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Hard Reboot
Django Wexler's Hard Reboot features giant mech arena battles and intergalactic diplomacy. When did academia get to be so complicated?
Kas is a junior researcher on a fact-finding mission to old Earth. But when a con-artist tricks her into wagering a large sum of money belonging to her university on the outcome of a manned robot arena battle she becomes drawn into the seedy underworld of old Earth politics and state-sponsored battle-droid prizefights.
Is it time to get back to the books, yet?
Kas is a junior researcher on a fact-finding mission to old Earth. But when a con-artist tricks her into wagering a large sum of money belonging to her university on the outcome of a manned robot arena battle she becomes drawn into the seedy underworld of old Earth politics and state-sponsored battle-droid prizefights.
Is it time to get back to the books, yet?
150 pages, Paperback
First published May 25, 2021
57 people are currently reading
1798 people want to read
About the author
Django Wexler
52 books3,738 followersDjango Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not planning Shadow Campaigns, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
May 25, 2021
My fun little novella is finally out! I hope everyone enjoys it.
This was originally supposed to be a short story for the Silk & Steel anthology ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... ) so if you liked that, you may enjoy this, and vice versa!
This was originally supposed to be a short story for the Silk & Steel anthology ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... ) so if you liked that, you may enjoy this, and vice versa!
May 16, 2021
"Scholar Zychtykas Three—Kas to her friends, of which she had none—had slaved, scrimped, and swindled to get the fourth spot on the team going to Old Earth. She’d pulled strings, spent the pathetic remains of her savings, contemplated blackmail, and come perilously close to having to fuck an associate dean, all to guarantee that her name would be at the top of Archscholar Grio One’s list."
And so the novella begun. It's initial tone indicated the dually witty and scientific writing style, the focus promted the reader on the futuristic setting and time, and the glimpse into Kas' background specified the high stakes involved in the proceedings. What it did not indicate was that Kas was only one of two perspectives.
The second female, Zhi, was far less academic than Kas and did not have her years of schooling or trained poise, but she proved just as willing to do anything in her power to obtain her desires. Kas' were to reach Old Earth and study the old tech there and Zhi's was to rebuild her warbot, Speedy, free herself from the debts tying her to the Drome, and escape to another planetary system. All of these plans went completely awry and their futures became entangled in each other's instead.
Despite the scant page count, this future setting felt fully-fleshed, as did the numerous tech inside of it. The two primary characters had distinct and likable voices. Their storylines were vividly explored and I felt the high stakes involved. I would have loved to see this become a full-length novel and for their diverse pasts, as full as conjoined futures, to also be explored.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Django Wexler, and the publisher, Tor, for this opportunity.
And so the novella begun. It's initial tone indicated the dually witty and scientific writing style, the focus promted the reader on the futuristic setting and time, and the glimpse into Kas' background specified the high stakes involved in the proceedings. What it did not indicate was that Kas was only one of two perspectives.
The second female, Zhi, was far less academic than Kas and did not have her years of schooling or trained poise, but she proved just as willing to do anything in her power to obtain her desires. Kas' were to reach Old Earth and study the old tech there and Zhi's was to rebuild her warbot, Speedy, free herself from the debts tying her to the Drome, and escape to another planetary system. All of these plans went completely awry and their futures became entangled in each other's instead.
Despite the scant page count, this future setting felt fully-fleshed, as did the numerous tech inside of it. The two primary characters had distinct and likable voices. Their storylines were vividly explored and I felt the high stakes involved. I would have loved to see this become a full-length novel and for their diverse pasts, as full as conjoined futures, to also be explored.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Django Wexler, and the publisher, Tor, for this opportunity.
October 12, 2021
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I need to be honest and say that novellas are not my favorites. I feel it takes a super talented author to contain a full story perfectly in such a small number of words. However, I think it is a very good form to experience some authors writing and see if I click with it. I always wanted to read Wexler books but never got the chance to. When I saw this book with its gorgeous cover and the fact that it is published by Tor made me want to pick it up pretty quick.
I also need to mention that I am not the biggest Sci-Fi reader, I prefer Fantasy and that’s just a personal preference. I think the first thought that comes to mind when we see this book is right there on the cover where Sylvain Neuvel said GIANT. FREAKING. ROBOT!
And I have to agree with him. I think it is not a new idea because I have watched movies about it before but I wanted to experience it in a written formula.
The thing is that the book doesn’t have much robots fighting other than 2 main fights. The story focuses on two characters Kas and Zhi and how a bet between them that goes wrong stars a chain of unfortunate events for both of them.
The writing was good, I mean Wexler alredy has experience as an author and I could tell that but I don’t know why it wasn’t divided into chapters and it was just like one very long chapter with dividers between the sections. There was switching between the two characters which was a problem since they had a similar voice and I think it should have been told from KAs POV only.
I did not have strong connections to the characters, I think they were okay and one character death had zero impact on me which was kind of surprising. Also the romance was kind of mechanical, I wasn’t a big fan of the relationship! The world however was very well written for a novella and I believe it could have been easily expanded into a full novel with the world Wexler created. I liked the three generations and how the hierarchy still affects the modern world, the technology is good too and we could have got more robot fights if the book was longer which could have been more satisfying.
The plot was very predictable for me and the whole bet thing irked me because there were many angles that did not make sense to me when I think about it. I believe the word count forced the author to make a few scenes convenient for the story. I think I was hoping for more action and drama!
Summary: My expectations for the story kind of made me slightly disappointed specially for a prestigious author as Wexler. The writing and World-building were very satisfying but the characters and plot simply weren’t. However, I am interested in Wexler full novels even more right now!
I need to be honest and say that novellas are not my favorites. I feel it takes a super talented author to contain a full story perfectly in such a small number of words. However, I think it is a very good form to experience some authors writing and see if I click with it. I always wanted to read Wexler books but never got the chance to. When I saw this book with its gorgeous cover and the fact that it is published by Tor made me want to pick it up pretty quick.
I also need to mention that I am not the biggest Sci-Fi reader, I prefer Fantasy and that’s just a personal preference. I think the first thought that comes to mind when we see this book is right there on the cover where Sylvain Neuvel said GIANT. FREAKING. ROBOT!
And I have to agree with him. I think it is not a new idea because I have watched movies about it before but I wanted to experience it in a written formula.
The thing is that the book doesn’t have much robots fighting other than 2 main fights. The story focuses on two characters Kas and Zhi and how a bet between them that goes wrong stars a chain of unfortunate events for both of them.
The writing was good, I mean Wexler alredy has experience as an author and I could tell that but I don’t know why it wasn’t divided into chapters and it was just like one very long chapter with dividers between the sections. There was switching between the two characters which was a problem since they had a similar voice and I think it should have been told from KAs POV only.
I did not have strong connections to the characters, I think they were okay and one character death had zero impact on me which was kind of surprising. Also the romance was kind of mechanical, I wasn’t a big fan of the relationship! The world however was very well written for a novella and I believe it could have been easily expanded into a full novel with the world Wexler created. I liked the three generations and how the hierarchy still affects the modern world, the technology is good too and we could have got more robot fights if the book was longer which could have been more satisfying.
The plot was very predictable for me and the whole bet thing irked me because there were many angles that did not make sense to me when I think about it. I believe the word count forced the author to make a few scenes convenient for the story. I think I was hoping for more action and drama!
Summary: My expectations for the story kind of made me slightly disappointed specially for a prestigious author as Wexler. The writing and World-building were very satisfying but the characters and plot simply weren’t. However, I am interested in Wexler full novels even more right now!
June 25, 2021
An immersive, gritty Sci-fi romp of a novela, featuring giant battle mechas beating the hell out of each other in a dirty old-earth thunderdome. But it’s not just the robot pilots who need to stay frosty - spectators can unintentionally make life-wrecking bets on the outcome of these fights in seconds. Lovely social staging, like discrimination based on how long ago your ancestors left mankind’s garbage-heap home planet, lends depth to a lightning-fast summer read.
June 12, 2021
4.0 Stars
This was an entertaining science fiction novella. I enjoyed seeing the author's imagined future, particularly exploring the cultural differences between the off worlders and those that stayed behind on old earth. The best parts were easily the mechs, which made me reminiscent of the mobile suit gundam anime of my youth. The story itself was fairly straightforward, although nonetheless enjoyable. I would recommend to readers looking for quick and easy scifi read.
This was an entertaining science fiction novella. I enjoyed seeing the author's imagined future, particularly exploring the cultural differences between the off worlders and those that stayed behind on old earth. The best parts were easily the mechs, which made me reminiscent of the mobile suit gundam anime of my youth. The story itself was fairly straightforward, although nonetheless enjoyable. I would recommend to readers looking for quick and easy scifi read.
June 27, 2021
This was a really fun little novella with giant mechs battling and a sapphic romance. Kas is a junior researcher visiting old Earth on a research trip to study ancient technology and coding. Zhi is a mech pilot in trouble who tries to scam Kas out of money. But they end up working together in the face of danger.
I don't want to say much more because it's a brief story, but I found this really enjoyable. Kas and Zhi have a fun dynamic and they slowly come to understand each other and overcome their misconceptions. The sci-fi elements are interesting, including this idea that digital networks on Earth eventually became so full of malware as to be unusable. Definitely worth a read! Thank you to tordotcom for sending me a copy for review. All opinions are my own.
I don't want to say much more because it's a brief story, but I found this really enjoyable. Kas and Zhi have a fun dynamic and they slowly come to understand each other and overcome their misconceptions. The sci-fi elements are interesting, including this idea that digital networks on Earth eventually became so full of malware as to be unusable. Definitely worth a read! Thank you to tordotcom for sending me a copy for review. All opinions are my own.
August 4, 2021
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/08/03/...
Hard Reboot is an action-packed story about tough women and giant robots from one of my favorite authors, but after finishing it, I was left with this nagging feeling of wanting more. To be fair, the meager page count might have a lot to do with this, as I’m the type of reader who seldom finds satisfaction with the restrictive length of a typical novella.
The book opens, readers are introduced to scholar Zychtykas Three, or “Kas” to her friends, who has just arrived on Old Earth as part of an academic undertaking. Almost immediately, she finds herself scammed of her academy funds by a local robot pilot named Zhi Zero, who thinks all off-worlders are loaded with cash. Truth is though, Kas is completely broke, and she’ll ever get a chance in academia again if her expedition leaders think she’s gambled away all their money. Left with no other choice, she is forced to go after Zhi and work out a deal.
However, Zhi is in over her head with her own troubles, and has lost one bot fight too many. She’s also about to lose the one thing she has left—until Kas tracks her to a secret hideout under the city, where the pilot has been trying to restore a salvaged Third Empire warbot. An expert in ancient technology and code, Kas becomes fascinated with the discovery, and convinces Zhi into a partnership where she’ll fund the restoration of the warbot if the other woman will take it into battle and secure the winner’s purse. Of course, but there’s just one big problem: with the entire plan resting on money that neither women really have, failure is not an option.
