Well it's not bad but nothing spectacular either, for me. the timeline is some time after Mindwalker, sure, but in this book we're following a new character, focusing on another evil company that "convert" human to be a robot.

the pace felt off, started a bit slow but heavily packed near the end. I didn't vibe with the main characters too. It's fun to see how he Analog Army is doing but still, Indra isn't as sassy as the queen Sil.

The plot twist also didn't surprising like Mindwalker. So yeah.

This book is about cults and a character who is trying to escape it, and I LOVED it!

After being sold to a company by her own family, Indra has to deal with her newly reprogrammed body and her mind trying to figure it all out. I found the writing to be much better and the main character to be even more interesting than Sil Sarrah. I can't remember much of the previous book, but this felt more high stakes and fun. I found Tian's character also interesting, as well as the pacing being more fast and precise.

Overall, fun dystopian novel about the tech industry and mind control that will leave you holding onto the edge of your seat!

Mindbreaker offers a gripping journey into a dystopian sci-fi landscape set in a futuristic New York. The protagonist, Indra, grapples with the consequences of her cult upbringing, facing a series of daunting choices.

Indra's character is well written, portraying resilience in the face of a bleak future. Indra has a cute sapphic romance that was the heart of the story for me. I loved the whole cast of characters and the found family dynamic this book has.

While Mindbreaker can be enjoyed as a standalone, if you have previously read Mindwalker it might add some nice little nods and updates for past characters.


Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAlley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"A technological marvel. An ungodly abomination."
Last year I read and loved Mindwalker, and as soon as I saw that sequel was available on netgalley I had to request it and read it. Took me months to read and it's now a publication day, but I finally read it and loved it even more than I expected.
I didn't think a cyborg girl with religious trauma would be so relatable, but here I was devouring pages.
Are you your body or your brain? That's an interesting concept to be explored and I loved the way it was handled here. Same world as Mindwalker, but main character is a different person who later meets Sil and gang and things happen that made me squeal and chuckle and hold my breath.
"A ghost in the machine."
Tian became my favourite almost immediately, I loved Indra too, but Tian was definitely one who made me want to read more about her.
"After our ancestors bombarded the planet with enough radiation to make the oceans glow in the dark, the population dwindled to near-extinction levels. Even a hundred years on, we’re still down to four habitable continents, a dozen-odd reclaimed cities, and less than half a billion people."
I also love how this futuristic world is fascinating and scary at the same time. Corporations are using other people for profit, using and manipulating their brains and bodies and if you thought they were the worst in the first book, you should see what they are up to in this one.
Religious cults and digital souls, people altering their appearances at will and hackers and rebels trying to hack and rebel against the unjust system.
And have you seen the covers? These are some beautiful books.

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

This is a companion sequel to Mindwalker and you bet I enjoyed this new adventure just as much!

Mindbreaker has us returning to the wholly immersive, post-apocalyptic cyber punk type world that Kate Dylan has imagined this time following Indra, a young girl who grew up in a religious anti-tech cult who in order to save her life has turned to Glindell Technologies for a cure and has thus been expelled from her order.
However, she finds that the deal she made was to have her mind uploaded and housed in a new robot body and though she may look the same she begins to wonder how much of her actual self remains. And when she begins to discover something is up with her memories it poses the question of whether Glindell really had her best interests in mind or if there is something else going on.

Dylan’s writing seamlessly folds you back into this fascinating yet somewhat horrifying universe with a story exploring themes of autonomy and denouncing corporate greed that is just as action packed as you’d expect.

Indra is such a compelling protagonist to follow. Equal in determination to Sil from Mindwalker though a tad more naïve and a hell of a lot more impulsive with her act first think later demeanour. She is again a character you want to immediately root for and her journey in particular was all the more interesting to follow as there was a bigger focus on her inner conflicts.

Due to this I found that the overarching plot was a little less clear until the second half of the book but I liked the more personal and introspective nature of the narrative. This allowed for a great balance of Indra coming to terms with her own self and seeing how those around her have shaped her into who she is and is still becoming.

The supporting characters are absolutely brilliant too! There is a wholesome platonic friendship as well as a slow-burn romance that will pull on your heartstrings just as much! Plus to add a cherry on top of the cake there are some cameos to look forward to also and the interactions all around are gold!

That being said you can definitely go into Mindbreaker not having read Mindwalker but honestly when you have two fantastically written and thrilling sci-fi books to entertain yourself with why only read one?

Whatever Kate Dylan writes next, I will be there 🫡
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars

Darker vibes than Mindwalker but so well done! Think Robocop but an anti tech cult girl instead of a cop. Great exploration around autonomy and the power tech companies hold.

Mindbreaker followed a whole new cast of characters but has a well done appearance of the characters from Mindwalker.

This was a fantastic follow up to Mindwalker. Kate Dylan poses some very interesting questions about what a futuristic world would look like.

The main character is a bit naïve but the struggle for her between big tech and her religious upbringing was really well done. And some of the twists at the end were just *chefs kiss*.

Indra was born into an anti-tech, religious cult. A forbidden trip gives her a terminal condition where she is becoming paralyzed. To be saved she is forced to sign her life over to Glindell Technologies. Instead of saving her body, they upload her mind to the experimental Minddrive and house her in a robot body. She looks exactly the same, but is she the same? She then starts having problems with her memory, finding herself in places with no idea how she got there, and she has newfound abilities. When there is an attack on Glindell's biggest rival, she fears the worst. With the help of Tian, her only friend at the company, she must uncover the truth and stop Glinell's insidious plans.

"Today's the day my parents decide whether to sell me or let me die." With this absolutely chilling line begins our return to the world of Mindwalker and I'm so excited. This is a story of a different part of that world with new characters, but just as impressive as ever. Emotive, evocative and poignant are a few words that come to mind as you enjoy the author's compelling prose.

The building of this post-apocalyptic, tech-savvy world tickles your imagination so it can roar. The sci-fi element with all the cool technology is thrilling and mind-blowing, though beautifully integrated into the story to feel natural and grounded. My brain did not hurt to understand it which is a major plus.

The all-enveloping, gives-us-the-full-picture-of-what-is-going-on POV digs deep into the protagonist's psyche. The result is pulling the readers' heartstrings in such a way we feel Indra must be protected all at cost. I love the irony of the girl who grew up being taught technology is bad becoming tech herself. The antithesis between understandably grumpy, cynical, basically lonely Indra and boisterous, trying to excel at my job, whip-smart Tian is absolutely smile-worthy. their rough around the edges relationship and its evolution are a joy to read. There is also a certain character with silver hair you will love. And yes a certain 'Army' does come into play. Yipee!

There is such an enticing sense of foreboding and intrigue, a drive from the gripping narrative and the unfurling of the plot to keep you turning the pages with an 'I need to know what's happening right now' gusto. Science fiction that is just a bit terrifying in its implications which is just as it should be. A constant undercurrent of danger makes it properly nailbiting.

The ever-present question of whether technology is good or bad colors this tale. How much should we give in the name of 'progress'? The Big Brother threat lurks as does the big bad monster of corporate greed. It deals with our humanity and what it is to be human. What makes you, you.

Thought-provoking, dystopian, tech-infused sci-fi that will satisfy your adventurous spirit. There is wit, there is action, there are surprises, there are heart-clenching scenes, and there are so many reasons to love this book.

After reading Mind Walker last year and it being one of my top ten it’s safe to say Kate Dylan has become an instant buy author. Mind Walker had it all and you bet I was ready to enter the world Dylan created again. I knew it would be good, I just didn’t know how good!

We meet Indra Dyer who was born into a religious cult and as such lived a simple tech-free life. Only when an illicit trip to the city leaves her with a debilitating and terminal condition Indra must decide to either die faithfully or betray her Order and accept the cure from Glindell Technologies. But when have corporations ever had people’s best interest in mind? Indra is horrified after signing over ownership of her life that instead of saving her fully they have uploaded her mind to a first-of-its-kind MindDrive housed in a fully robotic shell.

On the outside Indra looked the same but on the inside she isn’t so sure. She keeps having blackouts, finding herself in places she shouldn’t be with no memory of how she got there and then there’s the dangerous abilities she can’t explain. So when news breaks of an attack against Glindell’s biggest rival, Indra suspects the worst. It’s only with the help of Tian, a research assistant with questionable morals and a smile that won’t stop, she plans to uncover the truth behind the procedure that saved her life before Glindell can use it to change the face of technology and what it means to be human forever.

Wow. That is the first word that comes to mind. Mind Breaker has all the elements I love in Science Fiction and action as well. It’s non-stop with an interesting protagonist who I quickly grew attached to. Between the action and intrigue we also have a deeper exploration of what it means to be human and how far we will go to keep that humanity. Dylan has once again taken the best bits from the genres and created a memorable cast of characters and a kickass plot and sprinkled with a bit of romance to finish it off.

I have to admit I loved and still love Sil so while I was excited I wondered if I could possibly like Indra as much? The answer is yes! Indra is a brilliant protagonist. She’s got depth and such a good personality. I adored her and Tian’s banter. And, tiny spoiler, I had a massive fangirl moment when Indra meets and interacts with Sil! Yes Sil makes an appearance too! One thing I like about Dylan is that her characters are ultimately so human and well rounded. It's hard to go in detail without spoilers but trust me when I say they seem to come off the page. And that applies to the supporting characters as well.

In terms of the characters leaping off the page it ties in perfectly to discussing Dylan’s writing style and how she manages to portray and flesh out all the characters when the narration comes from Indra throughout the novel. Sometimes with novels set in a first person narrative I find that, personally, we don’t get enough information or feeling of characters around the ‘protagonist’ or rather the views are biased to that character. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t but with Mind Breaker Dylan manages to balance this meaning that while we get Indra’s insights as it were to characters we also get enough of the characters actions and interactions to build our own knowledge of that person.

So if you are wondering if Mind Breaker will be as a good as Mind Walker the question is did you really need to ask? It’s an amazing second book that can be read standalone as a bonus but if you haven’t read Mind Walker do yourself a favour and grab a copy now. If you have, get ready for another favourite. You can bet I will be bothering people about both Mind Walker and Mind Breaker now. If you love science fiction, heroines like Black Widow or Major Motoko Kusanagi, books with action, adventure and an amazing cast of characters you will adore Mind Breaker (and Mind Walker too!)

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This was another great cyberpunk read from Kate Dylan. Indra was a relatable main character despite being in a very unique situation. The themes that came to a head at the end really make you think our own world.

YA sci-fi is my absolute favorite, so I was thrilled when I got an advance copy of MINDBREAKER! I loved MINDWALKER, and this companion novel did not disappoint. The book is about a former religious cult member who is turned into a robot. It's full of action and has a nice slow-burn romance. Plus one of my favorite parts was the main character's critical thoughts of capitalist society, her family, the cult, and even herself. I definitely recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this review copy.

Kate Dylan once again created an amazing story. While I didn't like Indra as much as Sil from Mindwalker, I still got pulled in her struggles and fights. I hope that we will get a third book set in this universe!

This book is dynamic and exciting to read.
The cast are all fun to read about and come from diverse backgrounds. There’s plenty of action and twists and turns with the pacing being fast. The use of humour in the book is great and is a contrast to all the drama/action. Overall I most loved the exploration of being a robot and how this may change you.
A great YA that’s Sci-Fi and accessible.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Continuing the Black Mirror Vibes of Book 1, this is an action packed follow up that will leave you on the edge of your seats!

3.5*
In general, I really enjoyed this series. It gave me all the Black Mirror vibes. I really like the themes, this series has. Also, I it kinda terrifying, since this could be our future. You never know.

However, I really did enjoy the first book more. I think the first one had better developed plot and more well-rounded characters. In this book, we were running around a lot, but the breaths in-between all the actions were too short. I feel like we did not have enough of chats between the characters (especially with the ones from book 1). Also, we could have used more show, not tell; especially with the parents. Maybe show more of the main character's life in the cult. I would have liked if we could have gone more deeper with the story, not just skim it superficially.

Five stars for a book that is a quite far from my comfort zone. So I’m happy and surprised I requested this book after reading the blurb, because I enjoyed it immensely. To me the blurb looked like something I read (many times) before, because I’ve an avid SF reader for over 50 years now. And I mean SF, not Fantasy. Here is an interesting link: Mind uploading in fiction - Wikipedia.
Need I say here that I didn’t read Mindwalker first? Well, I didn’t but I had no trouble at all connecting to the world the author created. A scary world, but luckily there are many people left who are trying to rebuild it – into something better, not the world that was destroyed in almost all ways.
What I liked the most about this story is the fact that it is clear from the onset that Indra is no superhuman. Not in her old life, and not as soon as she’s uploaded in another form. Yes, she may have superpowers, but inside she’s no Robocop. The Glindell corporation is as bad as they come, and I wager there are many companies who would just love to find out how to explore human beings in another form.
A great book for young (and much older) people who are interested in future technology, not only how it will be developed, but especially the impact technology has on humanity.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this review copy.

I jumped on this book cause the blurb sounded fantastic. It certainly delivered, although I hadn’t realized it was the second book set in the same world. I wish I had known and read the first book beforehand. Although this can be read as a standalone, I think I’d have enjoyed the world and the nuances more if I’d had that background. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the technological aspects were understandable, the main protagonist was engaging, and I got totally engrossed it the story. I’ll be reading Mindbender now too! Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to to read a review copy of the book, I can’t wait for it to hit the shelves so I can purchase a copy.

Kate Dylan continues to slay me with every book that she writes. The sci-fi genre is beyond lucky that she exists.

Absolutely loved this book. I just want more. I need to know that this isn't the last planned book in the series.

You can read this book as a standalone but it is really the 2nd in the series. The main characters from the first book are in this 2nd book, but only as the story progresses. The new characters in the book are the main story line this time.

Like Kate Dylan says in both her reviews for both her books imagine this as a Marvel movie but in book form. I also agree with her review this second book is basically her reimagining of Ghost in the Shell/ Westworld in the main story line being about AI and robots/ mind upload to a mind drive.

PLEASE PLEASE MAKE ANOTHER BOOK! 📚 📖 📕 ❤️😍😎😄

A brilliant fast-paced sci-fi action thriller.

I was initially worried this wouldn't hold up to Mindwalker, but my concerns were unfounded. Mindbreaker is just as well-plotted and paced, and constantly kept me guessing about what was going to happen next. There's a nice host of original characters to root for: Indra, the down-on-her-luck protagonist raised in a tight religious circle, Nyx, a hacker living on the edge of society, and Tian, a prodigal scientist, as well as fun cameos from old ones. Sil, Ryder and the rest of the Analog Army make a welcome, but not overwhelming return, having their moments of spotlight whilst allowing the new main characters to shine.

I wasn't expecting the thematic scrutiny on religion this time around – Indra comes from a Christian-equivalent group on the fringe of society that worships God (with a capital G) and despises tech enhancements of every kind – but it didn't necessarily feel like a criticism on faith, more so on the cult attitudes it can breed.

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR? Sure