This book gave me chills mainly because it seems very very believable for our future on this planet, especially with global warming and AI.
I wish I liked the characters more but I think that was part of the story. I really wish we’d had more of Solomon, as that’s kind of what I was expecting from the synopsis.
The ending was perfectly confusing and I am gagging to read book 2.

Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver is a terrifying near future prediction that I could absolutely see coming true.
Marcus Tully prides himself on telling the truth, he is a journalist after all. And when he gets a tip from an anonymous source that the weather event that killed his dear life was somewhat manufactured he makes it his mission to figure out what really happened. His search takes him to the floating city of New Carthage, one of the only climate safe havens left in the world, even if it is so artificial it even has an AI governor.

This book makes Weaver seem prescient, as the technologies he’s created seem like they can happen at any point in our near future. The problems he’s come up with are ones we need to be thinking about today, in order to safeguard ourselves from potentially dangerous tech.

The character are well crafted, with the grief of Tully making him so human, especially in comparison with the AI governor. I also really enjoyed Commander October, whose dogged detective skills were put to the test throughout the novel.

The plot was super interesting because not only was it a journalist’s hunt to find the truth, but a murder mystery as well! And all bundled into a crazy sci fi world. I was a little confused at the end because it seemed like it was set up for a second book, but I’m not sure this is a series? There were some loose ends that I’m still wondering about. I just think the end felt a little lackluster for the story to actually stop where it did. So 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me!

Ai is running the world, a world torn by divisions and the results of the abuse it has taken over the years, Marcus Tully, an intrepid journalist is out to unravel the secret behind who is really in charge in this topical dystopian novel that, readers should know, leans in on technology. It's very plot driven but Weaver has taken care to craft characters you can care about, root for or hoot at. Hard to explain but interesting to read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

A phenomenal and terrifying picture into a possible future. Weaver crafts an incredible narrative, along with fun and believable characters, with a final 20% that is just twist upon gut wrenching twist. It doesn’t do much hand-holding, but the book is all the better for it.

Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver

🌟🌟🌟🌟⚡️4.5/5

Pub Date 4th September 2025

Come join me in 2050 at the elections for a new Global leader...

Was it what you expected? No

...I was expecting this book to be a whole new experience! I anticipated a futuristic, interactive, political, unique story. It began with a dystopian feel, but then turned into more of a futuristic whodunit, which I rather loved. The whole "Vote for" element very much took a back seat for the main part of the book which I wasn't expecting.

Did you enjoy it? Absolutely!

...I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I'd say it was more plot than character-driven as I wasn't especially drawn to any characters, but I was fascinated by the technological world-building aspect.
The story is very heavily technologically immersive and futuristically orientated!! I almost felt like I needed my own VR headset to be part of the whole experience!!

Was it confusing? Occasionally

...Towards the end of the book, the story took so many twists and turns I struggled to keep up with who was where and with what and who and when, and I couldn't imagine how the story could get wrapped up with only a handful of pages left, but then I spotted there is a sequel "Infine Wisdom" coming out in September 2026 so I'm hoping for a more satisfying conclusion at its end.

On reflection, I can appreciate just how much thought, time and talent have gone into creating this futuristic version of our world. ...

After finishing the story (to quote 90s Lloyd Grossman..).. I deliberated, cogitated and digested what I'd just read and the thought I was left with was, no matter how much so-called persons of power continue to regress or improve the triggers of hostilities in the World will always stay the same....

WOW. Just... WOW. This is the perfect sci-fi + mystery thriller, so I highly recommend it. I had already heard good things about it and it lived up, plus exceed, my expectations.

Not only are the themes rich and engaging, touching on things like climate change, technology, AI, propaganda, manipulation, the fate of humanity, etc., but also, the characters are all fleshed out and they feel like real people, the worldbuilding is cool, and the plot is very well constructed.

The twists and turns are great, and while I had an inkling about who was behind all of this about 40% in, the reveal was and everything that followed still blew my mind. This book kept me hooked, and I would've finished it sooner had I had the time to sit with it for hours on end because it's the kind of book that you just don't want to stop reading.

The only thing that bothered me, and that's just me being nitpicky, is how many times I had to read the phrase "that's the thing about truth." It was annoying as fuck lol, but that's not a deal-breaker at all.