Hard Reboot really isn’t a bad book, considering it’s so short. The problem, I think, is that it tries to do too much. I can’t help but feel that, had this been a Pacific Rim-type tale packed with mecha melees, it might have wound up being a shallower read, sure, but it likely would’ve delivered a punchier and more entertaining experience. It’s when certain elements are neither here nor there, though, I just find it very difficult to connect with both characters and story.
Still, I love Django Wexler’s writing. When he’s writing full-length epic fantasy, that’s when I think he’s at his best, but he’s shown again and again the versatility of his talent, and any book of his is a joy to read. It’s another reason why I regret Hard Reboot being so short, because I would have loved to get to know the characters a bit more. Kas was an engaging protagonist, and I enjoyed reading about her origins as an off-world third-wave colonist, but would have loved to learn more about her actual personality which was rather lacking. Same goes for Zhi, with her more volatile upbringing and love for her warbot, but these are relatively surface-level traits when I would have preferred the character development to go further in-depth. That probably would have also helped me feel more invested in the eventual romance between the two and not make it feel as tacked-on.
World-building was solid too, and might be the one aspect I thought was perfectly balanced—just enough to convey a vivid picture of the setting without overwhelming readers with information. The Old World doesn’t seem like a very nice place, and as the situation unfolds with both Kas and Zhi, we are shown the importance of hereditary status and wealth in this environment—that is, it’s tough when you have neither.
At the end of the day, the main weakness was the characters, and emotionally I don’t think I cared about them as much as I should have, making their romance a bit of a bust. In my opinion a friendship would have worked a lot better, with more character development in place of, say, all the forced dialogue between the women about wanting to jump each other’s bones. The ending was also a bit rushed and predictable, but again, somewhat expected given the limited page length of a novella.
All in all, despite its flaws, Hard Reboot was a fun read, with a decent storyline and a world that was imaginative and compelling. After all, you really can’t go too wrong with a quick, bite-sized standalone with giant robots, can you?
Hard Reboot is an action-packed story about tough women and giant robots from one of my favorite authors, but after finishing it, I was left with this nagging feeling of wanting more. To be fair, the meager page count might have a lot to do with this, as I’m the type of reader who seldom finds satisfaction with the restrictive length of a typical novella.
The book opens, readers are introduced to scholar Zychtykas Three, or “Kas” to her friends, who has just arrived on Old Earth as part of an academic undertaking. Almost immediately, she finds herself scammed of her academy funds by a local robot pilot named Zhi Zero, who thinks all off-worlders are loaded with cash. Truth is though, Kas is completely broke, and she’ll ever get a chance in academia again if her expedition leaders think she’s gambled away all their money. Left with no other choice, she is forced to go after Zhi and work out a deal.
However, Zhi is in over her head with her own troubles, and has lost one bot fight too many. She’s also about to lose the one thing she has left—until Kas tracks her to a secret hideout under the city, where the pilot has been trying to restore a salvaged Third Empire warbot. An expert in ancient technology and code, Kas becomes fascinated with the discovery, and convinces Zhi into a partnership where she’ll fund the restoration of the warbot if the other woman will take it into battle and secure the winner’s purse. Of course, but there’s just one big problem: with the entire plan resting on money that neither women really have, failure is not an option.
Hard Reboot really isn’t a bad book, considering it’s so short. The problem, I think, is that it tries to do too much. I can’t help but feel that, had this been a Pacific Rim-type tale packed with mecha melees, it might have wound up being a shallower read, sure, but it likely would’ve delivered a punchier and more entertaining experience. It’s when certain elements are neither here nor there, though, I just find it very difficult to connect with both characters and story.
Still, I love Django Wexler’s writing. When he’s writing full-length epic fantasy, that’s when I think he’s at his best, but he’s shown again and again the versatility of his talent, and any book of his is a joy to read. It’s another reason why I regret Hard Reboot being so short, because I would have loved to get to know the characters a bit more. Kas was an engaging protagonist, and I enjoyed reading about her origins as an off-world third-wave colonist, but would have loved to learn more about her actual personality which was rather lacking. Same goes for Zhi, with her more volatile upbringing and love for her warbot, but these are relatively surface-level traits when I would have preferred the character development to go further in-depth. That probably would have also helped me feel more invested in the eventual romance between the two and not make it feel as tacked-on.
World-building was solid too, and might be the one aspect I thought was perfectly balanced—just enough to convey a vivid picture of the setting without overwhelming readers with information. The Old World doesn’t seem like a very nice place, and as the situation unfolds with both Kas and Zhi, we are shown the importance of hereditary status and wealth in this environment—that is, it’s tough when you have neither.
At the end of the day, the main weakness was the characters, and emotionally I don’t think I cared about them as much as I should have, making their romance a bit of a bust. In my opinion a friendship would have worked a lot better, with more character development in place of, say, all the forced dialogue between the women about wanting to jump each other’s bones. The ending was also a bit rushed and predictable, but again, somewhat expected given the limited page length of a novella.
All in all, despite its flaws, Hard Reboot was a fun read, with a decent storyline and a world that was imaginative and compelling. After all, you really can’t go too wrong with a quick, bite-sized standalone with giant robots, can you?
