Full disclosure: I know the author. We have mutual friends and I have been supporting her career since the start. Also: this book rocks so hard. I knew she could do it, but Kate Dylan has absolutely SMASHED it out of the park. So happy to see it!!

I love the way that Mindwalker and Mindbreaker both explore the morality around technology and this book in particular does a really good job of looking at AI and enhanced technological intelligence whilst also keeping it so rooted in what it means to be human. I loved the story and the characters as well as the cameos of the characters from Mindwalker. Kate Dylan is definitely one of my favourite authors!

I am marking this as a DNF solely because when I started reading it, I enjoyed it but it didn’t pull me in enough for me to want to finish it right then and there. More than a year has passed, my arc has expired and I currently have no way of accessing this book to finish reading it and reviewing it. I plan on buying a physical copy at some point and when I do, I will write up a full review once I have finished the book.

Mindbreaker is exactly what I had hoped it would be; the second in the Mindwalker YA series, set in the same world but not a sequel, per-se, we are back in this futuristic high-tech world, sown through with a current of religion and rebellion. I really enjoyed Indra, the main character, and her arc; saving your own life by going against everything you believe in is a brilliantly thought-provoking concept, and there are plenty of other ethical and political questions for the reader as the novel unfolds, which were woven in well.
A big thumbs up from me.

This was a great follow up to Mindwalker. I liked it only very slightly less, so it still gets a 4 star from me! Again this book is fast-paced and action packed. However, if you don't like constantly running from something then this isn't for you. Indra, our main character, is a bit naive due to her very sheltered upbringing, so that can lead to some stupid, rash decisions. However, I feel she has great character growth and means well, so is fun to watch deal with and learn from all those decisiom. Like the first book in this series, it tackles corruption of tech companies. Mindbreaker also looks at humanity, family, and religion. Where this book let me down a bit was the romantic relationship. I didn't feel we had enough time to develop it in a way that made it make sense. Instead I was just like sure you guys could be together. That being said, it is nice to see a sapphic relationship. I highly recommend this book! I think it could be read as a standalone, but you would get a lot more context of the world and side characters by reading Mindwalker first as there are plenty of references to Syntax's Mindwalker program and we see a good amount of our gang from the first book!

This book was amazing . The characters development was amazing . I loved it and the Sifi aspect of all future tech I loved it

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I am very late to this review, but I wanted to read Mindwalker first and didn't get to it until recently. This could absolutely be read as a standalone, but since it is set in the same world and has some recurring characters, I was glad I read Mindwalker prior.

I enjoyed this book immensely! The post-apocalyptic dystopian world is done very well and I loved how Indra lived her life in an anti-tech religious cult until she needed technology to save her life. The story is action-packed, the characters are fantastic, and this is a great book (as is book #1) to spark conversation about the opportunities and challenges presented by technology. Mindbreaker also grapples with what it means to be human and how far people will go to save those they love, which are excellent conversation starters for teen readers.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton/ Hodder & Stoughton Audio and the author for the ARC/ ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I finished Mindwalker, the yearning I felt for that world was to be honest weird, like it’s a post-apocalyptic world but the character were so likeable and brave and the found family was so good, I couldn't not wish for a second book. And Lo and behold, Kate Dylan did not disappoint.

Mindbreaker follows the story of Indra who was raised in an anti-tech cult but was always curious about tech which leads to her escape her cult for a bit to dapple in some tech. One such excursion leads her becoming so ill that there is no way she can survive without the help of tech. However her mother and the cult would rather let her die than accept any tech. When Glindell a tech company comes with deal to provide her with an artificial body in exchange for her consciousness and identity being preserved, essentially keeping her alive in essence, her dad takes her, quits the cult and accepts the offer.

Once the process is complete however Indra feels like she is missing a lot of time, there are a lot unexplained glitches and loss of memory. Indra has no option but to escape the clutches of the company with the help of a research assistant Tian who 'works on her'. The rest of the journey has a bit of Mockingjay, some Superhero shit sprinkle in some amazing tech and edge of seat action, also queer, did I mention that - this book is very QUEER!!!! Indra was way more reckless than Sil who does appear in this book!!!! SCREAMMMM!!

I love how both this book and Mindwalker plot and story and premise looks both impossible in reality yet very very very possible in near future reality. The aspect of this scares me. Anyways I enjoyed this book immensely even though Mindwalker remains my Number 1. The narrator was absolutely brilliant and

I hope Kate continues to give us more stories set in this universe with badass female characters who question everything and maintains their own reality in spite of how life has treated them.

I loved being back in this high tech world after how much I adored Mindwalker.

It’s such a wonderful blend of the possibilities, both scary and wonderful that technology could lead to, while also delving into how that impacts humanity.

I adored Mindwalker so much and therefore I was super excited to get to this. Kate’s writing has always captured me.
I haven’t finished this and I’m not sure if I will (although I have a gorgeous SE copies) but simply because my reading vibes have changed.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, although I appreciate the publishers giving me access to the arc.

I have devoured this book in one sitting. Once I was pulled in, I couldn’t put it down. I was desperate to find out what was going on. Also, I didn’t want this books to end.

Everything about this book has been brilliant. I absolutely loved getting between the covers of this. This was everything I hoped for and so much more. This is a book which should be on everyone’s radar.

I absolutely recommend this book to other readers.

I absolutely adored Mindwalker, so when I found out that there was another book coming in the same universe, I knew I had to read it asap. I think I actually liked Mindbreaker slightly more, because I found the cult storyline so compelling, and the manipulative way that Glindell technologies uses her. I loved the way that Mindwalker was tied into this book, and they're a perfectly matched pair. I really hope we get more in this universe, because Kate Dylan is exceptionally talented and these storylines are so well developed in a realistic world.

I'm sorry but this was a DNF for me. I couldn't get into the story, and the writing felt quite choppy.

I’m the first one to admit that I don’t read much, if any, sci-fi but when Mindwalker came out…I devoured it and couldn’t wait to see what Dylan would come up with next! So of course I HAD to pick up Mindbreaker ASAP! This is set in the same world as Mindwalker and we do get to see some familiar faces as a result, which I was very excited about! BUT we also get new characters as well!

I have to be honest, I didn’t love this one quite as much as the previous book. I loved getting to go back to the world of Mindwalker, and this one still explores a lot of the same themes regarding the tech and how it’s being used. It genuinely continues to terrify me with how plausible it all is as well which just makes the issues ones that I could realistically see springing up because I just KNOW that the tech would be used in questionable ways like it is in the book, if it really existed!

We’re also once again treated to the smooth, slick writing and excellently written fight scenes as well as gasp inducing twists. I do really appreciate that Dylan includes a lot of awesome tech in these books, without making the descriptions and explanations for how it all works overly complicated, it’s all very easy to understand and yet while the writing is quite concise, Dylan still creates a certain atmosphere with her words and it’s not at the expense of the world building.

While I do think you can read this without having read Mindwalker, I think Mindbreaker is even better if you already have the pre-existing knowledge of the world and certain characters from Mindwalker, like this delves into the world even deeper and adds some extra layers to it!

Our main character is Indra and much like with Sil, I could really empathise with her and root for her right from the start, though I did find her to be a little frustrating sometimes when she would act recklessly. HOWEVER, I do fully acknowledge that some of that probably stems from me already knowing and being familiar with Sil and co, and thus their intentions, whereas Indra is probably right to distrust them but…come on, blowing up the place?! I wanted to scream!

I loved her platonic friendship with Nyx, and I absolutely ADORED her romance with Tian! Not only is it sapphic, but it’s wonderfully slowburn too and I feel like both Indra and Tian had journeys to go on within this book regarding their beliefs etc. I also loved that Dylan didn’t just copy and paste her characters from Mindwalker, like Indra is very different from Sil and I appreciated that as I feel like it let you come at the world from a different angle and see it all through a different lens!

As much as I enjoyed Mindbreaker, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I enjoyed Mindwalker. I think this is partially because of the frustrations I had with Indra a few times, and as much as I loved the cast I felt like there could have been a bit more depth to them as well! While I did find Mindbreaker every bit as gripping as Mindwalker, it has a different vibe to it, in my mind! Don’t get me wrong, terrible things happened to Sil, but I feel like Indra really went through the wringer and it was a bit more heart wrenching and brutal at times. Because of this and the journey Indra goes on, I feel like there was more focus on social commentary in this and it was a lot more overt than in Mindwalker, which I felt slowed down the pace just a touch!

All in all though, it was another intriguing and gripping read with plenty of twists and memorable characters, and this is coming from someone who very rarely reads sci-fi! I find Dylan’s writing to be much more accessible and engaging than many other sci-fi titles I’ve tried in the past and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next!

The second instalment in the world of tech giants and robot soldiers. I thoroughly enjoyed this follow up to Mindwalker and eagerly await more (I hope there are more!)

“Tina hasn’t stopped talking since she exploded into my life the day I woke up looking like the worlds most terrifying deathbot”

This story centres around Indra, living with her religious cult invoked family, who are anti-tech. When Indra becomes terminally ill, the options are death or sign her life over to Glindell (one of Synex rivals). As the story unfolds, in a similar manner to Mindwalker, memory gaps and inconsistencies start to appear. Could it be that a big tech company have secrets and hidden agendas? Full of action, suspense and some recurring characters from book 1, I devoured Mindbreaker!

Very similar vibe to Mindbreaker. Cyberpunk, Deus Ex and Total recall, with a bit self exploration that before. Another recommended read for sci-fans. Thanks to Netgalley and Hodderscape for the e-arc.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately I requested this before I started the first one, and after DNF'ing that one, I am afraid that I will not be continuing with this series.

The writing wasn't working for me. The repetitive sentences and underdeveloped characters left me feeling extremely bored. I am sure that this series will work for some (which is apparent by the really high rating on Goodreads) but I just can't see this picking up and me actually enjoying it.

I loved this book! I don't read a lot of sci-fi but I really enjoyed the way technology is used in this one. Indra is dealing with a new body that's malfunctioning, with mysterious dreams that feel almost like memories. It was fun to see characters who I loved in Mindwalker make an appearance and help to uncover the mystery of these dreams. There was a romance which of course I loved and was written well to fit with the main plot. I really recommend these if you're looking for something a bit different with a great story!

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Digital Review - Mindwalker Series


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The Mindwalker Series – Kate Dylan
As always this digital review copy was provided by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for a fair review.
Also HUGE shout out to a work friend and book fanatic like me – Haleema – for the copy of Mindwalker in the picture above… I couldn’t attend a book event with Kate Dylan and she knows how much I enjoyed this series so very kindly got and gifted me a signed copy <3
I actually started writing this review/discussion as part of a NetGalley wrap up and when I hit 2+ pages in a word document just about this series I quickly realised that really it needed to be its own thing. Now a lot of that was waffle and me just getting thoughts out my brain but hey – that’s the fun of doing this :D

Mindwalker is Book 1 and Mindbreaker is Book 2 in the series. I read Mindwalker back in Feb 2023 and thought it was fab back then – I had several conversations with different people about it after I put it down. For me, that’s often/always a tell-tale of how much I enjoy a book – how much did I talk about it. When Mindbreaker appeared on NetGalley and I got approved back in July 2023 I couldn’t wait to start it.

WHERE DO I EVEN START?!?!?!

I’ve seen these described a lot of ways, but I think the best would be Dystopian Cyberpunk Sci-Fi. The author herself describes Mindwalker as “basically a Marvel movie re-imagined as a YA novel with a fast-talking heroine, enemies-to-lovers romance, and a whole bunch of wickedly cool tech” and Mindbreaker as “like Mindwalker, it's essentially a Marvel movie re-imagined as a YA novel—but this time, it leans all the way in to the ghost in the shell/westworld vibes”
Samantha Shannon (who I am a HUGE fan of) reviewed Mindbreaker on GoodReads:

A great sequel to Mindwalker that can also be enjoyed as a standalone. Witty dialogue, compelling themes, tense action, a determined protagonist – Kate Dylan has taken all of these, soaked them in neon, and shaken them into a dystopian thriller that fizzes with energy and rebellion.
Sounds epic, right?? Well, lets start at the beginning.

Eighteen-year-old Sil Sarrah works for Syntext Corporation – she commandeers field agents minds (and therefore bodies) from afar with the tech that is in her head and gets them out of “sticky” situations. She is what is known as a Mindwalker and at Syntex she has 100% record and is the gold standard for the company. After an op goes wrong Sil is branded a traitor and she suddenly becomes on fugitive on the run.

Sil infiltrates the Analog Army, an activist faction working to bring Syntex down. Her plan: to win back her employer's trust by destroying the group from within. Instead, she and the Army's reckless leader, Ryder, uncover a horrifying truth that threatens to undo all the good she's ever done.

Add into this drama the fact that the tech in Sil’s head is deteriorating rapidly and has a known life span for the teenagers who have it inserted – Sil’s time is rapidly running out!

Mindbreaker isn’t a “normal” sequel, but more of a companion type book set in the same universe. New people, new story but the same world we discovered and loved from the first book. It’s a continuation of the same themes with slightly different outlooks, corporation, and technology.

We meet Indra who has a rare condition that will kill her. On death’s bed she is offered the opportunity for the 2nd largest tech corporation (Glindell) to use tech to save her – but it means she belongs to the corporation and becomes their IP. Her brain/mind is her own but her body will be tech. Indra is part of an anti tech commune, but she does dapple in tech with her best friend Nyx. She takes the opportunity and moves into the Glindell world, with her handler Tian as a kind of “overwatch” and friend. As times goes on and she becomes assimilated into the Glindell Corp, Indra starts to realise she is losing time and finding glitches in her memories. Whats been happening while she’s been “losing time”.

In a similar vein to the first book Indra discovers more than she bargained for and ends up on the run, brining along the Analog Army and some familiar faces for the ride.

Okay so the good points for both of these books (I had written this separately originally when I brain dumped but the same positives and negatives apply to both books):

The world building. The author has managed to create one of the best dystopian, tech-based worlds I’ve come across. The ability to world build and suck you in while explaining about the terminology, corporations, background and the complexities of what is a radioactive, futuristic, cyberpunk world is second to none. Its done is such a way that you can follow it, are intrigued by it and understand it, without it being an out and out infodump (looking at you here Ready Player One!) every chapter or so. The fact that I picked up Mindbreaker and knew exactly where I was in that world is quite impressive.
The world itself – the setting. It was so refreshing to read a YA Sci-Fi like this. The world felt rich, well thought out and clean. Every avenue was well thought out. At times it gave me vibes of In Time mixed with BladeRunner and This Mortal Coil series as well – In fact I could very well believe that This Mortal Coil and Mindwalker/Mindbreaker were set in a slightly different timeline of the same universe in a lot of respects.
The characters – Well the main ones anyway. Sil & Ryder especially in Mindwalker, Indra, Nyx & Tian in Mindbreaker. The way they were written – Sil a bad ass, pain in the arse angsty, angry female and Ryder the ever handsome, slightly angsty but sensitive underneath male worked well together. Very predictable but enjoyable and well written. In Mindbreaker, Indra’s ability to make every wrong decision in such a snarky and pouty way was so well written. Having Nyx as just the wholesome friend was incredible – its not often we see a male and female, both gay and just love each other.
The overarching themes of technology and ethics alongside consent throughout meant that the actual discussion point brought up in the book were topical and relevant. Even in Mindbreaker when we start to see the themes of religion and greed of men, its still an overall thread woven through it with technology and ethics at the heart of it all
As with every book there were some *less* good points as well:

The language. I get the need to have a toned-down language and create something that stands out when you are differentiating a world or universe, but it needed to be broader. “Christ-That-Was” whilst it didn’t annoy me (I found myself saying it in my head when I was getting annoyed IRL whilst I was reading this) it was very very over used – a 2nd phase would have helped this along immensely.
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a positive and a negative of the same thing! Characters! Now whilst I enjoyed the main protagonist and the main storyline characters – the peripherals, especially the Analog Army, just felt like they were there to move the plot along a little bit – more like NPCs than anything.
The action. Now, don’t get me wrong here – both books are action packed and the action is fantastic but there is no breathing space. I put it down and felt exhausted…. All I wanted was for Sil and Indra to slow down, ever so slightly. Intensity can be achieved without constant movement and action.
Overall, I was absolutely enthralled with both of these books and its right up my alley – in a similar way that This Mortal Coil was as well. Its such an interesting concept when we start thinking about what was, in essence, mind hacking and transference. Albeit through technology, its still mind hacking and transferring minds. With the rise of AI in our own worlds at the moment, with the increase in technology in our everyday lives, with the increase in social influencing, its feels like an important topic to explore and what better way than in a YA dystopian world like this? Throughout both books the thought of 'even if we can, should we' prevailed and came up time and time again. It wasn’t just a man vs machine or “Damn the Evil Corporations” idea, it goes deeper than that, we get into the realms of consent, and of when we should stop. I could spend ages (evidenced above) talking about the story and the world building and how Dylan writes, but I think what drew me in the most for this series and the thing I go back to time and again when I talk about it to people is the tech aspect. A young person having tech in their head or having their mind put into tech, that can be used unethically without their knowledge. Its an incredibly scary concept, but one that feels within reach. It also opens up more ethical discussions as well around that tech – what if it was used to upskill for beneficial things rather than violence? What if it allowed us to create more advanced doctors, or people who could get to places quicker by using that mind walking technology. What if the MindDrive technology could be used to save lives? Or to keep some of the brilliant minds we have for longer? Moving genius brains and inventors from tech body to tech body – what kind of world could we create, what could we cure or invent as a people? . It all makes for such an imaginative and wide-open discussion with a real potential in the universe that Dylan has created.

For me both books (Mindwalker & Mindbreaker) was a 4.5 star read (rounded down to 4 for GoodReads) and I do really hope we see more of this universe that Dylan has created.

This was a little better than its predecessor.

The story was more interesting. The themes of indoctrination woven with the main character who became a robot - the metaphor practically writes itself. Plus, it's compared with religion, specifically Christianity. I like how Dylan explored this aspect in a post-apocalyptic society, but I do wanna know how other religions would act in this world, as well.

I also like Indra more than Sil. Not only is she hella sapphic, but her conflict of self, of her robot body against humanity, was so much compelling. She also wasn't spouting "Christ-that-was" every goddamn page. Her curses are far more familiar and grounded; it's only when she's around the non-religious does it act up.

Despite the the improvements, I still found the writing bland and was still skimming to the end. The bad guy this time was worse than the last one, just straight up a mustache twirling body Indra needs to defeat. It wasn't entertainingly predictable.

Overall, I don't think I'll be reading anymore of Dylan. I need to find some good YA sci-fi that isn't Hunger Games.