Such a unique concept with a well thought out world, interesting and complex characters, and high tension.

It takes a while for the story to get going, about 30% or so, but once it takes off it doesn't stop. O'Keefe does such a great job keeping the tension high and weaving in tender interpersonal moments, which felt very cinematic. Allison E on Goodreads said this felt like the "mmm watcha say" SNL skit and it's so true. Reveal after reveal that could have easily felt eye-rolly but was inventive and interesting each time.

The world itself is stunning, with a system of cloning called printing, where individuals’ consciousnesses are uploaded to a cloud, and downloading into a body print of their choosing, complete with cybernetic enhancements specific to their jobs or military roles. I do think the world-building could have been pushed a bit further, I finished the first book still having questions about how printing works. However, it’s a testament to O’Keefe’s skill at writing that the stakes are still high even in a world with theoretical immortality; those that die a violent death are likely to “crack” and rendered unable to be reprinted. The printing system is also woven into the political strife burgeoning in their society, with poor people or those without the “correct” political leanings finding it hard to pay for printing fees and sometimes turning to less-than-legal means to keep their lives intact.

There is a sort of horror aspect to the plot that is really well done, and unique enough in concept that it felt fresh. It’s sort of like The Last of Us but with a futuristic sci-fi twist mixed with a healthy dose of critique on capitalism. And the way the fungus (villain?) works is genuinely terrifying. Paired with O’Keefe’s ability to keep tensions high, it worked out so well.

On top of the main plot & learning more about the villain, O’Keefe throws in some space opera style political conflicts too. Although it’s not a main part of the story yet, she sets it up nicely to continue into the next books, and gives chilling yet complex insights into the mind of the political “leader” of the world.

AND on top of the main plot AND on top of the political machinations, we follow a great cast of characters who all have their own motivations, belief systems, conflicts, and character arcs. With a little sprinkle of romance as well — not an overwhelming amount that would be off-putting to people who don’t like romance, but not a small amount that would be unsatisfying to those who *do* like romance.

There were times the dialogue felt a little stilted, but it kind of fit into the world so it wasn't immersion breaking. Overall, the relationship between the two main characters develops surprisingly naturally, and the author doesn’t cling on to tired tropes that tend to happen in similar books. The two characters are flawed, but mature, so you don’t have to worry about miscommunication or other irritating tropes. Because of this, it felt like like an aged up young adult sci-fi.

If you’re new to Sci-Fi and space opera type books, I think this is a great place to start. The world-building is accessible and fun to figure out, the political stakes are simple but satisfying, and it has a dystopia feel that would be good for people who already like books like The Hunger Games, Uglies, The Handmaid’s Tale, etc.