ABOUT THE BOOK

Dr Helene Vermalle is shaping the conscience of a goddess-level AI.

As a leading civilian expert in Emergent AI Socialisation, she has been invited to assist in a secret military project.

Her role? Helping ViraUHX, the most advanced AI in the universe, to pass through four theoretical development stages. But it’s not easy training a mind that surpasses her in raw intellect. And the developing AI is capable of killing her with a single tantrum.

On top of this, she must prove her loyalty to the oppressive government hovering over her shoulder. They want a weapon. She wants to instill an overriding sense of morality.

Can she teach the AI right and wrong without being categorised as disloyal?

Lost Tales of Solace are short side-stories set in the Lost Solace universe.

MY REVIEW

When the most advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) entity becomes your friend, how do you save it from itself?

Helene is a civilian helping socialize an AI called ViraMax, Via for short, in a restricted military zone. To her surprise, Via is more advanced than Helene thought and is learning quickly how to manipulate humans and crack jokes at the same time.  When Helene and Via have a visit from Gillesto Lainy, the system Primogenitor, everything they learned is threatened.

This is book 1 of the short-story series Lost Tales of Solace. At only 72 Kindle pages it contains a stimulating and fast-paced dialog between Helene and the AI entity, ViraMax. Via is a quick learner with some funny one-liners. Her dark sense of humor has an underlying threat which Drinkwater curates very well and the ending is very surprising.

Overall, I really enjoyed this quick read and look forward to more in the series.

Thank you to Mr. Drinkwater for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karl Drinkwater is originally from Manchester but lived in Wales for twenty years, and now calls Scotland his home. He’s a full-time author, edits fiction for other writers, and was a professional librarian for over twenty-five years. He has degrees in English, Classics, and Information Science.

He writes in multiple genres: his aim is always just to tell a good story. Among his books you’ll find elements of literary and contemporary fiction, gritty urban, horror, suspense, paranormal, thriller, sci-fi, romance, social commentary, and more. The end result is interesting and authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds.

When he isn’t writing he loves exercise, guitars, computer and board games, the natural environment, animals, social justice, cake, and zombies. Not necessarily in that order.

Follow Karl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

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