Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of Ghosts and Monsters. This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.

This one was a MESS, capital letters and all because not was only the writing strange at times, not deep enough most of the narration and abusing of some structural resources, but the premise was misleading. To me, at least, or the elements it talks about where so subtle through the narration that I just missed them, who knows. But I'm gonna talk about it, because it is a lot, and it feels like the author relays on the book's synopses to do the work of the description that should have been used inside the book to paint us the whole picture of the world the characters inhabit. So, what i think I'm going to do is copy here the official summary instead of explaining the basic plot with my word so i can then tell you how half of it is not even, at least, in this book.


"In a flooded city, the arcology, "Arc", provides a high-tech haven – for those who can afford it. Here, safe in her pampered confinement, Eva longs for escape. But each day she is made to play The Game, a curious virtual environment that seems more designed to monitor and test than to entertain.

For those outside, life is a struggle for survival, battling climate change and a society on the brink of collapse, where unregulated technology runs amok, spawning genetic monsters, robotic nightmares and digital ghosts.

Here, Squirrel is a memory thief, eking out a fraught existence in service to the criminal gangs that trade in illicit gene hacks, blackmarket augments and – her speciality – stolen secrets. But Squirrel has strange skills she doesn’t know she possesses, and when they uncover a secret that some very bad people would do anything to keep hidden, her only chance at escape leads to the arcology itself, to Eva, and the answers no one wants them to learn.

Tidelands is an ongoing sci-fi and fantasy serial. Set some years in the future, it is a dystopian blend of cyberpunk, first contact and Lovecraftian horror. Part 1: Ghosts & Monsters collects together instalments 1–17."


So, tell me that this doesn't sound promising? Alongside the cover, is what make me try my luck for an ARC copy at NetGalley, because, if it deliver, I knew it would be up my alley. I'm an avid reader of science fiction, I love everything lovecraftian horror and always am in the lookout for challenging environments, in this case, the flooded city.

Well, if the city where the girls live, Arc, is really flooded, I can not tell you, because the narration never describes it as such. Not from Eva's perspective who, though trapped, have windows to look through, and neither from Squirrel's perspective, who actually lives in the outside where it is supposed to be, you know, flooded. I have almost forgotten that the city was supposed to be underwater until I reread the synopses to make sure I have the right details in mind😑

The next part about Eva and her playing The Game was the most interested part of the book for me. She played something called "Sabotaged", set in historical moments, adopting new role and being someone different from Eva, and where she plays against a controlling AI. It was well explained, showed as a game of cunning where Eva proved herself and the result of her lessons provided by said AI. She spends more of her chapter playing these games, which also tell us a lot about herself, because we see her using her mind and wits to win against an all-knowing program, we see her having small goals that lead to her higher goal. Her character, step by little step, is develop. So, I liked these moments.

On the other hand, while it is true that those outside the haven provided by a dome over the arcology struggle to survive day by day, I'm not sure that it is due to climate change or a collapsing society, because the narration never shows us these or the consequences or even the start of either. In fact, Squirrel barely says anything about her hard life, except that she is a thief with a boss that will probably punish her after her last job goes awry, and not even that happens. In fact, she is given another chance to prove herself in an important job, where she will have to use her "secret abilities that not even her knows about". Which is bullshit because, she either doesn't really know about them and then just finds out way too conveniently for the plot and herself and way too poorly explained how she comes to them, or this is a misleading affirmation and she knows all along. Having read the book, I'm more incline to think that is the second, because if I have to believe in the first one, it was truly horribly done. she just remembers something her friend, Lily, said to her one and then she proceeds to use these abilities like nothing happened, without explaining that she wasn't sure or that she didn't know until it happened, or something else. But no, she just uses them, albeit bad because she doesn't have any practice.

This next one is a spoiler, so skip it if y¡all want, I don't mind. But................................... Eva and Squirrel doesn't get to meet in this book, number 1 of the series. And I wonder if they will meet in next ones. So, those secrets leading Squirrel to Eva at the dome of the arcology...not quite true, if you ask me.

Finally, it also says that "Tidelans" is 'a dystopian blend of cyberpunk, first contact and Lovecraftian horror'. It is dystopian because it does happen in the future in a society ruled by chaos, illicit business and street gans, so, along with the first contact plot, I'll give it that, but not the lovecraftian horror, unless it is referring to the mutated creatures that take part in a fighting ring, which I doubt, 'cause i wouldn't classify that as "lovecraftian horror". Y'all can come and disagree with me, but I'm dying on this hill with my opinion.

Also, the book felt like the author was paid by the em-dashes used by chapter. Commas, moreover when used to make clarifications, exist too. The structure of this book was quite strange. An abuse of description that interrupted the little plot there is and bored me to death, because, some times, it didn't add anything of relevance nor painted me an image of the characters surroundings or their feelings; at other times, it lack on description.
Squirrel chapters where confusing, I didn't know where she was going or doing most of the time. Now, her being haunted by the digital ghost of her friend, Lily, was done brilliantly, in my opinion. How her abilities worked was also interested to see in action.

And...Not much else to say, really, I think I've tackle everything I wanted to say. My maim issue was the misleading synopses, because I expecting something way more different than what Ghosts and Monsters delivered in the end, but not all it wasn't bad, as I've said already.

Anyway, I'm giving it two starts because I liked Eva's part, I was entertained and loved her character. She was cunning, funny at times and smart, even philosophical. Also, her narration was far more coherent than Squirrel's and lead to somewhere, with Eva showing goals and some minimal motivation. Her parts make me appreciate the book some more than if it have been only Squirrel, to be honest. Am I interested in knowing what happens to Eva after the end? Yes. Will I read more books of this series? Most probably no. I was bored, counting pages until the next chapter and wishing for it to end already. If I kept going was because of Eva, as I said and because it is a short read with short chapters that can be flew through.

Overall, no, I would not recommend it, but if me ranting about this book make someone interested in it, go for it, to each their own.

Ghosts and Monsters collects the first 17 entries of an ongoing cyberpunk serial set in a dystopian future. Full of AI, enhanced, implanted and natural acuities, the story bounces back and forth between the tales of two girls. Squirrel is like a futuristic Oliver Twist, using implants to steal memories from other people for the world's version of Fagin. But being especially good at what she does, one of her handlers has a bigger score in mind. Eva is kept in a tower where she has luxuries, but no real freedom. Her AI keeper engages in various games with her to keep her sharp while monitoring her progress, mainly driving her to play a very cerebral game of wits.
As the stories went back and forth, I found myself more invested in one or the other at different times in their progressions. When both plot lines really started to get interesting is where the book concluded, with dual cliffhangers. While I found myself in the moment wanting to know what happens next, I'm not 100% sure just how badly I need to find out. 3.5 rounded to 4*