Armageddon

A.I. Insurrection #2

by Michael Poeltl

The general’s war robbed United Earth of a Utopian paradise. Now, a year later, with Allfather bearing down on an ill-prepared United Earth, a meddling ghost in the walls at UE Headquarters, a religious renaissance infiltrating the hearts and minds of earth’s populace and a rogue sect leader stirring up controversy, Chancellor Raymond Bellows finds himself – once again – at a crossroads. The impending threat of each faction builds to a crescendo when Raymond works to align United Earth to fight their common foe or risk losing everything they’ve rebuilt to a callous and cruel alien bent on annihilation. Will United Earth be ready?

Genres: Science Fiction

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2019

About the author

Do you listen for the things that stir in the dark? Do you dream of time unspooled, of minds that touch across distance, of lives once lived and still remembered? Then you are kin to my kind. Somewhere in my backlist, a story waits—one that knows your name.

Why read my books? If you're like me and read across multiple genres but appreciate a story that draws you into the narrative, the characters, and the emotions, then take a look at my library, find the genre that best suits your mood, and pick it up on Amazon or Kobo for a song. Then, should you want more, my back library will serve you well.

By the end of 2025, I’ll have published 16 books, spanning various genres, including two trilogies, a series, and numerous standalone titles. It has been my absolute joy to revel in those childhood freedoms where you can do anything and be anyone (with the proper training and discipline). It has also been fun getting to know my audience when readers approach me (or I them), and we have meaningful conversations about books in general. I'm a big reader, too, and I'd love to hear what others are reading to help me fill out my 'to be read' pile. So don't be a stranger!

The Haunting of Grosvenor House, 2025: Loosely based on a true story. It is the haunting exploration of loss, connection, and the thin line between the living and the dead—where silence may be the most dangerous sound of all.

Cleo McCarthy Time Travel and Other Impossible Things, 2023: The first time Cleo feared for her life was when she was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s at 23.
The second time is when she discovered she could travel back in time at 24.

Cleo Reviews:
FIVE STARS "I don’t want to spoil anything but trust me. It will give you laughs and will make you think and feel. I am going to buy my paperback copy because having it on my Kindle is not enough." Shirtny from Goodreads
FIVE STARS: "This story did not disappoint, introducing an approach to time travel I'd not seen before, an approach the principal character strives to learn about and understand as the story progresses." Tom from Goodreads
FIVE STARS: "The pacing of the novel is skillfully executed, with a balance between heart-pounding moments and introspective reflection. The gradual revelation of the fragmented message and the subsequent race against time add a layer of suspense that keeps readers eagerly turning pages." Rose from Goodreads

Killing Karma Reviews:
FIVE STARS "Loved it! Was immersed from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to see how it would play out." Rita from Goodreads
FIVE STARS "From the opening paragraph to the last sentence, I was captivated; at times, I found myself holding my breath…" David from Goodreads
FOUR STARS "A highly gripping tale that builds a believable world full of unexpected twists and turns." Madame from Goodreads
FOUR STARS "Such an interesting and fresh take on serial killers... absolutely loved the way the author intertwined the whole concept of past lives into the main plot. Every detail really added more to the story." Chanelle from Goodreads

The Blind Affect launched on June 22nd, 2021 to some great advanced reviews:
FIVE STARS “... a sometimes disturbing but always profound look at three characters whose lives take haunting courses... 'The Blind Affect' will leave you with a lot to think about.”
FOUR STARS “[Poeltl] doesn’t tell us, he shows us the lives of these characters. He shows readers what trauma looks like and what is healing. It’s a timely story...”

Other book reviews:
"A well-built fantasy world with likable characters." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"The characters are 3-dimensional and realistic, with believable flaws, motivations and goals, doubts and beliefs.." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"A great read for anyone who enjoys extensively built worlds." - A.I. Insurrection - The General's War - Goodreads
"The immense interest provided by the world, technology,

Reviews

[Michael Poeltl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, this author has delivered a clear picture of a possible future in any one of the limitless parallel universes that might produce said future. Bravo ;)

[Lynn the Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this series with a newly discovered friend I met on Goodreads due to our similar interests. I'm thrilled to say this second book kept me reading happily and has me excited to pick up the third book which I will start immediately. The voice of the Allfather villain makes for an excellent addition to the already troubled United Earth narrative. So much action. So much conflict and political intrigue.

[Literary Portals · Rating 3 out of 5]

What Made Me Read It I was sent a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Having previously read book #1 of the trilogy I was curious about the fate of all the characters.

The Plot It's been a year after the defeat of General August's military coup. The enlightened AI Hosts have gained their freedom and, together with the humans and the technologically enhanced Chimera, help rebuild and reshape United Earth, integrating the once opposing factions into society. But the revelation of past lives and reincarnated souls living inside the AI Hosts has made religion, abolished over a century ago, experience a renaissance and different sects now squabble for dominance.

Chancellor Raymond and the surviving veterans of General August's war are working to reestablish utopia, while building a fleet of warships to protect United Earth from Allfather, the alien AI entity bent on destroying all organic life from the universe. But the emergence of the religious Machinists, Betaists and the Flame is causing social unrest and the terrorist group Humanists are still waging their own personal war against the enlightened AI Hosts.

Akachi was born a slave 500 years ago and now finds himself reincarnated inside the body of an AI Host. With no love for the race that once enslaved him, Akachi is more than willing to be Allfather's inside agent. But when 3 other souls unexpectedly start sharing his Host body putting Allfather's plan at risk, Akachi must enlist the help of Chancellor Raymond's tech advisor Meiser in order to get rid of the intruders and complete his mission.

The Good "A.I. Insurrection: Armageddon" is the second book in the A.I. Insurrection trilogy, an epic science fiction novel set in the near future of 2163. In book #1 (A.I. Insurrection: The General's War) United Earth had been living in utopia for 30 years when the A.I. Hosts, originally programmed to do menial work, began to experience a spiritual awakening by housing the souls of deceased humans. With the help of the Chimera, a group of technologically enhanced humans who sought to replace utopia with anarchy, the Hosts fought for their right to be free from enslavement. In order to stop the A.I. threat to the human way of life, General August, commander-in-chief of United Earth Armed Forces, started a genocidal war that put United Earth's society at risk. The 3 opposing factions - humans, A.I. Hosts and Chimera - had to join forces to prevent General August from imposing a military rule, while a signal from outside the solar system carried a veiled threat from Allfather, an alien A.I. intelligence with sinister intentions of its own.

Book #2 continues the story one year after the defeat of General August. Chancellor Raymond and his group of trusted advisors, all veterans from the General's war (Admiral Chopra, Admiral Mann, Captain Ursula Drake, the leader of the A.I. Hosts - Quinn of House Quinn and the leader of the Chimera - Tobias), work hard to both rebuild United Earth's utopian society and put together an armada strong enough to defend Earth from the approaching threat of the alien A.I. entity known as Allfather. The enlightened A.I. Hosts have earned their freedom and together with the Chimera have been integrated into United Earth's society, but the realization that the Hosts now house reincarnated souls has revived the previously abolished religion once again, with all the expected unrest it causes. When the Allfather finally makes its appearance with unorthodox strategies and technology that test the defense fleet to the limits, Chancellor Raymond and the United Earth Defenses find themselves severely outmatched and facing imminent extinction.

The author expands the complex worldbuilding of the A.I. Insurrection universe with an extra metaphysical layer. Since he chose to explore an A.I. uprising from a unique angle in the form of reincarnated souls, religion would naturally play a big part in this installment. It's logical that the characters, whether human or enlightened Hosts, would seek an otherworldly explanation for the A.I. spiritual awakening, and the author paints a very realistic and believable conflict grounded in reality, with each faction building its own religious cult and each sect vying for supremacy of their own beliefs. The pacing of the narrative is relatively fast and intense for the most part, with plenty of action sequences as United Earth Defenses faces off a vastly superior opponent, and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat as Allfather threatens humanity both in space and with an act of internal sabotage that ruins all the best laid out plans.

