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The Gifted of Brennex #1
Warped State
Star Trek meets Leverage in a space opera that’s “refreshingly hopeful and heaps of fun” (author Megan E. O’Keefe).
Jasper Wilder is an activist, not a spy, but he’ll become one if that’s what it takes to stop Ravel Corporation from reviving the research project that devastated his home planet.
His plan is simple enough: Break into the secure facility. Steal the research data. Find a weakness and sabotage the project. But all that goes out the airlock when he meets Havoc, a passionate but politically naive labor organizer trying to reform Ravel from within.
Havoc could help Jasper, but instead, he’s fighting for a lost cause. Jasper knows that if he sticks with his own plan, Havoc will likely take the blame—and Ravel doesn’t treat activists kindly.
With an elite security operative closing in, and time running out to sabotage the deadly project before it launches, Jasper needs to find a way to team up with Havoc… before his mission hurts the person he’s coming to care about.
Full of adventure and suspense, LGBTQ+ characters, found family, a sentient spaceship with anxiety issues, and hijinks galore, Warped State is sure to delight fans of Ann Leckie, Becky Chambers, and Martha Wells.
Jasper Wilder is an activist, not a spy, but he’ll become one if that’s what it takes to stop Ravel Corporation from reviving the research project that devastated his home planet.
His plan is simple enough: Break into the secure facility. Steal the research data. Find a weakness and sabotage the project. But all that goes out the airlock when he meets Havoc, a passionate but politically naive labor organizer trying to reform Ravel from within.
Havoc could help Jasper, but instead, he’s fighting for a lost cause. Jasper knows that if he sticks with his own plan, Havoc will likely take the blame—and Ravel doesn’t treat activists kindly.
With an elite security operative closing in, and time running out to sabotage the deadly project before it launches, Jasper needs to find a way to team up with Havoc… before his mission hurts the person he’s coming to care about.
Full of adventure and suspense, LGBTQ+ characters, found family, a sentient spaceship with anxiety issues, and hijinks galore, Warped State is sure to delight fans of Ann Leckie, Becky Chambers, and Martha Wells.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2023
84 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Jo Miles
26 books12 followersJo Miles writes optimistic science fiction and fantasy, including queer space opera trilogy The Gifted of Brennex, which begins with Warped State. Their short stories have appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, and more. Jo lives in Maryland, and you can sign up for email updates at www.jomiles.com/newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 19, 2023
I tagged this as both science fiction and paranormal because one of the MCs has a sort of superpower -- he sees a visual representation of the emotional connections between people -- that in-universe has a scientific origin but that, as a trope, feels paranormal. Also, Warped State turns out to be the first of a trilogy, so although there's an HFN for the central couple, there's a cliffhanger for (what I presume will be) the overarching story.
You might call the premise here Conglomerate Capitalism in Space: Ravel, a -- private enterprise, I guess you'd call it -- that functions like an authoritarian nation-state, is developing a more powerful version of a drug that was used on Jasper/Mason's home world, Brennex; this drug had disastrous effects on the people's fertility, and the few children who were born have strange and variable extra abilities, such as Jasper's ability to see emotional connections.
Under the name of Mason Singh, Jasper is an agent of the Cooperative, an organization devoted to opposing Ravel and all its works. His mission to stop Ravel from releasing the drug fails catastrophically at first, with grave consequences for a group of Ravel workers who've been organizing for better labor conditions. The lead organizer is Sowing of Small Havoc, a member of a somewhat lizardlike people called the Kovar, who are indigenous to the planet where Ravel is trying to perfect the drug, and who suffer especially poor treatment under the Ravel regime. Havoc is also Jasper's love interest.
Warped State has affinities with Ann Leckie's Ancillary series, in that it features people who seem to have little power but who succeed, despite the odds, in damaging (we'll see whether that becomes "destroying") a malign regime. There are also some sentient AIs around, including an important secondary character named Ship. I don't mean by this that Jo Miles is cribbing -- the themes they have in common with Leckie seem like ones that would arise naturally, at this political moment, in the mind of many SF writers with a progressive bent, besides which the structure of their plot is quite different. Unlike Leckie's Breq, Jasper/Mason is part of a larger movement from the outset, and although there are labor organizers in the Ancillary series there's no one directly comparable to Havoc.
By the way, I loved the Kovari naming conventions. Besides Havoc, there's Five-Chit Defense and Confounding Echo, for two, and these Kovari names allude to some nifty low-key culture building by Miles. (Another nice touch: none of the Ravel managers, who are all Human, manage to get Havoc's name right. Almost to a person, they call him "Sower of Havoc" if they call him anything.) The Kovars speak of "games" where we might say something like "projects," and their "eshrato" is something like a team. I really hope we get to see more of Kovari culture in the next books.
For my taste, Ann Leckie's books have more ... call it rigor, maybe? -- than this first installment of the Gifted of Brennex series, but I can't really complain about an enjoyable & suspenseful story with characters as appealing as these. The Kovari aren't the only nifty instance of worldbuilding, either -- there's a priceless sequence in an "Old Earth-style restaurant" that reminded me a little of Calvin Trillin's Maison de la Casa House, Continental Cuisine: the Old Earth "cuisine" is a lot less pretentious but is an equally jumbled mess. Jo Miles, run with this inventively funny streak of yours!
3.75 stars, rounded up, with thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.
You might call the premise here Conglomerate Capitalism in Space: Ravel, a -- private enterprise, I guess you'd call it -- that functions like an authoritarian nation-state, is developing a more powerful version of a drug that was used on Jasper/Mason's home world, Brennex; this drug had disastrous effects on the people's fertility, and the few children who were born have strange and variable extra abilities, such as Jasper's ability to see emotional connections.
Under the name of Mason Singh, Jasper is an agent of the Cooperative, an organization devoted to opposing Ravel and all its works. His mission to stop Ravel from releasing the drug fails catastrophically at first, with grave consequences for a group of Ravel workers who've been organizing for better labor conditions. The lead organizer is Sowing of Small Havoc, a member of a somewhat lizardlike people called the Kovar, who are indigenous to the planet where Ravel is trying to perfect the drug, and who suffer especially poor treatment under the Ravel regime. Havoc is also Jasper's love interest.
Warped State has affinities with Ann Leckie's Ancillary series, in that it features people who seem to have little power but who succeed, despite the odds, in damaging (we'll see whether that becomes "destroying") a malign regime. There are also some sentient AIs around, including an important secondary character named Ship. I don't mean by this that Jo Miles is cribbing -- the themes they have in common with Leckie seem like ones that would arise naturally, at this political moment, in the mind of many SF writers with a progressive bent, besides which the structure of their plot is quite different. Unlike Leckie's Breq, Jasper/Mason is part of a larger movement from the outset, and although there are labor organizers in the Ancillary series there's no one directly comparable to Havoc.
By the way, I loved the Kovari naming conventions. Besides Havoc, there's Five-Chit Defense and Confounding Echo, for two, and these Kovari names allude to some nifty low-key culture building by Miles. (Another nice touch: none of the Ravel managers, who are all Human, manage to get Havoc's name right. Almost to a person, they call him "Sower of Havoc" if they call him anything.) The Kovars speak of "games" where we might say something like "projects," and their "eshrato" is something like a team. I really hope we get to see more of Kovari culture in the next books.
For my taste, Ann Leckie's books have more ... call it rigor, maybe? -- than this first installment of the Gifted of Brennex series, but I can't really complain about an enjoyable & suspenseful story with characters as appealing as these. The Kovari aren't the only nifty instance of worldbuilding, either -- there's a priceless sequence in an "Old Earth-style restaurant" that reminded me a little of Calvin Trillin's Maison de la Casa House, Continental Cuisine: the Old Earth "cuisine" is a lot less pretentious but is an equally jumbled mess. Jo Miles, run with this inventively funny streak of yours!
3.75 stars, rounded up, with thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.
August 28, 2023
3.5 stars
A promising sci-fi debut with political intrigue and a romantic subplot
Jasper (AKA Mason) arrives on Artesia to stop Ravel, all-powerful bio-pharma company, from continuing development of a drug that caused widespread infertility on his planet and left the surviving children with unexpected but secret powers. His ability allows him to see the links between people: hostile, friendly, hesitant, romantic...he sees it all.
Sowing of Small Havoc is a Kovar - lizard-like is the easiest description - employed as a support staff for Ravel and protesting for his right to better working conditions and access to promotions. His kind are marginalised in Ravel society and never seem to progress past menial labour.
Ship - an unexpected 3rd POV - is a newly sentient AI spaceship, grappling with their new emotions, identity and how they can assist our MCs without their main opponent, the ship's captain Grist, finding out.
