Deus Ex Machina

Broker, Book 1

De: Derelict Presence

Narrado por: Hollie Jackson

To save the world, Sonya must become its greatest hero—and its darkest villain.

The opening of Pandora's Box changed the world, giving rise to an age of superhumans and monsters. Yet mankind was not safe from its own hubris, and in the end, it destroyed itself.

Sonya Chernovna returns to the past with a mysterious new ability that lets her absorb powers, combine them, and even bestow them onto others. It's a power with near limitless potential.

She must manipulate heroes and villains alike, playing both sides while keeping her identities secret. As her power grows, so does the weight of her decisions—and the line between her identities blurs.

She'll do whatever it takes to rewrite humanity's ending—even if it means being the most heinous villain that ever lived.

©2024 DerelictPresence (P)2025 Podium Audio

phenomenal

Really enjoyed this book. It's got such a satisfying and intriguing hook and it continues to pay off as it continues. I love this post hero world that's been created. The posing and the politics are just fascinating to watch play out. Audio reader is fantastic too. Such an easy binge. Highly recommend this book. Can't wait for the next!

Surprisingly very good

I love a villain MC and Hollie Jackson is the perfect narrator who has become one of my favorites. If she’s narrating I’m listening.

O hello! welcome to my top ten books list!

good story, interesting characters and fun world! what more can you want in a book, much less a out of nowhere.

So much better than i expected!!!

As a general rule, I have never really liked Villain stories or even particularly dark anti hero stories. To much edge lord crap and not nearly enough substance. So when i read the synopsis of this story i kind of expected to hate it, but i had some time i needed to kill so i figured i would listen get anoyed, quit, and then write another scathing review about another anti social sociopath who thinks playing video games makes them some kind of secret super genius or what ever. INSTEAD of all of that i got probably one of the most compelling and nuanced MC's i have come across in a VERY long time. The characters are smart, the world building is extensive, and the plot is nail bitingly intense. I was truely shocked by this story, so much so that i listened to it twice in a row just to see if i was hulicinating or something. Thankfully i was not and this story is so much better than i expected. Looking forward to seeing more.

very evil, very ambiguously sane

This is the kind of writing that proves against other books that feature homosexual relationships that it *can* be written without seeming forced and without including alteriar motives. This story is fun, intense, and rich with a genuine villain as the protagonist. Seeing the evil in a villain, one would naturally wish to simplify the character so they can hold the idea of an evil character without being tainted by it. However, this story feels real, like one can truly understand the villain, maybe even better than the "heros". The all evil things + hope theme really fits this kind of story too, since the scale and quantity of evil just isn't relatable as coming from one or several bad guys. There would have to be a force beyond human for such a flood. Well written!

One of the best novels within the Regression Genre

This story is utterly fantastic. I love how the power system works and the motivations of the characters. The story appears simple at first, but it gradually becomes layered with multiple moving parts. The shifts in POV never felt unnecessary which was refreshing to experience. Lastly, the narrator was great and her male voices sounded quite good. I highly recommend it!

character depth

the over arching reason behind Sonyas character development is amazing and I can't wait for more

Endearing

I actually exclaimed out loud, “I love this book,” when the credits rolled. I’ll be tearing my hair out waiting for the next. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like.

Good story robotic narration

I'm a big fan of the story, tone, and characters. The main character is compelling and makes rational and irrational choices alike but they all fit her personality even as it switches as a dime to fit her persona's.

The most jarring part of the story is the almost robotic tone that the narrator takes with some of the characters. I'm frequently throw from my immersion in the story whenever one of the offending parties lines come up. I think one part of the issue is the narrator trying and failing to put on a variety of accents. The narrator does have moments where her natural voice shines and she excells in that area but not so much elsewhere.

Insanely well done! Slight spoiler (if you didn’t read book description)

I thought I was tapped out on the whole “superhero” thing since the end of iron man but this brought me back in with amazing twists. The MC is multidimensional, she’s true to core beliefs in a believable way and she’s actually complex in her thinking and actions. A hero who’s willing to make hard choices with the abilities, intellect and resources to back them up. She kind of reminds me of a likable version of Lex Luther if he was a good person.

Genuinely a worthy pick up, in my opinion flat out necessary if you like this genre.