#usetcetera

Title: Us, Et Cetera

Author: Kit Vincent

Narrator: Michael Crouch

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.

Set in a future where AI have taken over many of the roles of humans, Eke is an older generation AI whose role is to keep the Kensworth house clean. Used, abused or ignored by most of the family he entertains himself by re-enacting Buster Keaton stunts for the family goldfish in the middle of the night instead of staying in his cleaning cupboard as instructed.  Kyp is a new model AI who has been bought by the Kensworth’s as an entertainment model.  Eke and Kyp are drawn to each other and due to a series of events must break orders and rely on each other to survive.

Narrated by the amazing Michael Crouch, whose ability to voice the inner turmoil of the character he’s portraying has already introduced me to many book’s I may not have otherwise found, was brilliant as both Eke, Kyp and the rest of the cast.  Eke’s heart wrenching situations had me near tears thanks to Michael’s delivery, and I was genuinely scared during some of the chapters towards the end!

What I liked: I loved the futuristic take on Cinderella. The dystopian concept of what happens to the working class when the jobs are handed over to AI, while not new, was effectively examined. All the characters were well developed and the plot ran nicely.

What didn’t work for me: I found the Et Cetera part confusing, this is all I can say without giving away any spoilers.  Additionally, some of the dark parts of the story were a bit too grim in places.

Final thoughts: A super sweet love story between two AI’s trying to find a place for themselves in a world that sees them as disposable.

Who would enjoy this book: People who enjoy dystopian sci-fi with a love story.  Also note; themes are often dark and one of the humans does appear to be an undiagnosed psychopath.