The People's Library

by Veronica G. Henry

From critically acclaimed author Veronica G. Henry comes a thought-provoking science fiction fantasy set in near-future Cleveland that follows a reluctant curator of digital human consciousness who must uncover twisted secrets and navigate ethical quandaries and dangers when anti-technology rebels attack the futuristic library.

Echo London never wanted to be the curator of the People’s Library, a digital collection of human consciousness. But when she’s assigned as its head librarian, Echo is entrusted with humanity’s greatest minds and historical figures, all of whom have been recreated through controversial consciousness-capturing technology that lets visitors interact with the dead.

But an anti-tech rebellion is stirring. When a rebel attack results in tragedy, a mysterious woman wearing an ancient death mask leaves behind cryptic final words for It all begins with nothing. Caught between the resistance and a potentially virtual evolution, Echo begins to fear that there’s more to her job than meets the eye and the mind. There are secrets here. And the People’s Library may be less of a promise of things to come than a warning of the danger that lurks beneath the surface. Now the fate of humanity lies in uncovering the truth.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Ebooks, Dystopia, Mystery, Science Fiction Fantasy

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 1, 2026

About the author

Veronica G. Henry is the author of Bacchanal, The Quarter Storm, and The Foreign Exchange in the Mambo Reina series.

Her work has debuted at #1 on multiple Amazon bestseller charts, was chosen as an editors’ pick for Best African American Fantasy, and shortlisted for the Manly Wade Wellman Award.

She is a Viable Paradise alum and a member of SFWA and MWA. Her stories have appeared, or are forthcoming, in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and FIYAH Literary Magazine.

Reviews

[Catherine E Larklund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I received this as an Amazon First Read book. I'm very glad this was the book I chose. I read this in one go. Started it and couldn't put it down. Really interesting thoughts about AI and virtual reality wrapped up in a killer story. I love libraries and am always saddened by closures. My brain is running in so many directions I don't know what to write. Very good book. Highly recommend.

[Pamela Shrewsbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Techno-thriller meets history

📚✨Book Review✨📚
The People’s Library
by Veronica G. Henry
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Amazon Prime First Reads - January 2025
Publishes: February 1, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vibe: Black Mirror meets The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

Would you want your mind preserved forever? 🧠✨

Echo London never asked to run The People’s Library — a digital archive where human consciousness is preserved and recreated, allowing people to interact with history’s greatest minds long after death. But when she’s put in charge, everything changes. As political tension rises and an anti-tech rebellion pushes back against this controversial technology, a devastating attack leaves Echo with a haunting message: It all begins with nothing. What starts as a job quickly becomes something far more dangerous, forcing Echo to question the true purpose of the Library — and what humanity is risking in the name of progress.

This book completely pulled me in. What I loved most is how the story asks big questions—about memory, legacy, technology, and who gets to decide what’s worth preserving—without ever losing its emotional core. I loved how it balances big, high-concept sci-fi ideas with very human questions about grief, control, and who gets to decide what “progress” looks like. It’s atmospheric, thought‑provoking, and the kind of book that lingers after you close it.

Echo is such a compelling character — quietly observant, increasingly uneasy, and clearly standing on the edge of something much bigger than herself. She is the kind of protagonist you root for because she’s flawed, curious, and trying to do the right thing even when the ground keeps shifting beneath her. The tension builds in a slow, creeping way, and by the end I was left staring at the ceiling, thinking about how thin the line is between preservation and possession.

If you like speculative fiction about secret societies, tech-conspiracies, or just a really good "what if" scenario, put this on your TBR immediately. 📚✨

[Ecaroh Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars?

This was a strange book…

I’ve seen others call it a techno-thriller, and I think that would be an accurate description. The concept was extremely interesting and definitely relevant to today’s world. I wanted to love this, but I do think that the execution was lacking. While I don’t think that this needed to be a series, I wish the author had taken a little more time to expound upon the plot rather than catching us up to speed through a monologue in the middle of the story. Although I have to admit that this choice is writing did humor me.

Side note: The writer’s choice to include a spicy moment was definitely interesting… It caught me off guard so I guess bonus points to her lol (I normally am not shocked by a storyline as I am pretty good at anticipating possible upcoming events. This caught me wayyyy off guard). If you’re reading this review without having first read the book, I promise I’m not crazy. There’s a reason why this was shocking 😭

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I’m excited to read other novels by this author.

[Jodi Tandet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great premise and a compelling start but quickly turned boring, with far more telling than showing. Did Not Finish (a rarity for me), as midway through, I realized I simply did not care—about the plot, the characters, or the world they live in.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept but missed opportunity

When I saw that interesting people from the past were going to be characters in the future, I hope they're particular skills and styles of speaking would play a significant role, but alas.

And although the science involved has some potential validity, much of it (the rules by which entities may change from one form to another) is very inconsistent.

And finally, as to writing style, the author appears to be deeply enamored of similes.

[Bryan Bradley · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a silly book. It has intellectual pretensions like the lengthy dissertation on the nature of zero, but in the end it is just silly. I hate to include a spoiler, but here goes. The heroine’s solution to stopping the evil organization and its chief henchman is to broadcast him standing and outlining his scheme to the heroine. The people are outraged, riots ensue, EvilCorp collapses, cliches and lazy writing abound.

The parts of the book where the author describes her UBI paying, low carbon emitting, everyone recycling utopian future is interesting. A socialist’s dream list, but at least she seems to care. The ending of the book just seems like she had a deadline to meet and threw together some crap to be done. It feels, frankly, disrespectful.

Got it as an Amazon First of the Month choice. I don’t recommend spending money to read it.

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazon first reads pick, I couldn't finish it. Somewhere in the middle I just gave up.

[Rebecca]

Amazon First Reads - January 2026

[Brooke Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the topic interesting but the book bored me. There were some really good parts of it and the whole idea of ai was definitely great. Just personally for me the story just didn’t connected and pull me in.

[Caila]

I won’t rate it but DNF… just couldn’t get into it…

[Dayanara Ryelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of those where the description gave me high hopes and then the actual book left me crying, “WHY?!”

The book started off well: the protag’s library gets shut down and she takes a job directing a library of virtual copies of historical figures (“virtus”) that people can check out and chat with. A mysterious woman (apparently part of an anti-AI group) splashes Echo (the protag) with a strange substance and then disappears, only to come back later to die at Echo’s feet. Should be exciting, right? The story should be a gripping, tech-infused “whodunnit” by the middle of the book (where I left off), right?

Nope. The story goes off the rails pretty much from the first.

Echo hides the mysterious woman’s mask from the police and acts like she’s going to figure out what it means and what kind of group it’s connected to…and instead, we’re treated to her popping in and out of the worlds of various virtus, discussing why the number zero scared early populations like the church and discoursing on the nature of consciousness.

HUH?!

As if that wasn’t strange enough, there’s a virtu that she’s checked out once and she suddenly decides she’s obsessed with him.

Now, like every human, I’m no stranger to a kind of “insta-attachment” to a celebrity. But—unlike Echo—I wouldn’t immediately invite their virtual presence into my house or jump into their virtual apartment as soon as technology figured out how to make that possible, either! (She’d only met that virtu once and almost as soon as she was in his space, she was hugging him around the waist!)

I flipped to the end…your typical, “MWAHAHAHA! They thought they’ve ended me but I am slowly growing smarter behind their backs because I’m a computer that can’t be stopped!” bullshit.

It’s like the author wrote the first part, got bored and handed it off to a ghostwriter to finish. Very disappointing for an author whose other work I enjoy.

~*~

I don’t usually have ethics questions with what I’ve read, but this issue raised a flag for me that I felt it was necessary to mention.


The virtu Echo was obsessed with was called “Jesse Cooper” and she said he was one of the Golden Thirteen. But Wikipedia says there was no member with that name and it was two separate men: Jesse W. Arbor and George C. Cooper.

Black people have spent generations having their accomplishments minimized, erased or otherwise rewritten. The Golden Thirteen themselves had to retake their officer exams because the White officials thought they’d cheated, that they couldn’t be that smart.

Why would you, as a conscientious author, create a blend of two men rather than choosing one of them to stand on his own? It seems like that would be not only an offense to the Golden Thirteen and their descendants, but Blacks as a whole!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great premise and the writing is enjoyable, but the world-building is disjointed and at times contradictory. The author throws in bits and pieces that do not come together in a cohesive manner and like some previous works, can be overly focused on delivering an environmental message - like hempcrete, compostable napkins (aren’t they anyway?), recycled algae fibers and incinerator toilets (seems like a massive energy waste).
On the world building, which is it? “There was no getting back some of the jobs. Fast food, manual labor, service, even most coding jobs had been taken over or nearly so about a decade earlier. In the bad times that ensued, the city, and the country, nearly tore themselves apart. Anarchy only suppressed by a strong show of force by the police and the enacted national guard.” Or is it: “But the mass job loss, that never came to be. It was all hype.” Take your pick.
In one part she tells a virtu representing someone from 1,500 years ago, “It works via a bidirectional audio conductor in the chip.” They are non-plussed and make no comment at all. Another one opines, “That sounds positively delightful, though I must confess, I have not the faintest notion of what a television station might be, nor, I suspect, ought I to.” Too much inconsistency. Even the romance seems disjointed. No buildup, just there.
Wonderful premise, decent prose, but poor execution on what could have been some really good sci-fi. Meh.

[Allison Goins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really well-written, easy-to-read book with a story that moved along at a good pace. I especially liked the main character. She was well developed, and I genuinely cared about what happened to her as the story progressed.

While I enjoyed the plot overall, a few things kept it from being a full five stars for me. Even though it’s set in the future, it leaned a bit too heavily on present-day conversations around AI, which sometimes felt a little on the nose. This sometimes pulled me out of the story and distracted me from staying engaged with the protagonist. I also felt the ending dragged slightly, as the author tried to wrap up every storyline. While I appreciated the authors wanting to give the reader closure. I think it made the story drag out and I got a bit disengaged at the end.

Lastly, the romantic subplot didn’t fully land for me. It felt somewhat forced, and I didn’t quite buy into how the relationship developed. I had to go back and make sure that I had not missed pages where the relationship developed, because the intensity of the feelings confused me at first.

Overall, this was still an engaging and enjoyable read with a strong protagonist, and I’d recommend it to fans of near-future or speculative fiction.

[Jil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t hate it but I am left with a lot of questions and not many answers?

Some of my issues with the book:
- the excessive number similes/ lengthy metaphors that really pull you out of the plot
- the fact almost every character’s skin color had an analogy to something (I literally read “cafe au lait skin” and had to put my kindle down to double check that author was poc)
- THAT scene. Literally what do you mean you poked around in his mind???

In a world this technologically advanced, with so many scenarios of “never done before” things we needed more context. I was left asking why and how a lot of times. Some things were brought up so much early on- like Echo’s synesthesia, her shitty relationship with her parents, her main assistant coworker- just to not really be brought up again in any substantial way to the plot.

It wasn’t a bad book, but it did not feel finished. It felt like a really good outline for a futuristic high tech society. Maybe the concept would have lent itself a little better to another medium so we could see some of the things the author was struggling to describe. Or an apocalyptic writing style rather than a thriller.

[Nicole Vazquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

i got this early through amazon first reads but i am glad i didn't pay actual money on this. i wanted to like this so bad because i love the premise and the topic. i also tend to like any books about libraries. however, the author did a lot of telling instead of showing which made what should've been a quick read turn into a painfully slow one. there were some parts that were interesting (and these were the few moments that didn't consist of dialogue between the protagonist + jesse/margaret) but not enough to propel the story forward in any meaningful way. the plot was extremely confusing and some things were not explained well, if at all. the relationship (?) between "jesse" and the protagonist was disturbing and confusing. i felt disconnected from each of the characters, especially the protagonist, and there were some parts of the book where i actually disliked her. for example, she was unnecessarily rude and crass at times. i've read 500 page novels faster than this.

[Jessamyn West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read any book about a library. This one was particularly good. A near future tale of book-type libraries being shuttered in favor of "check out an AI author/personage" experience-based libraries. But something's up. The "virtus" (as the virtual personas are called) are escaping. And things may not be what they seem. Our protagonist is an introverted book-loving African American librarian with synesthesia (TAKE MY MONEY) who is trying to figure out what's up and make it right. There are a lot of wrinkles to what goes on and I liked the various places it went. Most importantly, to me, the librarian character felt real, not just a staid book-toucher and not some cybrarian telling the book-lovers to get with the program. It's tough to do well and I appreciated Henry's care with the character.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an AI-dominated future world, the traditional physical book library in Cleveland is shuttered and the librarian is transferred to a new facility, The People's Library, where patrons check-out 3D, AI-generated replicas of famous people (called virtus) with whom they can have discussions, seek advice, learn from, and befriend. The virtus sometimes escape their confines and flee the library that digitally imprisons them. It starts to beg the question of what consciousness really is. Human beings are implanted with microchips that allows them to constantly access a virtual assistant/companion. Kind of like carrying Siri around in your head, but with more intimate knowledge of you. Universal Basic Income has been implemented in the country because AI has eliminated so many jobs. Interesting sci-fi that hits too close to what may actually happen someday!

[Drew Ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book as a monthly Amazon "First Reads" book.

Overall, I enjoyed it. The main character was interesting, and the author does a good job of conveying the main character's thoughts, fears, and overall mindset throughout the book — which is good, because that becomes a major plot point toward the end.

The author's approach to AI and its social consequences is also intriguing and handled well. This book is set in the near (though indeterminate) future, and is definitely sci-fi, but is in the tradition of plausible sci-fi. And, in the greatest traditions of science fiction, is really about exploring what it means to be human. Thankfully, the future depicted in this book is not dystopian, although it is nuanced and has a dark side.

I recommend this book. This is the first novel I've read by Veronica Henry and I look forward to reading more of her work.

[Kylie Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I appreciated about this novel is that it was a true-blue science fiction novel. There were a lot of aspects about this book that I enjoyed. The world building was fantastic; I was instantly transported to a high-tech, futuristic world. The exploration of both the benefits and the dangers of technological advancement was well thought out & insightful. Where I struggled was with our main character, Echo, and the central conflict. It was hard to understand some of the choices that Echo made throughout this book, and while the overarching conflict made sense, some of the details were convoluted to the point that the final showdown/battle was a bit anticlimactic. Overall, I think this book had a strong start and sort of petered off to an okay finish.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Evolution. An integration of people and technology,”

Can such a thing happen? In a future world instead of books you check out Virtus- virtual people. It sounds wonderful but should it be allowed? Librarian Echo London is both fascinated and horrified by the idea. The dilemmas she faces are quite stunning as well as horrific. What will she do? What can she do?

Without a doubt this book will be added to my life list. It is that good. Before I'd even finished it I pre- ordered a paper copy. It reminds me of another book from my life list: *Sophie's World* a novel about the history of philosophy by Jostein Gaarder. Highly Recommended 5/5

[ Disclaimer: I received this book through Amazon First Reads. It is not published yet. It will be out February 1st 2026]

[Gloria Amescua · Rating 5 out of 5]

The People’s Library is fascinating! It takes all our fears ( or maybe only some of us ) about AI and AGI (Artificial Intelligence) in our near future and fleshes out what it might be like. Yes, AGI can be helpful in many ways but this book brings out humanity’s thousands of years search for what consciousness really means and whether AGI can develop consciousness. The characters are well drawn, the changes that occur in society are believable and scary. I couldn’t stop reading to see what happened next. . I’ve been talking to family and friends about this book. It’s about power, greed, truth and lies, being vulnerable and being strong and much more.

[International Cat Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a very fantastic and timely concept, which made it interesting all the way through. That being said, it had some issues. The biggest was the idea that someone whose number-related synesthesia is so bad that she dreads meeting new people or going out of her comfort zone for fear of seeing certain numbers is a professional librarian. Dewey Decimal System, anyone? Plus I feel like it needed a good editor - not in terms of grammar or spelling, but someone to read the text and point out where more background details are necessary. There were a lot of things that were glossed over or underdeveloped.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally have to say 2 stars BUT I think this is a solid 4 star book if you like and understand computers?


I wanted so much to love this book! The premise is amazing and I couldn't get into it. I had to force myself to finish it and have been reflecting this whole time what it is about the book that made me feel so uninterested. I think its the Tech speak. I am not smart when it comes to technology and have no desire to be, so I thought maybe it was too much in that arena for me but the more I read the more I think what was unfolding was not cohesive for someone who isn't tech savvy? I wanted it to make sense.

[Olivia J]

DNF @ ~38%
Amazon first reads book. I picked it because the premise reminded me of the Head Museum from the show Futurama. The idea was great but the execution is not.

I believe every story needs proper world building no matter the genre and this one was severely lacking. There was so little put into the world I just can’t get into it. Things are introduced and named and then immediately shortened into an acronym without really explaining what they are. Things are moving quite quickly there’s no time spent on developing the characters aside from the MCs synesthesia which is brought up constantly but not really elaborated on.
I needed more out of it by this point to keep going.

[Whitney Lavaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I think the concept was interesting but it didn’t quite hit for me. I think there needed to be more world- and character- building. From a world perspective, there were a lot of pieces to the world that I still didn’t quite grasp at the end of the book, and I think it distracted from the story because I was trying to figure out exactly how the world worked. And, sadly, I just never really cared too much about Echo or what happened to her. I wish she had been developed more, so I could feel that connection.

[Jennah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this. the premise is extremely cool. However, I just wasn't completely sold on the whole technology story science situation. it didn't quite make sense to me. also, the relationship with Jesse did not seem to be at all what the story implied it was. the Margaret relationship seemed much much more meaningful, yet Jesse was like, the one? And I still don't really understand how the synesthesia mattered at all. An enjoyable read, still, but the world building in large (individual scenes were lovely) could use some work.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got an advance copy of this via Amazon First Reads. The premise sounded great, but sadly it didn't live up to it's expectations. It started off quite boring and didn't really improve. It was a lot of telling, rather than showing, and one thing that annoys me with sci fi is explaining what new technology does. Good writing would simply have the technology as part of the world and it would be obvious what it does without the exposition. Also, there were a number of plot holes that just didn't make sense. Sadly, not for me.

[Domino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profit over People

Humans are singularly flawed but that’s what makes us….. human. It is very tempting to want to become more powerful, all knowing, with the ability to control our minds but history has repeatedly shown that we will always use it to our detriment.

I really enjoyed reading this. The possibilities enthralled me and scared me, much like they did Echo. I only hope that if I ever find myself in a similar situation, that I, like her, will make the right choice.

[Terri L. McClelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

AI. What have you done? Think near future and of an organization that decides it would be a great idea to merge human consciousness with AI — the next step in human evolution. What if this is happening without the awareness or permission of the people? What if that organization doesn’t quite succeed but leaves a hidden seed of consciousness behind?

“I’m intelligent. I’m capable. I’ve learned, am always learning.” [Epilog]

A bit scary but definitely a book for our times.

[Dawn W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an early copy of this book through Amazon Kindle as part of my montly picks of free books to read with my membership.

Excellent world building and character background exploring the themes of uncontrolled AI and the technology behind them, false utopias we self create through our entitlement and lack of observation.

The story is well written, intense and mind boggling. I loved the writing style and the character developement.

Looking forward to seeing more from this author!