These Prisoning Hills

by Christopher Rowe

[Quirky Cat]

Some days I just wake up craving a science fiction novella. Today's read is These Prisoning Hills, written by Christopher Rowe.

Athena Parthenus, the Queen of Reason, is a sentient and powerful A.I. She used to rule the Voluntary State of Tennessee before she decided to destroy the American Southwest. That changed things for good.

This is where Marcia comes into play. She's being sent back into the fray because they need her help finding the one weapon they need to stand a chance in this war. We can only hope that they'll find it.

It always amazes me how complex novellas can be, especially science fiction novellas. I think that is why I love them so much! These Prisoning Hills had so many moving parts in the narrative that it was difficult to sum it up in only two paragraphs.

Sometimes I love a solid "evil A.I. Conquering the world" story. And there are times when I find it exhausting. Thankfully, I was in the former mood when I picked up These Prisoning Hills.

There are some very typical elements one would expect here, but there are also a lot of twists and surprises. Not least is the political situation portrayed...that one is kind of heavy, or at least it was for me.

Long story short, These Prisoning Hills is a fascinating science fiction read, one that I would recommend for those that want something both familiar and different.

Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks