This book makes you feel like you’re in a virtual reality with all the twists and turns - what is true and what are all the lies?

Definitely recommend!

TW: language, death, mention of torture, grief, alcoholism

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This is a great debut futuristic political thriller. It’s also a murder mystery with well developed characters and unexpected twists and turns. This is apparently part of duology, and the ending left quite a bit unfinished. I wish I had known this ahead of time but it doesn’t change my overall enjoyment of the book. I can’t wait for book two next year. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advanced reader copy.

I reeeeally wanted to like this one. It was just so dry (yeah pun intended) I read some reviews saying this one is more of a political murder mystery rather than sci-fi and they are spot on. I think it captures some absolutely real scenarios dealing with climate crisis and how us lovely humans tend to act in dire times but the way it's put together here isn't engaging. At least for me! This one has a lot of good reviews so maybe one day I'll try to read it again and see what I missed the first go-round.


Thank you Netgalley and Random House for being kind enough to let me read the ARC of the re-release

**Features:**

- Dystopia set in a realistic future
- Climate fiction meets murder mystery with high stakes political intrigue
- Explores issues around artificial intelligence, morality in extreme circumstances, and what we are willing to sacrifice for safety
- Explores grief and loss

**Synopsis:**

Ten years ago, nearly a half billion people across the Persian Gulf lost their lives to a sudden, deadly heat wave. Among them was renowned journalist Marcus Tully’s wife and unborn child. Faced with uncountable climate refugees and the very real chance of another catastrophic natural event, all nations have agreed to elect a Protector: one leader given absolute global power to find and implement a climate solution. Just as the field narrows to two candidates, an ex US president and an artificial intelligence named Solomon, a mysterious whistleblower reveals that the Persian Gulf incident might not have been as random as it appeared. With one of the final candidates being under suspicion, Tully is in a race to uncover and share the truth. However, some truths are dangerous and the people will ultimately have to decide what they are willing to sacrifice in the name of survival.

**Thoughts:**

* 4.5 Stars

I didn’t know what to expect picking up this debut, but this is definitely one of the best dystopian novels I have read in a while! This is the type of dystopia that feels very closely connected to our current reality and it is incredibly easy to imagine things evolving into the world being depicted here. Though there are some minor elements that challenged me to suspend disbelief, the ease at which I could place myself in this future made it bone chilling and impactful from the start. That being said, readers should be aware that this book that addresses genocide, climate issues, and politics in ways that feel intimately connected with present reality rather than something more allegorical.

What truly makes this book a standout is its world building. There are a lot of complicated elements introduced very quickly into the story and, in most cases, it would be almost too much to keep track of in a cohesive way. Yet everything is so seamlessly interconnected that all of these elements feel part of the same living, breathing world. Rather than feeling lost, I was able to empathize with the very complicated positions Tully finds himself in throughout the novel. I found peeling back the layers extremely satisfying but this is definitely a book where you have to trust the process.

So why didn’t this earn a perfect score? It came down to the characters. To be fair, this is not the type of story where the characters have to take center stage. However, it felt as though each was given 1-2 defining characteristics and that was basically it. Tully is defined by his grief and it took a long time to see much else (not in a poetically meaningful way either). There were definitely some decisions I would have liked to see him struggle with a little more and to feel the weight/impact in a way that felt more personal. It is hard to truly put a finger on, but I think the oversimplified characters are simply at odds with an otherwise complex and dynamic world.

2050: The Climate Emergency is with us. Extreme weather events have already ‘unhoused’ millions across the planet and many millions have also lost their lives to floods, extreme heat and other climate incidents.

10 years ago world leaders decided they needed to elect an overarching leader to steer and save humanity from extinction. 10 years ago Marcus Tully - investigative journalist - lost his wife and his unborn daughter to an extreme weather event in Kuwait, known as a Tabhkir.

