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Machinations
(Last Resistance #1)
by
Perfect for fans of Robopocalypse, this action-packed science-fiction debut introduces a chilling future and an unforgettable heroine with a powerful role to play in the battle for humanity’s survival.
The machines have risen, but not out of malice. They were simply following a command: to stop the endless wars that have plagued the world throughout history. Their solutio ...more
The machines have risen, but not out of malice. They were simply following a command: to stop the endless wars that have plagued the world throughout history. Their solutio ...more
ebook, 343 pages
Published
July 26th 2016
by Hydra
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Start your review of Machinations (Last Resistance #1)

I have a love for post-apoc/dystopian literature. I don't read it nearly as often as I used to, because I got a little burned out on it. When my Facebook feed regularly reminds me of my current position in what amounts to a dystopian society, I find myself looking for something different in my books. But I always come back to the topic.
Always.
It was Fahrenheit 451 that started me down this path, and I think Bradbury would enjoy reading Machinations by Hayley Stone. It's got that same mix of a ch ...more
Always.
It was Fahrenheit 451 that started me down this path, and I think Bradbury would enjoy reading Machinations by Hayley Stone. It's got that same mix of a ch ...more

Reviewed at my blog: Babbling Books
No, but in all honestly, what ...more
“Stupid technology. Never working when you want it to. Always trying to kill you when you don’t.”I probably have highlighted over 20 quotes from this book. It was very hard to choose what I wanted to put in this review as so many of them were good. I know I can get very quote happy sometimes, but this book was so wonderfully snappy with the dialogue and language I just couldn’t stop myself from highlighting all over the place!
No, but in all honestly, what ...more

I read an early draft of the book and absolutely loved it! The characters are all very interesting and I found myself becoming attached to each of their unique personalities (which could be a mistake in a post-apocalyptic setting). The harsh reality of the near extermination of human-kind is balanced by the refreshing optimism of the resistance, who crack equal parts jokes and robot skulls. It was truly a joy to read and I can't wait for the sequel!
...more

Their directive: Stop the wars that have plagued the world since time began. It seems like an eventuality more than science fiction. Humans want it all, they want to control everything, but what happens when the machines they create take their directive to a logical conclusion on their own? To end wars, eliminate the cause, the human race…and the war begins in all of its brutal ugliness.
Rhona Long became the symbol to rally behind, the voice heard around the world. Not one to shy away from dange ...more
Rhona Long became the symbol to rally behind, the voice heard around the world. Not one to shy away from dange ...more

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .
So killer machines and a human clone. That’s what got my attention. I generally find books about what happens when a person is cloned to be interesting. In this particular story, the woman who is cloned (Rhona) has two special circumstances: 1) her memory load was interrupted so she only has part of her first life and 2) who and what she was in that first life.
I ...more
So killer machines and a human clone. That’s what got my attention. I generally find books about what happens when a person is cloned to be interesting. In this particular story, the woman who is cloned (Rhona) has two special circumstances: 1) her memory load was interrupted so she only has part of her first life and 2) who and what she was in that first life.
I ...more

So, I got an email pitching this as "Perfect for fans of Red Rising" - which piqued my interest. But then I read the blurb:
Perfect for fans of Robopocalypse, this action-packed science-fiction debut introduces a chilling future and an unforgettable heroine with a powerful role to play in the battle for humanity’s survival....more
The machines have risen, but not out of malice. They were simply following a command: to stop the endless wars that have plagued the world throughout history. Their solution

At 9% I was excited by the action
At 19% I was bored with the characters and felt no connection
At 39% The characters cemented their place into the cookie cutter hall of fame
At 83% I was looking forward to the ending, I just wanted to be done with it.
At 100% I knew I had just read The Terminator meets The Mockingjay.
I really have nothing good to say about it. Okay the first 10% had me intrigued. Rhonda was a poorly written character, unbelievable, a cliche'. The story was unoriginal, with ridicul ...more
At 19% I was bored with the characters and felt no connection
At 39% The characters cemented their place into the cookie cutter hall of fame
At 83% I was looking forward to the ending, I just wanted to be done with it.
At 100% I knew I had just read The Terminator meets The Mockingjay.
I really have nothing good to say about it. Okay the first 10% had me intrigued. Rhonda was a poorly written character, unbelievable, a cliche'. The story was unoriginal, with ridicul ...more

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I'm a sucker for science fiction, but usually not near future post-apoc. This really sucked me in though. Obviously all of the correlations to Terminator are here as all the reviews below me indicate, but I think Machinations really brought the human element.
The action was great, the story taut, but what really drew me in were the characters. This idea of Rhona "reanimating" herself to continue the fight fascinated me. It's a long-time ques ...more
The action was great, the story taut, but what really drew me in were the characters. This idea of Rhona "reanimating" herself to continue the fight fascinated me. It's a long-time ques ...more

Clone Girl Kicks Butt
Machinations was another one of those reads that I just tore through at breakneck speed.
When the singularity comes and the machines rise up against the human world, humanity simply isn’t ready. It’s a bloodbath. Rhona Long is deep in the fight against the machines – and fails. She’s brought back as a clone and needs to continue the fight for humanity among former friends who no longer believe she’s fully human.
The book is full of violent battles, awesomely scary mechanical f ...more
Machinations was another one of those reads that I just tore through at breakneck speed.
When the singularity comes and the machines rise up against the human world, humanity simply isn’t ready. It’s a bloodbath. Rhona Long is deep in the fight against the machines – and fails. She’s brought back as a clone and needs to continue the fight for humanity among former friends who no longer believe she’s fully human.
The book is full of violent battles, awesomely scary mechanical f ...more

Although the book is set in the future during a take over by intelligent machines, the themes of love, loyalty and heroism are always appropriate. The kicker in this story is the reanimation of a fallen leader in the form of a clone. While the clone is effective as a replacement for the inspirational leader, the problem comes in the reinstatement of personal relationships. Elements of politics, betrayal and strategies of war are on display as the remains of the human race rises against the intel
...more

Hayley Stone’s MACHINATIONS goes beyond the world building to do what a lot of great science fiction does: explore the question of what it means to be a human.
The machinations refer to the overthrow of the human governments of the world by robots, which is like 98.3% likely to happen for real, so you could look at this as kind of a road-map to the future. The other 1.7% is zombie apocalypse. But that’s not really our point here today. As the book opens, the machinations have already happened, an ...more
The machinations refer to the overthrow of the human governments of the world by robots, which is like 98.3% likely to happen for real, so you could look at this as kind of a road-map to the future. The other 1.7% is zombie apocalypse. But that’s not really our point here today. As the book opens, the machinations have already happened, an ...more

[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
1.5 stars. Not quite an OK story for me. There were several deal-breakers here, including the "bland" narrator, the romance part, and the 1st person POV present tense narration, not to mention the science & technology parts that weren't detailed enough.
First, present tense: I find it very difficult to make this type of narrative voice work, and often it just doesn't at all. I can't exactly pinpoint how exactly, ...more
1.5 stars. Not quite an OK story for me. There were several deal-breakers here, including the "bland" narrator, the romance part, and the 1st person POV present tense narration, not to mention the science & technology parts that weren't detailed enough.
First, present tense: I find it very difficult to make this type of narrative voice work, and often it just doesn't at all. I can't exactly pinpoint how exactly, ...more

MACHINATIONS is what every TERMINATOR sequel after T2 should have been.
In her riveting debut, Hayley Stone deftly weaves the story of a woman whose life was literally taken from her, only to be reborn as a clone of herself. Not only is she the hero who must lead the ramshackle remains humanity against their artificial oppressors, Rhona Long also has to reassemble the pieces of her own shattered self and reclaim a life that’s not actually hers. Rhona is a truly badass, but flawed female hero in t ...more
In her riveting debut, Hayley Stone deftly weaves the story of a woman whose life was literally taken from her, only to be reborn as a clone of herself. Not only is she the hero who must lead the ramshackle remains humanity against their artificial oppressors, Rhona Long also has to reassemble the pieces of her own shattered self and reclaim a life that’s not actually hers. Rhona is a truly badass, but flawed female hero in t ...more

This book is exactly what my summer had been missing. It'd been a while since I read a strong female-led sci-fi and Machinations delivered across the boards. I was never really a big terminator fan, but this book takes those themes and runs with them in some really intriguing--and thrilling--directions. An incredibly solid debut; I can't wait to see what else Hayley has in store.
...more

I have already read the second book in the series so I can tell you that the war we see waged by machine intelligence against people is ongoing and gets more violent. This book starts off that way but we quickly see Rhona Long, in Alaska, getting neutralised by robots. Then another version of Rhona has to be woken, told she is a clone, and instructed to continue the fight.
This tale is set in Alaska where a band of survivors hide out and rearm. As it's not too long after the war began we get tol ...more
This tale is set in Alaska where a band of survivors hide out and rearm. As it's not too long after the war began we get tol ...more

I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of apocalyptic sci-fi--sometimes they hit too close to home! But MACHINATIONS by Hayley Stone was fantastic. I was sucked in by the emotional heft of the first chapter, and the book swept on, fast-paced and full of heart. Rhona Long is a terrific heroine--not flawless, but strong and hard-working and trying hard to make a world for the people she cares about in the wake of a terrifying robot apocalypse. (Really, the story was more frightening for both
...more

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book to me in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I had to DNF this at approximately 50%.
I received an email touting "perfect for fans of Red Rising" or something similar that really peaked my interest. Red Rising is a huge favorite of mine, so of course I needed to see what this one was about. And then the synopsis mentioned Robopocalypse and clones. Interesting combination and one that I thought would be interesting.
So far what I've ...more
I received an email touting "perfect for fans of Red Rising" or something similar that really peaked my interest. Red Rising is a huge favorite of mine, so of course I needed to see what this one was about. And then the synopsis mentioned Robopocalypse and clones. Interesting combination and one that I thought would be interesting.
So far what I've ...more

3.5 Stars
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Machinations follows Rhonda, recently returned from the dead (she's a clone of her previous self) because her job, as a hallmark of the rebellion against the machines isn't over.
In this robot-apocalypse, where the bots have decided to fight 'the war to end all wars' by exterminating people, what drew me most was the struggles Rhonda had with coming to terms with one) dying and second) coming back.
It made a nice and interesti ...more
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Machinations follows Rhonda, recently returned from the dead (she's a clone of her previous self) because her job, as a hallmark of the rebellion against the machines isn't over.
In this robot-apocalypse, where the bots have decided to fight 'the war to end all wars' by exterminating people, what drew me most was the struggles Rhonda had with coming to terms with one) dying and second) coming back.
It made a nice and interesti ...more

The Matrix meets Mockingjay, with a few hints of Aeon Flux—at least around the clone theme. The action was great, but the high points for me were the character interactions that touch on what it means to be a clone, or a human, in a world where machines have decided we can't make our own choices. Definitely a worthwhile read for science fiction fans. I already pre-ordered the sequel.
...more

Not finished. Gave up.
The author seems bent to re-establish a love relationship with the clone of a woman who died in battle in her lover's arms. Some battle. Artificial intelligent machines now rule the world except for pockets of human resistance fighters. Not for me. ...more
The author seems bent to re-establish a love relationship with the clone of a woman who died in battle in her lover's arms. Some battle. Artificial intelligent machines now rule the world except for pockets of human resistance fighters. Not for me. ...more

ARC REVIEW
"By the time Skynet became self-aware it had spread into millions of computer servers across the planet. Ordinary computers in office buildings, dorm rooms, everywhere. It was software in cyberspace. There was no system core. It could not be shut down. The attack began at 6:18 p.m., just as he said it would. Judgment Day. The day the human race was nearly destroyed by weapons they'd built to protect themselves. I should have realized our destiny was never to stop Judgment Day. It was ...more
"By the time Skynet became self-aware it had spread into millions of computer servers across the planet. Ordinary computers in office buildings, dorm rooms, everywhere. It was software in cyberspace. There was no system core. It could not be shut down. The attack began at 6:18 p.m., just as he said it would. Judgment Day. The day the human race was nearly destroyed by weapons they'd built to protect themselves. I should have realized our destiny was never to stop Judgment Day. It was ...more

*I received an electronic ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
I just wanted more out of this book. More about the machines - who/what is this higher echelon? How did Rhona's memories of death get transferred if her body was never recovered? Just, eh.
I was extremely upset as it was marketed to me as "for fans of Red Rising " This is not like Red Rising at all!!
UPDATE: Just saw there is a sequel, Counterpart, I will not be reading it. ...more
I just wanted more out of this book. More about the machines - who/what is this higher echelon? How did Rhona's memories of death get transferred if her body was never recovered? Just, eh.
I was extremely upset as it was marketed to me as "for fans of Red Rising " This is not like Red Rising at all!!
UPDATE: Just saw there is a sequel, Counterpart, I will not be reading it. ...more

Machinations is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic sci-fi based in our world in some not-to-distant future where the machines have turned on us. I saw this book compared to the Matrix meets The Hunger Games and as I got further along, I could totally see where that comp came from. Rhona is a Mockingjay type figure in a world that desperately needs heroes. She's a snarky wise-ass much of the time, but she's also caring and extremely likable. She's also a clone of herself which is was a totally new pre
...more

Man vs. machine
Captivating characters. Ingenious plot. Gripping action. Very timely with all the current work on AI.
Read this on your vacation so that you don't have to put it down.
Where can I find the sequel? ...more
Captivating characters. Ingenious plot. Gripping action. Very timely with all the current work on AI.
Read this on your vacation so that you don't have to put it down.
Where can I find the sequel? ...more

3.5 Stars
Full Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I went into this book expecting it to be all action and robots but was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually all emotion and people. Yes, there was some action and robots, but that really wasn’t the focus.
I was also pleasantly surprised at the way the author didn’t gloss over the clone thing. Because of that, this book ended up being a really thought-provoking look at the emotional a ...more
Full Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I went into this book expecting it to be all action and robots but was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually all emotion and people. Yes, there was some action and robots, but that really wasn’t the focus.
I was also pleasantly surprised at the way the author didn’t gloss over the clone thing. Because of that, this book ended up being a really thought-provoking look at the emotional a ...more

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over
Rise of the machines is a popular premise that is easy to do badly, in my opinion, too often influenced by the Terminator movies. Machinations does have one thing in common with those movies in that much of the book occurs at a dead run. However, just when I thought it would stay that way, the book segues into a multilayered people story that asks questions of personhood and personality as well as looking at what it takes to step forward and become a he ...more
Rise of the machines is a popular premise that is easy to do badly, in my opinion, too often influenced by the Terminator movies. Machinations does have one thing in common with those movies in that much of the book occurs at a dead run. However, just when I thought it would stay that way, the book segues into a multilayered people story that asks questions of personhood and personality as well as looking at what it takes to step forward and become a he ...more
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Play Book Tag: Machinations by Hayley Stone - 3 stars | 1 | 10 | Aug 03, 2016 05:46PM | |
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Hayley Stone is the author of the weird western, MAKE ME NO GRAVE, a finalist for the Laramie Book Awards, and the Last Resistance sci-fi series.
She has lived her entire life in sunny California, where the weather is usually perfect and nothing as exciting as a robot apocalypse ever happens. When not reading or writing, she freelances as an editor, plays the ocarina, and analyzes buildings for vel ...more
She has lived her entire life in sunny California, where the weather is usually perfect and nothing as exciting as a robot apocalypse ever happens. When not reading or writing, she freelances as an editor, plays the ocarina, and analyzes buildings for vel ...more
Other books in the series
Last Resistance
(3 books)
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