Review of Terms of Service

[Elentyia S]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Terms of Service By Craig W. Stanfill follows a dystopian future where artificial intelligence is a staple in this seemingly perfect world. Race, gender, ethnicity, and religion are eliminated as they contribute to "selfist" behavior, along with personal pronouns. Individualism of any sort is rejected and denied by this totalitarian government. Kim, a moderately upright citizen, works for the Artificial Intelligence Company, helping them surveillance any abnormal "individualistic" behavior by the citizens. This all changes when an old friend, Shan, appears, and they go on an unsolicited adventure, changing her mindset about what her society really is. As punishment, her life becomes the government's, and she is forced to aid in their campaign of total control. Through her newly "promoted" job and experiences, she realizes she is different and wants to break free from societal norms.

The writing style is very futuristic, with cleverly thought out words like "Oneday" which holds the same significance as our "Monday", as well as the major companies directly naming their companies by what they provide, such as The Food Company. Craig did a detailed job at creating personae for the appliances that will even retaliate when mistreated, such as the fridge. Not only was Kim subjected to various forms of treatment by the government, but so were they.

I especially liked Kim's first interaction with Kimberley (her first AI born from her consciousness), where self-identity was crucial. It was a cleverly written scene that made me question the differences between artificial intelligence and humans. The spiraling descent of Kim once everything unravels was written so well that I was nervous about what choices she will make, and the end of the book was something I did not expect, which was welcome.Terms of Service is a warning of a potential future where the government and corporations are given too much power and people less freedom. As the advancement of technology grows exponentially every day, this dystopian future feels like a closer future than most. So that is definitely something this book had me thinking about, and it will definitely do the same for other readers.

I would have loved to hear more about the AI war with the robots that was only hinted at as part of the old history. Hopefully, this will be delved into more in the upcoming books. The pacing, especially in the beginning, is a bit slow but is worth the wait as it contributes to the fantastical world-building.

With all this in mind, I will give Terms of Service a 5 out of 5 stars as it is exceptionally well edited with no spelling or grammar errors, and the world-building was carefully done, covering even the most minuscule details. I can't wait for what is next in Kim's story as there is so much left to see. Those who enjoy sci-fi and great world-building will definitely enjoy and love this book.

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Terms of Service
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[María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda]

The writing style is very futuristic, with cleverly thought out words like "Oneday" which holds the same significance as our "Monday", as well as the major companies directly naming their companies by what they provide, such as The Food Company. Craig did a detailed job at creating personae for the appliances that will even retaliate when mistreated, such as the fridge. Not only was Kim subjected to various forms of treatment by the government, but so were they.

I love it when authors play with language; it brings a whole new depth to the narrative.
And you are completely right. It's in our hands to allow companies to take our freedoms in favor of "convenience" or mere amusement.
What an insightful review!

[Stephanie Runyon]

Prophecy of the Heron is the sequel. I think we allow convenience to make people dumber. Before smart phones/cell phones, you had to memorize a phone number. Now a lot of people don't even know their own number. Good review.

[Leonie Vermaak]

I'm not someone that read sci-fi at all, but your review has changed my mind. This sounds very intriguing, I think we already in such an situation where you get told what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Thanks for an insightful and thoughtful review.

[Cheryl Erickson]

I remember reading a sample of this book. I am also curious to find out what happens to Kim in this unique world she lives in and if she can break free. This is an excellent review!