Review: Mindwalker (Mindwalker #1)
Mindwalker (Mindwalker #1)
By Kate Dylan
Published By: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: September 1, 2022
Date Read: August 19, 2023
Genre: YA – Sci-fi
Source: eARC from Hodder and Netgalley
Format: E-Book
Pages: 315
From Goodreads:
DO NOT SURRENDER CONTROL.Eighteen-year-old Sil Sarrah is determined to die a legend. But with only twelve months left before the supercomputer grafted to her brain kills her, Sil’s time is quickly running out.
In the ten years she’s been rescuing field agents for the Syntex corporation – by commandeering their minds from afar and leading them to safety – Sil hasn’t lost a single life. And she’s not about to start now.
But when a critical mission goes south, Sil is forced to flee the very company she once called home.
Desperate to prove she’s no traitor, Sil infiltrates the Analog Army, an activist faction working to bring Syntex down. Her plan: to win back her employer’s trust by destroying the group from within. Instead, she and the Army’s reckless leader, Ryder, uncover a horrifying truth that threatens to undo all the good she’s ever done.
With her tech rapidly degrading and her new ally keeping dangerous secrets of his own, Sil must find a way to stop Syntex in order to save her friends, her reputation – and maybe even herself.
Mindwalker is a book that has sat on my kindle unread for such a long time. I got this book as an ARC last year in 2022, but for some reason I just never got around to reading it. Fast forward a year, and as part of my ‘ARC August’ challenge, I finally decided to pick Mindwalker up. I am so glad that I did, and I am now kicking myself for not reading this sooner. I absolutely loved every moment of Mindwalker. It was so intriguing right from the start, and it just got better and better as the book went on.
Mindwalker follows the story of Sil, an agent for one of the biggest Tech companies, Syntex, who turned over her freedom to have a super computer installed into her brain. She has the ability to take control of others bodies, known as Mindwalking. Suddenly she goes from the best Mindwalker in Syntex, to a wanted criminal having to team up with the group of rebels. All Sil wants is to prove her innocent and go back to Syntex, but she finds that all is not as it seems at her beloved home… and maybe the rebels have something bigger to tell.
I am such a big fan of dystopia novels and sci-fi novels, so the fact that this world was a fantastic mix of both meant that I absolutely loved the world building. I really found the focus on technological advances such an interesting take, as it feels so realistic and like this could actually happen in the not so distant future. It was so fascinating to see how the technology allowed Sil to ‘Mindwalk’ and the other abilities that the agents had. I really loved the whole build up of this technological world, and I found it amazing that Kate Dylan managed to make her audience understand all of these advances without feeling bogged down with the details.
One of the things I loved the most about Mindwalker was the character development throughout this book. We start the book with Sil as such a loyal member of the Syntax family and everything we know about this giant tech corporation we know from Sil. That left us with this fantastic opportunity to learn all the things wrong with this world through the eyes of our main character. I love books where we learn everything at the same time as a naive narrator as I find it so much more intriguing and enjoyable.
Mindwalker is a fantastic YA sci-fi novel, and is a fantastic starting point for people who are wanting to get into sci-fi. It is fast paced and action packed, filled with mystery, intrigue and the corruption anyone would expect with a dystopic sci-fi. It even had a hint of a beautiful romance. I loved every single moment and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2 of this series. Don’t be like me and sleep on this one for a year, go and read it now! You won’t be disappointed.
“Never underestimate the power a single man can wield when the rest of us quit paying attention.”
K-Books
I’m Kayleigh, a teacher and blogger who is obsessed with all things bookish. I love reading YA books of all genres and I am happiest when sharing my love and passion for books.