Machinations
Hayley Stone
Print Length: 343 pages
Publisher: Hydra (Random House LLC)
Publication Date: July 26, 2016
My Review: Hayley Stone’s MACHINATIONS begins after the Robot/Artificial-Intelligence apocalypse has nearly wiped humanity from the planet. And shortly after the story begins, Rhona Long, the heroine of the novel, dies. Before this, however, she had set in motion plans to have herself (and possibly others) cloned in the event of her death. She returns with her DNA and most of her memories intact. But she needs to win back the trust of the human resistance leaders and her friends, specifically those in her inner circle who know she is a replacement, including her boyfriend, Camus.
MACHINATIONS is a smooth, enjoyable read, well-written in a confident style that doesn’t get in the way of the narrative. Although the scope of the story is global, the focus of the narrative remains on Rhona’s life, post-resurrection and her place in the resistance. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the machines—and more of this dystopian world—in future volumes. [Note: Counterpart, the sequel, is due out OCT 11, 2016.]
