4.5/5. Thank you to Mr. Nayler, the publisher, and Netgalley for the advanced listening copy.

First off, I hate how this dystopian future is something that I can see within arms' reach. AI has become a more "efficient" method of making decisions, to the point that these programs have become prime ministers. A president seeks eternal rule by downloading his "mind" (to be defined) into new bodies. Cameras are everywhere, and there are only a few "observation shadows" that give the citizens any freedom. It's a modern day 1984.

The plot follows the characters listed in the novel description, so I won't go into those here. But the author threads their POV together in a way that progresses the story forward while giving just enough of a hint of how each person influences the others (and the world). Each person serves a role in their own way of breaking the authoritarian rule of their countries, whether they do it intentionally or not. By the end, when the final chapters wrap up, it makes you sit back in your chair and really reflect on just what is happening in the world now and the influence on the future that Nayler rightfully addresses in the acknowledgement.

Also - Eunice Wong did an excellent job with the narration.

Full disclosure: I read this book twice. I really had to, and I got so much from the second read. It's a complex novel, or at least I found it to be so.

I've been an enthusiastic fan of Ray Nayler since his debut novel, and believe him to be the heir apparent to Michael Crichton. His first novel and novella were full of really smart science supporting first rate thrillers. There's science here again. It builds on the story told in his sophomore novella, actually. But as much as science is a part of the plot, he doesn't really get into the nuts and bolts this time around, because what this book really is is a political thriller. A distinctly dystopian one. Nayler looks at technology today, and at current authoritarian trends, and in best Crichtonesque form he looks forward. It ain't a pretty picture.

I don't feel the need to give further plot details. What I will say is this... While there is a female scientist at the center of the novel, it is more of an ensemble cast. There were a fair number of characters to keep track of, and many of them had challenging names. (Kurlan, who was that? Man? Woman?) There were also quite a few narrative threads. And while generally when I compare an author to Michael Crichton, it's a compliment, he wasn't the best with character development. That is also not Mr. Nayler's strong suit. For all of these reasons and more, there was a lot to keep track of. I'm sure a single read will suffice for most readers--or at least that's what most will be willing to invest--but it wasn't for me.

This is an intelligent speculative thriller. Yes, it's a little different than what we've seen from Mr. Nayler before, but this is only his third novel. It's good to shake things up. He remains at the top of my must-read list, and I look forward with anticipation to what he comes up with next.

This ended up being a hell of a ride. There's a lot going on here, to the point of there almost being too many POVs to track across all the intersecting threads, but at its core it's a story of change and what people are willing to do to enact it. It just also happens to feature using dioramas to implant thoughts in a subject's head, AI Prime Ministers and hellish social credit implementation, a President who's been reimplanting his consciousness in successive bodies, and the woman he exiled decades ago for the book she wrote about the world as it is now. Masterful plot work, and absolutely one of the books to read this coming spring. The narrator does an amazing job with the various threads she has to balance.

Where the Axe Is Buried paints a bleak picture of a futuristic world dominated by authoritarian AI and pervasive surveillance. Characters struggle against this oppressive rule, often finding their resistance futile, yet they continue to strive for something more. The narrative explores the chilling consequences of ceding control to artificial intelligence, even when done with good intentions, such as addressing global warming. The story follows various perspectives, including Lila, an inventor caught between the stability of AI-run London and the oppressive regime of The Republic as she attempts to see her ailing father. The narrative weaves together themes of resistance, technological control, and the potential collapse of societal structures.

I found the premise intriguing and appreciated the exploration of complex themes, drawing comparisons to works by Philip K. Dick and The Three-Body Problem. The novel's dark and often repetitive nature, however, polarized readers. Some found it enhanced the sense of despair, while others felt it dragged the story. The narrator's deadpan delivery was praised for adding to the overall atmosphere of bleakness. The author's note at the end was also highlighted as particularly thought-provoking.

The book's exploration of current social and political anxieties resonated with many readers. The parallels between the fictional dystopia and real-world events, particularly the rise of authoritarianism, were frequently noted. I found these connections disturbing and wished to avoid them, others considered them essential for understanding the book's message. The well-paced plot, diverse characters, and effective narration contributed to an immersive, albeit unsettling, reading experience.

Where the Axe Is Buried followed a number of characters, each trapped in a futuristic authoritarian society. While many of the characters tried, in some way, to resist the oppressive rule of AI and surveillance cameras, eventually they find that their resistance has been futile. Yet many of them continue to strive for something more. I found the premise interesting and I did want to know what happened to the characters. This is a really dark book made darker by some of the repetition and the choices of the narrator. Overall, I'm glad I listened to this novel, but I would only recommend if you enjoy novels with a very dark setting and story. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced edition in return for my honest review.

(3.75 Stars rounded up to 4 for audio)

Thanks to #NetGalley for making this audiobook available to me for me to read and review.

This had a classic sci-fi feel to it like a Philip K. Dick story. But also a modern flair like The Three-Body Problem. The characters provided different perspectives on the world around them, and some times they seemed very simplistic or just flat. The concept was interesting and the author's note at the end was intriguing.

While I do think this is a good story, there were times where I felt like the story dragged on without purpose, or seemed very repetitive. It did make me want to stop reading to think about it, before getting back into it. So, this book might have taken me longer to read than one of a similar length.

I do like the author, and have read more of his shorter works which I really liked. The narrator did a good job and the deadpan unemotional nature of the narration added to the overall despair in the story.

I can't make jests this time, we have to do something about the way power and wealth are used to control and oppress people. Let's go down the solar punk route instead, it's right there. But "Where the Axe is Buried" by Ray Nayler is out 1 April 2025.

"All systems fail. All societies crumble. All worlds end." Life in the Federation is not ideal, constant monitoring, social scores that limit your options and movements, people being disappeared. In Western Europe there are AI Prime Ministers who keep things moving. Except both are crumbling. Something is disrupting the AIs and the President of the Federation is going to be assassinated (for real this time, no swapping to a new body). We follow different povs as their actions and pasts lead to the collapse of everything.

Narrated by Eunice Wong, always a pleasure to hear your reading. Had me gazing out the window and pondering while statements about the nature of power and how to get out from under them washed over me.

Reasons to read:
-It's kinda important to be aware of the things this book is pointing at
-To reiterate, red flags that you can point directly at for events that have happened in just the last two weeks, can throw that back to an uncomfortable number of civilizations too
-Dealing with it in a novel way
-Bleak techno hellscape

Cons:
-I have trying to look less at the news. But now I'm seeing direct parallels so I slipped a bit. Stay positive folks

In a not-so-far-away dystopian future, authoritarian rulers have morphed into AI-run dictatorships to save humans from themselves. People believe the AI can and will make better decisions, and in some respects they have: global warming has been brought under control for example. Yet residents live in a surveillance state and lose important Social Credits if they don’t attend church, for example. Lila is a brilliant inventor, the daughter of resistance fighters who had to flee their homeland. She lives in a relatively stable London but decides she must visit her ailing father one last time in The Republic (a Soviet Union-style group of countries like the one Putin is working to assemble). She gets caught up in the anti-authoritarian movement and is secreted away. It’s a cat-and-mouse game to find her and her possibly game-changing invention while there is still a chance to make a difference as nations everywhere, including most of Europe, embrace authoritarian regimes.
I found this novel chilling as America witnesses the sweeping changes in leadership and executive orders at the start of Trump’s 2nd term. What’s in store? Read this and you might not sleep so well at night.
The audiobook is well-narrated (important due to many different accents) and moves quickly.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @MacmillanAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #WhereTheAxeIsBuried for review purposes. Mr Nayler’s earlier books are now on my TBR list. Publication date: April 1, 2025.