this was a great book! the sci-fi was great and was so entertaining! it truly feels like a unique story. my interest was kept throughout the story and the writing was done really well! would absolutely recommend this to anyone I know. the space opera aspect was so well done too! I’ve never read a book with a space opera-esque before and I really enjoyed it.

I absolutely love this book. This is unlike anything I have ever read. It explores an AI POV in a way I’ve never read before. It follows our AI spacecraft Demeter and her medical AI Steward. As Demeter completes her journeys in space the humans she carries keep on ending up dead. We meet many monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein, fishy aliens, werewolves and humans. It explores AI feelings and left me questioning if AI actually does have sentient feelings.
It’s a witty, clever and hilarious story which I could not get enough of. I think this book will be a flagstone for other sci-fi novels to follow. I hope Truelove gives us another story soon!

Of Monsters And Mainframes - Barbara Truelove
publishing date: June 3rd 2025
📚genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
💫 themes: artificial intelligence, space travel, revenge & love
🪐 plot summary:
Demeter is an artificial intelligence who is basically the essence of a large spaceship whose cargo is mostly humans. Demeter is excellent at calculating distances and smooth space travel is guaranteed . Until the incident with Dracula happens - since then Demeter wants revenge. But the AI is not alone, there is a medical AI called “Steward” (pronouns she/her) on board with them. And Steward wants to make sure that Demeter and herself don’t get scrapped. Their space adventures involve meeting monsters, helping children and caring for cute space drones.

✨ my opinion:
Of Monsters And Mainframes was so entertaining and funny! Every character we get introduced to, is so unique and loveable. The mixture of science fiction, space opera style, and classical horror monsters was delightful. I also enjoyed Demeter’s and Stewar’s dynamic with each other. As AI as a topic is inescapable at the moment, this book gives it a new and unique twist.
I loved it and can’t wait to read another book by Barabra Truelove soon.

📚 this book was kindly gifted to me by @bindery_books, @ezekaat and @netgalley
‼️ the above stated opinion is completely my own

I really enjoyed the concept with Of Monsters and Mainframes. I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book but I had such a fun time reading it. You will definitely be in for a fun time if you pick up this book, which you definitely should. It was surprising how much emotion was created by Spaceship Demeter and Steward the AI Medical Companion on board.
I laughed out loud so much with some of the banter and comments between the characters. There are a lot of characters including Werewolves, Vampires, Spider Drones and a Mummy.
I did find at a couple of times that I felt there was too much going on but overall really enjoyed.
I’m so glad Ezeekat Press picked this book to publish.
Also whoever is responsible for the cover artwork knocked it out the park. So eye catching and I love it.

A fizzy, goofy, absolutely delightful interstellar romp! I've never read anything like it. Sharing anything more than what's in the blurb feels like it would do the book a disservice, so I'll just say I loved it, and I am so glad I read it, and you should read it, too.

For lovers of A closed and common orbit (Wayfairers #2, Becky Chambers) and The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells).

I love space ship AI systems that end up building relationships with fellow AI and passengers, so this was right up my alley. A fun, and fast paced read with high stakes and monsters. My only complaint is that, in adding in many monsters and storylines, it limited my ability to connect fully with the characters. I think a little more time needed to be spent with a few specific characters to flesh it out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A real wild ride of a novel. I wanted to read it because space and vampires and werewolves and spaceships? Yeah. That sounded cool. And the novel was cool! It takes a little bit longer than I wanted it to to get to what was promised (going after Dracula), and once we were there, it happened too fast! The ending was also a little cheesy for my tastes (and felt like it dragged), but then again, it's about cheesy horror monsters. It can be cheesy.

I thought the characters were very delightful, even if some got more room to be characters than others. Demeter and Steward were incredibly fun to read and I was always happy to be in their POVs. I wish we got more time with Frank (they were my favorite despite their lack of focus). Agnus was okay, but I wish she hadn't bowed out of the story for as long as she did in the middle.

All in all though, it's a wild ride and it does deliver on what it promises, even if that gets in motion more than halfway through the story. If you love a spaceship doing her best despite everything being against her, you'll love Demeter and this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Entertaining, weird, and well written
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved this book. It had me crying about gay robots falling in love and that’s all I can really ask for from a book. It had me invested in a wide range of characters and I loved the found family in this. I almost wish it was longer so I could spend more time with these lovely creatures. If you enjoy mythology, suspense, mystery, and space travel, this is the one for you.

I loved everything about this book and will be recommending it to anyone who may be interested in this genre. Every character was distinct, well developed, and lovable. The humor was great, the action was well paced, and I thoroughly enjoyed the different romps through space and each distinct adventure.

"My passengers. I decide, then and there, to love them. I’ve never loved before."

If Gideon the Ninth and Murderbot had a snarky, heartfelt, chaotic space baby in the form of a giant transport ship—this would be it. Of Monsters and Mainframes is everything I’ve been chasing since I finished those series: full of weird, lovable misfits, unexpected heart, and enough AI angst to short-circuit a mainframe. It’s hilarious, tender, and just a little bit monstrous—in all the best ways.

At the heart of this book are two AIs: Demeter, a spaceship that just wants to do her job, and Steward, her grumpy but secretly soft medical companion AI. Their relationship in the first half is the emotional core of the book, and wow, it works. I found myself weirdly identifying with both of them—Demeter’s yearning for connection and her anxiety, Steward’s prickly exasperation. It’s honestly kind of amazing how deeply these non-human characters are written. And when they aren't human, it's still just as charming and humorous.

There are sudden narrative shifts. Time jumps. New characters. Numerous monster problems. And while part of me wishes the story had stuck with one central journey, I get why it pivots. This isn’t just one adventure—it’s a found-family saga for the digital age. And every new misfit we meet feels like a love letter to the outcasts. If you’re into stories about monsters that just want to be seen, this one delivers.

I was in love with this story from the first chapter. It’s quirky. It’s emotional. It’s delightfully weird. This book has my whole heart.

Thank you SO much to Colored Pages Book Tours, Bindery Books, and the author for the complimentary copy. This is an incredible book, and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

I went into “Monsters and Mainframes” blind, only knowing that it was purported to be a sci fi/horror mash up. It reads like a series of interconnected short stories chronically different voyages hindered by a wide array of classic monsters – from a mummy type, to Chuthlu, to werewolves and vampires. Our protagonists are two AIs - the ship Demeter, and the medical AI – and together they function as an odd buddy pairing as they make attempts to save their various doomed human passengers.

This book was funny, fast-paced, and unafraid to get a little cheesy. It did wear a lot of its influences on its sleeve – some phrases were very reminiscent of Martha Wells’s “Murderbot” series – and its light tone kept things from being too serious. The ‘interconnected short story’ feel both worked to keep things moving, and prevented me from being too invested in individual characters – double-edged sword, there. On the whole, though, I thought this was cute as buttons and very much enjoyed my time with it.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC in return for an honest review,

A creative take on Bram Stoker’s Demeter, the ship that transports Dracula to an England that loses its crew to the beast. In this book, Demeter is a spaceship in the future whose mainframe is artificial intelligence. She realize the guests being transported are being killed and it is Dracula that is the murderer. The next trip she takes is also met with tragedy: a grandmother werewolf is killing off passengers as she escorts her grandchildren across the universe. It takes years to get the grandchildren to Earth and Demeter and the AI doctor are responsible for their wellbeing and education.
Demeter makes more voyages over the years and her passengers are unlucky again and again. Then she is reunited with one of the grandchildren (now grown up), Frankenstein’s monster, an Egyptian mummy, and a drone that has been blamed in the past for Dracula’s massacre. They search for Mina who they believe can help defeat the awful infestation of Dracula from Demeter.

A fun read but not everyone will enjoy this one.

Sheer. Brilliance.

Based on the cover and the blurb, the hopes I had for this were high. Dangerously so. Such hope is usually followed by a fair amount of disappointment. NO. Not here.

I was hoping for a Hitchhiker’s vibe and, boy, did this have it in spades. It was funny, deadpan and gloriously left-field. Completely absorbing in its plot and gripping in its narration from each of the multiple POVs. Who knew I’d be so invested in a slow burn AI romance? Well, probably me if I thought about it.

In case it isn’t clear, I LOVED this. I think it’s a masterpiece. Unique, effortless and utterly fascinating.

First things first, this is not a horror. This is a light sci-fi with some paranormal creatures and a tiny bit of gore, and a healthy dose of humour.
But! Have you been missing Murderbot? Then this book might be for you!
I got so many great Murderbot vibes from this story that I was screaming in delight and kicking my feet!
We follow a socially awkward ship's AI Demeter, that has the misfortune of meeting all of the classic monsters. The premise says Dracula, but you'll encounter many more classic literature monsters other than him.
We also follow a less advanced but more human-oriented medical bay AI.

Across multiple journeys, they meet different people and creatures, try to understand each other, and do their best to keep the crew and the passengers alive.

It is a found family story that made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. The story was so unique and gripping that I read the entire book in 2 days. Every time I would put the book down, I would continue thinking about it until I gave up and went back to reading.

To be honest, I wish this were a series, because I didn't want the story to end. And as far as endings go, I don't think there's a chance for a sequel.

I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and rereading this book many times.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery books for an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Demeter is a long-haul spaceship's AI, travelling between Earth and Alpha Centauri B Habitation 004, just trying their best as everything goes horribly wrong. It isn't their fault; it's the humans and organics running around inside them, dying for no sane reason, getting her labelled a ghost ship. Dracula kills all 312 passengers and crew, and now the other ships are bullying them. So begins the curse, with eldritch beings and monstrous horrors consistently messing up what once was a clear and pleasant flight path. And that rude medical robot is not helping things...
'Of Monsters and Mainframes' is a SF adventure blending classic horror with humour as the robotics/AI of the ship attempt to handle things no one at port will believe them about (if they even believe each other). This multi-perspective novel considers morality as Demeter the AI pilot, Steward the medical system, and their passengers work through what defines human or monster, how that figures into set conditions, and what life needs protecting or ending. Piracy, medical experimentation, monster hunts, this book manages to code these elements into a singular joyous narrative of one ship's travels and efforts to protect lives and end threats.
I loved this story. The emotional range caused by this book covered laughing aloud, curious disgust, and sadness. Immediately went to tell those around me how great this book is. It has a slowburn queer romance, found/forged family, and truly lovable ensemble cast.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books/Ezeekat Press for an eARC of this book to review.

Thanks to Bindery Books for providing this eARC!

Of Monsters and Mainframes tells the story of the Demeter, here a sentient AI spaceship in the 2090s and beyond rather than the seafaring Victorian vessel of the original Dracula. After not one but TWO horror movie monsters (Dracula and later his werewolf minion) slaughter 99-100% of her passengers on two different voyages, Demeter… still doesn’t swear vengeance on Dracula, there are like 4 more episodic incidents involving encountering various horror movie monsters first. Gradually, Demeter assembles a ragtag crew of “good guy” monsters, as she grows more in tune with humans and learns to hate what Dracula did to her, and THEN they go after Dracula in the final act of the story. (Pacing which I wish had been hinted at in the summary.)

I found it easiest to summarize my thoughts on this book in a pros and cons list.

Cons: The writing is extremely simple, with short, choppy sentences (this can also be a pro, depending on your taste.) Things clicked into place and made sense when I read that the author comes from interactive fiction, because at times OM&M feels more like reading an outline of an interactive story than a finished, non-interactive story. It’s clearly borrowing a lot from The Murderbot Diaries, but not with the same skill level as that series. There are various plotholes and some tonal confusion (Sometimes deaths are portrayed as serious tragedies, other times we’re joking about the robot characters nailing bodies to the floor). It's a horror crossover mashup, which I wish I'd known going in—it's kind of reminiscent of Disney’s Once Upon a Time. And I wish the non-AI characters were more developed! I reached the end of the book, and still only felt like I had gotten to know Agnus.

Pros: Of Monsters and Mainframes is very sincere and earnest, in a way that feels unusual these days. It’s a great concept on paper, and it’s a fun, cozy, easy read.

In general, I think this book might have worked better as interactive fiction, a middle grade novel, or even a graphic novel. But at least it’s got plenty of heart!

This book is so good! I inhaled it in two days. This is the first of the Bindery imprint books that has truly captured my attention. I was utterly unable to put it down. The vibes are exquisite and the story is so unique. I love the cast of characters and would be delighted to spend more time with them as they travel through the stars.

This book is an absolute TREAT of a book. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going in, but I never could have imagined it would be, well, what it was.

I think not knowing exactly what the expect made this book as enjoyable as it was, and for that reason I'm going to keep this review very light on details.

This is very much a, sit down, strap in and get ready for a wild ride, kinda book. I laughed out loud at points, and other points I almost wanted to cry.

Read this book.

"Assistance required. A human is trying to communicate with me. I hate it when they do that."
RELATABLE! You have no idea how much fun I had while reading this book. Monster mash space opera! AI operated spaceship is the main character and Demeter, that's her name, is doing her best to not get the nickname "ghost ship" but she fails, because there's some weird creatures on her ship killing her passengers. There's Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, some fishy people, werewolves, a Mummy called Steve, Cthuhlu worshipping and stuff. All of the monster stuff that's happening in space was so exciting!
"My humans died. And judging by the lack of nutrient consumed, they died a long time ago."
Okay that was tragic, not the fun part of the book, but the way Demeter is narrating was hilarious most of the time. Also she raises two kids that survived, she keeps them safe and schools them, and on their birthdays she adds extra sweetener in one of the kids nutrient when that kid doesn't want anything, each year! That was so sweet! (Pun intended)
Our beloved/hated monsters reimagined in space with lots of sci-fi and comedy and a bit of horror, some cute spider robots being helpful, AI doctor and AI ship banter, queer romance but not too much, it was just perfect amount for me.
I think at times there was too much going on and couple of pages were slow and dragged for me, but in it's entirety this book was a lovely suprise, even though I expected it to be interesting, it surpassed my expectations.