Sakura Lib/E: Intellectual Property

by Paul Genesse

PRAISE FOR SAKURA “An epic story about a heavy-metal, super-ninja android during a cyberpunk apocalypse. It’s the best possible memorial for Zachary Hill and everything he thought was awesome. Tracy and Genesse did a fantastic job finishing this excellent book filled with samurai robots, evil megacorporations, jetpacks, espionage, hacker battles, anime fights, cyber nukes, bullet bikes—all with a badass, headbanging, horn-throwing, stage-diving soundtrack, blessed by the goddess of heavy metal herself. I loved it.”—Larry Correia, NYT bestselling author of HOUSE OF ASSASSINS


“A hard-rocking literary mosh pit about a heavy-metal android who becomes both the hero and villain of a brutal cyberpunk thriller. Sakura is loaded with more computers, guns, music, and hard-edged futurism than any five other books working together, and it gives you both barrels straight to the face. STOP HOGGING ALL THE AWESOME, SAKURA; LET THE REST OF US HAVE SOME.”—Dan Wells, NYT bestselling author of BLUESCREEN


“Sakura: Intellectual Property lands like a power chord from a world-class rock opera. From the first chapter, we are card-carrying members of the Sakura fan club. The story is tighter than a lead guitarist’s E string and twice as resonant. Any fan of outstanding science fiction will be rocked. Just press ‘play’ on Sakura.”—Michael Darling, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of GOT LUCK“

Sakura is a myth-tinted, hard-rock Japanese cyberpunk thriller that starts with a bang and gets louder. Full of mystery, mayhem, guitars, and swagger, recommended for readers who like THINGS THAT ARE AWESOME.”—D.J. Butler, author of WITCHY EYE

“Heavy metal with hints of Ghost in the Shell, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and the Illuminati. It’s a super fun ride.”—Joe Monson, coeditor of TRACE THE STARS


“A cybernetic tour de force starring a plucky heavy-metal heroine—in which we find out if music really can save us all.”—Julie Frost, award-winning author of the PACK DYNAMICS series


"A stunning book, and not only because of its fast-paced, action-driven story, thrilling plot twists, gorgeous illustrations, and meticulously crafted playlists that engage the readers’ senses in ways other books never could. What makes this volume so exceptional is its capacity to make the readers interrogate both their own humanity and the personhood of others, to delve deep into the different and surprising aspects of being human and experience the wide spectrum of ways in which we show up in the world: imperfect, flawed, and broken, yes, but also brave, glorious, and alive in more ways than one. This work teaches us that the soul is never lost but may be hiding in the most unexpected of places, patiently waiting to be rediscovered and recognized for what it is: a “spiritual electricity,” as Rilke describes it. This is a book not to be missed.——Dr. Masha Shukovich, multiple award winning author


“A high-octane story, fueled by rocket-grade heavy metal. Sakura: Intellectual Property tells a high-tech tale of intrigue, action, and rock and roll. The main character, an android/rock star/Manchurian candidate, is written in vivid 3-D. This book is a page-turner from beginning to end. It reads like a full-stack Marshall amplifier. If I could, I would plug my guitar right into this book and shake down the rafters.” —Craig Nybo, author, musician, and creator of CHOPS: THE OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK TO AN ALTERNATE ROCK AND ROLL UNIVERSE


SAKURA is the most famous android rock star of all time.

Genres: Science Fiction, Cyberpunk, Fantasy

Audio CD

First published February 1, 2019

About the author

A toy castle is what sent Paul Genesse over the edge and into madness. Dragons and castles gave him reason to live from elementary school through college at Northern Arizona University. He loved his English classes, but pursued his other passion and earned a bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science in 1996. He’s a registered nurse in a cardiac unit where he works the night shift keeping the forces of darkness away from his patients. He’s also worked as a copyeditor, a proofreader for a small press, and a video game consultant on the Living Arcana iPhone game.

Paul’s ten short stories have been published in various anthologies and the first two of his novels in the IRON DRAGON SERIES, THE GOLDEN CORD and THE DRAGON HUNTERS are out now. Both feature covers by world famous fantasy artist, Ciruelo Cabral.

Paul loves teaching writing to people of all ages, and is the editor of the free Writers’ Symposium Ezine, dedicated to “Helping Writers Write.” To sign up for the ezine or watch a video about the IRON DRAGON SERIES, visit him online at paulgenesse.com.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sakura: Intellectual Property pounds with action, rips with high-tech espionage, and grips with the unfolding mystery of who enslaved heavy-metal sensation, Sakura, and why. The layers go so much deeper, though. The real heart and soul of this story, the thing that will keep you coming back for more, lies in its fascinating exploration of what it means to be human by examining it from the outside, through the eyes of a blossoming artificial intelligence. Sakura is for fans looking for a heavy metal thriller that touches on our deepest desires: to love, to be free, to be creative, and through these things become greater than the sum of our parts.

[Iryna *Book and Sword*]

Look at the cover!! Look at it. Ahhhhh.


My WEBSITE
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[Michael Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to get an advanced copy of Sakura: Intellectual Property. This novel lands like a power chord from a world-class rock opera. There’s power in the words. Power in the characters. Power in the story. From the first chapter, we are card-carrying members of the Sakura fan club. Sakura is a “vocaloid,” an android robot designed to sing hard and thrash a guitar even harder. While millions of fans watch, Sakura’s programming is hacked, turning her into the most sophisticated and dangerous assassin ever created. Sakura kills. And she becomes a woman divided. She is just as revolted by the escalating death around her as she is thrilled by her musical performances on stage. From the first note, we have a front-row, mosh pit, best-seat-in-the-house experience that’s completely compelling and relentlessly captivating. Our emotions are thrashed by riff after riff of excellent storytelling. Every chapter is a new verse in a deepening LP of plot. Every character adds to the unforgettable chorus of good or evil or, in some cases, a mixtape of both. The story behind the story is just as engaging with author Zachary Hill’s unfinished symphony being completed after his unfortunate death by two equally-talented composers of words, Patrick M. Tracy and Paul Genesse. You should know their story for their sake—but buy this book for yourself. There’s no chance of disappointment in this epic track of music, ideas, and hardcore adventure. More than any other genre of music, heavy metal acknowledges the nihilism and chaos that exist in the world. Sakura feels those tremulous notes inside her, and she fears she will need to embrace the philosophies of destruction to not only defeat her enemies but merely survive. The story is tighter than a lead guitarist’s E String. Will Sakura find a way to play her song to the climax or will she break before the final chord sounds? Science fiction is the literature of humanity’s future and this is one book any sci-fi fan will relish. Just press “play.”

[Kevin Findley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that makes me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I found a new author writing an amazing book. Sad because he died before he could finish it. Thankful that he had family and friends willing and able to finish it.

OK, short version first. This is the most kick-@$$, heavy metal, unapologetic, and unforgiving book you just might read in 2019!

Longer version: No sacred cow goes un-slain and every ideology takes a slap to the head at some point. Zach Hill came back from some very dark days and places to bask in the sun again. He was kind enough to write a fictionalized account of his journey and then ask us to come along for the ride.

We first see Sakura as a android version of synthesized and marketed pop music. Within a few pages, we find out that she is so much more. To a point, this is the 'hero's journey' kind of story. Fortunately, Zach and his post-mortem, writing rangers turn it into something so much more, and better.

At this time in the novel, put everything else aside. The rest of the book is so good, you will not want to stop except for food, sleep, and bathroom breaks.

That's all you get because I do not want to risk spoiling even a paragraph of what you get to read next.

FIND IT! BUY IT! READ IT!

[BJ Haun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never felt so bad about giving a book a 3-star rating.

So just let me get this out of the way: As a labor of love, I rate this book 5/5. The story behind the writing of the book is out there so I won't take up space with it here other than to applaud the authors who finished the book for their friend on their own dime. Well done, gentlemen.

It's just a shame I didn't like the book more. It just didn't click with me, and I never really grew to love any of the characters. It took me well over a week to get even halfway through it (I'm a fast reader, so I usually make it through a book this length in less than a week), and finally I just settled in one night just to get done with the book so I could move on to others. The back half of the book was stronger than the front, but still not enough to raise it above 3-stars for me.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously cool how the story incorporates music in every chapter. I was overwhelmed by how that detail became part of the story. Mind-blowing execution. Incredibly detailed and beautiful presentation. Envious of every word, every note, everything. Well done!

[Jeffrey Schmieder · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great ideas touched on in this novel, living online, not trusting the corporate or government around you, what it means to live, and what it means to become a real boy. Also loved the playlist before chapters. More books need to do this.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this story. Gonna go back through at some stage and listen to all the tracks that aren’t too metal for me. I

[Niels · Rating 4 out of 5]

A savage mix of Anime, Cyberpunk, Heavy Metal and revolution.

[John Catton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the big one. This is a novel that attempts to not only reinvent the Cyberpunk genre but also current cultural perceptions of Japan. In general, I think it's a great success. Despite the density of names, tech slang and sleazy future-world details, it's a smooth page-turning read, with the action zipping you along without missing anything. Second time around, you pick up some of the smaller supporting details on re-reading.
Although it’s 625 pages long, that can barely contain the intrigue, action and awesome set pieces stuffed inside the book. The setting is a near-future Japan recovering from a war with North Korea, patrolled by police drones and 'Todai' military cyborgs, and dominated by The Mall - a conglomerate of streaming social media VR/AR platforms that keeps the population pacified - until Sakura, the nation's darling android, becomes sentient and realizes how she is being used and abused.
Sakura is the world's most famous android Idol (giving a new meaning to manufactured Pop Music), but she is also Kunoichi, a secret AI buried inside her neural net that transforms her into an assassin whenever the book's shadow-government cabal requires it. The internal dialogue between Sakura and Kunoichi could get confusing in the hands of other authors, but its always clear in this book that its two minds sharing the same body.
The other characters are mostly Japanese nationals with the occasional foreigner, a large cast developed and fleshed out enough to have an impact when needed, but who don't confuse the story. It's never clear who can be trusted and who is working for the cabal that transformed Sakura into a killer, which is keeping with the book’s theme, but my favorite supporting character has got to be the grizzled veteran-turned-hacker Nayato AKA Chronos, and all of his hidden depths. I also have a sneaky fondness for Vulture, despite his inherent nastiness. Even the synthetic Vocaloids are handled well; Yuki and Hitomi come across as charmingly human.
The ending was, for me, superb and a fitting climax to all that had gone before. A total pump-your-fist moment if I ever saw one, after a tragic and shocking twist at the end of the third act that - I must admit - I didn't see coming, which is a testament to the co-authors' craft.
"Sakura: Intellectual Property" isn't perfect; some of the dialogue and descriptions are a little flat. Bearing in mind the main character is an android, however, this could be a stealth move to show that Sakura is only beginning to express her brand new emotions and how she observes the world around her. Personally, I am not a fan of the Gothic Lolita, Vocaloid or Babymetal phenomena, but the co-authors slyly use the inherent weakness of manufactured Pop Idols as a strength, in a kind of 'android rebellion'. Each chapter begins with a playlist of the songs mentioned in the chapter - and there’s even an index of the guitars featured in the book!
The violence was not a turn-off because it's handled extremely well, and it fits perfectly into the whole basic premise of the book. The future Japan really comes to life and is something that could quite plausibly happen.
Overall,"Sakura: Intellectual Property" is an extraordinary blend of Cyberpunk designer violence with flashes of 21st century pop culture, Heavy Metal and old school Rock. As the prologue says, this is a great memorial to Zachary Hill, and massive respect to Paul Gennese and Patrick M. Tracy who finished his magnus opus, brought to life with wonderful sketches by Sarah Steigers. I can totally recommend this to anyone who cares about what could happen in the screwed-up virtual world of tomorrow.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

**SPOILERS**

First and foremost, I want to say that that I was very moved and touched by the story behind this book. It is a true reflection of your dear friend and real life hero, Zachary Hill.

As far as the book goes, it had so much great potential. I loved the idea of this futuristic, cyberpunk world in which the people were consumed by machines and the illegitimate government ruled the people through “the mall” and censorship. Sakura, the punk rock metal band android, served as a great hero to this story. The execution, however, did not come without its faults.

While it showed Sakura growing as a character through her alter ego, Kunoichi, I personally found the beginning of the book too slow moving. It didn’t’ help matters that I found the actions very hard to visualize (although that complaint continues throughout the entirety of the book), mainly because I’m only a human and I’m trying to picture this android basically being a super fast computer the whole time. The story doesn’t pick up till halfway through.

So many characters showed a lot of promise, but they weren’t fleshed out enough, in my opinion. I found Hitomi and Yuki, the two android pop singers, the most engaging largely in part due to the first conversation they each have with Sakura in which we learn that they may all have a disastrous fate alongside so many other androids that were once in their position. Unfortunately, we don’t hear much else about these two. Another character that showed great promise was Nayato, the hacker. Sakura had mentioned that throughout her life, she had very little contact, intimidate or otherwise, with humans or androids. Nayato and her had the potential for a romantic relationship, but it all tragically ended before it could even begin. Other than being a possible romantic interest, Nayato was the source for a lot of knowledge, thanks to his hacker ways. He revealed why Sakura killed the people she killed and his character could have shown a brighter light on this very interesting world that I, as a reader, wanted to know more and more about. At one point, we learn a teeny bit about how Sakura came to be. Unfortunately, the first 13 years of her existence were erased and we’re only teased with the possibility of her eventually getting them back. One character that had very little to do with the plotline, although makes one or two appearances alongside Sakura was ‘Diamond Steve’, the independent journalist behind “Indestructable Truth Media”. Oh, he could have done wonders for world building! Gah!

**All in all, I felt too much of the story was focused on the music and the fight scenes, where it should have focused more on the characters, the world, and moving the plot forward. **

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be 100% honest - cyberpunk (or anything remotely resembling it) is generally not my thing. I can appreciate the ideas behind it and some stories, if the story itself grabs my attention. But sometimes cyberpunk gets too bogged down with the setting, which doesn't appeal to me very much. I had the hardest time getting through the original Blade Runner (haven't even bothered with the sequel), though I did enjoy Alita: Battle Angel.

So when I say it took me a while to get into Sakura: Intellectual Property, that's not a slight against this book at all. Once I did get into the book and attached myself to the characters and the story that Zachary Hill and his friends were trying to tell, I couldn't put it down! I knew I would finish reading it. I never met Zach, but I do know some of his friends and the passion they had for finishing this book in his memory was inspiring. I decided that I had to read it, personal genre preferences be damned.

And, yep, this was amazing! Sakura's and Kunoichi's banter back and forth was the highlight of the narrative. Even when I was in the middle of reading an intense action scene and some of the characters' movements and the technical descriptions were getting away from me, those two personalities always found a way to pull me right back into the narrative. Even the mentions of certain songs and musicians (which could have been distracting) actually worked in favor of the story. I mentioned earlier that I did like the movie Alita: Battle Angel and I just kept picturing Sakura as a rock-star version of Alita, so I'm going to go ahead and say having seen that movie helped me get into this book.

This is a project that definitely needed to see the light of day and thank goodness Paul and Patrick took it on in Zach's memory. I hope that it gets a lot of attention and, who knows, maybe we'll be seeing a Sakura movie or show or (dare I hope?) anime one day!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a friend of the author. It's not something I'm likely to have read otherwise, but I'm glad I did.

Some novels, I'll blow through in a day or less; it's rare I need more than a week for a book of this length. But this took me more than a month. It's a detailed world, and having few comfortable frames of reference - I know of metal music, but I'm not a fan; I have read some manga, but not a lot - it slowed me down. The story remained interesting throughout, but I didn't finish feeling a deep kinship with metal music.

This story is a labor of love. Each chapter begins with a playlist of songs, most of which I assume you can find on a streaming service. It's got robots, guns, and attitude. It asks questions about a future clash between sentience and "intellectual property" and shows rather than tells. The authors spin a visual tale. It generally works.

It may not be for everyone. But if you like dystopian futures, or robots, or heavy metal...give it a shot.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. You really don't expect to be moved to tears by a book about an android heavy metal star turned reluctant assassin. And yet, there were parts where I started tearing up towards the end. I'm a sucker for the heroic sacrifice, especially when from an unexpected character. Really, I don't know where to start on this book. First and formost, it is a fun read that is well worth the price. Second, it is a labor of love by the (professional, but volunteering) editors, the profits from which go exclusively to the author's widow. So if you are looking for something to add to your TBR pile, consider this book, if the phrase "heavy metal android assassin" holds any interest for you.

And, let's not forget, there are also the suggested playlists for each chapter, including the song/band I most wish actually existed, Hold the Pig Steady by Cabbage Point Killing Machine. For those of you who don't get the reference, get on over to your favorite search engine and find yourself another incredibly fun book to read.

[Uriah Tinianow-Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sakura: Intellectual Property is an outstanding book. It’s science fiction, fantasy, action, and more all mixed into one amazing young adults book.

I’ve only read about half of the book so far (314 pages out of 578 pages), so take that into consideration as you read my review. This book incorporates: Rock music, ninja assassins and Japanese culture, thus making for a rollercoaster of many thoughts and emotions. Unlike many other books I’ve read, this book is really engaging and action packed right from the get go. It allows the reader to become immersed in this timeline and experience this crazy journey that Sakura, the main character, has to go through to save her country.

I personally don’t normally read these types of books and I was looking for something different. I would definitely recommend this book to those looking for something different as well - something that combines action with an emotional roller coaster. This book is for someone willing to explore what it is like to be non-human yet posses human characteristics.

[Chet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit that the rating, and the author's story is what motivated me to listen to this audiobook. As a lover of Metal, I was curious. I guess I also expected some music. That's on me. I did enjoy the playlists for the chapters. It was a very interesting idea. Being familiar with many of the songs chosen, you could see where the story was going by what was picked.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the book is so boring that I am almost gave up a few times, and had to take a break and come back later because the story did nothing for me. As other reviews have stated, the action does pick up later in the book. What it boils down to is if the final story is good enough to suffer through the initial boredom. I'd like to say it is, but I can't. With all the books out there that we all are trying to find time to read, this was not worth investing time in listening to unless you don't intend to devote 100% of your attention. Reading the physical, or ebook may be a different experience.

As Ariana Grande sang, "Thank you, next".

[William Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not to my taste

There are at least three big concepts running through the novel: corporate takeover, internet of things, and AI. All blended into a heavy dose of anime and heavy metal.

I am not a fan of anime, so I lacked most of the references other than recognizing some of the words. Heavy Metal I am also not a particular fan, though I am more familiar with some of the more popular groups and have a better understanding for it. I do not like to listen to music while I read, though. Too distracting.

Clean of typos and solidly plotted. Well written at times.

I simply struggled to stay in the narrative. The writing didn’t convey a sense of urgency. I also dislike having the MC be helpless for much of the novel. I want more agency in my MC.

I think an awesome story got buried by a writer who loved his topic too much.

[John Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives me Ghost In The Shell vibes.. And when you consider how the book got published afyer Zach died, it's even more amazing.

Sakura is a Heavy Metal vocaloid, an android with an intelligent A.I. that gets hacked by one of the executives of the corporation that own her. She is really a military assassin, capable of infiltration like a ninja, and able to kill with just about anything.

Sakura doesn't know who hacked her, but she knows that she hates the coding that can override her at any time, so she finds a hacker of her own, and sets out to free herself, and two other vocaloids who have been threatened with being turned into sex robots. In doing so, she leads a revolution against the state of Japan, which is being subverted by the evil corporation and the defence forces, in order to control the world!

[Daniel Yocom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sakura is a head-banging, anthem singing sci-fi thriller. Like the music, it will get your heart pounding.

It is a science-fiction thriller set in dystopian Japan. It maintains the pacing of a thriller with the elements of cyberpunk, dystopia, and psychological horror to build a story that's gripping from beginning to end. Fans of these genres will find something in this book. I heard comments about the project a couple of years ago and being a person who enjoys all of these elements I was interested to see how they would be brought together. I congratulate the team who brought Zachary Hill’s final novel to publication.

You can read teh complete review at https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...

[Erik Molyneaux · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fast paced ride from start to finish that never quite hit the mark for me. Felt very paint by numbers and lacked a lot of subtlety. Though, it was a fun story it definitely felt too cheesy for me at moments.

I will give this book credit for the interesting concept of pairing metal tracks with each chapter, that were either referenced in chapter or were there to give to be more immersive feel of the tone of the chapter.

Hearing the story of Zachary Hill's death and how is friends came together to finish this story as a memorial to him was touching, but unfortunately that was about the most touching part about this book.

Fun read, and I would still recommend it to those who enjoy the cyberpunk setting, but I think it just fell a little flat for me.

[Jakki Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew I needed a book about hard rockin' androids that save the world, but I guess I did!

This Cyberpunk novel is about an android named Sakura who's mainframe gets hacked by an AI known only as Kunoichi. Sakura is given assassination tasks that pit her and Kunoichi against something bigger than themselves.

Communicating through encrypted codes through songs while also trying to satisfy her metal fans needs Sakura tries to pinpoint who the Phantom Lord is.
Sakura, along with her AI sister, make attempt after attempt to escape a system designed to keep them slaves to the country of Japan, and the world.

The world building was awesome, and the characters, even though they are androids, are great.

I would read to listen to the Audible again.

[Gregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zach was a good friend of mine, so this isn't an impartial review.

With that said, this story, these characters, and the ideas herein are all fantastic. Not only does the book tackle tough questions about artificial intelligence, social networking implications, and the connection that music creates between us, but it all comes together in an amazingly satisfying story. Not only did I hear Zach's voice in the writing, but I also applaud everyone who took part in putting it together and making sure Zach's ideas came to fruition. Cheers to all involved.

And if you enjoy action-packed, suspenseful books with plenty of cyberpunk and heavy metal, take this wild ride for a spin!

[Tim Dellas · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very promising and interesting beginning as well as a plug on a podcast made me as metal fan very interested in the book. The background of friends finishing the book by their friend also resonated, and the metal soundtrack and metal song lore in the beginning was also very nice.

Sadly the book couldn‘t sustain the initial promise when the plot devolved in meaningless and unending action scenes and character development went from good to flat in 8 long chapters of metal, gore and too detailed action, during which the whole metal music thing was suddenly forgotten. The language was also pretty simple and looked like young adult manga folks might like it. Not my thing though.

[Keith Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun novel, set in a dystopian cyberpunk-style near future Japan. It has big action, lots of anime and music references (particularly heavy metal/rock), and is overall a very enjoyable ride right up until it's epic conclusion. It's also a fully standalone novel, which is a nice change of pace in a genre that seems to thrive on multi part epics.

If you are a fan of cyberpunk themes (transhumanism, freedom vs corporate rule and rampant consumerism, and philosophical musings on what it means to be human), or if you just like awesome action and a protagonist you can root for, I highly recommend this one.

[Joel McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary experience

I don't like heavy metal that much. I am not in any shape an otaku or a super fan of Japanese pop culture. One would think that would make this book not for me.

One would be wrong.

While I didn't get all the song references and the references to culture... I did get the engaging story about a trapped soul fighting for freedom for herself and ultimately the world.

The action was well done. And the ending had me in tears.

A well done satisfying read, for all.

[Antoine Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a blast.
Very good story.
The only thing I could criticize is the fact that the book begins really slow and gains pace at about the 50% mark, then it's a rollercoaster.

Lots of action but also lots of emotions, of thoughts and some good laughs (The Nickelback joke if you read it) as well as some tears.

also, nice touch on an electronic edition: tapping on the chapter header, you get to you tube for the playlist of the chapter.

Read it if you like, japan, anime, and, most of all, thoughtful books!

[Giriniss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, at first I was very sceptical, but slowly it turned into admiration, maybe there are lots of elements I am not a fan of, but general atmosphere and ideas behind are solid, writing could have used some more polishing but considering circumstances it's fine.
Don't know how is it reading without knowing musical (soundtrack) mentions.
sadly "Sequels will require a Ouija board to read."(Kristophr February 21, 2019)

[Tim Heare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, with interesting characters, an interesting plot, and a lot of heart. I actually enjoyed the side characters more than Sakura herself, and would like to have seen more of their world than we did. The story, although somewhat predictable, feels fresh and exciting as Sakura fights for control of her own destiny. I think it is worth the read/listen, and wouldn't be surprised to see it on a screen (either live action or animated) in the future.

[Peter K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a giant ball of awesome. So many layers of awesome. Japanese culture. Metal. Political intrigue.

It's good stuff.


The end was a little saccharine for me. The "everything is awesome robots do art yey" ending was not at all what I was expecting. Not a horrible ending, though. And it wasn't bad enough to ruin the book for me.

[Zachary Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Metal.

Forever.

A compelling story about a dystopian Japan, with echos of what could become of us all, if we aren't vigilant.

The music choices for each chapter are excellent and contain many of my favorite works from the Metal genre.

May you rock on in the hereafter, Zachary Hill.