"Paranoia is the only sane response to a world composed of keyholes through which the eyes of our enemies may peer at any time."

My first book by the author, and it won't be the last. I wasn't sure what to expect going in. The description (AI prime ministers and an immortal president) is intriguing, but I wasn't sure how it would translate to the prose. I ended up being blown away by both the quality of the prose as well as the depth of the themes explored.

It's a bit of a 1984/We/Fahrenheit 451 inspired piece. What makes it different is the tie to our current world, in particular the unique threat that the rise of AGI (artificial general intelligence) might mean for the world and our political systems. I thought it was handled brilliantly. It's told in third person, with each chapter following a rotating cast of characters (or occasionally two in the same chapter). I thought the characters were well formed and seemed to have realistic motivations and backstories.

Highly recommended, especially in light of our current world political climate.

Extremely original and relevant, especially with the sudden rise of AI in the past couple of years.

I found the plot around the president “downloading” in to different bodies interesting and, let’s be real, entirely something that would actually happen if this technology was available.

It took me a little while to get into the book, and I found it a little hard to follow with all of the different characters—I kept having to flip back and forth to remind me of who was who and where we had last left them off. By Book 2, though, I found it much easier to follow as all of their plotlines were clearly established.

a couple of reviews I skimmed before reading let me know that there is a lot of POV characters in this book and that it can get confusing due to this. after reading, I would definitely agree with this. it took me until around the 50% mark to get comfortable with these characters and confident in reading about them. sometimes a POV chapter would go on for a while, and it would be a perfectly good chapter, but there would then be a significant gap until there was another chapter from that character, during which I would need to reacclimate myself into that person's perspective. as the plot evened out in the latter half this became less of an issue, but confusion was a common feeling for me as I read through this book.
the message of this book I think was a really high point. it started off immediately with criticism of non-human productive of 'art' (a VERY topical issue considering the AI slop that is trying to be passed for actual art these days, and the people contributing to this), as well as corrupt and technologically obsessed nations. the technology itself was often interesting, though some aspects of it felt half-baked and therefore strange when they came up in the story with little explanation. an example of this is the dioramas that are created, and subsequently we have no pay off for these. the ending gives a glimmer of hope, but leaves quite a few questions open and unanswered, which I have middling feelings about.
I really enjoyed nayler's writing style, they made it a pleasant experience to read even if the plot stood still for a moment or I was reading from a character's POVs that was not as intriguing as another's. the portrayal of a society on the brink of ruin was compelling, and the human effect made more of an impact on me than the overall plot.

Where the Axe is Buried is a dystopian sci fi set in a troublesome future where Western Europe's Prime Ministers are AIs, and the Federation president is undying.

We follow quite a few perspectives that I struggled with in the beginning, but I enjoyed how they all painted a picture of the state of the world and even crossed paths. From the scientist who invents something nobody has been able to, to the immortal president of the authoritarian Federation, to the doctor who attends him, to the lonely member of parliament who places his trust in the wrong people - we see the distressingly bleak and crumbling world through different backgrounds and experiences.

This felt more like a sci fi thriller, but with a distinct focus on our characters and their struggles to do what they felt were the right thing. Nayler writes beautiful prose, with many emotional quotes that are startlingly accurate in our current political setting. I found this to be a heavier book, despite the shorter length, and I found myself reflecting on world politics and humanity's history with war more than I expected to. The sci fi element doesn't get too technical, but there is an underlying cyberpunk-esque theme that I enjoyed.

The strongest part of Where the Axe Is Buried is the setting with a distinct dystopian feel, and the technology and political movements feel all too real and easy to imagine. The characters aren't as well developed, and while I was rooting for some, there are just too many POVs for the shorter length of this novel to really get attached.

Where the Axe is Buried focuses on a terrifying future. But underneath the potentially world-ending plot, is the theme of humanity's faults and triumphs, and the lengths people will go to for the things most important to them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

"there is no cancer like the will, unopposed."

solid imagined world of where machine-learning will take us, and how our future selves will rationalize it. this also, officially, has one of the best first chapters i've ever read. perhaps even my favorite. i wish that energy sustained until Its end.

thank you netgally for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

DNF@35%

I couldn't get into this. There were some interesting concepts explored here, but I did not care for the characters at all. They were all kind of boring, and I couldn't care what happened to them.

ray nayler has quickly become one of my favorite SFF authors, and I was so grateful to receive an arc of his newest book! I always love how he writes multiple characters that seem to have no connection until the end when everything culminates together to make sense. this book is extremely reflective of what is going on in our world politically, and leaves me thinking about what our future looks like and what our resistance looks like. another amazing read from ray nayler and i’m already itching for his next book!

No one forgets where the axe is buried.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this eARC!!

If I had read this book 10 years ago, I would think “wow, what a dark and abysmal, creative, far-away, fictional future.” But reading it today? It feels like a very real and very near possibility.

In a future where AI runs everything and it’s impossible to figure out who to trust and who is manipulating you, a happily ever after doesn’t look to be in the cards. This was a very grim and fascinating book.

In one totalitarian nation, the autocratic president has been in charge for decades. When he dies, his consciousness is uploaded to a newer, younger model, making change and revolution next to impossible.

On the other hand, the Union is run by a bunch of PMs that are programmed AIs, using so-called rationality to fix corrupt governments and broken systems, without any emotion or care for the people they are meant to be leading - whatever it takes to fix everything. But now they’re going haywire.

The Big Brother-esque nonstop surveillance squashes resistance before it can spark and spread. How do you fight something that seems to hold all the power? How do you plan a revolution when you are constantly being watched?

This extremely dystopian novel is a masterpiece and had me anxious and on-edge the entire time.

Where the Axe Is Buried by Ray Nayler

I read this book at the wrong time.

I had never heard of Ray Nayler until I saw his book The Mountain and the Sea on the nebula nomination list. (It’s still on my TBR pile!)

When I saw a new book by him on NetGalley, I decided to give it a go. This book was hard. It’s set in a world with an incredibly brutal fascist regime where the leader’s mind keeps getting transferred into new clones bodies when the body degrades. Some of the imagery was evocative and some of the language was beautiful, but reading about this brutal government as my own country descends further into fascism was not the diverting SF novel I was looking for. I also felt like many of the characters were ciphers with no interiority.

An interesting book, but not for me at this point in in time.

Where the Axe is Buried combines political dystopia, technological thriller, and philosophical reflection in a novel that chillingly resembles our current reality. In a world where our current geopolitical reality seems to be taken to the extreme, totalitarianism and technology form a lethal pair that crushes everything. We are shown several perspectives from characters living in different areas, each fighting, in their own way, against oppressive systems. True hopelessness comes when you realize that even those who are initially aligned with current democracies leave no room for freedom. In one way or another, using the most innovative tools, each of the systems presented in the book ensures the suppression of free will.

"No one forgets where the axe is buried. It will always be there to dig up again."
In this context, several characters will face this dark reality, more or less actively. Some may think they are not taking an active role, but as the novel shows, everything is political. Nayler excels especially in his depiction of the apathy and fear that permeate societies subjected to decades of repression.

"We mystified the public with the idea that the machines were intelligent, maybe even conscious, when they really were nothing more than incredibly advanced statistical calculators, designed to give us the kinds of solutions we needed them to give."
I especially appreciated the critique of how we use rapidly developing technologies, such as artificial intelligence. The novel powerfully examines how these technologies, often seen as neutral, are shaped by human biases and used to manipulate public perception. It highlights how propaganda, combined with technology, can make resistance feel futile in totalitarian regimes. The story underscores that no technology is truly objective; even the most advanced systems are tools for control, not impartial solutions. This exploration of technology’s role in reinforcing oppressive power structures is one of the novel's most thought-provoking aspects. I don’t think Nayler is a luddite by any means, but he certainly is a keen observer.

"A part of me matters in a place I'll never see."
This book is far from perfect, but it is— and forgive me for using such clichés—very much needed. I find it justified on my part to forgive some pacing issues or even certain lack of character depth in a case like this, where the author seems to be crafting a cautionary tale on the level of 1984, if I may. I must admit that, at times, like in the book I just mentioned, the novel felt profoundly hopeless. There is a constant feeling that nothing the characters do will change anything, that the power machine is too large to be defeated. To be honest, about 25% into it, I thought it might plunge me into a depressive episode. Perhaps that’s why I appreciate so much that Nayler introduced small rays of hope as a reminder that, even when everything seems lost, there is humanity amid the darkness.

Overall, Where the Axe is Buried is a haunting and thought-provoking read that will linger on my mind long after the final page, offering both a stark warning and a glimmer of hope for the future.

Where the Axe Is Buried: A Novel by Ray Nayler, Palmer, Zoya, Nikolai, Nurlan and Krotov are working toward fighting against the global oppression of “Rationalized” leaders, holding their citizens under constant surveillance and crushing all freedoms.

I had the opportunity to be able to review both the book and audio version simultaneously. This dystopian/speculative fiction is wonderfully written. The narration by Eunice Wong was clear and well-paced, giving distinct voices to each of the characters, making it an engaging experience.

Thank you, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, | MCD for the opportunity to read the eARC & Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 stars
Audio Release Date: Apr 01 2025
Print Pub Date: Apr 01 2025

Tags:
# macmillanaudio
#fsgbooks
@ macmillan.audio
@fsgbooks
#WhereTheAxIsBuried
#RayNadler
#EuniceWong
#YarisBookNook
#netgalley

This is perhaps my favorite style of speculative fiction, and if the themes hearken back to the 1960s era UKL, PKD, and Stanisław Lem books I love, it is because we face the threat of a different rising authoritarianism today. Speculative fiction is a lens in which we can analyze our own time and the near future and then challenge with radical ideas to look to shift ideology.

In the frightening future society Nayler envisioned, it is not human dictators we watch out for, though human greed does contribute, but AI prime ministers, built to make aggressive decisions the people cannot see and presidents seeking immortality of mind.

Where the Axe is Buried is centered around perspectives of the ordinary and extraordinary people some pushing the limits of rebellion, others of science, and others who just happen to be caught in the web. The technology feels terrifyingly real to the 2025 reader, and the politics even more so.

Where the Axe is Buried by Ray Nayler is a brilliant and timely dystopian novel about personhood, climate change, and the corruption of power. Nayler is a fantastic speculative fiction writer who can create an intimate, compelling book about significant issues. The book deals with dark topics but ultimately leaves you with a sense of hope. I highly recommend this book (and all of Ray Nayler's books) to speculative fiction fans!

I had such a great time reading this book! Ray Nayler has this way of crafting stories that feel both intimate and expansive, and it was so nice to return to his writing after *The Mountain in the Sea*. The storytelling had that same thoughtful, immersive quality, and while it didn’t quite hit the same level for me, I still really enjoyed it and all of the sci-fi speculative elements were so well written and thought out. A strong 4-star read! Nayler does such a great job with character driven stories.

I loved this while I was reading it but the more I think about it, the more I love it. Even though this is a dystopian novel, with themes of politics and AI and assassination, what really stood out to me was the humanity shining through everything. My heart was broken, and then Nayler gave me hope and put it together again. There are a lot of characters here and a lot of action, and everything is so different but recognizable.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

awesome and well-written sci-fi work about decisions and leadership. 5 stars. tysm for the arc. would definitely recomend.

The authoritarian Federation is ruled by The President, who thanks to modern technology will never die, and no one is free. The west is stagnant, under the rule of AI MPs who haven't changed anything. On the brink of the world either being destroyed or replaced by something better, the lives of Zoya, Lilia, Palmer, Nikolai, Nurlan, and Elmira are intertwined.

This is an incredible dystopian novel imaging a techno-authoritarian future that considers what is good and what is evil and what does it mean to act. It is a complicated story that is both sad and hopeful, and I could not put it down.

