Of Monsters and Mainframes is a compelling blend of sci-fi and emotional depth. The story’s world building is intriguing, and the characters feel genuine, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. Truelove weaves themes of identity, technology, and human connection seamlessly. The pacing is well balanced, though there are moments that could be a bit more fleshed out. Overall, a strong read with plenty of thought provoking moments. Definitely worth four stars and a good pick for fans of thoughtful sci-fi and character driven stories.

My only 5 star read of the year so far, Of Monsters and Mainframes is unlike anything I've read in recent memory. This was such a fun yet tender read, somehow wholly unlike what I expected from the synopsis but completely engaging. The shifting narration first follows Demeter, an interstellar transport ship, as she experiences a string of disastrous transit missions then later her passengers and onboard medical AI. The alternating narrators could have felt gimmicky or same-voice but instead really helped to sell the story and expanses of time, with each narrator maintaining a unique voice. I wound up loving all of the characters involved, especially Demeter and Steward, and would read a spin off or sequel in a heartbeat should it ever exist. I was fully invested in everyone's journeys and even when I thought I knew where things might lead, the story found ways to surprise me at each step.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I've enjoyed this book so much, I've already ordered a physical copy to enjoy a reread in the future.

Surprised, delighted, and took me for every unexpected turn.

This well may be one of my favorite reads of the year. At no point did I know what was going to happen and the setup was truly engaging and fully suspended my disbelief.

I am stunned by how fun and funny this was while also being so tender exactly when it needed to be.

A phenomenal read and one of the greatest, most bonkers books i have read in a long time.

4.25*

this was so funny and charming! i loved the characters, the horror aspects, and the ai’s! they were absolutely adorable and i loved their friendship & their relationship.

Of Monsters and Mainframes is a weird, witty, and surprisingly heartfelt blend of sci-fi and classic horror. Truelove delivers a chaotic joyride through space featuring an AI narrator with a sharp tongue and a spaceship full of familiar monsters reimagined in delightful ways. I loved the banter between Demeter and Steward—there’s something strangely tender in watching non-human characters grapple with loyalty, grief, and identity. The horror elements strike a great balance between eerie and campy, and the pacing keeps things moving, though sometimes at the expense of deeper character development for the side cast. Still, the emotional beats land when it counts, and the found-family vibe gave it unexpected warmth. It’s not flawless, but it is fun—like a monster movie marathon hosted by your favorite snarky robot. If you enjoy genre mashups with heart and humor, this one's worth the ride.

"Of Monsters and Mainframes" is a fresh and unique take on Space Opera that is reeeeeeeally hard to put down. With its twist on classic cult horror characters and its lovable AI leads, this queer, campy, quirky story with a wonderful found family trope is exciting and engaging.

I loved how Barbara Truelove blended so many elements together from genres to introducing old characters and mythology in a future world. I found myself laughing, holding my breath, and becoming a Lady Demeter fan with each minute.

At times, I did feel a little lost in space, if you will. While I appreciate a fast paced story and think Barbara Truelove is a wonderful writer, the stylistic choices felt a little disconnected at times, but I always found my way back to the plot.

Overall this is a fantastic story and if you're reading this review, I think you'll enjoy it.

Thank you endlessly to NetGalley and Ezeekat press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This world sucked me in and was so different than anything I’ve read! I really loved this book and I’m so grateful to have gotten the e arc

Of Monsters and Mainframes had an amazing start that hooked me in from the first page. I love Demeter and the way she narrated the story. However, the POV changed in the second part and I found that part less compelling. The book did improve later on — I'm glad I kept reading — but it didn't reach the same level of greatness as it had

Thank you NetGalley and Ezeekat Press for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

WOW! I really wasn't sure what I was in for when I started this book, but it was AMAZING! So different and fun and just an all-around good time!! This is another winner from Ezeekat Press thru Bindery and I really hope Truelove writes more stories like this! This was just released at the beginning of June, so please make sure to pick up a copy and give it a chance! You won't be disappointed!! Thank you soooooooo much to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!! ❤️❤️❤️

The Demeter is a space ship, and a very good one, who has been going through … a spate of bad luck. First, one crew was slaughtered — all 198 of them — murdered by a shadow, a nothingness that managed to open her doors, avoid her cameras, and vanish. Then there was the werewolf who slaughtered the passengers and crew, but this time, Demeter was able to save two of them! Then, she was optimized (lobotomized) in time for her third trip, where fish people corrupted the crew (killing those who wouldn’t change) and jerked her off course. A patchwork man helped that time, but the radiation she endured almost killed her. Then, there was the man made of bugs.

Really, it’s been a rough few years! And now, the Demeter’s going to be scrapped. Not even broken down for parts, but destroyed! And she’s angry. Angry that everything she has done to do the right thing, to save people, to save herself is brushed aside. When Agnus, one of the two children she managed to save from the werewolf manages to snag the master keys from the Captain, Demeter is happy to embrace the life of a space pirate.

The Demeter, though, isn’t after loot and plunder. Oh no. The Demeter is going to find Dracula — the thing that started all of this mess — and destroy him!

This is a book with a splendid idea, some very fun characters, and some pacing issues. The book opens with the marvelously creepy idea of the Demeter, the doomed ship from Dracula, waking up to a dead crew and no knowledge of why or how it happened, and the repercussions, as she calls up the medical program to examine the bodies, deals with the station AI, and then the rumors and gossip that surround her as a ghost ship. It’s moody and it’s well written, with a tight, focused pace … and then it moves right into the next section, the werewolves.

Again, it’s atmospheric, clever, and interesting … and then it keeps going. And going. While it’s important to show Demeter bonding with the two surviving crew, it also went on too long for me, and the horror/gothic vibe sort of faded away. Section three has Demeter pushed aside, as her programing has been altered, and the book picks up the medical AI Steward’s point of view. They’re hilarious. Snarky, smug, full of calculated bluster and irritation — both with humans and Demeter — they’re a marvelous character. But the tension, the atmosphere, the vibe if you will … it wasn’t there. Toss in Frankenstein, and it just felt less focused and far more jumbled.

This read, for the first half, like a collection of short story ideas tied together by their location, the Demeter. The constant breaks of POV, the leaps ahead from one instance to the next, it was all just very disjointed. Once we were past the mummy — who was brought in during a section that felt rushed and underdeveloped — and the crew was all together, things picked up and I enjoyed the last half of the book almost as much as I enjoyed the first story.

Demeter is full of personality, brash and unapologetic, head strong and always forward moving — so confident in her processing, knowing she can pick the optimal plan, even when it’s maybe not the most suitable — she’s charming. Her relationship with Steward is antagonistic, as she has the ability to shut Steward off when she wants, and all the medical AI can do is accept it. But as adventures go on and she realizes how much she needs the other AI, who is programmed to handle humans, the two of them learn to accept one another. And then, of course, fall in love.

And it’s a sweet, snarky love:

You made a mistake.

My wires heat. When?

You said you loved me, Steward pings, code decidedly smug. You should’ve said “I love you too,” since I said it first.

My processors stutter. You did not.

I did. Frankenstein can confirm.

When? Give me the time stamp.

When you were dead.

It doesn’t count if I’m dead!

By my calculations, it should count more.

Then you are a suboptimal calculator, I snap.

A suboptimal calculator that you love? Steward answers, unruffled.

Affirmative . . . unfortunately.

Good. They settle their code against mine, small but precise and painfully perfect. I love you too, Demeter.

My favorite characters though have to be the Spiders and the little camera bot inside a pill who wants to be swallowed, because how else can it take pictures? The Spider bots are simple but cheerful, always with a ready Hello! They’re obedient, loyal, and eager to please. The robots and the AIs are the best part of this book, their ruminations on duty versus obligation, freedom versus programming, and sacrifice versus safety. I would love more books about the Demeter and her crew, I would love to see more of the Spiders and the electric romance between Steward and Demeter.

If you’re looking for an unconventional romance, with some interesting ideas and clever plot twists, you should give this book a try. For all its pacing issues, it was a lot of fun to read.

At first read, I thought this was along the lines of the Murderbot series, but this book was something else altogether. I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

This book was a lot of fun to read, as it kept my imagination engaged while I attempted to solve the mysteries. Right when I thought I had it figured out, the story took a turn, and it ballooned into something else! The writing style of this author is one I do not believe I have encountered before; she gave us an ancient Egyptian body-snatching, treasure-seeking mummy, as well as Dracula, Frankenstein, werewolves, and did I mention a treasure-hunting mummy?
Oh, and a robot ship doctor who is very done with everyone. And I mean fair.