October 12, 2021
6/10 stars
Wexler's Hard Reboot is a short SF novella containing an okay story; it's a very quick read (1,5h tops between cake baking and dinner) that goes smoothly and predictably. A fast food read, when you're hungry but don't have time for anything fancy - this will dull the ache, certainly, and give you incentive to hunt for something similar but more substantial.
The best part of this novella for me was the worldbuilding. While I'm tired of empires, or Empires, I liked the fact that Wexler chose a SW-like (or, more precisely, a post-Roman Empire) approach to showing that the best is in the past. This happens all too rarely in modern SF, so thanks to Wexler for this, much appreciated!
The romance seemed far-fetched and a bit forced, tbh, but then insta-love always elicits a big, resounding NO from me, and here it was just tolerably meh. As far as motivations go, this one is practically foolproof (if overused) because you can always say that hormones make you stupid and suicidal, and wouldn't be all that wrong ;).
The mecha part is actually rather tiny, bookending the story, which is mostly focused on the two main characters. The quintessential redshirt guy in glasses with the only vaguely recognizable Earth name suffers the fate of all expendable minions, and that was a bit of a low blow, because his death was both avoidable and inconsequential. But hey, you need to up the stakes somehow, and what's one poor Solomon in the grand scheme?
All in all, not bad.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher Tordotcom through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
Wexler's Hard Reboot is a short SF novella containing an okay story; it's a very quick read (1,5h tops between cake baking and dinner) that goes smoothly and predictably. A fast food read, when you're hungry but don't have time for anything fancy - this will dull the ache, certainly, and give you incentive to hunt for something similar but more substantial.
The best part of this novella for me was the worldbuilding. While I'm tired of empires, or Empires, I liked the fact that Wexler chose a SW-like (or, more precisely, a post-Roman Empire) approach to showing that the best is in the past. This happens all too rarely in modern SF, so thanks to Wexler for this, much appreciated!
The romance seemed far-fetched and a bit forced, tbh, but then insta-love always elicits a big, resounding NO from me, and here it was just tolerably meh. As far as motivations go, this one is practically foolproof (if overused) because you can always say that hormones make you stupid and suicidal, and wouldn't be all that wrong ;).
The mecha part is actually rather tiny, bookending the story, which is mostly focused on the two main characters. The quintessential redshirt guy in glasses with the only vaguely recognizable Earth name suffers the fate of all expendable minions, and that was a bit of a low blow, because his death was both avoidable and inconsequential. But hey, you need to up the stakes somehow, and what's one poor Solomon in the grand scheme?
All in all, not bad.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher Tordotcom through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
May 28, 2021
Semi-animated video review https://youtu.be/ZpflGbRLR1M
A science fiction empire building story with man on man, woman on woman and robot on robot action and an entertaining but predictable story.
Hard Reboot is a science-fiction novella from Django Wexler - author of fantasy series like 'The Shadow Campaigns' and 'The Forbidden Library'.
It is set far in the future with multiple empires having come and gone. Kas, a researcher is visiting old Earth to get a taste of the culture i.e. see Giant Robots duke it in arenas. She gets tricked into making a bet that puts her future in academia in jeopardy. What this bet leads to and how she gets out of it forms the basis of the rest of the story.
I found Hard Reboot to be entertaining, with decent characters and imaginative world-building. But its achilles heel is the weak and predictable storyline. It didn't bother me so much though since the writing and pacing kept me interested throughout. The world-building is definitely the stand-out feature of this book, since the story alludes to multiple historic empires, the present space-farers' technology and varying tech levels - all of which are rich in lore.
The other criticism that I have is the limited number of robot duels. But I guess this is due to the limited space that a novella offers.
Overall, I liked Hard Reboot. While it is not a strong recommend, I wouldn't mind reading a full length novel with these characters in the same universe.
A science fiction empire building story with man on man, woman on woman and robot on robot action and an entertaining but predictable story.
Hard Reboot is a science-fiction novella from Django Wexler - author of fantasy series like 'The Shadow Campaigns' and 'The Forbidden Library'.
It is set far in the future with multiple empires having come and gone. Kas, a researcher is visiting old Earth to get a taste of the culture i.e. see Giant Robots duke it in arenas. She gets tricked into making a bet that puts her future in academia in jeopardy. What this bet leads to and how she gets out of it forms the basis of the rest of the story.
I found Hard Reboot to be entertaining, with decent characters and imaginative world-building. But its achilles heel is the weak and predictable storyline. It didn't bother me so much though since the writing and pacing kept me interested throughout. The world-building is definitely the stand-out feature of this book, since the story alludes to multiple historic empires, the present space-farers' technology and varying tech levels - all of which are rich in lore.
The other criticism that I have is the limited number of robot duels. But I guess this is due to the limited space that a novella offers.
Overall, I liked Hard Reboot. While it is not a strong recommend, I wouldn't mind reading a full length novel with these characters in the same universe.
May 31, 2021
It wasn't much to look at - an oval floor a few hundred meters across, surrounded by level after level of tiered seating. Time and neglect had stripped off the fabric and paint, leaving only the monocrete foundations, a brutalist sketch of an amphitheater in keeping with twisted, decaying skyline that stretched beyond it. Overhead, the sky was nearly black with endless clouds, which flickered with caged lightning but refused to actually rain.
When Kas had pictured the famous mecha fights of Old Earth, she'd imagined - well, not this. Something grander than a box full of overstuffed tourists staring down at a wreck.
