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XOR AX, AX

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From the bestselling author of A drive through time, The Squeamish Vampire, and the DC Coven series comes a high-tech thriller with a hint of Sci-Fi à la Stargate. Fans of Mr. Robot and Jack Reacher shouldn't miss this. Hacking. Secret agents. Alien AI. This book has it all.

A trio of diverse people comprised of Axel Anderson, a brilliant hacker with anxiety problems, Yasmine Karam, a jaded international thief with trust issues, and Jack Mitchell, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces colonel haunted by the loss of his squad, are hired by an inconspicuous mining company. They join a secretive ex-CIA operative, Ming Wen, in a globetrotting adventure to retrieve four precious artifacts from private collections.
Nothing goes according to plan, and soon they find themselves hunted by the London police, Turkish human traffickers, and rogue US government agents. Only with the help of an alien AI can the team stay out of the clutches of their pursuers.

The stakes sky-rocket when they find out the truth about the artifacts they were hired to steal. It's a revelation that goes far beyond anything they could have imagined. Access to advanced alien technology is on the wishlist of the most cunning and ruthless secret agencies from all over the world, and the team becomes their primary target.

Would the alien AI and a battered old spaceship that crash-landed on Earth be enough to help them survive?

336 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2022

81 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read

About the author

Andrei Saygo

8 books35 followers

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5 stars
86 (40%)
4 stars
84 (39%)
3 stars
34 (15%)
2 stars
7 (3%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Amy Johnson.
Author 4 books61 followers
July 1, 2022
Actual Rating: 4.5

I’ve read and reviewed several of Saygo’s books! I think it’s fair to call myself a fan at this point! Generally speaking, I’ve enjoyed every book he’s written (some more than others, to be fair). This book is no exception.

Saygo has a succinct voice that, by now, I’m able to recognize. It’s simplistic and character-focused, but also descriptive enough that he doesn’t leave the reader wondering. For this particular book, he used a third-person, head-hopping sort of omniscient style, allowing you to really see into each persons mind simultaneously. For some that might be overwhelming, and I was concerned at first too, but Saygo manages to use it to his advantage.

Another thing that really shines in this book is the characterization. It’s what makes the head hopping less overwhelming. Saygo presents us with a massive cast, but the main four are really the central focus. And these four are exceptionally written. It’s easy to tell who’s head you’re in from the first moment you switch, just by little nuances in how they think.

I generally don’t enjoy thrillers. A tech thriller should be no exception. But, as I type out this review, I can’t remember anything about the novel I didn’t like. Which is odd for me. 😂

Overall, an excellent tech thriller with phenomenal characters and a page-turning plot. I highly recommend if this is your genre of choice.
Profile Image for Sarah B.
1,335 reviews27 followers
February 10, 2024
A Fun Fast Paced Adventure Story

This was fun fast paced adventure story. A lot of it is dialogue so the whole thing can be read quickly. The characters are not really that well developed but the action kind of makes up for it and I really didn't mind too much.

I did think the second half of the book was better, once they had finished those four missions they had to do. Because that is also when the plot got a bit more complicated and more twisty. And then I started to ponder a few things.

The author says this is like Stargate and I do indeed see the similarities. Cheyenne Mountain is even in here with the secret military base! Obviously there is no mention of a Stargate but its fun to imagine its down there while you read this and our main characters are just totally unaware.

Towards the end of the book they had decided to do a few things and I must admit I was uncertain if that was the best thing to do. I mean the plot was making me think. And when I do that then the story has my attention. But the first half of the book was kind of dull even if it was full of action and lots of dangerous scenes. I guess just pure action by itself is rather boring to me as I was some mystery, suspense to keep my brain occupied. I want to ponder stuff.

And while I was thinking there at the end, I am a tad doubtful if the plot is good enough for me to read the sequel. All of the characters are kind of flat.
Profile Image for Tenkara Smart.
Author 3 books168 followers
July 7, 2022
Highly entertaining, well-paced, action packed novel! The author presented the four main characters well and by the end of the book, I felt I knew each of their individual personalities. I loved the idea of technology influencing the characters ives and activities - well done. Also, I like to compare books to other books and/or movies I've read and though this has sci-fi, the pace and 'heist' reminded me of Gone in 60 Seconds, and I loved that they travelled to different parts of the globe - I imagine the author has been to these places as the imagery was vivid and felt real. Nicely done if you want action/adventure mixed with high-tech/sci fi.
Profile Image for Kym Gamble.
378 reviews20 followers
June 29, 2022
Very interesting

Four people are blackmailed to steal gems in this fast-paced adventure. Totally not alike, they agree and set off for Mexico. From there they travel all over the world. Who wants them and why ?
Profile Image for Tabatha Shipley.
Author 15 books90 followers
June 30, 2022
What I Did Like:
-The tech is cool and the decision to not go into detail about it without explaining it in “layman’s terms” for other characters is a good one. This keeps people from saying it’s impossible and leaves plenty to your imagination.
-The realism of a team who has never worked together before comes through. They don’t get it all completely right the first time, there are hiccups and missteps. I like that. Too often I think we see team books drop in characters who are so perfect they can work together well right away. This team is more realistic than that!
-I like the ending. You don’t have all the answers but you have enough to be satisfied. This does leave the door open for you to think about the team and what could be happening in their world right now. Of course, it also means the author may decide to write a second book someday. But, honestly, I’m happy even if it ends here.

Who Should Read This One:
-Fans of technology driven science fiction books. There’s some really cool tech here!
-I also want to mention, quickly, that I honestly didn’t see anything in this one that screamed YA to me. I know there are a lot of you out there who avoid YA books because you’re not fans of the drama teenagers can bring. This isn’t teenagers and there really isn’t excessive drama. Don’t let the YA part scare you off!

My Rating: 3 Stars
This is a good sci fi story using technology to drive a heist type story that takes an interesting twist.

For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2022/...
533 reviews4 followers
August 8, 2022
Book #: 31
Title: Xor Ax, Ax
Author: Andrei Saygo
Format: Kindle Edition, 304 pages, recent ebook giveaway
Pub Date: Published May 18th 2022
Started: May 30, 2022 Ended: July 29, 2022
Awards: none
Categories:
A book published in 2022 (PpSgr 01); A book about a "found family" (PpSgr 09); A book about a secret (PpSgr 25); * A book with a misleading title (PpSgr 26); A book you know nothing about (PpSgr 36); A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y (Axel) (GrRds 01); * 3 books set on three different continents - Book 3 (GrRds 10); A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads - 29 ratings · 15 reviews (GrRds 14); A book without a person on the cover (GrRds 15); Over 300 Pages (BkHdr 06); By a Male Author (BkHdr 08); Thriller Mystery Suspense Paranormal (BkHdr 09); New to YOU Author (BkHdr 20); First book in a series; (Dag);
Rating: **1/2 two and a half out of five stars

Axel is one of the best hackers in the country, until he got caught. Good news, he didn't get caught by law enforcement and he's not going to prison. Bad news, he got caught by a corporation that wants him to work for them, no is not an acceptable answer.

Axel Anderson meets the rest of the team; Jack Mitchell retired Special Forces turned mercenary, Yasmine Karam an international jewel thief, and Ming Wen former(?) CIA operative. They have to steal four jewels from places around the world and replace them with flawless duplicates. Succeed and they will be paid millions, fail and they die.

A single heist should be material for a novel all by itself. Four of them in 300 pages, which includes the 'climatic conclusion' and you're looking at a heist every 70 pages or so. The state of the art equipment they're given borders on magic, communicators that function like telepathy, pills that can completely heal you after you've been shot three times. By the time of the big reveal, the jewels are alien power sources and their tech is from a saucer crash, it's obvious.

The characters are stereotypes, wooden cutouts. The budding romance between Axel and Yasmine goes nowhere. Breaking into NORAD should be a novel all by itself, not something you plan and execute in two days. They're a 'found family'. How do we know this? Axel says so towards the end of the book. And if you're going to introduce a character, either describe them right away so the reader knows how you see him, or don't describe them at all and let the reader build their own image. Character descriptions 200 pages in is jarring. And the book ends in a cliffhanger with the team on the run from MIB, to be continued in "XOR, Bx, Bx" the sequel. The only reason I would read it was to complete the category of "A Book Title that Starts with the Last Letter of the Previous Title" in the most oddball way possible. It was something to read while waiting in lines. Otherwise don't bother.
Profile Image for Dawn Christine.
Author 6 books31 followers
July 23, 2022
Solid premise

This multiple POV sci-fi adventure ramped up slowly with theists and team building before finally revealing the more fantastical aspects. The author did well hinting at the "more" behind certain pieces of technology and didn't let the tech speak slow the pacing down too much or lose the reader. A habit of telling rather than showing made it harder to connect to both the storyline and the characters. I would have loved to see the relationships between the four MCs more fleshed out so I could understand their decisions and motives more. As this is the first in a series, that may come out more in future volumes. A solid premise to start though.
Author 3 books16 followers
July 3, 2022
Wow. This book took me from an engaging and suspenseful Heist type story to a world of conspiracy and sci-fi. It’s full of thrilling action and just when you think the team is safe, something else happens to raise your heartbeat! I absolutely loved it and was super happy it was my book club’s choice this time! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves high paced action, technology, suspense and conspiracy carried by a team that are thrown together seemingly randomly, but all have something special to make it work somehow. There were a few ‘oh really’ moments, but the author managed to convince me to go with the flow and embrace the story. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel!
Profile Image for Deborah King.
Author 8 books28 followers
July 3, 2022
A Fun Adventure!

Sci-fi is not my go-to genre, though Andrei Saygo’s superb writing style, simplistic explanations, and descriptive scenes drew me into the story and hooked me. So much so, I’m becoming a fan.

The characters’ were well developed and grew to bond with one another, leading them to trust their teammates and accomplish their goals, which was an added plus. Top that off with the imaginative gadgets and aides the characters used throughout the book, leads me to highly recommend reading XOR AX, AX.
Profile Image for Veronica Shaw.
Author 1 book6 followers
July 5, 2022
Alien assistant at its best! What a journey in team work and understanding!

I absolutely loved that Jack had his work cut out to build a team out of four such very different characters. The books ending really justifies his belief in them and their development. Great ending.
I'm really looking forward to their return to Colorado Springs for their next mission.
Profile Image for S.A.McClelland S.A.McClelland.
Author 7 books9 followers
July 11, 2022
A thrilling sci-fi

A very thrilling read that sees four random people thrown together to steal artifacts that at first seem unimportant. This tale is lively, and full of friendship and keeps you wanting more. I can't wait for the next installment. And if your a fan of Sci-fi then you won't want to miss this read!
5 reviews
June 6, 2022
New spin on First Contact story

Very fun story with likable characters. Saygo has done a good job building a hodge podge team that you will enjoy spending time with. Can't wait for Book 2 in the series.
6 reviews2 followers
August 4, 2022
if you’re a geek

This book is very well written. It’s characters interesting and likeable. I found the mixture of computer knowledge and a great story fascinating. Well worth the read if you like thriller style science fiction.
14 reviews
January 31, 2023
Amazing, fast, characters very human. Very descriptive of the surroundings.

I loved this new approach of first contact with aliens. The awe , the fear and sometimes the terror. The story is fast , just enough to enjoy the reading, but still makes you "jump" with the twist and turns.
Well written so everything is well understood. You don't have to "backtrack" to understand who said what.
The backgrounds are well described without taking the central point of the action.
Profile Image for Felicia.
5 reviews
November 22, 2022
This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook.

The story was slow paced as the characters developed. This gave me time to get to know each character from their different perspectives. Once the story lined started to pick up it did not stop. I can honestly say I am interested in Sci- Fi books now because of this one book.
Profile Image for Read Ng.
1,355 reviews26 followers
July 19, 2022
This was a GoodReads giveaway win of a Kindle ebook.

A bit formula. Not much innovative. It is a setup for a series of adventures. It does read as stand alone.

I liked it well enough. Our main protagonists does start to get a bit high tech and geeky in explaining himself a couple of times, but his fellow crew bring him back to layman's terms. I found that a funny way for the author to check himself, but that is the geek in me. I did think our heroes were a bit too slow to realize they were dealing with alien technology at times, but the reader already knows this is a piece of sci-fi, so maybe they are rightly naive? I am not sure how to better disguise the alien tech for a more shocking realization.

I can see this evolving the nanotech towards superhuman abilities for our heroes. I am not sure that is the kind of "fantasy" book I want to read, but that would be in the future series. Overall, I find most stories moving us instantly from present day to a vastly superior technology to be lacking in the discovery and failing to explore the limitations of that new tech. Physics does have a speed limit and I would like to recognize and push that boundary.

Have a GoodReads.
Profile Image for H.G. Ahedi.
Author 24 books54 followers
July 21, 2022
Four strangers, four heists, lots of action and full of surprises. This is the second book that I have read of this author had is adept for being a bit different. Which is great! I loved the characters and how they stand up for each other by the end. The action and the tech are lovable – I like the authors imagination and the possibility of such a technology existing is not.
A nice twisty sci fi thriller with an ending which could be much better. I felt the heists were a bit rushed and didn’t give the reader a lot of chance to understand what was happening. Then at a point - I thought a certain tech (no spoilers) was not useful anymore but then the characters use it anyway. It left me confused.
Overall, a great read. For Sci fi readers who enjoy almost earthly tales are welcome to it 😉
Profile Image for Arlene Lomazoff-Marron.
Author 7 books64 followers
July 12, 2022
Enjoyable!

I enjoyed the first part of the series, of Axel and Yasmine and company. The action was riveting at times, and kept me engrossed. The book was well edited, and the characters were well developed and interesting.
I had difficulty reconciling the head hopping and change in point of view throughout the book. It would have been easier to digest if there were breaks in the action, or perhaps action from just a couple of characters per chapter. Overall, a promising start to the series.
Profile Image for Sandy L Williams.
Author 2 books5 followers
July 20, 2022
An enjoyable sci-fi

When I started this book, it seemed it was following a story of four people that were on a heist but as you keep reading it's so much more. Well written storyline and characters, the head hopping can be challenging but it grips you and keeps you engaged to want to carry on. If you like a thrilling sci-fi then this is the book for you.
Read as part of a book club
301 reviews3 followers
November 15, 2023
Hacker, Thief, Soldier, Spy

If you took Warehouse 13, The Librarians and Leverage and threw them in a blender with an alien AI, you'd have a pretty good idea of what this book is about. Things start out a little rocky, but the team gels as the book progresses. It's fast paced and a quick easy read.
Profile Image for Chris.
70 reviews
July 24, 2022
Kept me engauged

Written well enough to keep me reading to the end as well as wanting the next. The next may not be available yet.
Profile Image for EM3.
70 reviews
Read
November 24, 2023
Great sf thriller

A fun read, plenty of action and science fiction. Secret organizations, powerful artifacts, aliens. Clean, not crude. Looking forward to book 2.
8 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2024
XOR rocks...!

Really enjoyed the fantastic journey of Axel and mates and being so expertly guided into the 'known unknown' by Andrei. I'm ready for book 2 in this dynamic series👌
78 reviews1 follower
May 7, 2024
I quite enjoyed it, entertaining light Si-Fi
44 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2024
Totally different and yet?

Not too many characters in this well thought out plot with enough story left for another book to follow. Bring on the next episode
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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