A must-read if you read and enjoyed DaemonI didn't enjoy Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) as much as the first book, mainly because there is a lot more action in this one. Action sequences, whether in books or movies, tend to spike my anxiety—and I'm anxious enough already.I still really enjoyed the gaming elements and there are plenty of great, thought-provoking ideas, but I had to skim the final quarter because of the relentless pacing. That said, I think most readers looking for a high-stakes techno-thr...

Rating - 7/10 (Good) - Deliver us from the Daemon... or notThis novel is a direct sequel to Daemon, so you’ll definitely need to read that one first. Before diving into this review, feel free to check out my review of Daemon.The first book was easily one of the best techno-thrillers I have ever experienced. It hit every mark a great thriller should, and I learned so much along the way. With the high expectations I had after that first read, I dove into Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) by Daniel Suarez, and...

A new world order dictated by AI, taking charge of the bigotry, decadence, corporate lobbying, and sheer insanity of modern Western society. Is this superintelligence truly evil? What do you do when an alien, a mutant, or simply a natural genius creates an AI so sophisticated that it secretly takes control of every aspect of technology? You certainly don't start a war with a bodiless entity that exists in a million places at once—data centers, corporations, governments, and military digital w...

Nearly as amazing as the first book in the duology, Daemon, Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) leads us right into the middle of an ideological breakdown—or perhaps a breakthrough—with hordes of Daemon followers playing their lives as if the whole world were one giant game. And honestly, given how our current economics, military, and politics are run, it pretty much is.So, what happens when a game AI successfully outplays our gloriously flawed human nature, all in a desperate attempt to prevent the total col...

I listened to the audiobook version of Freedom™ (Daemon, #2). When I finished the first book, I was left feeling a bit unsatisfied with the ending, as I mentioned in my previous review. I later discovered that Daniel Suarez couldn't find a publisher for the original book, so he self-published it—and it eventually became an internet sensation. Honestly, I think Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) is a stronger book than its predecessor; it feels less repetitive and even more relevant to the 2008 financial cris...

Daemon was so dark and depressing that I seriously considered skipping the sequel, but I'm glad I didn't. Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) feels surprisingly different than its precursor: the first was all about how scary and damaging the Daemon was, but the second is all about how evil the corporate overlords are, and here the Daemon is clearly humanity's last hope to avoid 1984. Everybody is co-opted by last year's villain, just as government is co-opted by the oligarchs. The biggest problem is that, fo...

After reading this book, I feel like I should put on a kilt, paint my face blue, and stand in front of the corporate headquarters where I work. Then, waving my laptop over my head and doing my best Mel Gibson impersonation (without the anti-Semitism), I’ll shout, “You may take away our financial independence, our self-supporting communities, and our personal privacy, but you’ll never take our FREEDOM!”Too much?Moving on…. This is a techno-thriller, but like the previous book Daemon, it’s a prett...

I have to say, I was a bit let down by Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) compared to the first book. It felt a little off the rails, coming across as very preachy and lacking a central character to really latch onto. On top of that, the level of violence and gore was way over the top. While I think Daniel Suarez’s central messages are valid, incredibly interesting, and genuinely scary on a high level, I’m not sure he conveys them as effectively as he could have. It’s a bit like burying an important social m...

A fantastic sequel to Daemon! Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) by Daniel Suarez lets you explore a deeper, more complex side of the characters we already know, proving that nothing is ever quite as black and white as it seems. If you're looking for a gripping technothriller book review that hits the mark, this follow-up is an absolute must-read.

I was skeptical that Suarez could recapture the utter immersion and fascinating world-building of Daemon, but he absolutely did. I think one of the main ways he succeeded was by shifting the focus from pure technology to the socio-political themes that first started to emerge in the previous book. In the tradition of dystopian classics like Brave New World and 1984, Freedom™ (Daemon, #2) serves as a powerful warning through exaggeration. It’s not necessarily that the events and revelations in Fr...