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kortnireads's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Tor for my first ARC!
Sci-fi, cyber-punk, heist centered action. Overall, I found the writing to be nicely done, but lacking in character development. This is especially seen with the main "villains" of the story. They did not feel very credible or threatening. I think the lack of connection to the characters was a major component to my lowering of my rating. They preformed their roles as characters and that felt like that was all. Oddly enough, I was most connected to the AI system which is fitting, seeing as the core message is that sentience equates to being a person. I just wish I would have had more to connect to for the other characters in the heist "crew."
The world building, in terms of the city-scape and technology was interesting and well done. I think the themes explored in this were interesting, such as the idea of what constitutes as a person and how this related to the idea of artificial intelligence. I think the author also integrates common issues with technology into the story in a way that we can relate to in our current world and the ever growing influence of technology.
I think this book is a unique, quick read that can present some interesting ideas to think about, but lacks in character development and connection.
Again, thanks to the publisher, Tor, for providing me with an e-copy to review! This book is set to publish April 21st so be on the look out for it soon!
Sci-fi, cyber-punk, heist centered action. Overall, I found the writing to be nicely done, but lacking in character development. This is especially seen with the main "villains" of the story. They did not feel very credible or threatening. I think the lack of connection to the characters was a major component to my lowering of my rating. They preformed their roles as characters and that felt like that was all. Oddly enough, I was most connected to the AI system which is fitting, seeing as the core message is that sentience equates to being a person. I just wish I would have had more to connect to for the other characters in the heist "crew."
The world building, in terms of the city-scape and technology was interesting and well done. I think the themes explored in this were interesting, such as the idea of what constitutes as a person and how this related to the idea of artificial intelligence. I think the author also integrates common issues with technology into the story in a way that we can relate to in our current world and the ever growing influence of technology.
I think this book is a unique, quick read that can present some interesting ideas to think about, but lacks in character development and connection.
Again, thanks to the publisher, Tor, for providing me with an e-copy to review! This book is set to publish April 21st so be on the look out for it soon!
amelia86's review against another edition
5.0
I highly recommend this book! The characters, story, and world building were all first-rate!
yetikaiserin's review against another edition
4.0
A really, really good cyberpunk story. Closer to now than comfortable, open, diverse, queer and very thoughtful. Talked about artificial/Sentinent/non-biological entities in a very accessible way. If you want a great caper, coole characters and well formed thoughts about the future, look no further. The book is also quite angry, which I enjoyed.
flying_monkey's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was recommended this after I said on Twitter that cyberpunk was dead, as the best example of current cyberpunk writing. It's a good enough near-future tale set in Korea's model smart city, Song-do, but as a researcher in this area, it was all too obvious to me what the author had been reading, even down to specific articles and it lacks the cool of early William Gibson or the politics of Bruce Stirling. The plot, featuring a virtual heist and an emergent AI, is almost a complete remix of Neuromancer with a dash of Robert J Sawyer's WWW Trilogy thrown in for good measure. And while it's great to see queer and trans characters to the fore, you can't help thinking that they appear to be written in a way that only a cis-het white guy could write them. Not the future of cyberpunk then...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
jacf83f4's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this one. Beautiful world-building, interesting plot with genuinely tense moments, and believable characters that I could really visualise and care about, particularly a kickass older woman!
This was really good writing, with themes and ideas that spoke to my head and my heart. A very compelling read.
This was really good writing, with themes and ideas that spoke to my head and my heart. A very compelling read.
ninegladiolus's review against another edition
4.0
Repo Virtual takes the reader on an action packed cyberpunk adventure which is perfect for fans of William Gibson and Ready Player One. Part speculation on a very plausible future where multiple realities are controlled by a single Corporate Entity, part sci-fi thriller with a crunchy combination of technology and violence, with a backbone of philosophical questions around AI, Repo Virtual provides a thoroughly enjoyable ride from start to finish.
One of the biggest draws for me on a personal level was the diversity. The protagonist, JD, is a queer Black man, and his relationship with his ex-boyfriend Troy plays a significant role in the story. Other characters that feature prominently include a non-binary person, an older queer woman, and a trans man, among others. Though we see character archetypes common in this kind of science fiction, like the jerkface kid genius hacker and the drifting grifter, I felt each protagonist in the novel was developed enough to have their own unique presence on the page.
In addition to the diversity, I loved the vivid, precise pictures created of Neo Songdo, the hybrid physical-virtual city where the events of the novel take place. Every scene immersed me and allowed me to clearly visualize the environment and the action both. The ending is, in my opinion, thought provoking and impactful; though I can see others disagreeing, it has the potential to generate discussion either way.
My only critique of Repo Virtual resides in the pacing. The first half of the novel felt slow with some extraneous scenes. The back half by contrast felt rushed—some plot threads were resolved in an unsatisfying manner as a result.
Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Repo Virtual for people looking for an entertaining cyberpunk thriller with a diverse cast, topped with considered messages about the consequences of capitalism and the nature of AI.
Thank you to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
One of the biggest draws for me on a personal level was the diversity. The protagonist, JD, is a queer Black man, and his relationship with his ex-boyfriend Troy plays a significant role in the story. Other characters that feature prominently include a non-binary person, an older queer woman, and a trans man, among others. Though we see character archetypes common in this kind of science fiction, like the jerkface kid genius hacker and the drifting grifter, I felt each protagonist in the novel was developed enough to have their own unique presence on the page.
In addition to the diversity, I loved the vivid, precise pictures created of Neo Songdo, the hybrid physical-virtual city where the events of the novel take place. Every scene immersed me and allowed me to clearly visualize the environment and the action both. The ending is, in my opinion, thought provoking and impactful; though I can see others disagreeing, it has the potential to generate discussion either way.
My only critique of Repo Virtual resides in the pacing. The first half of the novel felt slow with some extraneous scenes. The back half by contrast felt rushed—some plot threads were resolved in an unsatisfying manner as a result.
Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Repo Virtual for people looking for an entertaining cyberpunk thriller with a diverse cast, topped with considered messages about the consequences of capitalism and the nature of AI.
Thank you to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
dguthrieadams's review against another edition
All right! I’m just gonna jump right into my review. Repo Virtual is a cyberpunk action/adventure in three acts that centers around virtual reality repo man JD and his heist of a virus which turns out to be AI. Yep, it's as cool as it sounds. I'm a sucker for Be Gay, Do Crime, yet this book has me split right down the middle. Brass tacks: the first act and I didn’t connect. I never grew to like the characters, and, despite the gorgeous descriptions, the world took me a bit to sink my teeth into. I love the juxtaposition between the shiny galactic online game Voidwar going on in the skies while the streets are ragged and dirty below, but JD and his crew almost lost me.
BUT. Then the second act of the book started and WHAT?
I repeat: WHAT?!
Act two begins with Enda Hyldal, a private investigator with a dangerous past hired (blackmailed) by Zero Corp to retrieve their stolen property, and friends, in this reader’s humble opinion, she stole the show. Honestly, if she were introduced sooner, my opinions might be different about the beginning of the book. Who knows! And then the emergence of the AI is so wonderfully done, and I don’t want to say to much and spoil anything, but the AI’s perspective is *chef’s kiss*— it got me. I think it’ll get you, too.
And although I loved the last 2/3 of this book, I want to mention the diversity, which on the surface is excellent. A non-western location with POC and everyone’s queer. However, I'd be remiss if I didn’t mention that the nonbinary character felt underdeveloped, simply there to be used by other characters. As a nonbinary person who wants to see more rep on the page, this was a major miss for me.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. And go read White’s Voidwitch Saga, STAT!
BUT. Then the second act of the book started and WHAT?
I repeat: WHAT?!
Act two begins with Enda Hyldal, a private investigator with a dangerous past hired (blackmailed) by Zero Corp to retrieve their stolen property, and friends, in this reader’s humble opinion, she stole the show. Honestly, if she were introduced sooner, my opinions might be different about the beginning of the book. Who knows! And then the emergence of the AI is so wonderfully done, and I don’t want to say to much and spoil anything, but the AI’s perspective is *chef’s kiss*— it got me. I think it’ll get you, too.
And although I loved the last 2/3 of this book, I want to mention the diversity, which on the surface is excellent. A non-western location with POC and everyone’s queer. However, I'd be remiss if I didn’t mention that the nonbinary character felt underdeveloped, simply there to be used by other characters. As a nonbinary person who wants to see more rep on the page, this was a major miss for me.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy. And go read White’s Voidwitch Saga, STAT!