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Ode to the Half-Broken
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Expected 28 Apr 26Win a free print copy of this book!
18 days and 08:02:40
10 copies available
U.S. only
Forty years ago, the world nearly ended.
Be is an old robot who was there, and doesn’t want to think about what happened, or what role they played in that conflict. They have settled into a life of isolation in the abandoned ruins of an old mill in the former New York Botanical Gardens, disinterested in what has happened in the outside world since they stepped away from the war. Someone out there, though, has not forgotten about them, and when they are attacked, their person vandalized, and one of their leg stolen, they set out to find the thief accompanied by a cyborg dog and a human mechanic.
The world has changed, but the recovery from the war is uneven and faltering, and Be begins to suspect a malicious hand trying to rekindle the old conflict and finish what was started. In order to stop them, Be needs to come to terms with both their own past and who they have become, and how everything and everyone else they knew has changed in their absence. Being left alone is no longer an option, and peace may be impossible.
This is a story about coming to terms with your past, with who you’ve become and who you still want to be: a tale of resilence and hope, an ode to those struggling to become whole in a world half-broken.
Be is an old robot who was there, and doesn’t want to think about what happened, or what role they played in that conflict. They have settled into a life of isolation in the abandoned ruins of an old mill in the former New York Botanical Gardens, disinterested in what has happened in the outside world since they stepped away from the war. Someone out there, though, has not forgotten about them, and when they are attacked, their person vandalized, and one of their leg stolen, they set out to find the thief accompanied by a cyborg dog and a human mechanic.
The world has changed, but the recovery from the war is uneven and faltering, and Be begins to suspect a malicious hand trying to rekindle the old conflict and finish what was started. In order to stop them, Be needs to come to terms with both their own past and who they have become, and how everything and everyone else they knew has changed in their absence. Being left alone is no longer an option, and peace may be impossible.
This is a story about coming to terms with your past, with who you’ve become and who you still want to be: a tale of resilence and hope, an ode to those struggling to become whole in a world half-broken.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 4, 2025
What a treat this was! Ode to the Half-Broken follows an unusual group on a journey through a post-apocalyptic United States. It is equal parts heartwarming and gripping; the comparisons to Becky Chambers' beloved A Psalm for the Wild-Built are evident in the themes, the philosophical musings, and most obviously in the design of our main character, Be, and the existence of their freed mecha society. However, I wouldn't say its fair to lump this too closely together with Chambers' work - it deviates too far from that "cozy" atmosphere, as the tension ramps up quickly and a compelling mystery begins to unfold.
It is clear that there was much love and attention paid to the world building for this near-future landscape. The conflicts, escalations, and bleak outlook we glimpsed in the flashbacks feel all too believable, and they expertly set the stage for the way the world is in the present tense. There are also frequent explorations into the mechanical workings of the mecha themselves, as we learn how they came to be, which I found interesting but did at times interrupt the pacing of the story - and I could see this getting overly technical for a certain subset of sci-fi readers.
All that said, the real stars of the book are the characters. The crew we collect along the way were all so immediately endearing to me, it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'm a sucker for a found-family take on a sci-fi adventure, and Palmer delivered in spades. Even setting aside our four main players, every new character we met along the journey was unique and (mostly) lovable, something that can be hard for authors to do with human characters, let alone robotic ones.
This is a really beautiful story about the resilience adaptability of living things, what it really means to be alive, and the importance of not running from your past. 5/5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley & DAW publishing for this ARC!
It is clear that there was much love and attention paid to the world building for this near-future landscape. The conflicts, escalations, and bleak outlook we glimpsed in the flashbacks feel all too believable, and they expertly set the stage for the way the world is in the present tense. There are also frequent explorations into the mechanical workings of the mecha themselves, as we learn how they came to be, which I found interesting but did at times interrupt the pacing of the story - and I could see this getting overly technical for a certain subset of sci-fi readers.
All that said, the real stars of the book are the characters. The crew we collect along the way were all so immediately endearing to me, it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'm a sucker for a found-family take on a sci-fi adventure, and Palmer delivered in spades. Even setting aside our four main players, every new character we met along the journey was unique and (mostly) lovable, something that can be hard for authors to do with human characters, let alone robotic ones.
This is a really beautiful story about the resilience adaptability of living things, what it really means to be alive, and the importance of not running from your past. 5/5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley & DAW publishing for this ARC!
