Freedom

Starred review from November 23, 2009
Bestseller Suarez's sequel to Daemon
(2009), in which the late, mad-genius game designer Matthew Sobol launched a cyber war on humanity, surpasses its smart, exciting predecessor. This concluding volume crackles with electrifying action scenes and bristles with intriguing ideas about a frightening, near-future world. Sobol's “bots” continue to roam the Internet, inciting mayhem and siphoning money from worldwide, interconnected megacorporations out to seize control of national governments and enslave the populace. FBI special agent Roy Merritt is dead, but still manages to make a dramatic comeback, while detective Pete Sebeck, thought to be executed in Daemon
, rises from the supposed grave to lead the fight against the corporations. What the trademark letters affixed to the title signify is anyone's guess. Those who haven't read Daemon
should read it first. The two books combined form the cyberthriller against which all others will be measured.

December 15, 2009
The colliding armies are virtual, but the bloodshed isn't, in a sequel to Daemon (2009).

That novel ended with Detective Sergeant Peter Sebeck of the Ventura County (Calif.) sheriff's office in jail, the government's fall guy for a bizarre series of events that no one has a real handle on. No one except for rogue computer genius Matthew Sobol, that is, and he's dead, leaving behind as a memento mori the scariest legacy the planet has ever seen. But what exactly is the Daemon? Since it's derived from an online video game, dedicated gamers come closest to comprehension. Consummate insider Jon Ross, for instance, describes the Daemon"as an open source cybernetic organism…that is spreading across the globe." For the benefit of a still skeptical ex-colleague (and any bemused readers) he adds,"the Daemon is real, and it's bigger than all of us—because it is all of us." Whatever it actually is, advocates and adversaries by the millions line up to support or abort the Daemon. Suddenly, Pete finds himself sprung and drafted for a Grail-like mission. His task is"to grok the shamanic interface," which means to embark on an updated Pilgrim's Progress that will end at last in his passing through the mythic Cloud Gate. In this way only can he justify the embattled concept of freedom, proving thereby that humanity is able to transcend an inherent drive toward self-destruction. Meanwhile, in the gathering storm, rival avatars and digital ghosts prepare to duel, computerized armies gird virtual loins—and anyone without a geek-speak dictionary is likely to flounder.

The previous novel drew a sharper line between good and evil, allowing less web-oriented readers to empathize and root for the righteous. This time out, techno thriller surrenders to nerd lit.

(COPYRIGHT (2009) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

February 1, 2010
Picking up a few months after the end of Daemon (2009), Suarez continues his popular technothriller and SF saga. The computer program Daemon has taken over the Internet, and millions have joined its virtual world. Now the effect is spilling into the real world as Daemon assumes control of financial institutions, and the programs real-life converts flock to small towns to re-create a sustainable lifestyle amid the agribusiness monoculture of the Midwest. Despite a slow start, Freedom picks up speed by the second half with Daemons supporters and detractors facing off for the control of civilization. Only readers who have also read Daemon will be fully able to enjoy and understand Freedom, as most of the characters and plot elements are drawn directly from the previous story, and only so much backstory is possible, given the elaborate premise. On the other hand, Daemon fans will be well be pleased with the exciting conclusion, as will anyone who enjoys lots of gaming elements and virtual worlds in their science fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)