by S. B. Divya
First published 2021
Welga Ramirez plans to retire from executive protection work when her client dies violently before her eyes. In 2095, such deaths rarely happen. Humanity survives on pharmaceutical enhancements that boost physical abilities and mental focus while protecting against engineered diseases. These pills help humans compete with artificial intelligence in the gig economy. The Machinehood, a terrorist organization of human-machine hybrids, kills Welga's client and attacks other pill manufacturers simultaneously. They demand all production cease within seven days. Society panics as supplies dwindle and people fall sick. Citizens destroy their AI assistants fearing takeover. The government suspects the Machinehood masks a familiar threat and recruits Welga back into intelligence work despite past betrayals. She accepts, driven to stop the attackers. Yet the Machinehood's true identity and motives remain unclear. The crisis forces a fundamental question about the boundary between human and machine.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, action, 21st-century, artificial-intelligence, cyberpunk
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, government-conspiracy, reluctant-hero
Setting: 2095
Period: 2095
404 pages · Hardcover · S&S/Saga Press
Content warnings: violence