𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨'𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.
𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.
𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥.

This book was such a wild ride - in the best, most unexpected ways.

Special thanks to @bindery_books @ezeekat @netgalley for this pre-approved ARC.

𝙊𝙛 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 by @barbarartruelove is quite a quirky read and exactly just what made my reading experience so unforgettable.

The characters are an odd mix: a space vessel run by an AI, a werewolf, an engineer built from dead parts, a pharaoh, a vampire, spider drones, and a medical AI. They’re beings you wouldn’t expect to form any kind of bond - yet somehow, I found myself deeply attached to them as they became a found family.

What struck me the most was the idea of an artificial intelligence forming a real connection - that it could grow into something capable of love.

𝘔𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴.
𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨.

The story was mind-bending and deeply moving. I absolutely loved the wild adventure! This book speaks of relationships, identity, and what it really means to be human. This is a 4⭐ read.

This is only my second time reading a book from Bindery Books under Ezeekat Press, and I’m already so excited to explore more. Their stories are unique, full of heart, and unafraid to push boundaries.

This book is coming out on June 3, 2025!

This was so much fun to read and I loved the narrative of the ship communication and how that developed over time. I never thought a story with a werewolf, a vampire and a spaceship would be such a great read! Super.

One of my favourite reads of the year
A wonderful found family story that had me caring and loving a computer so much
Dementer is a passenger and cargo ship but once all of her passengers and crew were killed on one fateful voyage she is referred to as a ghost ship
The other ships bully her and no one believes her story
So when it looks like history is about to repeat itself Demeter will do everything she can to keep her passengers alive
This was such a brilliant story with amazing characters
Please translate the binary when you read as it’s honestly really funny
The book made me laugh and get angry and feel so much empathy for these characters
So well written with great pace
Cannot recommend this book enough
It’s so good I’ve preordered the paperback

So, obviously I was drawn to the arc for OF MONSTERS AND MAINFRAMES by Barbara Truelove for its cool catchy cover and when I read the synopsis, I just knew it was was going to be fabulous.

Quickie synopsis:
Demeter is an AI transporter spaceship and her passengers suddenly start dying from vampire attacks. To save her human passengers and avoid being shut down, she teams up with a werewolf, a zombie, a pharaoh, a vampire, and spider drones. Together, they confront Dracula.

Need I say more?

This horror/sci-fi is perfect for MurderBot fans and for those who read and loved The Wayferer series by Becky Chambers. The characters are all incredibly charming and the story is smart, engaging and hilarious!

“Error. I am not your fam-“
“Shut up, bitch. You’re family.”

*received this arc via NetGalley and @bindery_books

Publishers please note: the blurb on Goodreads spoils to book to part 4, about 66%. I really recommend editing it.

“I check for heat signatures. Nothing. Oh. They’re all dead. Well. That’s awkward.” LOVED this, killed it in a day. Star Trek meets Guardians of the Galaxy, but like if the ship was Murderbot/Art and there’s supernatural monsters in addition to aliens. It was a page-turner with a lot of heart and blood, and I had tons of fun with it. If you do not like book spoilers, do not read the blurb, it spoils the book up to the 66% mark. Basically, it opens like one of those ominous and eerie Star Trek episodes where something is wrong. Basically the story follows a ship with a lot of death on its hands, I mean Dracula is just in movies. Can the ship overcome the bullying and pressures of protecting its last two small humans when it’s failed before? I very much hope this becomes a series.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Actual rating 4.5 stars!

This was such a delightful read!

This book follows a space ship named Demeter who’s just trying to do her job, but her passengers keep dying thanks to the paranormal. To keep from getting scrapped, Demeter must team up with an unlikely team of her own to take down the evil that started this all, Dracula.

The characters are what really makes this book an unputdownable one! I really loved the different relationships that are shown throughout the fact that we get all of the different point of views. There’s found family which I’m an absolute sucker for too! I think I really enjoyed Demeter and Steward and their relationship the most. And the inclusion of queer characters in this book just made it even better in my opinion!

Once I got into this one, I was hooked and pretty much binge read it in a matter of days. I’d say it’s looser on the plot side but I was still intrigued as to what was happening and what would happen next with these characters.

I’d definitely recommend this one!

This was a chaotically fun time. Demeter is just a regular ship, minding her own business, shuttling humans between Alpha Centauri and Earth. It's not her fault that ALL of her passengers died on her ship, again. It was definitely human error. And it definitely may have involved paranormal factors that all point to Dracula being the most likely cause. Naturally the humans and her medical AI, Steward aren't be fooled by such childish claims.

Featuring a cast of classic horror and sci-fi characters, two AIs will have to figure out if they can work together to get to the bottom of all the death aboard their ship before they're decommissioned.

I loved this mash up of a deep space adventure with classic creatures and AI/robot snark. Come explore just what makes a monster a monster and hang out with the friendly spider drones.

Content Warnings: Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Murder

what a fun adventure that made me look at AI and robotics in a completely new light. this combines fantasy and sci-fi elements in such a refreshing way, and i had such a good time reading!!

Two AIs, a werewolf, Frankenstein’s Monster, and a mummy walk onto a spaceship; what could go wrong? What sounds like the premise to a bad joke turns out to be a wildly inventive and funny page-turner. “Of Monsters and Mainframes” follows the voyages of The Demeter, which are consistently bombarded by run-ins with creatures from across horror history. Narrated in part by the ship’s autopilot and medic AIs, fans of Martha Wells’ “Murderbot” series will delight in the dry humor and blunt observations of monster-movie moments. A shift in the narrative structure halfway through the story may turn off some readers, but most will be willing to forgive it in exchange for the heartfelt romp. With clever references to what has come before, this genre-blending tale succeeds in bringing something new to both fans and newcomers of sci-fi and horror.

Preview: this is officially my first “6 star read”.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bindery, and Ezeekat Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Demeter is just a simple passenger shuttle. She has one job. Transport humans to and from earth to Alpha Centauri safely. But this trip is different. As Demeter approaches her destination, all of her passengers are dead!! How did she miss THIS?! As she searches for answers Demeter attempts to enlist her onboard medical AI, Steward. Steward finds nothing out of the ordinary but Demeter knows better. After docking at her destination, one last passenger seems to be aboard, Dracula. It is now Demeter’s only objective, kill the creature that ruined her perfect reputation. In a fight to stay operational, Demeter begins to create a ragtag band of monsters to help her defeat the ultimate evil. Who will go down first though?

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! If I could give it 6 stars I would!! I love Demeter and Steward as characters. If you’ve read Murderbot Diaries, it is giving Murderbot and ART vibes!! I love this characters in this book. The found family, the plot, the comedy, it’s all gold. I love being in the AI’s heads. They are funny and quippy. I can’t say enough about this book. I constantly wanted to pick it up when I wasn’t reading it. I was thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading. I love love love this story! The monster element brings in a whole new level to this sci-fi/fantasy genre. This is true sci-fi/fantasy. The monsters that come into the story are great and really tip the hat to classic literature. UUUGGGHHHH I LOVED IT!! I know this review is chaotic but so is this adventure. I am going to be recommending this book forever. Obviously this is 5/5 stars and I would give it more if I could!

Well this was a wild ride. At no point did I know what was going to happen next.

In this absolutely bonkers story you follow Demeter, a ship, as she tries to not get decommissioned. Why would she get decommissioned? Well everybody keeps dying. Turns out Dracula, yes that one, boarded her and wiped out all her passengers. What follows is several very crazy voyages where other mystical beings try to kill all her passengers. The entire time she is being antagonized by her onboard doctor and AI and the treat of being scrapped for parts.

I honestly can say I have never read anything like this and if I was going to try to describe it I would call it Dungeon Crawler Carl meets anything by Andy Weir.

Overall I feel like I need to read it again and then make a friend read it too.

This book was so much fun! I didn’t know I needed a book about werewolves, vampires, and AI’s with big personalities , but it turns out I did. Every character in this story is so quirky but in a somehow down to earth way despite the fact that the majority of the plot takes place in space.

I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a light hearted read that you can absolutely fly through! It’s hilarious and at times just outright silly. It’s so different from anything else I’ve read recently and was just what I needed.

This is scheduled to release the first week of June so keep an eye out for it!

I am at all loss for words. I have read non stop for 34 hours, even at work. Rarely do I pay attention to the blurbs from other authors, because I don’t know if they are honest or not. After 30 pages into this mastermind of a book I scrolled back to the blurbs and I KNEW they were all true.

I have read 4 novel published by Bindery and I am an eager follower of Jaysen. I trust this man’s judgement about books. This book needs a cult.

