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All the King's Men
Fox is a mindnet hacker, one of the best. He and fellow hackers work for a mysterious man known only as King, and they spend their time uncovering dangerous secrets and releasing them to the public. Those who dig up trouble are bound to find it, and despite their best precautions, King is captured by an unknown government. While Fox and his team try desperately to find a way to free him, Fox meets another mysterious man who is only known by a number -- Seven. Seven works for the other side, but sometimes, uncovering secrets also raises doubts. Fox and company need all the help they can get. Will Seven help them, and at what cost?
184 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 16, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 17, 2019
4.5 stars. This was so cool. It's not perfect, but I loved it, so it gets a high rating. This was such an enjoyable story. It's a sci-fi internet thriller romance and it's gripping and smart and full of interesting characters. The majority of this book takes place in the Cerebrum, a future version of the internet where you leave your body behind to enter virtual reality and you can become whatever you want. The world-building is good and vivid and I found the Cerebrum to be fascinating place. The parts of this book that aren't inside the Cerebrum are mostly set in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is awesome. I really liked Fox. He's a smart hacker revolutionary who's fighting against shady "government" agents alongside his compatriots, while in real life he's kind of a regular guy (I believe he's a travel writer?). He's a cool character and very easy to relate to. It's not in the blurb, so talking about the other main character is possibly spoilerish, so I won't, but he is also very cool and I really liked his perspective. I really enjoyed all the secondary characters and they're a fun, motley group. This story is very much sci-fi first, romance second, and the romance doesn't play much of a part until well into the second half, but it's a very nice budding romance. I love the easy diversity of this story--people are different, just like in real life, and there's a cool trans character too. There could have been a touch more character development and a bit more background information, but I enjoyed this so much that I didn't really mind the flaws. I'm greedy, so I would have loved it if this was longer. It's such a cool concept and there's so much more that could have been said about this world and its inhabitants. This is a fast-paced, entertaining, energetic story and I loved it. I am definitely interested in reading more by this author.
July 22, 2016
4 stars – First things first: Alex Powell’s All the King’s Men is a science fiction novel that happens to have a gay romance as a background subplot. If you try to squeeze this into some mold of being an M/M romance first, you will be disappointed. But if you are a fan of well-composed science fiction, and you treat the subplot as a bonus element, I believe you will enjoy the story as much as I did.
At some point in the future, the Cerebrum is a virtual reality network that functions much like the Internet does today, but instead of sitting at a computer screen, users are completely immersed within the virtual reality to the point where they leave their physical bodies behind and experience only the sensory input they receive from within while logged in. While in the Cerebrum, Fox is a mindnet hacker who works with a small group of others under the supervision of a man known as the King. Their objective is to discover secrets and release them to the public. They take precautions to maintain their anonymity and avoid being caught because their activities attract dangerous enemies. When the King is captured by an unknown government, Fox and the others must somehow rescue him in order to avoid all their lives being destroyed. But sometimes help comes from the least expected source. And sometimes attraction also comes from the same unlikely place.
Let’s start with the science fiction aspect of the novel first since the romantic part is really only a small portion of the overall plot. First and foremost, the author builds a fascinating world for this story. The idea of a fully immersive virtual reality has always been of interest to me, so because the author does so well crafting one, it didn’t take long for me to be pulled into this world. There are a lot of parallels between the Cerebrum and our experience of the Internet, so much of the terminology is the same. As a result, if excessive techno-babble in sci-fi bothers you, it shouldn’t be a problem here. Almost the entire story takes place within the Cerebrum. Not unlike they do on the Internet, users of the Cerebrum can essentially develop whatever persona they wish including their appearance and the private areas they inhabit. The users also have abilities, though it is never made completely clear how these are determined—one of the many reasons I would have loved to see another hundred pages or so of novel length in order to allow the author to flesh out the world more fully—but like everything else in a virtual reality, it depends on the users’ minds.
This fact also makes it unsurprising that the primary story line involves the ability for users of the Cerebrum to access and relive their real-life memories, a component that becomes important as the story develops. Before being captured, the King makes use of a skill no one knew was possible in order to prevent his memories from falling into the hands of his captors. This essentially establishes a treasure hunt of sorts as one of the main tasks for Fox and the others. They must complete this while avoiding their own capture by agents of the unknown government, agents who are referred to only by a number instead of a name.
The perspective of the story alternates between Fox and one of these agents, a man called Seven. These agents are essentially “programmed” to be unfeeling in following the orders of their masters and to be indistinguishable from one another, but right from the start, his interactions with Fox begin to open his eyes to the possibility that he’s not just a program, he’s a human who unlike the “real” people in the Cerebrum, is totally unaware of his existence in the real world. While both characters are interesting in my opinion, Seven’s progression is one of my favorite parts of the book. There is never a problem with the perspective throughout the novel: the fact that Fox knows all about his real life while Seven doesn’t have a clue about his is more than enough to keep their internal monologues distinct.
As far as the romantic aspect, it is basically nonexistent until the second half of the book. When things finally start to happen, I understand why the initial interactions take place, and I can understand Seven’s attraction to Fox—Fox is the impetus for Seven’s personal discovery of himself. Because of this, I enjoyed the romance from Seven’s point of view. On the other hand, I never really understand the attraction from the other direction. Granted, the entire romance consists of only ten or fifteen percent of the page time in the novel, and since this isn’t a long novel, that doesn’t make for much chance to develop the romance. As a result, I didn’t see the romantic plot as advancing Fox’s character at all. So just like with the world-building comment earlier, I would have liked to see the book be longer in order for the romantic story to be developed better.
I have read a good deal of science fiction in my day, and one thing that all of the good ones have in common is the fact that they make some sort of social commentary. All the King’s Men does contain some hints of this, but in the end, the message seems a bit muddled to me. Perhaps again a longer novel would have given the author more time to accomplish this. That being said, the world-building and story are good enough already to make the book something I can recommend. The romance, while slim in development, is just a little bonus.
The author generously provided me a complimentary copy of All the King's Men in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
At some point in the future, the Cerebrum is a virtual reality network that functions much like the Internet does today, but instead of sitting at a computer screen, users are completely immersed within the virtual reality to the point where they leave their physical bodies behind and experience only the sensory input they receive from within while logged in. While in the Cerebrum, Fox is a mindnet hacker who works with a small group of others under the supervision of a man known as the King. Their objective is to discover secrets and release them to the public. They take precautions to maintain their anonymity and avoid being caught because their activities attract dangerous enemies. When the King is captured by an unknown government, Fox and the others must somehow rescue him in order to avoid all their lives being destroyed. But sometimes help comes from the least expected source. And sometimes attraction also comes from the same unlikely place.
Let’s start with the science fiction aspect of the novel first since the romantic part is really only a small portion of the overall plot. First and foremost, the author builds a fascinating world for this story. The idea of a fully immersive virtual reality has always been of interest to me, so because the author does so well crafting one, it didn’t take long for me to be pulled into this world. There are a lot of parallels between the Cerebrum and our experience of the Internet, so much of the terminology is the same. As a result, if excessive techno-babble in sci-fi bothers you, it shouldn’t be a problem here. Almost the entire story takes place within the Cerebrum. Not unlike they do on the Internet, users of the Cerebrum can essentially develop whatever persona they wish including their appearance and the private areas they inhabit. The users also have abilities, though it is never made completely clear how these are determined—one of the many reasons I would have loved to see another hundred pages or so of novel length in order to allow the author to flesh out the world more fully—but like everything else in a virtual reality, it depends on the users’ minds.
This fact also makes it unsurprising that the primary story line involves the ability for users of the Cerebrum to access and relive their real-life memories, a component that becomes important as the story develops. Before being captured, the King makes use of a skill no one knew was possible in order to prevent his memories from falling into the hands of his captors. This essentially establishes a treasure hunt of sorts as one of the main tasks for Fox and the others. They must complete this while avoiding their own capture by agents of the unknown government, agents who are referred to only by a number instead of a name.
The perspective of the story alternates between Fox and one of these agents, a man called Seven. These agents are essentially “programmed” to be unfeeling in following the orders of their masters and to be indistinguishable from one another, but right from the start, his interactions with Fox begin to open his eyes to the possibility that he’s not just a program, he’s a human who unlike the “real” people in the Cerebrum, is totally unaware of his existence in the real world. While both characters are interesting in my opinion, Seven’s progression is one of my favorite parts of the book. There is never a problem with the perspective throughout the novel: the fact that Fox knows all about his real life while Seven doesn’t have a clue about his is more than enough to keep their internal monologues distinct.
As far as the romantic aspect, it is basically nonexistent until the second half of the book. When things finally start to happen, I understand why the initial interactions take place, and I can understand Seven’s attraction to Fox—Fox is the impetus for Seven’s personal discovery of himself. Because of this, I enjoyed the romance from Seven’s point of view. On the other hand, I never really understand the attraction from the other direction. Granted, the entire romance consists of only ten or fifteen percent of the page time in the novel, and since this isn’t a long novel, that doesn’t make for much chance to develop the romance. As a result, I didn’t see the romantic plot as advancing Fox’s character at all. So just like with the world-building comment earlier, I would have liked to see the book be longer in order for the romantic story to be developed better.
I have read a good deal of science fiction in my day, and one thing that all of the good ones have in common is the fact that they make some sort of social commentary. All the King’s Men does contain some hints of this, but in the end, the message seems a bit muddled to me. Perhaps again a longer novel would have given the author more time to accomplish this. That being said, the world-building and story are good enough already to make the book something I can recommend. The romance, while slim in development, is just a little bonus.
The author generously provided me a complimentary copy of All the King's Men in exchange for this fair and honest review.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
July 18, 2016
3.5 stars
Overall I really enjoyed this story and the characters.
I liked Fox as a main character. He was super easy to like and relate to. I liked that the story alternated between Fox and Seven's perspectives because it helped to add to the world building. I really loved Fox and Seven's relationship. It suffered from insta-love, but it was really cute and I really liked how respectful Fox was of Seven's boundaries. There is even a discussion they have about consent that I absolutely loved.
The only two problems I had with this book were the world building and the length. The setting was incredibly ambitious and I felt like Powell didn't quite achieve what they were aiming for. I never really got a clear understanding of how the Cerebrum worked or of what it really looked like. However, I think that had the novel been one to two hundred pages longer, Powell could have devoted the proper time to developing the setting. I was also not crazy bout the deus ex machine style ending.
I would recommend this book to people looking for an interesting concept and adorable lgbt romance.
I received this book courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I really enjoyed this story and the characters.
I liked Fox as a main character. He was super easy to like and relate to. I liked that the story alternated between Fox and Seven's perspectives because it helped to add to the world building. I really loved Fox and Seven's relationship. It suffered from insta-love, but it was really cute and I really liked how respectful Fox was of Seven's boundaries. There is even a discussion they have about consent that I absolutely loved.
The only two problems I had with this book were the world building and the length. The setting was incredibly ambitious and I felt like Powell didn't quite achieve what they were aiming for. I never really got a clear understanding of how the Cerebrum worked or of what it really looked like. However, I think that had the novel been one to two hundred pages longer, Powell could have devoted the proper time to developing the setting. I was also not crazy bout the deus ex machine style ending.
I would recommend this book to people looking for an interesting concept and adorable lgbt romance.
I received this book courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2017
Rounded up to 3 stars
I can divide this book into three parts, and THAT is less to do with the development of the story itself but with my personal feeling about it. I liked how it started, it was much better than I expected, and I enjoyed the ending.
The idea sounds very interesting: A little group of revolutionaries under the guidance of King meets each other regularly in the Cerebrum, a virtual reality network, to discuss their next mission. Their main activity is detecting secrets and make them public. No wonder that they have many enemies who rather see them dead. But it is not that easy: It is not enough to defeat a person in the mindnet, you have to get his BODY too, and it could be EVERYWHERE, where there is a link-in.
(For more information you can read the blurb or the book itself).
The first third of the book was pretty good and even if I didn't completely get how the Cerebrum worked, I found it very entertaining. My problems began as the story unfolded, actually with too many of private domain. It appeared like 10 times pro page. I started to lose interest. Had I been a gamer or a passionate science-fiction reader, maybe I could have enjoyed this world building more, who knows. But somewhere in the middle on the story it started to become a serious issue to me. I considered even to DNF. But I didn't want to start my new reading year with a DNF, it could be a bad Omen. So I forced myself to go on.
I'm actually glad that I finished it, because the ending was good, it switched from the Cerebrum to the RL. AND. I got my answers.
I think
1)I can better deal with such stories in form of movies (like Matrix), and
2) it is impossible to create a cyber world in a beautiful prose.
To make it REAL an author has to use THIS special language, and it is not my cuppa.
**Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
July 23, 2016
This was a new-to-me author and as such I went in not knowing what sort of writing to expect. I was pleasantly surprised.
The story was set in the distant future primarily in a neurological alternate reality platform called Cerebrum. There ,we meet rebels working to uncover dubious dealings perpetuated by individuals,corporations and governments. The methods these rebels use to achieve this end are, of course, illegal and as such they have agents on their heels.These agents live their whole lives on Cerebrum while the rebels can come and go as they please.
All hell breaks loose when their leader,King, is captured and the Rebel movement thrown into limbo.
Our MCs ,Fox and Seven , are part of the rebel movement and government agency respectively. They first come into contact with each other during the raid in which King is captured.
I loved the dynamics of Cerebrum and the sheer magnitude of what it made possible. It was fascinating to read about. I also liked how the story flowed from the moment of King's capture, to their actions to get him back and also to the budding bond between Seven and the slippery Fox. I must point out that this was more of Sci-Fi than romance , and that was completely okay with me.Seven's eyes were eventually opened to the brutality of his superiors and his subsequent actions led to the success of the overall rebel movement.
My only issue here was that the world building needed a bit more work. It was confusing and incomplete . While reading, I could obviously tell that it was set in the very distant future; the year 2310 was mentioned as being in the past, so I'm guessing it's sometime beyond that. I just didn't know what time the story was set in and that niggled at me till the end.
With the indication, however vague,of the setting being in the very distant future,one would expect there to be more info on the current time. There wasn't. There is no idea as to how society's structure is like, whether countries,societies, cultures are still the same, currencies have changed, etc. Nothing was explained outside Cerebrum. Even with Cerebrum, its origins weren't explained, neither was its initial usage, how to onboard oneself on it and why& how people began to use it. There was a big knowledge gap that needed to be filled in the story but unfortunately didn't happen.
Also,I wish more was put in about Seven's recovery and assimilation into the real world and I would've loved to see more on how the bond between him and Fox grew and solidified in the real world.
Nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier, it was a fascinating, fast paced story which revealed more about our MCs and other important secondary characters, adding to the overall nature of the story.
It was an enjoyable read all in all and I will not hesitate to pick another book from this author.
*eARC graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
The story was set in the distant future primarily in a neurological alternate reality platform called Cerebrum. There ,we meet rebels working to uncover dubious dealings perpetuated by individuals,corporations and governments. The methods these rebels use to achieve this end are, of course, illegal and as such they have agents on their heels.These agents live their whole lives on Cerebrum while the rebels can come and go as they please.
All hell breaks loose when their leader,King, is captured and the Rebel movement thrown into limbo.
Our MCs ,Fox and Seven , are part of the rebel movement and government agency respectively. They first come into contact with each other during the raid in which King is captured.
I loved the dynamics of Cerebrum and the sheer magnitude of what it made possible. It was fascinating to read about. I also liked how the story flowed from the moment of King's capture, to their actions to get him back and also to the budding bond between Seven and the slippery Fox. I must point out that this was more of Sci-Fi than romance , and that was completely okay with me.Seven's eyes were eventually opened to the brutality of his superiors and his subsequent actions led to the success of the overall rebel movement.
My only issue here was that the world building needed a bit more work. It was confusing and incomplete . While reading, I could obviously tell that it was set in the very distant future; the year 2310 was mentioned as being in the past, so I'm guessing it's sometime beyond that. I just didn't know what time the story was set in and that niggled at me till the end.
With the indication, however vague,of the setting being in the very distant future,one would expect there to be more info on the current time. There wasn't. There is no idea as to how society's structure is like, whether countries,societies, cultures are still the same, currencies have changed, etc. Nothing was explained outside Cerebrum. Even with Cerebrum, its origins weren't explained, neither was its initial usage, how to onboard oneself on it and why& how people began to use it. There was a big knowledge gap that needed to be filled in the story but unfortunately didn't happen.
Also,I wish more was put in about Seven's recovery and assimilation into the real world and I would've loved to see more on how the bond between him and Fox grew and solidified in the real world.
Nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier, it was a fascinating, fast paced story which revealed more about our MCs and other important secondary characters, adding to the overall nature of the story.
It was an enjoyable read all in all and I will not hesitate to pick another book from this author.
