FreedomTM by Daniel Suarez (7)

FreedomTM is Daniel Suarez's follow-up to his immensely popular book, Daemon, which if you don't remember I slathered with praise in my last review.  The book picks up right where Daemon left off, in the middle of humanity's struggle to survive in a world that has been hijacked by a computer daemon created by the recently deceased video game designer Matthew Sobol.

The familiar cast of characters returns, with The Major, Agent Phillips, Jon Ross, and Peter Sebeck locking in a battle for the future of society.  The Major and Phillips are still on their mission to stop the daemon, Ross has gone rogue (literally), and Sebeck is still on his quest to prove that humanity deserves salvation.  As the daemon grows, the characters grow with it, and the technology becomes more and more advanced.

Where Suarez excels in this book isn't in the futuristic technology (it's still there, but not as surprising and mind-blowing as it was in Daemon), but instead in the geopolitical and societal implications of the daemon and how government and private businesses are poised to fight it.  The novel builds a slow crescendo to an inevitable battle between the daemon operatives and their "real" world contemporaries, all the while making you question your allegiances.

My only complaint is that the ending of the book left me wanting more.  Sure, I can fill in the future with my imagination, but I'd love to see a third book come out of this series.  (It still may.  Suarez gave himself options with the way he closed out the book).  Still, if you liked Daemon, you'll like FreedomTM.  I know I did.

4.5/5 Stars
--D