DM News:Book Review: Volatile Memory

[James Thomson]

Wylla Sotain is a scavenger, living day by day, and searching for the elusive big score that will allow her to finally repair her ship and drag herself out of poverty in an uncaring galaxy. In this particular future, people wear AI-powered masks to enhance their abilities. Wylla has a battered old MARK I RABBIT, which means her senses are heightened, like the prey animal she is.

 

It seems like her fortunes are about to change when she finds the MARK I HAWK mask—an expensive prototype that should not exist—lying on the face of a dead woman called Sable Veonya. When she puts the mask on, Sable talks to her and remembers being murdered. Now everybody is looking for them, including VisorForge, the corporation that is responsible for the masks, and the other scavengers who want a piece of the action.

 

The book is told in second person perspective, with Sable talking to you, the reader, as if you were Wylla. Harrow the Ninth readers will be quite familiar with this format. Wylla is trans and has been fighting the system her whole life. Sable, on the other hand, now has no body at all. They both accept each other quickly, and a relationship develops between the two of them while they try to track down Sable’s killer, and avoid the authorities.

 

There are so many enjoyable and unique ideas here, and the plot moves very quickly. I do wish this was a full length novel, so the story had a bit more time to breathe, and the romance could develop slightly more naturally over time. As it is though, you can probably read this in one sitting, and get the whole thing downloaded into your brain near-instantaneously. Which, honestly, seems quite fitting.

 

Recommended!

 

Don't forget, you can pick this up in our ebook store!

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[LutherAshley]

On 7/22/2025 at 6:01 AM, James Thomson said:

Wylla Sotain is a scavenger, living day by day, and searching for the elusive big score that will allow her to finally repair her ship and drag herself out of poverty in an uncaring galaxy. In this particular future, people wear AI-powered masks to enhance their abilities. Wylla has a battered old MARK I RABBIT, which means her senses are heightened, like the prey animal she is.

 

It seems like her fortunes are about to change when she finds the MARK I HAWK mask—an expensive prototype that should not exist—lying on the face of a dead woman called Sable Veonya. When she puts the mask on, Sable talks to her and remembers being murdered. Now everybody is looking for them, including VisorForge, the corporation that is responsible for the masks, and the other scavengers who want a piece of the action.

 

The book is told in second person perspective, with Sable talking to you, the reader, as if you were Wylla. Harrow the Ninth readers will be quite familiar with this format. Wylla is trans and has been fighting the system her whole life. Sable, on the other hand, now has no body at all. They both accept each other quickly, and a relationship develops between the two of them while they try to track down Sable’s killer, and avoid the authorities.

 

There are so many enjoyable and unique ideas here, and the plot moves very quickly. I do wish this was a full length novel, so the story had a bit more time to breathe, and the romance could develop slightly more naturally over time. As it is though, you can probably read this in one sitting, and get the whole thing downloaded into your brain near-instantaneously. Which, honestly, seems quite fitting.

 

Recommended!

 

Don't forget, you can pick this up in our ebook store!

 

View full news item drift boss

 

The world-building is imaginative and the plot moves quickly, but note that the second-person perspective and brevity make character relationships and emotional depth a bit rushed. Overall, this is considered a strong, engaging work - especially for fans of speculative science fiction and experimental storytelling.

[schowalter]

On 7/22/2025 at 6:01 AM, James Thomson said:

Wylla Sotain is a scavenger, living day by day, and searching for the elusive big score that will allow her to finally repair her ship and drag herself out of poverty in an uncaring galaxy. In this particular future, people wear AI-powered masks to enhance their abilities. Wylla has a battered old MARK I RABBIT, which means her senses are heightened, like the prey animal she is.

 

It seems like her fortunes are about to change when she finds the MARK I HAWK mask—an expensive prototype that should not exist—lying on the face of a dead woman called Sable Veonya. When she puts the mask on, Sable talks to her and remembers being murdered. Now everybody is looking for them, including VisorForge, the corporation that is responsible for the masks, and the other scavengers who want a piece of the action.

 

The book is told in second person perspective, with Sable talking to you, the reader, as if you were Wylla. Harrow the Ninth readers will be quite familiar with this format. Wylla is trans and has been fighting the system her whole life. Sable, on the other hand, now has no body at all. They both accept each other quickly, and a relationship develops between the two of them while they try to track down Sable’s killer, and avoid the authorities.

 

There are so many enjoyable and unique ideas here, and the plot moves very quickly. I do wish this was a full length novel, so the story had a bit more time to breathe, and the romance could develop slightly more naturally over time. As it is though, you can probably read this in one sitting, and get the whole thing downloaded into your brain near-instantaneously. Which, honestly, seems quite fitting.

 

Recommended!

 

Don't forget, you can pick this up in our block blast ebook store!

 

View full news item

 

This review makes the book sound incredibly compelling, especially with the unique sci-fi concepts. The mention of the 'AI-powered masks' and the contrast between the 'RABBIT' and 'HAWK' prototypes is a brilliant piece of world-building shorthand that immediately draws me in.

[schowalter]

On 9/15/2025 at 9:19 AM, LutherAshley said:

The world-building is imaginative and the plot moves quickly, but note that the second-person perspective and brevity make character relationships and emotional depth a bit rushed. Overall, this is considered a strong, engaging work - especially for fans of speculative science fiction and experimental storytelling.

However, I really appreciate the balanced critique. Knowing that the story moves so quickly that the romance feels slightly rushed is valuable feedback for a potential reader. It sounds like a thrilling, high-concept novella—perfect for that 'downloaded into your brain near-instantaneously' experience you describe, but it leaves me hoping the author has a full-length sequel planned to let those characters and their relationship truly breathe.

Edited October 8 by schowalter

[Nathan Wirth]

On 7/22/2025 at 2:01 AM, James Thomson said:

Wylla Sotain is a scavenger, living day by day, and searching for the elusive big score that will allow her to finally repair her ship and drag herself out of poverty in an uncaring galaxy. In this particular future, people wear AI-powered masks to enhance their abilities. Wylla has a battered old MARK I RABBIT, which means her senses are heightened, like the prey animal she is.

 

It seems like her fortunes are about to change when she finds the MARK I HAWK mask—an expensive prototype that should not exist—lying on the face of a dead woman called Sable Veonya. When she puts the mask on, Sable talks to her and remembers being murdered. Now everybody is looking for them, including VisorForge, the corporation that is responsible for the masks, and the other scavengers who want a piece of the action.

 

The book is told in second person perspective, with Sable talking to you, the reader, as if you were Wylla. Harrow the Ninth readers will be quite familiar with this format. Wylla is trans and has been fighting the system her whole life. Sable, on the other hand, now has no body at all. They both accept each other quickly, and a relationship develops between the two of them while they try to track down Sable’s killer, and avoid the authorities.

 

There are so many enjoyable and unique ideas here, and the plot moves very quickly. I do wish this was a full length novel, so the story had a bit more time to breathe, and the romance could develop slightly more naturally over time. As it is though, you can probably read this in one sitting, and get the whole thing downloaded into your brain near-instantaneously. Which, honestly, seems quite fitting.

 

Recommended!

 

Don't forget, you can pick this up in our basketball legends ebook store!

 

View full news item

 

This story sounds absolutely fascinating! I love the mix of sci-fi and mystery, especially with the AI-powered masks and the emotional bond between Wylla and Sable. The second-person narration adds such a unique touch. It’s rare to see such creativity packed into a short read, definitely something I’d enjoy exploring further.