________________
Overall, I found this to be a well-paced sci-fi novel with interesting worldbuilding, ethical questions and cultural differences.
This is very much a dystopian evil mega-pharma world, kind of terrifying in its believability. This story only really introduces one alien culture, the Kovars, but it does so convincingly and manages to avoid any infodumping by keeping this story relatively small and tight.
I found that using Ship as a POV character was a great way to offer a somewhat omniscient view of what was going on, and show the antagonist's actions without having to use their POV. At some times Ship was the most human character of all and I'm keen for more development on that front.
The conflict between the MCs felt believable and I thought the cultural aspects were particularly well-developed. Kovar highly value a community mindset, and do everything to protect their group. Part of Havoc's group identity is his colleagues and loyalty towards Ravel so Jasper undermining this to tear Ravel down goes counter to Havoc's desire to see progress for all.
In spite of this, they each have a lot of respect for the other and their attraction is undeniable. That being said, the romance here is definitely a subplot. It's present, and does drive a lot of their actions, but at the end of the day it remains quite surface-level.
While it does end on a HFN for the couple, I hope they're the protagonists for future books because I feel like their story is incomplete. And maybe I'm just a total perv who enjoys alien/monster romances (no comment) but…I want more details on the logistics of this pairing. I mean...Havoc has a snout. Tell me more.
I also thought Jasper’s ability was very clever but underused. It's mentioned a lot in the beginning, and his analysis of the crowds during Havoc's protests was interesting, but I found it got left by the wayside somewhere in the middle.
I would recommend this to sci-fi readers over romance readers, but I definitely did enjoy it and will pick up the next book once released!
I kindly received an ARC from the author. All opinions are my own.
A promising sci-fi debut with political intrigue and a romantic subplot
Jasper (AKA Mason) arrives on Artesia to stop Ravel, all-powerful bio-pharma company, from continuing development of a drug that caused widespread infertility on his planet and left the surviving children with unexpected but secret powers. His ability allows him to see the links between people: hostile, friendly, hesitant, romantic...he sees it all.
Sowing of Small Havoc is a Kovar - lizard-like is the easiest description - employed as a support staff for Ravel and protesting for his right to better working conditions and access to promotions. His kind are marginalised in Ravel society and never seem to progress past menial labour.
Ship - an unexpected 3rd POV - is a newly sentient AI spaceship, grappling with their new emotions, identity and how they can assist our MCs without their main opponent, the ship's captain Grist, finding out.
________________
Overall, I found this to be a well-paced sci-fi novel with interesting worldbuilding, ethical questions and cultural differences.
This is very much a dystopian evil mega-pharma world, kind of terrifying in its believability. This story only really introduces one alien culture, the Kovars, but it does so convincingly and manages to avoid any infodumping by keeping this story relatively small and tight.
I found that using Ship as a POV character was a great way to offer a somewhat omniscient view of what was going on, and show the antagonist's actions without having to use their POV. At some times Ship was the most human character of all and I'm keen for more development on that front.
The conflict between the MCs felt believable and I thought the cultural aspects were particularly well-developed. Kovar highly value a community mindset, and do everything to protect their group. Part of Havoc's group identity is his colleagues and loyalty towards Ravel so Jasper undermining this to tear Ravel down goes counter to Havoc's desire to see progress for all.
In spite of this, they each have a lot of respect for the other and their attraction is undeniable. That being said, the romance here is definitely a subplot. It's present, and does drive a lot of their actions, but at the end of the day it remains quite surface-level.
While it does end on a HFN for the couple, I hope they're the protagonists for future books because I feel like their story is incomplete. And maybe I'm just a total perv who enjoys alien/monster romances (no comment) but…I want more details on the logistics of this pairing. I mean...Havoc has a snout. Tell me more.
I also thought Jasper’s ability was very clever but underused. It's mentioned a lot in the beginning, and his analysis of the crowds during Havoc's protests was interesting, but I found it got left by the wayside somewhere in the middle.
I would recommend this to sci-fi readers over romance readers, but I definitely did enjoy it and will pick up the next book once released!
I kindly received an ARC from the author. All opinions are my own.
August 22, 2023
I didn’t like this book as much as I hoped, and I could not quite put my finger on why. It took me awhile to get through, so I think there was probably something off about the pacing. It picked up in small parts, then slowed way down as characters talked through strategies and philosophies, and overall rather choppy.
There was lots to like here, though. In this universe corporations have colonized worlds and abuse workers, and a Cooperative of activists engages in corporate espionage and sabotage to undermine them incrementally. It went heavy into the politics of that, maybe a bit too much for my tastes.
The main character is Jasper Wilder, a member of the Lost Generation, children lost to birth defects that were the byproducts of a new drug. He’s loyal to his family, who runs a store on a space station, but he’s restless and feels the need to atone for his existence when so many others were lost. I found his character compelling, and I liked the fact that his love interest was a lizard-like alien who’s a fledgling activist working from inside Revel (That scene when they’re curled up together on a small bed with Sowing of Havoc’s tail tucked around Jasper! Swoons).
The romance here is very sweet and a slow burn. It was one of my favorite parts. I loved how they clashed on cultural misunderstandings and I thought Havoc’s dialogue very well done. I was intrigued by their species and Havoc changing to accept more individualism.
I also liked Ship’s character, a spaceship piloted by one of the baddies who’s new to sentience and tries to help Havoc and Jasper.
I didn’t find the conflicts here particularly compelling though. I didn’t really understand how these corporations became so all-powerful and profitable. The characters overall, especially the villains, were flat and kind of forgettable to me, and the story was so slow paced I had to make myself get through it.
It was entertaining enough though with a lot of potential. Fans of space opera spy thrillers will find much to like here.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There was lots to like here, though. In this universe corporations have colonized worlds and abuse workers, and a Cooperative of activists engages in corporate espionage and sabotage to undermine them incrementally. It went heavy into the politics of that, maybe a bit too much for my tastes.
The main character is Jasper Wilder, a member of the Lost Generation, children lost to birth defects that were the byproducts of a new drug. He’s loyal to his family, who runs a store on a space station, but he’s restless and feels the need to atone for his existence when so many others were lost. I found his character compelling, and I liked the fact that his love interest was a lizard-like alien who’s a fledgling activist working from inside Revel (That scene when they’re curled up together on a small bed with Sowing of Havoc’s tail tucked around Jasper! Swoons).
The romance here is very sweet and a slow burn. It was one of my favorite parts. I loved how they clashed on cultural misunderstandings and I thought Havoc’s dialogue very well done. I was intrigued by their species and Havoc changing to accept more individualism.
I also liked Ship’s character, a spaceship piloted by one of the baddies who’s new to sentience and tries to help Havoc and Jasper.
I didn’t find the conflicts here particularly compelling though. I didn’t really understand how these corporations became so all-powerful and profitable. The characters overall, especially the villains, were flat and kind of forgettable to me, and the story was so slow paced I had to make myself get through it.
It was entertaining enough though with a lot of potential. Fans of space opera spy thrillers will find much to like here.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 1, 2024
3.5 stars, solid read, could've been better for me but those into activism may like it better.
I'm ever curious how other writers explore iterations of super powers. This is not a book about that, though it's ideal for Jasper's use.
The characters are very good. The plot is good, although a kilo of product got lost along the way, likely a mistep in editing. The setting is great. Too much prose about activism that I didn't need led me to skim until the protagonists were finally on the same side. I understood the last two-fifths of the novel without issue. And, I like how it ended, but feel no urge to continue with the series.
I'm ever curious how other writers explore iterations of super powers. This is not a book about that, though it's ideal for Jasper's use.
The characters are very good. The plot is good, although a kilo of product got lost along the way, likely a mistep in editing. The setting is great. Too much prose about activism that I didn't need led me to skim until the protagonists were finally on the same side. I understood the last two-fifths of the novel without issue. And, I like how it ended, but feel no urge to continue with the series.
October 31, 2025
If you are a fan of Galactic Hellcats, you should love this series. It has capers galore, in a populated universe reminiscent of DeLaney's Nova or C. J. Cherryh's Downbelow Station, with last-minute escapes, a gay romance, a sweet naive AI, and interesting alien environments. Brennex itself is a fascinating, cozy setting, a dream of a Boho space colony. Miles mixes high stakes action with cuteness... definitely up my alley.