*eARC graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
April 1, 2017
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
Let me start off by saying: Wow. Just wow. While I was intrigued by the premise, I was in no way prepared for the reality of this story and it was, in my opinion, completely amazing. To give you an idea of what this book is like, imagine if The Matrix and a show called Ghost in the Shell (if you aren’t familiar with it, look it up because its fantastic, too) had a steamy love affair resulting in a love child that grew up to be completely awesome. This book is that love child. No joke.
The vast majority of the book takes place online in a place known as the Cerebrum, where everyone is hooked in and uses avatars to move around and interact with both other people and all kinds of data. Things start off pretty quickly as a group of revolutionaries who work to expose corruption have their meeting crashed by a group of government agents, resulting in the capture of their leader: King. What follows was a story with a lot going for it and a lot going on in general. The main character, Fox, spearheads the effort to recover King but with the Agents still searching for the remainder of the group and the idea that there could be a traitor amongst them, things are far from easy.
On the other side of the spectrum are the Agents; government controlled and tasked with hunting down those the powers that be want silenced. Amongst these is Seven; up until King was captured he was just another Agent doing what he was told but since then he’s seen and heard things that have caused him to change and even question his own existence. I loved the interactions between him and Fox; both men are so different yet they bring out something in each other they didn’t even know they needed. Their times together are sometimes sweet, sometimes flirtatious but each instance kind of opened up their eyes a little more to what’s going on around them. I didn’t need an over the top, hearts in their eyes romance with these two to just get it.
While the story itself was completely fantastic, the ending was even better; I was surprised by both how things came together and the amount of maneuvering that took place among the characters to get to that point. The reveal itself was the best part for me, however, and I couldn’t have been happier with how things ended. I’ve never read anything by this author before and I’ve certainly never read a book like this before but I really hope I get the chance to do both again in the future. If you like sci-fi, most especially The Matrix, I’d recommend you check this one out; I’m so glad I did!
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/07/2...
Let me start off by saying: Wow. Just wow. While I was intrigued by the premise, I was in no way prepared for the reality of this story and it was, in my opinion, completely amazing. To give you an idea of what this book is like, imagine if The Matrix and a show called Ghost in the Shell (if you aren’t familiar with it, look it up because its fantastic, too) had a steamy love affair resulting in a love child that grew up to be completely awesome. This book is that love child. No joke.
The vast majority of the book takes place online in a place known as the Cerebrum, where everyone is hooked in and uses avatars to move around and interact with both other people and all kinds of data. Things start off pretty quickly as a group of revolutionaries who work to expose corruption have their meeting crashed by a group of government agents, resulting in the capture of their leader: King. What follows was a story with a lot going for it and a lot going on in general. The main character, Fox, spearheads the effort to recover King but with the Agents still searching for the remainder of the group and the idea that there could be a traitor amongst them, things are far from easy.
On the other side of the spectrum are the Agents; government controlled and tasked with hunting down those the powers that be want silenced. Amongst these is Seven; up until King was captured he was just another Agent doing what he was told but since then he’s seen and heard things that have caused him to change and even question his own existence. I loved the interactions between him and Fox; both men are so different yet they bring out something in each other they didn’t even know they needed. Their times together are sometimes sweet, sometimes flirtatious but each instance kind of opened up their eyes a little more to what’s going on around them. I didn’t need an over the top, hearts in their eyes romance with these two to just get it.
While the story itself was completely fantastic, the ending was even better; I was surprised by both how things came together and the amount of maneuvering that took place among the characters to get to that point. The reveal itself was the best part for me, however, and I couldn’t have been happier with how things ended. I’ve never read anything by this author before and I’ve certainly never read a book like this before but I really hope I get the chance to do both again in the future. If you like sci-fi, most especially The Matrix, I’d recommend you check this one out; I’m so glad I did!
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/07/2...
July 27, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
The premise of this book intrigued me right from the start, and I found this story fascinating in a lot of ways. The author managed to create a complex and believable world where logging onto the net means a direct link with a person’s mind. The world building here is intense and so very well done. Almost the entire story takes place solely within the net, and while it’s a futuristic world, it was routed in terms and situations we see on the internet today. I was completely absorbed into the world, and the mystery of the plot as it unfolded.
Fox was an incredibly well crafted character. From the very beginning, he drew me in and I was on his side. I liked that he uses his skills, and he is very gifted at navigating the mindnet, to better humanity. I’ve always been drawn to anti-heroes, and Fox definitely has that sort of vibe. In real life, he’s nothing too special, but on the net he exposes the bad guys by any means necessary. On top of that, he was wonderfully layered, and bits of his personality were constantly being revealed. I liked how well everything connected, everything about him was tied together so perfectly. His life experiences shaped who he was. I will admit to missing just one piece about him. He was so well developed and fleshed out he felt real, but I have no idea how he got into the business of exposing the truth to the public. If it was mentioned, I missed it, and I definitely would have liked knowing that. But he’s very well rounded, and he drives the story.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
The premise of this book intrigued me right from the start, and I found this story fascinating in a lot of ways. The author managed to create a complex and believable world where logging onto the net means a direct link with a person’s mind. The world building here is intense and so very well done. Almost the entire story takes place solely within the net, and while it’s a futuristic world, it was routed in terms and situations we see on the internet today. I was completely absorbed into the world, and the mystery of the plot as it unfolded.
Fox was an incredibly well crafted character. From the very beginning, he drew me in and I was on his side. I liked that he uses his skills, and he is very gifted at navigating the mindnet, to better humanity. I’ve always been drawn to anti-heroes, and Fox definitely has that sort of vibe. In real life, he’s nothing too special, but on the net he exposes the bad guys by any means necessary. On top of that, he was wonderfully layered, and bits of his personality were constantly being revealed. I liked how well everything connected, everything about him was tied together so perfectly. His life experiences shaped who he was. I will admit to missing just one piece about him. He was so well developed and fleshed out he felt real, but I have no idea how he got into the business of exposing the truth to the public. If it was mentioned, I missed it, and I definitely would have liked knowing that. But he’s very well rounded, and he drives the story.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
May 18, 2017
3.5
I absolutely liked Seven’s character development, it was also quite believable. I’m skeptical about the almost insta-attraction between . Warning: this is not m/m romance, the romantic plot is just a tiny part of the book.
I’m not a fan of long explanations, still, I found the worldbuilding a bit lacking. I could understand that the characters live most of their time in a virtual reality network called Cerebrum, but how did this start? How do you enter it? And we get such a little glimpse of the world outside the cerebrum that it is difficult to understand who is rebelling against who. For ex. in the end we understand that in this dystopian future there are also some good governments and international organisations. So some parts were slightly confusing.
These flaws notwithstanding, I round my rating up because of the originality of the ideas. I would definitely buy another book from this author.
I absolutely liked Seven’s character development, it was also quite believable. I’m skeptical about the almost insta-attraction between . Warning: this is not m/m romance, the romantic plot is just a tiny part of the book.
I’m not a fan of long explanations, still, I found the worldbuilding a bit lacking. I could understand that the characters live most of their time in a virtual reality network called Cerebrum, but how did this start? How do you enter it? And we get such a little glimpse of the world outside the cerebrum that it is difficult to understand who is rebelling against who. For ex. in the end we understand that in this dystopian future there are also some good governments and international organisations. So some parts were slightly confusing.
These flaws notwithstanding, I round my rating up because of the originality of the ideas. I would definitely buy another book from this author.
February 7, 2017
I just requested this on a whim because it sounded interesting, but then I found out later that Alex Powell is genderqueer and I'm all about diversity in my reading.
This was an interesting read and whilst it wasn't the best thing I've ever read it was a change of pace for me as I don't often read sci fi. I found myself confused occasionally and the romance of it, whilst a kind of side story felt awkward. I did really like the concept of the book though and I would happily read another book by Powell.
Originally posted here: https://kirstyreadsblog.wordpress.com...
This was an interesting read and whilst it wasn't the best thing I've ever read it was a change of pace for me as I don't often read sci fi. I found myself confused occasionally and the romance of it, whilst a kind of side story felt awkward. I did really like the concept of the book though and I would happily read another book by Powell.
Originally posted here: https://kirstyreadsblog.wordpress.com...
March 20, 2018
4,5 -Stars
July 1, 2017
Another unusual and interesting story recommended by a JL Q&A friend. Thanks!
October 12, 2021
Okay, full disclosure, I loved this book with a capital L. It may well turn out to be my favorite read of 2021. And one I’m not likely to forget anytime soon. This book was a wild ride and so much fun! If you love techy sci-fi with LGBTQ romantic subplots, you’ll love this one. It’s a fantastic read with a stunning and surprisingly moving ending and characters that will stay with you for quite some time after the last page.
