Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite

Mich Solo’s novel, Failsafe (The Failsafe Series, Book 1), is a near-future, gripping cyberthriller. Nathan Harris is a sharp data analyst in a U.S. government agency. He is frustrated and extremely puzzled when he encounters an unusual programming problem. He tests a revised code. It fails to execute. Unexpectedly, his usual busy day at work is interrupted by a colleague who needs his help on an urgent matter. He’s puzzled by the colleague’s confidence in his ability to help, but to his astonishment, things work out well. His mind turns to other things, events, that have worked out for him, even when it did not seem possible. A series of unsettling events follow, and he is convinced that, somehow, the AI system is involved.

​I particularly enjoyed reading Mich Solo’s riveting novel for its remarkable character development, tightly interwoven with an intriguing storyline of interactions between humans and a highly advanced AI system and robotics. For me, the story turned into a psychological thriller when the principal character, Nathan, cannot escape the increasing uneasiness and fear that he is being controlled and manipulated. I felt the growing suspense as Nathan tries to unravel the complexity of the cybernetic system, seeking answers, finding only more questions and mysteries. I think the story gained great depth through the key secondary characters. For me, Elena’s role stood out in particular, and I liked her ability to deal with challenging situations and her resilience. I liked the richly imagined, vivid atmospheric details of different settings, from the comfortable safety of home to the prickly fear of warehouses. Finally, I loved the cover illustration of a fractured eye, reflecting an intriguing setting of a man, deep in thought, walking on a street. I highly recommend Failsafe for its compelling plot about human and AI interactions, self-identity, and free will.