IT DOESN'T WANT TO DESTROY YOU. IT WANTS TO REMEMBER YOU. THAT'S WORSE.
Forty-five years ago the world ended. Ten years ago it ended again.
Cassian Vale was engineered to be perfect. Built to carry stolen lives inside his skull and to serve a dying system that calls itself salvation. He is the last of the Endkind—and he has never once chosen anything for himself. Until he wakes up bleeding in enemy hands. Until she looks at him like she already knows.
Nova Aster doesn't trust strangers. Especially not ones with black code running through their veins. She was built for one purpose—to burn the Archive if it ever woke up wrong. She didn't survive this long by feeling things she couldn't explain. But his presence triggers memories she was never supposed to have.
And now the Archive is waking up. Dreaming. Hungry. And it's dreaming through him.
THE END ISN'T COMING. IT'S ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN. THEY'RE JUST HERE TO CHANGE IT.
I received an ARC copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I should probably start by saying that sci-fi isn't a genre I usually pick up, so this book was already a bit outside of my comfort zone. Because of that, it took me a little while to settle into the world and fully adjust to its atmosphere.
One thing I struggled with was the chapter length. Shorter chapters would have made the reading experience flow much better for me.
I was also genuinely surprised by how quickly the romance developed. It caught me off guard, and for a while I wasn't entirely sure what the main characters actually meant to each other or where their relationship was heading (iykyk).
The pacing was another mixed point for me. Instead of building toward one big moment, the story constantly rose and fell. While that kept things moving, it sometimes made the plot feel repetitive, as if it was circling similar emotional beats rather than building to a single powerful payoff.
I also needed a little time after finishing the book before deciding on my rating. The more I thought about it, the more I appreciated its themes, even if some aspects of the reading experience didn't fully work for me.
That said, what really stayed with me was the book's core message. It raises thought-provoking questions about humanity, the future, and the consequences of the choices we make today. I found myself reflecting on its themes, and that's something I always appreciate in a story.
My fave quotes: “Nova sat behind him. Knife still in reach. Heart still at war.”
“She wasn’t telling a story. She was offering a scar.”
“Some things didn’t need funerals. Some betrayals didn’t deserve mourning.”
“I received a complimentary or free Advance Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.”
First, a disclaimer. THIS IS NOT MY USUAL GENRE. So I will try my best to do justice here.
It took a few chapters for me to get my mind to wrap around the Sci-Fi tone of this book. It probably took the first seven or eight chapters for it to hook me in. But by chapter 8, I was all in. From that point on, I did not want to put the book down. I hated having to go to work and take a break from reading. For those who normally revel in this material, this is absolutely the book for you.
The initially undefined nature of Cassian’s and Nova‘s relationship threw me off kilter. First, I thought they were lovers, or would become lovers. Then I thought they were siblings. Well, I’m not the type of reviewer that will spoil the story. So, you will have to read it to find out.
This is a story basically about world domination. (I guess you could call it that), choices, free will, and sacrifices. It was well written, action-packed, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “it only takes one to make a change”, you will see that here in this book. If you enjoyed The Matrix, then this is a MUST READ for you.
For me, this book drove home a sentiment that I have had to remind myself of time and again over the years. And that sentiment is… REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. Do not let outside forces, situations, and people change the core essence of yourself. You can be who you choose to be, and when life beats you down… REMEMBER.
I was fortunate to receive an arc from the author.
This was a highly anticipated read for me because the premise immediately caught my attention. The concept felt incredibly unique, and I was excited to see where the story would go. The integration of technology and sentient AI was a first for me, and I really appreciated how it added another layer to the world and made it feel immersive. To me, that was so creative. It brought the story to life. I also really enjoyed the two main characters, Cassian and Nova. I love that Nova is such a bad ass. I love that she's a strong fmc... Brave and confident enough to fight for what she believes. Their chemistry was undeniable, and every stolen moment between them felt electric. While the ending made sense for the story being told, I still found myself wanting more for them both, especially him. At times, the prose leaned so heavily into poetic language that it pulled me out of the scene rather than drawing me deeper into it. Instead of becoming fully immersed in the emotional weight of certain moments, I found myself focusing on the wording itself, which made it difficult for me to stay connected to the story. But ultimately I'm glad I took a chance and read it! I think if you like sci-fi, dystopia, and some good longing, you should give Endkind a go!
ARC Reader Review - Endkind is a fantastic techy Sci-fi Dystopian novel, which brought to my mind a mashup of elements from The Matrix, MazeRunner, the Terminator movies, and even a bit of Repo Men (though for memories not body parts🙃) in all the best ways. In a not so hard to see future, memory extraction was initially sold to the masses as a relief, a way to let go of pain and the heavy burdens of life. Not shockingly, this quickly became weaponized and used to oppress humanity while AI learned and grew from those taken memories to become sentient. Now 45 years after the world ended projects Endkind and Emberling, Cassian and Nova, are on opposite ends of human experimentation, one meant to house memories and integrate w/ AI, and one meant to destroy it. They were never supposed to connect, much less become important to one another. But love and the determination of the human spirit is something no amount of code, AI, or tech can fully understand, predict, or control. Cassian and Nova will suck you in and have you gripping the edge of your seat as they battle multiple fronts for themselves, each other, and humanity.
I am not used to sci-fi, so please take that into consideration!
To start, what made me read and keep reading: the writing was very well done, lot of short sentences, to the point, rhythmic, would make a great audiobook! The subject of human becoming kind of computer to save their world was very unique and interesting 😊
From the first chapter, I did not understand what was going on but I was intrigued and wanted to know Which leads to the part I had harder time with : it felt like the world building was known by the author and the characters, but not fully shared with us. It took a while for us to start to get information on what is going on, and even when having them, I felt I was always missing information about this world I did not connect with the characters and their relationship unfortunately
I think if you enjoy sci-fi and coding you would enjoy this book more than me ! I do think you should give it a try and the writing was very good and I would try other books from the author 😊
Review of an advanced copy sent by the author... First of all, I want to say thank you for this opportunity.
To be honest, sci-fi isn't a genre I normally would buy for myself, but I wanted to keep an open mind. There were multiple times I wanted to DNF it, but I really wanted to give it a full try and finish the book.
I never could connect with the characters or the plot. There were moments when I caught a bit of them, but I wanted more. More about them, and what exactly the main plot was. There were too many holes for me to connect.
However, because of the writing, I was able to hang on just by wanting to know how it ends, and I credit that to how good the style of writing is in terms of word flow.
I rated it higher than I originally wanted to because there were parts that kept me going and hanging in there. I give kudos to the author for a thought-provoking message that I managed to pick up towards the end.
Endkind is a dystopian Sci-fi romance. This book wasn't like anything I have ever read before.
The world ended 45 years ago. And then 10 years ago it ended again. Now the Regime rules and it decides what will be remembered and that will be forgotten.
Cassian is an agent for the Regime that Nova is fighting against.
It took me some time to get used to the writing style. At times it was very clinical, but I think it fits perfectly to the story. Once I got used to it, I was hooked.
This is a story about being able to make your own choices, about sacrifices we are willing to make for love, about remembering who you are.
I was invested in Cassian and Nova's story. The ending was something I expected but was hoping for something else. If like me, you grew up watching Matrix and Terminator, this is something you should read.
WOW...have to admit not my usual vibe im a romantasy/dark romantasy/dark romance girl
So this was totally out of my wheelhouse, but I loved every second. The world building, the characters, it gave me such Terminator vibes which T2 is up there in my top 10 faves movies.
The idea of a corrupt sudo-government combining tech into humans to create what can only be described as a supercomputer and a failsafe weapon if the computer gains sentience/its own will is brilliant.
In those final few chapters i begged and pleaded for Cassian and Nova to be together. I cried for them both. Finding eachother, remembering eachother, being together only to be torn apart again. The "i know you" broke my heart.
Definitely a re-read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Endkind completely pulled me in with its fresh take on dystopian sci-fi, and memory manipulation. It's a story packed with high stakes, impossible choices, and a romance that had me rooting for the characters from start to finish. Nova is a powerhouse of an FMC, and the chemistry between her and Cassian was filled with tension and longing that kept me turning the pages. The writing style leaned heavily poetic at times, which occasionally took me out of the story, but once I found the rhythm, I was fully invested. The ending wasn't what I wanted, but it fit the story being told. If you love dystopian worlds, emotional slow burns, morally gray characters, and stories that make you think long after you finish, add Endkind to your TBR.
5 stars is not enough. This book made me feel all the things and kept me interested from start to finish. It wasn’t just a slow burn, it was a gradual incineration. The poetic wording made me feel like I was reading a collection of poems instead of a book. I was swept up in this fantastic, horrible world and I didn’t want to leave. Honestly I can’t even think of a book in this category I liked as much as this one. I’d say if you’re thinking of reading Quicksilver, read this instead. This is romance done right, this is defiance and struggle and sacrifice in all its glory. What can I say other than I highly recommend this book and will be talking about it to anyone looking for a book that will make them feel something.
ARC REVIEW - Sci-fi books are something that i would never normally pick up but i wanted something knew. However, I found this extremely tricky to read.
I believe if the chapter lengths were smaller, there would been a much better flow and the pace of the book would have felt more steady.
I felt there were a few anti-climactic moments throughout. Where I felt that there should be an overall standpoint, the book had many moments that rose but then did not meet expectation, and unfortunately fell short for me.
What I want to commend from this writer is the perspective of society and humanity alone. I can really appreciate a thought-provoking book which this definitely was.
I originally opted for a 2 star but reconsidered and i’m left with a 3 star.
This is the first Sci-fi book I’ve read and I must say, I really enjoyed it. It was a great read as I took a break from what I normally read. However I will say at the beginning I was a little confused at first but then understood.
I think the author did a fantastic job with the world building and plot and I felt as though I was pulled into the story. I won’t say more than that because I think you should check the book out when it’s available.
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy! I can’t wait to read more of your work.
Unfinished. I DNFed at 53%. I really wanted to like this book. The atmosphere started strong, but the story lost momentum quickly and didn't pull me back in. It has a fascinating concept on paper, but I just could not connect with the characters. Not for me, but readers who love ultra-slow, mood-heavy fantasy might enjoy Agnes Grace Windham's style more than I did.
-“Would you still choose me if the fire came back and it was too much?” -“I’d still walk towards you” 😍😍😍
I received an ARC from the Author. Iwas so excited to start Endkind and let me say it did NOT disappoint.
Endkind is a Sci-Fi, Dystopian and after the world ends their story begins. He was made to remember 🗃️, She was made to burn 🔥
For me Agnes did an incredible job writing these characters. Even while loving one another they understand they have a choice. Cassian Vale never gave into submission. Not even when it meant Nova will get everything taken from her back. Nova & Cassian is what a power couple should look like. They did not give back down, they did not give in. He was willing to burn for her if that’s the last thing he did.
Cassian choosing to become the last keeper broke my heart, but 1. This is not a romance 2. He knew the importance of keeping all the memories safe.
I will always love a good dystopian book & this one in particular gives readers an example of why remembering and questioning is so important.
How did that old saying go? “Those who cannot remember the past …
If you love SciFi/Dystopian EndKind is a must.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.