Mindbreaker does not disappoint! If you loved Kate Dylan's first book Mindwalker then this will be right up your street. I snapped this book up in just a couple of days (a sign of a great book for me). It's full of action, sarcastic characters that we love and is well-paced.

Mindbreaker is set in the same world as Mindwalker, but follows a new character. A person could easily pick up Mindbreaker before Mindwalker and not feel like they're missing out and read it as a standalone. There are references to the first book, which is nice for those that have read Mindwalker. It's set a few years on from the events of the first book and follows Indra, a girl from the outer sectors with not a lot of tech knowledge and is thrown in to the world. I loved her narrative voice and while she still had some great sarcastic lines, she felt distinctively different to Sil from Mindwalker. Indra felt authentic, she was limited in her knowledge of the main sector and made decisions that felt befitting to her background. The character development was 10/10 very authentic and made sense.

I loved the twists and turns of this book and I just couldn't put it down. I honestly don't want to give out more because it would spoil it. I've already preordered this. Kate is becoming one of my Must Buy authors ! :) If you love sci-fi, with the whole what is it to be human theme, seriously pick this up.

After reading Mindwalker, Kate Dylan’s debut YA cyberpunk Sci-Fi, injected full of fast pacing, vivid world building, solid themes involving our technological world, and fleshed out characters, I knew I had to pick up the follow up companion book, Mindbreaker, and dive back in this world. And I got to indulge in it before release, and it delivered as much as I expected to, with much of the same, world expansion, but fresh enough to keep me engaged from start to finish.

This one has Ghost in the Shell and Battle Angel Alita vibes, considering that our protagonist, Indra Dyer, was converted into a “cybot” in order to save her life after nearly dying from a rare condition. She’s interested in technology to her almost death, despite her religious cult arguing against technology, but overall, she’s exploring who she is with her new status, and through a lot of revelations, she’s questioning aspects of herself, especially since saving her life required her to betray the basic tenants of her life. And some haunting realistic dreams she’s having as of late. She’s quite a mess, but a determined mess.

I really enjoyed Indra’s interactions with Nyx. It’s rare in YA to see a boy/girl relationship not turn romantic (both are gay), and it was so refreshing to see the two rub off each other in a platonic sense, the hacker boy and the good god girl. I also like how Indra interacted with Tian, her handler turned love interest, and how Tian herself grows as she realizes the truth about her company. The other characters, new and old, were interesting and fleshed out, with a few surprises that I will not spoil. I love the bonding of the cast as well, through all that they go through.

Once again, the pacing was brilliant, things were happening every chapter and none of it was filler, all of it exploring another aspect of Indra’s new status as a “cybot” with a hard drive for a brain instead of flesh and bone. There’s plenty of action sequences and they were all done well, feeling like an action thriller movie. Yet it has enough scenes to really get to know the characters and their situations. I couldn’t wait to see what kind of trouble she would get into next. Again, the prose is super smooth.

I love the world building of this cyberpunk world, and even if you read book 1, there’s plenty more to explore with new technology and the consequences of book 1’s events. The post apocalyptic world of cyberpunk New York is still interesting and I still want more of it. Even if sci-fi usually isn’t your thing, it’s not too heavy on the technology, and fairly easy to follow along, as most concepts are explained in the story itself.

The themes were fleshed out well, with the exploration of faith, finding your own path, rebellion, tech company control, and what makes someone human when you’re all metal. Made me think about the possibilities of the future, both good and bad, considering if we can even trust technology sometimes. No more quiet rebellions is practically an arc word for this book. I was really happy that religion wasn’t vilified; while the cult Indra was in wasn’t exactly a great place, religion wasn’t seen as evil by the protagonist, despite the rest of the world having moved on from it after the world ended centuries ago, believing that any god would have not allowed this to happen, with some of the creative swears.

There are callbacks, references, and characters from the first book, Mindwalker. While there’s enough information in this book to stand on it’s own, you will be spoiled for Mindwalker if you haven’t read it, so I highly suggest reading Mindwalker first. Also, there’s plenty of swearing, some graphic violence and some sensual content (nothing spicy), so be advised.

I’m really sad to find out that a third book in the Mindwalker world is unlikely (for now), but I’m really hoping for more stories in this universe, especially with a small ending hook. I will be on the lookout in what Kate Dylan has for us next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great sequel! I want more and really enjoyed this book!

Mindbreaker is a mind-blowing sci-fi read with an action-packed plot, an intriguing main-character faced with an unimaginable reality, and ground-breaking science mired in moral dilemma.

I read the book in one sitting, finishing in the early hours of the morning because I don't think I could have slept not knowing how it ends. Just like Mindwalker, it's the kind of sci-fi story that got me absolutely hooked.
The two novels are set in the same post-nuclear war New York, and while there are references to the events of Mindwalker, as well as some appearances from characters of the first novel, Mindbreaker could be read as a stand-alone. However, if you love a plot to bring down the evil tech corporations, then you'll enjoy both.

In Mindwalker, we followed Sil Sarrah as she brought down tech giant Syntex. In Mindbreaker, anti-tech cult girl Indra Dyer faces off against Glindell Technologies, whose cure for her terminal condition turned out not to be saving her body, but instead uploading her mind to a prototype MindDrive housed in a humanoid robotic shell. When news of an attack against Glindell's biggest rival coincide with Indra starting to experience memory lapses, she suspects the worst. Indra goes on the run to uncover the truth behind the procedure that saved her life, before Glindell’s new technology changes humanity forever.

This was an absolute thrill-ride: fast-paced, utterly compelling, and with the right balance of science and fiction. It’s Mindwalker technology on steroids, with a sapphic plot thrown in. The book threw up so many questions about how we value life, and what makes us human – it’s bound to stick in my mind for a long time, and I already look forward to finding out what Kate Dylan writes next.

I love that is a sequel to mindwalker, but can also be read (and thoroughly enjoyed) as a standalone. All that sass and dry humour that I loved in the first one is seen here too, which allows that fantastic blend of dystopia and doom and gloom, but with light moments and showing that even when the world is a mess, people still just carry on and find a way as they must. I finished this book so quickly and loved every second. It didn’t feel clunky or too info-dumpy, however at no point I did I feel lost o confused. Everything just made sense! The characters are amazing, and I loved every one, even those I hated, I loved to hate them. I feel like I want to be part of some of the friendships and honestly, whether you’re new to sci-fi, or read it all the time. This is the book to pick up!

In some ways, Mindbreaker felt like a stronger book than its predecessor Mindbreaker. I didn't re-read the previous installment before starting this, and it worked as a stand-alone (although it was very fun to see the return of some familiar characters later in the book). The writing felt more cohesive, and less standard YA this time around. The characters also felt slightly more empathetic, and their development was both intriguing and logical. There was also some real intrigue, and I found myself really keen to delve deeper into this world. I would definitely read more books set in this universe - it makes for a fun, gripping read.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely adored Mindwalker, so I was jumping out of my seat to read Mindbreaker too. I was immediately sucked in, just as I had been with the first book set in this world. It's such accessible sci-fi, as action packed as any Marvel movie, so easy to read but very hard to put down.

There's an enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance, dangerous and evil corporations, cool tech, a fast-paced adventure plot and explosions! I'd recommend it to anyone who thinks Black Widow deserved better, and who loves the idea of a thrilling, hi-tech adventure in a neon, post-apocalyptic city.

This is the second book in this series. I was blown away by the first, and this book is equally as good, or maybe even better! Each book could be read as a stand alone, but, if you can, I think are better read in order. Action packed fantasy, with humour and gentle romance. Just a brilliantly entertaining read for YA and up. Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine freely given.

Firstly, thank you so much Kate, Hodder and the team for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of Mindbreaker!

As an avid fan of Mindwalker, I was excited to read the companion, but I can’t lie - I was apprehensive about a world I knew with new faces I might not love.
Reader, that apprehension was put to bed with Indra Dyer.

Mindbreaker brings the names we already know and love to the page alongside a fiery, unconventional new hero who was surprisingly easy to fall for. Written with realistic flaws despite the super-sci-fi landscape of her very existence, she was fun, gutsy and a fitting protagonist for a new cyber adventure.

Alongside her, companions (naming no names) are equally fun, although I’d have liked to see them fleshed out a little more - Indra shines but her supporting cast sometimes feel more like props. That’s not to say I didn’t love them too, but there’s a distinct distance there. Whether that’s due to some of Indra’s more unique features (…spoilers!) or not, you can be the judge.

Now, to the plot. Where Sil is a punchy, antagonistic warrior with a story she wants to control, Indra’s journey is somewhat undertaken FOR her - and the portrayal of this is great. The sensation of a lack of autonomy doesn’t make the book feel lesser; instead, it incensed me and left me with a particularly anti capitalistic feeling in my bones. (Be right back - off to troll a tech company or something, down with the system!)

Overall, Mindbreaker acts as a wonderful companion to Mindwalker and it’s every bit as enjoyable as its predecessor. Did I predict some twists? Sure. Did it matter? Not really. It’s another solid sci-fi adventure, and if Kate Dylan brings us more, I’ll happily devour that too.

Safe to say, if you enjoyed Mindwalker, I don’t think Mindbreaker will be a disappointment. Props, Ms. Dylan!

“No company deserves the right to trade in human lives.”

“Capitalism worships at the altar of crime.”

“People can be flawed and messy. Astound and disappoint you in unexpected ways.”

Kate Dylan has done it again: delivered a thrilling, punchy, feel-good feel-anxious script, packed full of action, verve, and characters you will love.

The narration is perfectly smooth, seating you in the heart of the action as you ride along with Indra, a girl who’s been transformed into a marvel of technology. But is she still… Indra?

Punctuated with sly, clever references, and sneaky Easter eggs for the observant, Dylan’s prose is a delight. She ramps up the tension and plays the speed skilfully, peppering the action with perfectly on-the-beat humour.

But it’s also thoughtful, probing at deeper questions we should be asking ourselves and society: when did we start valuing human lives in terms of money? How much can I change, and remain truly myself? Whom can we trust in an age of misinformation?

The answers are for us to find out: but there’s one thing we can be certain of:

“No more quiet rebellions.”

P.S. Someone make this into a film!!!

Featuring:
High speed chases!
Extremely dangerous stunts!
Heists going wrong!
A team coming together!
Cyborg angst!
Sapphic yearning!
Evil corporations!
Thrilling reveals!
and more…

Thank you to Hodderscape and Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Indra isn't really human anymore. After making a deal with a tech company to save her life, she's been uploaded to a robot's brain. When things go awry, she must find a way to destroy the technology that saved her life.

I loved this book! A fun sequel/standalone in the same universe as the first book. I enjoyed seeing all the new characters meet the old ones. It's well-written and an easy read that is very enjoyable. It deals with ideas of humanness, sapphic longing, and dystopian technology companies.

This book is very YA in feeling, as a warning, but as someone who usually hates YA, this really passes muster for me.

The verdict: An amazing sci fi dystopia read for young adults and new adults alike!

4*

Dylan's follow up novel to Mindwalker grabbed me by the throat from the beginning. Wondering how it could get better than a Marvel-esque, Dylan did 2 things I will forever be grateful for: brought in cults and made it gay. That's not to say that Mindwalker was not diverse, but having Indra and Tian's relationship in the open and explored hit very differently.

Like Mindwalker, Dylan continued to create a world entrenched in history and politics, perfectly blending the familiar and the unexpected into her dystopian world. I read this book like I'd just found water after dying of thirst: in a single, all consuming chug.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton for the advanced copy of this book. I can't wait to see what Dylan writes next.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I was really excited to read the sequel to Mindwalker, I loved the first book and the concept of a post-apocalyptic world and how humanity responded and developed.

This time we have a new MC and a new company being less than moral. I do think I liked Sil more as a MC-but maybe if Indra came first I would have preferred them.

I loved the writing style and world building, the premise is really interesting and engaging.

Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Holy christ-that-was (yes I'm starting this review how I started my Mindwalker review). This book is everything I could have hoped for and more. After reading Mindwalker, I wanted to know more about this tech-centred world and what other advanced tech is floating around. So, when Kate announced there would be another book, to say I was over the moon is an understatement.

In Mindwalker, we followed the story of Sil Sarrah and Syntex. In Mindbreaker, we follow Indra Dyer and Glindell. In a tech-filled world, Indra was born into a cult who are very much anti-tech, however, she likes to occasionally play around with the tech the world has on offer. One day, Indra takes a trip into the city which ends with Indra developing a debilitating and terminal condition. Glindell Technologies offers a cure and she has to make the choice to either betray her Order and get the curse or die a faithful. Barely eighteen, Indra signs over full ownership of her life to Glindell and is shocked that they are not in fact saving her life, her mind is being uploaded to a MindDrive housed in a fully robotic shell. Indra continuously finds herself in places she shouldn't be with no memory of how she got there. When news breaks about an attack against Glindell's biggest rival, Indra suspects the worst and goes on the run.

When I tell you that I devoured this book, I absolutely devoured it. I could not put it down. Like Mindwalker, I was hooked from start to finish. We meet some old friends in this book and the squeal that left my mouth had heads turning my way haha.

Indra was absolutely amazing, and Nyx, omg I loved him so much. His friendship with Indra was to die for. Tian, although I hated her at first, I grew to absolutely adore her. Let's just say that Indra and Tian go on a journey of their own and I loved it.

There was not one thing I disliked about this book. I defo need to find and read more books with cyber-punk vibes to fill the void Mindbreaker has left.

I'm sad that this is the last book planned in this world but I cannot wait for what Kate writes next.

Kate Dylan's Mindwalker was one of my standout books of last year. That I got to return to this universe so soon having been taunted with it (in the best way) by Kate on Instagram and on Twitter was such a thrill.

Although Sil and Ryder return in this book, this is Indra's story and honestly I AM LIVING FOR IT. If you love Ghost In The Shell PRE-ORDER THIS IMMEDIATELY. Indra is an incredible character who has a lot to deal with in this book trying to balance her upbringing in a technophobic cult, the faith she was indoctrinated in and her new circumstances as she tries to come to terms with her new cyborg status and what the hell the company who made her new body is up to.

I love her pure sibling like friend ship with Nyx, and the tension between her and her handler/science prodigy Tian and the way it develops as these idiots are too blinded by circumstances to see what's staring them in the face.

Action-packed, thrilling with emotional wrecking balls that gut you Mindbreaker cements Kate as a force to be reckoned with in UKYA and Sci-Fi .

Now if you know me, chances are I've probably pushed MindWalker onto you at somepoint since I read it last year.

So when I say I was excited for MindBreaker... that is an understatement. So when I seen this on NetGalley and was approved (thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for this) I may or may not have jumped right in (sorry tbr, I'll get to you all eventually)

Now to the story. MindBreaker is set in the same World as MindWalker but instead of Sil and Syntex we have Indra and Glindell and a new type of tech.

Indra is part of an anti tech cult but loves to dapple with tech... when an excursion for this leads to her being terminally ill, Glindell offer her a deal, give over ownership of her life for the chance at a new one... not much of a choice when death is the alternative. Even when this choice will cause her cult, and her family, to shun her.

Left with no other option, Indra submits, but after the process, Indra becomes suspicious of lost time and glitches in her memories so she seeks help from Tian, a research assistant on the programme. Can Indra trust anyone within the company fully, no matter how nice they seem?

Weighing up her options, Indra realises escape is the best option, but whats a former God Girl losing her grip on humanity to do when shes free in the world.... stay tuned to find out!

A whole new story with characters to fall in love with, set in a world we know and love... there might even be mention of a familiar AA from book one!

This bright scifi techy dystopian world has my heart and no pressure Kate but more books in this world would be a delight

Another lightning speed romp through through this post nuke war NYC and I loved all 21600 seconds it took to devour it!

Science light, fiction heavy; this is a book for those wanting to dip their toes into sci-fi whilst maintaining focus on plot and people.

Like Mindwalker, this installment has me wishing to visit a world that, despite being bleak and clinging to shreds of life, is full of human adaption and resilience.

I feel you could read this without having ready Mindwalker but for context of the world and the wider plot aspects, it's worth getting stuck in before picking this up!