Fate's Reckoning by Plum Parrot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm very impressed. Normally, when a series goes from small-time grounded to a valid and believable progression to all-out war, I tend to roll my eyes a bit.

(Yes, I'm looking at you, Hunger Games.)

But in this case, there's not just valid cause, but the whole cast of characters and OP progression lends great justification AND realistic chances, not to mention the feel-good reasoning. And let's face it, a cyberpunk future REALLY deserves its rebellions. It always has.

And this book makes me feel it. Sure, it may be Cyberpunk 2077 fan-fiction, but it's GOOD. I wish there was a lot more like this.



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Lunar Interlude by Plum Parrot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I honestly didn't want her to get grimdark on us, so I'm happy to say that there's some light moments and friendships being formed in this one that sits very, very well with the whole "I'm a killing machine" vibe.

You know, literally. Now mostly machine, cyborg implants, late-game Cyberpunk 2077 mythos fully intact. Hell, some of the names are the same and rich for evocation. And you know what? I don't mind in the slightest. This is fun shit.



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These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A beautiful, panoramic view of an extreme CCP, before, during, and long after it dominated the world. Complete with memories. Memories to record, memories to pass down, memories to control, control, control.

And best of all, this novel illustrates something deeply subversive, hopeful, and rather desperate that should be true in all of us.

When society has taken everything from you, maybe it is time to resit.

Resist.

Resist.

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Jovian Reverie by Plum Parrot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What starts as an attempt to relax and train herself to be a pilot quickly devolves into a huge smash-up and nasty turn of events. It's also a chance for her to power up.

And she absolutely does.

It's still very Cyberpunk, but by now, late-game Cyberpunk, or what possibly could have happened had the game more scope. I'm really enjoying it. But by now, it's veered into Starfield territory, complete with the same cyberpunk elements, but also pirate infiltration and piloting. Quite good. Also starting to get rather disturbing when it comes to the psychological effects on our MC.

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Fortune's Envoy by Plum Parrot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm impressed how easily this moves from straight cyberpunk, to corporate espionage, to space adventure. It even feels like a natural progression, hopping from job to job to dire request to following your heart.

And I think that's what I love most about it. It's just plain fun. A what-if Cyberpunk 2077 just opened up to brand new vistas, to the moon, to Saturn. I likey. I likey alot. And all the while, we've got that progression feel, with cybernetic upgrades and spunk.



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Ghost Chrysalis by Plum Parrot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just when I thought I was getting a handle on where this story was going to take me, everything goes to shit in a highly interesting way--and it's all undercover cyberpunk corpo shit. :)

Yes, it's just like I'm continuing in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe and it's delicious. I'm having a grand time.

Highly recommended. If you know, you know.

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Lives of Bitter Rain by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, while I'm almost always for an expansion to good worldbuilding, I sometimes wonder what the purpose in some might be. In this particular case, it's a subtle exploration of colonialism and the slippery slopes from within the belly of the beast.

And that's just it. Good for what it is, and if you enjoyed this this side character in book 2, she definitely gets a fuller treatment here.

But for me? I was somewhat meh about the story. Win some, lose some. Definitely a tale for the completionist in us.


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