What do you think?
Rate this book
N.I.C.E.F.: Neural-Interface Controlled Exo-Frame
This young adult, coming-of-age space opera adventure was heavily inspired by mecha and battle academy anime, with a diverse and queer-inclusive cast.
By all reports, the Wraiths were wiped out. The genocide of this alien race allowed humanity to cement control of the galaxy. The giant robots used to defeat the Wraiths became an economic corner-stone, and the largest training academy for their pilots serves as a test-bed for the latest models and corporate propaganda.
With so much economic influence tied to the school, the last surviving Wraith infiltrates on an assassination mission, and uses the underdog team of persecuted young students to start a meteoric rise to power... perfectly positioning her to slaughter the ones who wiped her people out of the galaxy.
Taegen Atius has really only made one Just how courageous these persecuted teenagers really are. With the corrupt government and greedy corporations fighting and hunting them at every turn, working together may be their only option.
By all reports, the Wraiths were wiped out. The genocide of this alien race allowed humanity to cement control of the galaxy. The giant robots used to defeat the Wraiths became an economic corner-stone, and the largest training academy for their pilots serves as a test-bed for the latest models and corporate propaganda.
With so much economic influence tied to the school, the last surviving Wraith infiltrates on an assassination mission, and uses the underdog team of persecuted young students to start a meteoric rise to power... perfectly positioning her to slaughter the ones who wiped her people out of the galaxy.
Taegen Atius has really only made one Just how courageous these persecuted teenagers really are. With the corrupt government and greedy corporations fighting and hunting them at every turn, working together may be their only option.
781 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 22, 2024
2 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
P.J.C. Cahill
4 books1 followerP.J.C. Cahill grew up in several different houses, across three different countries, and several states. He was raised on Redwall, Lord of the Rings, Aliens, The Terminator, and the Matrix. He began writing at the age of 14 with a Star Wars fanfic (the second story was a Neon Genesis: Evangelion fanfic). He writes in both fantasy and sci-fi settings, original and fan-based. With nearly 30 years of writing experience in his unofficial capacity, he’s comfortable telling his own style of stories, for good or ill.
He finds all stories most compelling when they’re focused on the characters. This tenant is foundational to all of his writing. Exploring emotional dynamics in found families, trauma, emotional intelligence itself, and the consequences that flow out of all of them are the core of what inspires his writing and interests.
Every story needs a little hook, in his opinion, and he tends to ‘spice up’ his plot-lines with over-the-top fantasy or sci-fi elements (like giant flying robots with beamsabers and plasma cannons). He feels that stories convey the best messages when used to inspire hope and humane treatment of each other and the world around us. Join him for the giant robots, stay for the found-family sisters finally coming home.
He finds all stories most compelling when they’re focused on the characters. This tenant is foundational to all of his writing. Exploring emotional dynamics in found families, trauma, emotional intelligence itself, and the consequences that flow out of all of them are the core of what inspires his writing and interests.
Every story needs a little hook, in his opinion, and he tends to ‘spice up’ his plot-lines with over-the-top fantasy or sci-fi elements (like giant flying robots with beamsabers and plasma cannons). He feels that stories convey the best messages when used to inspire hope and humane treatment of each other and the world around us. Join him for the giant robots, stay for the found-family sisters finally coming home.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 13, 2025
Author P J A Cahill contacted me to review his book N.I.C.E.F (Neutral-interface Controlled Exo Frame.) A YA space opera inspired by mecha and battle academy anime. Roughly 1000 pages long, Cahill takes us on a journey of inclusivity, sticking it to the big man, defiance and inner strength. Although there are lots of battles throughout the book, it feels cosy and warm, most certainly a safe space to get lost in for hours at a time. Although advertised towards younger audiences, I think this is an enjoyable read for people of any age. It’s written so well and with so much inclusion that everyone should feel welcome and a part of Cahills demographic.
Characters:
Cahills characters are mainly school aged teenagers, with a couple of adults sprinkled in. Each character shows immense emotional intelligence and depth. Communication is a forefront in priorities in this book. I think this adds to the legitimacy of the plot as well, due to the character dialogue there is little to no space for plot holes. Everything the reader thinks, or questions is usually answered between the characters themselves.
As my usual readers know, I am always looking for well written women and Cahill lived up to my expectations. Every female character is strong, smart and has purpose and agency. From the youngest to the eldest characters, each woman knows their own mind, has set goals and never deviates. I’m not sure if intended, but it does feel like Cahill has written a feminist powerhouse and I absolutely love it! Women are so often over sexualised in anime’s and sci-fis, but Cahill avoids anything problematic. In an ideal world this wouldn’t need to be mentioned or celebrated, but I’ve read too many books, this year alone, that have proved that we still need to champion authors like Cahill.
Even romantic relationships in the book, between young teenagers, are written with maturity, consent and safety in mind. Although the romances don’t go above PG (as it should be in a YA book!) There is an age gap which is discussed by the characters involved and friends of the characters. I really liked this as, although I already know about the dangers (I was a victim myself when I was a teenager) this will educated Cahills readers, this might be the first time that teenagers come across an age gap and they will learn what to question, what's safe, when it’s okay and when it isn’t.
An honourable mention without giving spoilers, one of the characters is a morally grey woman hell bent on vengeance, and dear reader, I love her. She gives every book girlfriend trope you could ask for and she is an adult so it's okay for me to simp over her before you worry she’s one of the teenagers I have already written about!
Keeping the inclusive bus running, Cahill includes the queer community with representation via a sapphic relationship. Again, this is so important in a YA as it shows that firstly, it’s okay to be your true self and love whoever you want to, but also that its normal if your friend comes out and nothing should change between you. Allyship is such an important lesson to teach and Cahill does that so well with his writing.
Plot
The plot follows House Aroi, but not all students in the house were Aroi themselves. They are students often trodden on by society, victims of the elite medical companies and their large bills. Pushed out from other houses because they dared to oppose the choices of the elite. They are joined by a mysterious powerful student who has her own agenda to the house, but gets swayed to abandon it for the greater good. The plot follows how the students navigate a world not welcoming of them, and how they rise through the ranks. There are darker themes of genocide, racism and erasure, very real hideous things going on in our world right now. But handled with the best of humanity, resilience and family. The rise of the Aroi and those trodden on for so long is so heartwarming, tears were shed and dialogue sent shivers and goosebumps racing up and down your body. Aroi victare!
Feedback
I do feel like the chapters need to be shorter for an easier reading experience. I think there are 18 chapters but it's around 1000 pages long. You can't ‘just finish the chapter’ before you go to bed etc. Especially for younger audiences who don’t have long attention spans. I also felt like the dialogue doesn't flow as well as it could in places, there is over use of ... and stuttering, I know the stuttering probably comes from the anime side of it and at first I didn’t even notice, but after a while it started to take a bit more effort.
The book felt like it came to a satisfying conclusion at 70% but with 300 pages left I kept waiting for something bad to go wrong or another plot development. Instead it was just a long happy ending, focusing on the individual members of Aroi House. For me personally this was too long, I prefer succinct endings but if you love to lose yourself in the lives after the story then you'll really enjoy it. This is purely a preference.
Overall I think this book deserves 4 stars! Fit for all ages, this YA is there to educate and provide a safe welcoming space for all.
Characters:
Cahills characters are mainly school aged teenagers, with a couple of adults sprinkled in. Each character shows immense emotional intelligence and depth. Communication is a forefront in priorities in this book. I think this adds to the legitimacy of the plot as well, due to the character dialogue there is little to no space for plot holes. Everything the reader thinks, or questions is usually answered between the characters themselves.
As my usual readers know, I am always looking for well written women and Cahill lived up to my expectations. Every female character is strong, smart and has purpose and agency. From the youngest to the eldest characters, each woman knows their own mind, has set goals and never deviates. I’m not sure if intended, but it does feel like Cahill has written a feminist powerhouse and I absolutely love it! Women are so often over sexualised in anime’s and sci-fis, but Cahill avoids anything problematic. In an ideal world this wouldn’t need to be mentioned or celebrated, but I’ve read too many books, this year alone, that have proved that we still need to champion authors like Cahill.
Even romantic relationships in the book, between young teenagers, are written with maturity, consent and safety in mind. Although the romances don’t go above PG (as it should be in a YA book!) There is an age gap which is discussed by the characters involved and friends of the characters. I really liked this as, although I already know about the dangers (I was a victim myself when I was a teenager) this will educated Cahills readers, this might be the first time that teenagers come across an age gap and they will learn what to question, what's safe, when it’s okay and when it isn’t.
An honourable mention without giving spoilers, one of the characters is a morally grey woman hell bent on vengeance, and dear reader, I love her. She gives every book girlfriend trope you could ask for and she is an adult so it's okay for me to simp over her before you worry she’s one of the teenagers I have already written about!
Keeping the inclusive bus running, Cahill includes the queer community with representation via a sapphic relationship. Again, this is so important in a YA as it shows that firstly, it’s okay to be your true self and love whoever you want to, but also that its normal if your friend comes out and nothing should change between you. Allyship is such an important lesson to teach and Cahill does that so well with his writing.
Plot
The plot follows House Aroi, but not all students in the house were Aroi themselves. They are students often trodden on by society, victims of the elite medical companies and their large bills. Pushed out from other houses because they dared to oppose the choices of the elite. They are joined by a mysterious powerful student who has her own agenda to the house, but gets swayed to abandon it for the greater good. The plot follows how the students navigate a world not welcoming of them, and how they rise through the ranks. There are darker themes of genocide, racism and erasure, very real hideous things going on in our world right now. But handled with the best of humanity, resilience and family. The rise of the Aroi and those trodden on for so long is so heartwarming, tears were shed and dialogue sent shivers and goosebumps racing up and down your body. Aroi victare!
Feedback
I do feel like the chapters need to be shorter for an easier reading experience. I think there are 18 chapters but it's around 1000 pages long. You can't ‘just finish the chapter’ before you go to bed etc. Especially for younger audiences who don’t have long attention spans. I also felt like the dialogue doesn't flow as well as it could in places, there is over use of ... and stuttering, I know the stuttering probably comes from the anime side of it and at first I didn’t even notice, but after a while it started to take a bit more effort.
The book felt like it came to a satisfying conclusion at 70% but with 300 pages left I kept waiting for something bad to go wrong or another plot development. Instead it was just a long happy ending, focusing on the individual members of Aroi House. For me personally this was too long, I prefer succinct endings but if you love to lose yourself in the lives after the story then you'll really enjoy it. This is purely a preference.
Overall I think this book deserves 4 stars! Fit for all ages, this YA is there to educate and provide a safe welcoming space for all.
September 23, 2024
Anime Mecha and Big Striving
I love Aroi House with its disaster sapphics and the love everyone has for each other. I love that their enemies are competent, though blinkered; I love that the tech feels tech-y for all its goofiness.
A pleasure to read.
I love Aroi House with its disaster sapphics and the love everyone has for each other. I love that their enemies are competent, though blinkered; I love that the tech feels tech-y for all its goofiness.
A pleasure to read.
February 8, 2026
A right-out-of-an-anime plot mecha story with all sorts of romance and truly inspired combat. Recommend
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews