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The Circuit #1
Memory Clouds: A dystopian thriller - closer to reality than you might be comfortable with.
The Circuit knows everything about you…because they are you.
Ascension Eve.
Jake Montana waits for the letter every eighteen-year-old receives on their birthday. It’s the one from the Circuit. It’s the one that determines the rest of your life. Your life partner, job, home, and crucially, your importance factor, all selected for you. In the year 2054 your ‘importance factor’ is everything, but it’s not random. It’s based on a detailed assessment of every thought, emotion and memory you’ve ever stored in your Memory Cloud since the day you first received the implants. Your fate, the Circuit insists, is always yours.
But the future that Jake wants most won’t be inside his letter. It can’t be. His childhood sweetheart, Christie, won’t reach her Ascension Day for months so it’s impossible that her name will appear. He’s right, but there are bigger surprises in store. The Memory Cloud has chosen a life for Jake that no one would want. A life that will drag him into the murky world of the Spectrum, a community who denounce the Circuit and refuse to comply to their rules. A life designed to keep Jake from Christie and to hide the truth that lives deep inside him.
A truth that the Circuit will stop at nothing to keep from the world.
Memory Clouds is book one of the 'Circuit' series, the brand new dystopian thriller from Tony Moyle. if you liked 1984, A Brave New World or The Hunger Games then this is a must read. Grab hold of this wickedly dark, fast-paced page turner today.
Ascension Eve.
Jake Montana waits for the letter every eighteen-year-old receives on their birthday. It’s the one from the Circuit. It’s the one that determines the rest of your life. Your life partner, job, home, and crucially, your importance factor, all selected for you. In the year 2054 your ‘importance factor’ is everything, but it’s not random. It’s based on a detailed assessment of every thought, emotion and memory you’ve ever stored in your Memory Cloud since the day you first received the implants. Your fate, the Circuit insists, is always yours.
But the future that Jake wants most won’t be inside his letter. It can’t be. His childhood sweetheart, Christie, won’t reach her Ascension Day for months so it’s impossible that her name will appear. He’s right, but there are bigger surprises in store. The Memory Cloud has chosen a life for Jake that no one would want. A life that will drag him into the murky world of the Spectrum, a community who denounce the Circuit and refuse to comply to their rules. A life designed to keep Jake from Christie and to hide the truth that lives deep inside him.
A truth that the Circuit will stop at nothing to keep from the world.
Memory Clouds is book one of the 'Circuit' series, the brand new dystopian thriller from Tony Moyle. if you liked 1984, A Brave New World or The Hunger Games then this is a must read. Grab hold of this wickedly dark, fast-paced page turner today.
- GenresDystopia
434 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2020
134 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Tony Moyle
16 books107 followersTony Moyle was born in the small town of Shepton Mallet in 1976. He's spent the last four decades attempting to find a third reason for the town to be famous behind Babycham and a Frank Bruno heavy weight boxing fight. Although he studied Chemistry at Exeter University he was terrible at it and instead fell into a role within the business community. After twenty years of deliberation and prevarication he published his first novel, 'The Limpet Syndrome.' His second novel, and sequel, 'Soul Catchers' is out in November 2017. He lives in the small town of Ashington at the base of the South Downs national park with this wife, Laure, and two children. He regrets that he still currently has a day job.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 28, 2021
I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
I liked the premise for Memory Clouds, but really struggled with the story from the start. There is a lot of telling instead of showing, which is something I dislike when reading a book. If I'm being introduced to a new world, I want to experience it through the characters. I don't want a lot of info-dumping right at the beginning. The author tried to cram too much world-building into the first few pages, and it left me feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the story. DNF at 2% (★★☆☆☆)
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I liked the premise for Memory Clouds, but really struggled with the story from the start. There is a lot of telling instead of showing, which is something I dislike when reading a book. If I'm being introduced to a new world, I want to experience it through the characters. I don't want a lot of info-dumping right at the beginning. The author tried to cram too much world-building into the first few pages, and it left me feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the story. DNF at 2% (★★☆☆☆)
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July 14, 2020
Memory Clouds by Tony Moyle is a compelling YA Dystopian tale set in a world where technology rules, for better or for worse.