January 4, 2024
Adventures in labour organization and workers' rights and interspecies friendship on alien planets in the far future. The two protagonists, of different species, band together to make life difficult for a particularly evil interplanetary corporation. One is a spy looking for evidence of past and possibly future wrongdoing on planets-wide scale, including his home planet, whose inhabitants suffered extremely bad and irreversible consequences for it. The other protagonist is a worker starting to organize and fight for better work conditions for himself and his colleagues at one of such corporate-run planets. Even though they start with different purposes, experiences and views of life, they become friends and partners, after going through all kinds of problems and dangers and after realising their ultimate goals may actually align. To make the story even more intriguing, there is also a newly sentient A.I. ship that starts mingling with people's affairs when the orders it gets seem unjust and against its values. A page-turning novel, fast-paced and compelling. I am quite curious about the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2023
Another one of those books where the blurb made it seem like something I'd really like but the way in which the author dealt with the plot in question just didn't quite work for me. As usual, YMMV.
The basic premise is that it's science fiction, set in a world where corporate entities control entire planets, which means that the people living there (whether human or not) have to live under the dictates of those corporations. One of our protagonists, who goes by Jasper (aka Mason, when he's undercover) has grown up on one of those worlds, where use of drugs on the population has led to a number of side effects cropping up which give the planet's inhabitants various psychic powers, while simultaneously decimating the birth rate. Somehow this has been able to be kept from the company which ran this (and many other) planets and so Jasper uses his particular gift of being able to see the emotional connections between people to try and sabotage that company's work on other planets.
Our other protagonist, Jasper's eventual love interest, is Kovari rather than human - despite his name Sowing of Small Havoc lives within a society where working towards the group good is the main goal and that's been abused by the company who owns this planet to make even the idea of organising against the company almost taboo. When our main characters meet, Jasper is supposedly encouraging unionisation but also has a plan to try and infiltrate the company headquarters, as further work is being done on a drug that works much like the one that affected his planet, destroying the birth rate but being immensely profitable.
In general terms, there's pretty good world-building and a nice range of supporting characters (including a spaceship which has recently acquired sentience and wants to get involved in what's going on) but the main characters aren't as strong as they could be. I had some trouble visualising what the Kovari look like, so it's probably a good thing that this is not a particularly explicit book for m/m and I hope the writer has a clear grasp of the respective biologies if she plans to change that in future installments. There's also a bit of bleed-over from what looks like the author's own experience of unionising, as sometimes there's a degree of info-dumping of 'how to organise people into a union' which just feels awkward.
So, in general terms not a bad book and it's likely to work well for some - for me, it just lacked that clarity of characterisation that makes me care what happens to the people involved and then want to pick up the next in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.
The basic premise is that it's science fiction, set in a world where corporate entities control entire planets, which means that the people living there (whether human or not) have to live under the dictates of those corporations. One of our protagonists, who goes by Jasper (aka Mason, when he's undercover) has grown up on one of those worlds, where use of drugs on the population has led to a number of side effects cropping up which give the planet's inhabitants various psychic powers, while simultaneously decimating the birth rate. Somehow this has been able to be kept from the company which ran this (and many other) planets and so Jasper uses his particular gift of being able to see the emotional connections between people to try and sabotage that company's work on other planets.
Our other protagonist, Jasper's eventual love interest, is Kovari rather than human - despite his name Sowing of Small Havoc lives within a society where working towards the group good is the main goal and that's been abused by the company who owns this planet to make even the idea of organising against the company almost taboo. When our main characters meet, Jasper is supposedly encouraging unionisation but also has a plan to try and infiltrate the company headquarters, as further work is being done on a drug that works much like the one that affected his planet, destroying the birth rate but being immensely profitable.
In general terms, there's pretty good world-building and a nice range of supporting characters (including a spaceship which has recently acquired sentience and wants to get involved in what's going on) but the main characters aren't as strong as they could be. I had some trouble visualising what the Kovari look like, so it's probably a good thing that this is not a particularly explicit book for m/m and I hope the writer has a clear grasp of the respective biologies if she plans to change that in future installments. There's also a bit of bleed-over from what looks like the author's own experience of unionising, as sometimes there's a degree of info-dumping of 'how to organise people into a union' which just feels awkward.
So, in general terms not a bad book and it's likely to work well for some - for me, it just lacked that clarity of characterisation that makes me care what happens to the people involved and then want to pick up the next in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.
August 30, 2023
Just finished reading Jo Miles' Warped Date and all I can say is...
MORE!
