Wow! Packed to the brim with exciting mecha-laden adventure, Near-Future Science Fiction, globetrotting (Future Phoenix, to a tech enclave community in Mexico, to Shanghai, to rural abandoned Japan, and back to Phoenix), this Cyberpunk Thriller is heart-in-throat engrossing! We have "full on borgs," AI, "Sentient Daemons," (basically, the Super-Advanced Supreme AI "everybody" seems to fear, sort of like HAL), partially cybernetic individuals, groups of humans who full-on embrace Cybernetics and prostheses [remember the latter 20th century craze for teeth filed into vampire fangs and drinking blood?]. I learned a lot about Quantum Computers, AI, combat synchronization, and geography and culture. But also I think I have seldom been as heart-touched as I was by Vivi, and her lifelong struggle to be deemed worthy by those who mattered most to her: my heart ❤ broke. What a sad existence in her perception, and yet she is so accomplished. It's amazing how deeply author Elwood Stevens delved into Vivi's character to reach "the heart of the matter," and also engrossing are the arcs and evolution of the other characters (and certain tricky, sneaky, characters I won't spoil by naming, who have a heap of nasty tricks up their sleeve). I could reread again and again. (And since AI and Quantum subjects are a fascination, I probably will.)
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