A memorable quote from the book sums up the main protagonist’s driving force:

‘I’d like to believe the truth will emerge, one way or another. That’s the thing about truth. It usually does - but never through the clean, fresh air; always through the sewers.’ It’s almost a rallying cry to investigate journalism something we rarely see in our modern world and in 2050 it is even rarer.

London has a temperature of 111 degrees. Elsewhere it is too hot to be outside. There are now floating cities, created by the wealthy to enable them to escape the harsher realities of the climate crisis. While Neural reality means you can visit anywhere without leaving your apartment or office (if you have one), and driverless cars take you where you need to go, at the same time extreme poverty and lack of homes is the experience of the surviving masses. The novel opens with a couple of significant news stories. One of which is that the shortlist of candidates for the global leader or Protector election is now surprisingly down to two. Lawrence G Lockwood an ex-US President and an AI created character (known as an artilect) Solomon. Solomon has been the Governor of the Floating Cities so does have some political credentials. Lockwood ‘was the politician’s idea of a politician, the perfect image of an elder statesman.’ Things will only be getting worse without someone to pull humanity together and reverse climate change. Is a non-human the answer?

What is particularly good about this thriller is you are in the action straightaway and any background information is delivered seamlessly and unlaboured so the tension starts from the beginning.

Provided with a potential news story by a whistleblower appropriately calling himself Whistle, Tully’s pursuit of the truth is not universally popular. The opposition seeks to discredit him especially when riots break out in London. But Whistle has piqued not just his professional curiosity because for Tully this might just help him understand more about his wife’s death in 2040. In the meantime those who can help him get to the bottom of the story berate his attempts at best or become murder victims. Solomon’s creator is Martha Chandra whose sister Livia works with Tully. Livia wants her sister’s murder solved. Tully wants to know whether everything is now connected to his original story. The clock is ticking in that the election takes place in less than a month.

I asked NetGalley for access to this prepublished novel because I had had a foretaste of it at the Capital Crime Festival courtesy of Bantam’s Virtual Reality experience. There are interesting characters. There is a lot of ‘tech’ speak but this is believable and subtly introduced without any condescending explanations for the reader. It’s one of those books that pulls you in early on and you are gripped in the world of 2050 with crime mysteries to solve and political machinations to uncover.

I would highly recommend this book.

Interesting speculative novel. In 2050, the former president is competing against an AI to lead a planet wide effort to save humanity from the effects of climate change. When the AI's creator is murdered, a journalist teams with investigators to find the murderer.

It is 2050, and the climate crisis has damaged much of the world. Difficult decisions need to be made for the world to survive. All countries agree that one person should be in charge of coordinating the world's efforts. Each country has nominated someone, and the finalists will be announced soon. Marcus Tully is a journalist living in London. After the death of his wife, he has been doggedly investigating the circumstances of her climate-related death. Tips are leading him to the creator of an entity called Solomon, the "artilect". Solomon is AI personified and currently governs a group of floating islands. Marcus Tully is drawn into conspiracy, murder, global politics, and abuse of technology.

This story is not a horror novel, but it is scary nonetheless. Society's use of AI is on the rise, and how will its use be controlled? While there is no way to predict the future, this book certainly covers one scenario. Many movies and books have been written about our future and the use of technology. Like the others, this is a cautionary tale. Mankind needs to use technology carefully with established limits. The author is imaginative, and his descriptions of life in 2050 are fascinating. Fans of technology fiction will enjoy this glimpse of the future.

This book was definitely not what I expected - both bigger and smaller in scope at different times, appropriately described in the blurbs but also completely different. The first part is great set-up, intriguing speculations about the direction technology and social media goes from where we are now. The middle third ended up being very conventional-murder-mystery, until it takes a hard left turn and screams into the final third of revelations and plot twists that left me reeling. Recent developments of AI have made me wary and the way it's used here hits a little close to home. Good writing, believable visions of the future, uncomfortable conclusions. 3.75 stars.

