Minds of Sand and Light (Kylie Chan, Voyager AU)

Two rebel journalists get caught up in a conflict between secretive AIs in this new cyberpunk thriller. Minds of Sand and Light is set some 50 years in the future: sea levels have risen, borders have shifted and all today’s problems are worse. The Chinese Communist Party, rebranded as Greater Far East (GFE), has enveloped the rest of Asia and Australia and is pushing into Eastern Europe. It is ruled with brutal efficiency by the Party, which is not a group of old men, but a sentient AI, something not widely known. The ideology remains the same, however, and it’s up to people like Ruth and Cassie and the uploads they make as Uptodate News to reveal the atrocities of the GFE. This, in turn, attracts the attention of the Party. Several other networks have developed sentience, and they too are taking an interest in Ruth and Cassie. They call themselves the Council, keep their existence secret and have longstanding enmity with the Party. Chased by drones, battle-bots and human-like constructs operated by AIs and disembodied brains, Ruth and Cassie are about to be the catalyst for an AI conflict that could doom humanity—or save it. Minds of Sand and Light is a clever, fast-paced, near-future thriller that still has space for some humour and romance. It also includes gender and racially diverse perspectives through its main characters. This is the first in a series, but has quite a satisfying ending.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Stefen Brazulaitis is the owner of Stefen’s Books in Perth. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Reviews