Cyber Style: A Review of The Beauty of Our Weapons

My Book Review of The Beauty of Our Weapons by M. Darusha Wehm:

The Beauty of Our Weapons by M. Darusha Wehm is the third novel in the author’s Andersson Dexter series and proved to be as an enjoyable read as the previous two books. And once again, this book overflows in a fascinating futuristic world mix that blurs the line between the virtual and real.

This time around, the author switches it about a bit with a plot centering on the crime of cyber hacking/vandalism instead of murder. Our intrepid detective, Dex, investigates a case of a mysterious hacker, who has inexplicably altered the in-world virtual meeting space of a religious group. The ensuing investigation uncovers more acts of cyber-vandalism and a disturbing trend that could mean trouble for Dex and his friends.

I found The Beauty of Our Weapons a bit quieter than the first two books, though no less satisfying a read. The focus on character development shines stronger in this book, with introductions of new intriguing people and the bringing back of old familiar faces. It also had a surprising, but pleasant, return to one of the subplots from the first book, which I thought closed; this creative twist opened up a fresh dynamic that hopefully will explored further in more books. I also liked the plot evolution at the end of storyline that promises to shift the characters out of their accustomed world and into a new adventure.

As usual Ms. Wehm has created a story you can jump into and characters to embrace, with interesting insights on society; her books reflect on today’s current state and probe any possible future.  The Beauty of Our Weapons is an easy recommend, as is the entire series.


The Beauty of Our Weapons is available at Smashwords and Amazon


Note: The Beauty of Our Weapons is the third book in a series and does read best as such, but it does work as a standalone book as well.

Back to the Future; A Review of Act of Will

My review of the book Act of Will by M. Darusha Wehm:

Act of Will by M. Darusha Wehm is the second book in the author’s Andersson Dexter novels and is as wonderful if not better than the first book, Self Made. It is a cyber-tech sci-fi novel rich in fascinating characters living in a world where the virtual and real have melded.

The book continues the story of detective Andersson Dexter (Dex) of the Cubicle Men, now in the middle of a complicated relationship with fellow squad member Annabelle Lewis. A missing co-worker leads him into an investigation and puts him on the trail of a serial killer.

The crime plotline of the book is fairly standard serial murderer story, but the author brings a fresh angle to it by tying both the killer and the crimes into her sci-fi world. She keeps the cat-and-mouse perspective creepy and suspenseful and the killer walks in the nameless shadows until the very end.

But as brilliantly as Ms. Wehm weaves her thriller, it is the characters and the society of her virtually integrated world that make this novel truly shine. Her characters breathe and feel, are flawed, and have sticky, messy problems in a world where lines of gender, law and reality have blurred and often disappeared. It is a future world you can see evolving from our own, but one in which people are still seeking love and escape.

This is the second novel starring the character Andersson Dexter, but it can be easily read as a standalone novel (though I recommend reading both just for the delight of it). Act of Will it is a stellar book.




 Act of Will is also available on Smashwords and Nook as well as other online retailers.

Stunning Sci-Fi: A Book Review of Beautiful Red

My Review of Beautiful Red by M. Darusha Wehm:

If you like your sci-fi full of cyber-tech, intrigue, moral questions and just that slight touch of nihilism, then you should read Beautiful Red by M. Darusha Wehm. It is a well-written, well-crafted and engaging novel.

It is the story of Jack, who works as a security officer in a world where corporations run the show and most human interaction takes place in a virtual environment. One day she stumbles on some anomalous security breaches which lead her into the path of a radical protest group that may be engaging in sinister and criminal activities.

“She meticulously picked apart the code left behind by the intruders at Buyside, running every individual line through the nets looking for possible authors. She followed the path of the intrusion back to the other end, the originating end, hypothesizing and guessing where there were gaps in the information. She cross referenced, indexed, filled in the blanks and made progress. Eventually she narrowed it down to a shadowy group called variously the Red, the Society for Creative Anarchicism and nowherenet, depending on the part of the world. They had been blamed for various incidents in many municipalities and corporations, many of which were illegal in some jurisdictions, but there didn't seem to be any coherent understanding of their goals.”

The author, M. Darusha Wehm, knows how to write credible characters and how to create a realistic, potential society. She shapes a complete civilization where you feel the characters could exist comfortably. As a reader I felt her postulated world could easily come in to existence as a possible future.

“Even the people were eerily alike, with their vacant plugged in stares, fashionable bodies and faces, uniforms or corporate approved dress code outfits. Jack stopped and looked at her reflection in the mirrored window of the building next to her. She knew she wasn't as fashionable as most of the other people on the street; she couldn't be bothered to get a new face every year and she while she went through a phase when she was younger of going through several body types, she finally found one that felt right and just kept it. Even her hair colour had remained the same since she was a teenager - she now bought number 772 (sapphire) by the wholesale case.”

I enjoyed Ms. Wehm’s point of view and her plot was both interesting and provocative. Many of the themes woven into the novel’s structure tackle compelling societal questions. I highly recommend this book.

Author Website:  http://darusha.ca/



Beautiful Red is also available in e-book format at Smashwords 

Subtle Cyber-tech Sci-fi: A Review of Self Made

My review of Self Made by M. Darusha Wehm:

The short novel, Self Made, is an engaging sci-fi tech novel best described as cyber-punk noir.

“She said her name was Ivy Velasquez, and Dex wasn't sure whether that was her real name or a name she invented for his benefit. It didn't really matter; the funds she transferred to the organization's escrow account were real enough.”

Self Made by M. Darusha Wehm is worth reading. The opening was a bit flat, but the shaky prose doesn’t last and the book picks up steam quickly, building an intriguing world of online interaction, avatars and virtual murder. The plotline revolves around the “murder” of Reuben Cobalt, a virtual avatar. Andersson Dexter is hired to investigate the crime, leading him into the online world of avatar programming and “multis” that turns into a complex mystery to unravel.

The crime and mystery plotline is nicely written and the conclusion satisfying, with the allusion of noir and murder providing a flavourful background, but the true value in the novel is in the character interaction and the topics it reveals. Like all good science fiction, the book has subtle layers, and touches on a variety of issues such as civil rights, reality vs. virtual, gender identity and human interaction. The author has skilfully explored the depth of the characters; the plot revolves around the detective, Dexter and it is his complex personality that keeps the reader engrossed. The world the author created is filtered through his eyes, and it is fascinating.

“The last thing he needed was Shiraishi running around giving all the multis on the nets nightmares. Even if there were a serial multi killer out there, which Dex had no reason to believe, all a full scale panic would do is tip that person off to who the multis were. It was a dumb, rookie move, but Dex understood. They were his people. He was one of them, they were his community and he wanted to protect them. Dex understood, but he didn't share those feelings. After all, he had no one to protect.”

Besides the slightly weak beginning, there are a few distracting typos (although the book I read was an advance copy, so some of those problems may have been corrected), but nothing major and certainly nothing to detract from the reading experience. Self Made is an excellent book, especially for fans of cyber-tech sci-fi.

Self Made is available in e-book form at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7552

It’s also available through CreateSpace and Amazon.com in a print version

You can also find this review on my Examiner Page

Note:  I received a free e-copy of this book for review.