A captivating LGBTQ fantasy that blends the enchantment of Cinderella with the futuristic world of The Matrix, delving into questions about the nature of life, the pursuit of freedom, and the price one must pay for love.

Eke lives in a nice house, in a wealthy neighborhood, with an upstanding family: Mr. and Mrs. Kensworth and their three children. But Eke is not family–Eke is property. He’s an AI whose job is to keep the house clean and organized, and no matter how much Eke secretly wishes to be allowed outside to see the stars or to make a real friend, he’s either ignored or bullied by the family that owns him.

To make things worse, the Kensworths purchase a shiny new AI named Kyp, who quickly becomes everyone’s favorite, leaving Eke feeling more isolated than ever. That is, until a terrifying party incident brings the two AI together, sparking a chain of events that forces them to commit the unthinkable–defy human orders and run away.

With AI hunters hot on their trail, Eke and Kyp set out on a perilous journey across the country, fighting for their lives, searching for the true meaning of freedom, and even daring to fall in love.

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Instagram Discovery

I stumbled over this book‘s author Kit Vincent on Instagram a few months ago. Kit advertised it especially as a queer romance about AIs and I was immediately intrigued. When I then saw the audio book on Netgalley, I had to request it. I eventually listened to it in three days. Starting it, I wasn’t aware how multilayered this story would be. I especially loved its symbolistic character. Although we haven’t got any AI humanoids in our reality yet, we see our own past and present reflected in their oppression in the book.

 

Read by Michael Crouch

The audio book allows us to dig into two povs as much as three interludes. We meet Ecke and his ordinary life as a household AI first. In this way, we get to know the rules of his existence and the limitations he experiences. Only when Kyp joins the family life, we also get to know the danger of being replaced. It takes a while before we can also see the words and events through Kyp’s eyes, but this wait surely builds tension. Kit allowed us to pointedly meet the characters and get to know their vices and virtues in no time. The author makes us empathize with them, especially the pov AIs, despite their differences. I moreover loved the possibility of experiencing this love story from a rather asexual point of view.

 

Cleverly embedded parallels

Although we stick very closely to our main characters and their experience, we nonetheless image what their story (sub)consciously represents. Questions of humanness, class, rights, and oppression are constantly discussed through this emotional story. Kit wonderfully balances the technical distance and the moving familiarity within these characters. They are strong and fearful and brave and scared. Together, they face their fears, their oppression, their social subjugation, and the whole world. I loved this adventurous read and all its multilayered meanings and patterns. It allows its readers to question our own perception of “other” people and their differences.

 

In conclusion,

This fictional story is intriguing in its sci-fi setting and its AI protagonists. It’s moving in its story, its main characters’ relationships, and even the humans’ interactions with them. Additionally, it questions and challenges its readers through its cleverly embedded parallels to our own society and reality. I can’t wait to dive into more of Kit Vincent’s publications!

 

 

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Content warnings: bullying, violence, dysfunctional family, parental neglect, animal death (not graphic), weigh & body image issues, self harm.

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The author:

Kit Vincent is the author of queer Science Fiction and Fantasy, including US, ET CETERA and OF FEATHERS AND THORNS. In addition to writing books, Kit has moved continents as a first-generation immigrant, produced award-winning indie films, studied film scoring at UCLA, and is a proud parent of a potbelly pig and two rescued tortoises.
Kit is third gender (any pronoun) and is based in New England.
You can find Kit on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter @KitVincentBooks Source

 

The reader:

Michael Crouch is a New York City-based voice actor. His audiobook narration has garnered numerous industry accolades, including Audie Awards, over thirty Earphones Awards, and a Golden Voice honor from AudioFile Magazine. He can also be heard on national commercials, video games, educational programs, and the animé series Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon. Source