Reviews

Daemon by Daniel Suarez

mathew's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

On the plus side, the tech is accurate. On the minus side, the degree of suspension of disbelief required is extreme if you know anything about how reliable software is. Particularly video game software, which is the background of the genius programmer in the story; and particularly untested software, which this would have to be.

The writing is fine, though there are more characters than the characterization can really support. I also have to deduct a star for the ending: there's no resolution, no payoff — just a cliffhanger or two to kickstart the next volume. I know that authors seem to have to write trilogies these days to make money, but I'd like to have at least the majority of the story be finished at the end of the first novel.

Finally, the book probably read well in 2006, but in these days of the TESCREAL movement it has acquired a somewhat offputting flavor.

jasonlee77's review

5.0

WOW! I was completely blown away at how amazing this book was. I expected it to be good with the reviews that I has read, but it was FANTASTIC!! If you love technology, sci-fi and an engaging story, you MUST read this!No on to book 2, FREEDOM.

stella_knife's review against another edition

4.0

A good read and very creative with regards to what cybercrime could be capable of - but still somewhat hard to read because of the many many named characters that are introduced so rapidly in succession. I'll be honest, I only got the names matched to the characters 30% in, and even then, you only understand which characters are important until way later (which I understand was likely an intentional choice, but I felt less attached to a lot of characters because I just came to assume they would die or fade away within the next few pages). This felt like a big book that maybe got lost in all the fun ways to do cybercrime and it ends with basically no resolution and a lot of loose ends to tie - which I hope will happen in the next novel (which I might not read right away tbh)....

x0pherl's review against another edition

3.0

This book combines a really fantastic idea with a somewhat immature writing style. At times it read like a detective story and at times like a horror novel, with some overdone psychology thrown in. On technical accuracy, he nails it, but that doesn't make the plot believable per se.
So it's a fun read, but not a great one. It's a shame too, because in sections, Suarez really nails it like in this section:

He was a poster child for overdesigned American culture. His square-toed dress shoes had the soles of hiking boots, as though intended to navigate an urban cliff face. His draping dress pants concealed six pockets pleated into its folds, each one with a trademarked name (e.g., E-Pouch), giving him the cargo capacity of a World War I infantryman. Yellow-tint sunglasses wrapped his face, unaccountably designed to withstand the impact of a small-caliber rifle bullet while filtering out UV rays and maximizing visual contrast in a wide range of indoor and outdoor lighting conditions.
In all, his outfit required nearly two thousand man-years of research and development, eight barrels of oil, and sixteen patent and trademark infringement lawsuits. All so he could possess casual style. A style that, in logistical requirements, was comparable to fielding a nineteenth-century military brigade.
But he looked good. Casual.

And it ends with a non-ending- I hadn't planned on reading Freedom(TM) based on my reaction, but I suppose I want to find out how it ends.

paranoidmarvin's review against another edition

4.0

This was a complete blast! It's a tech thriller where the tech seems believable. The hacks described are mostly social hacking and less furiously-typing-at-your-keyboard (well some are, but then again you'd not roll your eyes at them). You've two distinct types of characters. Sebeck, who is oblivious to all the technobabble (and there are a lot). Then there's Ross and Philips, who are really comfortable with those stuff. And the best thing is much of the net lingo are never explained, and are meant for readers who knows that Ctrl+Shift+Esc also opens the task manager!
Although the ending was kinda underwhelming. Maybe it's well-explained in book 2. Can't wait to read it.

lyricsninja's review

5.0

Outstanding novel that for lack of better words it’s a tech thriller, so think a murder mystery type of book with a lot of tech implications. Think war games type of novel. Strange deaths are occurring at a tech company and they cant figure out why. A detective gets a cryptic message from a tech expert who died a week before… and then it all goes to hell in a handbasket. This is a page turner that incorporates so many interesting elements along with the virtual world of MMORPGs seamlessly, creating something really out worldly. I enjoyed it enough that I will absolutely be picking up the follow-up to this novel.

seafamboonie's review

4.0

Starts off seeming like a random, poorly written book with a randomly timed gang rape scene. Really got me off kilter, but then it progresses quickly as a page turner like a Dan Brown novel. An interesting concept, progresses quickly and keeps your attention.

brapfel's review against another edition

dark informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25

vip8888's review

1.0

Some interesting ideas, but ultimately disappointing. About 200 pages too long, and still without a proper ending.

beattyre1's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0