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Machine Mandate #2
Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast
Vishnu’s Leviathan: a half-beast, half-machine warship famed for its speed and might. The great prize that armies across the galaxies will kill to possess.
Admiral Anoushka was once a ghost. Now she's the universe's most brutal commander with a debt to a godlike AI. To repay it—and to complete her long revenge—she’s set her sights on the leviathan. Neither the warship’s flesh horrors nor its ruthless ruler will stand in her way.
But all her plans couldn't prepare her for what waits in the belly of the beast: a foe that matches her in ferocity and thirst for vengeance . . . and a deep treachery that may prove her undoing.
Set in the same universe as And Shall Machines Surrender.
Admiral Anoushka was once a ghost. Now she's the universe's most brutal commander with a debt to a godlike AI. To repay it—and to complete her long revenge—she’s set her sights on the leviathan. Neither the warship’s flesh horrors nor its ruthless ruler will stand in her way.
But all her plans couldn't prepare her for what waits in the belly of the beast: a foe that matches her in ferocity and thirst for vengeance . . . and a deep treachery that may prove her undoing.
Set in the same universe as And Shall Machines Surrender.
86 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2020
73 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Benjanun Sriduangkaew
83 books405 followersScience fiction, fantasy, and others in the between. Cute kissing ladies? I write those. Ruthless genocidal commanders? Got that covered too! 2014 finalist for Campbell Award for Best New Writer, 2015 BSFA finalist for Best Short Fiction (SCALE-BRIGHT). I like beautiful bugs and strange cities.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 7, 2021
First five star read of 2021.
In Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast, we returned to Benjanun Sriduangkaew's cyberpunk and space opera world of Machine Mandate. All the usuals are here. Predominant Southeast Asian influences and mostly lesbian characters with some non-binary sides.
Anoushka, the butch lesbian warlord from Where Machines Run with Gold and Then Will the Sun Rise Alabaster is the central protagonist along with her wives Numadesi (My favorite) and Xuejiao. The AI Benzaiten in Autumn, original from And Shall Machines Surrender, tasks Anoushka with returning to her homeworld Vishnu's Leviathon, a giant serpentine and piscine monster that swims through space and actually has a colony of people living on it. Benzaiten in Autumn senses that another AI is onboard and that the leader of Vishnu's Leviathon, Queen Nirupa, is hosting an auction for leviathan larvae to mask this. Such a rogue AI could cause scandal within the Mandate, the ruling AI. Along with Xuejiao, Anoushka returns to the place of her birth confident she can get the job done, as she always is. Shortly after arriving, Anoushka realizes that the task is not so easy and that her past has come to haunt her, including an old enemy named Erisant whose fleet, homeworld, and husband were all destroyed by Anoushka.
As always, Sriduangkaew's prose is a delight. I believe she has finally found a balance between lushness and understandability. What I enjoyed most about this story is the backstories of Anoushka and Numadesi, the well-done snippets of worldbuilding, and just how much more humanized Anoushka and Numadesi are. In previous installments, we got that Anoushka and Numadesi were a power couple and that Numadesi worships Anoushka; but we never got much else besides their confidence. Here, we learn that the wives keep secrets from each other and for good reason. Anoushka shows genuine fear, hurt, and loss at the situation around her the circumstances around her other wife Xuejiao.
We also know that Anoushka's past in Vishnu's Leviathon still tears at her despite so many centuries of being away from it and growing so powerful. The final battle and ending scenes were genuinely saddening.
One thing I did enjoy was Erisant seeking vengeance for eir husband. I have never seen a non-binary character desire vengeance for their spouse, let alone a husband. Although not a huge focus, it was refreshing to see that. I did feel for Erisant for all that ey lost.
A much needed addition to Machine Mandate.
In Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast, we returned to Benjanun Sriduangkaew's cyberpunk and space opera world of Machine Mandate. All the usuals are here. Predominant Southeast Asian influences and mostly lesbian characters with some non-binary sides.