Before diving into this one, you’ll want to make sure your technology sources, your Apple Watch, SmartPhone, Google Home, Alexa, and other such things, are all turned off… trust me. You won’t want to think about someone listening or monitoring you as you enter this world that Mr. Moyle has created…
To be honest, I’m not big on YA Dystopian tales after getting burnt out after reading them back to back for basically two years in college. But when Mr. Moyle’s newsletter came out about this one, I knew I just had to give it a go! I’m so glad I did; I really enjoyed it!
Full Disclosure: I received an early release copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. (I also purchased a copy of the final version as well.)
n a world where thoughts are binding and everything lives permanently in the Memory Cloud, the fates of each 18 year old is determined by an assessment of all of their past memories and emotions leading up to their eighteenth birthday.
This process requires each person to give up their “old life” and jump right into their new one as soon as they turn 18. The fates are reported to have a 98% success rating, but what happens to that 2%?
When this tale begins, we meet Jake Montana, a young man who has just turned 18 in the year 2054. On this day, Jake receives his letter that will determine his future, and while he dreaded the change, he could have never imagined what was about to happen.
When I began reading this story, I really appreciated that the first couple of chapters explained a lot about the world through the main character as he was thinking things over or discussing the process with his family. This was such a great way to get the readers immersed in the world. While it was a ton of info, it didn’t stray into info-dumping thanks to the quick thoughts and notes from the main chapter or his family members. When reading books that have a strong element of sci-fi or technology, I really need that foundation of information to get into the setting.
After the main character received his letter, the story took off pretty quickly!
Speaking of- we should touch on the main character, Jake. Poor Jake liked his life how it was. He had a pretty good relationship with his family, he had a girlfriend that he loved, and he liked where he lived (I LOVE that he grew up in New Hampshire!!). Of course, as he was a teenager, he was certainly filled with the usual teenage angst. But in this case, considering the situation he was in, it was a double dose of angst…
I was so excited to meet Jake’s guides that would help him navigate his transition into the next part of his life. I LOVED his guide, Dinah. She was so innocent and hilarious! She really brightened many situations that they found themselves in. His other guide, Job, was quite the downer at times! The two definitely balanced each other out wonderfully.
Most of the other characters had quicker roles in the overall story, so I’m very curious to see who comes back in the next book!
I thought that the whole technology element was incredibly spooky… I mean, just the fact that the surgeries happen before you’re three and that you don’t have a choice about the matter is wicked unnerving. Also, thoughts being a binding measure?! Man, I would probably be in trouble all the time if that was a world I lived in… I mean, how many commercials for things have I caught myself thinking, “Oh, I want that!” Goodbye money!
It was equally interesting and terrifying when the author explained that sleep was prime time in the cloud as advertisers could pay to promote products and drive the messaging into people’s subconscious minds. How intrusive?!
There were also many timely and scary things included in this story. Things like the discussion of the current state of the world with the intense seasons, or how many places are now underwater because no one wanted to fix the problem with the environment that was a long time coming. Of course, with most of Tony Moyle’s work, this was paired perfectly with humor to keep the balance. For example, this passage:
“Ah yes, twenty-sixteen, that was the year it happened for me. Most people hated that year, but as far as I was concerned it was one of the best, a pleasure cruise compared to twenty- twenty.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, even those who weren’t born until a decade or two later.
Man, for most of this book, I found myself either totally spooked at the thought or outraged at the unfairness of it all. This is a story that certainly had me on a rollercoaster of emotions!
My Favorite Passages
Please note that these quotes were pulled from the Beta copy and may have changed before the final edition.
That’s the problem with statistics. People focus on the majority and ignore the minority.
“You won’t know what the future holds until you go out there.”
If guides were supposed to put protégés’ minds at ease, his had failed miserably. A day that started with a heavy dose of apprehension had been firmly overdosed on panic. Not only was Jake holding his future in his hands, but he also had no way of escaping it or the insufferable Dinah and Job whose contribution would endure until it was no longer necessary. In Jake’s view that moment had passed about thirty minutes after their arrival.
“Ah yes, twenty-sixteen, that was the year it happened for me. Most people hated that year, but as far as I was concerned it was one of the best, a pleasure cruise compared to twenty- twenty.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, even those who weren’t born until a decade or two later.
“I think it’s best described as ‘where have my testicles gone?’ cold,” replied Job graphically. “And all year around, too.”
Tight moleskin trousers clung to his legs with a belligerence that suggested the only way to remove them would be as a result of prolonged starvation. A white shirt was equally tight- fitting, although the buttons at the top had been loosened to at least allow his neck and head a fighting chance of surviving suffocation.
Job would probably deal with someone’s broken heart by confirming no one really liked them. He was an emotional sledgehammer and everything else was a nut.
Once Dinah hit her confessional stride, she wasn’t easy to stop. Like an excitable child, ignorant of other people’s waning interest, she bulldozed her audience’s attention spans on her own personal truth crusade.
It didn’t matter what mark someone placed on you, it only mattered what you chose to do with your life. Either let their judgement destroy you or prove everyone wrong.
My Final Thoughts
I loved that on one hand, there were strong feelings of despair and anger, but on the other hand there was love and hope, and that these feelings teeter-tottered back and forth throughout the entire story. I had so much fun learning more about this dystopian world and how everything functioned.
Like I said at the start of my review, YA Dystopian isn’t usually my cup of tea, but I’m very happy that I was given the opportunity to read this one! I cannot wait for book two to see what happens next!
Before diving into this one, you’ll want to make sure your technology sources, your Apple Watch, SmartPhone, Google Home, Alexa, and other such things, are all turned off… trust me. You won’t want to think about someone listening or monitoring you as you enter this world that Mr. Moyle has created…
To be honest, I’m not big on YA Dystopian tales after getting burnt out after reading them back to back for basically two years in college. But when Mr. Moyle’s newsletter came out about this one, I knew I just had to give it a go! I’m so glad I did; I really enjoyed it!
Full Disclosure: I received an early release copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. (I also purchased a copy of the final version as well.)
n a world where thoughts are binding and everything lives permanently in the Memory Cloud, the fates of each 18 year old is determined by an assessment of all of their past memories and emotions leading up to their eighteenth birthday.
This process requires each person to give up their “old life” and jump right into their new one as soon as they turn 18. The fates are reported to have a 98% success rating, but what happens to that 2%?
When this tale begins, we meet Jake Montana, a young man who has just turned 18 in the year 2054. On this day, Jake receives his letter that will determine his future, and while he dreaded the change, he could have never imagined what was about to happen.
When I began reading this story, I really appreciated that the first couple of chapters explained a lot about the world through the main character as he was thinking things over or discussing the process with his family. This was such a great way to get the readers immersed in the world. While it was a ton of info, it didn’t stray into info-dumping thanks to the quick thoughts and notes from the main chapter or his family members. When reading books that have a strong element of sci-fi or technology, I really need that foundation of information to get into the setting.
After the main character received his letter, the story took off pretty quickly!
Speaking of- we should touch on the main character, Jake. Poor Jake liked his life how it was. He had a pretty good relationship with his family, he had a girlfriend that he loved, and he liked where he lived (I LOVE that he grew up in New Hampshire!!). Of course, as he was a teenager, he was certainly filled with the usual teenage angst. But in this case, considering the situation he was in, it was a double dose of angst…
I was so excited to meet Jake’s guides that would help him navigate his transition into the next part of his life. I LOVED his guide, Dinah. She was so innocent and hilarious! She really brightened many situations that they found themselves in. His other guide, Job, was quite the downer at times! The two definitely balanced each other out wonderfully.
Most of the other characters had quicker roles in the overall story, so I’m very curious to see who comes back in the next book!
I thought that the whole technology element was incredibly spooky… I mean, just the fact that the surgeries happen before you’re three and that you don’t have a choice about the matter is wicked unnerving. Also, thoughts being a binding measure?! Man, I would probably be in trouble all the time if that was a world I lived in… I mean, how many commercials for things have I caught myself thinking, “Oh, I want that!” Goodbye money!
It was equally interesting and terrifying when the author explained that sleep was prime time in the cloud as advertisers could pay to promote products and drive the messaging into people’s subconscious minds. How intrusive?!
There were also many timely and scary things included in this story. Things like the discussion of the current state of the world with the intense seasons, or how many places are now underwater because no one wanted to fix the problem with the environment that was a long time coming. Of course, with most of Tony Moyle’s work, this was paired perfectly with humor to keep the balance. For example, this passage:
“Ah yes, twenty-sixteen, that was the year it happened for me. Most people hated that year, but as far as I was concerned it was one of the best, a pleasure cruise compared to twenty- twenty.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, even those who weren’t born until a decade or two later.
Man, for most of this book, I found myself either totally spooked at the thought or outraged at the unfairness of it all. This is a story that certainly had me on a rollercoaster of emotions!
My Favorite Passages
Please note that these quotes were pulled from the Beta copy and may have changed before the final edition.
That’s the problem with statistics. People focus on the majority and ignore the minority.
“You won’t know what the future holds until you go out there.”
If guides were supposed to put protégés’ minds at ease, his had failed miserably. A day that started with a heavy dose of apprehension had been firmly overdosed on panic. Not only was Jake holding his future in his hands, but he also had no way of escaping it or the insufferable Dinah and Job whose contribution would endure until it was no longer necessary. In Jake’s view that moment had passed about thirty minutes after their arrival.
“Ah yes, twenty-sixteen, that was the year it happened for me. Most people hated that year, but as far as I was concerned it was one of the best, a pleasure cruise compared to twenty- twenty.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, even those who weren’t born until a decade or two later.
“I think it’s best described as ‘where have my testicles gone?’ cold,” replied Job graphically. “And all year around, too.”
Tight moleskin trousers clung to his legs with a belligerence that suggested the only way to remove them would be as a result of prolonged starvation. A white shirt was equally tight- fitting, although the buttons at the top had been loosened to at least allow his neck and head a fighting chance of surviving suffocation.
Job would probably deal with someone’s broken heart by confirming no one really liked them. He was an emotional sledgehammer and everything else was a nut.
Once Dinah hit her confessional stride, she wasn’t easy to stop. Like an excitable child, ignorant of other people’s waning interest, she bulldozed her audience’s attention spans on her own personal truth crusade.
It didn’t matter what mark someone placed on you, it only mattered what you chose to do with your life. Either let their judgement destroy you or prove everyone wrong.
My Final Thoughts
I loved that on one hand, there were strong feelings of despair and anger, but on the other hand there was love and hope, and that these feelings teeter-tottered back and forth throughout the entire story. I had so much fun learning more about this dystopian world and how everything functioned.
Like I said at the start of my review, YA Dystopian isn’t usually my cup of tea, but I’m very happy that I was given the opportunity to read this one! I cannot wait for book two to see what happens next!
August 23, 2022
There’s a lot of background created at the expense of action in the early stages of this tale, hence the star missing from the rating.
However, the story develops well from a third in and soon wraps itself around you.
Hoping that the second in the series will get straight into the development of the tale now that the background is in place.
Oh by the way, don’t be expecting an end, that , I imagine, will be in the next book. Onward….
However, the story develops well from a third in and soon wraps itself around you.
Hoping that the second in the series will get straight into the development of the tale now that the background is in place.
Oh by the way, don’t be expecting an end, that , I imagine, will be in the next book. Onward….
November 11, 2020
If it was a film, you’d possibly box it as a thriller, certainly the rate of pace is rapid, stuff comes at you thick and fast, and it’s all very easy to ‘see’ it, nothing too crazy to believe, almost as if Amazon has taken over the world and dismissed governments, relying on tech, some of which almost exists already. There’s plot twists everywhere, an endearing love story and a lot of clever, funny bits too, quite hard to categorise it! Explanations for coincidence and, surprisingly, cancer, made me giggle.
It’s so true that we increasingly rely on technology, my memory has got so much worse, because I don’t HAVE to remember, I just use my phone to look stuff up, so the concept of allowing tech to take control is quite believable. Although set in the future, the science seems perfectly reasonable and possible, and this brave new world feels gritty and real, though I wouldn’t want to live there. Although bigotry, sexism, homophobia and ‘isms’ of all types have been eradicated, humans, doing what they do, have found a way to replace them with a modern equivalent, just like the Indian caste system, which again feels horribly real and believable. The damage the human race is doing to the planet could actually happen as described in the book.
If you like the first couple of chapters, you’ll get to the end, desperate to read book 2, so be warned!
It’s so true that we increasingly rely on technology, my memory has got so much worse, because I don’t HAVE to remember, I just use my phone to look stuff up, so the concept of allowing tech to take control is quite believable. Although set in the future, the science seems perfectly reasonable and possible, and this brave new world feels gritty and real, though I wouldn’t want to live there. Although bigotry, sexism, homophobia and ‘isms’ of all types have been eradicated, humans, doing what they do, have found a way to replace them with a modern equivalent, just like the Indian caste system, which again feels horribly real and believable. The damage the human race is doing to the planet could actually happen as described in the book.
If you like the first couple of chapters, you’ll get to the end, desperate to read book 2, so be warned!
July 16, 2020
Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my feelings about this book.
Imagine living in a world where you can't forget. All of your memories are uploaded into servers thanks to an implant that serves as your phone, internet, tv, etc., but also as a means for advertisements to be placed directly into your head. In exchange for being part of the Memory Cloud, the Circuit determines your fate at the age of 18, including your profession, your hobbies, and even your spouse.
Memory Clouds takes place in a dystopian post-climate change world where portions of the Earth are uninhabitable. In spite of this, Tony Moyle's signature humour and wit shine through, alongside commentary on what the Earth may become if we don't take care of it now, and what society would look like if we were to relinquish control of our lives to authoritarian government. All of this while including sympathetic characters that make you laugh. I'll be sure to read the sequel, Memory Hunters, when it comes out.
Imagine living in a world where you can't forget. All of your memories are uploaded into servers thanks to an implant that serves as your phone, internet, tv, etc., but also as a means for advertisements to be placed directly into your head. In exchange for being part of the Memory Cloud, the Circuit determines your fate at the age of 18, including your profession, your hobbies, and even your spouse.
Memory Clouds takes place in a dystopian post-climate change world where portions of the Earth are uninhabitable. In spite of this, Tony Moyle's signature humour and wit shine through, alongside commentary on what the Earth may become if we don't take care of it now, and what society would look like if we were to relinquish control of our lives to authoritarian government. All of this while including sympathetic characters that make you laugh. I'll be sure to read the sequel, Memory Hunters, when it comes out.
October 11, 2020
A Dystopian Adventure
A blend of humour and loss in a dystopian future with Jake, the likeable protagonist. I found this book hard to put down and couldn't stop myself hurtling to the end. I'm looking forward to Jake's adventures in the next book, Memory Hunters.
A blend of humour and loss in a dystopian future with Jake, the likeable protagonist. I found this book hard to put down and couldn't stop myself hurtling to the end. I'm looking forward to Jake's adventures in the next book, Memory Hunters.
Read
October 11, 202479: p6
Has Moses story ever come to you, when his Lord called to him by the sacred valley of Tuwa? “Go off to pharaoh; he has acted arrogantly. SAY: ‘Would you care to be purified and for me to guide you to your Lord so you may learn to dread him?’”
Has Moses story ever come to you, when his Lord called to him by the sacred valley of Tuwa? “Go off to pharaoh; he has acted arrogantly. SAY: ‘Would you care to be purified and for me to guide you to your Lord so you may learn to dread him?’”
January 10, 2021
The technological future we've all been warned about is nigh. I recently read Dave Eggers' The Circle, and Tony Moyle's Memory Clouds feels like the book Eggers wanted to write. It's a foreboding of what the technology of the future possibly has in store for us. It's a world where our memories are stored electronically for us and the government advises everyone as they turn 18 whom they must marry and what career they are best suited for. It's a utopia where everything is perfect as long as you don't look beyond the façade. Jake turns 18 and instead of going through the motions as so many others, he starts to discover the cracks in the system and an underworld of people who are not even a part of the system. It's reminiscent of Orwell's 1984, Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, or the film The Matrix. Everything is not what it seems. Tony Moyle's writing is thrilling, thought provoking, and flavored with a wry sense of humor.
January 20, 2023
A good concept and some interesting ideas in the dystopian aspects of social media and surveillance. I particularly liked the censorship aspect and the focus on how humans don't use their brains and just trust the cloud. This rang very true to me as I see a significant fall in memory, recall and critical thinking among my students.
However...
I found Jake dislikeable and not in an interesting way. He seems to make choices for the sake of drama and keeping the story moving. There is no real sense of his conflict when his parents are sent to the Source for his violations. He does a bit of whining labour missing his gf but even that feels hollow and has no substance. This could have been a good stylistic choice if it was contrasted with rich images seen from within the cloud but ends up feeling empty and superficial. Sam's choice to present on the cloud as a girl and to appear as female to the guides also has a great deal of potential which is never explored. Sam's abilities and possessions again, seem to exist largely to keep the story moving rather than for any meaningful reason in universe. Additionally, there is far too much exposition in this. We are not organically introduced to the world and instead it is painstakingly explained to us.
However...
