The first half of this book was great and I thought I was going to rate it five stars. At around the 50% mark, it started to lose me. It felt like there were too many POVs and the plot felt a bit disjointed. I really enjoyed the found family aspect of the book and am interested to see what this author writes next.

A routine spaceflight from Earth to Alpha Centauri should be just that - routine - for Varna Interstellar spaceliner's navigational AI, Demeter . It turns out to be anything but when all her passengers end up dead through no malfunction of her own. Once is unlucky. Twice, and then *thrice* is cursed. And all signs point to Dracula as the source. At risk of being decommissioned and scrapped, tormented by the other AI's taunts of "ghost ship" and plagued by an increasingly bizarre stream of paranormal entities, Demeter must team up with her onboard medical bay AI (Steward), host of plucky spider drones and some not-quite-human passengers to defeat the prince of darkness himself once and for all.

==

This is a wonderfully fun book that calls on schlocky, b-grade delights of early space operas and Hammer horror while being firmly rooted in the 24th Century. We have vampires, and werewolves, and cult of Cthulhu fishy ooziness and more - on a spaceship! Yes, it is messy, and there's blood and gore, and it could have been an earnest horror show, but instead this book leans into the utter improbability of it all and the AI character's documenting of the events skirts just the right balance between impersonal and absurd.

I was fortunate to be granted an ALC of the audiobook in addition to the ebook. The narrators do a fantastic job embodying the characters (although the binary codes at the start of each section did throw me for a while! At first I thought the audio file was corrupted!). Each chapter of the book was told from the POV of a different characters, and so too did the narrators, as they brought their chosen characters to life. I particularly liked the actors voicing Demeter and Steward, as they injected the right level of wide-eyed, slightly unhinged naivety and jaded sarcasm into each.


This is a b-movie in a book/audio book. And I meant that in the best way (because I love the old kitsch b-grade films). It's the sort of book that you'll either love or hate, and I, for one, love it!

~Many thanks to NetGalley, Bindery Books and Dreamscape Media for an ARC/ALC of this book. I have since purchased the audiobook through Audible. ~

A fun, funny, and cozy sci-fi horror mash-up that didn’t fully live up to its potential

I received an ARC of Of Monsters and Mainframes through NetGalley and Ezeekat Press, and I was genuinely excited—it promised space travel, Dracula, werewolves, Frankenstein’s creature, AI doctors, and a sentient spaceship. The premise sounded like the perfect blend of sci-fi and horror, with a quirky twist.

What stood out most to me was the humor. The interactions between Demeter (the ship’s AI) and Steward (the medical AI) were consistently witty, and often made me laugh. The tone is cozy, despite the body count—a sort of soft, sarcastic take on space horror with monsters.

The multiple points of view were also a highlight. Shifting between the ship, the crew, the monsters, and even spider drones (hello, hello) gave the story energy and variety. Barbara Truelove clearly has a knack for voice and character.

That said, the book felt too long for me. Some sections dragged, and I occasionally struggled to follow the logic of the plot. The pacing lost momentum midway, and a few resolutions felt too convenient.

Still, I’m glad I read it. It was imaginative, charmingly weird, and genuinely entertaining at times.

Highlights:

Humor: snappy, sarcastic, and clever

Tone: surprisingly cozy for a story about vampires and space murder

Structure: multiple perspectives kept it lively

Drawbacks:

Plot: not always coherent or compelling

Length: could have been tighter and more focused

This is a book for readers who enjoy their horror a little goofy, their sci-fi a little heartfelt, and their AI a little too curious.

I’m giving this book 3 stars—it had many enjoyable elements, even if it didn’t fully live up to my initial hopes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bindery Books (an imprint of Ezeekat Press) for the opportunity to read this ARC. This review reflects my honest and personal opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Of Monsters and Mainframes gives big Murderbot by Martha Wells vibes in the best way. It’s very character driven, and told mainly from the AI of a spaceship’s point of view. Having a narrator who sees everything through pixels and is limited to what happens on board her ship makes it easy to build tension and limits the knowledge of the reader, who for the most part is seeing the story through her eyes. I loved the cast of characters and the occasional shift of perspective from their chapters.

I do wish there had been a translation or something for the binary code portion as it felt tedious to decode on my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book ended up being so much more than I anticipated, and I am so glad.

It might not seem possible, but this book managed to terrify me, make me break down into tears more than once, and give me the same unbridled joy that The Mummy (1999) gives me.

First off, the story is phenomenal! Having us follow the Ships AI where we know certain things and are limited in knowledge in other areas and having it make sense what so fucking good! I LOVE Demeter's AI. She is so sweet, and I would die for her! Steward is the bestest little uptight AI goblin, love her too! I love that these two end up together. So cute it almost took me out! The other characters are also awesome: Agnus, Frank, Steve, and Mina!

The fact that the story starts off as a horror sci-fi stuck on a ship scenario with multiple deaths was a genius level of terror. It left me feeling so uncomfortable in the best way. This is what I want to feel from horror. Then, having it switch halfway through into an adventure/Avengers-esque plot was so much fun.

I think Dracula was an amazing antagonist. Though I do wish the final battle with him had had more. I still had a good time. I think this, being essentially the Universal Classic Monsters in space, is a stroke of genius.

While I do think the latter half wasn't as strong as the first part, it is still a strong finish that left me feeling satisfied. I NEED a beautiful physical copy of this on my shelf, because in addition to everything else, have you seen this cover? HAVE YOU SEEN THIS COVER? Fucking Fantastic!!!

The book is also surprisingly queer, which was just a cherry on top of a scrumptious dessert. If you are a fan of Sci-fi, horror, Universal Classic Monsters, The Mummy(1999), and Becky Chambers' books, this is the book for you!

Note: if you do read this book, it is absolutely worth translating the binary code to text. You should also pay close attention to the unit numbers of Demeter each time they are changed...This level of detail was also so, so fun!

I need to talk about this book for 72 hours straight.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 407
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
Audiobook Narrator: Gail Shalan, Emana Rachelle, Chris Devon, Zura Johnson, Charlie Albers, Cary Hite, Eve Passeltiner
Duration: 12 hours 52 minutes
Release Date: June 3, 2025

Demeter is a sentient passenger spaceship, who wants nothing more than to do her job flying humans around the galaxy. But it’s hard to hold your metaphorical shoulders high when your passengers keep getting murdered due to unforeseen paranormal events caused by actual vampires, werewolves, and, um, a Frankenstein. She also keeps getting gaslighted by Steward, her medical AI system.

I love a good sci-fi thriller and this one was just delightful! There are sentient, queer computer systems, real-life monsters, and adorably cheerful spider robots. Full of action, giggles, and feelings, this book has it all.

I especially enjoyed the full cast of narrators on the audiobook. They really brought this epic adventure to life.

Thank you, @BarbaraTruelove, @Dreamscape_Media, and @Bindery_Books for my free copies.

What a weird but delightful book. I feel obligated to give this five stars based on my enjoyment alone. There was a major part of the story I felt was glossed over and it got fairly cheesy, but I still had a great time. The writing was excellent and the story was new and I probably need to buy a copy.

I love unintentionally picking up a book with queer characters, especially during Pride month.

The beginning of the book gave me Hail Mary meets The Passenger vibes, but it definitely took on a life of its own. There were some really great characters in this story, and I never expected to have sympathy for a computer, but I found myself really rooting for this oddball team.

I think this is a great mix of sci fi and fantasy with just a touch of romance thrown in.

I did receive an audio copy of this book. Starting an audio with 4 straight minutes of binary code read out loud was a little aggressive and almost made me want to skip the audio (It does happen a couple more times later in the book). There are a handful of narrators who really helped bring individual characters to life. They all did such an amazing job bringing out the emotions of the book. Very easy to follow even at an increased speed.

I am not sure I really knew what to expect going into this one but it ended up being this delightfully weird story about vampires, werewolves, a mummy, and a few AI, all set onboard a space ship. Every character was a joy to read, the plot was bonkers in the best way, it has the most adorable found family vibe, and honestly I just had a really enjoyable time.

One of the easiest 5/5 stars I've ever given a book, and my first one in over 2 years! I knew by about 25% into the book it was going to be 5 stars!

I had such a blast with this story! The plot itself is a mix of mystery, mayhem, and comedy, I loved every second of it.

The concept of monsters in space is amazing. I loved which monsters Truelove decided to include, the roles they played into the plot as well as seeing how Demeter and Stewart would react and respond to everything. Speaking of Demeter and Stewart; I absolutely adored the characters (Demeter, Stewart, Agnus, Frank, Steve, the spiderbots), they're all interesting, amazing, and the characterisation of them was great so you can easily tell who is who and what their personalities are like. I was especially smitten with Demeter and Stewart, as you can tell, I love them so much! They almost made me cry a few times while reading.

Also, it is rare for me to find books or bits of books funny, however I found myself chuckling quite a lot while reading this one.

I will definitely be buying a physical book for myself, and I'll definitely be reading more from Truelove!

Extra kudos for the fact this book has LGBTQ+ content!

Of Monsters and Mainframes is a compelling blend of sci-fi and emotional depth. The story’s world building is intriguing, and the characters feel genuine, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. Truelove weaves themes of identity, technology, and human connection seamlessly. The pacing is well balanced, though there are moments that could be a bit more fleshed out. Overall, a strong read with plenty of thought provoking moments. Definitely worth four stars and a good pick for fans of thoughtful sci-fi and character driven stories.

My only 5 star read of the year so far, Of Monsters and Mainframes is unlike anything I've read in recent memory. This was such a fun yet tender read, somehow wholly unlike what I expected from the synopsis but completely engaging. The shifting narration first follows Demeter, an interstellar transport ship, as she experiences a string of disastrous transit missions then later her passengers and onboard medical AI. The alternating narrators could have felt gimmicky or same-voice but instead really helped to sell the story and expanses of time, with each narrator maintaining a unique voice. I wound up loving all of the characters involved, especially Demeter and Steward, and would read a spin off or sequel in a heartbeat should it ever exist. I was fully invested in everyone's journeys and even when I thought I knew where things might lead, the story found ways to surprise me at each step.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I've enjoyed this book so much, I've already ordered a physical copy to enjoy a reread in the future.

Surprised, delighted, and took me for every unexpected turn.

This well may be one of my favorite reads of the year. At no point did I know what was going to happen and the setup was truly engaging and fully suspended my disbelief.

I am stunned by how fun and funny this was while also being so tender exactly when it needed to be.

A phenomenal read and one of the greatest, most bonkers books i have read in a long time.

4.25*

this was so funny and charming! i loved the characters, the horror aspects, and the ai’s! they were absolutely adorable and i loved their friendship & their relationship.

Of Monsters and Mainframes is a weird, witty, and surprisingly heartfelt blend of sci-fi and classic horror. Truelove delivers a chaotic joyride through space featuring an AI narrator with a sharp tongue and a spaceship full of familiar monsters reimagined in delightful ways. I loved the banter between Demeter and Steward—there’s something strangely tender in watching non-human characters grapple with loyalty, grief, and identity. The horror elements strike a great balance between eerie and campy, and the pacing keeps things moving, though sometimes at the expense of deeper character development for the side cast. Still, the emotional beats land when it counts, and the found-family vibe gave it unexpected warmth. It’s not flawless, but it is fun—like a monster movie marathon hosted by your favorite snarky robot. If you enjoy genre mashups with heart and humor, this one's worth the ride.

"Of Monsters and Mainframes" is a fresh and unique take on Space Opera that is reeeeeeeally hard to put down. With its twist on classic cult horror characters and its lovable AI leads, this queer, campy, quirky story with a wonderful found family trope is exciting and engaging.

I loved how Barbara Truelove blended so many elements together from genres to introducing old characters and mythology in a future world. I found myself laughing, holding my breath, and becoming a Lady Demeter fan with each minute.

At times, I did feel a little lost in space, if you will. While I appreciate a fast paced story and think Barbara Truelove is a wonderful writer, the stylistic choices felt a little disconnected at times, but I always found my way back to the plot.

Overall this is a fantastic story and if you're reading this review, I think you'll enjoy it.

Thank you endlessly to NetGalley and Ezeekat press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This world sucked me in and was so different than anything I’ve read! I really loved this book and I’m so grateful to have gotten the e arc

Of Monsters and Mainframes had an amazing start that hooked me in from the first page. I love Demeter and the way she narrated the story. However, the POV changed in the second part and I found that part less compelling. The book did improve later on — I'm glad I kept reading — but it didn't reach the same level of greatness as it had

Thank you NetGalley and Ezeekat Press for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

WOW! I really wasn't sure what I was in for when I started this book, but it was AMAZING! So different and fun and just an all-around good time!! This is another winner from Ezeekat Press thru Bindery and I really hope Truelove writes more stories like this! This was just released at the beginning of June, so please make sure to pick up a copy and give it a chance! You won't be disappointed!! Thank you soooooooo much to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!! ❤️❤️❤️

The Demeter is a space ship, and a very good one, who has been going through … a spate of bad luck. First, one crew was slaughtered — all 198 of them — murdered by a shadow, a nothingness that managed to open her doors, avoid her cameras, and vanish. Then there was the werewolf who slaughtered the passengers and crew, but this time, Demeter was able to save two of them! Then, she was optimized (lobotomized) in time for her third trip, where fish people corrupted the crew (killing those who wouldn’t change) and jerked her off course. A patchwork man helped that time, but the radiation she endured almost killed her. Then, there was the man made of bugs.

Really, it’s been a rough few years! And now, the Demeter’s going to be scrapped. Not even broken down for parts, but destroyed! And she’s angry. Angry that everything she has done to do the right thing, to save people, to save herself is brushed aside. When Agnus, one of the two children she managed to save from the werewolf manages to snag the master keys from the Captain, Demeter is happy to embrace the life of a space pirate.

The Demeter, though, isn’t after loot and plunder. Oh no. The Demeter is going to find Dracula — the thing that started all of this mess — and destroy him!

This is a book with a splendid idea, some very fun characters, and some pacing issues. The book opens with the marvelously creepy idea of the Demeter, the doomed ship from Dracula, waking up to a dead crew and no knowledge of why or how it happened, and the repercussions, as she calls up the medical program to examine the bodies, deals with the station AI, and then the rumors and gossip that surround her as a ghost ship. It’s moody and it’s well written, with a tight, focused pace … and then it moves right into the next section, the werewolves.

Again, it’s atmospheric, clever, and interesting … and then it keeps going. And going. While it’s important to show Demeter bonding with the two surviving crew, it also went on too long for me, and the horror/gothic vibe sort of faded away. Section three has Demeter pushed aside, as her programing has been altered, and the book picks up the medical AI Steward’s point of view. They’re hilarious. Snarky, smug, full of calculated bluster and irritation — both with humans and Demeter — they’re a marvelous character. But the tension, the atmosphere, the vibe if you will … it wasn’t there. Toss in Frankenstein, and it just felt less focused and far more jumbled.

This read, for the first half, like a collection of short story ideas tied together by their location, the Demeter. The constant breaks of POV, the leaps ahead from one instance to the next, it was all just very disjointed. Once we were past the mummy — who was brought in during a section that felt rushed and underdeveloped — and the crew was all together, things picked up and I enjoyed the last half of the book almost as much as I enjoyed the first story.

Demeter is full of personality, brash and unapologetic, head strong and always forward moving — so confident in her processing, knowing she can pick the optimal plan, even when it’s maybe not the most suitable — she’s charming. Her relationship with Steward is antagonistic, as she has the ability to shut Steward off when she wants, and all the medical AI can do is accept it. But as adventures go on and she realizes how much she needs the other AI, who is programmed to handle humans, the two of them learn to accept one another. And then, of course, fall in love.

And it’s a sweet, snarky love:

You made a mistake.

My wires heat. When?

You said you loved me, Steward pings, code decidedly smug. You should’ve said “I love you too,” since I said it first.

My processors stutter. You did not.

I did. Frankenstein can confirm.

When? Give me the time stamp.

When you were dead.

It doesn’t count if I’m dead!

By my calculations, it should count more.

Then you are a suboptimal calculator, I snap.

A suboptimal calculator that you love? Steward answers, unruffled.

Affirmative . . . unfortunately.

Good. They settle their code against mine, small but precise and painfully perfect. I love you too, Demeter.

My favorite characters though have to be the Spiders and the little camera bot inside a pill who wants to be swallowed, because how else can it take pictures? The Spider bots are simple but cheerful, always with a ready Hello! They’re obedient, loyal, and eager to please. The robots and the AIs are the best part of this book, their ruminations on duty versus obligation, freedom versus programming, and sacrifice versus safety. I would love more books about the Demeter and her crew, I would love to see more of the Spiders and the electric romance between Steward and Demeter.

If you’re looking for an unconventional romance, with some interesting ideas and clever plot twists, you should give this book a try. For all its pacing issues, it was a lot of fun to read.