Warden

Chronicles of a Cyborg #1

by Isaac Hooke

In the shadows of a dystopian ruin, one cyborg becomes humanity's last hope.Meet Rhea, the cyborg enigma with a grudge and a gun. She's got synthetic skin, a titanium body, and the charm of a switchblade. She's also got no memory. But while her mind might be wiped clean, her drive to uncover the past isn’t. With the technician who brought her back from the brink and his sardonic robot sidekick, she roams the Wastes between cities, where she's less of a stranger and more of a weapon. Scrounging parts and fending off wasteland mutants? Just another day at work.It's all fun and games until Rhea stumbles upon a sinister conspiracy that could vaporize her newfound world. One mistake, and Rhea loses everything she has come to care about—her friends, her purpose, and the fragmentary self she's been piecing together bit by bit.Because it's not just about finding her past—it's about ensuring there's a future.When memory fails, grit Dive headfirst into a world of circuits, secrets, and survival.

Genres: Science Fiction

390 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2020

About the author

Isaac Hooke is the best-selling author of the Ethan Galaal series of thriller novels, as well as the SF-themed ATLAS trilogy. When Isaac isn't writing, publishing, and blogging, he's busy cycling and taking pictures in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has a degree in Engineering Physics.

You can follow Isaac on Twitter @IsaacHooke and his website http://IsaacHooke.com.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to give this author a try, as I have seen numerous series by him about cyborgs and mechs. The book here premise is a well worn trope of a super spy/assassin who has lost her memories and then uses her skills for good. Or something like that. It is a theme Phillip K. Dick explored in numerous ways, of how our memories make us who we are.

So I went with the story. Except that once the backstory is explained by the characters who find Rhea, our main character, it starts to fall apart. Colonies throughout the solar system. Sounds good. Said colonies not liking the yoke of Earth. Usual path of human history. The Ganymede colony going to war, as Earth needs the moon’s water. eh? Earth was running out of water. How? Not explained. Then poof, half of Earth’s cities are destroyed at once, leading to the wastelands between the pockets of high tech living.

The premise of how scavengers out in the wastes came to be is beyond suspending disbelief. For a civilization that has general AI & is able to generate a lot of energy, to run out of water on a planet covered in it, doesn’t make any sense.

But I went with it a bit further, but it got sillier and sillier. Rhea can pick up combat tactics in a handful of days learning from a guy using an AR game. That she will be a master in that short amount of time. eh? Or that miss cyborg is worried about mice and mice droppings getting her cyborg parts dirty. It just keeps going like that.

The story didn’t work for me, nor the characters. The world building felt lazy and the arc runs over very familiar ground. I just skimmed the last half and didn’t find anything redeeming.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book in the end! But slow to build to the climactic battle at the near end of the story! In the climax you gain tremendous respect for Rhea as she gives all there is to give for the citizens of Rust Town.

I found the book's spirit in the last twenty pages it went from an average read , to one that made me tear up with deep respect for Rhea as she almost single handedly saved the citizens of Rust Town, gaining their admiration and some of her memories as well. She bravely gives all there is to give to save others and in the end is restored to stand again as Winner of an unsurvivable battle . With her friends at her side to begin the adventure anew.

[Norman Hirschman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhea a Cyborg losers her memoryan dher body. She is found by Will, a scavanger who gives her back her parts so she can help him.One adventure after another against bio weapons-the last tearing apart Rust apart of Aradne, A city of the rich which forced this upon them. Very good and interesring reading.

[Tony Fecteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pure action escapism. We find out a little about Rhea, who was found mind wiped. The characters and people of Rust Town are an interesting bunch. While reading, I was able to picture this on the big screen. It would make a very good movie. Looking forward to book 2!

[john s moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not to bad a read

Not to bad a read. I did find it a little difficult to start with but that was me mixing it up with another book. Once I realized I was reading something different I started to enjoy reading about Rhea with her friends Will and Horiato

[Georgia Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopian action thriller with hope at its core

Sci to meets post apocalypse dystopia with a hard core of the goodness of man at its heart. Unexpected in this genre, and will look forward to next in series

[Bryce Giesler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good action that is nearly non-stop. Could use a bit closer proof reading though.

[Nigel K Tolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

First class action.

A most enjoyable experience and I am hooked (no pun intended), Looking forward to the next books to see how it ends.

[Nigel Frankcom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

An enjoyable story written well, the characters are coming to life and the story starting to unfold. So far so good.

[Randall C Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining space opera.

[Tiersa Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes Swords!

Cool setup for a series. Once she pulled out the sword & went ham I was all in. Looking forward to the next book.