This review is going to depart from my usual format as the
copy I received was pre-release and happily provided by netgalley for review in exchange for an
honest review. I was compelled to request a review copy by virtue of the blurb
which pointed to a re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast and in my mind I’d
anticipated something more along the lines of Gail Carriger’s steampunk
universe and yet, this isn’t quite like that.
If I was to categorise this tale, it would probably be as science
fiction romance and the connection to Beauty and the Beast acts as a thematic stepping off point, rather than front and centre. Any excuse for a Disney trailer though ( see below).
In the not too distant future, Alainn Murphy’s father has
created a succession of increasingly more intelligent robots that look
uncannily like her. Unlike self-deprecatory Alainn, Rose 76GF and her
counterparts are convinced that they know more and offer the world more than
their human model.
When Alainn’s father finds himself in debt to the reclusive Lorccan Garbhan, his choices are to front up the robot model he has promised Lorccan or be sent to jail for fraud. With Rose 76GF unwilling to comply, his daughter Alainn takes the robot’s place in Lorccan’s sterile tower and discovers love, intrigue and robotic monkeys in the process.
While the novel requires significant setting aside of
moments of disbelief and there are a couple of plot holes here and there, it
makes for an entertaining read and a fast one to boot.
I like the parallels between Alainn's sexual awakening and the awakening consciousness of the AI robots, it is a nifty conceit. That being said, I have notes that would no doubt constitute spoilers and so I'll leave them be.
4 out of 5 beastly points for this one.
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