Scholar Zychtykas Three - Kas - is finally on Earth, for a week of research and a chance to prove she's more than just her Third Wave designation. But it's not long before she's scammed into a spot nicely midway between a rock and a hard place, and coming to grips that even an impressive level of history won't be enough to get her out of this one.
This is one of those threes that's a mix of good and bad, rather than a bland midline the whole way through. There's definitely enough good to tip me onto the side of recommending it - the Roman trappings of the future were used to frame an Empire in similar (though much slower) decline, the romance was sweet, and the mecha-fights were good, if under-used.
The issues I had with the book will hit some readers more than others; there's a tendency to overuse the same future-slang; there's a little too much jampacked into a short space, which led to some really good elements all not getting the attention they deserved; and a couple of plot points felt glossed over to ease the story to where the author needed it.
But overall, this is a good, quick, easy to like novella. Definitely one I'd revisit if further instalments became available in some form.
When Kas had pictured the famous mecha fights of Old Earth, she'd imagined - well, not this. Something grander than a box full of overstuffed tourists staring down at a wreck.
Scholar Zychtykas Three - Kas - is finally on Earth, for a week of research and a chance to prove she's more than just her Third Wave designation. But it's not long before she's scammed into a spot nicely midway between a rock and a hard place, and coming to grips that even an impressive level of history won't be enough to get her out of this one.
This is one of those threes that's a mix of good and bad, rather than a bland midline the whole way through. There's definitely enough good to tip me onto the side of recommending it - the Roman trappings of the future were used to frame an Empire in similar (though much slower) decline, the romance was sweet, and the mecha-fights were good, if under-used.
The issues I had with the book will hit some readers more than others; there's a tendency to overuse the same future-slang; there's a little too much jampacked into a short space, which led to some really good elements all not getting the attention they deserved; and a couple of plot points felt glossed over to ease the story to where the author needed it.
But overall, this is a good, quick, easy to like novella. Definitely one I'd revisit if further instalments became available in some form.
May 20, 2021
Far-in-the-Future Sci Fi backdrops a lighthearted fun and friendly romp "starring" mechanized "gladiators " on the stage of Old Earth, connecting a risk-taker con woman and an introverted research assistant wondering how a simple academic research trip has upended her life.
July 1, 2021
This one just wasn't for me. I didn't care about the characters or the battlebots. Just not my thing.
April 30, 2021
Read this review at FanFiAddict.com: https://fanfiaddict.com/2021/04/30/mi...
Hard Reboot is a lot of fun, and I think it is really well-rounded for a novella. I was impressed at how author Django Wexler was able to incorporate so many different aspects of a story into only 150 pages.
This book really surprised me. Honestly, I envisioned a story that wall-to-wall robot fights, each with different strengths and powers. What I got was a nice futuristic story of friendship and love plus robot fights. I say “plus robot fights” purposefully, because that ended up being more of a backdrop than anything. The robot fighting is the basis for the main storyline, but there just is not that much of it. The narrative is really about two women, Kas and Zhi, each lost in their own way, and, surprisingly to each of them, finding themselves a little bit in the other. Kas, an off-world researcher, tentative and unsure of her place; and Zhi, an Earther living on the edges of society, making her own rules as she goes – are quite the odd couple. No one would match these two together, especially not themselves; yet, Wexler managed to take the hard lines of this world and bend them enough to help these characters discover a corner of it where they can find themselves. And it turns out they have more in common than one might think.
While it is a good story, I did still find myself pining for more robot battles. At only 150 pages, there is room for it. Do not get me wrong, the robots do fight, and it is really exciting when they do. They just do not go head-to-head as much as I wanted. But, even though there was not enough robot-on-robot smashing for my tastes (to be clear, there is some – and it is really cool!), there is still plenty of action and suspense as Kas and Zhi navigate the perils of their current situation.
Despite the fact that it was not constant robot wars, this book is really good. Hard Reboot is thrilling, futuristic sci-fi, action-packed and full of suspense – with a little romance to add a little spice to the mix and round things out. I have not often seen so much balance in novella, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend Hard Reboot for fans of futuristic sci-fi.
Hard Reboot is a lot of fun, and I think it is really well-rounded for a novella. I was impressed at how author Django Wexler was able to incorporate so many different aspects of a story into only 150 pages.
This book really surprised me. Honestly, I envisioned a story that wall-to-wall robot fights, each with different strengths and powers. What I got was a nice futuristic story of friendship and love plus robot fights. I say “plus robot fights” purposefully, because that ended up being more of a backdrop than anything. The robot fighting is the basis for the main storyline, but there just is not that much of it. The narrative is really about two women, Kas and Zhi, each lost in their own way, and, surprisingly to each of them, finding themselves a little bit in the other. Kas, an off-world researcher, tentative and unsure of her place; and Zhi, an Earther living on the edges of society, making her own rules as she goes – are quite the odd couple. No one would match these two together, especially not themselves; yet, Wexler managed to take the hard lines of this world and bend them enough to help these characters discover a corner of it where they can find themselves. And it turns out they have more in common than one might think.
While it is a good story, I did still find myself pining for more robot battles. At only 150 pages, there is room for it. Do not get me wrong, the robots do fight, and it is really exciting when they do. They just do not go head-to-head as much as I wanted. But, even though there was not enough robot-on-robot smashing for my tastes (to be clear, there is some – and it is really cool!), there is still plenty of action and suspense as Kas and Zhi navigate the perils of their current situation.
Despite the fact that it was not constant robot wars, this book is really good. Hard Reboot is thrilling, futuristic sci-fi, action-packed and full of suspense – with a little romance to add a little spice to the mix and round things out. I have not often seen so much balance in novella, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend Hard Reboot for fans of futuristic sci-fi.
September 16, 2021
This was a lot of fun, and very well crafted for a novella - I would love more books set in this world, but it felt about the right length for telling this particular story. If anyone wants a quick read with giant mecha battles and oblivious lesbian scholars, you can’t go wrong.
December 26, 2025
The quickness of pace prevented a level of emotional depth necessary for certain plot points, characters, and relationships to make sense. Still compelling and fun nonetheless. Great worldbuilding given the length of this book
May 17, 2021
On my blog.
Rep: lesbian mcs, mlm and nonbinary side characters
Galley provided by publisher
If you’re looking for a novella that you can devour in just a few hours, Hard Reboot is for you. At once a self-contained story, but that leaves you wanting more of the world, it’s a book I highly enjoyed reading.
The story follows Kas, a junior researcher come down to Old Earth, who ends up embroiled in a con by Zhi, accidentally betting a lot of money she doesn’t have on a mecha fight. When the mecha she bet on loses, she still owes, so she follows Zhi in an attempt to get out of it. Which, obviously, leads to them to go all-or-nothing on a second fight, to each get out of the debts they’re in.
(Which, also, I realise is a massively convoluted way of explaining the plot.)
I think what I liked best about this book is just how seamlessly the worldbuilding fit into everything. Obviously, novellas don’t have time to info-dump or to go in-depth into everything, but here I felt the balance between telling you some things and letting you pick up on the rest was perfect.
Add onto that characters that you can easily sympathise with, and who have a great dynamic, and you basically have yourself the best kind of novella. In fact, they’re sort of characters that you want to know more about. Django Wexler, if you’re reading this, how’s about a sequel?
I mean, really, in the end, if I had any issues it’s that it was only a novella and not a full-length novel. I suppose all I can do is go back to waiting for Blood of the Chosen now.
Rep: lesbian mcs, mlm and nonbinary side characters
Galley provided by publisher
If you’re looking for a novella that you can devour in just a few hours, Hard Reboot is for you. At once a self-contained story, but that leaves you wanting more of the world, it’s a book I highly enjoyed reading.
The story follows Kas, a junior researcher come down to Old Earth, who ends up embroiled in a con by Zhi, accidentally betting a lot of money she doesn’t have on a mecha fight. When the mecha she bet on loses, she still owes, so she follows Zhi in an attempt to get out of it. Which, obviously, leads to them to go all-or-nothing on a second fight, to each get out of the debts they’re in.
(Which, also, I realise is a massively convoluted way of explaining the plot.)
I think what I liked best about this book is just how seamlessly the worldbuilding fit into everything. Obviously, novellas don’t have time to info-dump or to go in-depth into everything, but here I felt the balance between telling you some things and letting you pick up on the rest was perfect.
Add onto that characters that you can easily sympathise with, and who have a great dynamic, and you basically have yourself the best kind of novella. In fact, they’re sort of characters that you want to know more about. Django Wexler, if you’re reading this, how’s about a sequel?
I mean, really, in the end, if I had any issues it’s that it was only a novella and not a full-length novel. I suppose all I can do is go back to waiting for Blood of the Chosen now.
September 3, 2021
I’m typically not a big fan of reading Novellas and prefer longer formats and this month I read 3, and Hard Reboot was a good one. I would have preferred to read this premise in a longer format to get a better picture of the world, characters and main storyline, but Django maintained my interest and kept me turning pages despite the shorter format.
The story centers on Zhi and Kas, a robot wrangler-pilot and a researcher, and their unlikely pairing towards refurbishing an old robot for a revenge mech-fight. It reminded me a bit of Real Steel but with bigger robots. The story touched on several elements of your typical scifi action story and even inserted a brief romance, but it felt more like a screenplay to a movie than a novel, but like I said, it did what it aimed for despite the short format.
Where Django succeeded is in minimizing the number of characters so we could learn enough about Zhi and Kas to care about their struggles, the climax involving the leading fight and a few surprises I didn’t foresee. I enjoyed the third act and again, not being a fan of Novellas, Django pressed all the right buttons to make this reading experience amongst the novellas I enjoyed.
In conclusion, if you love an action-packed, mech-robot-fight driven story with a dose of humanity and romance, and especially if you enjoy reading 150+ pages stories, Hard Reboot is an excellent match for you.
The story centers on Zhi and Kas, a robot wrangler-pilot and a researcher, and their unlikely pairing towards refurbishing an old robot for a revenge mech-fight. It reminded me a bit of Real Steel but with bigger robots. The story touched on several elements of your typical scifi action story and even inserted a brief romance, but it felt more like a screenplay to a movie than a novel, but like I said, it did what it aimed for despite the short format.
Where Django succeeded is in minimizing the number of characters so we could learn enough about Zhi and Kas to care about their struggles, the climax involving the leading fight and a few surprises I didn’t foresee. I enjoyed the third act and again, not being a fan of Novellas, Django pressed all the right buttons to make this reading experience amongst the novellas I enjoyed.
In conclusion, if you love an action-packed, mech-robot-fight driven story with a dose of humanity and romance, and especially if you enjoy reading 150+ pages stories, Hard Reboot is an excellent match for you.
January 13, 2023
“You should see it move. Like lightning.” She gave her gap-toothed grin again. “Quick-an’-smart beats big-an’-dumb every time, yeah?”