The amount of emotion, action, and mystery packed into this book is phenomenal. Imagine reading a book that makes a spaceship and its AI ship doctor so vivid that you forget you're reading about lifeless objects.

I did not want this book to end!

Thank you, Netgalley, Bindery Books | Ezeekat Press, and Barbara Truelove, for the ARC of this imaginative and atmospheric read!

Monsters, transport vessels, AI, murder, and mayhem!!! What is not to love about such a premise that quite literally transcends time and space?! While I was initially engaged from page one by the anthropomorphic qualities of Demeter and Steward and all the action packed scenes that follow, I found that the novel lost its momentum two thirds of the way in. There were far more characters introduced than I thought necessary, although I understand that the author set to create a "motley monster crew" to defeat the ultimate villain, Dracula. Additionally, I felt that this book could have been tightened a bit more and truncated in length.

My favorite parts were truly the segments involving Steward, their quips, and love-hate relationship with Demeter. Although, not a total standout for me, I think this still makes for a light, entertaining read.

This book is a wild ride! I loved the AI characters so much. The weaving in of all the horror genre elements within the space travel storyline was brilliant. This gave me hints of Becky Chambers and Douglas Adams but is definitely a unique new voice in this genre. I really enjoyed this book.
Will highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I LOVED this book! Delightfully humerous, but also dark and a really incredibly refreshing take on the gothic folk and horror tales. I loved Demeter, and Steward especially and the overall feel of this book is as if the author took ART from the muderbot series and said "I want more of them". The overall structure of this book was more a series of interconnected novellas, but I found that I really enjoyed that structure.

4.25 ⭐️

This was so much fun!! A delightful mashup of horror and sci-fi with found family chasing down Dracula in space.

I loved the characters being queer playful reimagining of classic horror villians, and human feeling AI spaceships.

My one frustration was that it felt like this was a series of novellas sandwiched together up front, and took too long to set up the “main” plot indicated in synopses of this book so I’d recommend going in blind. I also felt like one of the romances (side-plot) was a little underdeveloped and came together a little too quickly at the end.

If you’re looking for a fun, queer horror/sci-fi mashup I hope you’ll pick this up!

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for sending an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this. Truly. Madly. Deeply. I mean, come on—Of Monsters and Mainframes has one of the coolest titles I’ve seen in a minute, and the premise had me ready to fling myself into a weird little genre-blending hug of tech and mythology.

But... I just didn’t vibe with it. At all.

Is it the book’s fault? Maybe a little. The pacing dragged, the tone felt uneven, and I never fully clicked with the characters. I kept waiting for that thing—that spark, that moment, that connection. And it just never came. Like a first date where the conversation’s fine, but you keep checking your watch and mentally planning your escape route.

More likely? It’s a case of right book, wrong time. My brain wanted something sharp and strange and maybe a little unhinged. This felt more like a thoughtful slow-burn, and I just didn’t have the bandwidth for it.

So—DNF at 42%. Maybe I’ll come back to it someday. Maybe not. But for now? We part ways with a polite nod and a sigh.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, even if that honesty is, “Welp, not for me.”

I liked the concept of this book and the cover is awesome. I didn’t find the monsters to be fleshed out enough. The monsters are the element that sets Of Monsters and Mainframes apart from other similar science fiction stories that are really popular right now. I do love Demeters struggle to operate within her parameters but I felt that since we had so much adult language throughout the book the story could’ve been elevated to match that.

This was such a fun time! I cannot help but recommend this book highly to anyone. Like anyone. It's a mashup of many genres like fantasy, sci-fi and supernatural horror. My favourite perspectives to read from were of Demeter herself and Steward. Their relationship was prickly but so full of feels. I loved these two. They made me get emotional in the best way possible. My only complaint? The romance between Agnus and Wilhelmina was way too rushed. And the ending. Expected much more from it. Nonetheless it was a humourous and heavily enjoyable read that explores the question of what it means to love & be human.

The spaceship autopilot for a Demeter class starship charts its unlikely history of transporting classic Universal movie monsters, falls in love with its medical AI, and raises a kid who might be among the monsters, herself. This is a whole lot of fun.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Bindery Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is the sci-fi novel of my DREAMS!!!

Pure, unadulterated CHAOS mixed with a healthy dose of found family, monsters, mainframes and aliens that will make you gasp, giggle and cry as you read this absolutely stellar book!

Please make sure to check out this truly bonkers, wild ride of a book, I promise you won't regret it!