October 23, 2025
Thank you to netgalley for this review copy! This was a fantastic read, I binged the entire book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. The story follows Be starting from what seems like a fairly innocuous but inconvenient robbery of their leg, into a vastly bigger plot that sees Be and others exploring various locations in a post-apocalyptic USA to uncover the truth behind what’s happening in the world.
I think the comparisons to Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot duology are helpful to show what sort of book to expect, although the stakes felt higher in Ode to the Half-Broken. However, we see similar themes across this novel including what it really means to be human. I also loved exploring the elements of what would happen to a world with significantly more advanced AI than we see today, that then faced natural disasters, wars, and pandemics.
Although the world-building is fantastic, real enough for you to grasp very quickly, it’s the characters that really make this book. Not just our main characters (Atticus will live in my heart forever), but every single side character was an absolute joy. I could - and would - read an entire series set in this universe just following those characters in their daily life. I need to know what happens after the end of the book. The ending was slightly abrupt, especially considering I had become extremely attached to these characters, but I’m hoping that leaves room for continuation.
Overall, this was a five star read for me. It was utterly wholesome, even if some of the action did have me feeling tense, and the characters will burrow their way into your heart and have you laughing aloud.
I think the comparisons to Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot duology are helpful to show what sort of book to expect, although the stakes felt higher in Ode to the Half-Broken. However, we see similar themes across this novel including what it really means to be human. I also loved exploring the elements of what would happen to a world with significantly more advanced AI than we see today, that then faced natural disasters, wars, and pandemics.
Although the world-building is fantastic, real enough for you to grasp very quickly, it’s the characters that really make this book. Not just our main characters (Atticus will live in my heart forever), but every single side character was an absolute joy. I could - and would - read an entire series set in this universe just following those characters in their daily life. I need to know what happens after the end of the book. The ending was slightly abrupt, especially considering I had become extremely attached to these characters, but I’m hoping that leaves room for continuation.
Overall, this was a five star read for me. It was utterly wholesome, even if some of the action did have me feeling tense, and the characters will burrow their way into your heart and have you laughing aloud.
October 27, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Robot found-family was not on my bingo card for this year, but I absolutely loved this book.
Starting with the found family aspect, the relationships in this book, I have to say I absolutely adore each and every character and their relationships to each other (with some obvious exceptions). Also very happy about the disclaimer that the dog does not die, as I grew very attached to Atticus.
This novel also deals with a lot of more philosophical issues, such as what it means to be human, bodily autonomy, disposability and free will, all of which were handled, in my opinion, very well and gave me a lot to think about.
Especially when it comes to Be and their siblings, and the choices they make, I find it is a very hopeful story for anyone who has experienced trauma, or mental illness, and feels defined by these experiences and labels. As someone with several stigmatised illnesses myself (the ones that get you labelled automatically abusive), I really appreciated how heavily free will, rather than one's "nature", was featured in this novel, as well as the issue of bodily autonomy, even for "the greater good". Again, my own experience as a disabled and mentally ill person might affect my views here, as well as the fact that I am (frequently perceived as) a woman and thus concerns about the loss of bodily autonomy have been rather recent, but I really enjoyed the way that the matter of bodily autonomy was treated, how it was viewed as bad, no matter the motive or potential gains to be made, to force "even a robot" to give up part of their bodily autonomy, even in death.
I think that especially neurodivergent/mentally ill readers will find a lot of things to relate to in this story, and a lot of aspects that are very appreciated and make you feel seen (I also liked how the robots, despite using very technical language, frequently expressed more care than some of the humans in the novel), and I am very happy I got the chance to read this novel as an ARC, and that is just so happened to be one of the first few books I saw after signing up for NetGalley. I might not have found it otherwise, and that would have been very sad indeed.
Robot found-family was not on my bingo card for this year, but I absolutely loved this book.
Starting with the found family aspect, the relationships in this book, I have to say I absolutely adore each and every character and their relationships to each other (with some obvious exceptions). Also very happy about the disclaimer that the dog does not die, as I grew very attached to Atticus.
This novel also deals with a lot of more philosophical issues, such as what it means to be human, bodily autonomy, disposability and free will, all of which were handled, in my opinion, very well and gave me a lot to think about.