At first glance, one might think they’re looking at a knock-off of The Matrix, and while it works as a starting point (to visualize the world), it’s so much more than that. Think more of a homage rather than a direct copy. And it works beautifully; the worldbuilding in this is crazy good. I loved the techie jargon, the characters (even the side characters, I mainly thought King was great), the story itself, the action, and the build-up. The author does a lovely job of painting the scene and inserting the reader smack dab in the middle of the non-stop action. The quieter moments, however, were great additions to the developing story. The pacing was near perfect, maybe too much, since it made it hard to put this book down between chapters. One of the aspects of this story I truly loved was that none of this book felt predictable to me, I had no idea where the author was taking me, and I didn’t care. I was here for it and loved every second of the deepening mystery.
Fox and Seven are fantastic characters. Watching them go from enemies/adversaries to reluctant allies and then lovers was nothing short of amazing. They’re a lot of fun separately and together. If you love good, snarky banter, you’ll love this. These two are laugh-out-loud funny at times which for such a serious book with serious themes is an enjoyable and welcomed break from the action. I found myself rooting for them from the first meeting, and they only got better from there. The ending is especially poignant, and I enjoyed the shared vulnerability between these two characters, both hurt and traumatized by their pasts and who eventually find not only understanding with each other but also healing and ultimately a genuine connection. I honestly didn’t expect this book to have me so deep in my feelings as much as this one did, but it was a pleasant surprise.
I can’t say more without venturing into spoiler territory, so I’ll say this if you love sci-fi, m/m romance, or both, consider giving this one a try. I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but I loved it and can’t recommend it enough. It deserves a heck of a lot more love IMO, and I can’t wait to read other books from this author in the future.
At first glance, one might think they’re looking at a knock-off of The Matrix, and while it works as a starting point (to visualize the world), it’s so much more than that. Think more of a homage rather than a direct copy. And it works beautifully; the worldbuilding in this is crazy good. I loved the techie jargon, the characters (even the side characters, I mainly thought King was great), the story itself, the action, and the build-up. The author does a lovely job of painting the scene and inserting the reader smack dab in the middle of the non-stop action. The quieter moments, however, were great additions to the developing story. The pacing was near perfect, maybe too much, since it made it hard to put this book down between chapters. One of the aspects of this story I truly loved was that none of this book felt predictable to me, I had no idea where the author was taking me, and I didn’t care. I was here for it and loved every second of the deepening mystery.
Fox and Seven are fantastic characters. Watching them go from enemies/adversaries to reluctant allies and then lovers was nothing short of amazing. They’re a lot of fun separately and together. If you love good, snarky banter, you’ll love this. These two are laugh-out-loud funny at times which for such a serious book with serious themes is an enjoyable and welcomed break from the action. I found myself rooting for them from the first meeting, and they only got better from there. The ending is especially poignant, and I enjoyed the shared vulnerability between these two characters, both hurt and traumatized by their pasts and who eventually find not only understanding with each other but also healing and ultimately a genuine connection. I honestly didn’t expect this book to have me so deep in my feelings as much as this one did, but it was a pleasant surprise.
I can’t say more without venturing into spoiler territory, so I’ll say this if you love sci-fi, m/m romance, or both, consider giving this one a try. I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but I loved it and can’t recommend it enough. It deserves a heck of a lot more love IMO, and I can’t wait to read other books from this author in the future.
July 26, 2016
Reviewed for Just Love: Romance blog
I received an advance review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
All The King’s Men started off with a bang.
A vast majority of the book (probably over 95% of it) takes place in Cerebrum, where the characters navigate the “mindnet” (think internet) using the powers of their mind. Obviously, it’s not an easy task to create a complex virtual reality on paper. I understood the concept of this cyber world, where characters could navigate their way through public domains or hack their way into secure sites, hop from virtual place to virtual place via links and create (or recreate) private spaces . But as cool as it was in theory, the author’s descriptive efforts fell short in transporting me to this virtual world. Maybe it was just me, but I wanted more details and background. How do the characters “link in” to Cerebrum? What would “jumping down a link” look like or feel like? At some point I began to realize I could’ve used a bit more depth and scope to the world-building to help me navigate the story, particularly through the high-action scenes.
Speaking of depth and scope, I thought that the mission that the characters embarked on was too simple, the clues too obvious. While I’m no Sherlock Holmes, I do like to be stymied (at least for a little while) if the characters in the book I’m reading are presented with a challenge. I mean, as the blurb implies, we’re talking world class hackers on the run here, so I was definitely expecting more than just a virtual walk in the park.
Not knowing if the book would contain any romantic elements, the connection between Fox and the character Seven was sweet and totally unexpected. Even though he’s barely hinted at in the blurb, Seven was hands down my favorite part about this book. I thought the author did a good job at attempting to bring Seven to life and I enjoyed watching him slowly discover his sense of self. Along those lines, I would have liked to have learned more about Fox as a person, not just his virtual persona or his distant memories. I found it difficult to connect with Fox because I didn’t feel like I knew him as a person at all.
Ultimately, All The King’s Men was an okay read for me, but fell short of capturing my attention. It was good in theory but not in execution. If you’re really into sci-fi, particularly virtual reality, this book might be for you.
I received an advance review copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
All The King’s Men started off with a bang.
A vast majority of the book (probably over 95% of it) takes place in Cerebrum, where the characters navigate the “mindnet” (think internet) using the powers of their mind. Obviously, it’s not an easy task to create a complex virtual reality on paper. I understood the concept of this cyber world, where characters could navigate their way through public domains or hack their way into secure sites, hop from virtual place to virtual place via links and create (or recreate) private spaces . But as cool as it was in theory, the author’s descriptive efforts fell short in transporting me to this virtual world. Maybe it was just me, but I wanted more details and background. How do the characters “link in” to Cerebrum? What would “jumping down a link” look like or feel like? At some point I began to realize I could’ve used a bit more depth and scope to the world-building to help me navigate the story, particularly through the high-action scenes.
Speaking of depth and scope, I thought that the mission that the characters embarked on was too simple, the clues too obvious. While I’m no Sherlock Holmes, I do like to be stymied (at least for a little while) if the characters in the book I’m reading are presented with a challenge. I mean, as the blurb implies, we’re talking world class hackers on the run here, so I was definitely expecting more than just a virtual walk in the park.
Not knowing if the book would contain any romantic elements, the connection between Fox and the character Seven was sweet and totally unexpected. Even though he’s barely hinted at in the blurb, Seven was hands down my favorite part about this book. I thought the author did a good job at attempting to bring Seven to life and I enjoyed watching him slowly discover his sense of self. Along those lines, I would have liked to have learned more about Fox as a person, not just his virtual persona or his distant memories. I found it difficult to connect with Fox because I didn’t feel like I knew him as a person at all.
Ultimately, All The King’s Men was an okay read for me, but fell short of capturing my attention. It was good in theory but not in execution. If you’re really into sci-fi, particularly virtual reality, this book might be for you.
May 14, 2018
4,5 Stars
- I LOVED it! How come is this book not more popular?!
- So what is it about?
On a more serious note- you need to have an extremely rich imagination to get into the book. It's very challenging / in a great way/.
I never thought I'd find a book like, let's say A Scanner Darkly, or anything similar to it but an MM story.
I saw some reviews saying the MM romance part is not central here, but I thought it was a great catalyst to the action.
I'll repeat myself- I loved it. I need to read more from the author.
- I LOVED it! How come is this book not more popular?!
- So what is it about?
On a more serious note- you need to have an extremely rich imagination to get into the book. It's very challenging / in a great way/.
I never thought I'd find a book like, let's say A Scanner Darkly, or anything similar to it but an MM story.
I saw some reviews saying the MM romance part is not central here, but I thought it was a great catalyst to the action.
I'll repeat myself- I loved it. I need to read more from the author.
December 31, 2016
3.5 Stars
This was an intriguing concept which was executed with enough power to have me hooked while I was reading, though once I paused - I didn’t have the overwhelming need to finish it. I was fascinated by the concept in which we are introduced to a world where we can access information just like that - by thinking about it. We can surf the world wide web through our minds, and the phrase “information is power” is given its due.
It’s a dystopia in which you are faced with the likely reality that we can look forward to. It’s a story that plays on the internet. Almost all of it.
This story focused on those rebelling the system - no one within the group knows the other’s real face. Except one. King.
And his memory is erased early on.
And he leaves a bunch of clues within each member’s mind that gets them to realise fundamental truths about themselves, that they weren’t willing to face - or trying to ignore, as well as give an indication of the traitor amidst them… A puzzle in which all the pieces are needed, pieces which are scattered in every one of their minds.
In that scenario we have our two protagonists. One who has been brainwashed into being a pawn for the system. One fighting against it.
Fox is a hacker and he’s good at what he does.
Seven is a soldier - albeit one who starts defying the norm.
They meet.
Things happen.
I’m intrigued.
I wish there was more though. The puzzle of trying to figure out who the traitor was was interesting.
The wish to understand who Seven was had my attention.
But once all is said and done, I’m not given an answer to that.
I want to know more, I want to know what happens in the aftermath - not just a summary of it.
Overthrowing facilities that are abusing their power, the struggle - of course is important. But in this world that has been created, what happens next?
The aftermath is what I was more interested in. The consequences of their actions. Their stories after.
What’s going to happen to Seven and his comrades?
What about Fox? What’s his real life like?
It felt as though by focusing so much on the conspiracy - it left a number of strings ignored.
Overall though, this is a gripping story. It’s sci-fi with a concept that has the capability of being memorable enough to be remembered almost 5 months after its initial read. This review is quite late - but I have read so many books in between, and many which I have trouble remembering even if it’s only been 2 months. This book, where it’s been so much longer - and where I can still vividly remember all the characters, plot points is an outlier. I’m thankful of that.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley
This was an intriguing concept which was executed with enough power to have me hooked while I was reading, though once I paused - I didn’t have the overwhelming need to finish it. I was fascinated by the concept in which we are introduced to a world where we can access information just like that - by thinking about it. We can surf the world wide web through our minds, and the phrase “information is power” is given its due.
It’s a dystopia in which you are faced with the likely reality that we can look forward to. It’s a story that plays on the internet. Almost all of it.
This story focused on those rebelling the system - no one within the group knows the other’s real face. Except one. King.
And his memory is erased early on.
And he leaves a bunch of clues within each member’s mind that gets them to realise fundamental truths about themselves, that they weren’t willing to face - or trying to ignore, as well as give an indication of the traitor amidst them… A puzzle in which all the pieces are needed, pieces which are scattered in every one of their minds.
In that scenario we have our two protagonists. One who has been brainwashed into being a pawn for the system. One fighting against it.
Fox is a hacker and he’s good at what he does.
Seven is a soldier - albeit one who starts defying the norm.
They meet.
Things happen.
I’m intrigued.
I wish there was more though. The puzzle of trying to figure out who the traitor was was interesting.
The wish to understand who Seven was had my attention.
But once all is said and done, I’m not given an answer to that.
I want to know more, I want to know what happens in the aftermath - not just a summary of it.
Overthrowing facilities that are abusing their power, the struggle - of course is important. But in this world that has been created, what happens next?
The aftermath is what I was more interested in. The consequences of their actions. Their stories after.
What’s going to happen to Seven and his comrades?
What about Fox? What’s his real life like?
It felt as though by focusing so much on the conspiracy - it left a number of strings ignored.
Overall though, this is a gripping story. It’s sci-fi with a concept that has the capability of being memorable enough to be remembered almost 5 months after its initial read. This review is quite late - but I have read so many books in between, and many which I have trouble remembering even if it’s only been 2 months. This book, where it’s been so much longer - and where I can still vividly remember all the characters, plot points is an outlier. I’m thankful of that.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley
March 18, 2020
Sorry, only 3,5 stars. I wanted so much to like this story. But I´ve to confess, reading it, there were times, I was totally confused about all the domain changing.
Fox was very likeable, but Seven sometimes irritated me.
Maybe I couldn´t enjoy the book to the fullest because it got me thinking, and I´m a little bit afraid of how much of our life already depends on computers and the internet.
Fox was very likeable, but Seven sometimes irritated me.
Maybe I couldn´t enjoy the book to the fullest because it got me thinking, and I´m a little bit afraid of how much of our life already depends on computers and the internet.
December 22, 2018
awesome story, with a plot somewhat similar to The Matrix and Ready Player One. The idea may not feel extremely original, but the writing was smooth and engaging and had that cute MM twist that I always enjoy.
June 8, 2016
This review is cross-posted on my blog: http://mslindseymarie.tumblr.com/post...
Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Readability: 5/5
Enjoyability: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~
All the King’s Men is my first book from NetGalley, and to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!
The book follows Fox, a vigilante hacker in a world where the internet is a sort of virtual reality. When King, the leader of Fox’s group of revolutionaries is captured by government agents, Fox and his friends set out to find him, all while knowing that one of their group could have betrayed them. Not sure who he can trust, Fox finds help in the most unlikely of places—Seven, a government agent who knows nothing about himself outside his job, not even his name.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, and sped through it pretty quickly, once I stopped getting distracted by fanfiction. The plot was solid, but not overly complex. There weren’t many twists to speak of, and the thing that might have been meant to be a surprise really wasn’t. I worried a bit when I instantly understood the first clue left by King, but in retrospect I’ve chalked it up to my own personal knowledge of a slightly obscure historical figure, seeing as the rest of the clues were not straightforward.
The world of the Cerebrum is well developed and constructed, though there is a part of me that might have liked to know a bit more about what the world was like outside of cyberspace. However, I understand and respect Powell’s decision to keep the story ninety-five percent digital, seeing as so much of the story relies on the characters’ Cerebrum personas, rather than their IRL selves, and I enjoyed the way we are given little pieces of the characters’ backgrounds through their memories. I’m also curious about the relationships between the revolutionaries, their histories, and when they joined King’s group, but I understand that it would have been difficult to include that within the narrative.
Now for the pièce de résistance—the relationship between Fox and Seven. Easily my favorite part of the story, I love the development of Fox and Seven’s relationship, how it drives the story forward, and how they both help each other to grow an heal. While completely superfluous to the narrative, I would love a chance to read a slice-of-life story about Fox and Seven’s lives after the end of the book. I suppose that is what fan fiction is for, though.
The rest of this review contains spoilers.
Let me just say: I love unnecessary queer characters. What I mean is this: there is no reason that Fox had to be gay. The relationship between Fox and Seven could have just as easily been written as heterosexual. But it wasn’t! And Fox and Seven’s sexuality isn't even a plot point. There’s one point where Fox tells Simon he’s gay, because Simon mistakenly thinks he’s interested in Joanne, but that’s it. It’s no big deal. And for Seven, the fact that he and Fox are both male doesn’t even cross his mind—for him, intimacy, let alone sexual attraction, is the big deal, because he has never experienced it before. I also have to give a shout out to the casual discussion of consent between Fox and Seven: “This isn’t a don’t-say-no-and-I-will, it’s a don’t-say-yes-and-I-won’t.”
Now let’s talk about King. King is transgender! None of the revolutionaries have any idea until the end of the book when they all meet IRL, because in the Cerebrum, he gets to present the way he feels on the inside! I’m maybe a bit more excited about this than I should be, but I just love that this was included. It was totally unnecessary for the narrative, but so, so welcome. I shouldn’t be too surprised, since Alex themself is genderqueer, but that makes me even happier, seeing an LGBTQIA+ author writing about LGBTQIA+ characters.
In summation, All the King’s Men is an incredibly fun book with a lot of heart, and I highly recommend it. The book is YA, but I would suggest a reading age of 16 and older. If you’re a fan of the All For The Game trilogy by Nora Sakavic, the Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat, or In Real Life by Cory Doctorow, you will most definitely enjoy this novel.
You can find Alex Powell on their website: www.alexpowellauthor.com
Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Relationships: 4/5
World-Building: 4/5
Readability: 5/5
Enjoyability: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~ = ~
All the King’s Men is my first book from NetGalley, and to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised!
The book follows Fox, a vigilante hacker in a world where the internet is a sort of virtual reality. When King, the leader of Fox’s group of revolutionaries is captured by government agents, Fox and his friends set out to find him, all while knowing that one of their group could have betrayed them. Not sure who he can trust, Fox finds help in the most unlikely of places—Seven, a government agent who knows nothing about himself outside his job, not even his name.
I truly enjoyed reading this book, and sped through it pretty quickly, once I stopped getting distracted by fanfiction. The plot was solid, but not overly complex. There weren’t many twists to speak of, and the thing that might have been meant to be a surprise really wasn’t. I worried a bit when I instantly understood the first clue left by King, but in retrospect I’ve chalked it up to my own personal knowledge of a slightly obscure historical figure, seeing as the rest of the clues were not straightforward.
The world of the Cerebrum is well developed and constructed, though there is a part of me that might have liked to know a bit more about what the world was like outside of cyberspace. However, I understand and respect Powell’s decision to keep the story ninety-five percent digital, seeing as so much of the story relies on the characters’ Cerebrum personas, rather than their IRL selves, and I enjoyed the way we are given little pieces of the characters’ backgrounds through their memories. I’m also curious about the relationships between the revolutionaries, their histories, and when they joined King’s group, but I understand that it would have been difficult to include that within the narrative.
Now for the pièce de résistance—the relationship between Fox and Seven. Easily my favorite part of the story, I love the development of Fox and Seven’s relationship, how it drives the story forward, and how they both help each other to grow an heal. While completely superfluous to the narrative, I would love a chance to read a slice-of-life story about Fox and Seven’s lives after the end of the book. I suppose that is what fan fiction is for, though.
The rest of this review contains spoilers.
Let me just say: I love unnecessary queer characters. What I mean is this: there is no reason that Fox had to be gay. The relationship between Fox and Seven could have just as easily been written as heterosexual. But it wasn’t! And Fox and Seven’s sexuality isn't even a plot point. There’s one point where Fox tells Simon he’s gay, because Simon mistakenly thinks he’s interested in Joanne, but that’s it. It’s no big deal. And for Seven, the fact that he and Fox are both male doesn’t even cross his mind—for him, intimacy, let alone sexual attraction, is the big deal, because he has never experienced it before. I also have to give a shout out to the casual discussion of consent between Fox and Seven: “This isn’t a don’t-say-no-and-I-will, it’s a don’t-say-yes-and-I-won’t.”
Now let’s talk about King. King is transgender! None of the revolutionaries have any idea until the end of the book when they all meet IRL, because in the Cerebrum, he gets to present the way he feels on the inside! I’m maybe a bit more excited about this than I should be, but I just love that this was included. It was totally unnecessary for the narrative, but so, so welcome. I shouldn’t be too surprised, since Alex themself is genderqueer, but that makes me even happier, seeing an LGBTQIA+ author writing about LGBTQIA+ characters.
In summation, All the King’s Men is an incredibly fun book with a lot of heart, and I highly recommend it. The book is YA, but I would suggest a reading age of 16 and older. If you’re a fan of the All For The Game trilogy by Nora Sakavic, the Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat, or In Real Life by Cory Doctorow, you will most definitely enjoy this novel.
You can find Alex Powell on their website: www.alexpowellauthor.com
April 30, 2016
This review is for All the King's Men - 2.5 Stars.
The story evolves around a group of revolutionaries, living a virtual life in what they call the Cerebrum. To me it appeared to be some kind of world wide web system where your mind goes online while your real life body idles around somewhere.
Every person's domain is like their home, which they can create however they please using memories, perhaps of a previous visit to Paris or the town you grew up in.
Like Fox explained: You just have to think of all the elements around you as separate pieces of data. All the sounds, smells, sights, etcetera, are all things to be downloaded—And voila!
The whole thing reminded me of the movie Inception.
So, we meet Fox in the beginning of the story, along with his colleagues. They don't know each other by their real names or have any idea in what country the other person lives. It's all very secret. Everyone maintains an online persona. They can visit each other's private domains by a simple press of forehead against forehead.
When their leader, The King, is kidnapped during a secret meeting, he erases his memories—right down to how he takes his coffee—so it would be impossible for his kidnappers (some unknown government) to uncover their group secrets, real life identities and locations of their real life bodies.
The agents who took The King gave him a drug called Dream Dust, which has a component that makes the brain more susceptible to change. Some people use it to enhance their learning ability or memory capacity. I'm not really sure whether he was able to delete his memories easier because of the drug... I have to be honest; some bits were a little confusing here and there. But I didn't feel like the how's and why's were important for the story.
Fox and the others discover that The King left them clues to uncover his memories and eventually return them to him, should he be freed.
"I have only a clue that should lead us to the first one. The rest are hidden, and the next clue should be revealed once you have found the first. Like a sort of treasure hunt, I suppose."
While on that virtual treasure hunt, the agents keep coming back for the rest of the group, especially Fox.
Seven, one of the agents turns out to be an important piece in the puzzle...
* * *
Sooooo. I really feel like someone should've mentioned that this book is set in the future...
There was no real world building so I just went on and imagined our world in the future, which was not hard since everything pretty much happens online. <- surprised me.
I'm not exactly sure what the Cerebrum is exactly or how it happened. Perhaps I missed the explanation, but I feel like it just wasn't mentioned.
What did I like about this book?
Well, I really did like Fox. He's a nice character.
Seven was also very likeable.
I didn't care so much for the rest of the cast, to be honest.
The pace of the story is good, but I struggled a bit with making sense of everything. I never felt completely comfortable with the flow and what pains me the most:
I felt sort of stuck in this, uh, web; a lot of things happened—messily—and I had that from the outside looking in sense pretty much the entire time :(
Fox and Seven had a few good scenes, and the riddles were great! But romantically they weren't satisfying enough :(
They talk, they grow close—it's nice, but I never felt anything.
I would recommend this story if you're looking for something different and futuristic.
Congratulations to Alex Powell for this book release!
And many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.
The story evolves around a group of revolutionaries, living a virtual life in what they call the Cerebrum. To me it appeared to be some kind of world wide web system where your mind goes online while your real life body idles around somewhere.
Every person's domain is like their home, which they can create however they please using memories, perhaps of a previous visit to Paris or the town you grew up in.
Like Fox explained: You just have to think of all the elements around you as separate pieces of data. All the sounds, smells, sights, etcetera, are all things to be downloaded—And voila!
So, we meet Fox in the beginning of the story, along with his colleagues. They don't know each other by their real names or have any idea in what country the other person lives. It's all very secret. Everyone maintains an online persona. They can visit each other's private domains by a simple press of forehead against forehead.
When their leader, The King, is kidnapped during a secret meeting, he erases his memories—right down to how he takes his coffee—so it would be impossible for his kidnappers (some unknown government) to uncover their group secrets, real life identities and locations of their real life bodies.
The agents who took The King gave him a drug called Dream Dust, which has a component that makes the brain more susceptible to change. Some people use it to enhance their learning ability or memory capacity. I'm not really sure whether he was able to delete his memories easier because of the drug... I have to be honest; some bits were a little confusing here and there. But I didn't feel like the how's and why's were important for the story.
Fox and the others discover that The King left them clues to uncover his memories and eventually return them to him, should he be freed.
"I have only a clue that should lead us to the first one. The rest are hidden, and the next clue should be revealed once you have found the first. Like a sort of treasure hunt, I suppose."
While on that virtual treasure hunt, the agents keep coming back for the rest of the group, especially Fox.
Seven, one of the agents turns out to be an important piece in the puzzle...
* * *
Sooooo. I really feel like someone should've mentioned that this book is set in the future...
There was no real world building so I just went on and imagined our world in the future, which was not hard since everything pretty much happens online. <- surprised me.
I'm not exactly sure what the Cerebrum is exactly or how it happened. Perhaps I missed the explanation, but I feel like it just wasn't mentioned.
What did I like about this book?
Well, I really did like Fox. He's a nice character.
Seven was also very likeable.
I didn't care so much for the rest of the cast, to be honest.
The pace of the story is good, but I struggled a bit with making sense of everything. I never felt completely comfortable with the flow and what pains me the most:
I felt sort of stuck in this, uh, web; a lot of things happened—messily—and I had that from the outside looking in sense pretty much the entire time :(
Fox and Seven had a few good scenes, and the riddles were great! But romantically they weren't satisfying enough :(
They talk, they grow close—it's nice, but I never felt anything.
I would recommend this story if you're looking for something different and futuristic.
Congratulations to Alex Powell for this book release!
And many, many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.
September 23, 2016
Diciamo che in realtà sono 4 stelline scarse, perché per quanto mi sia piaciuto – l’ho trovato abbastanza avvincente, mi ha entusiasmata più del previsto – ha i suoi difettucci.
È un cyberpunk di pochissime pretese perché del genere ha solo l’ambientazione e parte della struttura, mentre le caratteristiche socio-politiche vengono a mancare perché descritte in maniera troppo fumosa.
Gran parte della storia si svolge dentro mindnet, che sarebbe un’evoluzione di internet, reso una sorta di mondo virtuale in cui viaggiare/navigare all’interno con l’aspetto fisico che più piace. Mindnet è reso molto bene e tra l’altro è descritto con semplicità senza essere banale, e credo che ciò che rende affascinante questo romanzo sia proprio quanto sia letteralmente vivo il mondo in cui è ambientato: si trasforma sotto gli occhi dei protagonisti e del lettore ed è imprevedibile, multicolore e multiforme. Il mondo reale però paga pegno di questo: visto che il 95% della storia si svolge dentro mindnet, poco si sa su questo mondo reale futuristico, addirittura non si sa com’è che le persone si collegano a mindnet e come sono le attrezzature usate per navigarci. La situazione politica di questo mondo futuristico non è per niente chiara: non si sa esattamente con chi ce l’ha il gruppo di ribelli di cui fa parte il protagonista, e quello che fanno i ribelli è pure abbastanza vago, e di quanto il mondo reale sia tecnologicamente avanzato si sa pure poco: si intuisce solo a malapena che a livello geografico e politico ci sono stati dei cambiamenti rispetto al mondo odierno che conosciamo, e a un tratto si parla di mezzi pubblici un po’ futuristici, ma tutto lì. Quindi se da un lato l’ambientazione così tanto ben costruita e viva rende la lettura bella ed entusiasmante, dall’altro ci sono dei dettagli grossi che sono stati tralasciati.
Quello che però rende la lettura avvincente, oltre che bella, è la sorta di caccia al tesoro che c’è all’interno: i personaggi sono costretti a cercare degli "indizi" all’interno delle proprie memorie, seguendo dei versi/indovinelli lasciati dal loro leader, anche se lì c’è pure da dire che mi ha lasciata perplessa la facilità con cui certi indovinelli erano risolvibili: i personaggi dicevano che ci voleva un grande studioso per risolverli, ma in realtà vi posso assicurare che se avete studiato storia alle medie li sapete risolvere XD La caccia al tesoro però si muove in maniera sostenuta, intrattiene molto a suo modo, mi è piaciuta.
La fine del romanzo paga pure il pegno di quanto il mondo reale e la sua situazione socio-politica non sia ben descritta: la soluzione finale è molto debole e nemmeno si capisce proprio bene-bene.
Quello che mi è piaciuto di più, insieme all’ambientazione, è l’evoluzione di Seven, uno dei due protagonisti: è assetato di calore umano, al punto di non essere nemmeno abituato a una semplice carezza, e tutto ciò è descritto con molto delicatezza e tenerezza. Ammetto che questo ha reso il suo rapporto con Fox ancora più dolce da leggere, mi è piaciuto.
Oggettivamente l’ambientazione e la caccia al tesoro sono una figata, la storia d’amore è resa in modo tenero ed è descritta in punta di piedi e quindi tutto ciò mi porta a soprassedere ai difetti, che però purtroppo ci sono.
È un cyberpunk di pochissime pretese perché del genere ha solo l’ambientazione e parte della struttura, mentre le caratteristiche socio-politiche vengono a mancare perché descritte in maniera troppo fumosa.
Gran parte della storia si svolge dentro mindnet, che sarebbe un’evoluzione di internet, reso una sorta di mondo virtuale in cui viaggiare/navigare all’interno con l’aspetto fisico che più piace. Mindnet è reso molto bene e tra l’altro è descritto con semplicità senza essere banale, e credo che ciò che rende affascinante questo romanzo sia proprio quanto sia letteralmente vivo il mondo in cui è ambientato: si trasforma sotto gli occhi dei protagonisti e del lettore ed è imprevedibile, multicolore e multiforme. Il mondo reale però paga pegno di questo: visto che il 95% della storia si svolge dentro mindnet, poco si sa su questo mondo reale futuristico, addirittura non si sa com’è che le persone si collegano a mindnet e come sono le attrezzature usate per navigarci. La situazione politica di questo mondo futuristico non è per niente chiara: non si sa esattamente con chi ce l’ha il gruppo di ribelli di cui fa parte il protagonista, e quello che fanno i ribelli è pure abbastanza vago, e di quanto il mondo reale sia tecnologicamente avanzato si sa pure poco: si intuisce solo a malapena che a livello geografico e politico ci sono stati dei cambiamenti rispetto al mondo odierno che conosciamo, e a un tratto si parla di mezzi pubblici un po’ futuristici, ma tutto lì. Quindi se da un lato l’ambientazione così tanto ben costruita e viva rende la lettura bella ed entusiasmante, dall’altro ci sono dei dettagli grossi che sono stati tralasciati.
Quello che però rende la lettura avvincente, oltre che bella, è la sorta di caccia al tesoro che c’è all’interno: i personaggi sono costretti a cercare degli "indizi" all’interno delle proprie memorie, seguendo dei versi/indovinelli lasciati dal loro leader, anche se lì c’è pure da dire che mi ha lasciata perplessa la facilità con cui certi indovinelli erano risolvibili: i personaggi dicevano che ci voleva un grande studioso per risolverli, ma in realtà vi posso assicurare che se avete studiato storia alle medie li sapete risolvere XD La caccia al tesoro però si muove in maniera sostenuta, intrattiene molto a suo modo, mi è piaciuta.
La fine del romanzo paga pure il pegno di quanto il mondo reale e la sua situazione socio-politica non sia ben descritta: la soluzione finale è molto debole e nemmeno si capisce proprio bene-bene.
Quello che mi è piaciuto di più, insieme all’ambientazione, è l’evoluzione di Seven, uno dei due protagonisti: è assetato di calore umano, al punto di non essere nemmeno abituato a una semplice carezza, e tutto ciò è descritto con molto delicatezza e tenerezza. Ammetto che questo ha reso il suo rapporto con Fox ancora più dolce da leggere, mi è piaciuto.
Oggettivamente l’ambientazione e la caccia al tesoro sono una figata, la storia d’amore è resa in modo tenero ed è descritta in punta di piedi e quindi tutto ciò mi porta a soprassedere ai difetti, che però purtroppo ci sono.
June 23, 2016
I very much liked the book, especially its setting, but felt that there were things that were left vague, either on purpose or not fully thought out.
Fox belongs to a group of online rebels -- mindnet hackers, I think they were called -- and it appears that their agenda is to investigate and reveal government conspiracies and such like. The group is led by the enigmatic King. They function in an online space called the Cerebrum, which is much like the WWW except that instead of using a device to access it, humans link in directly with their minds, while their bodies remain in their physical location. This isn't a new concept, but Alex Powell's exploration of it was intriguing.
Anyhow, King is captured by agents of an unknown government and erases his memories. The rest of the group run, but eventually band together to track down King's memories and restore them. All the while, they are chased by eerily-similar-looking government agents who will stop at nothing to get what they want. The ease with which they find the rebels points to a traitor in their midst, and Fox can't imagine that one of his friends -- even though they don't even know their real names or faces or where they physically live -- might have betrayed them.
Yes, there is romance, but just enough; thankfully, it doesn't overshadow the plot. Also, this book has one of the best consent-taking scenes that I recall. Full marks to Alex Powell for that. Fox is a likeable protagonist and he was easy to root for. The writing, the setting and the plot overall kept me hooked, even though the suspense isn't great -- the traitor, for instance, is the least likeable member of the rebel group , which was a bit of a cop-out. The riddles to follow the trail to King's memories weren't terribly exciting either. The agenda/motive of the rebels and the government agents seemed hazy at best (or perhaps I didn't get it), so one never really understands the urgency of remaining undetected versus ending up caught.
Despite the quibbles, I really enjoyed the book and will look forward to more of Alex Powell's work.
Fox belongs to a group of online rebels -- mindnet hackers, I think they were called -- and it appears that their agenda is to investigate and reveal government conspiracies and such like. The group is led by the enigmatic King. They function in an online space called the Cerebrum, which is much like the WWW except that instead of using a device to access it, humans link in directly with their minds, while their bodies remain in their physical location. This isn't a new concept, but Alex Powell's exploration of it was intriguing.
Anyhow, King is captured by agents of an unknown government and erases his memories. The rest of the group run, but eventually band together to track down King's memories and restore them. All the while, they are chased by eerily-similar-looking government agents who will stop at nothing to get what they want. The ease with which they find the rebels points to a traitor in their midst, and Fox can't imagine that one of his friends -- even though they don't even know their real names or faces or where they physically live -- might have betrayed them.
Yes, there is romance, but just enough; thankfully, it doesn't overshadow the plot. Also, this book has one of the best consent-taking scenes that I recall. Full marks to Alex Powell for that. Fox is a likeable protagonist and he was easy to root for. The writing, the setting and the plot overall kept me hooked, even though the suspense isn't great -- the traitor, for instance, is the least likeable member of the rebel group , which was a bit of a cop-out. The riddles to follow the trail to King's memories weren't terribly exciting either. The agenda/motive of the rebels and the government agents seemed hazy at best (or perhaps I didn't get it), so one never really understands the urgency of remaining undetected versus ending up caught.