This is an imaginative view of 25 years into the future. Why didn’t more people listen when Al Gore was talking about climate change in 2006? Now the world was paying for the devastating impacts from unexpected floods, fires and hurricanes causing violence and riots on the streets.

The story started with disturbing news from 2040 when millions of people died in a Persian Gulf heat wave. Tully, an investigative journalist, was heartbroken to learn that his wife was part of this crushing tragedy. He needed answers and was motivated to find out who was responsible. It was nearly impossible to determine what was real versus fake reports manipulated by the government, media, authors, filmmakers and influencers.

The book started strong introducing interesting futuristic concepts. Yet, it was too long with many repetitive parts which slowed down the pace like trying to drive through rush-hour traffic. The story was filled with thought-bending ideas related to artificial intelligence. I learned a new word: artilectophobia (not yet in our dictionary): prejudice against AI.

The year 2050 is not far off and yes, I believe that climate change will have a strong impact in the coming years. However, the idea of AI being elected as a political world leader seems like a distant fantasy. Nevertheless, this book had some good points worth tossing around.

My thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book with an expected release date of August 12, 2025.

This is hands down the best novel I've had the privilege of reading from NetGalley, ever. I loved it so much; the twisty plot, the murder mystery, the fascinating technology of 2050, and the terrifying yet accurate depictions of what our planet may look like 25 years from now. Climate change is real, and yeah this book is fiction, but it's a bright red flag of warning to us if we don't change.

3 ⭐

Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC!

I think Artificial Wisdom a pretty solid book, it just wasn't really what I was expecting and didn't end up being for me. It felt a lot more mystery/thriller than sci-fi, although with a sci-fi background in a near future setting with more advanced technology. I was expecting more about AI and climate change, and while these are important to the plot and become more of a focus by the end, a lot of the middle of the book is about solving a murder with a lot of twists and turns throughout.

The setting and technology felt fairly well developed without being too tech focused. The characters fell a bit flat unfortunately.

One important thing to note which I didn't realize going in: it's not a standalone (at least my impression from the author's IG is that there is a book 2 coming), and there isn't much resolution at the end.

A techno thriller that will leave you reeling. Everytime I thought I had the plot figured out, we were pulled in a different direction. I really vibed with the way the story was written as well!

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. It is a bit long, but has enough action and intrigue to make it read like a shorter book. It has a lot of twists and turns so that you start to feel as if you can't trust anyone--human or AI. This book is written in the near future and I think it is good at mulling through a lot of possibilities of what can be twisted in technology and the news to get certain people or the public to be manipulated to seeing things a certain way. It is a scary book when you think about some of those possibilities. It's hard for me to say that I enjoyed this book as it deals with many current hard topics, but it is definitely a book to make you think.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

3,5 stars
I had really high hopes for Artificial Wisdom, especially because I've seen from many readers on social media that they like books similar to mine - and have consistently given this one 4 or 5 stars. The blurb also sounded right up my street: a dystopian future in the year 2025, with AI, a climate crisis and a presidential election in which a human competes against a super AI for world domination? Sounds wild and absolutely topical.

The start of the book was also promising. The world that Thomas Weaver paints here is depressingly realistic - almost frighteningly tangible. I liked the journalistic angle and the idea of a single person (our main character Marcus Tully) trying to find truth and justice in a crumbling system. I found the socio-critical themes particularly strong: technological dependency, political corruption, environmental disasters, grief, moral grey areas. The book is really thought-provoking.

However, I also had my problems. For my taste, the story tried to tell too much at once. There were so many subplots - from murder investigations and political intrigue to philosophical questions about humanity and machine ethics - that I sometimes felt like I was reading three different books in one. The transitions often didn't seem harmonious, some chapters were strung together almost arbitrarily. Unfortunately, this kept taking me out of the flow of reading.

Another thing I didn't quite like was the ending. I had hoped that the many unanswered questions would be brought together, but instead it felt rather rushed and incomplete - almost as if there had to be a second volume (which I honestly hope there will be). Because the potential is there, no question.

Despite all the criticism, I have to say: it was definitely not a waste of time. I got a lot out of it, even if it sometimes felt like work to pick up the book. For fans of dystopian sci-fi with political depth and a good dose of paranoia, Artificial Wisdom is definitely worth a try - just be prepared for a complex, sometimes overloaded reading experience. And its a debut! Don't forget that ;)

This book was awesome! More info to come once I have a minute to sit down and reflect. Intriguing premise that mixed sci fi/technological thriller with a murder mystery and also a political statement on climate change. I had a hard time putting it down!

Tulley is an online journalist who has a reputation for only publishing the truth. In the future, climate change has become such a grave concern that an worldwide election is being held to find someone to lead and oversee the changes necessary to save Earth. Due to his personal and professional connections, Tulley and his staff become wrapped up in, not just the election, but the intrigue and suspense surrounding those most closely involved.
Artificial Wisdom is a well-written novel with intriguing characters and a gripping plot. I highly recommend this novel.

My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to preview this wonderful book.

This reads like a Netflix series, in a good way. Set in the frighteningly near future, it's a murder mystery with twists and turns, until the final twist with left me scratching my head. After looking online for an explanation, I find that there will be a sequel. I don't love a cliffhanger ending, but overall I found the novel engaging.

Sci-fi is not my favorite genre and the setting of a post apocalyptic world just didn't help the subject matter. Marcus Tully is a journalist who believes in reporting the truth no matter the personal cost. Political campaigns between an AI created persona and a human leader cause tensions to run high and when the creator of the AI persona is murdered, things only continue to grow chaotic and no one trusts anyone. Add in technology that divides the haves and have nots plus radically different living conditions and you have a world in chaos. But who is manipulating who? Is it one political power or is it another with a hidden agenda. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow. The ending of the book did not help, the characters made it to the "safe space" and done.

Artificial Wisdom is a Sci-fi suspense novel set in the near-future (about 2050). You quickly found out that the planet and its inhabitants haven't fared well in the last 25 years as climate change has continued and worsened. Income disparity had increased. VR is common and is where people often meet if they can afford it.  Traditional news outlets are a thing of the past, but those who are online must have verifiable identities. The world has decided that it must have one leader, one guiding hand, to affect change in human behavior and (hopefully) fix the mess that has been made. 

Our widow into this world is Marcus Tully, a modern journalist who is known for his respectability and tenacity. He is not perfect… one might think of him as broken, but trying to be the best he can be. He becomes involved in the election news because of a mysterious whistle-blower who gives him information about a confidant of one of the candidates for world ruler. This spirals into a mystery involving a sentient AI (the other candidate for world leader) that takes Tully from London to a floating city of the rich and beyond. 


I had not read any books by Thomas Weaver previously, and honestly think this might be his first. The premise sounded interesting and it was suggested to me by NetGalley. Weaver does a good job writing characters who are multidimensional and believable. You can understand their point of view and they are consistent. His world-building is almost as good, with the locations and setting being believable, but leaving a lot of the background for you to imagine yourself. 

Overall, I think the book well written if a bit unevenly paced. I felt that at times I had no handle on how much time had passed as sometimes the interval between chapters would be seconds and other times weeks you didn't immediately realize had passed.


All that being said, it was only about a 3.5 for me. I don't at all regret reading it, and I would likely read a sequel. One issue I have though is that I EXPECT a sequel. That is because, as the book reached its climax and it seemed that most of the loose ends would be tied-up (although I will admit that I didn't expect all of them to be), there were several new twists and the book ended with the pieces set for a book 2. Now don't get me wrong, I love a good multi-book series… IF I know that is what I am getting into. I didn't and my feelings about the book are worse because of that. 

I would recommend the book to those who like realistic fiction, contemporary sci-fi, and books where the future of AI are explored. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read a pre-re-release copy of this book.