Where The Axe is Buried is another inventive, beautiful novel by Ray Nayler, who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite speculative fiction writers. Like his previous works, this book deals with questions of personhood, dystopia, climate change, and the survival of humanity. In many ways, Nayler is the heir to William Gibson. He writes eerily plausible and meticulously researched visions of a dystopian future, but never loses sight of the beating heart at the center of these questions. His books are simultaneously horrifying and humane. I heartily recommend this book to my fellow speculative fiction lovers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s in the running for a Hugo.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an advance copy of this novel of science fiction that looks at a future, a future not that far away, in which nations are beginning to fail, plots are thick in how and why to replace them, and people do what people do, try to survive in any way they can.

Science fiction has always been a great comfort to me. I loved to read about strange new worlds, and new life forms, dream about princesses needing rescue, robots solving crimes, and how wonderful the future could be. Science fiction is still a comfort for I feel that I am not alone in seeing how bad the future has become. Technology and social media are a noose around our necks, taking away privacy and freedom, while not giving anything in return. People have only become dumber believing everything they see and hear, not doing any research out of their own ostrich hole. And government has become more dystopian than even the worst naysayers wrote. The best of times, the worst of times. That guillotine is starting to look good now. Many books seem to see the way we are going and have portrayed that in their writings. Ray Nayler's view of the future might be the most prescient, and the most hopeful. Something I expect from this gifted writer. Where the Axe Is Buried is a novel of the future that sadly might be closer than we think about a world of AI governments, despotic leaders, schemes, counter-schemes, and humans resisting, and surviving.

The world is broken. The country of Russia is known as the Federation, a monolithic block that has channeled the ideas of Stalin into controlling its people, limiting their freedom, and having a President who can not die. The rest of the world has decided that leadership is hard, so have turned to AI, called PMs, to do the hard thinking for them. However some people want freedom more than be controlled. Zoya is an exile in the Federation who is approached to take part in a scheme that might take power away from the President. Zoya has lost her love, an eye, and her writings to the Federation so agrees. Lilla is also a woman trapped in the Federation, one who once got out, but came back to see her father. In London Lilla had created a new kind of technology, but trapped in the Federation she is unable to work, and as her life shrinks in many ways if offered a chance at freedom, freedom for everyone. Around the world things are falling apart the center is not holding, and as many are plotting to end the system, others are trying to not lose their power, and will do anything to keep it.

I loved Nayler's first book but this one is now my favorite. Both deal with a future on the edge, but while The Mountain in the Sea, dealt with conservation, this book is dealing with power, and how this power can be corrupted, and helpful. The book has a lot of characters, and a lot of plot, but Nayler is an excellent writer, letting the world unfold careful, never losing readers, and always leaver us wanting to know more. Nayler mixes technology, AI, smart bugs, with the human factor, people not wanting to be wrong, people helping others out of a sense of duty. And love. And lots of hope. The writing is very good, with lines that resound in the soul, something one does not expect much in science fiction. The characters all seem real. Acting, reacting to events in ways that make sense, not just to fit the plot.

I can't recommend this book enough. This is the third work I have read by Nayler, and I want more. The writing, the ideas, the use of language, the interplay of the characters. A brilliant read, and one that I will turn to a lot in the next couple of years.

Ray Nayler's Where The Axe Is Buried is one of the best pieces of dystopian fiction that I've read in years. What makes it so compelling is the way it juxtaposes two different kinds of dystopia—the Soviet-style, Putin-esque Federation vs. a version of Europe run by general AI systems—as well as the way it rotates between different perspectives on these dystopias. We get the dissident writer, the naive computer genius, resistance fighters, and a bumbling parliamentary staffer, among others. Some of them have strong feelings about the state of things, others are just trying to get through the day, but all of them share the limitations of not being able to see everything that's going on. This is a novel about social systems and our ability, or inability, to change them as much as it's a story of characters. It's also written very well, a blend of Leo Tolstoy, George Orwell, and William Gibson in its prose style and narrative structures. Highly recommend to anyone interested in sci-fi's potential for imagining political futures.
I'll have a longer review published by the magazine/website Ancillary Review of Books in the near future.