Despite the quibbles, I really enjoyed the book and will look forward to more of Alex Powell's work.
May 8, 2016
I received a free copy of this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Protagonist: 5/5
Love Interest: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Overall score 18/20 which is 5 stars.
Let me say first of all that I loved this book. I was gonna read it slowly on the side but it kinda took over all my reading time and I'm so glad it did.
We technically have two protagonists and they're each other's love interests and that's Fox and Seven. Neither of them are what you'd completely expect and that's great. Seven was vulnerable an funny as well and Fox was stubborn and someone you could look up too. Both have bad things in the past but they work well together for a reason.
I now have to make note of some of the side characters because they were great and i love the glimpses into the past of some of them. I adored Joanne and I adored Twelve and Eighty Eight though you probably weren't supposed to at first. But all of them together really built the world and I love that it was so multi-national. Though I will warn that the spy is someone obvious.
The world building was interesting and you mostly got a good picture. There were times where you could have done with a little more information. You don't know how far in the future this is happening and the tech could have been a little more detailed but it was a good example of show not tell. My main issue was that the big final battle technically happened in the background as the main characters sit around. After everything that happened, you then not seeing that final thing, it's kinda sad and irritating.
But the ending was enjoyable, the explanation for the agents fascinating and everything about the characters within the plot is pretty damn amazing.
I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to people looking for some new sci-fi in a VR type world.
Protagonist: 5/5
Love Interest: 5/5
World Building: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Overall score 18/20 which is 5 stars.
Let me say first of all that I loved this book. I was gonna read it slowly on the side but it kinda took over all my reading time and I'm so glad it did.
We technically have two protagonists and they're each other's love interests and that's Fox and Seven. Neither of them are what you'd completely expect and that's great. Seven was vulnerable an funny as well and Fox was stubborn and someone you could look up too. Both have bad things in the past but they work well together for a reason.
I now have to make note of some of the side characters because they were great and i love the glimpses into the past of some of them. I adored Joanne and I adored Twelve and Eighty Eight though you probably weren't supposed to at first. But all of them together really built the world and I love that it was so multi-national. Though I will warn that the spy is someone obvious.
The world building was interesting and you mostly got a good picture. There were times where you could have done with a little more information. You don't know how far in the future this is happening and the tech could have been a little more detailed but it was a good example of show not tell. My main issue was that the big final battle technically happened in the background as the main characters sit around. After everything that happened, you then not seeing that final thing, it's kinda sad and irritating.
But the ending was enjoyable, the explanation for the agents fascinating and everything about the characters within the plot is pretty damn amazing.
I really enjoyed this book and I would definitely recommend it to people looking for some new sci-fi in a VR type world.
July 15, 2016
Okay, so I have to start by saying I’m not a computer person, I know nothing about, well anything. So understanding the basics of this book took a minute. It was very well written and the characters are engaging. But having to figure out if we are in the minds or real life, how people could hide in chat rooms with other people mentally but have the bodies physically somewhere else. Then of course learning about good agents, bad agents, and then the people those agents are trying to stop. It was all a little too much for me. When I sit down and read, I like to get lost in the story, not necessarily have to figure out a new way of thinking. The one thing I got was when King said ‘delete’ That I seem to do A lot of…
With all that being said, once we got into what was probably the middle of the story/book and the chase/rescue really started happening I found that I found my footing and became fully invested in Fox and the team. Desperately wanting them to find King, the spy and save the day.
Even throughout this story we have some unlikely helpers, and the love interests are not the main focus, which also makes a nice change, the twist and turns have you guessing and second guessing.
The ending when Fox and ……… end up together. Perfect HEA.
I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review by Crystals Many reviewers
With all that being said, once we got into what was probably the middle of the story/book and the chase/rescue really started happening I found that I found my footing and became fully invested in Fox and the team. Desperately wanting them to find King, the spy and save the day.
Even throughout this story we have some unlikely helpers, and the love interests are not the main focus, which also makes a nice change, the twist and turns have you guessing and second guessing.
The ending when Fox and ……… end up together. Perfect HEA.
I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review by Crystals Many reviewers
June 4, 2017
ARC given by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really like science-fiction and fantasy. However, this was more scifi than fantasy or even MM Romance. I usually prefer the romance to be part of the main plot, not really secondary. It seems to me that's the popular opinion for this story, but however, I still really enjoyed it.
I think it was really interesting having the story in this setting. It was uniquely futuristic and reminded me a little bit of the anime out there like .hack and Sword Art Online. For a story that is more along the science fiction range this is something I've never read before. Fox and Seven are quirky to me. The story was hard to get into at first because I'm not very well versed in the scifi/tech lingo, but I could easily visualize some aspects which made the book better.
In short it's a good science fiction read, but not really the MM Romance I was looking for. I will definitely give props, to the intimate parts which really sums down to only one big one, which is why I can't actually classify this, personally, as an MM Romance.
I really like science-fiction and fantasy. However, this was more scifi than fantasy or even MM Romance. I usually prefer the romance to be part of the main plot, not really secondary. It seems to me that's the popular opinion for this story, but however, I still really enjoyed it.
I think it was really interesting having the story in this setting. It was uniquely futuristic and reminded me a little bit of the anime out there like .hack and Sword Art Online. For a story that is more along the science fiction range this is something I've never read before. Fox and Seven are quirky to me. The story was hard to get into at first because I'm not very well versed in the scifi/tech lingo, but I could easily visualize some aspects which made the book better.
In short it's a good science fiction read, but not really the MM Romance I was looking for. I will definitely give props, to the intimate parts which really sums down to only one big one, which is why I can't actually classify this, personally, as an MM Romance.
May 5, 2016
I really liked this novel. It combined perfectly sci fi with gender and sexuality issues. I have always thought that science fiction goes very well with diversity (well... every genre goes very well with diversity, but especially sci fi).
The plot is really interesting. It raises some thoughtful questions about AI and the cyberspace. The author explores in depth the world that they create, which I love. They don't conform in scratching the surface, they get everything they can from it. It was really great world building.
I loved how the characters were done, and how, as readers, we get to know them. At the beginning, I didn't expect them to be as developed as they were, but they were very well developed and fully realized.
As a side note, I loved how the issues of consent were handled.
A great read, I would totally recommend it!
The plot is really interesting. It raises some thoughtful questions about AI and the cyberspace. The author explores in depth the world that they create, which I love. They don't conform in scratching the surface, they get everything they can from it. It was really great world building.
I loved how the characters were done, and how, as readers, we get to know them. At the beginning, I didn't expect them to be as developed as they were, but they were very well developed and fully realized.
As a side note, I loved how the issues of consent were handled.
A great read, I would totally recommend it!
May 9, 2016
I usually don't review books that don't appeal to me but this one was too bizarre for me not to. I'm not going to criticise the author because it takes guts to put a book out there which is different from the other books.
I just can't get my head around the premise of this book. It just seems too far fetched for me.
The idea of a domain boggles my head.
This wasn't for me.
It may be for you.
Read and check it out
3 stars
I just can't get my head around the premise of this book. It just seems too far fetched for me.
The idea of a domain boggles my head.
This wasn't for me.
It may be for you.
Read and check it out
3 stars
July 27, 2016
When I first started this book it reminded me of The Matrix. Only IRL is actually a real life. Not machines. People actually living. (Thank God!!) Then there was a Lora Croft feel with the rebels going around the world, virtually, to try and collect clues. As long as their brain could conjure and hold it, they could do it. Which I found fascinating. For the brain to hold so much power.
You can see my full review here: https://youtu.be/rJZFcbuUUbE
You can see my full review here: https://youtu.be/rJZFcbuUUbE
November 14, 2016
It was a clever thing to allude to Guy Fawkes and agent 007. Probably, my favorite tidbit of the story.
I enjoyed the world building here and I give a lot of kudos to the author for immersing me so deeply into a story that primarily takes place in cyber space. The characters were fun even if there wasn't much character development and growth. This was an enjoyable, albeit light, read and I'll be keeping an eye out for more works by this author in the future.
I enjoyed the world building here and I give a lot of kudos to the author for immersing me so deeply into a story that primarily takes place in cyber space. The characters were fun even if there wasn't much character development and growth. This was an enjoyable, albeit light, read and I'll be keeping an eye out for more works by this author in the future.
July 27, 2016
God, I loved this. Everything about it.
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