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Killswitch Protocol
Not yet published
Expected 7 Jul 26A cyberpunk novel from M. J. Kuhn. Logan's Run meets The Giver with a dash of Cyberpunk 2077.
In New Avarita, every person is born with a purpose. Once fulfilled, they are eligible for Ascent, a peaceful passing and assumed rebirth on the next plane of existence, celebrated for having left their perfect mark upon the world.
At least, that's what the powers that be want them to believe.
When Liv Spencer's husband reaches Ascent under more than suspicious circumstances, she doesn't feel like celebrating—she wants revenge. Her path takes her deep into the neon-drenched streets of New Avarita's seedy underbelly, a world filled with black-market cybernetics, synthetic drugs, and people who see Ascent for what it truly a killswitch.
Liv is soon embroiled in an anarchist plot to overthrow the ruling body of New Avarita, but the further she sinks into this world, the blurrier the line between "righteous rebellion" and "terrorism" begins to grow. With hundreds of thousands of innocent lives on the line, Liv must find a way to strike back against the fascist rule of the shadowy figures controlling New Avarita without getting flagged for Ascent herself.
In New Avarita, every person is born with a purpose. Once fulfilled, they are eligible for Ascent, a peaceful passing and assumed rebirth on the next plane of existence, celebrated for having left their perfect mark upon the world.
At least, that's what the powers that be want them to believe.
When Liv Spencer's husband reaches Ascent under more than suspicious circumstances, she doesn't feel like celebrating—she wants revenge. Her path takes her deep into the neon-drenched streets of New Avarita's seedy underbelly, a world filled with black-market cybernetics, synthetic drugs, and people who see Ascent for what it truly a killswitch.
Liv is soon embroiled in an anarchist plot to overthrow the ruling body of New Avarita, but the further she sinks into this world, the blurrier the line between "righteous rebellion" and "terrorism" begins to grow. With hundreds of thousands of innocent lives on the line, Liv must find a way to strike back against the fascist rule of the shadowy figures controlling New Avarita without getting flagged for Ascent herself.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 12, 2026
Killswitch Protocol cuts to the synthetic heart of modern society, tearing apart the foundations of capitalism and corporate control with cybernetic swagger. From one skillful sentence to the next, Kuhn will make you cry from the weight of her characters’ emotional turmoil AND raise your mech-enhanced fist to rage against the machine. This is rebellious cyberpunk at its best—and it’s about time we burn the fucking system to the ground.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rating 4.5/5
Kuhn’s Killswitch Protocol beautifully blends together everything that makes the cyberpunk genre so compelling. But it’s not just about checking off tropes. The story itself revolves around an anti-capitalist message with a plot to overthrow an oligarchical board that wields unprecedented power, and Kuhn does an excellent job showing just how difficult it is to bring about a successful revolution and societal change. Of course we still get cybernetic implants, a dark net, some anti-heroes, “netrunners”, neon underworlds and corpo elites. Kuhn knows how to pull the rug out from under her readers and keep them engaged throughout a relatively short book clocking in at just 350 pages. I’ve tried a few other Cyberpunk books this year that have fallen flat but this one hit the right notes, keeping me fully invested from beginning to end.
My biggest struggle came with pacing. Really this pacing was limited to some exposition dumps, long character introspection, and a lack of dialogue at times where I wished there was more conversation. Most of this is personal preference, but I love when characters solve problems when discussing conflicting ideas or talking with other people rather than working through their inner thought process. I also have two kids and reading took a bit longer because the chapters were on average 15-20 pages each rather than a more doable 8-10 sweet spot (reading with kids feels like an impossible task sometimes). Again, this is all personal preference for how I like to read. The pacing was still solid and the story was driving forward from beginning to end, but I wished it was paced a bit quicker or had shorter chapters.
This definitely feels like a first in a series and I’m unsure if there will be more, but if there are, I AM FULLY ON BOARD! The world building is so good and I’m fascinated to see other parts of the city and world. This is an awesome entry in the cyberpunk genre! So MJ, where’s the next book?!
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Kuhn’s Killswitch Protocol beautifully blends together everything that makes the cyberpunk genre so compelling. But it’s not just about checking off tropes. The story itself revolves around an anti-capitalist message with a plot to overthrow an oligarchical board that wields unprecedented power, and Kuhn does an excellent job showing just how difficult it is to bring about a successful revolution and societal change. Of course we still get cybernetic implants, a dark net, some anti-heroes, “netrunners”, neon underworlds and corpo elites. Kuhn knows how to pull the rug out from under her readers and keep them engaged throughout a relatively short book clocking in at just 350 pages. I’ve tried a few other Cyberpunk books this year that have fallen flat but this one hit the right notes, keeping me fully invested from beginning to end.
My biggest struggle came with pacing. Really this pacing was limited to some exposition dumps, long character introspection, and a lack of dialogue at times where I wished there was more conversation. Most of this is personal preference, but I love when characters solve problems when discussing conflicting ideas or talking with other people rather than working through their inner thought process. I also have two kids and reading took a bit longer because the chapters were on average 15-20 pages each rather than a more doable 8-10 sweet spot (reading with kids feels like an impossible task sometimes). Again, this is all personal preference for how I like to read. The pacing was still solid and the story was driving forward from beginning to end, but I wished it was paced a bit quicker or had shorter chapters.
This definitely feels like a first in a series and I’m unsure if there will be more, but if there are, I AM FULLY ON BOARD! The world building is so good and I’m fascinated to see other parts of the city and world. This is an awesome entry in the cyberpunk genre! So MJ, where’s the next book?!
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Liv is having a very bad week. She's been working 60 hours a week (New Avarita doesn't put up with slackers) and has finally gotten permission to get pregnant (yes, it's that kind of dystopia). She's on top of the world... briefly. Then people around her start getting chosen for Ascent... that moment when the algorithm has decided that you have reached the pinnacle of your potential and are shuffled off this mortal coil; a moment that every New Avaritan is brought up to look forward to from the time they're old enough to learn anything at all. But who controls the algorithm? And how much can you learn before the algorithm chooses you? Because every New Avaritan has a chip in their skull, surgically implanted as an infant. The chip controls everything... the locks to your doors, access to transportation, to work. There is no money, your access to your "coin" is all controlled by the chip, but the chip is also how you get 'switched (a slur for "Ascent" by those who dare to question those that rule). Now Liv is teaming up with a group of rebels who've figured out a way to fool the system into thinking they're already dead... a group whose goal is to bring the whole system down around their heads, but that will require going up against the chairman and the board and they will do anything to protect their power and they're the only ones with access to the algorithm. M.J. Kuhn has written a worthy successor to 1984, but let loose in a cyberpunk world that Orwell never would have envisioned.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Capitalism begs us to let our lives be defined solely by the value we produce, and what if our society truly embraced that? What would that world look like?
Killswitch Protocol is a masterful cyberpunk novel that imagines that world. And like the best of the genre, it critiques the modern condition specifically and broadly. Brain chips, body augmentation, class divide, a pseudo-religious text that defines the society - Kuhn does the work of picking apart our world, turning the dial up, and showing it for the horror it is.
She also doesn't miss showing the traps and pitfalls of revolution. How we need to consider what comes next before we tear it all down. How hard it is to change the world and actually create a better one. These are conversations we desperately need to be having, and it thrills me everytime I see them in popular media.
And Kuhn manages to do all that with characters you'll fall for, whose turmoil you'll really feel. The emotional punches of this book land hard. I'm just glad she didn't hurt the cat.
I knew I would love this book from it's opening scenes - a joyous, corporate celebration as a corpse is lit ablaze - and it didn't disappoint. Fantastic work!
Killswitch Protocol is a masterful cyberpunk novel that imagines that world. And like the best of the genre, it critiques the modern condition specifically and broadly. Brain chips, body augmentation, class divide, a pseudo-religious text that defines the society - Kuhn does the work of picking apart our world, turning the dial up, and showing it for the horror it is.
She also doesn't miss showing the traps and pitfalls of revolution. How we need to consider what comes next before we tear it all down. How hard it is to change the world and actually create a better one. These are conversations we desperately need to be having, and it thrills me everytime I see them in popular media.
And Kuhn manages to do all that with characters you'll fall for, whose turmoil you'll really feel. The emotional punches of this book land hard. I'm just glad she didn't hurt the cat.
I knew I would love this book from it's opening scenes - a joyous, corporate celebration as a corpse is lit ablaze - and it didn't disappoint. Fantastic work!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Kuhn nails the cyberpunk genre with all the political commentary, moral dilemmas, and neon you could ask for. Not only is this an excellent thriller and mystery, it is full of thought-provoking moments that keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Who deserves to live in this world? Read and find out the price of a Killswitch.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Rtc at Grimdark Mag!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews