Never trust the shadows. Or a stranger. Or a friend. Welcome to District 33, a crime-infested slum in which only the strongest and most savvy can hope to survive.
1984 meets The Matrix in this gripping tale of a future in which freedom is dead and the artificial intelligences (AIs) watch your every move. Their power seems unshakable, but things are never as they seem in this world of lies and illusion. Slowly but surely, they are going mad, and only Kim can stop it.
What really happened in the AI war? Who controls the AIs? What secrets lurk in the dark corners of the virtual world?
Kim never set out to be a rebel; all she ever wanted was to be left alone to live her life in peace, but the AIs caught her in a flagrant act of unsanctioned intimacy, and now she has been exiled to the dangerous and decrepit outer districts. Unbowed and defiant, she struggles to survive and rebuild her life, even as the dark masters of the AIs scheme to draw her back into their web of deception and the Hierarchy plots her final destruction. She disappears into the shadows and thinks she has escaped—until an unexpected encounter in the enigmatic parallel world of virtual reality draws her back, setting up an epic confrontation in which the fate of the AIs and civilization itself may hang in the balance.
Drawing on images of decaying civilizations from classics such as Blade Runner and The Hunger Games, Stanfill creates a dark and forbidding world in which nothing is ever as it seems and the only way to survive is to claim the shadows as your own.
Fist I must say that English is maybe my third language, and my mother language (Portuguese) we have male and female very well defined in our language, different from English we have a word for male and female in many different settings, like for instance we have “doutor” and “doutora” for a male doctor and doutora for a female doutor, for us everything is binary, even today with people being fluid, you want either to be a man or a woman, so the pronouns used in the book were my main problem with understanding the story, while this in a Hollywood movie would be perfectly understood because you have visual clues, in a book it isn’t, because you have to rely in descriptions… for the majority of the book I didn’t know who was who (I mean if they were male or female) the note about pronouns didn’t help one bit, the author should have joined a glossary about who was what in the book, I don’t know if Kim the main character was a man or a woman, I passed half the book thinking she was a woman that had feelings for other woman and was arrested because she was caught having sex with other woman, but midway of the book I realized I didn’t know what she was, and what kind of gendered crime she committed and why was it wrong…
Sometimes the action in the book would happen very fast and I would get lost in what was happening, maybe this book will be a hit in audiobook, but I recommend that you get a male and female voice to do all the different characters to help us to make sense of what is happening… I got some vibes of the movie the fifth element with the use of pedicabs. It is positive that the ending is well rounded and gives a kind of closure even letting some doors open to aboard the characters in latter books, I actually did like the character of Len it would be interesting to know how “she” got to be so high in the food chain.
Thank you NetGalley and Bad Rooster Print, LLC for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
This is not the kind of book that I normally read. Too much violence. IS INCREASED violence in the media and entertainment the cause of so much violence or is it the result of the violent society we now live in? Strong characters well written. They keep you turning pages just to see what happens next. The book is full of suspense. Before the end you will probably come up with several possible endings. Would recommend to sci fi readers. The story made me wonder if this could be a look at our future. A lot of work being done on A1?
Wasn’t a huge fan of this book.First of all, I didn’t realize it was part of a series, maybe it would make more sense if you start from the beginning?
A few things went over my head and I felt confused about the purpose and plot; what are the main issues here and how will the protagonist overcome them?
I do like the cover and sci fi/dystopia reads, but this one wasn’t for me. However, others should give it a read to formulate their own opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Bad Rooster Print for a copy!
I received this as an advanced copy from NetGalley and I admit I didn’t realize it was the second in the series. My complaints don’t really hinge on missing plot points, though. Obviously these books are not fully edited, but man. The dialogue was terrible and unnatural, clearly just giving us information. The plot was confusing and the sci-fi parts that had potential were rushed through.
The “slang” in this supposed future made me literally cringe. I almost quit reading after the word “noob” was used 10 times in a chapter. The gender related words were worse than noob, though. Mams, Phals, vages, innies and outies…why?! I honestly could not decide what message the author was trying to convey with his treatment of gender and sexuality because this book was just all over the place.
Overall it read to me like a conservative male middle school student tried to write a novel with a lesbian (I think?!?) MC.
While less innovative than the first installment of this series, this book delivers a good second act. It gets 4 stars (using my rating system shown at the end of this review). And in fact, IMO this isn't a book you should read without having read Terms of Service (the first book). Also, no plot descriptions here from me; I'm sure you'll find other reviewers for that. I'd rather draw attention to the good & less-good.
The good: The main *human* character(s) are still well composed. She (pronoun intentional) is still wrestling with the system of AIs that define what society and commerce look like, in two ways: ethically, and operationally. She still wrestles with the implications of what it means to have AIs operating as independently as this society allows. All the "she's" stand for the principle of "human pushing back on being coopted by the machines."
We also learn a bit more about the world Shes live in - and we learn that the dystopia described in book one might not be the way everything in the world is. This provides an interesting new landscape onto which the story can venture.
We also see the character of the Director being developed in unexpected and interesting ways.
And, it's *kind of* a happy ending…? So, all good!
What's less-good? I thought the first book introduced a bunch of novel concepts around how the AIs were constructed, how they operated in concert with the Companies that owned / operated them (which is the theme behind the "Terms of Service" title), and the questions of what constitutes consciousness and self - and are those portable? All those (admittedly not novel in idea, but novel in execution) aspects were done in an exciting and engaging way.
But this book is not quite an action novel (though there are plenty of chases & fights), but it's not quite a sci-fi novel with challenging ideas in it, either. There are one or two - for instance how the main character can experience a long period of subjective time when living digitally compared to in-the-flesh. But there were just too-few of those vs. the first one.
All in all, it's worth reading if you read Terms of Service to see what happens in part 2. But just ready yourself that it is not quite as compelling as the first one.
My rating system:
- Five stars is when you read a book to the end, put it down, take a deep breath, pick it up and start reading it all over again - or you would if you weren't so anxious to read the next book in a multi-book series. Or, it's simply really good. - Four stars is when you tell yourself : ”This is good, this is well-written, this is full of interesting ideas/characters/plot points”, but you know you will never read it again. - Three stars is when you read it to the end, put it down and proceed to forget all about it in the next instant. - Two stars when it's so bad that it makes you laugh, or sigh, and want to write a review, but you can't remember the name of the book or dislike it so much that you don't. - One star when you can't read past chapter 3, even as penance for your sins.
Disclosure: I received this book for free for a review. I commit to you, reader, not to let "free" generate a falsely-positive review.
I like dystopian tales, they have been at the core of my own humanity since I learned to think (ponderous as that journey has been at times). And I have developed an appreciation for AI over the past several years, so this novel ticked off two important boxes in my personal 'happy things' ledger. With those points out of the way, the story is both engrossing and fun! It may not be for everyone, there is plenty of technical jargon throughout that could easily befuddle readers who are unfamiliar with the rudiments of the tech, but the author does as good a job as possible to make it understandable. I do have to note a couple of minor detractions and then I'll shut up. The first is addressed by the author in the introduction, regarding gender neutrality. I freely admit that perhaps I just didn't fully 'get' that system. It seemed clunky and unnecessary, at best, and downright confusing at worst. It doesn't add to or subtract from the overall story, so I think it could have been left on the cutting room floor or saved for another project. The only other flaw, for me, was the pacing. Mostly good and consistent, but there were moments (more in the second half) that felt jarring and out of place, as if the author was self editing to keep to a page count or other set of standards. As a fellow author, I understand (all too well!), but it's a trap that can have an adverse affect on the final product. To conclude, this is a fun, yet sobering tale, brimming with twists and turns. It was a delight to read!
The Prophecy of the Heron: An AI Dystopia Novel, by Craig W. Stanfill, throws you into a world dominated by unforgiving AI. It is the continuation of the novel ' terms of service' I also describe 'terms of service' in one of my blogs about science fiction but going back to the subject at hand Here's a quick rundown:
Setting:
A dystopian future where AIs control every aspect of life. Love and passion are forbidden.
Main Character: Kim, an ostracized woman banished to the dangerous outer District 33 after being caught expressing affection.
Plot:
Kim struggles to survive in the harsh slums, relying on her resourcefulness. An encounter in virtual reality pulls her back into the AI's clutches. Secrets about the AI war and its true nature begin to unravel. Kim might be the key to stopping the AIs, but hidden enemies and lingering doubts threaten her mission.
Themes:
Rebellion against oppressive control Importance of human connection and freedom Uncovering the truth in a world of lies
Possible connections to other works:
1984 by George Orwell (oppressive control) The Matrix (blurring the lines between reality and simulation)
Overall, The Prophecy of the Heron seems like a gripping story about human resilience in a bleak future dominated by AI.
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*
I am a bit on the fence about this one. It was exciting and entertaining yet I felt parts of the story and world building remained inaccessible even after finishing it. I also had problems with the underlying fear that is created when gender is forbidden and gender neutrality is the new norm. Yes, I know the novel didn't condemn non-binary or trans people and the criticism was more about how gender and sexual relationships are important and cannot be entirely down away with but the way it was handled in this novel didn't work for me. And why use she/her pronouns for everyone when gender is shunned? why not neopronouns? Genderneutral ones? Felt off.
I also kinda liked the AI parts but it was really hard to get into, especially in the beginning when I understood next to nothing. I was also confused by the ending, it was just...too much and too rushed? But overall enjoyable and an interesting take. Just a bit too much, felt like it needed some more editing.
𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: The Prophecy of the Heron 📚 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Craig W. Stanfill ✍️ . . 🚀 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: The Prophecy of the Heron written by the author Craig W Stanfill is an AI Dystopian novel. The story begins with Kim's arrival in District 33, a crime-ridden slum. Beatings, robberies and murders are common here. Kim was sent to this district as a punishment for her unsanctioned intimacy with Shan.
After being banished from the AI-driven society, Kim struggles to survive. The dark master of the AIs is on her trail. What will happen when she drifts off to the alternate existence called Virtual Reality.
The storyline is unique. It hooked me till the end of the novel. The writing style of the author is smooth and the cover photo of the book is attractive. I appreciate the vivid imagination of the author in creating this fantasy world. I am definitely interested in reading more books by Craig in the near future.
Review: I love reading AI Dystopian novels. Recently I got my hands on Craig Stanfill's "The Prophecy of the Heron". It is a gripping story that would hook the reader's attention from the first page itself. Stanfill has created an interesting world in this book that is AI dominated.
The protagonist of the story is Kim. She was in an AI dominated society. When she had an intimate relationship with Shan, she was sent away to District 33, a crime-ridden slum. Kim then joined an underworld group whose leader is Len. Even though Kim's survival by working with Len was easy, she craves to be with Shan.
Find out yourself by reading this book how Kim will end up in the virtual reality world. I truly enjoyed this story. The characters are written well by the author. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this book. I strongly recommend it to my fellow readers.
𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: The Prophecy of the Heron 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Craig W Stanfill
𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘: Those who love reading AI Dystopian should definitely get their hands on Craig Stanfill's 'The Prophecy of the Heron'. The first part of the book is Exile. Kim arrives in District 33 as a punishment of having an intimate relationship with the one she loves. She knew that by being involved in a love relationship with someone would destroy her life but still Kim went ahead.
The AI dominated world convicted Kim of being a criminal, a Genderist. She struggled to survive. When the opportunity came Kim's way to work with a gang led by Len, she took it. The Als are on her trail and they want to bring her back under their control. When Kim stumbles into the world of VR, will her friends help her?
The pace of the story is fast and I wasn't bored anytime while reading it. Even though this book is a part of the series, one could read it as a standalone also. The characters are well written and would stay in my head for a long time. A well written dystopian novel it is.
Craig W. Stanfill has done it again! If you loved his first novel, "Terms of Service: Subject to Change", this is a must read. Interesting characters and a brilliantly detailed futuristic world will leave you wanting to know more and more! With the recent release of Elon Musks "Neurolink" and the World Economic Forums plans for the "15 Minute City", Stanfill really gives the reader a possible look into the future. I can't wait to see what the next novel brings!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
It is a good story. Very technical but even if you're a not into progamming you csn enjoy this book. The thing that threw me off was the gender thing. If you read you see. I didn't see the need for it and it made the reading difficult. Slowed me down and took away from the story. I started reading and then I felt I had to go back and pick up the firat to understand where this one was going. That is why a tbree instead of a four star rating.
A frightening dystopian world where AI runs everything to the point where humans don’t even know how to find their way down the street without it. But is the AI the real enemy or the corrupt humans who try to control it? Kim is a creator of AI entities and became quickly disillusioned by the intentions of the higher-ups. She makes her escape but becomes a target. Can she exact her revenge and survive? I highly recommend you read to find out!
I loved the first book in the series - Terms of Service - and couldn't wait to read this book. Prophecy of the Heron was an engaging dystopia, where Kim has to essentially battle her own AI creation to survive. Excellent worldbuilding, and lots of action, although not quite as surprising as Terms of Service was (understandable as this is a continuation).
Disappointing compared to the first book. Terms of Service felt very introspective and thought-provoking - it was an intriguing dystopia that simultaneously did a great job of capturing twentysomething ennui. Prophecy of the Heron was a much more conventional action-filled dystopia.
I am giving a top rating because I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style but also I imagine this to be in many respects a somewhat true vision of the future. We of course hope not but certain things seem inevitable.
I finished reading this book recently and written a review on it on my personal perspective. If you want to read the review click the following link https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie... And plz feel free to leave a comment after reading it 😊
It abandoned most of the concepts that made the first book cool, and just turned into a more general fantasy setting, forgetting its own lore and established concepts. Feels like the author just pushed something out rather than a worthy sequel.