coltennis's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.75
jaymeks's review
5.0
I held off writing a review for this trilogy because they truly felt more like a contiguous store than a series of books. So, I wanted to review the series as a whole instead of one by one.
And damn, what a series.
I picked this series up on a whim. I had a few extra GC credits on Amazon and was browsing. I've seen other authors post about Naam's work, so I was familiar when it came across my recommend pile. I am glad that it did.
At this point, I cannot honestly remember where one book ended and another started - the blend in the stories was that good.I also think one of the factors of why I loved it so much was the relatability of the main character. I understood where he was and why. I saw and understood some of the struggles he went through. Even the minor characters were very relatable. Naam did a great job with his characterizations.
At the end of Apex, I could hear the epic score as I read the final scenes. That's how vivid Naam's writing was in this book. It was descriptive without info dumping, and always allowed for more growth. I thought it was well done to the last sentence. I enjoyed the hell out of these books and cannot wait to see what Naam does next.
And damn, what a series.
I picked this series up on a whim. I had a few extra GC credits on Amazon and was browsing. I've seen other authors post about Naam's work, so I was familiar when it came across my recommend pile. I am glad that it did.
At this point, I cannot honestly remember where one book ended and another started - the blend in the stories was that good.I also think one of the factors of why I loved it so much was the relatability of the main character. I understood where he was and why. I saw and understood some of the struggles he went through. Even the minor characters were very relatable. Naam did a great job with his characterizations.
At the end of Apex, I could hear the epic score as I read the final scenes. That's how vivid Naam's writing was in this book. It was descriptive without info dumping, and always allowed for more growth. I thought it was well done to the last sentence. I enjoyed the hell out of these books and cannot wait to see what Naam does next.
henkka's review
3.0
Liked it, but not as much as previous books in the trilogy. Felt a bit too bloated and harder to connect to various characters.
titusfortner's review
4.0
I want more near future science fiction like this. Trying to extrapolate potential breakthroughs on our horizons and explore what the world might look like with them as a fundamental part of society.
That being said, the vast majority of this book is mediocre at best. An editor should have cut at least a hundred pages out of this and reduced the number of new first person narrators in the story. There is a 5 star book here that was somewhat ruined by the middle portion of the book. I'm still giving it 4 stars because the ending is truly fantastic. This is a hopeful and emotionally satisfying resolution to a scary near future exploration. I expect to be mulling over the ideas introduced in this book for many years.
That being said, the vast majority of this book is mediocre at best. An editor should have cut at least a hundred pages out of this and reduced the number of new first person narrators in the story. There is a 5 star book here that was somewhat ruined by the middle portion of the book. I'm still giving it 4 stars because the ending is truly fantastic. This is a hopeful and emotionally satisfying resolution to a scary near future exploration. I expect to be mulling over the ideas introduced in this book for many years.
mjfmjfmjf's review
5.0
Wow. And that's with a slow and confused start. Though perhaps if I had just read the other two books it would have felt smoother. There are a lot of well done details here. A lot of character actions that just felt right. And there's a lot of technology and society stuff going on as well, perhaps too much. But the strongest part of the book is the feeling of optimism in the chaos and fear. Not a book for the masses perhaps, but worth reading and discussing.
rjnn's review
3.0
Meh. Writing was sorta sloppy, and really started to fall apart. I was thrilled at first. After the excellent job Ramez Naam did on transhumanist ideas with Nexus, I was really looking forward to seeing him tackle the posthuman/AI setting that Apex promised, but it sort of falls flat. Too much overdone prose, not enough big ideas. I suppose I now have an appreciation for why Vernor Vinge portrays AIs as unfathomable gods, because if the alternative is as cringeworthy as it is in Apex, better to not even try...
I was hoping that Crux was lacking in new ideas due to the usual middle-of-the-trilogy issues and this would not be an issue with Apex, but it looks instead like a linear decrease over the series. Nexus 5/5, Crux 4/5, and Apex 3/5.
I was hoping that Crux was lacking in new ideas due to the usual middle-of-the-trilogy issues and this would not be an issue with Apex, but it looks instead like a linear decrease over the series. Nexus 5/5, Crux 4/5, and Apex 3/5.
ledigiacomo's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
squidsuit's review
5.0
What a fucking book series. And an incredible end, masterfully done. I love this so much.
thomcat's review
4.0
This long book starts right where the second book left off, answers most of the questions from the series and explores new ground also. The scale is global, with a number of characters to match - like other reviewers, I got lost at times in this cast. A worthy ending to a solid series.
I read the first book right around the time the second came out - I think I had heard it was a duology? Anyhow, the second book did not come to a solid end, and by the time the third was available, I found myself unable to remember much about the story. Not a good sign.
For late 2022, I reread the first book and the second, and I think the reason was that global scope and the sheer number of characters and points of view. Book two also showed the stored personality of Su-Yong Shu, somewhat insane through lack of contact with a human brain. I think Naam is looking at this as the start of an AI, and explores that along with the rights of augmented humans. A lot to cover, and more than 600 pages to cover it. Overall rating of this book, 4 of 5 stars.
The math is simple for the series - three books rated 4 of 5 stars equals a series rating 4 of 5 stars. This is accurate - I really liked some of the characters, most of the situations and villains. The second book and definitely the third lost the thread of Nexus OS, with patches for vulnerabilities. I thought the series as a whole did a good job exploring the potential vulnerabilities with this situation - even if the MESH solution was mostly hand waving in the third book.
I look forward to reading more from local Seattleite Ramez Naam.
I read the first book right around the time the second came out - I think I had heard it was a duology? Anyhow, the second book did not come to a solid end, and by the time the third was available, I found myself unable to remember much about the story. Not a good sign.
For late 2022, I reread the first book and the second, and I think the reason was that global scope and the sheer number of characters and points of view. Book two also showed the stored personality of Su-Yong Shu, somewhat insane through lack of contact with a human brain. I think Naam is looking at this as the start of an AI, and explores that along with the rights of augmented humans. A lot to cover, and more than 600 pages to cover it. Overall rating of this book, 4 of 5 stars.
The math is simple for the series - three books rated 4 of 5 stars equals a series rating 4 of 5 stars. This is accurate - I really liked some of the characters, most of the situations and villains. The second book and definitely the third lost the thread of Nexus OS, with patches for vulnerabilities. I thought the series as a whole did a good job exploring the potential vulnerabilities with this situation - even if the MESH solution was mostly hand waving in the third book.
I look forward to reading more from local Seattleite Ramez Naam.
martimw's review
5.0
The darkest book in the trilogy takes a stab at the possibility of mind controlling AI. Action packed and violent at times, yet still delving into humanity, both the good and the bad. As enjoyable a read as the earlier books with the sour feeling of being the last one. I hope to read more from Ramez Naam.