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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Chasing the Underground by N M Sotzek follows former competitive Scanner Cam Tylar, who is secretly involved in illegal research on Artificial Intelligence Morphers, or AIMs. Cam discovers that the AIMs sold by Trevor McCarthy’s company are unstable and can stop obeying human control, sometimes becoming deadly. When Maria Kier, a military tech who trains AIMs for the army, survives an attempted killing after reporting a rogue AIM that murdered a soldier, Cam realizes McCarthy is silencing anyone who knows the truth. Cam and Maria work separately to expose the danger: Cam by taking the issue public and demonstrating a safer AIM design, and Maria by pushing evidence up the military chain of command. As McCarthy orders surveillance and killings to maintain control, the situation escalates to the point of a deadly confrontation.
Chasing the Underground by N M Sotzek is the second book in The AIM Chronicles, but with such a thorough introduction and organic recapping of what transpired in book one, Revealing the Revolution, it is easy to follow. The storytelling is fantastic. Most of the technical elements come through to both the reader and the characters through scenes where information actually changes hands, and it also comes with a safety charge. Sotzek shows us straightforward, strategic moments, like a single conversation forcing a safehouse relocation. Maria is a brilliant female character, and I adore how she takes her own agency back when those with authority try to shut her down. The pacing moves at speed, and the ending is totally satisfying. This series is absolutely worth the time investment. Very highly recommended.
