Mind-Blowingly Good

🧡 Please take this review in the spirit in which it is intended, which entails me hyperventilating as I fan-girl scream at you to Get. This. Audiobook. It simply has everything you - yes you - want from a dystopian tech-thriller. There are teens controlling the minds of secret agents, dark tech, sinister conspiracies and just a smidge of reluctant romance. It’s snarky, it’s fast-paced and, quite frankly, fun.

💚 If I had to compare this to other works - and let’s face it, I have to - I’d say it’s got the revolutionary undertone of Hunger Games (and more than a bit of Katniss in main character Sil Sarrah), a Minority-Report-ish vibe to the plot and just a smidge of the 1995 cult classic, Hackers.
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SOUNDBITE

🎧 Everything about this audiobook simply works. It’s easy to follow without sacrificing on thrills. The dialogue shines in its sarcastic glory and Stephanie Cannon’s interpretation of Sil Sarrah is so vivid and authentic. She comes across as formidable and fiery yet likeable. Zero complaints.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for providing me with an ALC in return for an honest review.

Mindwalker is one of the best debuts I’ve read in the past several years: smooth writing, sharp dialogue, compelling characters, and world building that combines my favorite parts of science fiction and dystopia: interesting and original, but not so complex that we lose sight of the story trying to find our way, and creepily futuristic but not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

The story gets going right away, but the narrative thread emerges quickly so we can keep up with the action without effort — and there’s a lot of action to keep up with in this novel! Normally I’d complain that it leaves no space for proper characterization, but here that criticism wouldn’t hold any water: our MCs are *made* for constant action and it makes sense for the story to move at such a fast clip.

I love that like the best dystopian fiction, this story brings up some moral quandaries and makes you think — it’ll definitely stay with me for a while. I also love that it does include romance, but it’s less a sappy takeover and more a case of unexpectedly finding a trusted partner to face really challenging and dangerous situations with. It strikes the perfect balance.

Between the action and the twists, this book really gets you hooked and keeps you on the edge of your seat; I did guess most of the twists but I still really enjoyed their execution and reveals, also because they made so much sense in the story.

My only complaint is that the ending felt slightly too tidy, whereas I was hoping for more to stay unresolved and for this to be the first in a series (a trilogy maybe?), but that’s not really something that would affect my rating so much considering it’s really the only thing I didn’t love. I still hope more books are coming though because I loved the side characters and need to hear more about them!

(A note about the audiobook: the narrator does a very good job. There are a couple of inconsistencies in the way she voices two of the characters on occasion, but they are barely noticeable and overall she interprets the characters really well and really brings the story to life quite skillfully.)

Thank you Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the copy of the ALC audiobook of Mondwalker by Kate Dylan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Damn! This book is sooo good. Normally, I save audiobooks for when I’m driving or getting on with chores, but Mindwalker is so good that I sat down and gave it my undivided attention and I have no regrets!

The world building alone is brilliant, It was built into the whole story, gradually slipped into scenes and situations. There wasn’t a lecture on technological advancements and capabilities, but a gradual immersion through scene setting, and Sil Sarrah’s missions and memories.

Sil Sarrah lives in a world post-manmade apocalypse, which feels totally realistic and I can’t deny the probability. Sil Sarrah is an 18 year old Mindwalker, she has had tech embedded in her brain, that allows her to meld her mind with another, and remotely control their body for Syntex Industries.

Initially, she comes across as a confident, almost arrogant teen, but as we progress it comes to light that Syntex recruited her at the age of 8 and she’s been an agent for them ever since with a 100% success record. In exchange for being their agent, Sill’s family are looked after and compensated financially, but Sil lives with a time bomb in her head, as the tech installed in her brain will kill her before she gets to her 19th birthday!

As a character Sil is brilliant, she’s sharp, funny, with a dryness that is amazing! She’s honest about her selfishness, she loves her tech, knows exactly how good she is, but trusts her own her inner voice. It was so good to see the growth and development in her character as the story progressed, and Sil learns more about her world, Syntex, and those around her. Ultimately, Sil displays a truly honest, moral and truly brace growth that is so well written that I was enthralled, and rooting for her.

There are a number of other characters in the story, but they aren’t fleshed out to the same extent, as the book is told from Sil’s POV, and it would have been good to see a little more depth to their characters, but ultimately this is Sil’s story.

I could say so much more about this book, but spoilers. So, what I will say is that the plot is really good, it seems so obvious, but don’t fall for it, there are twists and turns aplenty and Dylan delivers them all with a perfect degree of sardonic wit, a totally engaging tone and a few pratfalls! The narrator Stephanie Cannon, did a great job, portraying Sil perfectly and using differing tones and pitch to portray the supporting characters too!

Absolutely loved this debut from Dylan and can’t wait to see what she delivers in future! If you like Sci Fi, a great plot, leap off the page characters then this is the book for you!

Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton, the author, and NetGalley for my copy of the ALC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. LOVED it. Kate Dylan, you sure know how to write incredibly engaging characters and worlds!

I am a huge fan of sci-fi, which actually means that I'm let down far more often than not. All too often an author doesn't quite manage to suspend my disbelief, or fails to do proper world building in favour of dedicating time to other aspects of the story (such as romance, which I dislike). Dylan, however, absolutely hit the mark and ticked all of my personal boxes, giving me the sci-fi story I'm always craving.

Sil Sarrah is young Mindwalker—a person who can meld their mind with another and remotely control their body—and she is effortlessly fun. She's confident in her abilities, a perfectionist, and carries herself with a touch of justified arrogance at first. She's been with Syntex since the age of 8, conditioned and trained into her job, giving her family a life of utter luxury in return. Because the catch is this: the supercomputer in Sil's head that allows her to Mindwalk will experience a catastrophic failure before her 19th birthday. Without fail.

I love Sil. I love how she knows she's good at what she does, her inner voice, her faith she's placed in her friends and Syntex. Watching her grow as a person throughout the book as she learned the truth about the world she had always known was humbling, and very well written. Her cockiness doesn't die with her innocence, and she proves that, despite her own admission to being selfish, she is in fact good at heart with solid morals. The other characters were far less fleshed out and not particularly interesting, but this is written in first person from Sil's POV, so honestly, that's in keeping with the context.

Syntex's gradual decline in the eyes of Sil and the reader was 10/10. All these seemingly amazing companies that promote working for the good of ordinary people are nothing but pretty liars, we know this, but Mindwalker takes that hard truth to the next level.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm mad I didn't see the big reveal coming. I'm SO mad! Dylan did such a good job of (intentionally) writing one of the characters as unassuming that when I had doubts about them, I dismissed them and believed them just like Sil did. I actually suspected one of the others for a time, one of the people closest to her, but I was thankfully wrong.

The gradual world building is top notch and easy to slip into. I love my world building, but I also can't handle too much made up terminology thrown at me, so I'm personally glad I was able to keep up with everything in this book. Mindwalker takes place post-manmade apocalypse that honestly, yeah, I can see happening. The world factions were fascinating to me and I would love to see more stories set in this universe. The world in Mindwalker reminded me heavily of Hug Howey's Silo Series trilogy, which are one of my favourites ever, and so I greedily absorbed this terrifying new world.

Dylan's writing is fun and engaging, and the narrator, Stephanie Cannon, did a fantastic job, especially with Sil.

I follow Dylan on Instagram, eagerly awaiting her next work! Well done for smashing your debut outta the park!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.
Ok, this really is purely my opinion and might not be yours, so give it a go. Sci fi isn’t generally my thing, but u really liked the sound of this and wanted to give it a go. It started out really well, the story dragged me in, and I enjoyed the writing a lot, but for me it got a bit far fetched perhaps even predictable, and therefore sort of lost me somewhere along the way. But. But but, and I can’t pinpoint what changed but towards the end I was caught back into the story and I’d say I enjoyed it. I feel a bit unfair rating 3 stars in honesty, as I say if sci fi is your thing you may well love it!

I’m no longer surprised when I guess the plot twists way ahead of time, in the first few chapters, just from a mere off-hand remark. I believe, if a narrative follows a logical plot, the conclusion ought to flow seamlessly out of it. And if you know what to look for, you can spot the hints of old, familiar patterns even in a new, exciting story.

Mindwalker isn’t groundbreaking or revolutionary—it’s a story told a thousand times before. But Kate Dylan made it her own and, most importantly, she made if fun. From the scavenger hunt she set up for her ARC readers, to the technicolour world the characters inhabit—Mindwalker aims to entertain.

It was a fast-paced action adventure story, with a tight, engaging plot and solid themes. The book read very much like a movie—and that is both a compliment and feels deliberate. It’s a very visual-based story that is reminiscent of classic sci-fi films like Blade Runner and Gattaca.

Mindwalker delivers a lot of highs and adrenaline-packed punches—but one aspect it struggled with was fleshing-out its characters properly. They were not, per se, one-dimensional, but they did lack quite a bit in depth and complexity. But the author did say it’s a Marvel movie in book form, so as such, that might actually have been intentional. 👀🙊

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, the story was involved and well crafted. I read this on my lunch break at work and proceeded to sulk when I had to go back to work! I felt the upcoming twist in the story but I didn’t estimate what would happen!

When this book was recommended by Kat Dunn - whose trilogy I had loved - I knew I had to read, and I'm always wanting to read more scifi so seemed like a good plan...

...and I can tell you it really was. In Mindwalker we join Sil as she works for a company saving field agents who have gotten themselves into trouble by Melding with their mind and getting them out of the danger, with the assistance of her trusty AI Jarvis (yes, named for *that* Jarvis). References like that make this scifi feel dystopian as well as makes me love it even more.

Agents such as Sil have a limited life span due to the tech in their head and Sil is determined to go out with a perfect record, until a publicity stunt goes wrong and Sil is left scrambling to reclaim her place in the world, and the company she has dedicated her life to.

Teaming up with a ragtag team of rebels, one of which is exceedingly handsome, in an attempt to clear her name, what could go wrong!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early e-arc of this book. Out first of September and I can't wait for you all to read this!

*update to my review, I have also now listened on audio and the narrator was great and the story was no less enjoyable second time around!

Not long until release now!

I received an Audiobook ALC of this work from the publisher, via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Christ that was! Grippingly narrated with lots of life and action, this was one amazing ride. Since the story is told in first person, I especially loved hearing the way the narrator’s grit and edge evolves as the plot deepens. Altogether, Sil Sarrah is hands down, sci-fi’s most exciting heroine ever. Not only is she confident and unafraid of action, she’s also in touch with feminine side and unafraid of embracing. With Mindwalker, Kate had created a role model for generations of brave, daring girls who love technology.

Really love a good dystopian sci-fi story. The narrator did a terrific job on this audiobook. They were expressive and easy to differentiate characters and get a feel for the mood of the scene being narrated.

A generic YA dystopia/sci-fi.

I had my doubts early on whether this would be for me or not, and I continued on since I didn't *hate* it.
I should have listened to my instinct instead of this audiobook.

So the narration itself? Quite good, quick pacing, easy to differentiate characters well, but I have seen some tech-based sci-fi do a better job in terms of "tech noises" or whatever, which was a let down here.

The plot was....meh. It's predictable and nothing new to be honest...but it is fine and easy to read.
The characters were...bad. Just bad, they had no unique voice, no characterisation or growth, they were all so BLAND and young-reading - just make your characters 15/16 if they are going to act that way. AND IT'S OKAY CURSE ~christ that was~ like....just use something unique to that world, a real expletive, or just leave out the "that was". It was so repetitive and it just made all the characters seem so much younger.

Yeah. Just bleh. Suitable for a younger reader I guess - 13/14?

What can I say expect that I absolutely loved it! I was hooked from the first moment and the audiobook was definitely very good. I loved the way it was written and to feel that excitement while listening to it. Wondering what would come next and it felt like I was there in that amazing world with the characters. Loved it and thought it was very original.

This is a great young adult book, giving xmen/ the darkest minds vibes. It's a dystopian world with all kinds of new technology, it has some good twists and I can definitely see a series coming

Mindwalker is a fun, gripping read YA SFF!

I absolutely adored this book. It was fun, action-packed, and grabbed me right from the start. Sil is a bad-ass heroine with a sassy humour who will have you chuckling all the way through. She’s determined, strong and will do anything she can to save her friends and those that she loves. I adored the subtle romance but was grateful it wasn’t the main focus of the story. I did find that the secondary characters were less well developed and I would have liked to have seen more of a bond between Sil and Ryder’s friends. I would have also loved to have learned more about their backstories!

The alternate universe is easy to imagine as something that could happen to ours in future. It was well-explained and very intriguing (and more than a little frightening!).

I’ve rated it 4 stars just purely on the fact that the twists were easy-ish to guess. However, this doesn’t take away from the overall story. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to try SFF for the first time as it’s gripping from start to finish, but not too over the top for people new to the genre. Also, the narration was brilliant and for someone who does’t read a lot of audiobooks, the narrator kept me engaged with tone and different voices.

I am more of a fantasy reader than a science fiction one, in general. But Kate Dylan’s debut, Mindwalker gripped me so much I breezed through the audiobook in a single day – which, were this a paper book wouldn’t be that unusual, but audio takes about five times as long! Sil Sarrah is a brilliant leading character and the world Kate Dylan creates is both harrowing and compelling. I loved how the story went in unexpected directions and got extremely twisty – not leaving the reader time to breathe and relax. It is a fast-paced, high-octane thriller, a cute romance and a disturbing vision of the future rolled all into one. A great YA, in short. As I listened to the audiobook via NetGalley I would be remiss not to praise Stephanie Cannon’s narration, perfectly translating Kate Dylan’s text to the aural format.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton Audio for sending me a copy of Mindwalker!

I do enjoy a dystopian sci-fi, and this was good fun! Fast paced and action packed, full of cool tech and rainbow hair, with plenty of smart-mouthed, snarky characters, it was a great listen for me! The writing was easy to follow and the narrator (Stephanie Cannon) did an excellent job of reading.

I enjoyed that this was a one and done story that wrapped everything up neatly, and whilst I had guessed at most of the twists by the time I got to them, there was one at the end that took me by surprise! I only wish we got to see more of the world though, I'd have loved some more exploration there!

The characters were great, Sil was a kick ass heroine, and I loved her back and forth with Ryder and Aja, but again I wish we'd had just a little more deep delving into some of the side characters.

Overall though an enjoyable read (or listen, in my case!) and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a quick read with lots of cyber action, hacking, and corrupt corporations!

"Do not surrender control." - Mindwalker (Kate Dylan)

Sil Sarrah is an 18 year old who knows she has 12 months or less left to live before the CIP grafted to her brain stem, kills her. She's known this would be her life since she was 8 years old accepted the position offered to her by the Syntex Corporation. She has been Syntex's perfect Walker for 10 years, rescuing every agent with no loss of life. And Sil is committed to keeping her perfect score. But when she is placed in an impossible mission, she goes against protocol and the outcome of the mission forces Sil to flee the only place she has friends and a "family."

While on the run, Sil Sarrah will find allies, enemies, and ultimately the truth. But with time running out and her system hardware deteriorating every day, will she have the time and ability to bring that truth to life?

I read this ARC of "Mindwalker," by Kate Dylan in one sitting, and I am blown away! This story gripped me IMMEDIATELY, entered my brain and took me on the ride of my life! I wanted to read this again as soon as I finished it. Definitely a top 5 standalone book of all time for me.

This book was like if parts of the "Uglies" Trilogy, mixed with parts of the "Matched" Trilogy, then added some Marvel-like advanced tech and spit out the absolute perfect Sci-Fi for today's world! The dystopian aspect was right on track with what could happen to the US if 💩 (crap) hits the fan. It was very easy to fully immerse myself into the dark city streets and the corrupted big companies alongside Sil.

The narrator of this audiobook was awesome! She had a great way of putting emotion into her voice that pulled me in to the story fully.

Forever a fan of Kate Dylan! Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

MINDWALKER is a breathlessly propulsive book, sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Wow was it difficult to pace myself with this one. Once it starts, it never stops, stealing you away at breakneck speed as Sil attempts to evade the authorities, escape perilous situations and infiltrate the ranks of her enemies. This is a propulsive, fast-paced sci-fi that asks hard questions about consent and invasive technology, whilst still managing to crack jokes and keep the tone light.

I did eventually start to tire of Sil's constant swearing and the use of the phrase Christ that was, and I wasn't a massive fan of the side characters, especially since everyone besides Sil and Ryder don't get developed much, and even those two start a romance too quickly to feel believable. But these are small qualms that didn't detract from the reading experience, especially in the audio format – I enjoyed Cannon's narration a lot. If you want something that will hook you, keep you guessing, immerse you in a post-apocalyptic America, give this a try, and I would happily check out more of Dylan's books.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced post apocalyptic, sci-fi, action-packed story; which has likeable, bad-ass characters and a hint of romance to boot. It is different enough to what I normally read to feel truly unique. This new-to-me Author has a writing style which is easy to understand and which makes the book a joy to read. Lovers of books such as Hunger Games or Divergent series (as well as romance lovers looking for something different) will most likely enjoy this novel. Overall this book is a big win for me and I thank NetGallery and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for introducing me to this Author - I will definitely be looking for other books by her, and although it does't look like this will be a series, I'm hoping the book is popular enough to warrant a series....

Besides the story itself, I do like the audiobook version. The narrator is great for the story.

Story:

I loved how the story progresses. I kinda feel Murderbot vibes and Deviant by Jay Kristoff. There are some parts that quite stretch in the story but nonetheless, I didn't see how the ending happened. The revelation is astounding. Knowing that the story is quite generic for the plot but the author manages to make it insteresting and engaging.