Obsessed. Good luck getting this story out of your head, because it is that good.

I read this initially in its indie debut, and was lucky enough to read it again as an early reader. Let me tell you, it’s even better the second time around.

This world, the tech, the issues, they all seem so tangible. They honestly feel like something that could and might very well happen in our not so distant future.

As someone who loves sci fi, this being a murder mystery thriller on top of sci fi only elevates the twists and turns that no one sees coming. If you solve the case, bravo because I sure didn’t and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

So excited for this to be out in the world! Thank you for the early copy, Del Ray!

Artificial Wisdom surprised me in the best way. Set in a not-so-distant future where AI governs everything from crime prevention to climate control, the novel balances sharp sci-fi worldbuilding with a gripping murder mystery at its core.

Detective Ashira Cohen is a standout—complex, driven, and refreshingly skeptical of the all-knowing AI system running society. The pace never lags, and the twists keep coming without feeling cheap. Weaver does a great job exploring ethical gray areas: What happens when machines make decisions "for the greater good"? Is a perfectly optimized world worth the cost of personal freedom?

Some of the dialogue felt a bit heavy-handed at times, and a few character motivations could’ve used more depth, but overall, this was a thoughtful, thrilling read.

Debut dystopian thriller sucker punch

Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver is a tense near future thriller set in a world reeling from climate disaster. It follows Marcus, a journalist haunted by loss, who uncovers a conspiracy linked to a deadly heatwave. At the same time, Solomon, the world’s first AI politician, is battling for global power while hiding dangerous secrets. This story grips you whilst it explores control, truth and what we risk in the name of progress for a ‘better’ world.

“The rest of the world had munched popcorn while the country became irretrievably polarized.”

This book was fast paced, and had you caught in what our future could look like, one that involves a future society shaped by environmental collapse, authoritarian politics, and heavy reliance on AI. All sadly, believable.

“Do you really think you can save us? Humanity, I mean? Did we leave it too late?

I don’t feel like the ending, ended the story? Like is there going to be a sequel on our hands here??

This was an insane debut novel, honestly when the release date hits you have to get your hands on this!! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Weaver for letting me read the ARC of this ahead of release!

I went in blind, expecting some sort of dystopian setting as a take on artificial intelligence, so imagine my surprise when, at about 30%, I thought, "This is good, but I'm weirdly in the mood for some murder mystery," and someone gets killed in the book!

It felt like the book shifted to accommodate my own needs, when in fact it created the needs in me without me realising. It’s oddly appropriate for the topic if you think about it...

This said, I really loved it, but it’s weird to me that news of a second book seems so scarce and unconfirmed (I found only a couple of sources saying “Infinite Wisdom” is gonna be a thing in 2026), as the story feels like it’s at its exact mid point at the end of this one.

5 Things I loved about this book
1 The murder mystery
2 The constant twists and turns
3 How I should have expected some of the twists, but didn’t so it was never boring
4 The technology that was imagined
5 I think it made the artilect concept quite believable, compared to most books

This was a super thrilling ride! Set in a not so distant future where an AI is running as a political candidate in a world dramatically altered by climate change, this story was fast-paced with a ton of twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I found it to be a very thought-provoking and relevant read.

A thought-provoking, sci-fi / dystopian page turner set in 2050. It follows Marcus Tully, an investigative reporter seeking answers to a personal tragedy that occurred 10 years ago during a "natural" disaster event. This novel explores what would happen if our global warming crisis continued to escalate and artificial intelligence technology continued advancing in sophistication and maturity. Super twisty plot that involves two murders. I geeked out over the technology - i.e., what if instead of meeting via video calls, we could all put on headsets and meet each other in neural reality environments. Politics. Intrigue. Strategy. Mystery. Technology. Murder. This, to me, is the '1984 by George Orwell' of our time. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was amazing yet a little scary. The way things are developing in my country, I could see this happening. We do see more of robots and AI so maybe this is a real possibility. Scary!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I first started the book, I had decided that it wasn't my cup of tea. The thing is, I just couldn't put it down to the point that I hope there will be a sequel.

It is a mystery, but also a warning about AI. I really didn't expect how many twists and turns there were. Do we really have an ending or a beginning?

What an astounding debut. This book is so chillingly plausible it’s a tad scary. An expertly layered thriller set in a future so finely etched, it feels more like tomorrow than 2050. Weaver has crafted a world where AI doesn’t just assist humanity—it governs it. One machine, Solomon, is on the brink of ruling the planet, promising salvation from climate annihilation. But at what cost?

Weaver’s vision of post-crisis Earth is unsettling and drenched in realistic tech, surveillance, and hard moral trade-offs. The lines between salvation and control, truth and convenience, are razor thin. The political stakes are global, the philosophical implications terrifying, and the technology is wild. I loved everything from the setting of Kuwait to the Floating Cities that resembled modernized and advanced places like Atlantis and Carthage to the complex murder mystery and climate disaster conspiracy to the characters.

At the heart is Marcus Tully—a grieving journalist still haunted by the death of his wife Zainab in the Persian Gulf heatwave. Every time he thought of her or the tabkhir made it all the more emotional. His pursuit of truth pulls him into a murder mystery involving AI ethics, election sabotage, and weaponized climate. The twists kept coming! While I did have a suspicion of one of the key mysteries, I was not at all disappointed when it was revealed.

This book asks what we’re willing to give up for safety: democracy? freedom? our humanity? It’s a murder mystery, yes—but one wrapped in existential dread and laced with emotional devastation.

Gripping, thought-provoking, and uncomfortably prophetic. It left for an ambiguous ending so I’m looking forward to book 2.

Perfectly intertwined Sci-fi, Thriller and Dystopian think-piece that really gets the reader pondering on the effects of AI on modern politics and the wider world. The book is well written, the characters believable, and the pacing is just right for the tone of the story. I am really looking forward to reading more from this author!

What a fantastic Sci-Fi thriller that kept me on my toes! The fact that I could imagine this being a possible reality in 2050 was scary! This touches on themes of climate crisis(rising temps that make major cities uninhabitable), AI use being a major part of daily functionality, AI being part of governing and in politics, and mass propaganda and manipulation. We already see the beginning phases of this now.
I did find the twists to be pretty predictable but it was such a good time that I didn't care. You will leave this book with a lot of thoughts to speculate on!

Preorder this one now! You won't regret it!

*Thank you, Netgalley and Del Rey, for choosing me as an advanced reader! This review is solely my own honest opinion.*

One of my favorite reads for the year. An epic novel and long; but I couldn’t put it down.

Takes place in the year 2050 and climate change has decimated the world. The first world election is about to be held and the two front-runners are an ex American president and a powerful artificial intelligence. Tulley, one of the last investigative journalists, and his team have to hunt down a story that ties into the death of Tulley’s wife and the election.

I loved this world. One of the settings is a floating city that houses the rich elite. We also spend some time in climate ravaged London, where it’s too humid to be outside. Solomon, the AI governor of a floating state, is one of the two chosen to run as “protectorate” of the world. A role chosen by the people to save humanity. But some don’t trust AI. Some trust an American president even less.

The sequel, Infinite Wisdom, comes out next year and I can’t wait!

First off, I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I had requested it because I had heard about it beforehand and was excited to check it out and it did not disappoint. I finished the whole book in about three days.

For Pros - The book hooked me right at the beginning and I found it had good pacing overall. Just when I felt it was starting to drag a major event happened to keep me hooked. I found the world building in this book very natural and I didn’t feel like we got any data dumps but rather it was worked in organically through the story. I also found the story unique and not a repeat of other things I read.

Cons - I had very few issues with this book. I did sometimes find the viewpoint switches jarring - it went from switching every chapter to switching within chapters and occasionally switching for just a paragraph. This meant I had to sometimes reread passages to figure out who was speaking.

I also didn’t completely buy or follow the divide between Tully and Livia, they seemed close and then had a bit of tension but quickly it seemed like they weren’t speaking at all. I feel like I missed a scene that justified the separation between them.

Not necessarily a con but I didn’t know going into this book that it was a series. I spent a good portion of the last 40 pages trying to guess the ending only to realize I wouldn’t know the ending. Depending on how the second one is this could go either way.

This book has it all - sci fi and mystery, action and adventure. I look forward to more from this author, and to re-reading this when it is published!