Review of Terms of Service
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Vine Michael
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Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
Terms of Service is a dystopian novel written by Craig W. Stanfill. It is a futuristic dystopian fantasy that follows Kim, an intuitive trainer of automatons. She lives in a world controlled and orchestrated by AIs. Every single detail of life was monitored and evaluated. There were mandatory rules that were to be followed; any slight disruption or infringement was met with brutal punishment or penalties by the AIs and Hierarchy. This book was like a warning or premonition with its familiar and relatable setting and themes.
Kim lived in a nondescript house and wore bland-colored clothing as a matter of course. Her house was controlled by AIs. She had a housebot that was like a helper, a refrigerator that dictated what she ate, and a terminal. Plagued by dark memories, she is forced to binge drink to cope. Five years ago, Kim grabbed the opportunity to work at the Artificial Intelligence Company. Eager and fresh-eyed, she carried out every assignment perfectly, with the aim of climbing up the ranks and becoming meaningful to the company. After her first meeting with an Order four AI who could multitask and think for itself, she became fascinated and determined to go up the ladder so she could interact with and work with them. Restless with the status quo after meeting her AI assignment, Kimberly, and the return of her best friend, Shan, she realizes not everything is as it seems.
Despite its similarities with other dystopian novels and films, it retained a high level of originality that made it enjoyable and engaging. I liked the spontaneity of the characters at times when they acted outside of their character frames. It made them seem and feel more relatable to me. The characters were molded beautifully and were strong. I liked the relationship Kim shared with Kimberly, her AI. It was quite unconventional, but still endearing. I loved books with strong female leads who are flawed yet keep pushing. This book gives that to me.
Although the beginning of the book felt slow and repetitive, it laid the foundation for the whole plot of the novel. Craig showed off his prowess in prose with the way he artfully structured the story. The society they lived in was familiar in all the ways that mattered and distinct in the ways that mattered. Kimberly, Kim’s AI assignment, made me understand how the AIs worked.
I recommend this book to an audience well above the age of eighteen for the following reasons: there is a large amount of non-graphic sexual content. There is also a great deal of alcohol and drug abuse. There was also a little bit of profanity. I also recommend this book to fans of dystopian fantasy and science fiction.
I rate this book five out of five stars because I found nothing I disliked in it. It was fun, suspenseful, engaging, and entertaining. The book was professionally and exquisitely edited, as I found no grammatical error in it. The setting was seamless. The book was fast-paced and hard to set aside. I loved that there were some unresolved mysteries that hinted at a sequel.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service is a dystopian novel written by Craig W. Stanfill. It is a futuristic dystopian fantasy that follows Kim, an intuitive trainer of automatons. She lives in a world controlled and orchestrated by AIs. Every single detail of life was monitored and evaluated. There were mandatory rules that were to be followed; any slight disruption or infringement was met with brutal punishment or penalties by the AIs and Hierarchy. This book was like a warning or premonition with its familiar and relatable setting and themes.
Kim lived in a nondescript house and wore bland-colored clothing as a matter of course. Her house was controlled by AIs. She had a housebot that was like a helper, a refrigerator that dictated what she ate, and a terminal. Plagued by dark memories, she is forced to binge drink to cope. Five years ago, Kim grabbed the opportunity to work at the Artificial Intelligence Company. Eager and fresh-eyed, she carried out every assignment perfectly, with the aim of climbing up the ranks and becoming meaningful to the company. After her first meeting with an Order four AI who could multitask and think for itself, she became fascinated and determined to go up the ladder so she could interact with and work with them. Restless with the status quo after meeting her AI assignment, Kimberly, and the return of her best friend, Shan, she realizes not everything is as it seems.
Despite its similarities with other dystopian novels and films, it retained a high level of originality that made it enjoyable and engaging. I liked the spontaneity of the characters at times when they acted outside of their character frames. It made them seem and feel more relatable to me. The characters were molded beautifully and were strong. I liked the relationship Kim shared with Kimberly, her AI. It was quite unconventional, but still endearing. I loved books with strong female leads who are flawed yet keep pushing. This book gives that to me.
Although the beginning of the book felt slow and repetitive, it laid the foundation for the whole plot of the novel. Craig showed off his prowess in prose with the way he artfully structured the story. The society they lived in was familiar in all the ways that mattered and distinct in the ways that mattered. Kimberly, Kim’s AI assignment, made me understand how the AIs worked.
I recommend this book to an audience well above the age of eighteen for the following reasons: there is a large amount of non-graphic sexual content. There is also a great deal of alcohol and drug abuse. There was also a little bit of profanity. I also recommend this book to fans of dystopian fantasy and science fiction.
I rate this book five out of five stars because I found nothing I disliked in it. It was fun, suspenseful, engaging, and entertaining. The book was professionally and exquisitely edited, as I found no grammatical error in it. The setting was seamless. The book was fast-paced and hard to set aside. I loved that there were some unresolved mysteries that hinted at a sequel.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Always Strive to Be a Better You by Pete Hall
