Kye Verex is trapped.

Due to a fluke of genetics, the decisions of the galaxy’s elite, and a lack of finances, he’s stuck on his polluted and noxious home world indefinitely. And it’s slowly killing him.

Then his more fortunate sister returns one day, bringing the promise of salvation. Kelsey has always hoped to find the means to pull him out of his desperate cycle of survival, but it has taken years. Now, she has a plan, one that will cure his genetic condition and clear him for interstellar travel.

The catch?

He has to sign over his very existence – and a portion of his humanity – to Zylar Inc., the galaxy’s most prominent and notorious corporation, in exchange for the necessary treatment. Is his cure worth the cost?

Wraith and the Revolution is a new standalone space opera from A.J. Calvin.

A cyberpunk story that surprised me in various ways. Deeply immersive presentation with some cool dystopic worldbuilding.

An in-depth treatment of emotional turmoil in a subject who can freely adjust their biochem to suit the need of the hour is quite a daunting challenge, and for that alone the author deserves applause.

Primarily interested in what other authors were doing with wraiths, I went into the story with mixed expectations. While I love dystopic/cyberpunk themes, a heavy focus on military jargon, which is common in such books, more often than not turns me off. But in that regard, this story was a refreshing experience. The presentation is very approachable, and even if you don’t read much Sci-Fi, I’d suggest giving it a go.

Nothing in this damned galaxy is free, and charity isn’t fashionable.

The narration focuses primarily on Kye, and the choice of single PoV is understandable given the author’s deep focus on the feelings and struggles of a character going through drastic transformations, under situations over which he often doesn’t have a lot of control.

Characters struggling through dystopic worlds is a theme very close to my heart, and the author absolutely nails it. Loved the depictions. The plant-based Botanari and the myriad nuances the author has cooked up around them were so-much fun.

Unbridled optimism has burned me before. I won’t let it happen again.

However, while I enjoyed the overall premise, I could not relate as well to Kye as an individual. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamics of his interactions with Zinn and Pablo. All of the characters felt well fleshed out and the author’s deep attention to details comes out in every page.

I also found myself wishing I had gotten a deeper look into Sorin’s PoV. In ways more than one, the Blue Ghost seemed a more interesting character than the others, and I would perhaps have loved a book that focused on him instead.

The firewalls prevent the reinforcing matrix in my bones, the filaments in my muscles, and my biomechanical organs from showing up on scans, as well as protecting me from electronic invasion by a malicious AI.

The action scenes were great, and the overall pacing worked really well. I had expected the book to be darker based on the blurb, but while there is some fast-paced action and violence, the gory bits are mostly glossed over. If you are looking for something grimdark, this ain’t it. However, if you are the kind of reader bothered by bloodshed, you can look away when shit hits the fan and enjoy the rest of the story.

I do wish the Sci-Fi community would get over its obsession with mainframes. It’s time to move on.

All in all, personal preferences aside, it’s a fantastic story I thoroughly enjoyed. If the idea of combining a futuristic cyberpunk theme with a good exploration of the emotional side of human-to-cyborg transformation appeals to you, you’d absolutely love this book.

I think I’ve learned that the way to a cyborg’s mechanical heart is with dark chocolate.

Why yes, mine too :)