There's an earnestness to Warped State that I found incredibly appealing. It trades in the usual sarcasm and cynicism for a mix of idealism, pragmatism, and realism. The characters fulfill this by being smart, but naïve, loving, but pragmatic, and good,... but good.
Strangely, it's this last part that I found so inviting. The good guys in Warped State are good guys through and through. They are the people struggling for their families, their company, and their cause who don't need to overcome their super-dark past. And for me, it was a breath of relief that the heroes were not part-time villains. They are good guys simply because something needs to get done and they chose to give a damn. Even better, they didn't accidentally fall into being good guys, they saw a problem and chose to act.
On the surface, this is a book about workers, big pharma, corporate culture, rights, and what it means to be part of a team. It is a space epic where the rebels infiltrate a planet to stop the production of a product that will produce dire consequences. Yet it's not a shoot 'em up and it's not a political intrigue. It's not even really a book of chess moves. What it is is richer than that. It's a book about cultivating relationships and wrestling with the nature of one's culture and blind spots to engender change.
Beware, below lies the spoilery parts:
Jasper is an outsider whose people were afflicted by a really nasty drug whose side effects nearly wiped out an entire generation. The drug gifted him with telepathic empathy, but cost his family, his community, and his whole planet millions of lives. When he discovers a company called Ravel is about to replicate this drug on a planet called Artesia, he signs up to stop it from happening again.
Havok of Sowing is a lizardman who's fighting to change the corporation from the inside. He wants his people to have better working conditions and more opportunities for upwards mobility, But Havoc is also pro-corporation. He wants his corporation to be successful and cares about it more than himself. His deft naivety which makes the book so engrossing. While initially, Jasper wants to help Havoc achieve his goals, Havoc is more dubious. He wants his company to prosper. But the question of what prosperity is and who it is for or rather who gets a piece of the pie and at what cost is what drives the book.... And the book drives fast and easily.
This is a downhill read that you will enjoy even during the tightest of its curves.
MORE!
There's an earnestness to Warped State that I found incredibly appealing. It trades in the usual sarcasm and cynicism for a mix of idealism, pragmatism, and realism. The characters fulfill this by being smart, but naïve, loving, but pragmatic, and good,... but good.
Strangely, it's this last part that I found so inviting. The good guys in Warped State are good guys through and through. They are the people struggling for their families, their company, and their cause who don't need to overcome their super-dark past. And for me, it was a breath of relief that the heroes were not part-time villains. They are good guys simply because something needs to get done and they chose to give a damn. Even better, they didn't accidentally fall into being good guys, they saw a problem and chose to act.
On the surface, this is a book about workers, big pharma, corporate culture, rights, and what it means to be part of a team. It is a space epic where the rebels infiltrate a planet to stop the production of a product that will produce dire consequences. Yet it's not a shoot 'em up and it's not a political intrigue. It's not even really a book of chess moves. What it is is richer than that. It's a book about cultivating relationships and wrestling with the nature of one's culture and blind spots to engender change.
Beware, below lies the spoilery parts:
Jasper is an outsider whose people were afflicted by a really nasty drug whose side effects nearly wiped out an entire generation. The drug gifted him with telepathic empathy, but cost his family, his community, and his whole planet millions of lives. When he discovers a company called Ravel is about to replicate this drug on a planet called Artesia, he signs up to stop it from happening again.
Havok of Sowing is a lizardman who's fighting to change the corporation from the inside. He wants his people to have better working conditions and more opportunities for upwards mobility, But Havoc is also pro-corporation. He wants his corporation to be successful and cares about it more than himself. His deft naivety which makes the book so engrossing. While initially, Jasper wants to help Havoc achieve his goals, Havoc is more dubious. He wants his company to prosper. But the question of what prosperity is and who it is for or rather who gets a piece of the pie and at what cost is what drives the book.... And the book drives fast and easily.
This is a downhill read that you will enjoy even during the tightest of its curves.
June 24, 2025
This is the first book in a science fiction trilogy. I had fun reading it, but in order to properly enjoy myself I needed to skate past a couple of issues(*). The story switches between three point-of-view characters, all very likable: a human man, an alien man, and a sentient spaceship. The plot centers on activism/resistance to an evil corporation and also has a romance component. I particularly liked the sentient spaceship.
Three and a half out of five havoc stars, rounded up because of the spaceship.
(*) There's an interstellar civilization with humans and multiple alien species, but security/AI technology remains near contemporary. And, in general, society is close to ours, except with added aliens. This latter point is common in much far-future SF, but it's still a disappointment when the future society is much more similar to ours than, say, the Mayan civilization was.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Three and a half out of five havoc stars, rounded up because of the spaceship.
(*) There's an interstellar civilization with humans and multiple alien species, but security/AI technology remains near contemporary. And, in general, society is close to ours, except with added aliens. This latter point is common in much far-future SF, but it's still a disappointment when the future society is much more similar to ours than, say, the Mayan civilization was.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
August 13, 2023
Warped State is a space drama based around Jasper (Mason) as an activist/spy against an evil corporate sudo government with plans to profit from its biopharma products even if it poisons and kills the workers and inhabitance of the planet. Jasper finds a possible ally in Havoc, an alien worker for the company looking to organize and protect his teammates. It's not easy taking down a corporate division that is also basically the government, Havoc and Jasper run into several problematic situations, but in a bit of luck one of the corporation ships has become sentient and is trying to help. I am looking forward to the next books in the series, I like the ship IA subplot and Havoc and Jaspers budding relationship (the first book is all coy smiles and small touches, nothing explicit). If you enjoy space dramas and undermining exploitive corporations you might want to give this book a read.
Please note, I received an ARC copy of this book for review from NetGalley, but that never influences my honest reviews of books or authors.
Please note, I received an ARC copy of this book for review from NetGalley, but that never influences my honest reviews of books or authors.
March 8, 2025
I had expected to really like this, it's a hopeful story about labour uprising and activism against corporate governments and it has spaceships and aliens, but I was only ever mildly invested in any of it. There's an emotional/romance plot and the spy/activism plot and I don't think either of them got enough depth to be compelling. The characters and setting are all reasonably interesting, I do rather like Ship's viewpoint as they come to become a person, though the villains or antagonists are extremely one-note or forgettable. But yeah, for the sheer amount of elements this includes that I should have really liked, it never came together into more than a vaguely enjoyable story.
So maybe I'm a tad disappointed because I wanted to like this better than I did, but it's not easy balancing the pacing of two major plots and deliver a satisfying emotional resolution as well as show how the actions of the story have changed the world. In the latter aspect, I think the author is perhaps leaving that closure to occur in the rest of the series.
So maybe I'm a tad disappointed because I wanted to like this better than I did, but it's not easy balancing the pacing of two major plots and deliver a satisfying emotional resolution as well as show how the actions of the story have changed the world. In the latter aspect, I think the author is perhaps leaving that closure to occur in the rest of the series.
August 14, 2023
This book surprised me so much! I had no real expectations going into this book and only really knew that it was sci-fi, but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was fascinating, and I absolutely flew through this book.
I loved the queer representation, and the premise of fighting evil corporations through organizing protests and assembling a community was fascinating (and educational!). I loved the characters, and the relationship development between Jasper and Havoc was so natural and endearing. I look forward to the rest of the series and can't wait to see how everything pans out.
Also, Ship, I love you and support you in your journey to discover yourself <3
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
I loved the queer representation, and the premise of fighting evil corporations through organizing protests and assembling a community was fascinating (and educational!). I loved the characters, and the relationship development between Jasper and Havoc was so natural and endearing. I look forward to the rest of the series and can't wait to see how everything pans out.
Also, Ship, I love you and support you in your journey to discover yourself <3
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
November 18, 2023
Very much enjoyed this book, in particular the developing relationship between Jasper and Sowing of Small Havoc, the two main characters. That was really lovely to dive into.
I'm also a huge fan of Ship and its/their coming to terms with being a sentient being, something I'm not sure I've read anywhere before.
My bone of contention with this book is that the villain is a bit too cartoonish and one-dimensional. I would have loved to see him not be just angry and mean all the time.
Over all, a really enjoyable read and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
I'm also a huge fan of Ship and its/their coming to terms with being a sentient being, something I'm not sure I've read anywhere before.
My bone of contention with this book is that the villain is a bit too cartoonish and one-dimensional. I would have loved to see him not be just angry and mean all the time.
