Null States by Malka Older

Yesterday I finally finished reading the second book of the “Centenal Cycle” by Malka Ann Older: Null States. The story continues some time after the events of Infomocracy with Policy1st holding the super majority, and Mishima and Ken having moved on and together to Saigon. This time, Roz is taking the lead, investigating the murder of the local head of state in a new centenal in Darfur. As was to be expected, things turn out not to be as simple as just some political rival trying to take and so there’s once again a lot of political power play on a global scale going on. That’s also where Mishima and Ken also come into the plot again!

What makes this story vastly different from “Infomocracy” is the focus on states that are either completely outside of micro-democracy or have just joined up. Let’s say it this way: A system like Information might be something that others may or may not have trust issues with 😅

This second instalment has fewer action sequences but it more than makes up for that with looks into the everyday lives of people in the former Sudan who are struggling to understand what the new system offers to them. And I’m just a sucker for stories that hop around the globe!

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