Review Detail

GODDESS IN THE MACHINE is a compelling YA sci-fi that follows Andra after she is woken up from cryo'sleep. Andra grew up in an era of technology, where people have 'implants that help them to control nano'bots around them. The nano'bots can be purposed to heal, build, or whatever is needed. However, the Earth is dying, and a million colonists have been chosen to set out for a new planet far away. They will be cryogenically frozen for a hundred years, while the ship transports them to Holymyth, the new planet.

However, when Andra wakes up, nothing seems to be as she expected. She soon learns that instead of a hundred years passing, a thousand have passed. Humanity is barely surviving, and she is worshiped as a goddess- the Third Goddess. The boy who woke her, Zhade, had been exiled from a relatively safe city, Eerensed, four years ago, and he will be using her to barter his way back in. Once she arrives, she learns that the city is failing, and she is supposed to save it. However, Andra does not know how to work with the new technology different than her own or all the politics at play.

What I loved: The premise of this is really intriguing, and the world is beautifully crafted. We get an interesting feel for the world in the future, including the evolution of language and humanity that is quite well-developed. Andra is a highly sympathetic character, and I loved the way she evolved in the impossible situation in which she found herself. There are quite a lot of mysteries in the book, such as why she was never woken from cryo'sleep until then, and we get most of the answers in this first book. There was a major reveal later in the book that completely shocked me, and I loved the surprise.

What left me wanting more: The book moves slowly in places, and like Andra, it is hard to learn this new future language that evolved from our own with its own slang and changed terms. However, I do think this adds to the experience, as we can view the difficulties she faces first-hand.

Final verdict: Overall, this is a compelling and intricately crafted YA sci-fi that takes us into the far future. Highly recommend for fans of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, DEFY THE STARS, THESE BROKEN STARS, and UNDER THE NEVER SKY. This is a series that I would definitely love to see more from.