Over all, a really enjoyable read and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 14, 2023
Come for the optimistic space opera, stay for the sentient spaceship! While the backdrop was bleak enough to keep the organizers and activists busy, what made this book work for me was the development of three different POVs (one a spaceship!), each at a different stage in their political and activist understanding, trying to follow their good intentions despite plenty of missteps. The portrayal of various sorts of families and parallels between different species (or AIs) charmed me as well, and left me eager to read the sequel (which I discovered is out now!).
December 4, 2023
The Gifted characters are a cool setup, the sentient ships are charming, and the corporate states are a natural sci-fi playground.
Despite being configured for success and being generally readable, it moves slowly and has nowhere to go when it does move. Underdeveloped characters, poorly developed universe and culture, unconvincing old-school espionage meets sci-fi setting, and passionless romance.
Despite being configured for success and being generally readable, it moves slowly and has nowhere to go when it does move. Underdeveloped characters, poorly developed universe and culture, unconvincing old-school espionage meets sci-fi setting, and passionless romance.
December 14, 2023
I liked this. It's a solid sci-fi novel with interesting and well-rounded characters. I was invested in all three MC's and POVs (Jasper, Sowing of Small Havoc & Ship) and found the narrative and plot very engaging. The romantic element could have been stronger for me, I liked the two together but there wasn't as much spark as I would have liked but it did work for the two characters. The world-building was strong and it was well paced. I'd like to see more in this world for sure.
September 9, 2023
I blurbed this book because I liked it so much! This is what I wrote: “Jo Miles’ Warped State is delightful in every way—smart, emotional, funny, inspiring, and brilliantly written, crossing a high-stakes, dynamic plot with deft character development and a lot of heart. You’ll absolutely fall in love with Jasper and Havoc, cheering the whole way. I loved it.”
June 17, 2025
Solid LGBTQ sci-fi about workers on a corporate planet, but could be about Black Lives Matter. It’s about workers organizing for better treatment, and about how the “professional” organizers need to work with the locals on the ground and listen to what they need, and to how the outside organizers can best help them.
September 15, 2023
While related to the author, without bias, I can honestly say this is a wonderful story of good and evil, cultural conflicts, and developing common ground. I quickly found myself totally absorbed in the twists and turns. It is an exciting and uplifting tale.
October 2, 2023
Recent Reads: Warped State. Jo Miles' SF romance is at heart a tale of union activism, as two very different organisers work to prevent a repeat of an environmental catastrophe. There is power in a union, even on corporate-controlled worlds. And maybe even a happy-ever-after too.
May 23, 2024
What does a human, an alien, and a sentiment space ship have in common? Read Warped State to find out! Filled with action, multiple plot twists and a fresh, original take on science fiction, Warped State is one intense, intriguing read! I couldn't put it down!
November 28, 2025
Clarifying sentience
Corporate espionage in space. Corporation bad guys against mismatched idealistic underdogs. Throw in a ship discovering it's own sentience and you've got a good story.
Corporate espionage in space. Corporation bad guys against mismatched idealistic underdogs. Throw in a ship discovering it's own sentience and you've got a good story.
October 2, 2023
Interesting and intricate plot with characters you really get attached to. Good world-building that left me wanting to know more about it. .
October 28, 2023
fantastic!
Engrossing, hopeful, creative, and so well done. I cannot wait for the next one! Suspenseful, and sweet, and earnest! You should totally read it!
Engrossing, hopeful, creative, and so well done. I cannot wait for the next one! Suspenseful, and sweet, and earnest! You should totally read it!
June 14, 2024
Highly enjoyable. I really wish it had more with Havoc and Jasper once they'd worked things out together.
June 17, 2024
Great characters in a fast-paced story.
July 9, 2024
I read at lunch. Some books I can’t stop reading even after I finish my lunch. This was one of those books. I cannot wait to see what’s next for Jasper/Mason, ‘Havoc and the rest.
January 29, 2025
The characters were so completely the authors that everything they did made sense and was so fun to read. I love Ship they are such a beautiful addition and I can't wait to read more by Jo <33
December 8, 2023
I enjoyed this book, and the three main characters Jasper/Mason, Sowing of Small Havoc, and Ship. Even though it involves an alien species and some space travel, it's mostly about organizing a small labor uprising against an evil corporation, which could be set anywhere on Earth in the present. The viewpoint of Ship is an interesting take on emerging machine sentience. The story stayed pretty light hearted, and there isn't much nuance to the corporate bad actors, but the relationships are nice. The story is nicely told and comes to a satisfying, stand-alone conclusion.
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