I found Jake dislikeable and not in an interesting way. He seems to make choices for the sake of drama and keeping the story moving. There is no real sense of his conflict when his parents are sent to the Source for his violations. He does a bit of whining labour missing his gf but even that feels hollow and has no substance. This could have been a good stylistic choice if it was contrasted with rich images seen from within the cloud but ends up feeling empty and superficial. Sam's choice to present on the cloud as a girl and to appear as female to the guides also has a great deal of potential which is never explored. Sam's abilities and possessions again, seem to exist largely to keep the story moving rather than for any meaningful reason in universe. Additionally, there is far too much exposition in this. We are not organically introduced to the world and instead it is painstakingly explained to us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2021
Liberal agenda
The author calls World War One a pointless war then goes on to call hunting a crime. If WWI was pointless, maybe he wouldn’t mind the fascism Germany would have forced on those they conquered after the war was over. There’s numerous other ultra-liberal values being forced on the populace of the ‘West’ in this book, triggered in part by an explanation of what liberals deem bad for humanity. He even writes sympathetically about a mugger in the beginning of the book. The author doesn’t seem to have a clear grasp of reality, yet wrote a book about the dangers of human evils, which seem to imply most conservative values. I did like the plot but found the book too close to what liberals in America are attempting to make a reality.
The author calls World War One a pointless war then goes on to call hunting a crime. If WWI was pointless, maybe he wouldn’t mind the fascism Germany would have forced on those they conquered after the war was over. There’s numerous other ultra-liberal values being forced on the populace of the ‘West’ in this book, triggered in part by an explanation of what liberals deem bad for humanity. He even writes sympathetically about a mugger in the beginning of the book. The author doesn’t seem to have a clear grasp of reality, yet wrote a book about the dangers of human evils, which seem to imply most conservative values. I did like the plot but found the book too close to what liberals in America are attempting to make a reality.
Read
July 17, 2020Is this the future?
A future world where the physical landscape has changed due to the inevitable climate catastrophe, and technology has taken over to the point where all humans are directly to the cloud. Global problems have been solved, decisions are made for you, instructions are obeyed and everyone is happy. Jake is not happy. His predetermined life plan is not what he wants, and even that plan seems to be falling apart. His journey leads him into seeing what's really happening out there.
I love the detail provided in this world. You can actually believe this is how things can turn out. It's a scary thought.
A future world where the physical landscape has changed due to the inevitable climate catastrophe, and technology has taken over to the point where all humans are directly to the cloud. Global problems have been solved, decisions are made for you, instructions are obeyed and everyone is happy. Jake is not happy. His predetermined life plan is not what he wants, and even that plan seems to be falling apart. His journey leads him into seeing what's really happening out there.
I love the detail provided in this world. You can actually believe this is how things can turn out. It's a scary thought.
Read
July 18, 2020Dark thrilling and fast paced.
Tony has written the first of (I hope) one in a long series of books that is both dark and humorous at the same time. Memory Clouds story of a future that is controlled by AI is both thrilling and quite scary. Free thought is replaced with controlled dialogue in all manners of life. Jake, his main character breaks the mold with the help of a sub society that works outside the regulated society. Although the story line is dark and perilous, Tony injects humor and levity throughout the story making The Memory Clouds thrilling, fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable. Well done Tony, well done!!
Tony has written the first of (I hope) one in a long series of books that is both dark and humorous at the same time. Memory Clouds story of a future that is controlled by AI is both thrilling and quite scary. Free thought is replaced with controlled dialogue in all manners of life. Jake, his main character breaks the mold with the help of a sub society that works outside the regulated society. Although the story line is dark and perilous, Tony injects humor and levity throughout the story making The Memory Clouds thrilling, fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable. Well done Tony, well done!!
February 15, 2021
I was becoming greatly engrossed with this book and enjoying it. The world it was creating was interesting and full of story possibilities. Then I hit the bait and switch at the end. Sorry, I will not abide books that do not complete a story arc in one volume. Write sequels to continue the story, and flesh out the universe you've created. I'm fine with that. But don't give me 50% of a book and call it done. I imagine the author might defend himself by saying the story was brought to a conclusion. I'd argue vociferously with that. It left nothing truly settled and every story arc was left completely unended. Sigh.
June 2, 2021
Solid 3.5 stars
I liked the story and the characters but did find myself skipping some parts that felt a bit dry to me. It took me almost half way to really get into it which surprised me since the description seemed really interesting. I will read the second book to see how it ends.
I liked the story and the characters but did find myself skipping some parts that felt a bit dry to me. It took me almost half way to really get into it which surprised me since the description seemed really interesting. I will read the second book to see how it ends.
September 7, 2020
It drew me in from the start
I live a book I don’t want to
Put down and this certainly was one. It’s less fantasy than I normally go for however I can’t wait for book 2 to come out !
I live a book I don’t want to
Put down and this certainly was one. It’s less fantasy than I normally go for however I can’t wait for book 2 to come out !
July 17, 2020
Memory Clouds
This was an engaging read with a very believable premise. I loved the underlying feeling of hope that ran through the story and the 'love conquers all' subtext.
This was an engaging read with a very believable premise. I loved the underlying feeling of hope that ran through the story and the 'love conquers all' subtext.
January 12, 2021
I thought the premise of this book sounded really cool, but I just couldn't get into it and didn't finish it. Very interesting concept, though.
December 31, 2024
Great book
This would make a great movie, and the world in maybe 10 years from now, how the humans relay on technology and can't think for themselves.
This would make a great movie, and the world in maybe 10 years from now, how the humans relay on technology and can't think for themselves.
November 22, 2020
"THE CIRCUIT - its a state of mind"
I got completely hooked into the story right from the start and remained intrigued all the way through. Set 35 years in the future, post climate change disaster. Jake lives in a world of 'The East' and 'The West' . He's about to turn 18 - now known as Ascension day. He's due to receive his letter from 'Alison' at 'The Circuit' who look after all people living in The West - mining information from the memory chip implanted since birth, monitoring emotions, recording memories and noting desires. The Ascension Letter lays out instructions for the rest of Jake's life, The Circuit have chosen an appropriate job, a wife, the location he'll live and most of all - his 'importance factor'. His whole life will be decided by whether he is assigned 'Vital', 'Necessary' or the worst of all the 5 factors - 'Trivial'.
As we follow Jake through the choices The Circuit has made for him, it becomes apparent everything is not quite fitting to the Boat Builder career and lifestyle Jake has been desiring. However Jake has two Virtual Guides to help him navigate his new life - Dinah and Job. Both add humour and drama to the story. A journey across the world to a mostly sunken Europe, a new wife, training for a new job could all become too much for a young man just finding his way into adulthood.
Will Jake ever learn to fit into his new life? How can he make a complaint to Alison at The Circuit? Who and where are the Spectrum? And what is happening in The East?
I got really hooked in to wanting to find out why everything seemed so wrong for poor Jake, keen to find out how he was going to fit into a life so disjointed from his ideal, despite it being 'based on' his desires, and how the story was going to unfold. Fast paced, humorous and exciting, the story takes enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages.
If you enjoy reading dystopian style novels with a modern twist, this story is perfect for you.
I got completely hooked into the story right from the start and remained intrigued all the way through. Set 35 years in the future, post climate change disaster. Jake lives in a world of 'The East' and 'The West' . He's about to turn 18 - now known as Ascension day. He's due to receive his letter from 'Alison' at 'The Circuit' who look after all people living in The West - mining information from the memory chip implanted since birth, monitoring emotions, recording memories and noting desires. The Ascension Letter lays out instructions for the rest of Jake's life, The Circuit have chosen an appropriate job, a wife, the location he'll live and most of all - his 'importance factor'. His whole life will be decided by whether he is assigned 'Vital', 'Necessary' or the worst of all the 5 factors - 'Trivial'.
As we follow Jake through the choices The Circuit has made for him, it becomes apparent everything is not quite fitting to the Boat Builder career and lifestyle Jake has been desiring. However Jake has two Virtual Guides to help him navigate his new life - Dinah and Job. Both add humour and drama to the story. A journey across the world to a mostly sunken Europe, a new wife, training for a new job could all become too much for a young man just finding his way into adulthood.
Will Jake ever learn to fit into his new life? How can he make a complaint to Alison at The Circuit? Who and where are the Spectrum? And what is happening in The East?
I got really hooked in to wanting to find out why everything seemed so wrong for poor Jake, keen to find out how he was going to fit into a life so disjointed from his ideal, despite it being 'based on' his desires, and how the story was going to unfold. Fast paced, humorous and exciting, the story takes enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages.
If you enjoy reading dystopian style novels with a modern twist, this story is perfect for you.
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