Coldwire
By Chloe
Highly Recommended
Reviewed by Nate Ward-Collins
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| ISBN: | 9781665960137 |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Publication: | 2025 |
| Ages: | 13+ |
| Themes: | Fantasy, adventure, corruption, AI danger, struggles of second-generation immigrants, social inequality |
Highly Recommended
Reviewed by Nate Ward-Collins
Opening sentence
At ten minutes to midnight, the riot bots detonate around the block.
Coldwire is a cyberpunk novel by Chloe Gong. Set in a futuristic, dystopian world it tells the narrative of two people, Eirale Ward and Lia Ward, orphans who are deeply entangled with NileCorp, the most powerful megacorporation in the world. In Coldwire, these two characters navigate through the real and virtual world, fighting for a place in both.
Lia is a cadet at NileCorp, sent on an exam in the virtual version of an enemy nation. How well she does will determine her career and the rest of her life.
Eirale is in the real world, a graduate from NileCorp academy. She must work with a terrorist to infiltrate an enemy nation or risk being prosecuted on false evidence by NileCorp.
The world Coldwire is set in is intricately and beautifully designed. It revolves around the real and virtual world. Downcountry is the real world, destitute and marred by pollution. People live here but those that are rich enough live in upcountry, which is the virtual version of downcountry, tidied up and made pretty. Upcountry was created by NileCorp as an escape and solution from what life is like downcountry.
We explore both aspects of this world as the story progresses. Thedual perspective focusing on both Lia and Eirale takes you on a journey through both of these areas. As the plot progresses you get to see the world through both of these characters' perspectives, journeying through layers of complex plot and intricate worldbuilding.
Lia and Eirale are both well-crafted characters. As the story expands we get a good insight into what makes them tick and uncover mysteries about their past that even they don’t know. These characters and their interaction with others is core to the story and made this a very difficult book to put down.
If you're a fan of cyberpunk books or even just fiction in general then I think this is a book you will wholeheartedly enjoy. With an interesting and engaging world, well written characters and a complex and appealing plot, this is a book that most people will enjoy.
I for one cannot wait for a sequel.
Lia is a cadet at NileCorp, sent on an exam in the virtual version of an enemy nation. How well she does will determine her career and the rest of her life.
Eirale is in the real world, a graduate from NileCorp academy. She must work with a terrorist to infiltrate an enemy nation or risk being prosecuted on false evidence by NileCorp.
The world Coldwire is set in is intricately and beautifully designed. It revolves around the real and virtual world. Downcountry is the real world, destitute and marred by pollution. People live here but those that are rich enough live in upcountry, which is the virtual version of downcountry, tidied up and made pretty. Upcountry was created by NileCorp as an escape and solution from what life is like downcountry.
We explore both aspects of this world as the story progresses. Thedual perspective focusing on both Lia and Eirale takes you on a journey through both of these areas. As the plot progresses you get to see the world through both of these characters' perspectives, journeying through layers of complex plot and intricate worldbuilding.
Lia and Eirale are both well-crafted characters. As the story expands we get a good insight into what makes them tick and uncover mysteries about their past that even they don’t know. These characters and their interaction with others is core to the story and made this a very difficult book to put down.
If you're a fan of cyberpunk books or even just fiction in general then I think this is a book you will wholeheartedly enjoy. With an interesting and engaging world, well written characters and a complex and appealing plot, this is a book that most people will enjoy.
I for one cannot wait for a sequel.
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| ISBN: | 9781665960137 |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Publication: | 2025 |
| Ages: | 13+ |
| Themes: | Fantasy, adventure, corruption, AI danger, struggles of second-generation immigrants, social inequality |
