No-Mod

Mute-Cat Chronicles, Book 1

De: Derek Porterfield

Narrado por: Eleanor Caudill

“In the beginning, God was said to have created everything in fairly short order. Some say seven days. Others say three. The truth is that god created nothing. God flipped a switch. The machines have been building ever since.”

In the crowded techno-religious city of Aberthene, almost everyone is augmented by biomedical modification. Part machine, and part human. The church rules the state and controls everything from production to housing.

Addeleigh Simmons works in a religious building cleaning out suicide booths during the day while attending classes and studying at night. She hopes to soon afford the costly surgeries for the biomedical modifications that all of her friends have. She's singled out as only human: A no-mod.

Her drab existence is upended suddenly when an armed group of Red Guards breaks into her dormitory. She escapes through a third floor window with her pet mute-cat, Bruce, and begins a journey that will expand her entire world.

She doesn’t know why she is being chased.

She doesn’t know who to trust.

But no one outruns the church.

Addie is being hunted.

Addie is hiding from God.

©2019 Derek Porterfield (P)2020 Derek Porterfield

A Fun Read

Good story, but I feel like we could have gone without the "info dump" chapter.

A post modern techno/sci fi worth the read

*This book was given to me by the author at my request, and I provided this voluntary, unbiased review.*

3.9/5

This was a fun and very fast paced ride into a techno-based future where people are are enhanced with bio and techno mods. The concept is interesting, albeit a familiar one - but fresh and unique enough to enjoy. Adding in the religious factors makes for an even deeper dive into the ideas of technology vs. religion. The characters are interesting, and I especially love the MC and her mute-cat. I thoroughly enjoyed this and hope to see more in the mute-cat chronicles! My only con for the book is that it was really short - we want more!

GREAT READ!

I loved it! The narration was great and kept me entertained! The author did an great job with the character builds and plot. This was my first book by this author but definitely not my last! I look forward to reading the next book in this series! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

So much promise!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I don't know how to feel about this book. I think I would have enjoyed it more with a different narrator or reading the physical copy instead; this sounded like my 3rd grade teacher reading a book out loud for the class and trying too hard on the male voices.

The premises of the book were so promising, but I hate to say they weren't as prevalent in the novel as I expected. There wasn't much time dedicated to the actual cybernetic enhancements and mods, which is what I was really looking forward to, and the whole "being hunted" thing wasn't touched on much after the initial action until the very end. I had completely forgotten about that, so it tied up well. Maybe this was meant for a pre-teen/teenage audience? Either way, a good story still unfolded regardless of what I expected.

The good: such a unique idea, dynamic characters, young protagonists, believable childish remarks made by children (thank you for making the characters realistically their age!), and there's promise in this author as this was his first book, I believe. I'll still pick up the next novel by Porterfield! Also found out he's a pretty talented musician!

I want more!

As a kid I would have loved the fact that the protagonists are young, would have loved the twists and turns the story takes you on, the way you get attached to the characters and their back stories.

As an adult I still love those, because this is a damn good book.

Yes!! AMAZING New Dystopian Series!!!!

This just might be the next Red Rising/Wool/Hunger Games/Divergent-type series I've been searching for, but with its own, COMPLETELY unique, story. This book starts with suicide booths, hacked computer surveillance systems, body modifications, and high-tech heists. And the crazy twist? The Church = The Tech. TERRIFYING.
I'm a 40-yr-old, college-educated woman. Well-written, cerebral dystopians are my cake, and this one was chocolate with buttercream frosting on top.
This is not a fluffy, surface-deep YA book. This is a highly intelligent, fast-paced, well-written book with TONS of series potential. Derek has created an incredible cast of characters I'm already invested in, and a fabulous story, suitable to hold an adult's attention as well as a teen's. It's very rare for me to love a book this much.
The cast of characters is mostly young, but multi-generational, with intuitive, brilliant world building and character development. They're deep and well-developed. Their world is 3-D and real and gritty.
Thank you, Derek!!! I've been waiting for this! I can't wait for the rest of the series.
Out of a number of audiobooks I was offered, I chose this one to listen to without cost and leave a voluntary review. So glad I did!
And kudos for picking a good narrator. I'm looking forward to hearing her read more and developing her style.
I can't wait for the next one!!

Interesting start to a series; but flawed

I really like the overall premise of the book. Dystopian cyberpunk-ish world where a corrupt religion has almost total control. Most characters need to be fleshed out more, and there was a twist that really only worked because of the lack of character development.

Near the beginning of the book, when several of the main characters meet up and go out on their journey, there is just a conversation missing. No exchanging of names properly, no "who are?" or "why are you being chased?"...they just go about their journey. That irked me for a good portion of the book.

Only complaint I have with the narration is that there wasn't much of a distinct difference between most of the characters. hard to tell who's talking at times.

That being said, now that I know the characters and the world, I'm looking forward to the sequel.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I'd Give Both Arms For A Sequel RIGHT NOW

Well. I didn't even know I needed a book about cybernetically enhanced humans. But not only did I need it, but it's now my FAVORITE.

Personally, I love stories where the population has a standard "improvement" that makes them better than your average human. Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series was originally my favorite, with a protagonist who's specialness comes from a lack of special powers that everyone else has access to.

No-mod is exactly that, but in a rather realistic future that's not too far around the corner.

It's great to see a mortal running around in such a beautifully crafted world, and you will be doing yourself a disservice if you pass this story up.

Derek Porterfield is definitely an author you want to be watching. Make this your next read. And your friends next read. Maybe not your mom's, she'd probably not approve. But everyone else who needs a cerebral sci-fi thriller, this book should be given to them ASAP.