Caffeinated Reviewer

From the best-selling coauthor of the Illuminae Files comes the thrilling finale in the LIFEL1K3 trilogy - hailed by Marie Lu as "a breathless, action-packed exploration of what humanity really means".

Best friends have become enemies. Lovers have become strangers. And deciding whose side you're on could be the difference between life and death. For Eve and Lemon, discovering the truth about themselves - and each other - was too much for their friendship to take. But with the country on the brink of a new world war - this time between the BioMaas swarm at CityHive and Daedalus' army at Megopolis - loyalties will be pushed to the brink, unlikely alliances will form, and with them, betrayals. But the threat doesn't stop there, because the lifelikes are determined to access the program that will set every robot free, a task requiring both Eve and Ana, the girl she was created to replace. In the end, violent clashes and heartbreaking choices reveal the true heroes...and they may not be who you think they are.

After the events of DEV1AT3, let’s just say I was eager to dive into TRUEL1F3, the exciting conclusion to the Lifelike trilogy by Jay Kristoff.

Once again I chose the audiobook format, narrated by Erin Spencer. Alliances, questions, betrayals and life or death situations await you in TRUEL1F3.

Three Laws of Robotics…..

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first or second law. 

Daedalus Corp has captured Eve and Gabriel. My gal, Lemon Fresh, heads to City Hive. She is determined to find out why they are interested in her. Meanwhile, Cricket, Solomon, Ezekiel and Abraham along with Grimm and Diesel barley escaped Bethlehem and boy howdy is there a lot happening.

I was nervous going in, because Kristoff can be unmerciful. Again the tale is delivered from multiple POVs, but Spencer’s narration and unique voices made the switches seamless.

I love that even the side characters become important and that the dynamics change as characters grow, face consequence and evolve. Both Eva and Lemon struggle with their relationship, identity and the battle occurring. We see relationships develop, face betrayals and witness unwavering loyalty.

The action increased the further we travel into TRUEL1F3 and sometimes it was intense with twists I never saw coming. Through it all we see character grow as they question and we bear witness to unwavering loyalty.

The world-building for this trilogy has been brilliant, and in each book Kristoff expands the reader’s understanding and perspective. I loved that U became fully vested. I cheered, laughed and truly felt for these characters. I got angry for them, sided with a few and wanted to kick dirt at others!

Kristoff raises social questions and tackles slavery from an AI perspective, which I found fascinating. Through his characters he shows everything isn’t always black and white. That sometimes even the villain is a hero.

I loved the characters. This motley crew of humans, lifelikes and deviants grew on me. Even when I hated their actions, the author made me understand their emotions.

Erin Spencer was the perfect narration choice. From each character’s voice to their emotions and experiences, the audio took the story to the next level.

The Lifelike trilogy wrapped up nicely, leaving me smiling despite everything.

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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