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cutenanya's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant! This is like the exact opposite of Ready Player One! Both are based on the invention of one brilliant nerd but Ready Player One is has a central character to love and slightly less gross and gloomy. Still, this is one great techno thriller and being a nerd, I think we just need more books of this kind. More in depth review to come but Freedom, the sequel is now firmly stuck on my reading list.
P.S. Though I hate the majority of characters in this book, I certainly love Jon and Phillips! Without them, I might have DNF this book.
P.S. Though I hate the majority of characters in this book, I certainly love Jon and Phillips! Without them, I might have DNF this book.
heather_g's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
3.5
Interesting concept of a genius computer guy who builds a “virus” to play out after his death, different news headlines trigger different events. Lots of death and destruction, some of it is conceivable but other things are a bit over the top, but that just may mean I’ll be a doubter if it happens…hmmmm
jbliv's review
3.0
Is this an exciting read? Absolutely. Does it raise a few scary and thought-provoking scenarios? It sure does. Is it a great novel? Not in the least. Daemon has plot to spare but nary a character of interest in sight. It races from scene to scene high on its own ambition and buzzing through characters like so much necessary construct. Could have been so much better had it been centered around a few key perspectives. Not to mention this is really only part of a novel, not a standalone entity.
madqueen's review against another edition
1.0
Did not enjoy this at all and did not get very far. The story has promise but I don't like the writing.
robivy's review against another edition
4.0
Fun read. Great concept that could span for many more books. The last third of the book dragged on a bit, but overall a very enjoyable story - especially if you are a gamer or technology enthusiast.
moragscot's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this book but ...
it's a very long read and my investment has been rewarded with no conclusion. Nothing has been resolved. Frustrating. No regrets though. Yes, the sequel is going on my to-read shelf.
it's a very long read and my investment has been rewarded with no conclusion. Nothing has been resolved. Frustrating. No regrets though. Yes, the sequel is going on my to-read shelf.
pragmapack's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
greaydean's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty Awesome.
I couldn't hardly put it down.
A great ride and riff on technology.
Very fun.
Mystery, action and philosophy.
I couldn't hardly put it down.
A great ride and riff on technology.
Very fun.
Mystery, action and philosophy.
capincus's review
4.0
Decent thriller, with some interesting technology and some good characters. However, the plot is a bit slow and the best characters are underutilized. I'm also pretty sure I wasn't supposed to root for the Daemon, but the more I read the more it actually seemed like the good guy instead of the antagonist.
slichto3's review
3.0
Ambivalence best describes my feelings towards Daemon, the debut novel of Daniel Suarez. On the one hand, it's certainly thrilling - Suarez has a very good feel for building tension and intrigue. On the other hand, it's also a bit shallow and unsatisfying.
The story of Daemon begins after the death of the brilliant and wealthy Matthew Sobol. Sobol developed his fortune by designing extremely detailed and engaging computer games, but when he dies, aspects of his games begin surfacing in real life. Sobol has left behind a daemon, a computer process that normally runs in the background on computers, waiting for an event to occur. When the appropriate event does occur, the daemon will act. Sobol's daemon monitors news feeds and people to perform some dramatic and insidious actions, including multiple murders. This draws the attention of Detective Peter Sebeck, who is called in to investigate the murders. But how can you stop a computer? Or a dead man?
The mystery of the story is certainly intriguing, and following those who interact with the daemon, either as opponents or allies, is interesting. But this book doesn't really have a clear rise in tension. There are certainly great action sequences that will make your pulse race, but they don't really build. They just sort of appear, then the story goes back down into description, then at some point will come back to a dramatic moment, etc. These moments don't really feel earned, because the leg work doesn't go into establishing them. Furthermore, the characters are mostly fairly flat. There are some interesting nuggets to them, and you get the feeling that Suarez has certainly made the ground fertile for their development, but then he doesn't really plant anything. We are only peripherally involved with any character, which makes it difficult to care very much for any of them.
To be fair, this is, evidently, a series (I was not actually aware of this when I began the book). So perhaps there is more development and payoff in the subsequent books. However, on its own, Daemon is not perfect. It will keep you occupied and interested, but it will not wow you.
The story of Daemon begins after the death of the brilliant and wealthy Matthew Sobol. Sobol developed his fortune by designing extremely detailed and engaging computer games, but when he dies, aspects of his games begin surfacing in real life. Sobol has left behind a daemon, a computer process that normally runs in the background on computers, waiting for an event to occur. When the appropriate event does occur, the daemon will act. Sobol's daemon monitors news feeds and people to perform some dramatic and insidious actions, including multiple murders. This draws the attention of Detective Peter Sebeck, who is called in to investigate the murders. But how can you stop a computer? Or a dead man?
The mystery of the story is certainly intriguing, and following those who interact with the daemon, either as opponents or allies, is interesting. But this book doesn't really have a clear rise in tension. There are certainly great action sequences that will make your pulse race, but they don't really build. They just sort of appear, then the story goes back down into description, then at some point will come back to a dramatic moment, etc. These moments don't really feel earned, because the leg work doesn't go into establishing them. Furthermore, the characters are mostly fairly flat. There are some interesting nuggets to them, and you get the feeling that Suarez has certainly made the ground fertile for their development, but then he doesn't really plant anything. We are only peripherally involved with any character, which makes it difficult to care very much for any of them.
To be fair, this is, evidently, a series (I was not actually aware of this when I began the book). So perhaps there is more development and payoff in the subsequent books. However, on its own, Daemon is not perfect. It will keep you occupied and interested, but it will not wow you.