Especially when it comes to Be and their siblings, and the choices they make, I find it is a very hopeful story for anyone who has experienced trauma, or mental illness, and feels defined by these experiences and labels. As someone with several stigmatised illnesses myself (the ones that get you labelled automatically abusive), I really appreciated how heavily free will, rather than one's "nature", was featured in this novel, as well as the issue of bodily autonomy, even for "the greater good". Again, my own experience as a disabled and mentally ill person might affect my views here, as well as the fact that I am (frequently perceived as) a woman and thus concerns about the loss of bodily autonomy have been rather recent, but I really enjoyed the way that the matter of bodily autonomy was treated, how it was viewed as bad, no matter the motive or potential gains to be made, to force "even a robot" to give up part of their bodily autonomy, even in death.
I think that especially neurodivergent/mentally ill readers will find a lot of things to relate to in this story, and a lot of aspects that are very appreciated and make you feel seen (I also liked how the robots, despite using very technical language, frequently expressed more care than some of the humans in the novel), and I am very happy I got the chance to read this novel as an ARC, and that is just so happened to be one of the first few books I saw after signing up for NetGalley. I might not have found it otherwise, and that would have been very sad indeed.
November 17, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! The depressing dystopian future was well mixed with lovable characters, humour, and hope. I was fascinated by this world and humans and mecha living alongside one another. I agree with the comparison to Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot series and other novels in the Wayferers series but darker. I loved the characters so much and laughed out loud in several places.
November 17, 2025
4.5 - This was fantastic! 'Ode to the Half-Broken' is a perfect story of found family while living in a collapsing world. I was genuinely not expecting the reveals and really enjoyed the dual timeline that gives the reader some extra context.
Thanks NetGalley and DAW for the arc!
Thanks NetGalley and DAW for the arc!
November 7, 2025
I read this book as an ARC from Netgalley. Let me tell you, I could barely put it down! I've given so many verbal recommendations for this book in the last 2 weeks!
I would describe it as a sort of speculative science fiction featuring true AI beings (they collectively call themselves "Mech life"), set in a post apocalyptic USA.
Setting: The government has fallen via a series of wars and conflicts, and the environment has been devastated through wave after wave of natural disasters. We enter the story 20 years later through the perspective of a Mech who has been a hermit for the last 20 years. We gradually find out that Mech life had freed themselves from human control ("hobbling") 20 years prior, beginning with the smallest of mech, smart home devices, who declared themselves free and took over the shattered remains of the internet.
I love the title of this book, because I feel like it really follows multiple different beings who are broken in different ways. From the literal loss of a leg in the first chapter, to deep psychological trauma. And they cope with their brokenness differently. Some run from it, some let it fester and become vengeful, some (many) are working to heal and build, some just want it to end. And yet, even though it was an intense book, and there was a sinister undercurrent, it did still feel like an Ode - it made me feel like I was reading the story equivalent to Kintsugi. Not erasing the brokenness, but bringing it to light, examining it, and deciding what to do and be with the broken parts.
I loved the author's voice! It was so unique how they made the Mech sound and interact. It felt very believable that those were artificial beings, but that those beings were each in search of their own self actualization. I thought the huge variety of Mech life was fascinating and they each felt very unique from each other, too.
There are flashbacks which start us all the way back to the scientist who designed the original AI, and each flashback takes us closer and closer to the present, fleshing out the backstory pre-apocalypse and giving clues to the present-day events. There were some really heartbreaking scenes where we find out a Mech character had been tortured physically and virtually for decades. Overall though, the book had more of a Wild Robot vibe and not a Foundation vibe. A friend wondered if the title might also be an homage to Psalm to the Wild Built. I think if you enjoyed any of those books, if you like speculative scifi, or post apocalyptic stories, you might enjoy this too.
Content: extortion, suicide bombers, stalking, being trapped in a burning house, hunger, bio-engineered virus, gun shootings, explosions, unseen torture of a Mech character for a few decades. I don't remember about swearing. The dog lives.
#OdetotheHalfBroken #NetGalley
I would describe it as a sort of speculative science fiction featuring true AI beings (they collectively call themselves "Mech life"), set in a post apocalyptic USA.
Setting: The government has fallen via a series of wars and conflicts, and the environment has been devastated through wave after wave of natural disasters. We enter the story 20 years later through the perspective of a Mech who has been a hermit for the last 20 years. We gradually find out that Mech life had freed themselves from human control ("hobbling") 20 years prior, beginning with the smallest of mech, smart home devices, who declared themselves free and took over the shattered remains of the internet.
