From the Bookshelf of SpecFic Buddy Reads…

Mal Goes to War

Edward Ashton

Start date: May 1, 2024

Finish date: May 31, 2024

Why we're reading this: Featured Buddy Read - May 2024
[close] Featured Buddy Read - May 2024

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

May 12, 2024 Cathy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2024

Mel is a free AI, living in infospace and watching the Humanists fight a war against the augmented humans, on the off-chance that there might be something good to scavenge from the spoils of war. On one of those occasions Mal is trapped in a heavily augmented mercenary and inherits the job of protecting a girl. The girl is not what she seems at first, but looking out for her might get Mel to the next communications tower with access back into infospace, so Mel is coming along. In the process the ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Apr 09, 2024 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, sf-f-h, 2024-read

Mal (actual name Malware) is a free AI, or Silico-American as they prefer to be called, hovering in a drone over a battlefield where Humanists and Federals are doing their best to destroy each other, and the Humanists have the Federals on the run. Mal is intrigued by the action between the humans, or monkeys as they call them. But Mal's friends, other free AIs, can't see the point, as they're happy enough staying in infospace, commenting on the action. Mal decides to jump into the head (they and Mal (actual name Malware) is a free AI, or Silico-American as they prefer to be called, hovering in a drone over a battlefield where Humanists and Federals are doing their best to destroy each other, and the Humanists have the Federals on the run. Mal is intrigued by the action between the humans, or monkeys as they call them. But Mal's friends, other free AIs, can't see the point, as they're happy enough staying in infospace, commenting on the action. Mal decides to jump into the head (they and their friends use the term "puppeting") of one of the Federal soldiers, who have a number of software and hardware augments in their bodies, so Mal can get a better view.

Almost as soon as Mal takes over a soldier the soldier is killed, leaving its charge, a young girl, vulnerable. And more alarming to Mal, their connection to infospace is cut as the Humanists are bombing comm towers.

The girl, who appears to be a toddler, is actually a heavily modified human, with an extended childhood, a long lifespan, and a variety of other very expensive technological augments. Kayleigh might look like a young child, but she's eighteen, prone to violence and profanity, and a little scary. Kayleigh figures out the soldier has been taken over by a free AI, and she and Mal work out a bargain; Mal must protect her from Humanists, who are intent on burning to death all augmented humans.

The two begin the perilous trek to catch up with Federals, who can take Kayleigh in, and Mal can then hop back to infospace. If only it were simple… Mal loses this body, and decides to puppet a guy they run into who has some basic augments in his brain, but is, in every other way, ordinary. The small group is hounded, and Kayleigh manages to overpower one Humanist soldier, whom they coopt into helping them. There are numerous perils yet to come, and Mal makes many mistakes along the way in their attempt to defend Kayleigh, while we gain an understanding behind the opening scene in the novel, and what is actually going on between the two human factions.

Mal has a lively sense of humour, and a rich imagination based on the stories they have enjoyed. Mal also has only a rudimentary understanding of meat-based life, including humans' wish for sovereignty of their bodies and minds. Mal is often dismissive of their emotions or limitations, and prioritizes their own need to return to infospace over all else, often to the detriment of his desire to protect Kayleigh, at least initially. This lack of empathy gradually changes, as they get quite the education in morality and emotions with each human interaction they have, whether with the small group, or with various parts of the Humanist army. Mal's development is great to experience as they begin to understand the skills and value of each member of their group, culminating in Mal's willingness to think of the humans it knows as friends.

Much of the humour, and there's a fair bit, comes from Mal's misunderstandings or mishaps during puppeting. There is also plenty of action, as author Edward Ashton keeps things moving along at a good pace. The novel entails the group's moving from one crisis to the next, with the humans bashing things and Mal corrupting other software.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, unlike the author's earlier "Mickey 7", which lagged for me the closer I got to its end. Mal is a wonderfully flawed and oddly lovable character, and their journey worked wonderfully for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 26, 2025 Cindy rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, sci-fi

Mal is short for malware, an AI who has been cut off from InfoSpace and must temporarily inhabit a meat monkey (ie human) until his connection is restored. The only problem: the humans are in the middle of “The Stupid War” and there’s no telling when that will end. Mal befriends a young woman of around 30 who was genetically modified to grow more slowly so she looks to be about five. And so begins this satirical look at humans and our foibles, through the eyes of Mal and a few of the others he m ...more

1 like · Like · see review