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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Loved it! I hope theres a sequel because I loved the universe.
This was such a good book. The concept is really cool and I absolutely galloped through it. Just brilliant.
I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to see the capeks over the course of their existence mentally become so human. I really enjoyed that kind of circle of life evolution.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
An interesting, unique take on the robot subgenre of science fiction. It's a quick read that flows nicely, and you're quickly entranced in the story. I really enjoyed it for about three fourths of the novel and thought that it would get a 4 star rating, but I was a little disappointed in the ending, which wrapped up too quickly. I felt like the ending was rushed, a complaint I often have regarding science fiction novels. Some of the plot points were also left unresolved, but not in an on-purpose-left-ambiguous way, but more in a what-happened-to-this-it-just-was-kind-of-never-really-addressed-again kind of way. Overall, an ambitious novel with some great ideas that falls a bit short in execution.
An interesting, unique take on the robot subgenre of science fiction. It's a quick read that flows nicely, and you're quickly entranced in the story. I really enjoyed it for about three fourths of the novel and thought that it would get a 4 star rating, but I was a little disappointed in the ending, which wrapped up too quickly. I felt like the ending was rushed, a complaint I often have regarding science fiction novels. Some of the plot points were also left unresolved, but not in an on-purpose-left-ambiguous way, but more in a what-happened-to-this-it-just-was-kind-of-never-really-addressed-again kind of way. Overall, an ambitious novel with some great ideas that falls a bit short in execution.
If you've ever heard of Inkshares (a crowd-funded publishing company) you've heard of The Life Engineered. I've heard it recommended so many times that I was glad to pick it up, just by the strength of the good things I had heard. This book was really good! Dubeau did a really good job of getting the reader to empathize with artificial intelligence, and the different classes of robots were explained well enough that I could keep track of all of them. I love books that describe a world that I am happy to spend time thinking about outside of the novel, and the thought of a galaxy filled with AI whose goal is to look after it until humanity wakes from its collective slumber, well, it occupied quite a bit of headspace for a time.
If you're a fan of Science Fiction, pick it up. It's worth your time.
4.5/ 5 stars
If you're a fan of Science Fiction, pick it up. It's worth your time.
4.5/ 5 stars
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
I've been trying to get myself in to a little more sci-fi lately. When I saw this on the new release shelf at B&N, my interest was peaked. It sounded a bit strange, but I figured why not.
It is strange, but in a good way. It's also about evolution and revolutions. Two things I am all about in a story.
If you want to pick up a fantastic story about kick ass robots, space, science and tech; this is a very good place to start.
It is strange, but in a good way. It's also about evolution and revolutions. Two things I am all about in a story.
If you want to pick up a fantastic story about kick ass robots, space, science and tech; this is a very good place to start.
I devoured this book. The story centers on a Utopian robot society (Capeks) and what truly interested and hook me was how believable I could see this universe. Was this the best writing I have ever read, no, but the story's plot was fantastic and the world building top notch. I am looking forward to seeing everything that comes from him from now on. Plus naming Gaias after deities and their children named from that pantheon was priceless, not just common pantheons, but Norse, Greek, Celtic and Hawaiian, awesome!
Rating: 2/5
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (some slight mature content, death, violence, robots (if you have a fear do not read!)
JF Dubeau’s debut novel, The Life Engineered begins in the year 3594, where humanity is little more than a memory―a legend of the distant past destined to reappear. Capeks, a race of artificial creatures originally created by humans, have inherited the galaxy and formed a utopian civilization built on the shared goal of tirelessly working to prepare for their makers’ return.
One moment a cop dying in the line of duty in Boston, the next “reborn” as a Capek, Dagir must find her place in this intricate society. That vaguely remembered “death” was but the last of hundreds of simulated lives, distilling her current personality. A robot built for rescue and repair, she finds her abilities tested immediately after her awakening when the large, sentient facility that created her is destroyed, marking the only instance of murder the peaceful Capeks have ever known. For the first time in their history, conflicting philosophies clash, setting off a violent civil war that could lay waste to the stars themselves.
Dagir sets off on a quest to find the killers, and finds much more than she sought. As the layers of the Capeks’ past peel away to reveal their early origins, centuries-old truths come to light. And the resulting revelations may tear humanity’s children apart―and destroy all remnants of humankind. - Amazon.com
This will be a short review. This is the SECOND time I've had to DNF this book. I keep trying to read it because my husband raves about it, but I really don't see why. The book has an intriguing concept, but for me the writing is what keeps me from enjoying it. The characters are also really unbelievable and it really takes someone who loves sci-fi and has a huge imagination to accurately understand this book. I think I'm going to tell my husband I refuse to read this book any longer lol.
Verdict: Interesting concept. Weird writing and characters. Read if you like sci-fi and like robots (seriously, robots everywhere!).
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 16+ (some slight mature content, death, violence, robots (if you have a fear do not read!)
JF Dubeau’s debut novel, The Life Engineered begins in the year 3594, where humanity is little more than a memory―a legend of the distant past destined to reappear. Capeks, a race of artificial creatures originally created by humans, have inherited the galaxy and formed a utopian civilization built on the shared goal of tirelessly working to prepare for their makers’ return.
One moment a cop dying in the line of duty in Boston, the next “reborn” as a Capek, Dagir must find her place in this intricate society. That vaguely remembered “death” was but the last of hundreds of simulated lives, distilling her current personality. A robot built for rescue and repair, she finds her abilities tested immediately after her awakening when the large, sentient facility that created her is destroyed, marking the only instance of murder the peaceful Capeks have ever known. For the first time in their history, conflicting philosophies clash, setting off a violent civil war that could lay waste to the stars themselves.
Dagir sets off on a quest to find the killers, and finds much more than she sought. As the layers of the Capeks’ past peel away to reveal their early origins, centuries-old truths come to light. And the resulting revelations may tear humanity’s children apart―and destroy all remnants of humankind. - Amazon.com
This will be a short review. This is the SECOND time I've had to DNF this book. I keep trying to read it because my husband raves about it, but I really don't see why. The book has an intriguing concept, but for me the writing is what keeps me from enjoying it. The characters are also really unbelievable and it really takes someone who loves sci-fi and has a huge imagination to accurately understand this book. I think I'm going to tell my husband I refuse to read this book any longer lol.
Verdict: Interesting concept. Weird writing and characters. Read if you like sci-fi and like robots (seriously, robots everywhere!).
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the few quirks it had that, for me, made the reading of it not as immersive as I would have liked. This is an intricate world portrayed in this story, teeming with many different robotic life-forms. The characters are likable and their tale is an intriguing one, and the science-geek in me danced with joy at the technological aspects scattered throughout the story.
But.
I wanted to be able to connect with the characters, I really did. There's a fine line one must walk when portraying robots with human tendencies, and while the story describes the characters as completely computerized yet with filtered personalities to make them compatible (and, I figure, relatable) to humans... something just didn't click with me. They didn't seem robot enough, if that can be a complaint.
The other biggest thing I had against this story was the pacing. When I wanted things to move fast because it was a tense moment and a lot was at stake, Dagir opened up an information file and I got a bunch of world-building. When I wanted some explanation as to what was going on, things just carried on as if I knew precisely everything and the information had been given to me and I was expected to understand the meaning of the portrayed actions.
It was a bit confusing, honestly.
But.
This is a brilliantly imagined story. As stated before, the science-geek in me ate up the technological parts of the book, described so well that the impossible seemed very possible. The concept of the intricate Capek culture and "caste" system if you will was absolutely amazing. The action scenes were well-written and drew me in, playing in my mind like I was watching them on the big screen. I loved the epic spaceship Capeks and the mythological naming/class system going on with them (though some of the names I still can't pronounce properly!).
So, my overall opinion on this book: if you like old-school sci-fi movies, you'll like this book. If you enjoy the vast world of space and all the possibilities it holds, you'll enjoy this book. If you love those intense, mind-blowing space battles of Star Wars, you'll love this book.
And if you want to know what it's like from the robot side of things, you need to read this book.
But.
I wanted to be able to connect with the characters, I really did. There's a fine line one must walk when portraying robots with human tendencies, and while the story describes the characters as completely computerized yet with filtered personalities to make them compatible (and, I figure, relatable) to humans... something just didn't click with me. They didn't seem robot enough, if that can be a complaint.
The other biggest thing I had against this story was the pacing. When I wanted things to move fast because it was a tense moment and a lot was at stake, Dagir opened up an information file and I got a bunch of world-building. When I wanted some explanation as to what was going on, things just carried on as if I knew precisely everything and the information had been given to me and I was expected to understand the meaning of the portrayed actions.
It was a bit confusing, honestly.
But.
This is a brilliantly imagined story. As stated before, the science-geek in me ate up the technological parts of the book, described so well that the impossible seemed very possible. The concept of the intricate Capek culture and "caste" system if you will was absolutely amazing. The action scenes were well-written and drew me in, playing in my mind like I was watching them on the big screen. I loved the epic spaceship Capeks and the mythological naming/class system going on with them (though some of the names I still can't pronounce properly!).
So, my overall opinion on this book: if you like old-school sci-fi movies, you'll like this book. If you enjoy the vast world of space and all the possibilities it holds, you'll enjoy this book. If you love those intense, mind-blowing space battles of Star Wars, you'll love this book.
And if you want to know what it's like from the robot side of things, you need to read this book.