Shadow Status

By: River K. Scott

Narrated by: Lora Harper

Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

A talented young hacker. A desperate artificial intelligence. The fate of two worlds.

Sixteen-year-old Jaffrey Pewitt holds a life-threatening secret. A genetic outcast, the brilliant teen’s academy scores have earned him a position patrolling the mainframe and eliminating rogue program code - a job prohibited to those with his DNA. And when he encounters an illegal AI, she threatens to expose his true identity if he doesn’t help her community survive.

Torn between loyalty to his people and protecting himself, Jaffrey walks a knife's edge in a play for more time. But when his superiors upload a massive virtual war machine that causes a lethal power surge, the cost in digital and human lives convinces him that the future of both species may be doomed.

Can Jaffrey choose the right side before it’s too late?

Shadow Status is an explosive stand-alone cyberpunk novel. If you like clever heroes, intricate puzzles, and deep moral quandaries, then you’ll love River K. Scott’s electrifying thrill-ride.

Ages 12 and up. Some language, simulated violence.

©2020 River K. Scott (P)2020 Guard Tree Publishing

A must listen for cyberpunk fans!

I love this story! It's fast-paced, futuristic, and stunning. Jaffery is a character that you'll root for, he's the odd one out in his family, forced to keep who he truly is a secret and despite everything, he pursues his dream of becoming a watcher. When he learns his dream job--and his very world--is keeping dark secrets, Jaffery risks everything to defend a group of AI who he's vowed to exterminate. While thrilling, the book is also full of tenderness and great sibling relationships. The narrator was engaging, clear, and does excellent voices--it felt like I was listening to multiple people!

Great road trip listen

This book is long enough, captivating enough, exciting enough, it will last your whole road trip. The story is fantastic and it is timely with the pandemic and our current race issues. The narrator nailed it. Highly recommend.

Great book and great reading of the book!

I started reading the book and didn't want to put it down, but was driving a lot, so I downloaded the audiobook to listen to.

I was very happily surprised at how well the narrator brought the characters to life! Easy to listen to, and fun. The narrator is very clear, understandable, and the character's voices were both fitting and easy to distinguish. Volume level was consistent, with no noise or audio issues to disturb the experience.

The story is a great imagined exploration into the rapidly entwining worlds of hacking, AI, biotech, and VR! It has a fast-paced storyline with compounding twists and turns in a cyberpunk setting that reminded me of Tron and The Matrix. It is easy to get sucked into, and complex enough to keep me interested.

I can see where other people saw Ender's Game and Ready Player One too. Jaffrey is a great character. I'd love to see a sequel featuring his sister Astrid. Overall, a smart, fun, hopeful book. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys uplifting stories with a science-rich setting.