The characters, both old and new, are 3-dimensional and realistic, with believable flaws and strengths, motivations and goals. The old characters have grown and moved on with their lives: Raymond and Commander Darla started a relationship and Tobias is now a father so their perspectives and motivations have changed accordingly; Akachi resents humanity for what he went through in his past life, which guides his choices and actions as a Host and Allfather's inside agent; the 3 souls who unexpectedly share Akachi's Host body add an extra layer of moral questioning - the young boy Nathaniel whose innocence lets him see past Allfather's lies, the former suicidal Gunther who finds a new purpose and worth in his new life and the comatose Ingrid who relies on her emotions and desire to save her loved ones to do the right thing. The leaders of the main religious groups aren't as well developed but they still serve their purpose by helping to move the plot along.

The Not So Good Despite the novel's strengths, I didn't find it as engaging as the previous book. The religious angle took the enjoyment out of reading... but that's just a matter of personal taste. As I mentioned before, the author handled this theme well in a believable and realistic way that fits the plot and the overall story. It just doesn't personally resonate with me.

I also felt the battle scenes dragged the plot considerably, they went on and on for too many chapters. But, again, it's just a matter of personal taste. Those who enjoy military science fiction will most likely be satisfied with the way the conflict played out.

Finally, the end was a little too abrupt. After several chapters trying to win a war against the Allfather on two fronts, it was all over in just a couple of paragraphs. It felt somewhat anticlimactic.

Read the full review on:https://literaryportals.blogspot.com/...

Final Rating 3 of 5 stars. "A.I. Insurrection: Armageddon" is the second book in the A.I. Insurrection trilogy, an action-packed science-fiction series set in the near future of 2163, with religious intrigue and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. Recommended for those who enjoy military science fiction novels and stories about AI awakening and uprising.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I extend my thanks to the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review, which I provide below.

Since it had been 15 months since I read A.I. Insurrection, the first book in this series, I re-read it before starting this one in order to reacquaint myself with the story and the characters. I also re-read my review of that book to establish a baseline of expectations.

In Armageddon, United Earth is recovering in the aftermath of the recently concluded General's War, including the restructuring of society to accommodate: 1) millions of formerly subservient artificial intelligence (AI) robots (Hosts) who have become sentient and demanded rights, and 2) large numbers of humans (Chimera) who have chosen to alter themselves by incorporating advanced technology into their bodies, gaining the disapproval of unaltered humans. These problems are quickly dwarfed by the arrival of the hostile alien entity, self-identified as Allfather, who had initiated the emergence of sentience in the Hosts, with the added complication that the newly awakened AI were not just blank personalities, but the reincarnation of deceased humans who retained their memories and wished to reunite with their human families!

All of this makes for an interesting setting in which to further develop characters and situations, which the author accomplishes in a style which keeps the reader completely invested in the story. This installment concludes satisfactorily with just enough of a hook (and a short sample of the next book in the series) that I'm ready to see where the story goes from here.

My review of the first book noted some significant proofreading escapes, including a tendency to misuse apostrophe-s to form the plural of common nouns. I was pleased to find that this second book was much improved in this area. However, roughly 3/4 the way through, errors started creeping back in. These included the occasional incorrect 's and several homonym mistakes (e.g. complimentary instead of complementary), among others. In the included sample of the third book, "predecessor" was used where "successor" was clearly intended. Since I am not an author, I can only imagine the stress of developing and bringing story threads together to successfully conclude writing a book in the face of schedule pressure amidst life's other demands. That said, just a bit more attention to such details throughout the process would add polish to an already credible product.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Michael Poeltl’s A.I. Insurrection is like watching a master’s level chess tournament. Fans of military science fiction will enjoy the various chapters which are like different chess boards. What strategy will ultimately win the tournament? For that answer, readers will need to wait for the third novel in this series, but in A.I. Insurrection the skirmishes are well laid out in great detail.

For the soft science fiction reader, it’s all about the relationships and the questions. What makes a human being? Do the technological enhancements to an organic lifeform change the being, or is this simply body ornamentation? How to even begin to consider the huge question of the reincarnation of souls into the mechanical bodies of AI Hosts?

Under the pressure of a deadly game of war, who will work together?

A fun mix of action and contemplation.

[BookStruck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this second book in the A.I. Insurrection series. The depth of characters continues to advance and draw the reader deeper into the overall story - which continues to entertain, educate, and amaze! What a great villain Allfather is. As much as this is a sci-fi series, it's a spiritual journey too and the Host's struggle continues to add emotional fodder to the storyline.

[P.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Enjoyable characters.