getting better and better.
On his way to catch a flight to another planet, Kai’s day went from bad to worse when the Solar Coalition invaded the planet Eden, instilling its colonists with fear.
Alone and injured after surviving the opening salvo, and really pissed off that he missed his flight, Kai encounters a mysterious AI who likes to appear as a holographic lab assistant.
And she totally wants him . . . to take her on a wild journey to escape the doomed planet.
While shooting lots of bad guys on the way.
Imagine his surprise when her idea of escaping involved recruiting a pair of rifle-wielding android babes known as marionettes and a cyborg mechanic with a couple of gizmos up her sleeve.
Battling the hostile forces in the neon-lit city streets won’t be a walk in the park. The enemy knows about Kai’s new AI companion and the secrets she’s got tucked away in her databanks.
Someone programmed her to be more than just an AI assistant. And if Kai’s not careful, he and the girls at his side might not live long enough to find out what that more is.
Why is the enemy willing to sacrifice countless soldiers to capture a sentient AI woman?
Contains graphic violence, adult language, and explicit sexual content.
- GenresScience FictionCyberpunk
418 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2023
64 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Eddie R. Hicks
39 books18 followersEddie R. Hicks is a Canadian science fiction author of the Splintered Galaxy series. Although he enjoys his work in the culinary arts industry over the last few years, his true passion since he was a very young age has always been story telling.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 17, 2025
The first book to hit my DNF pile in years. I knew this would be spicy going into it, and as someone who definitely enjoys the occasional adult novel, this was no problem at all for me in theory. Sci-fi and robot girls are also right up my alley, so I figured this was going to be a shoo-in.
Unfortunately, the only thing it's a shoo-in for is the wastebasket. Half the time I was reading I couldn't help wondering if this is what "erotica" for straight men is supposed to be like. The language used is embarrassing and reads like a cheap porn (if I have to read "slopes" one more time I'm going to set my kindle on fire), the tonal whiplash is insane, and there isn't a single bit of believable, natural chemistry between the protagonist and any of the androids.
It's also really creepy that his sexbot kept refusing to let the newly activated blank slate android choose her own clothing, instead forcing her into sluttier and sluttier outfits she had no life experience yet to even understand. I finally checked out for good when our "hero" ran into another human with cyberware, a Lance Corporal who ended up promptly stripped down by the aforementioned sexbot for "repairs, a Lance Corporal who proceeded to not care a single whit about suddenly being topless and "wobbling and jiggling about" while repairing the other girls herself, all while our "hero" just looked on.
One of the stupidest, least arousing books I've ever read. The only saving grace is it was either free or only a buck from a recent sale.
Unfortunately, the only thing it's a shoo-in for is the wastebasket. Half the time I was reading I couldn't help wondering if this is what "erotica" for straight men is supposed to be like. The language used is embarrassing and reads like a cheap porn (if I have to read "slopes" one more time I'm going to set my kindle on fire), the tonal whiplash is insane, and there isn't a single bit of believable, natural chemistry between the protagonist and any of the androids.
It's also really creepy that his sexbot kept refusing to let the newly activated blank slate android choose her own clothing, instead forcing her into sluttier and sluttier outfits she had no life experience yet to even understand. I finally checked out for good when our "hero" ran into another human with cyberware, a Lance Corporal who ended up promptly stripped down by the aforementioned sexbot for "repairs, a Lance Corporal who proceeded to not care a single whit about suddenly being topless and "wobbling and jiggling about" while repairing the other girls herself, all while our "hero" just looked on.
One of the stupidest, least arousing books I've ever read. The only saving grace is it was either free or only a buck from a recent sale.
December 19, 2025
This book was just average to me. I'd read it before at some point, but didn't recall any of it, so this reading was fresh to me.
The MC is a guy that originated on Earth before the "Coalition" took over the planet and then all of the solar system. He fled to another star system, one of the Alpha Centauri planets, to avoid being indoctrinated into the Coalition's military. Now nearly a decade later, he's hearing the threats the Coalition is making, so he heads to the star port to go elsewhere. But the Coalition begins its attack, leaving him in the middle of a battle. He's knocked out, and upon waking, an AI has hacked his implant and asks for help. So help he does.
The LI's in the book are either "marionettes", or AI operated androids, and possibly a cyborg. I must admit, I'm not a big fan of the MC having all AI lovers, as it comes across as masturbation with high tech devices to me. They have programmed responses, especially the first marionette they find, a high end sex doll type (of course). She's not only built for sex, but it's her primary function. And while the MC alters her programming, he can't do anything about her base programming without rewriting her entire code, so he has to leave it in place. So he has an android literally built for sex in all ways, and eager to show that off.
The plot itself is interesting, so I will read the second book and see what happens.
The MC is a guy that originated on Earth before the "Coalition" took over the planet and then all of the solar system. He fled to another star system, one of the Alpha Centauri planets, to avoid being indoctrinated into the Coalition's military. Now nearly a decade later, he's hearing the threats the Coalition is making, so he heads to the star port to go elsewhere. But the Coalition begins its attack, leaving him in the middle of a battle. He's knocked out, and upon waking, an AI has hacked his implant and asks for help. So help he does.
The LI's in the book are either "marionettes", or AI operated androids, and possibly a cyborg. I must admit, I'm not a big fan of the MC having all AI lovers, as it comes across as masturbation with high tech devices to me. They have programmed responses, especially the first marionette they find, a high end sex doll type (of course). She's not only built for sex, but it's her primary function. And while the MC alters her programming, he can't do anything about her base programming without rewriting her entire code, so he has to leave it in place. So he has an android literally built for sex in all ways, and eager to show that off.
The plot itself is interesting, so I will read the second book and see what happens.
July 1, 2023
A great new series!!!
As.anyone that has read thus authors works this is a fantastic story!! The world building is as always first rate and the characters are relatable!!! I for one can't wait to see what comes next in this series!!!
As.anyone that has read thus authors works this is a fantastic story!! The world building is as always first rate and the characters are relatable!!! I for one can't wait to see what comes next in this series!!!
September 25, 2023
Different!
Okay, going to put AIs on an even keel with humanity by all having emotions! Still seems to be dependent on humans. I wonder if it would work as well with a male AI with human female? With basic info can learn, seems faster than human.
Okay, going to put AIs on an even keel with humanity by all having emotions! Still seems to be dependent on humans. I wonder if it would work as well with a male AI with human female? With basic info can learn, seems faster than human.
August 25, 2023
Good Read
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I sincerely hope that the rest of you out there enjoy it as much as I did.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I sincerely hope that the rest of you out there enjoy it as much as I did.
July 9, 2024
Not really cyberpunk. More normal scifi.
May 7, 2024
This was too shallow even for me. I ran out of motivation to continue.
January 1, 2026
Setting:
This story takes place on the planet Eden in a futuristic sci-fi world in which marionettes exist. Marionettes are not puppets but instead robots designed to look like humans with highly sophisticated AIs.
Characters:
Kai: Our hero is meathead Kai. He’s largely devoid of defining characteristics so works well as the obvious self-insert for this wish fulfillment.
Ilona: Ilona is an extremely advanced AI that Kai very rapidly comes into possession of. Her origins are somewhat mysterious but she seems to want to help Kai and likes (for no particular reason) to appear as a hologram of a beautiful woman.
Cerise: Cerise is the first marionette Kai recruits and, fittingly for this sort of story, her former line of work was as a sexbot. As such, her installed AI is naturally extremely flirty.
Plot:
Kai is minding his own business when an army invades the planet he’s trying to leave. Unfortunately for Kai, it’s the same army he dodged joining in the past so if they catch him it won’t end well and they also seem to be very interested in his new AI partner. He is forced to run and fight back in a desperate attempt to survive long enough to get off the planet.
My Thoughts:
This was rather mediocre on the whole.
To the book's credit it is very action heavy if you’re into that sort of thing. There’s no shortage of gunfights and explosions with copious blood loss and dismemberment for the gorehounds. The short chapters and frequent energy make the book very easy to read.
What also makes the book extremely easy to read is the simplistic writing. It is perhaps a bit too simplistic. It’s really quite shallow so if you do care about the prose you’ll be very unimpressed. You’ll be similarly unimpressed if you want fleshed-out multifaceted characters. There are none here.
The gamelit aspect of the story feels really quite forced in here. There is no game world here to speak of. Everything that happens is really happening and there’s no overarching rule set or AI or anything like that. The numbers we do get all come from Kai’s personal neural augments and or Ilona. The fact that none of this actually means anything leads to the odd scenario of putting numbers on stuff that don’t and can’t have numbers. How can you put a number on someone’s skill with computers? How could you hope to define the number of hitpoints the average human has in any meaningful capacity. Or what level someone should be? You can’t. It doesn’t make sense without a game world logic and we don’t have that here; it's only in Kai’s head.
Speaking of a lack of overarching rules, rules about what ought to kill a man also get thrown out as Kai gets what I think is the new record for most impressive plot armor ever when he manages, in one scene, to survive the vacuum of space. Yeah really.
The book is, of course, rampantly horny though there’s only one actual sex scene near the end and I do have to point one thing out. These characters get into lots of gunfights and while Kai manages to avoid being shot his girl robots don’t. It’s fine for them because they’re made of titanium with a bit of synthetic skin over top. The problem is that synthetic skin does get damaged by bullets. We’re explicitly told as much. So during the sex scene the girl is looking half like an anime babe and half like the T-1000. That’s not my kink. Not sure whose kink that is but I guess good news for that guy. For the rest of us, have fun with that mental image.
This story takes place on the planet Eden in a futuristic sci-fi world in which marionettes exist. Marionettes are not puppets but instead robots designed to look like humans with highly sophisticated AIs.
Characters:
Kai: Our hero is meathead Kai. He’s largely devoid of defining characteristics so works well as the obvious self-insert for this wish fulfillment.
Ilona: Ilona is an extremely advanced AI that Kai very rapidly comes into possession of. Her origins are somewhat mysterious but she seems to want to help Kai and likes (for no particular reason) to appear as a hologram of a beautiful woman.
Cerise: Cerise is the first marionette Kai recruits and, fittingly for this sort of story, her former line of work was as a sexbot. As such, her installed AI is naturally extremely flirty.
Plot:
Kai is minding his own business when an army invades the planet he’s trying to leave. Unfortunately for Kai, it’s the same army he dodged joining in the past so if they catch him it won’t end well and they also seem to be very interested in his new AI partner. He is forced to run and fight back in a desperate attempt to survive long enough to get off the planet.
My Thoughts:
This was rather mediocre on the whole.
To the book's credit it is very action heavy if you’re into that sort of thing. There’s no shortage of gunfights and explosions with copious blood loss and dismemberment for the gorehounds. The short chapters and frequent energy make the book very easy to read.
What also makes the book extremely easy to read is the simplistic writing. It is perhaps a bit too simplistic. It’s really quite shallow so if you do care about the prose you’ll be very unimpressed. You’ll be similarly unimpressed if you want fleshed-out multifaceted characters. There are none here.
The gamelit aspect of the story feels really quite forced in here. There is no game world here to speak of. Everything that happens is really happening and there’s no overarching rule set or AI or anything like that. The numbers we do get all come from Kai’s personal neural augments and or Ilona. The fact that none of this actually means anything leads to the odd scenario of putting numbers on stuff that don’t and can’t have numbers. How can you put a number on someone’s skill with computers? How could you hope to define the number of hitpoints the average human has in any meaningful capacity. Or what level someone should be? You can’t. It doesn’t make sense without a game world logic and we don’t have that here; it's only in Kai’s head.
Speaking of a lack of overarching rules, rules about what ought to kill a man also get thrown out as Kai gets what I think is the new record for most impressive plot armor ever when he manages, in one scene, to survive the vacuum of space. Yeah really.
The book is, of course, rampantly horny though there’s only one actual sex scene near the end and I do have to point one thing out. These characters get into lots of gunfights and while Kai manages to avoid being shot his girl robots don’t. It’s fine for them because they’re made of titanium with a bit of synthetic skin over top. The problem is that synthetic skin does get damaged by bullets. We’re explicitly told as much. So during the sex scene the girl is looking half like an anime babe and half like the T-1000. That’s not my kink. Not sure whose kink that is but I guess good news for that guy. For the rest of us, have fun with that mental image.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews