A New Science Fiction Novel About an A.I. Stumbling into a War

I requested some books in random genres in this set just to do a brief review of what other types of books are being currently published outside of my standard interest in academic publishing. Classical British science fiction has been one of my favorite subjects, and I enjoy watching modern science fiction films and shows, so this seemed like a curious segway as the blurb introduces a funny concept of an unbound A.I. who un-formulaically seems to be on a curious journey of discovery.
After the classical literature I have been reviewing in this set, the opening page of this novel is refreshing in its relative originality. Ashton sets up some suspense at the onset by describing a battle, and yet the conflict is seen from an absurd perspective, as the artificial intelligence has no emotional response to deaths that this nonsensical conflict implies. Enough details are given for the reader to visualize what is taking place and where. On the other hand, many of the references are convoluted and confusing. For example, when !HelpDesk describes “heavily armed monkeys on both sides” it seems the reference is to humans, but it is unclear if it might instead be to mechanical monkeys; and if it is a reference to humans, it is unclear if this is meant to be a racist reference. A later passage from “Mal (not a robot)” seems to clarify that “monkeys” is being used as a synonym for “humans”. After this brief chat, readers learn that Mal is armed with a “twenty-millimeter cannon” in the drone his intelligence is operating. While the general lack of empathy for Mal is amusing, it is troubling that Mal then goes to the extreme of describing this warfare as the “Humanitsts” having “fun” mutilating bodies. Though several other strange developments follow, such as the A.I. invading the computerized part of a dead human girl called Mika, and being discovered in this invasion by a girl who is familiar with this deceased human. The conversation is more philosophical and interest-catching than some of the classics. For example: “He things to explain that he did not mean to disparage the quality of her mod package, but only to express sympathy with the fact that now that her guardian is no longer functional, she is highly likely to die in the very near future, probably in an extremely painful manner.”
This is a fun read for somebody with some free time who is interested in catching up on new science fiction releases. The contents of this book are exactly as-advertised, so they can be ranked as fully meeting the bar the blurb has set for it. Some of the conversation and details are not as imaginative as it could have been, but the author might be constrained by lowbrow requirements of keeping the vocabulary simple and the details at a semi-low level.

I’m giving this book a 1 star out of 5, but this rating comes from someone who DNF’ed this book, so take my review and rating with a grain of salt. I got about 30% of the way through this book before throwing in the towel on it. It sounded so good, and I did genuinely like the idea and premise, especially with the story being told from an AI’s perspective, it’s a neat twist for a sci-fi book. However, even at just a third of the way through the book, I felt like it was just dragging far too much for me. A lot of what was happening didn’t seem to matter, a lot of the dialogue was just… there, it didn’t add too much. The growing and developing relationships between Mal, the AI, and the other characters of Kayleigh, Asher and Pullman were entertaining and fun to read, but it also felt quite rushed given how Asher, Kayleigh and Mal meet, and Pullman for that matter too. Given it’s almost 300 pages long, I feel like the relationships between the characters could have dragged on a little bit more before they got as close as they seemed to be a third of the way in, and I would have liked to have seen a little bit more progression in the plot by that point as well.

I wish I could have brought myself to finish this, but I just couldn’t. I hope that others who do get a chance to read Mal Goes To War enjoy it, unfortunately I will not be one of them.

This was a witty, fast paced futuristic sci fi book about an artificial intelligence and his unusual collection of new friends.
Mal finds himself in the middle of a war he has no desire to be a part of, until he befriends a, let’s just call her a girl for simplicity, and quickly develops a strong bond with her. We see these strangers shoved together out of necessity to stay alive, and then slowly watch as they develop actual friendships.

I very much enjoyed Ashton’s Mickey books. In fact, they were some of my favorite recent science fiction. Naturally, I was very interested to see what he does post-Mickey. Apparently, after Mickey comes Mal. And Mal is great. Short for Malware, he’s as amusing of an AI as you’d want in fiction and is very much the character Murderbot has tried and failed to be over who knows how many books now.
But there is a good chance I had misjudged my book going into this book. Because I continuously found it too technical, too something … too sciencey over fictional? Either way, it was sort of drawing me out of the story, although the awesome characters did their best to drag me back in.
Maybe I’m not a techno-thriller fan? I’m not sure. But I am an Ashton fan. I love his irreverent jocularity, snappy pacing, and creative ideas. This book, despite the technical difficulties such as they were, was still loads of fun to read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

An interesting philosophical perspective on what it means to be human from the lens of an AI finding its place in the world. Edward Ashton brings the AI to life with colorful strokes of vivid imagery that breathes soul into each character.

Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

This was not what I expected from Edward Ashton. I tried twice to finish this, and failed to finish twice. It's almost like it was written by an entirely different person. The voice isn't the same.

First off, this was a well-done AI in terms of not being human and not wanting to be human. I liked that part and interactions with the other AIs a lot. The part that did not work well was the way the message was attempted with the humor, it felt forced in places and fell kind of flat for me. This is my first book by this author so the humor may work better for others or those familiar with the author’ style. Also, the whole ending scene with Mal’s projected environments just removed a star for me and felt odd.

As soon as I saw who the author was for Mal Goes To War I wanted to read this book and it did not disappoint! Something Ashton does really well is take a sci-fi concept and fully flesh it out. With his Mickey7 books it’s the idea of a human being being forced to be cloned/reincarnated/immortal in order to risk his life doing the dangerous and often deadly jobs nobody else wants to do on a beachhead colony and the effect that has on their psyche. In this book it’s the idea of an A.I. being forced to “possess” the bodies of various robots and humans in order to survive a civil war over the use of tech in augmented humans and the effect that has on it’s psyche. The events Ashton conjures are somehow both outlandish but yet entirely utterly believable that they could come to pass. It was an immensely entertaining read and I can’t wait to read whatever he writes next!

Author Edward Ashton has taken a break from his “Mickey 7” series to tell us a story about Artificial Intelligence (AI) amidst a future civil war here in the US. I enjoyed parts of “Mal Goes to War,” but I had trouble with the characters and thought some aspects were vague and/or not specific enough.

Mr. Ashton takes us to Washington, D.C. sometime in the near future, say 50 – 75 years hence. Technology has advanced to a point where human beings can be augmented and improved by various methods including genetics, implants, and AI. While many favor these advancements, others, called “humanists,” find them unnatural and immoral. Humanists now wage civil war against Federalist troops.

Enter Mal, a “free AI” living in “Infospace” who can leap from system to system, whether it be mechanical (like a car or drone) or an augmented human. Mal is not on anyone’s side in this war. He wants to scavenge whatever he can find after the battles. But when access to infospace is destroyed, Mal is stranded inside a dying cyborg charged with protecting a very surprising young girl. Mal takes up the cyborg’s duty and spends the rest of the novel jumping from augmented human to machine and back fighting battles and seeking the girl’s approval.

The novel is billed as “a dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin.” I agree that the novel is comedic. Some parts are laugh-out-loud funny. Mr. Ashton has succeeded in capturing the literalism of machine-generated intelligence.

But I didn’t find it all that thrilling. There is a lot of conflict, but I found the characters tough to care about.

Because protagonist Mal is artificial, as opposed to human, I had trouble engaging with it. While it has some human qualities—e.g., it wants to be liked, or at least respected, and can threaten and even be vengeful—it’s still non-human and largely intangible. No matter how cleverly the character may have been written—and it is written cleverly—it’s still as ethereal air.

Unfortunately, none of the other characters are very likable. Some are caustic. Some are violent. Others are just … there. Admittedly, they’re in the middle of a rebellion when no one’s at their best. Still, it might have helped to have an admirable human hero or heroine, someone readers, or at least this reader, could get behind.

Also, the world-building could have been better. All we really learn about this future is that there’s a war between humanists and the feds. We’re not told much about what’s in that world. There’s still an NIH and people still eat at Shoney’s and seem to live in houses much like today’s and there’s still a federal government in some form. But we don’t see the nuts and bolts of day-to-day life—how people get around or dress or pay for things or entertain themselves, etc.

I also had trouble understanding some of the technology portrayed, particularly the human augmentations and the AI that Mal conflicts with.

I'm giving "Mal Goes to War" 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because it succeeds in telling a story and because that story is told with imagination and humor and because many may enjoy it. As for me, I’m not sure I would want to read a sequel.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Edward Ashton, and publisher St. Martin's Press for providing me with a complementary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this title! This was a fun little read. AI's as a personality are always fun to read when done right. This one was absolutely done right. Witty, sarcastic (without meaning to be), and curious and disgusted by humans. It is a little eerie to be reminded that while this is supposed to be science-fiction, it most likely is just going to end up being a warning tale. But enough of that, I enjoyed it!!

Edward Ashton is quickly becoming one of my favorite sci-fi authors, first with the Mickey 7 series, and now with Mal Goes to War. A delightfully entertaining story of a free AI that ends up forging a friendship with a couple of humans in the midst of war. I quickly poured through this one in nearly a single sitting on a recent flight and wish it had been longer, but enjoyed every page.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an advanced review copy of this book, and I'm so glad they did. This was a really, really enjoyable reading experience. It was funny, charming, action packed, and had a very interesting plot throughout. While there were some issues with character development, what was done well made up for it.

Mal is software. Well, I guess the technical term is "free A.I." or sentient AI that lives in "infospace", away from the dirty, strange humans who are currently embroiled in a vicious war. The Humanists believe human augments and invasive technology has gone too far and are fighting against the Federals, the highly augmented, government backed force that is rumored to be developing technology that will give them full control of whomever they want. The free A.I.s regard humans with a sort of pitying curiosity, but when Mal finds himself temporarily controlling a drone as the local infospace comms tower is destroyed, he has no choice but to ally with a band of true misfits to try to get back home. However, the intense dangers of being on the front lines of technologically enhanced guerrilla warfare pose threats to Mal and the humans that Mal has to travel with (and usually travel inside the heads of). But through kidnapping, sabotage, and a lot of hacking, more nefarious details about the war are revealed to Mal, and his growing fondness of his human companions start to interfere with his race back to infospace.

There was a lot here that was done really well. Firstly, the story was very interesting and was a treat to follow. It flowed very well, and the story beats were paced precisely. There were no big blocks of exposition, and only a few times where I felt the story was rushed or underdeveloped. The humor here was done well, focusing less on "ha ha" moments, but rather more of a steady amusement at the stilted AI-human interactions, silly manifestations of programming, and the unfortunate circumstances our band of friends found themselves in.

Now while I really enjoyed the character of Mal, I did find much of the other character development to be a bit lacking. Mal, who is largely disgusted by humans, for some reason takes a VERY strong liking to the first human he meets, Kaleigh. But I don't feel that the narrative really built up or justified this strong bond. Particularly because it didn't feel as if it was reciprocated at all. Additionally, almost immediately after meeting Kaleigh, they join with another human named Asher who Mal never grows to like at all, despite Asher getting them (including Kaleigh) out of several dangerous situations that should have made Mal appreciate him more. I think the problem is that we spent so much time learning about Mal and Mal's introduction to humans, that we don't really get a chance to develop deeper appreciation of his human companions, so it felt odd when Mal had any strong feelings about any of them. Even though the humans were interesting at times, when any of them were in danger, I didn't feel much as the reader because I don't feel we got to know them very well. This, however, was the perfect way to manage lesser important human characters, and I feel the narrative was enhanced by our distance from less important human characters.

But as I mentioned before, this was a small gripe I had, and overall the strengths of the book really made me enjoy the whole reading experience. I'm finding that the science fiction sub-genre of "AI/robot grows connected to humans through dangerous circumstance" is one that really works for me. If you like Murderbot, the Ancillary trilogy, Sea of Rust, Partition, or even the Tea Monk & Robot books, I think you'll like this as much as I did.

I laughed and smiled my way through this dark, thoughtful, action-packed, page-turner. Mal Goes to War is populated by unforgettable, well-written characters: Mal a self-proclaimed Silico-American - a bodiless AI capable of jumping into all sorts of "smart" devices and implants; Kayleigh: a bad-ass 18 year old woman in the body of a toddler; Asher: a purist rebell determined to wipe out all modified humans--at least in the beginning; and more.

Set in the future around Washington DC (a place I used to live) this book is a fresh, dystopian, apocalyptic novel.
There's a lot of depth and philosophy hiding in clear prose. It never comes at a cost to the plot, pacing, and entertainment, though. This is my first Edward Ashton to read, and I'm going to be searching out more of the author's work.

Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing and NetGalley for access to an advance digital copy.

[Blurb goes here]

Edward Ashton, who captivated us in 2022 with his novel "Mickey 7" (which garnered 3.78 stars on Goodreads), now delves into an entirely new realm. In this narrative, we find ourselves in a world where the Humanists and the Federals are locked in a relentless war. The Humanists vehemently oppose the augmentation of individuals, while the Federals show little regard for their wishes or preferences.

Meanwhile, within Infospace, a multitude of sentient AIs observe this conflict with a detached amusement, likening it to a battle between two foolish ant colonies. To these AIs, we humans are merely referred to as "monkeys" for good reason.

Enter Mal, a free-spirited AI with a peculiar fascination for inhabiting physical bodies, purely out of curiosity. Against the warnings of his fellow AI companions, he takes the plunge and transfers his consciousness into a drone, only to stumble upon a decomposing, albeit augmented, corpse. He decides to inhabit this lifeless body, only to discover that the deceased woman had been the guardian of a seemingly ordinary five-year-old girl with a mysterious secret.

When trouble arises, Mal hastily exits the body, only to realize that all nearby communication towers have been obliterated by the Humanists, leaving him stranded on Earth amidst the war between the two factions.

As Mal navigates through this strange predicament, he forges unexpected friendships and does his best to protect those around him. The story unfolds with a delightful and consistent sense of misadventure, keeping readers eagerly turning the pages.

Edward Ashton has unquestionably outdone himself in comparison to the first installment of "Mickey 7" with this action-packed science fiction adventure. His storytelling prowess shines through, and it's evident that he is an author worth keeping a close watch on.

This character-driven narrative offers a fast-paced and highly entertaining reading experience, making it an absolute must-read for fans of the genre.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

5/5 - Mal is the sarcastic AI best friend you never knew you needed.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I hated when I had to put the book down to sleep and then loved picking it up first thing in the morning. It's so much fun to read. I loved following our sarcastic, ragtag group of characters as they ventured through a war-torn countryside. If you read Mickey7, you'll be thrilled to see Edward Ashton's unique, acerbic and visceral brand of humour coming through.

Mal is a sentient AI who lives in 'info space', essentially the cloud, and finds itself inhabiting an augmented human body in the middle of a warzone. Humans have divided into two factions, one is against technology enhanced humans and the other is for it. Mal (short for Malware), realizes it is unable to return to info space within the warzone and is trying to leave when it befriends an augmented human, Kayleigh. From there Mal collects a odd group of 'friends?' as they try to survive.

The pacing is quick as the group stumbles from one calamity to the next. Because Mal is an AI, it is continuously inhabiting new bodies/technology as the old ones get destroyed in spectacular and appalling ways. Although I received this as an advanced reader copy, I've already pre-ordered it, because I have so many highlights and comments.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy. Literally, cannot wait to re-read this ASAP.

This book is best read in a natural rock shelter, after you've been taken prisoner and are being used as bait to find the rest of your crew. Just remember to keep an eye on the sky, you never know what Mal might drop on the bad guys.

Edward Ashton is a sci-fi author to watch. I first became aware of his writing with Mickey 7. Mail Goes to War far surpasses its predecessor in both storytelling and development. Mail is an AI content to mostly watch humans bickered until he inadvertently ends up in a robot suit, protecting a not 5 yr old. This story had it all sci-fi piloting, humor, found family. I thought also did a great job showing how humanity will always find something to fight about. I admit I am disappointed the this story is seemingly fully contained. I wouldn’t mind another outing with Mail, Kayleigh, and th gang. It could be fun to see how those relationships develop. Edward Ashton is rapidly becoming an author I recommend to friends and family and this book cements it. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the earc and opportunity to read and review.

What a glorious thing is a really good hard science fiction! Rarer yet – one with laugh-out-loud scenes of physical humor. Sorry about the war, Mal, but I'm glad you went.


Like so many SF stories, this is built around a central intellectual question (what if humans needed no sleep? what if a virus killed everyone? What if the moon crashed into the earth?), but like the best stories, this one revolves around the relationships and personal evolution of the actors as they navigate that central "what if."

Mal is a free-range artificial (not a robot) intelligence, or as he prefers, a Silico-American. He has a couple of friends, Clippy and !HelpDesk, and he spends his time roaming the infospace, idly taking over physical devices if they have enough infrastructure for him to slip inside. Which is how he ends up marooned inside a recently-killed highly augmented human bodyguard.

The ongoing ground-war between Federalists and Humanists (who tend to burn augmented humans in open pits), has been little more than a spectacle, like anthills boiling, to Mal until he finds himself in the role of body-guard to an augmented little girl who is not all she appears to be. With his exit route to the infospace cut off, he becomes part of a rag-tag band of fugitives.

Part road-trip novel, part war-story, and part bildunstroman, the novel is clever and very funny, with Mal as a remarkably touching non-robot character navigating his own essential humanity. I hadn't read anything by Ashton before this one, but look forward to reading his backlist.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for my unfettered opinion!

Edward Ashton creates such an endearing A.I. character in Mal, short for Malware. Yes, he is looking out for his own survival, but he (can you assign gender to A.I.?) also shows fierce loyalty to an extensively augmented girl, blurring the lines between humanity and machine. As in all his books, Ashton writes with a dark humor that is a pleasure to read.

I loved this book more than I can even say. I am normally turned off by books involving AI but this one has my heart. I loved the plot, I thought the pacing was really good, and I was super engaged from start to finish. I thought the different human augmentations were fascinating and I especially loved watching Mal learn about the world, how to interact with different humans, etc. I only wish it could have been longer! I would have loved to get more storyline at the end from each of the characters and I would have been really interested in learning even more about the various augmentations and the impact they have on the human being and society.

I cannot believe that I have to wait until April 2024 to talk about this on my platform but I guess Mal would remind me that patience is a virtue.