| Title | : | Implanted |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0857667998 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780857667991 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | First published August 2, 2018 |
| Awards | : | Compton Crook Award (2019) |
When college student Emery Driscoll is blackmailed into being a courier for a clandestine organisation, she’s cut off from the neural implant community which binds the domed city of New Worth together. Her new masters exploit her rare condition which allows her to carry encoded data in her blood, and train her to transport secrets throughout the troubled city. New Worth is on the brink of Emergence – freedom from the dome – but not everyone wants to leave. Then a data drop goes bad, and Emery is caught between factions: those who want her blood, and those who just want her dead.
File Under: Science Fiction [ Blood’s the Thing | Under the Dome | Going Viral | Mega City Bytes ]
Implanted Reviews
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From the get-go I was reminded of a direct mix of
Nexus and
Europe in Autumn.
This isn't a bad thing. I love neurotech and transhumanist stories and love spy fiction couched as Courriers. So based on nothing more than the blurb and a Netgalley interest, I tore through this book and quite enjoyed it.
Who doesn't like to do clandestine data handoffs through their blood, become invisible to all sensors, or otherwise erase your identity in favor of being a hardcore member of a spy network in a futuristic Earth city under a dome with archeological layers of city life within? You know, with the poor down below and the rich up above?
Uh, right. That doesn't sound too good, even if direct mind-to mind linking is possible and it encourages a level of intimacy unheard of except among full telepaths. Or the wild virtual games that are better than life. Unfortunately, the haves and the have-nots take up the crux of the novel.
I thought it was going to be more about intimacy avoidance and layers of consciousness and identity, and there was a lot of that, but most of it revolved around economics, re-terraforming our own planet, and other dystopian stuff. I liked the early spy stuff quite a bit more than the later stuff. :)
All in all, it was a very enjoyable mix of tech and the future vision of dystopia with a bit of romance, rebellion, and funky spy-stuff. :) Quite decent for what it is: some fluff, some angst, great tech, and an overarching idea. :) -
I’m new to Cyberpunk. Sure, I saw Johnny Mnemonic and read Altered Carbon but that’s basically it. Not much. I have no idea why as I enjoy fancy advanced technology mixed with dystopian elements. Well, on the bright side, I have a lot to discover.
Implanted hooked me with the premise and unique concept of the hemocryption - coding data in the blood cells. Not only it’s imaginative but also infinitely cool. Here’s the quote explaining the process.Aventine employs a proprietary hemocryption process where data’s encoded onto the protein strands of your immune cells in your bloodstream. When you get an assignment, encoded blood’s injected into your body. When you arrive at the drop-off location, your blood needs to be scrubbed – essentially a type of dialysis where the encoded cells are separated out from the rest of your blood. The data encoding is geared to a specific HLA type that you and the other couriers have. In other words, you are immune, unaffected by the encoded blood, where people with different HLA types would become sick, with something akin to anaphylactic shock, if injected.
Dope.
In the world of Implanted, people live under a glass dome that separates them from the hostile environment outside. New Worth, built on the battered foundations of Fort Worth, Texas, makes life difficult and demanding, especially for the underprivileged. Under the dome, everything comes to status, credit balances and career potential. Stratified society lacks common goals and a sense of solidarity. Emery Driscoll hopes to pursue a career in data curation. Unfortunately, her DNA has special traits that make her interesting to a clandestine security company. Soon, she finds herself blackmailed into being a blood-courier. She has to cut off any ties with her friends and family.
Officially, she dies.
For the most part, Implanted kept me glued to the pages. A dystopian world, a stratified society obsessed with technology and thought-provoking concepts make it an excellent read. Especially that Teffeau introduces everything accessibly. Her prose flows nicely and never gets in the way of the story.
Teffeau tells the story in the first-person present tense. As a result, the reader is experiencing the events of the book at the same time as the narrator. I would say this feeling of going through the plot together creates an instantly closer relationship. On top of that, Emery remains likeable throughout so rooting for her comes naturally. She’s a fully fleshed, three-dimensional heroine with an interesting back story that defines her choices. I find her admirable.
While we don’t get to know other characters so deeply, they all feel distinct and believable. They are fixated on technology and connectivity, and it allows for passages of interesting explanation. Emery’s point of view is saturated by technology because her perception is shaped by it. Like most people, she has an implant that allows her to constantly ping emotions and thoughts with her friends and family. She’s addicted to the neural implant, instant connectivity and resulting camaraderie. When she loses it, Emery goes through the feeling of mental amputation.
There’s a romance, but it develops slowly and convincingly.
Apart from things done right, Implanted has a few things going against it. In the second half of the book, the plot becomes a little unclear. Emery’s storyline intertwines with larger things, but the connection feels loose. For example, I still don’t know how corrupt is the government. Adding data about the world and things that actually happen there, would make the story more comprehensible. The ending scenes were bloodcurdling, but the last chapter felt too tidy and, as a result, anticlimactic.
Regardless of these issues, Teffeau paints a distressing and convincing picture of the future I wouldn’t like to experience.
In the realm of ratings, I’d say this landed pretty solidly in the lower-end of the I really like it. It was a solid book that read fast, kept me engaged, but didn’t really amaze me. Worth the read though. -
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
This was a fun read that I read in one sitting. The story takes place in a domed city called New Worth where most of the society is implanted with a technological implant. The story follows Emery, a college aged student, who is about to graduate and begin working in a mundane job dealing with data organization. Only her extracurricular activities have caught the eye of a clandestine organization that transports data via couriers. The hitch - the data is carried in an encoded format in the courier's blood. The data is set to self-destruct in less than three days so if not removed the courier ends up dead.
Emery is a fun and fierce protagonist. Besides having to be the actual mule for the data, belonging to the courier organization means that ye have to give up yer prior identity by faking yer death. Being removed from all the data of yer previous life and learning the city from a implant free standpoint is rough. Watching Emery try to reconcile the change is one of the better aspects of the novel.
The domed city has been working on revitalizing the land outside in preparation for "the Emergence" when the residents can leave the dome and start their lives anew. However there is a faction of the city that does not have implants. These people are called Disconnects and either don't have implants because of money or circumstance. Like all places, money equals status. The more money, the higher up in the dome ye live with access to cleaner streets, more light, and more space. The Disconnects are the bottom dwellers of the dome. Literally. While I enjoyed the concept of the Disconnects, this is where the novel didn't fare as well for me.
The first half of the book dealing with Emery and her change in circumstances was easy to follow, engaging, and fun. When she is pulled into a bad data exchange, the scope of the novel changes and becomes about the larger issues of the Disconnect and their dissatisfaction with being low-class citizens. Add into the mix the politics of the Emergence and the plot became rather messy. I wasn't sure which groups were the "bad" guys and the political issues were rather flat and one-dimensional. Some of the outcomes were extremely predictable and yet the plot meandered in a rather odd fashion to reach these events. Plus the romance lightly discussed in the beginning becomes an additional issue. I missed the clear concise writing of the beginning.
Still I did enjoy this one and the other members of me crew seemed to have loved it.
So lastly . . .
Thank you Angry Robot!
Check out me other reviews at
https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp... -
Growing up during the Reagan years, I've long been a fan of dystopian stories. I love the ones that offer no hope just as much as I love the ones that do. That said, I stopped reading post-apocalyptic books a while back because I felt like I'd consumed everything the genre had to offer. But then a couple of months ago I read The Postmortal and decided to give the genre another shot. Boy am I glad I got my hands on IMPLANTED.
the only things I require in my sci fi (aside from excellent writing, of course) are some unique ideas and a story that moves. So I guess I actually require 3 things...
Anyhow, Teffeau provides all three things and more. She also develops characters you end up caring about and I enjoyed both Emery and her relationships, which are nuanced and deep without being sentimental or unbelievable.
I especially love the concept of carrying messages in ones very blood. I don't think I'm alone in being both attracted and repelled by the notion of having a computer chip in the brain or submitting to any of the invasive bio-technology that so often pops up in sci fi. But I have to admit I've never read anything to match Teffeau's idea of hemocryptography. What a great idea! Sometimes the science in science fiction gets lost, but Teffeau does a great job of educating the reader without boring them.
Great action sequences and clean, crisp prose makes this book hard to put down. She's also remarkably deft when it comes to setting the stage and bringing the reader into her futuristic/dystopian world. There is enough detail to make it real, but she leaves enough to your imagination to maintain some mystery.
This was a great read and goes on my keeper shelf! -
Firstly, I review multiple books a month and when I go through the list of books to review, I try to review from many different genres to try to mix it up. I am not a huge fan of science fiction as I tend to find the science tends to bog down the narrative or the science doesn’t’ quite work due to multiple authors not able to make a believable world that works. I also have difficulties with writing in the first person, as I find a lot of authors have difficulty writing in this narrative because you end up spending four to five hours with an annoying voice.
Teffeau, first novel Implanted has surprisingly has contradicted all my concerns and I found myself totally engrossed with the new world and with her main character as well. This is has totally caught me off guard and for a tainted reader such as I, this is a very welcoming surprise.
The characters are richly drawn and you care about these characters in this futuristic world. She has a real talent of bringing these to life through the eyes of her first narrative character Emery which is a very difficult thing to do and the author did this masterfully.
The science works very well and she has made a future that is very plausible. I loved how she was able to utilise this within her plot. She also was able to put in the science without slowing the pace which is another trap that a lot of authors fall into. The only other author that comes to mind who is able to do this is Mira Grant, whom I am a big fan of. I am totally chuffed that I now have another author that I look to for future releases as Mira Grant’s books do not come out quick enough for me to savour. Teffeau is now a new author that I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
This is a masterful tale full of science, intrigue and mystery but is lead by real emotion which gives the reader that little bit extra to make this a most enjoyable read. The work works on so many levels and she cross genres her work in a most ingenious way. She mashes together science fiction, human interest, apocalyptic, political thriller and mystery in an most rewarding way.
Overall, this is definitely a must read and a book to savour. Hopefully this is not the end of Emery and the richly drawn characters and world. This is an author to really invest in because she is the future of excellent writing with an excellent well throughout premise. Implant has to be one of the best science fiction, dystopian political thrillers of the year. I would eagerly urge all lovers of fiction no matter what age to get their copy today. I am more than excited to have discovered a fantastic writer at the beginning of a most successful career. Simply fantastic. -
Full disclosure: this is a cookie cutter Young Adult bit of fluff, even though my book source categorized it as Adult. It even includes the dreaded “insta love” where people can have mind melds with their loved one simply by taking off their gloves and holding hands. That mind-linking ability is due to tech implanted in all of the “haves.” Of course, there is a class struggle and the ��have nots” are considered outliers, outlaws, and undesirables, all because they don’t want or can’t have this tech imbedded in their bodies. All of these people live in a city called “New Worth.” I had to grin at the author’s pun there. :) The city is enclosed in a dome to protect the inhabitants from all the lead, mercury, radium, and so forth in the natural environment.
I appreciated the writer for good writing: straight forward action and none of my many pet peeves. (My pet peeves don’t include raging against insta love—I usually find it funny or charmingly naive in YA lit.) However, the book is an extremely lightweight read lacking any interesting science or social science musings about the effects of technology on the quality of life that would have made it an interesting read to me. So.....I‘m not sure how many stars to give out. The writer has the tools of writing, but she should put in more meat for it to be labeled “Adult” or “Science Fiction.” As is, it is just yet another cookie cutter YA Dystopian, and I think teens deserve deeper content, too. Three stars and I wish the author well on upcoming novels. And sorry about all those mixed metaphors—now I want some kitchen tools, meat loaf, and cookies! :) -
Note: I got a copy of this book through Net galley in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own and no one else’s.
At first, I honestly DID NOT EXPECT to like this book as much as I did but it was really interesting and I loved the whole idea! I thought Implanted might just be like other dystopian/ sci-fi books but it was really well executed and had a super engaging plot line! I mean, it's not just everyday you read a book on a person who carries secrets in their own blood?!?! AAGGGHHHH THIS BOOK WAS HONESTLY SO GOOD!! I LOVED IT!! The story was interesting and the general plot was great! I loved how there wasn't one specific good/bad side which made it more captivating for the reader and put doubts in your mind! This is definitely a book I liked and would read again!
The characters are really well developed and brought to life which really makes me feel ATTACHED to them! Emery was relatable and fierce. She was distressed about having to give up her identity and all but was quite cool and brave about it and was ready to work! The relationships were great; particularly with Brita and Rik!
Emery's handler (I forgot his name oops) was probably my favourite! He completely supported Emery and helped her out when he wasn't supposed to which was really sweet!
Rik?? and Emery??? were sooo cute together?!?!?! I'd normally HATE two of the main characters falling in love but I appreciated how their relationship developed over time! They had grown to trust each other over a few years before they even met in real life. And when they DID meet, they didn't just rush to calibrate with each other and Emery was quite hesitant! And BONUS POINTS FOR: a) No love triangle b) No Instalove
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I give it 4.5 stars and would definitely recommend to a sci-fi/ dystopian lover! I can't wait for the next book! -
I couldn't put this book down. I don't typically love sci-fi books. They sometimes contain interesting plots, but are often predictable and aren't always well-written.
Implanted is an exception. I loved escaping in the pages of this adventure. It was a delight, and I can't wait to read what
Lauren C Teffeau writes next! -
4.5 Stars
A look at a potential future. Even in the face of disaster the power brokers are still working to create a caste system. I loved the heroine- her obsessive need to fix everything. She is paired nicely with a more realistic hero. Very cool world building - are we going to see more from this world? -
Implanted is a novel I’ve been waiting to read for ages, not only because it’s a science fiction novel, but because Teffeau has put her entire soul into this collection of pages. Previously I’ve written about authors who nearly bridge the gap on creating their own genres, I’ve written about authors who have created works of art and not just excellent literature, and now I’ll be talking about an author who has gotten it right to put her soul down in ink.
Touching on that fragile link we as humans cherish between ourselves whether it’s a bond we have with a parent, a friend, or a lover, Teffeau has focused a lot of her attention, and IMPLANTED’s general theme, around surviving in a world where not only has that link been severed, but what one girl will do to set things right again. Naturally, reading this quick summary you’ll think that there are literally hundreds of books in every genre positioned around the same idea, and maybe this one is no exception, but each story is different (even slightly) and each author has a right to put their own little signature or impression on it.
Implanted is undoubtedly the brain-child of a Glen Cook and Marissa Meyer novel and without a doubt Willaim Gibson.