3.5 stars. Such fun! There's just something primal in the back of my brain that responds very favourably to the idea of big robots punching each other. This provided all that and more. Kas is an off-world academic come back to Old Earth to hopefully get in some research on the big machines, but instead finds herself benched and duped into a wager by a fast-talking, quick-witted native. What follows is a story filled with action, romance, and a lot of cool worldbuilding. I always love when a novella can fit in a lot of good worldbuilding and character work in a relatively short period of time, but still make it all entertaining and plausible. I liked the glimpses we saw of Earth's history and space flight and the different waves and what it all meant. Zhi was so fun, and her and Kas' courtship was really cute. The stakes felt real, and I was so invested in that last fight.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Morgan Hallet, which made for a quick and entertaining read. Really enjoyed my time with this one, which is something I always take pleasure in saying about a novella.
Content warnings:
October 4, 2022
I love Django Wexler, but he couldn't get me into giant robots. Not sure what else I can say. Not my thing, sorry bro.
September 28, 2023
Set far in the future, this sci-fi novella follows a researcher from an extra-terrestrial human settlement on a scientific tourist trip back to "Old Earth". A misunderstanding leads to her accepting a very large bet on the outcome of a mecha battled, and when she losses and can't pay, she has to team up with a mecha fighter to try and win the next round to get her money back. I was able to predict the majority of the twists of this story within the first quarter of the book, but it was still fairly entertaining as a short audiobook listen.
May 26, 2021
Novellas are always hard for me to review because I either like them or feel the need of wanting more. I definitely say that before every novella review I think, lol. Now with Hard Reboot, Django Wexler crammed a lot of aspects into a story that really was only about 14o pages or so. It was actually incredibly enjoyable between the characters and Wexler's incredible action scenes. So I am quite satisfied with how this novella turned out, so much so that if he ever decides that he wants to explore this world then I will strap myself in for the ride for sure.
May 30, 2021
Hard Reboot was a pretty cool short story. Django delivered awesome once again.
February 18, 2022
More Real Steel than Pacific Rim, this is primarily a romance as a desperate Earth scavenger and an offworld academic try to salvage their futures with a risky gambit in the deadly warbot fighting pits. Lightweight fun, but poorly set expectations (publisher blurb, I’m looking at you) meant I was always looking for something more than I got. Where were the intergalactic diplomacy and old Earth politics? Nowhere in evidence - and without them it's fine world-building but not the story I came for.
Full review
Full review
May 20, 2021
Hard Reboot by Django Wexler promised sapphics, cyberpunk, and giant robots, and it delivered on all of those things in a neat novella package. Having enjoyed work by Wexler in the past (Ashes of the Sun and contributions to the Silk & Steel anthology), I knew I wanted to pick this one up. While there were elements I absolutely adored about this novella, there were a few things that impacted my enjoyment in a significant way.
Starting off with the great: the worldbuilding. I wanted this to be a full length novel for the world alone. The glimpses we get of Kas’ privileged world back on Sentinel were so intriguing to me and I could easily read another novella set there. I’d also like to know more of Old Earth, the different empires, the House, and more. Often in novellas the worldbuilding veers too little or too clunky, but this novel struck an excellent balance. It was also a queernorm universe, with polyamorous and queer relationships of several kinds being mentioned.
For the most part, I also enjoyed the characters and the relationship. Kas and Zhi both struggle in similar ways to break free of restrictions put upon them, though the restrictions have vastly difference consequences due to the difference in their status. I’m always a sucker for the book smart/street smart pairing, and Kas and Zhi very much had that dynamic. The setup made it a fast track enemies to lovers situation and the trajectory was well and believably executed.
However, though I realize this is personal preference, the prose in this novel was repetitive and jarring enough to constantly distract me from the narrative. I have no problem with swearing and love a good f-bomb, but not 67 times in 160 pages a lot. Combined with 57 uses of ‘slag’, an in-universe swear, I was grinding my teeth. Zhi’s dialect being written out with every sentence ending in ‘yeah’ and containing ‘ent’ made her POV a particular struggle. I did read an advance copy so perhaps some of these were edited out, but in my version it was enough to be a constant irritation.
Additionally, I have complicated feelings about the pervasive thread of sexual references and subplots throughout this novella. While I appreciated the attempt to have an interesting dialogue about the differing social mores around courtship between the two societies in the novella, and I am all here for sapphic women owning their sexuality, it missed the mark in most cases for me. A conversation between Kas and a secondary female character (one with some importance to the plot) revolves solely around where this character can find someone to have ‘flesh’ sex with, only for the two characters to never speak again; this interaction in particular raised my hackles because I’m not fond of the defining aspect of a woman’s character in a text being her sexuality/desire.
My critiques are largely personal preference which means Hard Reboot may still be a delight to many. If you’re looking for a fast, fun read with a great worldbuilding, awesome action scenes with giant robots, and sapphic leads, I would still recommend this novella. If there are ever more entries in this universe in the future, I would be interested in exploring it more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Starting off with the great: the worldbuilding. I wanted this to be a full length novel for the world alone. The glimpses we get of Kas’ privileged world back on Sentinel were so intriguing to me and I could easily read another novella set there. I’d also like to know more of Old Earth, the different empires, the House, and more. Often in novellas the worldbuilding veers too little or too clunky, but this novel struck an excellent balance. It was also a queernorm universe, with polyamorous and queer relationships of several kinds being mentioned.
