Null Entity

The Volatile Memory Duology #2

by Seth Haddon

In Null Entity, sequel to Seth Haddon’s bloody and sapphic Volatile Memory, Wylla and Sable take their revenge to the very corporation keeping the galaxy turning.

With her identity erased from the Corporate Federation, Wylla is a ghost in the untraceable, unpredictable, and fueled by vengeance. She fights alongside Sable, the AI consciousness whose murder they avenged, the one she loves in ways no system could ever define. Together, they’ve built a reputation for tearing through VisorForge’s carefully constructed lies.

But notoriety has a cost.

When one of their attacks draws the attention of the Edenic Order—a clandestine eco-resistance whose insurgents bloom with Old Earth flora—Wylla and Sable are offered something more than a chance to dismantle VisorForge from the roots up.

As they fall deeper into the Order’s radical vision, tensions rise. Wylla, seduced by ideology, by purpose, by something—or someone—else. Sable, pushed to her morals’ limits when what she’s wanted since death is at her fingertips.

To survive, they’ll need to embrace what makes them two minds, one body, and a shared resolve to bring down a corporatized dystopia—no matter the cost.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Science Fiction, Novella, Fiction, Adult, Lesbian, Space, Queer Lit

192 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 21, 2026

About the author

Seth Haddon is a queer Australian writer of fantasy. He is a video game designer and producer, has a degree in Ancient History, and previously worked with cats. Some of his previous adventures include exploring Pompeii with a famous archaeologist and being chased through a train station by a nun.


Reviews

[BookishKB · Rating 4 out of 5]

💫Null Entity

This was a really solid conclusion to the Volatile Memory duology. I did struggle a bit in the beginning. The first 30% felt a little hard to follow and there was a lot being thrown at you all at once. But once things clicked, it came together well and I liked where everything landed.

I do wish we had more time in this world though. It felt like there was still so much to explore, and I honestly would have loved either a longer book or a full series to really flesh everything out.

I think this is one I’ll enjoy even more on audio, so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the audiobook release.

🧬 What to Expect
• Sapphic sci fi
• AI consciousness
• Rebellion movement
• Hacker heroine
• Eco resistance
• Found family
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: July 21, 2026
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Robin Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Null Entity brings The Volatile Memory Duology to a satisfying, explosive, and heartfelt conclusion. We join Wylla and Sable several years after the first book. They've built a reputation from their attacks on VisorForge, with everything from sabotage to exposing internal conspiracies. Haddon crafts a world that feels futuristic while tackling problems that are eerily close to home. You can expect thoughts on bodily autonomy, subjugation through intractable systems, and corporate greed.

Just like in Volatile Memory, the romance between Wylla and Sable gives us an emotional pull through the story. Null Entity is a sci-fi book with a romance element (rather than a romance book in a sci-fi setting), but the relationship between the two main characters is integral to the progress and setbacks of the plot. We also get more of a focus on Sable, which added some depth to her character beyond her interactions with Wylla.

Haddon also writes beautiful, evocative descriptions at the intersection of technology and organic elements, which is a recurring theme throughout the book. We get to see more of The Edenic Order, even if it's only a small glimpse. My only gripe with this book is the small amount of time we get to inhabit and understand the unique worldbuilding; there's more than two novellas' worth of stories here. The second-person narrative is growing on me, and it certainly creates a more intimate tone that's aligned with the story's proximity to the minds of the main characters.

Overall, I enjoyed Null Entity more than the first book, and I'd highly recommend the series for anyone interested in reading sci-fi with a focus on the trans experience and questions of autonomy in the face of growing corporate power and surveillance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Pujashree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED the worldbuilding and the pure anti-establishment, female rage of Volatile Memory. I thought it was a pretty self-contained novella and wasn't expecting a sequel, but once I started Null Entity it made absolute sense that there was more to the story. Even though it picks up a few years after the event of Volatile Memory and it's been a minute since I read it, it left enough of a visceral impact on me that I didn't need a reread to jump right back into what Wylla and Sable were up to in their efforts to take down VisorForge. There is more than enough resonance with the real zeitgeist in which a soulless corpocracy is blatantly making moves to unseat governments and capitalizing on controlling its product users as resources. And yet it remains grounded in the emotional core that is Sable and Wylla and their sort-of love story. I wasn't sold on this being a romance in the first book, but by the end of this one, I understand that it isn't supposed to be a romance, but a fierce kind of love that honors each other's battle scars and the individual vision and right to just exist on their own terms. This one is as action-packed as the last one, with questionable rebel allies and a little too much jargon about all the mask tech floating around and it may become hard to keep up at times. Over a longer piece of work, both the dizzying arrays of corrupted use of technologies and the Wylla-Sable relationship may have breathed better and to more effect. Still, read together, both the novellas make one hell of a story about personal agency, the dangers of unchecked AI corpocraciesn and all the ways you can be broken by the thirst for righteous vengeance. And how you learn to love yourself despite all the powers that threaten to break you into a million little pieces to be used and abused. Fantastic stuff. Big thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the ebook ARC.

[Lucky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded down

A heart-pounding continuation of Volatile Memory, Null Entity finds Wylla and Sable collaborating with an eco-cult on their quest for vengeance.

The romance continues to be toothsome and compelling. Wylla and Sable start the book deeply enmeshed and all the better and worse for it. The story continues to probe philosophies of bodily autonomy and agency— this time with the help of a fungus space cult.

At times, the world feels too expansive for such short volumes, leaving me hoping that Haddon will return to further flesh out this universe.

Like Volatile Memory, the sci-fi elements in this are calibrated for a sci-fi reader more than a romance reader, so approach with caution if necessary.

If you enjoyed Volatile Memory, you will likely enjoy Null Entity. I certainly did.

[DJPimpDaddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My word, what a finale to this tale!

Thanks to Tordotcom and Goodreads for the ARC. It made me stop, buy, and read the first novel. The entire story end to end over two books was so engrossing.

Not having a deep history of sci fi genre this was right in that sweet spot of complexity, great for a newcomer but plenty of depth for someone wanting to get into the weeds of tech, political intrigue, and corporate dystopias. All baked together with a heaping dose of a love story.

I cannot fathom the writing process this must have been. But the story was amazing. Kudos to Haddon. May you find your RABBIT among these weird times. 🐇❤️

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing second volume, fast-paced action, switching bodies, hiding bodies, absence of body, sacrifice, and endurance. A tech vision of a future where we can lose control of ourselves beyond imagination, but also the plot explores relatable themes of powerful domination while the weak fight bacK.
Very creative character romance.
Characters: Wylla who is a person who does not exist, and Sable a conscience of a once-person who becomes an AI companion. Rabbit is a hypersensitive mask.

[Arrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great conclusion to The Volatile Memory duology. Super action packed and fast paced, I felt like I was holding my breath for the whole book. My only gripe with this, and the first book, is the world building. There is so much to it and I feel like we did not get to see enough of it during only two books. Overall, I absolutely loved getting more of Sable and Wylla's story.

[Venneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get more from Wylla and Sable, as they are drawn into an eco resistance to the corporations that rule the galaxy, and deal with the edges of their morality and seductive ideologies as they try to figure out what comes next for them. Great follow up, and would love to see more here.

[Erin McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC!

Forewarning: you should re read the first book before reading this one, otherwise you'll be kind of lost.

I enjoyed getting back into Wyla and Sable's story, especially with the nuance that was added to Sable's story with her greed. I think I enjoyed the first book more just because it was more straightforward, but all things considered I enjoyed it.