This author is a FORCE. I have never felt this consumed by a kvasi-cozy-scifi-fantasy-opera in my life. The sentences are pure poetry, the character development is essentially gold and full of heart. The found family, the humor and THINGS ARE HAPPENING FROM START TO FINISH made this book one of the best books I have read in my life. I laughed, cried, WTF-ed and OooOOOoHhh! constantly.

There was so much happening and it was all written and told in a way that held me on from start to finish. I never wanted it to end. I need book 2 in less than five hours, please. I need the movie, the tv-series and audiobook quicker than a mother hunting for her baby’s pacifier.

This author is pure genius and it filled a big gap I had after reader all the “Murderbot” stories. Please let this book win all the awards.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this amazing arc copy.

Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.

To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula.

I didn't know what to expect from this - it's definitely something new! I really enjoyed the world, the creatures, and the banter. Banter between AI, you guys. Go read this. Fun, interesting, unique, unforgettable! 4.5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

What a ride! This book was a total sci-fi romp in the best way. It was fast-paced, funny, heartfelt, and full of surprises. The cast of characters alone is worth picking it up: AIs, humans, werewolves, vampires, and an aliens. I wasn’t expecting it to have as much emotional depth as it did, but it managed to balance the chaos with some genuinely tender, thoughtful moments. It kept me entertained from start to finish!

Big thanks to Netgalley, Barbara Truelove, and Bindery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC!

This book was dazzling. For some reason before I started reading it, I didn't connect that Phoenix meant the animal - I kept imagining Phoenix, Arizona. This was quickly cleared up when I started reading.
This was a beautiful exploration of a time in history we don't hear much about, and from a perspective I hadn't been taught about. The structure of the book was really interesting too - dual timelines was really fun.
I liked both storylines, but I think the one in the past was slightly better. The idea of a pencil giving up its secrets with a magical power was SO interesting. I loved the exploration of communication, what we decide to share, what is shared without our consent, and what it means to post online.
One thing that was a little disappointing, and I'm assuming this was related to it being an ARC, not the final version, most of the emojis that are included in the text came through as squares, so I had to just guess what was being said by the context. This was not a huge part of the text, so don't let that put you off, but it was something I noted.

Thank you to Bindery Books for access to this ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a spaceship, medical AI system and a ton of monsters. Spanning decades, this book followed characters and their relationship with the spaceship Demeter. I don’t know how this author managed to make AI and monsters wholesome but they did it! If you enjoy OG monsters with new back stories and twists this book is for you.

You’ll love Of Monsters and Mainframes if character driven books with original characters and an humorous style are your cup of tea! I enjoy the mashup of genres. I sometimes struggle with books that don’t have a more defined and evenly paced plot, but this story made it work!

This novel was so creative and entertaining. It had me hooked from the start and was fast paced throughout. I laughed and gasped and had the best time. The way the author made a little community out of the various anthropomorphized parts of the ship was brilliant. The incorporation of classic horror characters was perfect. The speculation on consciousness and personality in AI was both terrifying and so sweet. I loved it.

This is one of my favorite books of 2025!
If you like universal monsters, sci-fi, and/or found family, then do yourself a favor and pick up this book.
Of Monsters and Mainframes is a dazzling new addition to the sci-fi genre. The book is written mostly from the perspective Demeter, the main operating system of a passenger spaceship whose humans keep being killed by monsters. And it all starts with Dracula. As the decades unfold, Demeter is joined by a cast of unlikely creatures that must work together to defeat Dracula and save Demeter.

I loved every minute I spent reading this book. The relationships between the characters were so fascinating and fun to read, especially Demeter and Steward’s. As a horror fan, I loved seeing new takes on classic monsters. Each character was distinct and easily resembled their inspiration monster without feeling like something we’ve seen a million times.

I truly have nothing bad to say about this book. At first, I was a bit hesitant about the transitions between chapters. Sometimes it jumps to years later and you have no idea what happened in the years between, but this is actually a wonderful part of the structure because it puts the reader in line with Demeter’s perspective. It helps us understand her choices and her growth more.

At the end of the day, Of Monsters and Mainframes is easily in my top 5 books now. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy (the cover is gorgeous) and I highly recommend this to…everyone. I can’t wait to see more from this author.

*Huge thank you to Barbara Truelove, Bindery Books (Ezeekat Press), and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced e-arc of this book in exchange for honest review.*