For the most part, I also enjoyed the characters and the relationship. Kas and Zhi both struggle in similar ways to break free of restrictions put upon them, though the restrictions have vastly difference consequences due to the difference in their status. I’m always a sucker for the book smart/street smart pairing, and Kas and Zhi very much had that dynamic. The setup made it a fast track enemies to lovers situation and the trajectory was well and believably executed.
However, though I realize this is personal preference, the prose in this novel was repetitive and jarring enough to constantly distract me from the narrative. I have no problem with swearing and love a good f-bomb, but not 67 times in 160 pages a lot. Combined with 57 uses of ‘slag’, an in-universe swear, I was grinding my teeth. Zhi’s dialect being written out with every sentence ending in ‘yeah’ and containing ‘ent’ made her POV a particular struggle. I did read an advance copy so perhaps some of these were edited out, but in my version it was enough to be a constant irritation.
Additionally, I have complicated feelings about the pervasive thread of sexual references and subplots throughout this novella. While I appreciated the attempt to have an interesting dialogue about the differing social mores around courtship between the two societies in the novella, and I am all here for sapphic women owning their sexuality, it missed the mark in most cases for me. A conversation between Kas and a secondary female character (one with some importance to the plot) revolves solely around where this character can find someone to have ‘flesh’ sex with, only for the two characters to never speak again; this interaction in particular raised my hackles because I’m not fond of the defining aspect of a woman’s character in a text being her sexuality/desire.
My critiques are largely personal preference which means Hard Reboot may still be a delight to many. If you’re looking for a fast, fun read with a great worldbuilding, awesome action scenes with giant robots, and sapphic leads, I would still recommend this novella. If there are ever more entries in this universe in the future, I would be interested in exploring it more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 17, 2021
Hard reboot can be summarized as an engaging novella about mecha robots and lesbians.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
Plot: Kas, a young academic, travels to old Earth on what was supposed to be a simple research mission but she soon ends up entangled in a con by Zhi, a native and mecha pilot, whose crazy plan of winning an arena battle will be the only way for Kas to get out of this mess.
What I liked the most about this novella was the fact that although it is set in a distant future, the robots (the mecha) are presented as vintage tech! And how cool is that? It’s like watching Neon Genesis Evangelion and getting that futuristic-retro vibe.
The worldbuilding was very solid considering the story develops in under 200 pages. I really enjoyed how off-worlders and native Earthers speak in different ways and have their own sort of dialects.
The characters were also very interesting and charming, you can either love them or hate them but I’m sure they won’t leave you indifferent. And they’re also queer, which is always a good trait in my humble (and queer) opinion!
Regarding the plot, I enjoyed how fast-paced and action-packed it was while also being critical of our dependency on technologies and phones. The story is set in the future but that felt very current, especially when it exposes how helpless we seem to be sometimes when we want to socialize without the help of technologies.
I enjoyed this novella from start to finish and it has made me want to read any of the other books Django Wexler has written. Oh! And I’m also super into mechas now!
5⭐ / 5⭐
Rep: (L)GBT – Main characters
Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
Plot: Kas, a young academic, travels to old Earth on what was supposed to be a simple research mission but she soon ends up entangled in a con by Zhi, a native and mecha pilot, whose crazy plan of winning an arena battle will be the only way for Kas to get out of this mess.
What I liked the most about this novella was the fact that although it is set in a distant future, the robots (the mecha) are presented as vintage tech! And how cool is that? It’s like watching Neon Genesis Evangelion and getting that futuristic-retro vibe.
The worldbuilding was very solid considering the story develops in under 200 pages. I really enjoyed how off-worlders and native Earthers speak in different ways and have their own sort of dialects.
The characters were also very interesting and charming, you can either love them or hate them but I’m sure they won’t leave you indifferent. And they’re also queer, which is always a good trait in my humble (and queer) opinion!
Regarding the plot, I enjoyed how fast-paced and action-packed it was while also being critical of our dependency on technologies and phones. The story is set in the future but that felt very current, especially when it exposes how helpless we seem to be sometimes when we want to socialize without the help of technologies.
I enjoyed this novella from start to finish and it has made me want to read any of the other books Django Wexler has written. Oh! And I’m also super into mechas now!
5⭐ / 5⭐
Rep: (L)GBT – Main characters
July 20, 2021
This energetic little novella has everything you could want from a SFF story: space travel, run-down far future earth, robots battling to the death, action, adventure, violence, intrigue, computer coding, annoying elders, sarcastic wit, and romance.
I read this on a plane flight, and just at the final scene of bipolar to robot mayhem, with massive punches being thrown and robot arms ripped from their sockets, the plane landed, a bit roughly. I had no idea we were so close to land, because I was so wrapped up in the story. Wow that sudden and unexpected impact while reading about sudden impacts was … it was whoa.
I read this on a plane flight, and just at the final scene of bipolar to robot mayhem, with massive punches being thrown and robot arms ripped from their sockets, the plane landed, a bit roughly. I had no idea we were so close to land, because I was so wrapped up in the story. Wow that sudden and unexpected impact while reading about sudden impacts was … it was whoa.
May 30, 2021
Quick entertaining read of the very distant future.. and Giant mech robots fighting gladiator style, who doesn’t like that?
April 18, 2025
Nothing to run home about but it was fun
May 29, 2023
This was a super cute little novella about giant fighting robots and finding love in a hopeless place. Super enjoyable!
August 10, 2021
This needed to be like 200 pages longer! I didn't want it to end!
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