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Host
A neurodivergent, post-apocalyptic, dystopian coming-of-age story.
Three centuries after the Calming, the System is alive, but it’s not well. All that remains of the once-omnipotent AI are The Book it left behind and the itinerant professors charged with keeping its wisdom.
Now Reyan, a lonely girl who thinks too much, understands too little, and is overwhelmed by everything, must learn to harness her remarkable mind if she hopes to return the System to its former glory.
Host is the long-anticipated and beautifully conceived sequel to Chris Lodwig’s first novel, Systemic.
What readers are saying about
A captivating and refreshing take on our not-so-implausible dystopian future. Reyan is a unique protagonist whom I was rooting for from page one! – Ashely Powell
A deft and engaging story. – N Pawar
A very human look at a traumatized society restructuring itself around entrenched traditions, tribalism, and faith in clerics who are a shadow of the old System. – Ashley Nathan Feniello
Three centuries after the Calming, the System is alive, but it’s not well. All that remains of the once-omnipotent AI are The Book it left behind and the itinerant professors charged with keeping its wisdom.
Now Reyan, a lonely girl who thinks too much, understands too little, and is overwhelmed by everything, must learn to harness her remarkable mind if she hopes to return the System to its former glory.
Host is the long-anticipated and beautifully conceived sequel to Chris Lodwig’s first novel, Systemic.
What readers are saying about
A captivating and refreshing take on our not-so-implausible dystopian future. Reyan is a unique protagonist whom I was rooting for from page one! – Ashely Powell
A deft and engaging story. – N Pawar
A very human look at a traumatized society restructuring itself around entrenched traditions, tribalism, and faith in clerics who are a shadow of the old System. – Ashley Nathan Feniello
551 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 10, 2022
4 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Chris Lodwig
2 books9 followersChris is the author of two speculative fiction novels: Systemic and Host with a third on the way.
He lives in Seattle with his wife, daughter, and dogs. In addition to writing, he loves music, NPR, fly fishing, and he makes a mean Manhattan.
He has spent the last twenty-five years at technology companies in the greater Seattle area.
He has degrees in both Comparative History of Ideas and Communications from the University of Washington.
He lives in Seattle with his wife, daughter, and dogs. In addition to writing, he loves music, NPR, fly fishing, and he makes a mean Manhattan.
He has spent the last twenty-five years at technology companies in the greater Seattle area.
He has degrees in both Comparative History of Ideas and Communications from the University of Washington.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 17, 2024
Great sequel
Another great novel! I couldn't put it down. Hope there will be a third sometime. Great characters, plot and flow.
Another great novel! I couldn't put it down. Hope there will be a third sometime. Great characters, plot and flow.
January 20, 2023
I like reading sequels to books, because sometimes I know precisely what I’m getting into and am thrilled, and other times I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen and am still thrilled. Chris Lodwig’s Host, the second book in the Systemic novels, was a case of the latter. And, oh, my, did it work well.
1. Thoughts on the plot
This book takes place a couple hundred years after the events of book one, where the System (technology, AI, etc.) was powered down. The world continues under the care of the Professors who teach the System to villages under their care. Reyan is a girl who doesn’t quite fit into her village and goes with the Professors when they come on their annual trip. But as she starts learning about the System, she discovers that things are not quite what they seem, and maybe what’s being taught isn’t quite right.
This book’s plot was fascinating to me. I honestly could not predict what was going to happen moment to moment, and yet everything flowed well and made perfect sense. Reyan’s unique experiences really illustrated the world, and the events fit in with that distinct world view with drama and intent. And THAT ENDING! AAAAAAHHHHH!
2. Thoughts on the characters
I really, really liked Reyan as a character. She was very clearly neurodiverse, and as someone ND as well, it was something I intimately understood. The particular issues she had, the quirks, the way of seeing the world were all very well described without being “othering” as often happens with ND representation. I liked that she was described as a girl just trying to find her place in a world that she didn’t quite understand, and that didn’t quite understand her.
I also liked the other characters, and how they interacted with the world as seen through Reyan’s eyes. There were a few other POV segments, and those worked well for the story, but I liked viewing the characters from Reyan’s perspective, because they felt more real somehow.
3. Favourite part
That ending! AAAaAAAAAHHHhhhhhh!
4. Critique
My only real critique is that some of the description of the Systemic requirements (such as decision matrices) were a little vague as to be almost throwaway details, despite being central to the story. I understand that giving mathematical analyses is not always possible in fiction, especially when it’s complicated maths, but I would have liked a little more clarity on how it worked. It’s a very small detail, though, and really doesn’t detract from the story at all.
Overall, I would say that Host is a fantastic second book and I would highly recommend it, and the whole series.
1. Thoughts on the plot
This book takes place a couple hundred years after the events of book one, where the System (technology, AI, etc.) was powered down. The world continues under the care of the Professors who teach the System to villages under their care. Reyan is a girl who doesn’t quite fit into her village and goes with the Professors when they come on their annual trip. But as she starts learning about the System, she discovers that things are not quite what they seem, and maybe what’s being taught isn’t quite right.
This book’s plot was fascinating to me. I honestly could not predict what was going to happen moment to moment, and yet everything flowed well and made perfect sense. Reyan’s unique experiences really illustrated the world, and the events fit in with that distinct world view with drama and intent. And THAT ENDING! AAAAAAHHHHH!
2. Thoughts on the characters
I really, really liked Reyan as a character. She was very clearly neurodiverse, and as someone ND as well, it was something I intimately understood. The particular issues she had, the quirks, the way of seeing the world were all very well described without being “othering” as often happens with ND representation. I liked that she was described as a girl just trying to find her place in a world that she didn’t quite understand, and that didn’t quite understand her.
I also liked the other characters, and how they interacted with the world as seen through Reyan’s eyes. There were a few other POV segments, and those worked well for the story, but I liked viewing the characters from Reyan’s perspective, because they felt more real somehow.
3. Favourite part
That ending! AAAaAAAAAHHHhhhhhh!
4. Critique
My only real critique is that some of the description of the Systemic requirements (such as decision matrices) were a little vague as to be almost throwaway details, despite being central to the story. I understand that giving mathematical analyses is not always possible in fiction, especially when it’s complicated maths, but I would have liked a little more clarity on how it worked. It’s a very small detail, though, and really doesn’t detract from the story at all.
Overall, I would say that Host is a fantastic second book and I would highly recommend it, and the whole series.
April 28, 2023
What an awesome follow up to a great first book! I have really enjoyed this story arc and am very much looking forward to the conclusion. Chris has managed to create a compelling and plausible futuristic world with interesting and completing characters. Well worth the read!
November 25, 2023
Is ignorance a bliss.
I’ve written a much longer review, have decided to cut it down by more than half, just read or listen to this wonderful book it enough.
Sadly I haven’t got the first book of this series but even so I truly enjoyed listening to this one as a single.
The author Chris Lodwig in this book is really researching technology, true it have done a lot of good but at the same time it’s getting us close to our own distraction.
The book is about a university which teaches the System which questions exactly this subject.
A joy of a book.
Beautiful narration by Dave Cruse for each of the characters in this creation.
My recommendations !!!
Oded Ostfeld.
I’ve written a much longer review, have decided to cut it down by more than half, just read or listen to this wonderful book it enough.
Sadly I haven’t got the first book of this series but even so I truly enjoyed listening to this one as a single.
The author Chris Lodwig in this book is really researching technology, true it have done a lot of good but at the same time it’s getting us close to our own distraction.
The book is about a university which teaches the System which questions exactly this subject.
A joy of a book.
Beautiful narration by Dave Cruse for each of the characters in this creation.
My recommendations !!!
Oded Ostfeld.
September 11, 2023
Book: ****
Performance: ****
A Solid Second Act to Systemic
This book is the sequel to Systemic, previously reviewed here; which, although Host can stand alone, you will get more out of it is you read Systemic first.
It picks up the story some 300 years after Systemic, when the Global AI that controlled humanity went silent … known within the story as the Great Calming. The process by which the AI had been governed in how it “guided” and protected humanity was preserved in enduring printouts documenting how decisions should be approached … and the “System” has been preserved by academics dedicated to that purpose and teaching it to the folks in the outlying villages (aka nodes). As time passes, the new wetware system has degraded, but questions (heretics) about the process as not tolerated (Bridgers). Strangely, for a world that seems to have its initial foundation in tech, it appears to be stuck in an almost Luddite stasis, unable to advance or otherwise change despite its evident on going decline.
Into this world, we get our main PoV, a young neurodivergent and naive girl (Reyan) who questions everything. This allows a slow reveal/world-building as Reyan struggles to make sense of her world and what her place in it should be … and it helps that she is presented in such a way that it is very hard not to like her. Did I mention this was a slow start? Despite my own fascination with the apparent convergence of IT lingo/slang and structure (I am an IT profession, so that was an easy sale), it is still very slow going at first and relatively easy to put down and come back later until we get past the halfway mark. At that point the action picks up and pulls you through he rest of the story until the end (which I did NOT see coming).
I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#Host #FreeAudiobookCodes #KindleUnlimited
Performance: ****
A Solid Second Act to Systemic
This book is the sequel to Systemic, previously reviewed here; which, although Host can stand alone, you will get more out of it is you read Systemic first.
It picks up the story some 300 years after Systemic, when the Global AI that controlled humanity went silent … known within the story as the Great Calming. The process by which the AI had been governed in how it “guided” and protected humanity was preserved in enduring printouts documenting how decisions should be approached … and the “System” has been preserved by academics dedicated to that purpose and teaching it to the folks in the outlying villages (aka nodes). As time passes, the new wetware system has degraded, but questions (heretics) about the process as not tolerated (Bridgers). Strangely, for a world that seems to have its initial foundation in tech, it appears to be stuck in an almost Luddite stasis, unable to advance or otherwise change despite its evident on going decline.
Into this world, we get our main PoV, a young neurodivergent and naive girl (Reyan) who questions everything. This allows a slow reveal/world-building as Reyan struggles to make sense of her world and what her place in it should be … and it helps that she is presented in such a way that it is very hard not to like her. Did I mention this was a slow start? Despite my own fascination with the apparent convergence of IT lingo/slang and structure (I am an IT profession, so that was an easy sale), it is still very slow going at first and relatively easy to put down and come back later until we get past the halfway mark. At that point the action picks up and pulls you through he rest of the story until the end (which I did NOT see coming).
I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#Host #FreeAudiobookCodes #KindleUnlimited
February 28, 2023
What an incredible and unexpected follow-up to Systemic, with an ending that gave me such a gut punch I couldn’t write the review until now!
Host takes place a whopping 290 years after the events of Systemic, in a world that has gone from utopian to dystopian after the events of the first novel. The world has changed so much: technology no longer works anywhere, and while the System might be down, its principles are kept alive by professors at the last standing university, who travel from town to town teaching the proper, Systemic way to live. 13-year-old Reyan is unwanted by her parents and her caretakers, and entrusted in the care of these professors as they travel through her town; but if she wants to make it at the university, she’ll have to work harder than anyone else…
Chris Lodwig is a master of world-building. While the beginning of the novel was slow, it gave us (and Reyan) the time we needed to explore this unsettling world. A world that no longer has the resources to diagnose Reyan’s neurodivergence. We as the reader have a larger scope of experiences and language, so we can gauge so much for ourselves that Reyan cannot: how the System, for example, isn’t so much as being kept alive but has grown into a religion - and we can see the tools of religion in action.
Imagine if Scythe ended with all the characters plunged into A Canticle for Leibowitz - that’s what this book felt like. And the ending - THAT ENDING. A brilliant exploration of the power of information, and what role it plays in the control of society.
Host takes place a whopping 290 years after the events of Systemic, in a world that has gone from utopian to dystopian after the events of the first novel. The world has changed so much: technology no longer works anywhere, and while the System might be down, its principles are kept alive by professors at the last standing university, who travel from town to town teaching the proper, Systemic way to live. 13-year-old Reyan is unwanted by her parents and her caretakers, and entrusted in the care of these professors as they travel through her town; but if she wants to make it at the university, she’ll have to work harder than anyone else…
Chris Lodwig is a master of world-building. While the beginning of the novel was slow, it gave us (and Reyan) the time we needed to explore this unsettling world. A world that no longer has the resources to diagnose Reyan’s neurodivergence. We as the reader have a larger scope of experiences and language, so we can gauge so much for ourselves that Reyan cannot: how the System, for example, isn’t so much as being kept alive but has grown into a religion - and we can see the tools of religion in action.
Imagine if Scythe ended with all the characters plunged into A Canticle for Leibowitz - that’s what this book felt like. And the ending - THAT ENDING. A brilliant exploration of the power of information, and what role it plays in the control of society.
April 29, 2024
Book Host by Chris Lodwig
Host is a fantastic sequel to Systemic. Whereas Systemicwas more of a puzzle and closer in resemblance to modern day, Host is more anthropology. It takes place mostly in the far future but with significant reference to when Systemic ends. Lodwig did an AMAZING job showing one possibility for how different civilizations and religions come into being. This book was both thought provoking and entertaining. I loved it and can't wait for more. Like the first book, this can be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults.
#bookreview #2024 #AI #thriller anthropology #origins #newreligion #fivestars
Host is a fantastic sequel to Systemic. Whereas Systemicwas more of a puzzle and closer in resemblance to modern day, Host is more anthropology. It takes place mostly in the far future but with significant reference to when Systemic ends. Lodwig did an AMAZING job showing one possibility for how different civilizations and religions come into being. This book was both thought provoking and entertaining. I loved it and can't wait for more. Like the first book, this can be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults.
#bookreview #2024 #AI #thriller anthropology #origins #newreligion #fivestars
December 16, 2022
I loved writing it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews