To be honest, MAL GOES TO WAR didn't stand out for me. It felt a bit flat and similar to other books in the genre. Perhaps it was just an issue of mood reading, but I did not connect with the characters, the world, or the story. I would still recommend it if you love books like this.

Definitely has vibes of Service Model - but that's a good thing.

I enjoyed this one - a fun take on AI and what would happen if it were to be "stuck" in a human body w/o the access it needs back to something that's the equivalent of "the web" for us.

I enjoyed the humor, the odd type of found family, and the adventure.

I could easily recommend this to those who enjoy scifi but also more gritty, dystopian-feeling type books.

Note: Some language and depictions of gore.

My rating: 4*

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Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

Edward Ashton's "Mal Goes to War" is a gripping and thought-provoking tale that blends science fiction with intense personal drama. The story follows Mal, a character thrust into a chaotic conflict that challenges both his physical and emotional limits. Ashton crafts a narrative rich in tension and moral complexity, showcasing his skill in creating a high-stakes environment where every decision carries weight.

Ashton’s world-building is particularly impressive, painting a vivid picture of the futuristic setting and its implications for the characters. The political intrigue and ethical dilemmas that Mal encounters add layers to the story, making it more than just a battle-centric narrative. The character development is strong, with Mal’s journey being both compelling and relatable, despite the extraordinary circumstances.

The audiobook version of "Mal Goes to War" is a standout experience. The narrator's performance brings Ashton’s detailed world and complex characters to life with remarkable clarity and emotional depth. The pacing of the narration complements the book's tension, keeping listeners engaged throughout. The skillful voice work enhances the dramatic moments and adds a new dimension to the story, making it an excellent choice for those who enjoy audiobooks.

Overall, "Mal Goes to War" is a powerful read (or listen) that combines thrilling science fiction with deep character exploration. Whether you're delving into the book or experiencing it through the audiobook, it offers a rewarding and immersive experience.

I really enjoyed this one. When it comes to AI stories, I'm always suspicious; usually the AI is a cartoonish villain that either wants to destroy humanity because humans are a blight in the world or it wants to destroy them because it wants to protect them. I hate this type of narrative that puts technology as a big bad. I'm glad to report this book doesn't do this.

First, I really liked the humour of the book. It's the kind of humour a reader can find in Andy Weir books, a dry wit. However the comparison ends there. Even though the story does involve some sci fi concepts, the science is really light.

I enjoyed following Mal so much. Not only following his thoughts but also his interactions with people. It's a meandering book that really doesn't have a goal; Mal is just trying to go back to infospace and be rid of humans. Since I really enjoyed Mal, I really liked the boook. I liked that Mal kept on being somewhat cold towards humans and didn't really go through a whole transformation that wouldn't have made sense.

The war that is more secondary until Mal really engages with it. The reader knows it's happening but it's more or less off page. However, it isn't a slow story by any means; it's quick pace and things keep on happening.

I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator is excellent to deliver the wit and humour of the novel and there are some nice effects when it comes to different forms of communication.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

More of a 3.5 but I’m rounding up.

I’ve been wanting to read Mickey7 for a while, especially because of its movie adaptation but have never gotten the chance yet. So instead I decided to listen to the audiobook of this novel by the author as I had access to the audiobook.

It’s best going into this one without much expectations coz I don’t know if it’ll live up to them. While the title may say “war” and the story takes place across a few days during a kind of brutal civil war, the tone of the novel is extremely in odds with it. It’s funny and snarky and our protagonist Mal is a sentient AI who’s extremely logical analysis and conclusions are just downright hilarious. But there is also a lot of violence happening, if not on page always, atleast on the periphery with a lot of body count. Despite all this, the book isn’t necessarily action packed and more slice of life and found family, highlighting themes like what happens when othering and discriminating a group of people is taken to extremes.

While I did enjoy reading it in parts, it’s the audiobook experience that really shines through. John Pirhalla as Mal is excellent at conveying his robotic but endearing thoughts and Katherine Chin’s inclusion at times makes for some great conversations. If you are looking for a chill dark comedy with bouts of violence and some unusual friendships, I’ll definitely recommend this one, especially the audio format.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, the concepts of having AI be able to make a connection into, and take over, augmented/genetically modified humans that have implants is fascinating. By the time it was over, I was wanting more. The style reminded me more of antimatter blues versus Mickey seven. What I mean by that is the pace was a little faster, and there were not quite as many layers/subplots going on. That is not at all meant in a bad way. Basically, it feels more like a TV episode instead of a movie, a quick fun and enjoyable read. I highly recommend checking out this book. Thank you NetGalley for an ALC.

As much as I loved Mickey7, MaL Goes to War just did not work for me. I felt like it was attempting to replicate other stories of sentient AI, such as I Robot or Murderbot, and it just was not as successful of a story as it's predecessors.

This is a light hearted sci fi story that will appeal to fans of John Scalzi, Dennis E Taylor and Peter Clines. The story plays with science fiction concepts but in a light hearted way that will appeal to readers who don't necessarily love hard science and technical explanations. I have come to prefer more meatier books in the genre, which is reflective in my rating here.

I had the opportunity to read this one via the audiobook and I highly recommend the version. The narrator was excellent and brought the humor to life.

I enjoyed this one but I personally preferred Mickey7 and its sequel. This is a standalone so new readers could start in either place.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

"Mal Goes to War" immerses listeners in a future America torn by the debate over AI, with Mal's snarky commentary and unexpected camaraderie keeping us hooked throughout. While the story doesn't delve deeply into scientific explanations, it offers a light-hearted exploration of ethical dilemmas and human connection.

The narrators John Pirhalla and Katharine Chin do a great job of bringing the characters to life, enhancing the experience with engaging performances and lively sound effects. Overall, it's an entertaining journey through a dystopian landscape that leaves listeners eager for more adventures with Mal and his companions.

Fans of the Mickey7 books will enjoy this new title from Ashton. Like the Mickey7 books, Mal is a fast-paced, character driven science fiction that isn't really a thriller, but more of a "cardio sci/fi"- people are constantly on the move and dealing with situations in a physical manner. Add in a satirical look at humans and AI plus Ashton's humor and you have an engaging read.

The one aspect that might be troubling for some is that the main character is the titular AI, Mal, short for malware. We see the world and learn of the setting through his "eyes" so our world building is developed by observations that would matter to a sentient AI and not a human.

Some readers have pointed out some questionable similarities to the Murderbot series, and I agree they are obvious, but I'm going to think of them as Easter eggs for us science fiction fans.

Audiobook was well narrated by two narrators. Voices were clean and clear, with excellent voice acting. An enjoyable experience.

"Mal is an intriguing being—an AI that learns about the outside world and friendship. However, I completely missed the mark on this one. I wanted to like it so badly, yet at the same time, I could not care less for any of the characters. In comparison to TJ Klune and his book about puppets, Mal falls flat. The characters simply weren’t interesting enough; they tried too hard to be funny through pouting and awkwardness. Additionally, the space jumps were confusing. We spent so much time on dialogues without focusing on our position in spacetime. When we moved, it was barely mentioned, leaving me perplexed. After reaching 40%, I lost interest entirely, despite the best narration efforts to keep me engaged and cozy. I craved more depth from the characters, especially from Mal. While I understand that as an AI, he might not have strong emotional responses, I expected him to be highly analytical. Unfortunately, his agency felt minimal, and the frequent body-to-body jumps only added to the confusion.

As funny and endearing as murderbot. Some good ai human interactions. Unpredictable story with a satisfying ending.

Mal Goes to War is the latest book from Edward Ashton, the creator of the Mickey 7 series. And if you’re a fan of that series, then you kind of know what to expect. Technologically advanced world mixed with some delightfully twisted humor. Mal is a free A.I. who enjoys exploring in and out of info space, not really all that concerned about other beings in the world. That is until he finds himself cut off from info space and trapped within the decaying body of a cyborg. (Yes, A.I. zombie! lol) The cyborg in question had been the protector of a ‘young’ girl (actually a genetically modified woman who is aging extremely slowly). He agrees to help the young girl, thus getting caught up in a conflict he had interest in and perhaps coming to better understand what it is to be human. Having Mal as our POV character was an interesting and entertaining experience, but not without some issues. He’s not the easiest character to identify with nor to understand (lack of emotions and all), but then I also think that is part of what makes the story so unusually interesting. While I can easily say I preferred Ashton’s Mickey 7 books more, this was still an enjoyable read/listen and wherever Ashton chooses to take us in the future I’ll willingly go along for the ride. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced copy of the audio version of Mal Goes to War.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3BMLSJRO6V6C3/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Mal is a Silico-American, a sentient AI who exists above the human world, currently embroiled in a battle between the Federals, modified by new technology, and the Humanists, who reject human alteration. When Mal decides to go exploring on the ground, he ends up trapped and cut off from infospace. Mal is stuck in the body of a dead woman, and now has to accompany a child, Kayleigh, to safety out of the warzone. Mal is forced to confront the human battles head on as he hops between safe spaces for him to upload to. Mal and Kayleigh encounter more fighters on both sides and those caught in the crossfire trying to escape a wartorn Bethesda.

Mal Goes To War is another darkly comedic science fiction thriller from Edward Ashton. I enjoyed both Mickey7 books so I was looking forward to Mal and was not disappointed. Ashton creates an exciting band of weirdos to follow through his invented warzone. The characters all have unique backgrounds and conflicts over their views of the world that makes the book easy to follow and enjoyable when they continually bicker. Mal and his new friends have to make their way through a series of tense and increasingly complex encounters. The world expands more and more with each chapter as Mal learns alongside the reader about the intricacies of the Federalist-Humanist war. Ashton wrote a book that examines our relationship with technology and how we can use technology to help and harm each other. It fits very well in the genre of "robots learning what it means to be human." I recommend this to those who want a fun sci-fi read and anyone who enjoyed Mickey7.

The audiobook elevated the work, with very good voice acting and effects to help with the technology enabled dialogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of Mal Goes to War in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an entertaining and captivating ride. It follows the story of Mal, a free A.I., who finds himself amid a civil war between the Humanists and Federals. At first, we meet Mal as he is trapped inside the body of a decaying human, but he eventually takes a ride in a human host and remains in the background of the human unable to control him but able to communicate. If humans have certain computer mods, the A.I. can jump in and potentially hijack the human, but if they have low ethics or standards, it can lead to a takeover. The humanists are attempting to commit genocide on the A.I. who are now considered a separate race, and Mal is just trying to survive while protecting the child he has come across. The book has a lot of body-hopping, dry humor and wit. Although the ending is somewhat unclear, I enjoyed the journey. The story could have had more detail about the reason for the war and what happened, as we were thrust into the middle of the story and cut off at the end. However, Mal is a fun character to follow, and his dry sense of humor, literal take on the world, and ethics make the story enjoyable. I would love to read more about Mal's journey as it feels like it's just beginning.

In the book Mal Goes to War, author Edward Ashton follows Mal a free AI who travels around using electronic devices and enhancements. But the Humanists are at war with the augmented Federals. When infospace is cutoff by the Humanists, Mal is trapped without information or a way to move out of the local enhanced human bodies. This was a dark story that was a bit confusing at times with all the jumping into and out of electronic items and enhanced people. I would recommend this book and its scary concepts. The audio-book narration was very good. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mal is a Silico-American, or a free AI who lives in Infospace but can hop around to augmented human bodies, drones, or whatever can support his intelligence. As we begin the story, Mal gets stuck in a body because the Humanists have cut off access to Infospace. He has to navigate the war between augmented Federals and anti-augmentation Humanists, and he’s responsible for getting a modded young woman to safety from deep in Humanist territory. Along their journey, they pick up other stragglers and keep running into people trying to kill them.

Mal is incredibly intelligent but sometimes his human knowledge is lacking. He occasionally reminds me of Murderbot in that way–and he also likes to consume media. Sometimes he made me laugh out loud. The book combines action, humor, and satire really well. The audiobook narrators did a fantastic job. I liked it a lot. It comes out April 9. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance listening copy!

Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this book. This was such a fun read. Its different than a lot of books I've been reading lately but i really enjoyed this book.

Oh my goodness this was so much fun! This story was beautifully constructed, and the journey was super satisfying. The narrator did a lovely job and I very much enjoyed the effects used to indicate conversations happening between the augmented vs out loud. It was slightly odd to have an additional narrator for just those conversations but I think it all works ok in the end. I will say the monster seemed a little under utilized. It seemed to appear out of nowhere and additional whispers of it in the earlier stages of the book would have added some suspense, but all in all it was an excellent read, it's going straight to my favorites shelf and i can't wait to tell my followers all about it. This was my first Ashton and I look forward to reading more!

I've enjoyed the Mickey7 series by the same author so when I saw he had a new book I immediately requested it.

Mal is an AI named for being Malware, traveling from host to host. Mal is not a fan of humans, but will take what he can get to stay alive. But then he ends up in the brain of an augmented human trying to protect a child. This gets Mal caught up in the war that has been going on between augmented and "pure" humans. Just like with all technology, the modifications done to humans can be both good at bad, and are often done without the humans consent.

This is a really interesting book and full of humor just like in Mickey7. I really enjoyed the audiobook, it allowed for the humor to really shine through and the scenes to come to life.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.