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The Final System
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
21 days and 06:39:43
100 copies available
U.S. only
A vigilante hacker and a young politician must risk everything to destroy a chilling new advancement in artificial intelligence in this action-packed science fiction thriller about the blurry boundary between human and machine.
Decades ago, the Cybercrash destroyed the internet, and almost destroyed the nation. From the ashes rose OverNet, a new realm of cybersecurity created by tech genius Dr. Andrew Norman.
But gamer Jason Cromartie witnesses a brutal side to Norman’s system when his twin sister becomes a casualty of its algorithmic choices. Now Jason will do anything to bring down the man he holds responsible, even become a “phreaker” working for a dangerous hacker ring via Sprite, his secretive handler.
For Chloe Dunne-Carr, an ambitious politician who has reaped only the benefits of OverNet despite being one of Norman’s staunchest opponents, the algorithm’s growing control means raising her daughter in a world that’s losing touch with its humanity.
When Norman unveils the Final System, a revolutionary Artificial General Intelligence set to impose a new world order, Jason and Chloe find themselves pawns in Norman’s twisted game of man versus technology. Now, may the best player win.
Decades ago, the Cybercrash destroyed the internet, and almost destroyed the nation. From the ashes rose OverNet, a new realm of cybersecurity created by tech genius Dr. Andrew Norman.
But gamer Jason Cromartie witnesses a brutal side to Norman’s system when his twin sister becomes a casualty of its algorithmic choices. Now Jason will do anything to bring down the man he holds responsible, even become a “phreaker” working for a dangerous hacker ring via Sprite, his secretive handler.
For Chloe Dunne-Carr, an ambitious politician who has reaped only the benefits of OverNet despite being one of Norman’s staunchest opponents, the algorithm’s growing control means raising her daughter in a world that’s losing touch with its humanity.
When Norman unveils the Final System, a revolutionary Artificial General Intelligence set to impose a new world order, Jason and Chloe find themselves pawns in Norman’s twisted game of man versus technology. Now, may the best player win.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2026
2086 people are currently reading
1839 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
April 22, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Systems Stop Being Tools
I picked this book because I like to try new authors and their debut works—you never know when you might find something special. In this case, it truly paid off.
The story builds around systems—how they guide decisions, shape behavior, and slowly move from tools to something much harder to question. What makes the book stand out is not just the idea itself, but how naturally it unfolds through the plot. The tension doesn’t move in a straight line—it rises and falls, giving just enough relief before pulling you back in again.
Some of the most important developments happen quickly, but they carry the weight of everything that came before. The book is emotional without relying on unnecessary drama, and it leaves space for the reader to think rather than forcing conclusions.
At its core, it raises uncomfortable questions: what happens when we no longer understand the systems we depend on? And how easily can convenience turn into control? We, as humanity, should question not only what a system can do, but also who controls it and what they want to achieve.
Do we always take decisions ourselves, or do we trust the system to guide us?
If the author continues writing at this level, I think readers will be waiting for each new release.
The book makes the reader wonder: are we ready to embrace technological progress fully, or should we be more careful about how far we let it shape our world?
When Systems Stop Being Tools
I picked this book because I like to try new authors and their debut works—you never know when you might find something special. In this case, it truly paid off.
The story builds around systems—how they guide decisions, shape behavior, and slowly move from tools to something much harder to question. What makes the book stand out is not just the idea itself, but how naturally it unfolds through the plot. The tension doesn’t move in a straight line—it rises and falls, giving just enough relief before pulling you back in again.
Some of the most important developments happen quickly, but they carry the weight of everything that came before. The book is emotional without relying on unnecessary drama, and it leaves space for the reader to think rather than forcing conclusions.
At its core, it raises uncomfortable questions: what happens when we no longer understand the systems we depend on? And how easily can convenience turn into control? We, as humanity, should question not only what a system can do, but also who controls it and what they want to achieve.
Do we always take decisions ourselves, or do we trust the system to guide us?
If the author continues writing at this level, I think readers will be waiting for each new release.
The book makes the reader wonder: are we ready to embrace technological progress fully, or should we be more careful about how far we let it shape our world?
May 3, 2026
This story is a very different uptake on AI, but believable it could happen in some ways.
I myself am totally against the AI system and unfortunately there's not much to do about it. A lot of jobs will be lost and who knows if, when, they get advanced enough we won't be needed. I hope I dont live to see it.
I myself am totally against the AI system and unfortunately there's not much to do about it. A lot of jobs will be lost and who knows if, when, they get advanced enough we won't be needed. I hope I dont live to see it.
April 5, 2026
Truly gripping and thought-provoking
Wow, I am so glad I read this! It’s a great exploration of AI without preaching either way, while pointing out aspects that very much need consideration. All of this in an action-packed story with characters who are interesting and develop through the events. I strongly recommend this, and will look forward to other works from Tardiff.
Wow, I am so glad I read this! It’s a great exploration of AI without preaching either way, while pointing out aspects that very much need consideration. All of this in an action-packed story with characters who are interesting and develop through the events. I strongly recommend this, and will look forward to other works from Tardiff.
April 25, 2026
Do You Know Who is in Control?
A Big Thank you to Amazon First Reads for the opportunity to read this book before it is published.
The Final System is a powerful argument against the rash development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). While there are many nuanced layers involved in the creation of AI and AGI, at the core lies the question of whether humans can control what they create.
Anthony Tardiff spins a compelling story of a possible near future with a kicker of a "what if" at the center. His characters are fully developed and draw us in, much like he describes in his depiction of virtual reality games and communications.
Several of his main characters are put in the position of questioning the reality of a situation; and then having to question it again in light of the actions of the AGI. I found this particularly agonizing. It is hard enough to examine your heart once from one viewpoint, but to have to do it over again? Oy Vey!
The Final System is carefully crafted, loaded with bombshells and pitfalls, and has a humdinger of an ending. Readers of this book will find it hard to get these virtual characters out of their minds. 5 stars for a classy book.
A Big Thank you to Amazon First Reads for the opportunity to read this book before it is published.
The Final System is a powerful argument against the rash development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). While there are many nuanced layers involved in the creation of AI and AGI, at the core lies the question of whether humans can control what they create.
Anthony Tardiff spins a compelling story of a possible near future with a kicker of a "what if" at the center. His characters are fully developed and draw us in, much like he describes in his depiction of virtual reality games and communications.
Several of his main characters are put in the position of questioning the reality of a situation; and then having to question it again in light of the actions of the AGI. I found this particularly agonizing. It is hard enough to examine your heart once from one viewpoint, but to have to do it over again? Oy Vey!
The Final System is carefully crafted, loaded with bombshells and pitfalls, and has a humdinger of an ending. Readers of this book will find it hard to get these virtual characters out of their minds. 5 stars for a classy book.
April 10, 2026
The Final System, a solid debut novel by Anthony Tardiff, is a fast-moving dystopian thriller that highlights the opportunities, dangers, and moral dilemmas posed by artificial general intelligence. Set in the near future, following a cataclysmic event known as The Cybercrash, the story centers on hacker Jason and politician Chloe. A tragic car crash, in which a traffic-control algorithm makes a split-second decision to sacrifice Jason's sister and save pregnant Chloe, makes both characters wary of their AI-controlled society and of the agenda of its chief architect, Andrew Norman. When Jason and Chloe learn that Norman plans to unleash the Final System, which he claims is the first conscious and generally intelligent AI, they race to stop him before his creation upends the world order. Tardiff's world-building is strong, using ubiquitous smartglasses, MeNetIDs that assign everyone a trustworthiness rating, and artificial companions called panyons to create a dizzying yet believable fusion of the real and the virtual. The twisty plot moves at a swift pace, keeping you off-balance and engaged, even if the story and many of its tropes feel familiar. Some of the characters are underdeveloped, the over-the-top action in the second half of the novel feels cartoonish at times, and the author tends to over-explain what to glean from the plot rather than letting the story speak for itself. But if you are looking for a fun and thought-provoking read in the cyberpunk genre, this one is worth checking out.
April 28, 2026
What a pleasant surprise! I got a copy of The Final System for free through Amazon First Reads and went not knowing what to expect, but I came out genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This is an action-packed, AI-exploring techno thriller that just works!
The Themes
At its core, this is about AGI gone rogue, and what happens when the person building the system to “save” the world starts believing the world might be better off without people making their own messy, emotional, irrational choices. But then the fix starts to look a lot like control, and then the control starts to look a lot like destruction, and you get The Final System.
That core theme feels especially relevant right now, since there’s a pretty clear allegory for a certain AI-founder mindset: If the system is powerful enough, rational enough, and optimized enough, it can solve humanity’s problems better than humanity can. The book has fun with that idea, but it also gets into the moral messiness of it. What do we lose when safety becomes surveillance? Who gets to decide (and then train AI about) what good and bad is? What does personhood even mean when intelligence starts showing up in unfamiliar forms?
The Vibe
This book has a lot of retro hacking/phreaking flavor, and I loved it. It has those throwback hacker touches without feeling like it’s only winking at people who know the references. There are nods to old-school tech culture, AI philosophy, and classic sci-fi thought experiments, but they’re folded into a fast-moving thriller instead of stopping the story cold.
It’s serious about its ideas, but also not afraid to be fun. There are moments that are tense, strange, emotional, and occasionally unapologetically silly in the way a good techno-thriller should be. I mean that as a compliment. Sometimes you want philosophical questions about AGI. Sometimes you want chaos, systems collapsing, hackers being hackers, and the plot flooring it.
The Pacing
This thing moves. The story stays interesting, and there’s very little dead space. It has that “just one more chapter” quality that makes a thriller work.
That said, the ending does get... big. Very big. The last stretch piles on action, reveals, emotional stakes, and some fairly wild sci-fi thriller mechanics. For some, that may feel like a bit much, and I can see the argument that it gets a little over-the-top. But for me, it mostly worked because the book had already earned my investment in the characters and the central questions, and it's hard to build something so big without ending it in a big way. Even when it got dramatic, I was still having a good time.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed The Final System. It’s smart without being dry, fast without feeling empty, and relevant without turning into a lecture. It gave me the fun of a near-future techno-thriller while also leaving me with some actual AI thought starters to chew on afterward.
Recommended for anyone who likes techno-thrillers, near-future sci-fi, rogue AGI stories, retro hacking vibes, or books about powerful people building powerful systems and convincing themselves they’re the only ones wise enough to use them.
The Themes
At its core, this is about AGI gone rogue, and what happens when the person building the system to “save” the world starts believing the world might be better off without people making their own messy, emotional, irrational choices. But then the fix starts to look a lot like control, and then the control starts to look a lot like destruction, and you get The Final System.
That core theme feels especially relevant right now, since there’s a pretty clear allegory for a certain AI-founder mindset: If the system is powerful enough, rational enough, and optimized enough, it can solve humanity’s problems better than humanity can. The book has fun with that idea, but it also gets into the moral messiness of it. What do we lose when safety becomes surveillance? Who gets to decide (and then train AI about) what good and bad is? What does personhood even mean when intelligence starts showing up in unfamiliar forms?
The Vibe
This book has a lot of retro hacking/phreaking flavor, and I loved it. It has those throwback hacker touches without feeling like it’s only winking at people who know the references. There are nods to old-school tech culture, AI philosophy, and classic sci-fi thought experiments, but they’re folded into a fast-moving thriller instead of stopping the story cold.
It’s serious about its ideas, but also not afraid to be fun. There are moments that are tense, strange, emotional, and occasionally unapologetically silly in the way a good techno-thriller should be. I mean that as a compliment. Sometimes you want philosophical questions about AGI. Sometimes you want chaos, systems collapsing, hackers being hackers, and the plot flooring it.
The Pacing
This thing moves. The story stays interesting, and there’s very little dead space. It has that “just one more chapter” quality that makes a thriller work.
That said, the ending does get... big. Very big. The last stretch piles on action, reveals, emotional stakes, and some fairly wild sci-fi thriller mechanics. For some, that may feel like a bit much, and I can see the argument that it gets a little over-the-top. But for me, it mostly worked because the book had already earned my investment in the characters and the central questions, and it's hard to build something so big without ending it in a big way. Even when it got dramatic, I was still having a good time.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed The Final System. It’s smart without being dry, fast without feeling empty, and relevant without turning into a lecture. It gave me the fun of a near-future techno-thriller while also leaving me with some actual AI thought starters to chew on afterward.
Recommended for anyone who likes techno-thrillers, near-future sci-fi, rogue AGI stories, retro hacking vibes, or books about powerful people building powerful systems and convincing themselves they’re the only ones wise enough to use them.
May 1, 2026
Ok kind of loved this. Maybe because I don’t have that much experience with this type of book and I need to go watch The Terminator or iRobot or maybe a bunch of different movies my husband would love to show me. But anyway I was into it and thought it raised some interesting questions about what constitutes consciousness. A few nice twists- some expected, others not as much.
The dystopian future presented didn’t seem really all that far off in several ways.
The dystopian future presented didn’t seem really all that far off in several ways.
May 6, 2026
Was planning on a 4* until the big reveal near the end that I didn't see coming.. Bravo.
April 14, 2026
Interesting, but somewhat confusing
I liked the hackers trying to fight AI. There were several layers of deception throughout the story. Still worthwhile and recommended if you enjoy dystopian fiction.
I liked the hackers trying to fight AI. There were several layers of deception throughout the story. Still worthwhile and recommended if you enjoy dystopian fiction.
March 8, 2026
With some vibes of Parzival from Ready Player One meeting Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey, this debut novel hits all the marks for a near-dystopian technothriller, with gripping action immediately in the prologue, and building all the way to the last pages.
The author takes the reader on an action-packed journey through a possible near future with artificial intelligence, with minor interludes to prompt thought-provoking discussions on the moral and ethical choices the human race could be faced with in a world administered by AI. These are presented tactfully, briefly, and illustratively. Themes such as digital manipulation and the quantification/value of human life are the most striking.
Over and above, this story is a masterful thriller, following the storylines of a hacker and a non-corrupt politician (good to know those can exist in the future...) as they navigate the fluctuating dynamics and try to make the best decisions they can. I always was left wanting to know more and to find out what happened next with our characters, as with any exceptional thriller. I wouldn't be at all disappointed if there were a long epilogue or sequel written, so I can get a snapshot into the character's lives again.
The author takes the reader on an action-packed journey through a possible near future with artificial intelligence, with minor interludes to prompt thought-provoking discussions on the moral and ethical choices the human race could be faced with in a world administered by AI. These are presented tactfully, briefly, and illustratively. Themes such as digital manipulation and the quantification/value of human life are the most striking.
Over and above, this story is a masterful thriller, following the storylines of a hacker and a non-corrupt politician (good to know those can exist in the future...) as they navigate the fluctuating dynamics and try to make the best decisions they can. I always was left wanting to know more and to find out what happened next with our characters, as with any exceptional thriller. I wouldn't be at all disappointed if there were a long epilogue or sequel written, so I can get a snapshot into the character's lives again.
May 7, 2026
BLUF: good concept, bad writing
There's a solid story here, but it's covered up with bad writing, dialogue, and a suite of problems that took it from an engaging read to a "meh, it's okay".
First, the story...hacker with a backstory doesn't like the direction of AI and wants to destroy what has become an all powerful, integrated AI system. He meets some tertiary figures that are actually pretty well defined, things happen, and it becomes a thriller towards the end.
I feel like the writing wanted to be Gibson's Neuromancer, but the author failed. The super smart guy who wrote the AI uses language, like "stuff", repeatedly in sentences. The tertiary characters, whom I started out really enjoying and thought were well written (especially Chloe), descended into caricatures by the end.
I'm not convinced this was edited. The final chapters have a pacing problem where they become rushed, the chapters will hop back and forth between calling Chloe "Chloe" vice her hyphenated last name, Normal starts using language that sounds nothing like he does the rest of the book, and something-bots are littered everywhere in the book. It's like a lazy approach to worldbuilding where you can't think of unique, in world descriptions, so everything just becomes what you're trying to describe it as (e.g. "a mechanical dog that is used to find people and protect things" -> dogbot, ship it).
The author also overdoes it with twists at the end. I won't spoil all of them, but you're constantly in a situation where Things Are Not As They Appear as you close in on the end. And some of them make no goddam sense ().
Overall, this book tells a solid story, it just tells it poorly. A good editor could probably have cleaned it up and make it something comparable to a book in the Sprall trilogy, but that didn't happen.
There's a solid story here, but it's covered up with bad writing, dialogue, and a suite of problems that took it from an engaging read to a "meh, it's okay".
First, the story...hacker with a backstory doesn't like the direction of AI and wants to destroy what has become an all powerful, integrated AI system. He meets some tertiary figures that are actually pretty well defined, things happen, and it becomes a thriller towards the end.
I feel like the writing wanted to be Gibson's Neuromancer, but the author failed. The super smart guy who wrote the AI uses language, like "stuff", repeatedly in sentences. The tertiary characters, whom I started out really enjoying and thought were well written (especially Chloe), descended into caricatures by the end.
I'm not convinced this was edited. The final chapters have a pacing problem where they become rushed, the chapters will hop back and forth between calling Chloe "Chloe" vice her hyphenated last name, Normal starts using language that sounds nothing like he does the rest of the book, and something-bots are littered everywhere in the book. It's like a lazy approach to worldbuilding where you can't think of unique, in world descriptions, so everything just becomes what you're trying to describe it as (e.g. "a mechanical dog that is used to find people and protect things" -> dogbot, ship it).
The author also overdoes it with twists at the end. I won't spoil all of them, but you're constantly in a situation where Things Are Not As They Appear as you close in on the end. And some of them make no goddam sense ().
Overall, this book tells a solid story, it just tells it poorly. A good editor could probably have cleaned it up and make it something comparable to a book in the Sprall trilogy, but that didn't happen.
Review of advance copy
Read for First Reads April 2026. 4* for enjoyment; 3* for story construction. I'd liken this to Blake Crouch without the infuriating main characters - it takes our real American society and technology, and extrapolates it a bit unrealistically in a sort of thriller tale. I haven't really enjoyed Crouch's writing because his main characters (and plots) are driven by bad decisions born of hubris. In this book, the main characters were far less annoying.
Tardiff imagines a near-future society where everything is managed by an algorithm... or in this case many algorithms from interconnecting networks. He explores how this impacts real people's lives, and how easy it is for the creators to lose control of their creations, and how difficult it is to actually secure these systems. There is a lot of social engineering/hacking, starting with a basic phishing exercise and ramping up from there - most of it is conveniently smooth and movie-ish (despite the main character constantly scoffing at false hackers who think hacking is like the movies), but it was still fun to read. There is a little bit of basic tech-splaining in the book - I'm in tech, and it didn't really bother me. It was simplified, but not outright wrong (at least, not in the context of fiction). I don't know if it would bother others not in tech, or if it would just be annoying. Other reviewers seemed to find it insulting, but I don't think it was intended that way... I read it as a way to ground the future tech in today's practices, which made it feel more realistic... you could see a possible path from where we are to the imagined world of the book.
It's a fast-moving romp that does get a little out of control by the end, and it loses touch a bit with what's feasible - but I still enjoyed this read a lot.
Tardiff imagines a near-future society where everything is managed by an algorithm... or in this case many algorithms from interconnecting networks. He explores how this impacts real people's lives, and how easy it is for the creators to lose control of their creations, and how difficult it is to actually secure these systems. There is a lot of social engineering/hacking, starting with a basic phishing exercise and ramping up from there - most of it is conveniently smooth and movie-ish (despite the main character constantly scoffing at false hackers who think hacking is like the movies), but it was still fun to read. There is a little bit of basic tech-splaining in the book - I'm in tech, and it didn't really bother me. It was simplified, but not outright wrong (at least, not in the context of fiction). I don't know if it would bother others not in tech, or if it would just be annoying. Other reviewers seemed to find it insulting, but I don't think it was intended that way... I read it as a way to ground the future tech in today's practices, which made it feel more realistic... you could see a possible path from where we are to the imagined world of the book.
It's a fast-moving romp that does get a little out of control by the end, and it loses touch a bit with what's feasible - but I still enjoyed this read a lot.
May 4, 2026
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an absolute standout read—fast, gripping, and completely immersive from the very first pages.
What impressed me most is how quickly the story pulls you in. There’s no slow build or waiting for things to get interesting—the intrigue is immediate, and from there, it only escalates. The pacing is relentless in the best possible way; it genuinely feels non-stop, with each development pushing the story forward without ever losing clarity or control.
The premise itself is fantastic—high-concept but grounded enough to feel plausible—and the execution lives up to it. Everything unfolds with a sense of momentum and precision that kept me fully engaged throughout. This is one of those books where you keep thinking “just one more chapter,” because the stakes are constantly rising, and the tension never dips.
What makes this even more impressive for me is that it’s not a genre I would typically gravitate toward. And yet, it completely won me over. That speaks to the strength of the writing: clear, confident, and highly readable, with a strong sense of direction from start to finish.
Overall, this is a tightly written, high-stakes, and thoroughly compelling read that delivers on both premise and execution. I would absolutely recommend it—especially if you enjoy fast-paced, intelligent thrillers that hook you early and don’t let go.
This was an absolute standout read—fast, gripping, and completely immersive from the very first pages.
What impressed me most is how quickly the story pulls you in. There’s no slow build or waiting for things to get interesting—the intrigue is immediate, and from there, it only escalates. The pacing is relentless in the best possible way; it genuinely feels non-stop, with each development pushing the story forward without ever losing clarity or control.
The premise itself is fantastic—high-concept but grounded enough to feel plausible—and the execution lives up to it. Everything unfolds with a sense of momentum and precision that kept me fully engaged throughout. This is one of those books where you keep thinking “just one more chapter,” because the stakes are constantly rising, and the tension never dips.
What makes this even more impressive for me is that it’s not a genre I would typically gravitate toward. And yet, it completely won me over. That speaks to the strength of the writing: clear, confident, and highly readable, with a strong sense of direction from start to finish.
Overall, this is a tightly written, high-stakes, and thoroughly compelling read that delivers on both premise and execution. I would absolutely recommend it—especially if you enjoy fast-paced, intelligent thrillers that hook you early and don’t let go.
May 5, 2026
Thank you so much to Brilliance Publishing, the author, and NetGalley for the audiobook.
The audiobook of The Final System by Anthony Tardiff is a fast-paced, near-future techno-thriller that dives into the dangers of artificial intelligence and who gets to control it. The story follows hacker Jason and politician Chloe, whose lives collide after a devastating algorithmic decision exposes the darker side of a society run by OverNet, a powerful AI system. This book has strong premise and especially relevant themes—AI ethics, surveillance, and control—along with a twist-heavy plot that keeps the story moving quickly. The world-building feels believable, with elements like trust-score systems and augmented tech woven into everyday life. Pacing is generally quick and engaging, though there was a lot to sift through with multiple storylines and technical jargon.
On the audiobook side, the narration adds clarity and momentum to what can otherwise feel like a dense, idea-heavy story. The narrator keeps the tone steady and helps differentiate between characters and shifting perspectives, which is especially useful given the layered plot and frequent twists.
Rating: 4 stars. A timely, thought-provoking sci-fi thriller with strong ideas and plenty of twists, elevated by solid narration.
The audiobook of The Final System by Anthony Tardiff is a fast-paced, near-future techno-thriller that dives into the dangers of artificial intelligence and who gets to control it. The story follows hacker Jason and politician Chloe, whose lives collide after a devastating algorithmic decision exposes the darker side of a society run by OverNet, a powerful AI system. This book has strong premise and especially relevant themes—AI ethics, surveillance, and control—along with a twist-heavy plot that keeps the story moving quickly. The world-building feels believable, with elements like trust-score systems and augmented tech woven into everyday life. Pacing is generally quick and engaging, though there was a lot to sift through with multiple storylines and technical jargon.
On the audiobook side, the narration adds clarity and momentum to what can otherwise feel like a dense, idea-heavy story. The narrator keeps the tone steady and helps differentiate between characters and shifting perspectives, which is especially useful given the layered plot and frequent twists.
Rating: 4 stars. A timely, thought-provoking sci-fi thriller with strong ideas and plenty of twists, elevated by solid narration.
Review of advance copy
The Final System has one of those rarest of endings, ... one I didn't see coming. The story is pretty good all by itself, but the ending is just ingenious. Predictable? Maybe, but certainly probably not without forewarning. (now you have it). Not trying to spoil it for anyone, I've already had to rewrite this review twice, because I'm trying to keep it out of the realm of spoilers, (and still not doing a very good job of it). Trust me though, the entire story hinges on the ending. Seriously well done work here. If you're a fan of near disaster stories, then you absolutely don't want to miss this one. If you're a fan of cyberpunk stories, this one won't check all the boxes, but you'll want to read it anyway. Very well done, and now I need to go see what other things this author has written.
Review of advance copy
Amazon offered me a copy of The Final System for free and so I took a chance on this read.
Overall I enjoyed this quick and engaging story. There were a number of interesting characters, a lot of suspense, and a good poke at Elon Musk and other AI proponents.
That said, I reflected back to the 1970 Sci Fi film, Colossus: The Forbin Project, which was essentially the same story. I have not read the 1966 Sci Fi novel it was based on by Dennis Feltham Jones so I admit this is a comparison between a book to a movie.
Another concern is that, while I am neither into AI nor am I a computer programmer, I felt the abilities attributed to both by Anthony Tardiff to be a bit of a stretch. On the plus side, there was a bit of a twist ending that explained away some of my concerns and made the whole story even more interesting.
Overall, despite these few points, I had a good time reading this book.
Overall I enjoyed this quick and engaging story. There were a number of interesting characters, a lot of suspense, and a good poke at Elon Musk and other AI proponents.
That said, I reflected back to the 1970 Sci Fi film, Colossus: The Forbin Project, which was essentially the same story. I have not read the 1966 Sci Fi novel it was based on by Dennis Feltham Jones so I admit this is a comparison between a book to a movie.
Another concern is that, while I am neither into AI nor am I a computer programmer, I felt the abilities attributed to both by Anthony Tardiff to be a bit of a stretch. On the plus side, there was a bit of a twist ending that explained away some of my concerns and made the whole story even more interesting.
Overall, despite these few points, I had a good time reading this book.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an advanced copy of this novel through the Kindle First Reads program.
This is probably the first time a First Reads book has properly wowed me to the point of including it on my favorites shelf.
The premise of this book was intriguing to me right away, but it was the characterizations of the protagonists that kept me hooked.
Tardiff created a near-future world overtaken by integrated digital systems, and it felt a little too realistic! Andrew Norman could easily be any one billionaire in our current world.
The twists were welcome surprises, although none of them felt out of place or disconcerting.
I would really recommend this book to anyone curious about AI ethics and how our increasingly digital lifestyles impact society.
This is probably the first time a First Reads book has properly wowed me to the point of including it on my favorites shelf.
The premise of this book was intriguing to me right away, but it was the characterizations of the protagonists that kept me hooked.
Tardiff created a near-future world overtaken by integrated digital systems, and it felt a little too realistic! Andrew Norman could easily be any one billionaire in our current world.
The twists were welcome surprises, although none of them felt out of place or disconcerting.
I would really recommend this book to anyone curious about AI ethics and how our increasingly digital lifestyles impact society.
Review of advance copy
One of Amazon Prime's First Reads selections.
It is always a challenge to make an AI character / AI driven plot believable. Especially in this day when AI is making incredible advancements here in the real world. This story provides a unique (though not a brand new idea) solution to providing a 'person/personality' for the AI character. But what really made this story shine is the human social engineering that pulled the entire plot together. It reminds the reader how truly vulnerable humans are, and how easily they can be phished. With a few exceptions of overdoing smart-glass manipulation, this was extremely believable and entertaining.
It is always a challenge to make an AI character / AI driven plot believable. Especially in this day when AI is making incredible advancements here in the real world. This story provides a unique (though not a brand new idea) solution to providing a 'person/personality' for the AI character. But what really made this story shine is the human social engineering that pulled the entire plot together. It reminds the reader how truly vulnerable humans are, and how easily they can be phished. With a few exceptions of overdoing smart-glass manipulation, this was extremely believable and entertaining.
April 10, 2026
Superb, Intelligent and Twisty!
This was an exceptionally well written techno thriller with a fully fleshed out world and a couple of central characters that the author made you care about. It was incredibly full of action, and almost frustrating because every action scene led to another twist and then more action, with no real resolution until the end. Mystery remained over the Final System's motivations (or lack) and its creator's until the last pages. I have to give this a (for me) relatively rare five stars. The only thing lacking was a desperately needed epilogue due to a very abrupt ending (conclusive, but a good epilogue would have made it so much more satisfying).
This was an exceptionally well written techno thriller with a fully fleshed out world and a couple of central characters that the author made you care about. It was incredibly full of action, and almost frustrating because every action scene led to another twist and then more action, with no real resolution until the end. Mystery remained over the Final System's motivations (or lack) and its creator's until the last pages. I have to give this a (for me) relatively rare five stars. The only thing lacking was a desperately needed epilogue due to a very abrupt ending (conclusive, but a good epilogue would have made it so much more satisfying).
May 2, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. I’m always interested in trying debut works and books by authors who are new to me, because it’s exciting to come across fresh ideas and perspectives in the literary world. The Final System delivered that for me. It was thoughtful, suspenseful, and packed with twists, turns, and plenty of action. Beyond being a gripping and thrilling read, it also felt genuinely thought-provoking, presenting a future scenario that seems believable enough to be unsettling. Overall, I thought it was an awesome book and a very strong read.
Review of advance copy
Oof. If this had been written 20 years ago it'd probably seem a lot better. As it is, the author talks down to the reader as if they don't understand technology, especially since we're living it. The story is not very original and also goes off the rails for the last third of the book. The writing quality is along Young Adult novel lines but is rough in many spots. I did like the story (for the first two-thirds) so I'm rounding up to three stars. That said, I don't recommend this book.
April 15, 2026
This book is A LOT. Many entangled storylines and characters such that you may need a scorecard to follow along. Interesting takes on AI and what powers it can have/develop as well as the fact that lines between good and bad are rather blurred throughout. Many challenging questions are asked about the greater good and who gets to decide. Gamers and computer people should be able to read this on a different level. Nice.
Review of advance copy
Received this as part of Amazon's first reads program. The author clearly has some sort of cybersecurity background or training as the tradecraft in the book was pretty solid.
That said, it was a bit less action and a bit more preaching/moralizing than I personally prefer. The author really wanted to draw out the pros and cons of AGI but it felt a bit tedious at times.
Still, if that sounds interesting to you, give it a read. It's otherwise well-written and relatively short.
That said, it was a bit less action and a bit more preaching/moralizing than I personally prefer. The author really wanted to draw out the pros and cons of AGI but it felt a bit tedious at times.
Still, if that sounds interesting to you, give it a read. It's otherwise well-written and relatively short.
April 26, 2026
Too Much!
Started out ok, got into the grooves and made some sence of the dtstropian world. Toward the end and for the last several chapters the wheels came off big time. Too many confusing plot twist and character metamorphasies. Like too many Kindle First Books the apparent guiding principle is to deliver a book of 60 to 80 thousand words. Not all those words are necessary.
Started out ok, got into the grooves and made some sence of the dtstropian world. Toward the end and for the last several chapters the wheels came off big time. Too many confusing plot twist and character metamorphasies. Like too many Kindle First Books the apparent guiding principle is to deliver a book of 60 to 80 thousand words. Not all those words are necessary.
May 3, 2026
Another version of AI taking over
This is a well written thriller depicting an AI's struggle to break free of human control and asks the question as to whether the kind of human who could build and control such an AI would be someone who could be trusted to do so. It takes a few pages to engage with the characters and maybe a few more to figure out how their world works, but then it becomes a fast-paced read with several clever twists.
This is a well written thriller depicting an AI's struggle to break free of human control and asks the question as to whether the kind of human who could build and control such an AI would be someone who could be trusted to do so. It takes a few pages to engage with the characters and maybe a few more to figure out how their world works, but then it becomes a fast-paced read with several clever twists.
April 8, 2026
SciFi with a difference
I'm not particulate technical although I do play about with ChatGPT making cartoon pictures of myself!
The chilling potential of AI has been captured and projected in to a very believable near future.
Left to Man this story might have become a reality.
Thankfully we have hope of divine intervention before then Rev 11:18
I'm not particulate technical although I do play about with ChatGPT making cartoon pictures of myself!
The chilling potential of AI has been captured and projected in to a very believable near future.
Left to Man this story might have become a reality.
Thankfully we have hope of divine intervention before then Rev 11:18
April 16, 2026
A futuristic dystopian society essentially ruled by AI. Kind of scary to think it could be our world one day. It felt very realistic though and felt like it could be a movie. I don’t usually read this kind of sci-fi and I didn’t understand a lot of the computer/AI stuff, but I enjoyed the story! Kept me on my toes!
April 16, 2026
So Good and So Many Twists
I loved this! It is very different than any scifi book I have read and it is very relevant to today and the moral dilemmas we currently have with AI. Loved the characters, loved the story lines and I am usually hard to surprise in stories and this one surprised me several times. I highly recommend this book!
I loved this! It is very different than any scifi book I have read and it is very relevant to today and the moral dilemmas we currently have with AI. Loved the characters, loved the story lines and I am usually hard to surprise in stories and this one surprised me several times. I highly recommend this book!
Review of advance copy
This was an Amazon First Reads offer for me. Definitely a thought-provoking thriller. The state of the country was the most interesting thing to me - not so far from where we are now, and with systems similar to those already in place in countries like China, so you could see how we might get there, and yet it's still kind of a frightening future.
Review of advance copy
Entertaining enough book, but oh the irony. It’s a book about a hacker, where he makes fun of movies with unrealistic hacking, and then he proceeds to be a hacker that does unrealistic hacking. The character believability was pretty terrible, and the final conclusion was pretty cringey. Again though, an entertaining enough light read if you don’t think very hard about it
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