This book was absolutely bizarre in the best way ever. Sentinet AI, vampires, Werewolves & Monsters - not a normal combination but brilliant all the same.

I loved every second of this - the first half is slower paced and more thoughtful introducing you to the characters and the 2nd half is full on supernatural hijinks.

Due to my chronic pain lately I don’t feel that I was able to engage with this work as well as I could have if I was feeling 100%. However, with that said, I still enjoyed the crap out of this book.

A thrilling scifi adventure reminiscent of the murderbot diaries. I loved the unique perspective of sentient AI and the relationships it forms to humans. Not to mention the action packed excitement of gender bending elements of horror, Dracula, and werewolves galore. Totally worth reading and rereading for fun!

Of Monsters and Mainframes, by Barbara Truelove, 4.5*

This one is a weird mashup of genres in the absolute BEST way. Part campy horror, part cozy, part sci-fi, this story has a unique cast of characters that I loved all the way through.

Our main character is a sentient AI that controls a spaceship. The ship’s medical AI and the ship AI serve as the main POVs that the story is told through. What I liked was that POV would occasionally shift to other side characters as the novel progressed. This helped to get in the heads of the characters and understand their side of things.

I won’t spoil plot, but I really think people are going to have a lot of fun with this one.

Of Monsters and Mainframes comes out on June 3rd, 2025.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ezeekat Press/Bindery Books for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review.

This book kept me on my toes but also had me on the floor laughing. It was so much fun to follow these characters on their weird space journey/murder mystery situation. The ending didn't wow me though.

I am such a sucker for books with AI space ships, unlikely crews and adventures. This would be perfect for fans of A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Murderbot Diaries and Lite Horror - somehow it’s Cozy sci-fi horror. Is that even a thing? LOVED.

Thank you Ezkaat press and Netgalley for a chance to read this in advance!

I thank Bindery Books for the early access! I unfortunately did have to DNF at 21%. I feel like the writing style is great, and I really love Demeter, but what I didn't like was the mixing of genres. Genre-mixing is fine in general, but I didn't like this particular approach. However! I'd love to see more sci-fi from this author as I feel they have a knack for it! Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more!

Wow! I really enjoyed this read. It was thoroughly different than anything I've read in a long while. I loved the uniqueness and the story itself.

Want a fun book about an AI space pilot trying to make sense of folkloric monsters?
Look no further.

This is the book I didn't know I needed, and I absolutely loved every moment!

It starts like an SF adaptation of the classic Dracula novel, but with an added cheek. You'll smile broadly throughout, especially if you know your gothic lit. But if you don't, that's ok too, the AI duo in this book will keep you chuckling and wondering just what can come up next.

I have a feeling this is going to be one of my top 5 of 2025 releases - the year's starting strong!

I was a bit apprehensive at first that it wouldn't be my kind of story, but oh my goodness did I love it. From the monsters to explosions to the children raised by AI (which you wouldn't think would be fun to read about, necessarily, but it was a great time. I think this was a cozy story, just not in the way you would necessarily expect. However, it was full of love and hope and also chaos and danger, but in the end it was about family, whatever that means to you.

Given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This is a wildly inventive and adventurous romp of a sci-fi novel! I can confidently say I have never read a book quite like this. You would think classical monsters and space would be a bit of a weird mash-up, but no this author pulled it off flawlessly and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I'm usually not a fan of large time jumps, but I think in this instance it was needed and added a lot of depth to the story. My one wish is that the overall main team of characters/plot would have met a bit sooner in the story. Besides that one small nitpick, this is a real banger of a book and I can't wait to see what more this author has to offer in the future.

What a warm story for characters that in reality shouldn't be that warm at all! Emotionally, I felt them all! I enjoyed the humour throughout the book too! I really enjoyed this book a lot and excited to find more books by Barbara Truelove :)

This is exactly the book I wanted to read today. It’s the perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy that I wish I could find more often. I loved every reference, especially the Lovecraft which came out of left field but was incorporated beautifully. The characters were all really fleshed out and the world was so interesting. I only wish that a) it was longer and b) that more time was spent in the middle. Some of the relationships felt kind of thrown together and so much of the development seemed to happen off page. But I honestly feel like this book was what I needed, I’ve been having a very grounded and serious 2025 so this book added some very necessary whimsy and fun.

This was a super fun read. It was a unique take on a space opera and despite all the action and drama, it was a comforting and cozy read. I enjoyed my time with it and couldn't put it down. I enjoyed all of the world-building and the characters. Recommended.

Loved everything about this book. All the way from the cover to the plot and characters. Sci Fi meets old school horror. It's like a book from my dreams. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bindery Books and Ezeekat Press for this E-Arc!

I went into this book a little blind and oh boy am I happy I did. I had no idea where this book was going, and I absolutely loved it.

We have Demeter an Ai of a ship, and she has to deal with mythical monsters/aliens who keep screwing up her voyages. Throughout the way we meet memorable characters and I for one was super invested in all their developments. The book although light-lighthearted and often times very funny still asked questions of love, revenge and what it means to exist.

I enjoyed everything from the different perspectives of the POV, binary codes, chapter titles and just overall how offbeat the book was. I have never read a book by Mx. Truelove but now have them on top of my list for their next works. Highly recommend if you want an off-kilter sci-fi adventure that makes you go oh god what now- in the best of ways! I would totally read a sequel.

I had an absolute blast reading Of Monsters and Mainframes. This book is a wild, action-packed ride with plenty of humour to keep things light even when the stakes are high.

The story follows Demeter, a spaceship tasked with shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Things take a dark turn when an ancient vampire boards her ship, turning what should be a routine journey into a nightmare of paranormal murders. To avoid being sent to the scrap yard, Demeter teams up with an eclectic crew: a werewolf, a part-human-part-robot creation, an ancient Egyptian mummy with mysterious powers, and a fleet of endlessly cheerful spider drones.

Demeter, the spaceship, won me over right away, especially with the hilarious back-and-forth between them and the medical system Steward. The pacing was spot on, too. From start to finish, the book never let up. Every chapter had me eager to see what would happen next, and I could hardly put it down. The blend of action, humour, and heartfelt moments kept the story moving without ever feeling rushed.

What if you were a spaceship roaming the universe, and oh shit, you accidentally picked up Dracula, and you have to team up with various passengers and AI on your ship to keep from getting extremely dead? This is like classic sci fi meets pulp meets a Hammer movie, and it's a really fun ride. Definitely pick it up when it comes out this summer.

Of Monsters and Mainframes is So. Much. Fun.

After a series of supernatural catastrophes on Demeter—an interstellar passenger liner—tarnishes her reputation, she decides to take matters into her own “hands” and hunt down the one responsible: Dracula.

The cast is truly the highlight of the story. If you’ve ever wondered how a werewolf, a mummy, and a Frankenstein’s monster would fare as space pirates, look no further. Every character, both AI and supernatural, has their own unique voice and is 𝘴𝘰 easy to love.

I really only have good things to say about this book! It’s campy, hilarious, and full of character and I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy on release!

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC!

Of Monsters and Mainframes was such a crazy ride. I only partly knew what I was requesting from Netgalley: a hard to classify pulpy sci-fi, space opera, monster mashup. But it was still a surprise when the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, a mummy, a werewolf, and disciples of Cthulhu are all involved and in space. The story is told from numerous different POV including artificial intelligences onboard a space liner. You really have to read it to understand. I found it fun and action packed but also... A LOT. It's doing too much.