*INTERNAL SCREAMING* As basic of a way as that is to start a review, it's all my mind can conjure mere minutes after finishing this book. While I was of course excited for Chloe's next release, I was also intimidated and worried that my preferences would hinder my understanding and/or enjoyment of Coldwire. I am usually not a big fan of sci-fi/tech/cyberpunk leaning stories. The terms, concepts and vocabulary are foreign to me and take a lot of brain power for me to understand. Well, friends, I am happy to report that wasn't the case at all and this was an absolute knock-out of a story! I LOVED this book. The world building is unreal. The characters. The details... HOW DOES SHE COME UP WITH SUCH INTRICATE STORIES THAT SUCK YOU IN COMPLETELY AND WHOLLY??? When I think about the depth of Gong's Flesh and False Gods series and then think about the depth of this new series I'm just like HOW CHLOE GONG?? HOW!! She is SO good at coming up with these incredible, unique worlds and stories. Coldwire is like a high speed, techy mystery that deals with not only virtual reality, but also real life; a race to the finish line where all your suspicions are either blown apart or confirmed, or in my case and also as a testament to Chloe's masterful writing, BOTH. I had a theory relatively early on in the story that turned out to be true and sometimes this can dampen the impact of a big reveal, however my mental creativity doesn't hold a candle to Gong's and even though I suspected certain things, I could never have guessed the way it would play out. This book is so relevant to its time as well, with AI becoming a more frequent part of everyday vernacular, it's so interesting to read a story imagining its very real implications and possibilities. There were times where I couldn't keep up with the technical aspects of what was going on, but Chloe always leads you back around and makes sure that what's important is communicated. I think my favorite part about this story is it's characters, though. There is so much mental and personal work at play in this story and you really get to ride that out with the characters. Lia, Kieran, Eirale and Nik are so well developed and really carried the complex breadth of their world well. I cannnnnnot wait for book two, my mind is racing with theories and curiosity and an intense desire to burn "the system" to the ground. Love you for that, Chloe Gong. LFG. Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 My first Chloe Gong book and I’m about to make my way through her entire backlist! We follow two parallel journeys: Eirale in downcountry and Lia in upcountry, the virtual reality copy of the real world. I loved both POVs and the side characters were great too! The academic rivalry between Kieren and Lia was so much fun and I loved the banter between Nik and Eirale. The subtle romance subplot was phenomenal - it didn’t take over the story but created a simmering tension throughout. The book did take me a few chapters to get into it. Though the world building isn’t overly complex, it took a bit getting used to. The way AI and virtual reality work in this world Chloe created are fascinating and also scary (given the current state of our world) - I loved the way commentary on social issues, politics and climate change was woven in. With more world building in the first half of the book, the plot felt a bit slower but it picked up in the second half and I couldn’t put it down! I had so many theories and all of them were wrong! The story took turns I didn’t expect (in the best way possible) and when I got to the end I just stared at my wall for a few minutes trying to process what I just read because wow! I absolutely loved that I couldn’t see any of the twists coming! If you enjoy fast-paced dystopian books with great characters and amazing plot, definitely add this book to your TBR! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodderscape for letting me review this eARC!

We follow two different characters Lia & Eriale. They're on missions with two different teams of characters resulting in a fantastic cast of side characters. Lia is a NileCorp student working with her longterm rival Keiren. Their goal - to find a missing scientist who defected to a foreign country. Eri on the other hand has been captured by a rebel group and is promised her freedom after getting these rebels to three databases + entry into an exclusive society. I found this one super easy to read and loved following these two sets of characters in alternating chapters. Though sometimes there was mini cliffhangers on chapters and I just wanted to rush ahead! The world was super interesting and I loved the cyberpunk setting. Having a virtual world where people spend most of their life (if they have funds) which isnt like a videogame, its an emulation of the world without being able to tweak appearance or 'stats' as wanted. You still have to brush your teeth, workout and use the bathroom despite being plugged in. The real world is struggling with sickness and climate change, so people go here to live a normal life. Having each pov take place in one or the other world was really interesting to see the differences. No spoilers but once we get more clarity on certain events hinted at in the book = huge ahhhhh moment. I did clock it a bit beforehand but it honestly just made the whole experience more enjoyable. After that ending, I'm soooo ready for the next installment. Overall, a really fun, fast paced unique read! Thanks to Hodderscape and Netgalley for this arc.

like all else chloe gong book ive read, this book had amazing and full world, and characters that make you want to never put down the book. i was hooked from the first moments, always wanting to know more and what was happening next. this book is a fast paced dystopian story happening simultaneously in two worlds, real and virtual. the world building was honestly done so amazing and you could actually imagine everything happening so easily. the way this book handled capitalism, ai and honestly everything was pure perfection. chloe gong can do no wrong. i loved the relationship between kieran and lia and how they acted around each other. but the pull between nik and erilea was something else. and the friendships were also so goood. i loved rayna and lia so much!! the fast pace and the action together with these relationship dynamics was everything. this book is truly an experience i recommend to anyone, please pick this one up and read it. you will love it. im already so excited for the next book!!