Anoushka, the butch lesbian warlord from Where Machines Run with Gold and Then Will the Sun Rise Alabaster is the central protagonist along with her wives Numadesi (My favorite) and Xuejiao. The AI Benzaiten in Autumn, original from And Shall Machines Surrender, tasks Anoushka with returning to her homeworld Vishnu's Leviathon, a giant serpentine and piscine monster that swims through space and actually has a colony of people living on it. Benzaiten in Autumn senses that another AI is onboard and that the leader of Vishnu's Leviathon, Queen Nirupa, is hosting an auction for leviathan larvae to mask this. Such a rogue AI could cause scandal within the Mandate, the ruling AI. Along with Xuejiao, Anoushka returns to the place of her birth confident she can get the job done, as she always is. Shortly after arriving, Anoushka realizes that the task is not so easy and that her past has come to haunt her, including an old enemy named Erisant whose fleet, homeworld, and husband were all destroyed by Anoushka.
As always, Sriduangkaew's prose is a delight. I believe she has finally found a balance between lushness and understandability. What I enjoyed most about this story is the backstories of Anoushka and Numadesi, the well-done snippets of worldbuilding, and just how much more humanized Anoushka and Numadesi are. In previous installments, we got that Anoushka and Numadesi were a power couple and that Numadesi worships Anoushka; but we never got much else besides their confidence. Here, we learn that the wives keep secrets from each other and for good reason. Anoushka shows genuine fear, hurt, and loss at the situation around her the circumstances around her other wife Xuejiao.
We also know that Anoushka's past in Vishnu's Leviathon still tears at her despite so many centuries of being away from it and growing so powerful. The final battle and ending scenes were genuinely saddening.
One thing I did enjoy was Erisant seeking vengeance for eir husband. I have never seen a non-binary character desire vengeance for their spouse, let alone a husband. Although not a huge focus, it was refreshing to see that. I did feel for Erisant for all that ey lost.
A much needed addition to Machine Mandate.
February 15, 2021
Loosely a sequel to And Shall Machines Surrender. I have very mixed feelings about this book, even more so than the first one. I found the middle half of the book pretty compelling (ie, once the plot started happening but before it resolved wayyyy too quickly), but it had a lot of the same problems as the first book: much more a sketch of a potentially-great novel than a good novella in itself.
Also, the overly flowery writing style really started to grate on me--it seemed like everyone except Benzaiten spoke in exactly the same voice as the narrator. (And Shall Machines Surrender had a bit of this tendency, but I found the character voices fairly justifiable and at least somewhat distinct there; not so here.)
Also, the overly flowery writing style really started to grate on me--it seemed like everyone except Benzaiten spoke in exactly the same voice as the narrator. (And Shall Machines Surrender had a bit of this tendency, but I found the character voices fairly justifiable and at least somewhat distinct there; not so here.)
January 2, 2023
I didn’t manage to finish this on NYE so instead it’s my first read of the new year! This is definitely my least favourite of the four novellas in this series that I’ve read so far, probably more like a 3.5 stars? I feel like there was less focus on the relationships and more focus on a lot of plot dynamics with side characters who weren’t particularly close to the main character, thus we didn’t get as much of the usual breathtaking relationship dynamics I love so much. That being said, I hugely enjoyed the villain aspect. That’s all I’ll say to avoid giving away any spoilers.
Content warnings: blood and gore, violence, sexual content including bdsm themes, discussions around vulnerability and disassembly (done to a cyborg partner) during bdsm scene
Content warnings: blood and gore, violence, sexual content including bdsm themes, discussions around vulnerability and disassembly (done to a cyborg partner) during bdsm scene
December 27, 2020
This review contains heavy, heavy spoilers.
Now Will Machines Hollow The Beast is a highly compressed, condensed sort of story. One could imagine a full-length novel at the typical speculative fictional standard of 100k words or more that covers the same ground. But this density provides something that the novel would lack- the impression of its being an episode. One could envision, in some alternate timeline of sapphic domination, an entire series of short novels in the popular Admiral Anoushka franchise, the sort of thing Americans tend to call "light novels" because there are far more weeaboos reading fan translations of Dirty Pair novels than Deutschophiles reading fan translations of Perry Rhodan novels. But I digress, as these short novels do not exist, but Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast draws upon the strength of that kind of ongoing serial fiction- the normality of the beginning situation- without the typical flaws of the medium- reading 50 books of uneven quality to find out what's going on.
All this so far has been about structure and medium- what about the plot? Well, if you're looking for information about the plot, you won't find it here! Instead, let's talk about the heart beating merrily away beneath the plot. Let's talk about... theme.
Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast is a book wherein all the characters have pasts they wish to leave behind them, but that they cannot. They have peeled themselves out of their skin and put on a new one, or, in Anoushka's own version of this, she has cut out the organs that chained her to a biological destiny she did not desire, that she was kept in slavery to. Which is to say, the queerness and the transness of the story is very upfront. But these characters have not, and possibly cannot, truly sever their pasts. And so Anoushka seizes eagerly on her chance for brutal revenge against Vishnu's Leviathan, and Numadesi dissembles about her true astounding and incredible abilities, and Xuejiao decides to die rather than be forgiven, and Seung Ngo tries to transform themself into a living starship, because they're a peripheral character and exist primarily to literalize this metaphor. And Benzaiten in Autumn continues to try and reinvent herself endlessly, her past so thoroughly erased that while she knows each of the other characters' pasts, they know nothing except what she lets slip.
It would be tempting to suggest that Benzaiten is thus the ideal that these other characters aspire to, the perfect being, but Benzaiten exists in a state of isolation, unable to ever really trust anyone, and the novella ends on Anouskha and Numadesi clinging to each other, neither able to truly expose themselves fully to the other, both fully known by the other in the ways that matter. Perhaps this is sufficient- the ability to confront the past, and then have someone to console you afterwards.
5 stars. Read it!
Now Will Machines Hollow The Beast is a highly compressed, condensed sort of story. One could imagine a full-length novel at the typical speculative fictional standard of 100k words or more that covers the same ground. But this density provides something that the novel would lack- the impression of its being an episode. One could envision, in some alternate timeline of sapphic domination, an entire series of short novels in the popular Admiral Anoushka franchise, the sort of thing Americans tend to call "light novels" because there are far more weeaboos reading fan translations of Dirty Pair novels than Deutschophiles reading fan translations of Perry Rhodan novels. But I digress, as these short novels do not exist, but Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast draws upon the strength of that kind of ongoing serial fiction- the normality of the beginning situation- without the typical flaws of the medium- reading 50 books of uneven quality to find out what's going on.
All this so far has been about structure and medium- what about the plot? Well, if you're looking for information about the plot, you won't find it here! Instead, let's talk about the heart beating merrily away beneath the plot. Let's talk about... theme.
Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast is a book wherein all the characters have pasts they wish to leave behind them, but that they cannot. They have peeled themselves out of their skin and put on a new one, or, in Anoushka's own version of this, she has cut out the organs that chained her to a biological destiny she did not desire, that she was kept in slavery to. Which is to say, the queerness and the transness of the story is very upfront. But these characters have not, and possibly cannot, truly sever their pasts. And so Anoushka seizes eagerly on her chance for brutal revenge against Vishnu's Leviathan, and Numadesi dissembles about her true astounding and incredible abilities, and Xuejiao decides to die rather than be forgiven, and Seung Ngo tries to transform themself into a living starship, because they're a peripheral character and exist primarily to literalize this metaphor. And Benzaiten in Autumn continues to try and reinvent herself endlessly, her past so thoroughly erased that while she knows each of the other characters' pasts, they know nothing except what she lets slip.
It would be tempting to suggest that Benzaiten is thus the ideal that these other characters aspire to, the perfect being, but Benzaiten exists in a state of isolation, unable to ever really trust anyone, and the novella ends on Anouskha and Numadesi clinging to each other, neither able to truly expose themselves fully to the other, both fully known by the other in the ways that matter. Perhaps this is sufficient- the ability to confront the past, and then have someone to console you afterwards.
5 stars. Read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
This series is all about the vibes.
The main character Anoushka didn’t grab me - I mostly just found her relationships with her wives creepy. Honestly, I was rooting for the antagonist here. In a full length novel, I feel like Anoushka could have been more nuanced. But the writing of this series is too heavy to be anything other than novellas.
The plot and setting shine, like in the first instalment. The writing is less flowery and annoying, but the main character's dialogue made me cringe at times. I honestly can’t say I remember much from the first instalment, hence my vibes comment. I love this universe with all its intrigue, AI stuff, future tech etc, but the characters aren’t connecting with me. Still, happy to keep reading and absorbing all those delicious vibes.
The main character Anoushka didn’t grab me - I mostly just found her relationships with her wives creepy. Honestly, I was rooting for the antagonist here. In a full length novel, I feel like Anoushka could have been more nuanced. But the writing of this series is too heavy to be anything other than novellas.
The plot and setting shine, like in the first instalment. The writing is less flowery and annoying, but the main character's dialogue made me cringe at times. I honestly can’t say I remember much from the first instalment, hence my vibes comment. I love this universe with all its intrigue, AI stuff, future tech etc, but the characters aren’t connecting with me. Still, happy to keep reading and absorbing all those delicious vibes.
September 14, 2025
I want to love these books soooooo badly i'm trying so hard but idk if i'm just too stupid or if the author really does not know how to explain things properly these books are so confusing and the obnoxious writing style doesn't help
December 6, 2024
Admiral Anoushka, known as the Alabaster Admiral, is a mercenary captain feared and respected throughout the galaxy. Even so, she has a favor to repay to a haruspex, a human-AI hybrid from the Shenzhen dyson sphere. That's where The Mandate resides, a collection of AI that could control everything, but chooses not to at this time. To that end she attends a bidding war at Vishnu's Leviathan, a massive biomechanical warship with extreme warfare capability. Larvae have been made available that in a few decades could develop into warships of similar power. The warring factions all want to be the highest bidder. What ought to be a relatively simple affair becomes complicated by enemies from the past long thought dead or irrelevant appearing once more. There are also simmering conflicts between members of the royal family.
This novella is in the same setting as first one, as are a few others that aren't numbered, but aside from that there's minimal overlap. Probably each one could be read standalone though I haven't confirmed that. The plot is straightforward, simple, and doesn't really matter all that much. How the characters interact with each other is what matters. Mostly it's their drama and the power dynamics thereof. As per the author's usual, all the characters are women. Men have little to no place in her writings. I don't mind that for her works.
Anoushka has two wives who vie for her affection and she has sex with both of them, though not at once, as they aren't friendly with each other. There are four sex scenes, and if there were much more than than that I'd start to think that was the primary purpose of the novella. Maybe it is even, or of at least equal importance to everything else. They're relatively brief, explicit, and at least one is definitely kinky. As in the author's previous works, the sex has a tendency towards BDSM, which isn't what I'd prefer, though it's intriguing in its own way. Some of the relationship drama is questionable, but that may be only because the ping-ponging of back and forth to enemies to lovers back to enemies, perhaps lovers again, isn't that familiar to me. However, it isn't really about romance, or at least I didn't see it that way. Worship, adulation, or devotion would seem to be more accurate.
As far as I've been able to tell I'm decidedly not the target demographic and almost surely not appreciating it in the intended manner. That's fine though and has its own appeal when it works out. I'll probably eventually read the rest of the series because it fills a specific niche of enjoyment and sometimes that suffices by itself.
Rating: 3.5/5
This novella is in the same setting as first one, as are a few others that aren't numbered, but aside from that there's minimal overlap. Probably each one could be read standalone though I haven't confirmed that. The plot is straightforward, simple, and doesn't really matter all that much. How the characters interact with each other is what matters. Mostly it's their drama and the power dynamics thereof. As per the author's usual, all the characters are women. Men have little to no place in her writings. I don't mind that for her works.
Anoushka has two wives who vie for her affection and she has sex with both of them, though not at once, as they aren't friendly with each other. There are four sex scenes, and if there were much more than than that I'd start to think that was the primary purpose of the novella. Maybe it is even, or of at least equal importance to everything else. They're relatively brief, explicit, and at least one is definitely kinky. As in the author's previous works, the sex has a tendency towards BDSM, which isn't what I'd prefer, though it's intriguing in its own way. Some of the relationship drama is questionable, but that may be only because the ping-ponging of back and forth to enemies to lovers back to enemies, perhaps lovers again, isn't that familiar to me. However, it isn't really about romance, or at least I didn't see it that way. Worship, adulation, or devotion would seem to be more accurate.
As far as I've been able to tell I'm decidedly not the target demographic and almost surely not appreciating it in the intended manner. That's fine though and has its own appeal when it works out. I'll probably eventually read the rest of the series because it fills a specific niche of enjoyment and sometimes that suffices by itself.
Rating: 3.5/5
June 7, 2021
Dreadful
Enjoyed the first book but the main character here is dreadful, unlikable, a statue with muscles in a frothy porn fantasy. Ick.
Enjoyed the first book but the main character here is dreadful, unlikable, a statue with muscles in a frothy porn fantasy. Ick.
August 30, 2021
You can never leave behind your past.
We return to Benjanun Sriduangkaew’s Machine Mandate series with book 2, Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast.
I was excited to get the story of Anoushka, the godlike warlord Alabaster Admiral, because she was an intriguing character mentioned in book 1. Now we get to know her and her first wife Numadesi and second wife Xuejiao, a Lieutenant in her Amaryllis Armada.
The biomechanical creature outsizes a dreadnought, its vacuum-adapted hide bright with golden eyes scattered along its spine. Segments of armor run along its fins, warping light where they meet the defensive aegis rings. Enormous, more capacious than most stations, greater than some moons. Scores of ship hover near the leviathan, dwarfed into clouds of gleaming hulls and thorned light.
The bulk of the story plays inside Vishnu’s Leviathan, where Anoushka, in the company of Xuejiao, is invited to an important auction. I’m falling in love with this series (and the author’s writing) as I’m getting to know the characters better. Superb world building. Excellent sequel.
The series is available on Scribd.
f/f bdsm elements
Themes: treachery, revenge and loss
5 Stars
We return to Benjanun Sriduangkaew’s Machine Mandate series with book 2, Now Will Machines Hollow the Beast.
I was excited to get the story of Anoushka, the godlike warlord Alabaster Admiral, because she was an intriguing character mentioned in book 1. Now we get to know her and her first wife Numadesi and second wife Xuejiao, a Lieutenant in her Amaryllis Armada.
The biomechanical creature outsizes a dreadnought, its vacuum-adapted hide bright with golden eyes scattered along its spine. Segments of armor run along its fins, warping light where they meet the defensive aegis rings. Enormous, more capacious than most stations, greater than some moons. Scores of ship hover near the leviathan, dwarfed into clouds of gleaming hulls and thorned light.
The bulk of the story plays inside Vishnu’s Leviathan, where Anoushka, in the company of Xuejiao, is invited to an important auction. I’m falling in love with this series (and the author’s writing) as I’m getting to know the characters better. Superb world building. Excellent sequel.
The series is available on Scribd.
f/f bdsm elements
Themes: treachery, revenge and loss
5 Stars
February 24, 2021
This book is the 2nd in the series, and probably the fourth related one in the overall Machine universe that I've read, and somehow, while I knew it was queer, women focused SF, I had not remarked before on how very sexual the focus is. I know it was a moderate amount in one of the side novels, but I don't remember it being quite so present as in this one. Or as overtly weird.
Main character is the Alabaster Admiral, both a military leader (although that is entirely left out of this story) and a world-assassin. She has two wives, both gorgeous and hypersexual, who help her in her conquest-for-money-and-glory path. Both seem entirely devoted to her, to the discomfit of some folks in other cultures. One is a rather normal wife and the other likes to be disassembled to be fucked - by which I mean to have her ceramic cyber limbs removed. Novel.
This particular story is about long cons, vengeance and identity, both for the main character and those around her. While some of it's a bit eye-rolly, it's also fun and moderately satisfying to see plots ravel and unravel between sex scenes. I should re-read the overall series someday.
Main character is the Alabaster Admiral, both a military leader (although that is entirely left out of this story) and a world-assassin. She has two wives, both gorgeous and hypersexual, who help her in her conquest-for-money-and-glory path. Both seem entirely devoted to her, to the discomfit of some folks in other cultures. One is a rather normal wife and the other likes to be disassembled to be fucked - by which I mean to have her ceramic cyber limbs removed. Novel.
This particular story is about long cons, vengeance and identity, both for the main character and those around her. While some of it's a bit eye-rolly, it's also fun and moderately satisfying to see plots ravel and unravel between sex scenes. I should re-read the overall series someday.
July 31, 2021
Too mundane...
This chapter, in the Mandate series, is character driven, the alabaster admiral happens to be such "character," which in my case is a character hard to identify with, to begin with the admiral comes off as a self absorbed, sadomasochistic tyrant, which only reassess her actual character, that of a ruthless mercenary; therefore, a book written about an individual which is by a long shot less than a role model is worth zero stars. This book should be marketed for the LGBT since it's all about personal vendetta and lesbian action, there is not much that can be inferred in the form of a good message out of this book, worth yet it takes place in the future but this is not my kind of future.
This chapter, in the Mandate series, is character driven, the alabaster admiral happens to be such "character," which in my case is a character hard to identify with, to begin with the admiral comes off as a self absorbed, sadomasochistic tyrant, which only reassess her actual character, that of a ruthless mercenary; therefore, a book written about an individual which is by a long shot less than a role model is worth zero stars. This book should be marketed for the LGBT since it's all about personal vendetta and lesbian action, there is not much that can be inferred in the form of a good message out of this book, worth yet it takes place in the future but this is not my kind of future.
December 11, 2020
This is a sequel to "and shall machines surrender" but it doesn't really follow the same plot, more that it features the same characters and is set in the same universe. This one is focused on the Alabaster Admiral, gradually revealing this hard and mysterious character. Lavishly queer and occasionally sexy as you'd expect from this author. And this isn't quite a spoiler but I was a little bit surprised to find it sweet as well. An engaging story and an excellent sequel. I do recommend reading the other book first but I actually enjoyed this one more.
June 4, 2021
When starting this I thought I would be bummed as we moved on from characters I enjoyed in the first of this series. I was surprised to find that I loved this even more! The admiral is a character that I found fascinating and fun to follow! Will keep on in this universe for sure!
December 30, 2021
A book full of beauty. Focused on the dynamics and beauty between people, and also the beautiful fear and loss within one's self. While sometimes the larger words can be challenging for some readers, it reads beautifully. And I'm so happy I read it.
January 27, 2022
Fantastic and moving and sweet. This book was amazing! I read this book when it first came out and I still think about this book often. This is such an enthralling book, I loved all the characters and the story is still SO amazing!
December 8, 2020
(nog en 4a egentligen)
April 16, 2023
a lot of this went riiight over my head :))
January 14, 2024
Tense crisp smart moving emotional sexy intelligent: THIS IS A GOOD BOOK! I really enjoy everything I’ve read by this author, really forward thinking and inventive.
June 28, 2024
4/5
Admiral Anoushka could step on me, but she's loyal to her wive(s).
Admiral Anoushka could step on me, but she's loyal to her wive(s).
May 14, 2025
I love vicious women. I love vengeance stories. I love this series 💜
May 3, 2021
Good sequel
I think there was a typo in the book near the end.
This is an interesting universe. I'm not sure I agree with how AIs are portrayed. I feel they are too human, but I am enjoying the series.
I think there was a typo in the book near the end.
This is an interesting universe. I'm not sure I agree with how AIs are portrayed. I feel they are too human, but I am enjoying the series.
December 8, 2020
great novella! loved seeing more of the alabaster admiral. it managed to be wonderfully sensual and kinky, romantic, and emotionally devestating and an alltogether interesting and enjoyable plot. the reveal felt a little rushed but the aftermath was perfection
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2022
Just as good as the first book - I drank up the prose and found myself really intrigued by certain turns of phrase that immediately imprinted a vivid image of the events in my head. Admiral Anoushka is a very intriguing main character, flawed and coarse and complex, and once again we have a plot twist that made me want to go back and reread all of the foreshadowing. Just delightful.
July 14, 2022
This is a very loose sequel to And Shall Machines Surrender, and it's not necessary to have read the first to understand this one.
This was absolutely excellent. The scifi is so good in these books, and then there's a sex scene where someone is literally dismantled until she's just a torso. If that doesn't sell you, I don't know what would.
This was absolutely excellent. The scifi is so good in these books, and then there's a sex scene where someone is literally dismantled until she's just a torso. If that doesn't sell you, I don't know what would.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews