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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Grief, War
Meh. I'm just not feeling this book. The writing is dull, and the POV character is, too. I really can't recommend it.
2.5 stars. I thought there were a lot of interesting ideas floating around here, and the premise was cool, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters and visualizing what was going on. I need a little more hand-holding in my worldbuilding, I guess!
This is an intriguing world, a universe void of humans, yet filled with such human feelings and perspectives. The author perfectly captures what being human in a robot could very well be like. Full of likable characters, plot twists, and a unique universe filled with familiar elements, you will not regret reading this book.
I love when I can pick up a book with no preconceived notions and then be so thoroughly surprised at how good it is. This was one of those books. The story and characters were very well crafted and kept me hooked and invested. I can't wait to read more.
adventurous
fast-paced
I really enjoyed The Life Engineered. The world is fascinating and has a unique take on the sci-fi genre. It also poses some interesting question on what it means to be human or where the line is between human and machine. I really enjoyed the blending of ancient mythology with futuristic machines, even if in name only. It left a very strong human influence on the Capeks. Our creation stories have given our civilizations such a rich foundation, it would make sense that we would give that same foundation to our machine children.
I'm giving it 4 stars because there were places in the book where I wanted more. I'd love for this to have the richness and complexity of Dune or The Dark Tower because the concept is so compelling (no pressure, right J-F. Dubeau?). I also wanted to go deeper into the lore of the story and get to know some of the characters better. We have a decent idea of Dagir's motivations, but what about the others? That could just be a limitation of the first person perspective format though.
I'm really glad that there's going to be a second book and eagerly await it. I've already pre-ordered Arch-Android!
I'm giving it 4 stars because there were places in the book where I wanted more. I'd love for this to have the richness and complexity of Dune or The Dark Tower because the concept is so compelling (no pressure, right J-F. Dubeau?). I also wanted to go deeper into the lore of the story and get to know some of the characters better. We have a decent idea of Dagir's motivations, but what about the others? That could just be a limitation of the first person perspective format though.
I'm really glad that there's going to be a second book and eagerly await it. I've already pre-ordered Arch-Android!
So glad I listened to this on audio book, as the names would have been horribly mispronounced! Great story, interesting characters, but my brain had trouble visualizing all the different Capeks (pronounced "chah-picks" - who knew!) because each one is unique. I'd love to see an illustrated version.
Disclosure: I got a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Life Engineered has several unique elements which I love reading:
- It has a non-standard main character/perspective. This novel takes place several thousand years into the future. Mankind has gone into a hibernation of sorts and left their AI children to safeguard the galaxy.
- It allows the story to be as long as it needs to be. The books isn't 300 or 400 pages simply because that is how long Novels are Supposed to be.
- It has Mysterious galactic Bogey-Men blowing stuff up.
The central tension of the book arises out of the first element that I enjoyed. J-F Dubeau gives us a very good picture of what a society entirely composed of AI might look like. There is generally no conflict in this society. Why would there be? Conflict stems from differences that become insurmountable through impaired communication and misunderstanding. These AI have all be crafted by the human race and although many are specialized and think differently from one another, there are no barriers to communication.
That is how J-F Dubeau's vision of an AI society functions, but it would make for a rather boring novel. The Life Engineered begins with the assault on and destruction of one of the 'Gaia'-level AIs. The Gaia AIs are all important as they host the nursery which births new AIs and also act as a ruler in addition to parental duties. There are less than a dozen of these throughout the entire galaxy, so the destruction of even a single one is a huge blow with massive ripples across the AI-populated galaxy.
After this event we follow Dagir, a spunky little Capek (AI), on her quest to help stop the extermination of the entire human race.
The Life Engineered has several unique elements which I love reading:
- It has a non-standard main character/perspective. This novel takes place several thousand years into the future. Mankind has gone into a hibernation of sorts and left their AI children to safeguard the galaxy.
- It allows the story to be as long as it needs to be. The books isn't 300 or 400 pages simply because that is how long Novels are Supposed to be.
- It has Mysterious galactic Bogey-Men blowing stuff up.
The central tension of the book arises out of the first element that I enjoyed. J-F Dubeau gives us a very good picture of what a society entirely composed of AI might look like. There is generally no conflict in this society. Why would there be? Conflict stems from differences that become insurmountable through impaired communication and misunderstanding. These AI have all be crafted by the human race and although many are specialized and think differently from one another, there are no barriers to communication.
That is how J-F Dubeau's vision of an AI society functions, but it would make for a rather boring novel. The Life Engineered begins with the assault on and destruction of one of the 'Gaia'-level AIs. The Gaia AIs are all important as they host the nursery which births new AIs and also act as a ruler in addition to parental duties. There are less than a dozen of these throughout the entire galaxy, so the destruction of even a single one is a huge blow with massive ripples across the AI-populated galaxy.
After this event we follow Dagir, a spunky little Capek (AI), on her quest to help stop the extermination of the entire human race.