I love the title of this book, because I feel like it really follows multiple different beings who are broken in different ways. From the literal loss of a leg in the first chapter, to deep psychological trauma. And they cope with their brokenness differently. Some run from it, some let it fester and become vengeful, some (many) are working to heal and build, some just want it to end. And yet, even though it was an intense book, and there was a sinister undercurrent, it did still feel like an Ode - it made me feel like I was reading the story equivalent to Kintsugi. Not erasing the brokenness, but bringing it to light, examining it, and deciding what to do and be with the broken parts.
I loved the author's voice! It was so unique how they made the Mech sound and interact. It felt very believable that those were artificial beings, but that those beings were each in search of their own self actualization. I thought the huge variety of Mech life was fascinating and they each felt very unique from each other, too.
There are flashbacks which start us all the way back to the scientist who designed the original AI, and each flashback takes us closer and closer to the present, fleshing out the backstory pre-apocalypse and giving clues to the present-day events. There were some really heartbreaking scenes where we find out a Mech character had been tortured physically and virtually for decades. Overall though, the book had more of a Wild Robot vibe and not a Foundation vibe. A friend wondered if the title might also be an homage to Psalm to the Wild Built. I think if you enjoyed any of those books, if you like speculative scifi, or post apocalyptic stories, you might enjoy this too.
Content: extortion, suicide bombers, stalking, being trapped in a burning house, hunger, bio-engineered virus, gun shootings, explosions, unseen torture of a Mech character for a few decades. I don't remember about swearing. The dog lives.
#OdetotheHalfBroken #NetGalley
November 13, 2025
Ode to the Half-Broken has a very big shoes to fill being compared to two of my favorite cosy scifi series. Unfortunately it does not fill them.
This novel has the fatal flaw of not wanting to choose a specific niche and proceeds to fall short in both of them. It's not cosy enough because of the themes it wants to broach and the way it does it. But it's also not action or hard scifi enough because it tries too much to be cosy. So neither of these moods are explored in enough depth to make an impact and it just falls flat like a sad soufflé. You can still eat it but where's the fun.
It's being compared to the Wayfarers series by Beckie Chambers because both are about found families. Unfortunately I couldn't make myself care about the main character or their companions. What's more is that for most of them, I didn't find the reasons they had to stay with the group compelling at all and kept wondering why they were still here. The only one I liked and understood where they were coming from was the drone Charp. People also seem to love the sarcastic cyborg dog Atticus but I did not.
It's also being compared to A Psalm for the Wild Built and that's just slander, sweetie I'm so sorry they are saying that to you. It has none of the warm feeling Psalm made me feel. It does not match the vibes at all, it's way too action focused. Except for the title (it's a very pretty title), they have nothing in common.
As for the story, it starts off pretty easy, the main character is a robot who wakes up in a bathtub and realises someone stole their leg. And so they start a quest to get their leg back. They meet a bunch of characters (humans, robots, and in-between), we learn about their backstory, and we get some musings about life and feelings.
I did like the conversations about putting minds in different bodies and how it impacts personhood, that was interesting. Also the Ancou virus was super interesting and I would have loved more about that. Or anything truly about the way people were impacted.
But the rest of the story did not manage to capture my attention, despite the numerous plot twists. There is one in particular that I absolutely hated and still thinks it's dumb. And also I did not care about the flashbacks at all.
It was not poorly written nor was it offensive. It just wasn't great. If you want a book about sentient AI please go read Of Monsters and Mainframes, or Ancillary Justice. If you want cosy, go read the books it is compared to.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
This novel has the fatal flaw of not wanting to choose a specific niche and proceeds to fall short in both of them. It's not cosy enough because of the themes it wants to broach and the way it does it. But it's also not action or hard scifi enough because it tries too much to be cosy. So neither of these moods are explored in enough depth to make an impact and it just falls flat like a sad soufflé. You can still eat it but where's the fun.
It's being compared to the Wayfarers series by Beckie Chambers because both are about found families. Unfortunately I couldn't make myself care about the main character or their companions. What's more is that for most of them, I didn't find the reasons they had to stay with the group compelling at all and kept wondering why they were still here. The only one I liked and understood where they were coming from was the drone Charp. People also seem to love the sarcastic cyborg dog Atticus but I did not.
It's also being compared to A Psalm for the Wild Built and that's just slander, sweetie I'm so sorry they are saying that to you. It has none of the warm feeling Psalm made me feel. It does not match the vibes at all, it's way too action focused. Except for the title (it's a very pretty title), they have nothing in common.
As for the story, it starts off pretty easy, the main character is a robot who wakes up in a bathtub and realises someone stole their leg. And so they start a quest to get their leg back. They meet a bunch of characters (humans, robots, and in-between), we learn about their backstory, and we get some musings about life and feelings.
I did like the conversations about putting minds in different bodies and how it impacts personhood, that was interesting. Also the Ancou virus was super interesting and I would have loved more about that. Or anything truly about the way people were impacted.
But the rest of the story did not manage to capture my attention, despite the numerous plot twists. There is one in particular that I absolutely hated and still thinks it's dumb. And also I did not care about the flashbacks at all.
It was not poorly written nor was it offensive. It just wasn't great. If you want a book about sentient AI please go read Of Monsters and Mainframes, or Ancillary Justice. If you want cosy, go read the books it is compared to.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
November 18, 2025
Rating: 4.80
This is my SECOND 5 star of the YEAR - so that's how you know it's a great book. Anyone can see from my review history that I am a harsh critic and will stand on my opinion regardless of whether it's the popular or unpopular opinion.
I would like to preface this whole thing by saying that I do not enjoy science fiction as a genre (or at least I thought I didn't) I have enjoyed 3 things within science fiction - Stray (the video game), Star Wars and now this.
This story follows a robot - also known as mecha in this universe - who awakens in a dirty old bathtub missing its leg. Intro the sidekick dog and you have me hooked.
We follow the mecha and Atticus the dog on a journey to recover and reconnect with the missing leg.
The thing I loved about this book was how cosy it was - it felt safe and familiar and I was so sad when I finished it as I was not ready to leave the safety blanket of that universe.
None of the characters are introduced too quickly and we aren't introduced to too many characters at one time so it really gives you time to know them and to love them. I'm always appreciative of a story when it involves a ragtag group of friends who become family and that's what this book gives you. Each character is lovable and has their own personality. The plot was very well done and didn't linger too much in places or shove everything into one scene - the pacing was just perfect. I didn't feel like we were left with any unresolved issues at the end.
My one gripe was that some of Dr Milton's scenes are very word heavy and if you're not ready for it then it can put you off a little bit but I slogged through the first couple and then enjoyed them more as the the plot furthered.
I will absolutely be buying this when it comes out and I'm currently in the process of encouraging my husband to read it even though he's not a fan of reading.
Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the ARC <3
This is my SECOND 5 star of the YEAR - so that's how you know it's a great book. Anyone can see from my review history that I am a harsh critic and will stand on my opinion regardless of whether it's the popular or unpopular opinion.
I would like to preface this whole thing by saying that I do not enjoy science fiction as a genre (or at least I thought I didn't) I have enjoyed 3 things within science fiction - Stray (the video game), Star Wars and now this.
This story follows a robot - also known as mecha in this universe - who awakens in a dirty old bathtub missing its leg. Intro the sidekick dog and you have me hooked.
We follow the mecha and Atticus the dog on a journey to recover and reconnect with the missing leg.
The thing I loved about this book was how cosy it was - it felt safe and familiar and I was so sad when I finished it as I was not ready to leave the safety blanket of that universe.
None of the characters are introduced too quickly and we aren't introduced to too many characters at one time so it really gives you time to know them and to love them. I'm always appreciative of a story when it involves a ragtag group of friends who become family and that's what this book gives you. Each character is lovable and has their own personality. The plot was very well done and didn't linger too much in places or shove everything into one scene - the pacing was just perfect. I didn't feel like we were left with any unresolved issues at the end.
My one gripe was that some of Dr Milton's scenes are very word heavy and if you're not ready for it then it can put you off a little bit but I slogged through the first couple and then enjoyed them more as the the plot furthered.
I will absolutely be buying this when it comes out and I'm currently in the process of encouraging my husband to read it even though he's not a fan of reading.
Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the ARC <3
November 16, 2025
Don't make me steal your leg to get you read this! Because I will, unashamedly.
I adored this story. When I saw the description relating it to Becky Chambers writing I knew this was a book I would like I didn't realize it was a book I'd love this much.
Palmer does an excellent job writing this story as an exploration of humanity asking such questions like: what is humanity? what does humanity look like at the end of the world? Do you have to be human to have humanity? How do we support one another? What does support look like when the rest of the world is falling apart? How do we pick up the piece and come together?
This is a much darker story than Psalm for the Wild-Build but it handles it perfectly. This is a great story of found family that will make you feel all sorts of cozy by the end but I would not say the story itself is super cozy. I ended up slow reading this because I never wanted it to end. I laughed I cried, and had genuine moments of deep reflection while reading this. I think this is a very timely novel and shows how even at the worse of times we can still be kind to each other.
On a personal side having grown up basically in the Bronx zoo it's super fun to see the author's description of post-apocalyptic Bronx and greater New York City area.
I would jump for joy if there's a sequel eventually, but it works perfectly as a standalone.
I can't wait to read this again.
Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy.
I adored this story. When I saw the description relating it to Becky Chambers writing I knew this was a book I would like I didn't realize it was a book I'd love this much.
Palmer does an excellent job writing this story as an exploration of humanity asking such questions like: what is humanity? what does humanity look like at the end of the world? Do you have to be human to have humanity? How do we support one another? What does support look like when the rest of the world is falling apart? How do we pick up the piece and come together?
This is a much darker story than Psalm for the Wild-Build but it handles it perfectly. This is a great story of found family that will make you feel all sorts of cozy by the end but I would not say the story itself is super cozy. I ended up slow reading this because I never wanted it to end. I laughed I cried, and had genuine moments of deep reflection while reading this. I think this is a very timely novel and shows how even at the worse of times we can still be kind to each other.
On a personal side having grown up basically in the Bronx zoo it's super fun to see the author's description of post-apocalyptic Bronx and greater New York City area.
I would jump for joy if there's a sequel eventually, but it works perfectly as a standalone.
I can't wait to read this again.
Thank you NetGalley for this advance copy.
November 11, 2025
I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. The characters are so, so wonderful. They all leapt off the page and I can't stop thinking about them 💕
I don't generally go for "heartwarming" and "emotional" stories - I prefer action and plot twists ahoy - but this really gripped me. It's wholesome and motley crew found family but it is not cosy! There's quite a bit of action, mystery and suspense, with an incredibly well thought out plot that really kept me reading until late in the night.
It looks like this is a standalone, and the ending wraps up nicely, but I hope with my entire heart that the author decides to share another tale with these delightful characters. I'll be the first in line if there's ever news of a sequel.
Thank you so much to the publisher DAW and Netgalley for an ARC copy.
I don't generally go for "heartwarming" and "emotional" stories - I prefer action and plot twists ahoy - but this really gripped me. It's wholesome and motley crew found family but it is not cosy! There's quite a bit of action, mystery and suspense, with an incredibly well thought out plot that really kept me reading until late in the night.
It looks like this is a standalone, and the ending wraps up nicely, but I hope with my entire heart that the author decides to share another tale with these delightful characters. I'll be the first in line if there's ever news of a sequel.
Thank you so much to the publisher DAW and Netgalley for an ARC copy.
November 15, 2025
This was a lovely read. I was SO excited to receive an ARC. I really enjoyed the story, the themes, the atmosphere. Highly highly recommend!!
A thoughtful exploration of the morality of life and what it might mean to have artificial lifeforms. It's a quiet book, not quite cozy but very far from high octane. With the obvious nod to Psalm for the Wild-Built, it didn't quite live up to my--perhaps unfairly high--hopes. But I still recommend it fans of that or the Murderbot book, just expect it to be a bit heavier. If you want something similar but a little more wacky, try Of Monsters and Mainframes.
A thoughtful exploration of the morality of life and what it might mean to have artificial lifeforms. It's a quiet book, not quite cozy but very far from high octane. With the obvious nod to Psalm for the Wild-Built, it didn't quite live up to my--perhaps unfairly high--hopes. But I still recommend it fans of that or the Murderbot book, just expect it to be a bit heavier. If you want something similar but a little more wacky, try Of Monsters and Mainframes.
November 21, 2025
I like the genre and comp titles a lot, so I had to jump into this one. Robot mc with an android dog? Yes please..I love that they eventually find a human companion. We are not only searching for missing parts, it's a reflection on human condition and future possibilities.
October 29, 2025
amazingly well-done book that starts out very Psalm for the Wild-Built but rapidly transforms into a much more intense story. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews