Architects of Memory

The Memory War Series, Book 1

By: Karen Osborne

Narrated by: Sophie Amoss

Karen Osborne debuts with a lightning-fast science-fiction action and adventure story combining the corporate greed of The Expanse with the underdog characters of Firefly.

Terminally ill salvage pilot Ash Jackson lost everything in the war with the alien Vai, but she’ll be damned if she loses her future. Her plan: to buy, beg, or lie her way out of corporate indenture and find a cure.

When she and her crewmates salvage a genocidal weapon from a ravaged starship above a dead colony, Ash uncovers a conspiracy of corporate intrigue and betrayal that threatens to turn her into a living weapon.

©2020 Karen Osborne (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

fun plot with satisfying reveals

The unreliable narrator under the influence of halucinations makes a fun, uncommon plot device. the way the puzzle pieces come together with the intricately woven threads of each character's destiny is exciting and gratifying.

Good characters but predictable

I wanted to like this more than I did.
Sci Fi is a wonderful forum for what-if and difficult political statement. Architects of Memory does both but in roughly the same way and in the same combination as many before it.

Pro:
The characters are interesting, well-written and show growth.
I loved the representation.
The reader is fantastic.

Con:
The world and plot are very tired.
The twists are telegraphed.
The bad people are predictable and caricatures of greedy & stupid evil.

WOW!

This is one of the best books I have ever encountered. The pacing flows beautifully, the twists and turns of the narrative are so engaging and pull me in, expertly woven to allow me to feel fully immersed in the experience. The performance of the audiobook is a perfect pairing for the writing itself, bringing this story to life in an engaging and wonderfully articulated way.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read space operas, who enjoys a captivating blend of sci-fi and fantastic, anyone looking for books with queer representation, or just anyone who loves really good writing with a cast of compelling characters.

review

Frustrating book which I attempted to understand in its detail was consistently left confused as to the plot and the plot progression. Too much in the way of a attempted poetic miss to the story which was unnecessary and stupid in a science fiction novel. Don't want to hear any more about bile in the throat or blood on the lips or biting lips Or any of the other unnecessary prosaic in this setting

Painfully boring

Not much to add; the story is meandering and not engaging; it is by far the most British book in this genre I have listened/read