Review- The Hierarchies

The Hierarchies
By: Ros Anderson
Website: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2212863/ros-anderson/
Release Date: August 25th, 2020
Publisher: Dutton
Received From: NetGalley
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


I’m not going to lie, when I first saw this book I was interested but also skeptical. A book written from the POV of a robot that was built for one purpose – to serve her “Husband” didn’t sound super interesting until I reached the part of the description where she becomes curious and begins to think of the world beyond her assigned role. I’ll say this, it was a very wild ride indeed.

Where to begin with this book. First of all you should be aware as a reader that there are graphic depictions of sex. If that is not your thing, don’t read this book. It’s literally everywhere.

I have to say I was surprised by my changing emotions with this book as I read it. I was gripped at first, plowing through the story but then some scenes completely turned me off and I had to put it down. Maybe it was the content of the scene, maybe it was the style of the story being told through Sylv.ie’s eyes, maybe it’s because I needed a break but I definitely had times where this book wasn’t exactly for me.

I really enjoyed the social commentary of the world in this book. Yes it’s talking about a not-so-distant future but the lessons, as with all dystopian novels, apply to the world we currently live in. In a world where being Born or Created assigns you a class, where the created robots and Dolls are little better than dirt, and the exploitation of all of the Created ones is rampant, there was a lot to take in on the similarities in our own world.

Sylv.ie is a perfect guide through this strange and twisted world as she grows curious about life beyond her Husband, the man who paid for her and who keeps her locked away except for when it pleases him. Her oddly flat tone, even through the sexually explicit and horrifying scenes both helped and hurt me as a reader in this story. I was glad that some of the difficult scenes were presented as odd or out of protocol for Sylv.ie as it helped me get through them but then it also made it harder for me to connect to her.

One thing about this novel that I applaud is the recognition that money equaling power and therefore the ability to do as your please is a horrendous way for the world it exist. We see it every day in our world; rich people (and more specifically rich men) get away with crimes because they can afford a lawyer or the people they harm are too afraid to go after them given their power. This book definitely hits a lot of feminist points as well as social justice in general and I applaud Anderson for tackling these subjects in such a unique way in her debut novel.

The Hierarchies is set for release on August 25th, 2020. If you’re looking for an interesting take on dystopian novels, filled with unique insights on the world we currently live in, I’d recommend The Hierarchies to you, as long as you can stomach some intense moments while reading. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Thank you to Dutton, NetGalley and Ros Anderson for the ARC of this book!

Review – Standard Hollywood Depravity by Adam Christopher

Standard Hollywood Depravity
By: Adam Christopher
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Publisher: Tor.com
Series: Ray Electromatic #1.5
Rating:


I can finally say I’ve finished the Ray Electromatic series. Standard Hollywood Depravity by Adam Christopher is a novella set between the first and second books in the series. It’s a short, fun mystery that can be easily read as a standalone story if you haven’t read the first novel in the series Made to Kill.

Review – I Only Killed Him Once by Adam Christopher

I Only Killed HIm Once
By: Adam Christopher
Release Date: July 10, 2018
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: Ray Electromatic Mysteries #3
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Today, July 10, 2018, marks the release of I Only Killed Him Once by Adam Christopher, the third and final novel in the Ray Electromatic Mysteries series. This is a great science fiction noir mystery series featuring the very last robot in operation working as a hit man using the cover of a private detective when unwanted eyes begin to pry.

Review – Robots vs. Fairies Edited by Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe

Robots vs. Fairies
By: (Editor) Dominik Parisien; (Editor) Navah Wolfe
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Publisher: Saga Press
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Anthologies are some of my favorite books to read, and Robots vs. Fairies may very well be my favorite anthology to date. Edited by Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe, this anthology is divided into stories featuring either robots or fairies, and sometimes both of them together. Every story is different in tone. No two share the same world.

Review – Killing is My Business by Adam Christopher

Killing is My Business
By: Adam Christopher
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Publisher: Tor
Series: Ray Electromatic Mysteries
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


It may not be immediately obvious from the SFF theme of this blog, but I love a good mystery story. The Ray Electromatic Mysteries by Adam Christopher scratches both itches. Killing is my Business is the second book in this series. It is set in a 1960s noir Los Angeles, features a robot assassin nee private detective, and is more fun than it has any right to be.

What can I say? Robots are cool, damn it, and there should be more stories with them. Or maybe it’s my twelve year old self talking. Either way, I love this concept. I love this series. And more people should be talking about it.

Review – Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel

Waking Gods
By: Sylvain Neuvel
Website: http://www.neuvel.net/
Release Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Del Rey
Series: Themis Files #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


The second novel in the Themis Files series by Sylvain Nuevel, Waking Gods, is released today, April 4, 2017. This is a high octane, heart pounding, gut wrenching novel that has to be read immediately. I mean it. Go out there and find a copy. This isn’t just a good next installment in a series. This is a magnificent second book to a series that deserves to be read. Though it’s still early in 2017, I know this is one of, if not the, best book of 2017.

If you haven’t caught up with this series, or are interested in seeing what we thought about the first book in this series, check out what we thought of Sleeping Giants.

Review – Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Sleeping Giants
By: Sylvain Neuvel
Website: http://www.neuvel.net/
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Del Rey
Series: Themis Files #1
Award: Goodreads Choice Nominee for Science Fiction (2016)
Rating:


Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel has been on my radar for some time, and I finally got my hands on a copy. As much as I wanted to read this book, I was a bit hesitant to begin, afraid it would fall short somehow. I’ve gotten myself hyped up for books before only to have my hopes and dreams dashed, and I couldn’t help but be a little nervous. But when the librarian looked at the cover, smiled, and gave it a fond little pat when i set it on the checkout desk I knew I was in safe hands. I really shouldn’t have been so afraid.

But enough about my own irrational fears. What is the book actually about?

Review – Made to Kill by Adam Christopher

Made to Kill
By: Adam Christopher
Website: http://www.adamchristopher.co.uk/
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: The L.A. Trilogy, Book #1
Rating:


I can’t begin to describe how happy I was when I first found Made to Kill by Adam Christopher. I was in the library right after Fallout 4’s Far Harbor DLC was released, and really wanted to find a book somehow involving cyborgs, androids or the sort as main characters. (Because Nick Valentine is a great character, and I need more of that in my life.) And lo! Right there, directly at eye level was Made to Kill with a robot on the front cover just begging me to read it.