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Artilect War #1
The Seeds of Winter
Would you become a cyborg just to survive? I did, and it ended the world.
In 2040, three factions went to war over the creation of artilects—sentient androids indistinguishable from human beings.
Five years later, Ailith wakes to find the Artilect War over and the modern world destroyed. Her only connection to the life she once knew is Tor, a stranger who protected her as she slept.
A cyborg. Like her.
They believed they were the only ones; they were wrong. Others of their kind are alive—and facing execution. Their deaths must be prevented at all costs, for if they die, humankind will become extinct.
But as Ailith and Tor face off against old enemies and a self-proclaimed god, they begin to doubt the true nature of their design. They can trust no one—not even each other, despite the passion that binds them together.
Humanity fought a war to annihilate us. Now their future depends on our survival.
We are the seed.
The Seeds of Winter is the first book in the Artilect War saga. If you like dystopian science fiction with cyborgs, heroines, and a dash of meta, you'll love this series!
In 2040, three factions went to war over the creation of artilects—sentient androids indistinguishable from human beings.
Five years later, Ailith wakes to find the Artilect War over and the modern world destroyed. Her only connection to the life she once knew is Tor, a stranger who protected her as she slept.
A cyborg. Like her.
They believed they were the only ones; they were wrong. Others of their kind are alive—and facing execution. Their deaths must be prevented at all costs, for if they die, humankind will become extinct.
But as Ailith and Tor face off against old enemies and a self-proclaimed god, they begin to doubt the true nature of their design. They can trust no one—not even each other, despite the passion that binds them together.
Humanity fought a war to annihilate us. Now their future depends on our survival.
We are the seed.
The Seeds of Winter is the first book in the Artilect War saga. If you like dystopian science fiction with cyborgs, heroines, and a dash of meta, you'll love this series!
- GenresScience Fiction
ebook
First published July 6, 2017
8 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
A.W. Cross
26 books54 followersA.W. Cross is made of 100% star stuff. She write social science-fiction and futuristic fairy tale retellings and lives in the gorgeous wilds of Canada with her family and a deep nostalgia for the 80s.
She also writes books about living with chronic illness and IBD, and blogs on her IBD website, screamingmeemie.com.
Follow her on Twitter (@aw_cross), Facebook, or visit her website or IBD blog: screamingmeemie.com
She also writes books about living with chronic illness and IBD, and blogs on her IBD website, screamingmeemie.com.
Follow her on Twitter (@aw_cross), Facebook, or visit her website or IBD blog: screamingmeemie.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 8, 2017
4.5 stars... 1/2 star lost for the frustratingly abrupt ending! :D Fantastic cliffhanger, though. (Would still be 5 if I could read book 2 right now.)
An excellent, interesting, and exciting Sci-Fi book. With a unique take on cyborgs, Seeds of Winter is set less than 30 years in our future, mainly after a war over the implications of A.I. While it doesn't feel like there's a plot for you to guess at, the intensely character driven story and hints at the world coming at you from all angles drive it forward at a good - and then suddenly breakneck - pace.
I LOVED IT.
A must read if you like Sci-Fi - especially post-apocalyptic and/or A.I. related stories - and want a different style of narrative.
I was super pleased with this book. :)
An excellent, interesting, and exciting Sci-Fi book. With a unique take on cyborgs, Seeds of Winter is set less than 30 years in our future, mainly after a war over the implications of A.I. While it doesn't feel like there's a plot for you to guess at, the intensely character driven story and hints at the world coming at you from all angles drive it forward at a good - and then suddenly breakneck - pace.
I LOVED IT.
A must read if you like Sci-Fi - especially post-apocalyptic and/or A.I. related stories - and want a different style of narrative.
I was super pleased with this book. :)
May 14, 2018
Hmmm, so I'm not entirely sure what to write in this review.
This is one of my 18-ebooks-to-read-in-2018 books. I often ad books to this list because I'm not sure I'll ever get around to them. Sometimes, because I've heard unflattering things about them. Other times, like with this, because I bought it a while ago and am not sure I'll enjoy it anymore.
I went into this with some misgivings, but they were unfounded.
The book turned out to be a fast and enjoyable enough read.
The language is flowing and rich.
The characters are interesting with multiple backgrounds and personalities.
I think my only problem with this book was that it was a little meta, but I'm not sure if the regular reader will think so. I may just think it because of my background in theater and writing myself.
A more correct rating would be 3.5/5, I think. As it was better than OK, but it didn't really suck me in as much as I may have hoped. This, I think, is much because of the season. I always get a little distant from my reads as summer progresses for different reasons.
So, yeah. It was a good book, and I'm looking forward to reading book two!
EDIT:
I kept thinking about it, and just had to share it. I'm all for the author thinking that making AIs and robots look human will make humans treat them... well, humanly. But I also can't help think it's naive. Just look at the world today. People treating women badly because they're able to dehumanize them. People dehumanizing people of color and getting away with terror, harasment and murder. People dehumanizing people with other beliefs and turning them into the big—bad monsters in fairytales they use to poison their children. Dehumanizing people because of sexual orientation and getting away with openly humiliation or attacks. Actually think that disabled people are less than able people, almost that disabled shouldn't be out in public 'cause they're an eyesore, and so dehumanizing them.
All because they are different, so someone are able to dehumanize them.
Why, then would there be any different with androids or AIs?
This is one of my 18-ebooks-to-read-in-2018 books. I often ad books to this list because I'm not sure I'll ever get around to them. Sometimes, because I've heard unflattering things about them. Other times, like with this, because I bought it a while ago and am not sure I'll enjoy it anymore.
I went into this with some misgivings, but they were unfounded.
The book turned out to be a fast and enjoyable enough read.
The language is flowing and rich.
The characters are interesting with multiple backgrounds and personalities.
I think my only problem with this book was that it was a little meta, but I'm not sure if the regular reader will think so. I may just think it because of my background in theater and writing myself.
A more correct rating would be 3.5/5, I think. As it was better than OK, but it didn't really suck me in as much as I may have hoped. This, I think, is much because of the season. I always get a little distant from my reads as summer progresses for different reasons.
So, yeah. It was a good book, and I'm looking forward to reading book two!
EDIT:
I kept thinking about it, and just had to share it. I'm all for the author thinking that making AIs and robots look human will make humans treat them... well, humanly. But I also can't help think it's naive. Just look at the world today. People treating women badly because they're able to dehumanize them. People dehumanizing people of color and getting away with terror, harasment and murder. People dehumanizing people with other beliefs and turning them into the big—bad monsters in fairytales they use to poison their children. Dehumanizing people because of sexual orientation and getting away with openly humiliation or attacks. Actually think that disabled people are less than able people, almost that disabled shouldn't be out in public 'cause they're an eyesore, and so dehumanizing them.
All because they are different, so someone are able to dehumanize them.
Why, then would there be any different with androids or AIs?
February 10, 2018
Entertaining dystopian sci-fi
This book handles the tropes of emerging technologies, societal and moral conflicts and survival. It's a polished book and I'd say it handles these themes very well.
The characters were distinct I felt I got a good glimpse of this not too distant future.
I subtracted one star for a couple reasons. There are multiple points of view throughout the book. For the first two-thirds I was into it. But towards the end it felt like too many new characters' perspectives being added. The ending as well, was mysterious (which I typically like) but bordered on vague for me. Since this is just the first in series, though, it's not a deal breaker. I'm certainly curious to check out book two. And that should tell you something!
This book handles the tropes of emerging technologies, societal and moral conflicts and survival. It's a polished book and I'd say it handles these themes very well.
The characters were distinct I felt I got a good glimpse of this not too distant future.
I subtracted one star for a couple reasons. There are multiple points of view throughout the book. For the first two-thirds I was into it. But towards the end it felt like too many new characters' perspectives being added. The ending as well, was mysterious (which I typically like) but bordered on vague for me. Since this is just the first in series, though, it's not a deal breaker. I'm certainly curious to check out book two. And that should tell you something!
October 25, 2018
Andrea and I have become friendly, exchanging a number of emails on a variety of topics. She has a diverse background that has some parallels with mine. One of the reasons, I guess, she asked me to beta read for her.
I initially read this when it was in beta. I purchased a copy, to support a fellow author, but also to reread and give a review from the published version.
This is a complex novel, covering a lot of different events from many different viewpoints. It’s a challenge the author has overcome, with wonderful style, as the story is engaging and easy to read, despite the complexity. It’s not easy to predict how the story unfolds, but as it unfolds, all the elements make sense.
I eagerly look forward to reading the rest of the series!
I initially read this when it was in beta. I purchased a copy, to support a fellow author, but also to reread and give a review from the published version.
This is a complex novel, covering a lot of different events from many different viewpoints. It’s a challenge the author has overcome, with wonderful style, as the story is engaging and easy to read, despite the complexity. It’s not easy to predict how the story unfolds, but as it unfolds, all the elements make sense.
I eagerly look forward to reading the rest of the series!
February 2, 2020
This was a thought provoking story set in a post apocalyptic world about humans, cyborgs and these other beings. You learn about the other characters through Ailith. Ailith was a human turned cyborg and could tune in others through a colored thread, past and present. Almost all life had been extinguished or so she was told when she awoke five years after her change. Her journey was interesting and there is definitely a need to read the next book to see what happens.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 17, 2021
This is an awesome futuristic dystopian story that is a wonderful story. I love the protagonists, Ailith and Tor. I love the creative storyline and the setting of the future. I highly recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2019
Compelling enough to be a quick read, but the characters seemed bland for me a little bit. Also, I felt there were too many characters for me to keep track of. Maybe I'll have to give it a second read to re-assess my score and my grasp on the book, but for now I'll give it a 4 star, mainly because it wasn't boring and I enjoyed the pace. Might be a =<3.5
June 30, 2017
A fantastic debut fiction novel from A.W. Cross! Ailith signed up for the Pantheon Modern program to become a cyborg. She was supposed to get a cure for her illness and live happily ever after as an improved human. Except that when she wakes up, it’s five years later, and the civilization has been wiped out. A war broke out while she was unconscious, and now she’s alone with Tor, another cyborg who was assigned to protect her. But that’s not all. Ailith is having visions of other cyborgs, and she and Tor are the only ones who can save them.
The Seeds of Winter has everything I love in a good scifi. Interesting and thought-provoking plot, credible world-building, likeable characters, and smooth narrative. I loved Ailith, but the badguy Oliver is probably my favorite. He’s the best-written villain I’ve read in a long time. He’s not an Evil Cardboard Cut-Out, but rather just a despicable human being. I couldn’t outright hate him though because he was intelligent and made good arguments about why his manipulations were justified. I actually loved every moment with him because he was so fascinating. I really want to see what happens to this character in the end. The story itself is fast-paced and captivating—also brutal and gritty with a good dose of future shock, but that’s what I love about dystopias.
I love serious themes in books, but I dislike books that clobber me in the head with an Important Message. I was delighted to see that the author knows how to handle deep topics brilliantly, without preaching and without weighing down the plot. And this book is full of deep topics. Where’s the dividing line between man and machine? Is becoming a machine the next step in human evolution? Should we hold on to traditions or rather change and adapt? There’s so much food for thought, and yet it’s so well integrated the book never ceased to be entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the first book in the Artilect War-series and I can’t wait to read the next part!
I beta read this book and voluntarily decided to write a review.
The Seeds of Winter has everything I love in a good scifi. Interesting and thought-provoking plot, credible world-building, likeable characters, and smooth narrative. I loved Ailith, but the badguy Oliver is probably my favorite. He’s the best-written villain I’ve read in a long time. He’s not an Evil Cardboard Cut-Out, but rather just a despicable human being. I couldn’t outright hate him though because he was intelligent and made good arguments about why his manipulations were justified. I actually loved every moment with him because he was so fascinating. I really want to see what happens to this character in the end. The story itself is fast-paced and captivating—also brutal and gritty with a good dose of future shock, but that’s what I love about dystopias.
I love serious themes in books, but I dislike books that clobber me in the head with an Important Message. I was delighted to see that the author knows how to handle deep topics brilliantly, without preaching and without weighing down the plot. And this book is full of deep topics. Where’s the dividing line between man and machine? Is becoming a machine the next step in human evolution? Should we hold on to traditions or rather change and adapt? There’s so much food for thought, and yet it’s so well integrated the book never ceased to be entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the first book in the Artilect War-series and I can’t wait to read the next part!
I beta read this book and voluntarily decided to write a review.
January 8, 2018
DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! :D
This was a very exciting sci-fi debut about a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by humans, cyborgs, and others, fighting for survival. The switching POVs made things a bit confusing at first, but once I got used to it, I couldn't stop reading. It ends on a huge cliffhanger, though, so be prepared for that!
Would recommend. :D
This was a very exciting sci-fi debut about a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by humans, cyborgs, and others, fighting for survival. The switching POVs made things a bit confusing at first, but once I got used to it, I couldn't stop reading. It ends on a huge cliffhanger, though, so be prepared for that!
Would recommend. :D
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews