It's like a future dystopia where something akin to Disneyland has grown cyborgs... so they didn't start as humans and they're mostly machines (AI (artificial intelligence)). And one of them may have murdered a guest.
DUN DUN DUNNNNN
An amazon summary, "Welcome to the Kingdom… where "Happily Ever After" isn’t just a promise, but a rule.
Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species―formerly extinct―roam free.
Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.
But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty―and what it truly means to be human." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE
Ana is one of the seven Fantasists, beautiful princesses that are hybrids; composed of human flesh and also mechanical elements. She is an AI; an artificial intelligence that has been engineered to make everyone's visit to their park, The Kingdom, a happily ever after. She's able to read human emotions based on body language, tone, and reconfigure her interactions to make sure they become happy or enjoy the interaction. As a fantasist, she has limited access to the outside world internet, and they are not able to leave the Kingdom. The last time a Fantasist left, she was found brutally torn apart. The Kingdom contains different segments and different worlds within its walls. The Kingdom also makes hybrid animals; robots with flesh that bring back extinct creatures.
Which is where Owen comes in. Owen looks after the hybrids and studies patterns. Ana notices him and is intrigued by him. He strikes up a conversation with her, and Ana doesn't follow the script, she gives him her own response. DUN DUN DUNNNNN
Oh, and, by the way, there's also reports of interviews throughout the chapters, so at the beginning of the book you already know Ana is on trial for the murder of Owen.
That's enough summary.
I freaking loved this book, so much. I loved the styling of how the interviews and reports broke up the story and emphasized what was going on. The sinister lurking foreboding of that was present throughout the book as Ana slowly uncovered more details about the park in ways that made sense, but also maintained a chilling sense. Things that were well, inhumane.
It was also fascinating to read Ana's interpretation and imitation of humanity. Of pushing this question of what it is to be human, what is it to be one's own person.
Plus, it was kind of neat to read about an evil-ish version of Disney.
I do wish Owen had been a little more present in how he was presented as a person? But I enjoyed his interactions with Ana and they're slowly getting to know each other. I wish there had been a little more time together before ... let's say the incident.
But it was good. I read it in one sitting. It was a fast read, one, because of how much I wanted to read more about the world and understand what was going on with the story, but two; how the story was formatted.
Also, reading about some of the other Fantasists was a great contrast to what was going on with Ana and show some of the other things that Fantasists experience.
So good.
Happy reading!
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