If you wanted a fresh take on cyberpunk while waiting for CD PROJEKT RED to release their latest game, then by all means, Teffeau has given us the perfectly mixed cocktail of science fiction, romance, and drama that eases us into one hell of a ride.
You guys know me, the SplatterGeist does not do spoilers and I shall not break that vow (too many people know where I live and I like staying alive), but if there’s any reason to get lost in the 300-plus pages of Teffeau’s proudest work to date, or if you’re like me and this is the first time you’ve even heard of this lady, take the following declaration with the best intentions of reassurance:
Read it. Love it. Reread it.
Joseph Brassey is one of my new favorite authors, and if any of you have enjoyed my reviews about his last two books, then just know that Lauren C. Teffeau is another author whose books you can start collecting and keep your social life on standby. -
Lauren Teffeau has created a unique view of a possible "fractopian" future - neither a dystopian world nor a utopian one, but a stratified society of many layers, including both positive and negative elements. "Implanted" is good read; it's a fast-paced novel, full of stunning visuals and exciting action sequences. It's guaranteed to keep you turning pages, and will take you inside a world like none you've ever seen.
Full review on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw6gF... -
The data stored in her blood can save a city on the brink… or destroy it, in this gripping cyberpunk thriller.
When college student Emery Driscoll is blackmailed into being a courier for a clandestine organisation, she’s cut off from the neural implant community which binds the domed city of New Worth together. Her new masters exploit her rare condition which allows her to carry encoded data in her blood, and train her to transport secrets throughout the troubled city. New Worth is on the brink of Emergence – freedom from the dome – but not everyone wants to leave. Then a data drop goes bad, and Emery is caught between factions: those who want her blood, and those who just want her dead.
Within a techno-thriller-like framework Implanted’s author, Lauren C. Teffeau, weaves solarpunk and cyberpunk themes into a rich setting. New Worth is structurally crafted to evoke a sense of the outside world after radical climate effects have occurred. The stratification of class is literalized, with the rich living high up, enjoying the sun and the best goods the city has to offer. The poor live in all but darkness and have society geared against them in that there’s more crime and the cleaning robots don’t come around that much in the lower levels, etc.. The layout of the entire city is meant to feel like a vertical urban sprawl with only the aesthetic or veneer of a green space, a neat take on an urban jungle.
Emery comes from the terrestrial district down below, with her parents working her ass off to get her in school and land a job that’ll eventually enable them to move up. She’s short, she’s brown, and she’s completely bought into the status quo. Almost. It’s immediately clear early on that she’s a trauma survivor who goes to a virtual reality arcade to hone her skills. A particular skill set that she uses to claw back some control or agency in her life by hunting down people who prey on marginalized people, usually women; removing their implants and selling them.
In her personal life, she’s closed off and secretive, slow to trust—focusing on her coming graduation and landing a decent, but boring job to help her family move up, literally! Of course, this isn’t to be. A corporation blackmails her into joining their ranks, cut her off from everyone, even faking her death, and trains her to be a courier. Porting important information around in her blood, co-opting her very body for their own agency.“...humans are fallible. Fallible for putting all their trust into the network. Fallible for not believing what they see with their own eyes. And we at Aventine use that to our advantage.”
Importantly, she was close to fully synching with Rik, a person she plays the arcades with but has never actually met.
Implants are the heart of the high tech in this cyberpunk fiction. Everyone has one and it’s installed fairly early on, else they lose some of the higher functionality, apparently. It allows people to sync with one another, sharing their emotions and thoughts so long as they’re connected. All of society is built on this technology. Citizens’ identities and the way they interact is completely changed by their implants. Social structure and corporate structure is built on the idea that everyone has one. Except… not everybody does. The Disconnects are people who reject this idea, unwilling to trade their freedom and natural human interactions for a device that essentially keeps the populace under the city’s thumb. All the information that is disseminated from them is outright trusted. People no longer trust their own senses, they trust the information being fed them. Social interactions have gone “Online” even more, essentially.“It's true connection has a cost...The messy infrastructure can barely keep pace with the demands of the implants place on it. Not to mention security risks., malware, and emotional bleed - the kind that incapacitates or breeds paranoia instead of bringing people together.
Drawbacks we blindly put up with in our search for efficiency and escape.”
Joining Aventine, the corporation that has blackmailed her, eradicated the one connection she was building toward having despite her trauma. It’s the ultimate way of letting someone into your life, as their presence would always be there with you.
Fast forward months later and a job goes wrong. The information she’s carrying turns out to be important enough that both the corps and the disconnects are after her and she has to risk finding and asking for Rik’s help, who thought her dead.
What ensues is a fairly typical technothriller structure. The slow lead up filled with infodumps and personal stakes followed by action as she has to use her knowledge of the city to navigate her way to any sense of freedom. It’s a cyclical and satisfying narrative that doesn’t feel bloated but does take a while to get going. Luckily, the whole thing is a fast read so it’s not a big deal.
There are some more interesting aspects to the story though, deviating from cyberpunk and the techno-thriller formula. The underlying feminism to the fiction was always nice, even if it made Rik kind of annoying sometimes. The agency of the story is always with Emery, which means when she screws up it’s on her; just as the bulk of the decisions are her own. Rik is a well-off white guy in the higher levels who is a fairly good blueprint for a good supporting character. He sympathizes with the disconnects and acts of as a lens to fill Emery in on the details of the New Worth she herself is unaware of. It works well. But he’s still a little wrapped up in his own privilege in the story, in my opinion. Which, I think is how it is meant to be.“That takes me by surprise. To willingly give up your implant? They make modern life bearable.
"Don't look so shocked. Implants aren't everything. It's not a weakness to want to separate mind from machine."
Weakness maybe not, but definitely outside the norm.”
The story is all from Emery’s perspective. Usually, I don’t end up liking something written in this way but it’s pulled off nicely here. Emery is likable and well fleshed out and her voice, while very casual (the only meh part of it for me), ultimately culminates in good character work. There is less prose but the themes are worked in such that there’s a decent amount of emotional payout because of the perspective.
It’s also somewhat subversive. It’s less frenetic than traditional cyberpunk, which usually has new terminology and infodumps that take place during action that doesn’t relent much. This is decidedly more low-key, making it also more accessible.
It also feels solarpunk in that it’s not entirely nihilistic regarding technology or the future, in general, despite the ecological disaster. There are explorations of being responsible and not simply ignorant when trying to understand the outside world that this society looks forward to. Not doing so having real, lasting impact that’s detrimental to humanity. The characters have low points but even when the omnipresent corporations illicit very little hope, it’s disillusioned later. Emery isn’t looking to simply save herself, she has to consider what her actions will do to others; decidedly not traditional cyberpunk where the protagonists are anti-heroes. Which, I like a lot. This feels like a more relevant cyberpunk story because of this.
The city finding a new use for things is also present but… not in the way you’d expect. It’s a living, breathing thing aesthetically because it has technology to counteract the greenhouse effect of living under glass, but also has maintenance tunnels and spaces for sub-cultures that are used by her as a courier to get her job done, even when that job eventually becomes eluding everyone. It felt like a well-realized setting with a purpose beyond the overcapacity of humanity resulting, again, in a nihilistic narrative more indicative of cyberpunk.
She needs to integrate into a corporation. Dressing like them and doing as they say. There is not the normal freedom of expression found in cyberpunk here, that’s been taken from her and, though subtle, I thought was an interesting way to turn it around later when she’s running from the corporation using the tech and the clothes they gave her. Rather than cybernetics being the thing used to subvert power structures, it’s a more literalized repurposing. Pretty cool.Implants are both good and bad. Therefore the “good”, the “bad”, and the morally grey are put squarely on the shoulders people. Which ends up getting rid of the technophobia trope, too.
“...humans are fallible. Fallible for putting all their trust into the network. Fallible for not believing what they see with their own eyes. And we at Aventine use that to our advantage.”
It’s also always great to read a female protagonist that isn’t sexualized. Her voice and thoughts make sense, both in just the case of being a believable character, but also in terms of being respectful of a trauma victim while not skirting the issue. She has internal things to work out as a result and the narrative is about that. It’s not only a blip of a character detail to make her sympathetic. It’s how you come to be able to empathize and understand her thoughts and decisions throughout the entire story.
Surprising, thoughtful, and good; Implanted, I hope, is the start of a distinctly feminist cyberpunk wave of literature striking out against the cyberpunk visual tropes pervasive in visual media today that people seem to be waiting for. People like me!“Over-reliance on digital infrastructure. If you don't exist in the infrastructure, where do you exist?”
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Implanted is a cyberpunk dystopian novel that also includes a thrilling mystery involving a cover-up, political struggles, environmental implications and even some romance. Emery Driscoll was a dynamic character who was incredibly intriguing, even though she tried to show an uninteresting exterior to the world. She never wanted to make waves but when her extracurricular activities were used against her she was forced to endure the unthinkable and her choices, or lack thereof, led her down a rabbit hole that showed her a stark reality that had been existing under the layers of technology that she and so many others had been ignorant to.
What a crazy and intriguing concept the technology was in this novel and I am not just referring to hemocryption. There is a lot going on in this story but a large portion of this plot has to do with neuroimplants and connectivity. The type of connectivity found in this story is also quite intimate. Due to the implants, the people in this world are able to have intimacies with others that go beyond what it feels to have a relationship. The characters are connected to each other, neuron to neuron if so desired, and they are able to feel the emotions that are experienced in the other person. It is just up to the user to determine how much each person experiences. It is a crazy premise to consider and it is also extremely intriguing to consider.
In a society that is so connected it becomes increasingly impossible to have secrets and that is catalyst for finding new ways to encode data. The concept of hemocryption, where blood is used as a carrier for encoded data, was a mind-bending concept. In addition, I also very much enjoyed the setting. When the earth had become uninhabitable, glass domes were erected to separate the surviving humanity from the environment that they had poisoned. Whatever the initial intentions were for those living within the domes, it was socioeconomics that became the determining factor for the hierarchy inside of the dome, the haves and the have-nots. Although it was not necessarily just wealth that the inhabitants were obsessed with, it was also technology.
This story crosses many genres and they are linked together with a plot that has exciting twists and turns. Although the story started out focused on technology it did slowly change its focus to relationships, social stratification, and social unrest for a civilization that literally exists beneath a dome. I did like the human-interest thread in this plot. There were key relationships that Emery developed that were most gratifying to be privy to. I felt connected to the characters myself and it was a truly compelling read that kept my interest glued to the pages. Implanted is absolutely a fascinating story that is a thought-provoking experience filled with surprises and many genre’s mashed together to make this an engrossing read!
This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Author, Lauren C. Teffeau. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
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Teffeau Creates A Brilliant World
4.25 out of 5 stars
This is the second ARC I’ve gotten from Angry Robot and it’s another enjoyable read. Implanted tells the story of Emery. A typical college kid living in a dome near the city formerly known as Fort Worth. She’s been playing arcade games with a guy that she’s falling for and might even want to connect with him on a deeper level when everything in her life falls out of place. She’s thrown into a hidden and secretive world where her entire former life is erased and she’s forced to start over. What she finds out would chill your blood and make you want to crawl in your bed and stay there forever.
Looking at the synopsis of this book – I can tell that it’s okay to talk about the major part of the book without it being a spoiler. Emery is enlisted as a messenger- but not just any messenger – all of her messages will be encoded into her DNA and then decoded once she arrives at her destination. I’ve heard/watched/read other things related to this but Teffeau really took it to the next level.
Speaking of next level – the world building inside of Implanted is amazing. There were a few parts that feel overdone (or just reused in stories like this) like everyone cannot be bothered to look up from their devices – now that the devices are in their heads. But it was a needed part of the story and I thought that Teffeau did a good job explaining the world of implants and what they have done for us in the near-future.
Everyone is looking forward to Emergence – aka when the domed walls/glass comes down. And a lot of the story revolves around that. But Teffeau throws in some class struggles, along with non-conformity issues too. I think this book might be aimed at high school aged readers and the way that it was presented would do really well with that audience.
Implanted definitely hooked me early and kept me interested. I wasn’t sure where it was going but I had some ideas. Some of the things I guessed early on and others surprised me. I’m happy to know that I couldn’t predict the entire book from beginning to end.
Semi-spoiler (not really, just want to point it out for those Dystopian haters for this exact reason): I’m also pleased to say that there is NOT a love triangle in this (thank god). And the love/intimacy/trust part of this was earned not given. It was a long hall and I respect the heck out of Teffeau for writing it this way. I won’t mention how long a certain thing that’s teased early on takes – but it was atypical for this genre.
Overall, a book that I can write this much about has to do something for me. Sure, there were some typical tropes used – but it was done in such a way that made it an enjoyable read. The tagline drew me in and I couldn’t let go. I enjoyed this near-future sci-fi thriller a good deal. -
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Pinky swear!
Yesssssss.
Implanted started off a little slow and weird. I was a tad confused by what was going on with Emery for the first chapter or so, although the backstory on what was going on did get explained later. You just get dropped into the story and it was a little jolting to begin with.
Once it picks up, it picks up. The plot is really interesting, if slightly predictable at times. I enjoyed the scienc-y/techie aspects a lot, I think they added an intriguing layer to the plot over all. The idea that you can have someone in your head all the time, whether that person is chosen or forced upon you, I thought was really cool. The technology and the environment – domed cities in a dystopian future because of course humanity has killed Mother Earth – speaks to a likely future, which I always find interesting to read about. It makes it more realistic, which can also make it a little more scary.
The side characters and relationships were also quite well done. Each relationship that Emery has is focused on in a different way, since she basically has to fake her death in order to become a courier and her new “friendships” aren’t exactly coming at a great time for her. Having to cut off her old friends and make new friends in a place she’s been blackmailed into becoming a part of was emotional to read about.
Her relationship with Rik didn’t exactly work out how I thought it would, which was good. I appreciated that it wasn’t completely straight-forward. Through their rollercoaster, I think we saw the most growth with Emery, even if some of the stuff she did regarding him annoyed me. Her lack of communication was somewhat warranted but it still got on my nerves. He was quite a softie and wasn’t at all what I was expecting when we were first introduced to him.
The best part for me was that Implanted read more like a movie than it did a book. I love books like that. I hope it gets optioned one day so I can see it on the big screen 🙂 -
Emery has her whole life ahead of her, until she gets a message that she has to die. Not actually, physically die, but she's been drafted to work for a company that will require her to give up everything and everyone she's ever known. They will fake her death, and she is not allowed to refuse the offer. The reason is in her blood; she's got a condition that allows encrypted information to be stored in her blood cells, for a limited time, at least. She is to be part of an elite class of couriers, carrying the city's most sensitive secrets, but if she doesn't deliver on time, her blood will sour and she could die.
So when adversaries to her clients slow her down, or friends from her old life are hot on her trail, her very life is in danger and she's got few allies to help her finish her job, and survive.
A strong start for an awesome new writer. (Yes, she is also in my writers group, but all that means is I got to see her process and can truly vouch for how talented she is!) -
With a great cast of characters and a fun setting, Implanted was a fascinating exploration of the future of technology, connectivity, and social media dependency. I enjoyed the chilling but believable prediction that “Disconnects”—those who choose not to be outfitted with technology that basically turns your brain and eyes into an iphone—were shunned by society and had trouble finding jobs and making a living. The idea of needing to live under glass because the environment has gone so far downhill was also plausible and interesting. Emery, Rik, Tahir, and Brita were all well-rounded and likable characters. Hoping this book gets a sequel!
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Implanted is a post-apocalyptic novel with advance technology. The world building, especially around how the tech works, is pretty detailed. I think there was a lot put into this book and it could have, probably, been dolled out into two novels. However, I liked the plot and the characters.
I have a more in depth review here:
https://thereturncart.com/2018/09/10/... -
You don’t need to imagine a science fiction future where information is such a valuable resource that it has to be encrypted to move it safely between A and B, as that’s what we have now. You also don’t need to imagine that corporate espionage and hackers might be after their rivals’ trade secrets and will go to any lengths to get them. However, in a world where all communications channels can be intercepted and there are infrastructure blackspots that cables won’t provide a service to, the science fiction next step is a city where a service exists to transport information encrypted and injected into people, athletic and smart couriers.
To set a context, the city the author has based the action in is an urban dystopia. There’s a class system which builds a lot of resentment (reminds me of the film Demolition Man) and the people are all trapped for generations with their overcrowding, jealousies, tech-crime and self-interested governors because the outside world has a climate so poor that planet Earth itself is being terraformed to bring itself back to Earth-like habitation standards. The other area of separation is technological, with the majority of the population of the domed bio-refugium (one of several domed cities) having implanted upgrades and those who have not simply putting up with their lack of access to services, jobs and information.
There’s a Logan’s Run feel to this story. Most people seem to be in their 20s and 30s, all feel trapped and look forward to the day they can get away and there’s a hint that something more is going on behind the scenes and that the authorities are keeping important facts from the public. Certainly it’s in the interests of the establishment to keep everyone inside the dome because the whole control system relies on the population not being able to walk away. Why would it be in the rulers’ interests to work toward making that possible, just because it’s what everyone expects?
Having a job where people mess with your blood is a pretty disgusting idea, so there would have to be a pretty good reason why you would consent to do something like that. You’d think it would be money but a different reason is supplied in convincing style, then there’s a sort of induction phase followed by the meat of the adventure. Essentially, the characters go through a series of parkour chases through a large, commuter-filled city, switching routes, losing tails and trying to move fast but stay inconspicuous. The story covers this really well and provides some hair-raising chase sequences that are really enjoyable to read.
Of course, inevitably, the protagonist gets involved in an assignment that nudges her out of her depth and then just about every interested party seems to be hunting her down as a renegade. Run rabbit, run rabbit, run run run.
The science fiction angle is there but not too heavy, so this is more of an exciting hunt and chase adventure with a sinister plot that needs to be exposed or it’ll drive the reader cray trying to guess what it could be. The story-telling skill of this author is pretty good, so you become unaware of the narrator and fall into the scene, almost flexing your legs and tying up your running shoes in case it’s you next. There’s also the dream fantasy of leaving your whole life behind, going incognito and then being the heroine, fit, fast and the girl everyone wants to catch, deciding who she’s going to allow to catch her.
It’s a smashing adventure, slightly squirmy with the blood encryption thing but even so I thought it was a wild ride, super fun, just crazy enough to be credible and an idea that could easily transfer to film someday. They say that when you do sports you get a rush of endorphins. Well, this book gives you that same feeling and you never even have to roll out from under the comfy pillow pile. -
It's a new world. People are living in a dome because life outside is impossible. Most people have an implant. It makes life easier, it's quick access to all the information you could need. Some people would even kill just to get one because it's starting to become a luxury for the elite.
But Emery is just a typical girl who really enjoys simulation, and video games. This is where she meets Rik, so to speak. They know each other so well in the game world. They can connect through their implants outside of it as well. But they've never actually met, despite the connection.
When Emery draws the attention of a courier service, she must learn a new way of life. And while she is learning valuable skills and adjusting to her new life, her old life gets left behind. Tasked with transporting important information, Emery gets herself into trouble. Who best to turn to when things get hard?
Implanted feels a bit dystopian to me, and I really love that aspect of the book. The entire genre is not something typical for me and I am so glad I read this book because Teffeau has done a great job with this. The characters are in-depth, they are fun, smart, and relatable. Each scene is written to make you feel like you're there. This was such a surprisingly fun read for me and while it didn't end on a cliffhanger, I do hope that the author plans to do a book 2 because I'm not ready to let Emery, Rik, or Tahir go. -
Full disclosure: I read and provided feedback on an earlier draft of this book. On receiving a shiny new ARC, I was pleased to discover it's only been improved upon since then.
First and foremost, this is a rollicking adventure that entertains throughout. As with all good SF, however, it's also chock full of big ideas about our potential future--from environmentalism to the surveillance state to corporate governance. Come for the exhilarating ride, stay for a glimpse at one possible future.
I'm glad everyone now gets to explore this world and discover a new talent in spec fic. -
Fantastic story that is beautifully written. I immediately fell in love with the characters and cannot wait to read the next book in this series!
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Really enjoyed this book. Loved the concept of encryption in DNA. I would like to see more stories following these characters!
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Where to start with this? I can tell you right now that if you're new to Cyberpunk, like I was, this is an excellent place to start. While I love Science Fiction as a general rule, sometimes it can feel a little inaccessible. Cyberpunk has always peaked my interest though, because of the mix between advanced technology and dystopian world building. I took the plunge with Implanted, and I'm so glad that I did.
Imagine a world under glass. A world protected from the outside elements because the world we once knew is uninhabitable. That's the world that Emery lives in, and it's a fascinating one. I'm a stickler for world building, as you well know, and Teffeau shines in this respect. Everything about Emery's world instantly comes to life on the page. From the implants that both help and hinder society, to the stratification that comes from a city competing for resources, I immediately felt like I was part of this space. New Worth became my home for the duration of this book and it was equal parts intriguing and terrifying.
Even better, this book is written in first person. While some readers might not enjoy that perspective, I thought it worked perfectly in this story. It added to the overall mystery, since I was uncovering things right along with Emery. Each twist, each shock, it came over both of us at the same time. I felt like we were one, and that made all her emotion even more palpable. Teffeau created this space for me to live in during this story, and I loved every minute of it.
My only tiny issue with this book was how quickly it had to wrap up. I was so immersed in Emery, so lost in her quest to survive, that I didn't realize how close I was to the end of the story. It felt like the ending was a bit rushed, compared to the slow build up of everything that came before. No spoilers here, don't worry. This is absolutely a ride that you'll want to experience yourself, and it's best to go in blind. Pick this up! -
While the book is generally riveting, it starts out so slow I wasn't sure I wanted to finish. Most of Chapter One and Chapter Two work to establish the main character, and not much else. Sure there's violence imbedded in the main character, and a reason for it. There's a stranger in Chapter Two who wants to speak with her, and his insistence raises reasonable alarms, and she manages to get away. So, we know there's something coming, but in the meantime we are treated to emotions, and relationship angst, and setting up an unlikely character to become the protagonist. It's OK, and I've seen Stephen Donaldson do this in his Science Fiction also, as well as in his other works, but I never fail to enjoy the stories
So after all that, the story finally got rolling, enough to keep me reading through to the end.
The tech is reasonable, the gadgets believable, and we're not really far enough in the future to have to suspend disbelief; most of this stuff is recognizable in the tech we have now, and our relationship to it. There's enough action, menace, and mystery here to make this a worthwhile read. And Teffeau extrapolates our fascination with social media, phones, and networking to make this a good part of our near future, one we already see coming, with a mixture of apprehension and hope. -
I DNFed 45 pages in, I couldnt relate to the characters or get immersed in the story
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For fans of speculative science fiction this book is a must read. A premise similar to The NIght Land (William Hope Hodgson) where the remaining population is broken into self contained city states (literally contained in a dome), with a long term objective of Emergence from the dome to the slowly reclaimed landscape of native earth. But the most fascinating part of this story is the integration of technology and culture and how that impacts individual lives. Similar to Neuromancer and Snow Crash, citizens have implants that allow not only instant communications between friends they have linked with - but they can also sense emotions. Preferences determine how much or how little depth gets communicated between each link (think Facebook preferences), but this is a society that has lived with Implants for generations, to the point where the thought of NOT getting an implant is considered subversive. The authors exploration of the impact on people and society of this level of “connectedness” is fascinating.
And on top of all that, the storyline is compelling with great characters, politics, intrigue and a healthy dose of action. All in all a very satisfying read. -
Sigh. I wish first novels, and YA novels, came clearly marked as such, because it would make that much easier to avoid them. This is a YA novel that is the author’s first, and I understand and appreciate that everyone has to start somewhere. But being an experienced sci fi-fantasy-New Weird-etc. reader in her late forties who reads to immerse and escape, I have little patience for YA sci fi. I gave this 2 stars because it was OK, and I certainly wish the author well. But it really wasn’t for me.
