I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which I'd rate as a solid 4-star read. The premise is fascinating, the characters are well-developed and relatable, and the exploration of AI and technology's impact on society is remarkably relevant. The dreamer storyline was engaging, and although the pace was occasionally slow, the author does an excellent job of explaining complex sci-fi concepts in an accessible way. This was my first novel with this author, and I'm eager to read more!

This book had a huge focus on AI and its seemingly limitless abilities to integrate itself into every single aspect of our lives. It was creepy how possible this all felt. I think one of the best parts of this book was how creative (or logical if you want to think of it that way) the usage of AI was.

We follow Julia Z. as she helps Piers track down his missing wife, Ellis, who has been caught up in the path of a dangerous and mysterious figure called the Prince. I personally enjoyed the Prince and his right hand man, Victor's perspectives because they just felt so gung ho, showing how deluded these characters were.

I thought the ending of some characters were a bit underwhelming, but the epilogue was such a nice touch. Also, something lacked in Julia. I believe it might be because the struggle with her Asian American identity and her relationship with her immigrant mother was a brought up enough times to show that there is more to Julia then a talented hacker, and that she has real world problems, but not enough that it felt chucked in and not explored.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for the advanced copy!

A riveting sci-fi tale with a very human center. Ken Liu writes a captivating narrative filled with cool tech and dark humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for the opportunity to read this book!

No one writes quite like Ken Liu. While I came to his work first through his translations, then his short stories, his work remains even to this novel with an assured, consistent voice. I don't know how to explain it, but his writing has a confidence to it and the uncanny ability to make even complex topics feel simple and palatable.

"All the we see or seem" is a science fiction thriller by Ken Liu. Ellie is a famous and successful dream artist, able to connect with people and direct their dreaming in a group setting. When she goes missing, her husband seeks out the help of Julia, a reclusive hacker, to help find his wife. He is contacted by a powerful kidnapper who says that Ellie has something of his. Soon they are in a fast-paced game of cat and mouse, eluding the kidnappers while trying to find Ellie. An interesting and compelling thriller, this is a suggested purchase where Ken Liu is popular.

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for access to the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5 stars
This was a solid start to what is sure to be a promising series. I enjoyed the sci-fi aspects as well as the thriller aspects. I despised the Prince and Victor, and really thought the ending was a bit anticlimactic as well as somewhat stereotypical. "Oh we've been watching you with great interest and want you to join us because you're a genius". Like okay, I've seen that before. However! I adore Julia's character and can't wait to read more of these with her to see where her journey takes her. (Also...that epilogue has me very eye emoji!!)

A well-written (as all of Liu's books are) story about an orphan hacker trying to rescue a kidnapped dream artist. Lots of philosophical discussions on the lines between AI / humans / tech etc. and lots of thriller style action (too much for me, to be honest, but that's not really my thing). Good characters, interesting vision of the future, a little too much action for me.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sad to say that this is such a big step down from Dandelion Dynasty, which is one of my favorite series. The writing style didn't work for me at all, feels sort of YA or something, it lacks any sort of subtlety and the dialogue is very on the nose. It's possible that I don't really like this style and it's done well, I don't know, but feels like more of a contemporary YA accessible style as opposed to the gorgeous and poetic Dandelion Dynasty style, and I definitely prefer the latter exponentially more.

It also does not have much subtlety about the themes it's tackling: AI and LLMs. There's definitely a lot to explore there but I didn't find the ideas that interesting or to have that much depth to them.

It's a near future story about a young hacker who is trying to help a man find his missing wife. I didn't really connect with the characters or find their relationships believable. I won't be continuing this series I'm sad to say.

A solid 4 star read; the premise of this book was SUPER interesting, and I found the characters dimensional and easy to love. I think the topic of AI and the spread of technology is super relevant, especially now, and this combined with the dreamer storyline definitely kept my attention. It was a tad bit slow at times but the author does a great job of explaining all the technical "sci-fi" parts in an interesting way. I haven't actually read anything else by this author but I will be checking out his other books after this!

All that we see or seem is a story within a story. For the first few chapters, I thought that this may be a futuristic sci-fi spin on The Fugitive (1990's movie/ 1960's TV show/ loosely based on a true story). Piers' story is so front and center for the first part of the book that Julia Z seemed to take a passenger seat to his driving tale. We were treated to some snippets of her history but the adventure that we seem to see is his quest to locate his missing wife. Then, as the book progresses, we see more of Julia's story, more of what turned this young woman into a recluse, until eventually we find that Piers and Elli's story is just a part within the broader story of Julia. This was a captivating read for someone who likes thrillers especially ones with a futuristic slant. Since this is the first in a series, I'm excited to see where her next exploits take her.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Saga Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

this book by Ken Liu follows Julia Z, a former "orphan hacker," who is pulled into a high-stakes mission to rescue a kidnapped dream artist. As she unravels a mystery involving virtual reality and criminal enterprises, she must confront the blurred lines between technology, reality, and her own past. This thrilling sci-fi adventure explores the power of shared dreams and the digital world’s impact on selfhood.