Last year I read Daniel Suarez's "Daemon". This year I read the sequel "Freedom™". Like the former, I liked this book. "Freedom™" takes what you learned in "Daemon" and turned it on it's head. Heroes become villains, villains become heroes.
The book follows the progression of the software Daemon and the group of followers that fall under it's control. As the Daemon gains strength you see that it is not the evil force that you once thought it might be. Meanwhile the forces of good fighting the growth of the Daemon begin to tarnish and you soon see their true nature. The cringe-worthy torture scene of Loki definitely showed who is evil in this book.
The book is written in the same action technothriller style as the first book and I sometimes found myself shaking as I read particularly energetic passages. It was hard to put down at times. An adrenaline rush at times. This would have garnered the book a solid 4 out of 5 for me but, unfortunately, Suarez interjects descriptions of how the daemon is improving the world that are very preachy. The daemon forces short supply changes and local manufacturing and food growth. The Daemon builds solar power generators. The Daemon fights the agri-conglomerates. I agreed with everything the Daemon was doing but it was expressed in such a heavy-handed, from-the-pulpit style that I was nearly turned off. Four of five became three of five.
I guess I would have to still recommend this book though, like the first book, you are required to massively suspend disbelief. I did. It held my attention even through the tedious moralizing sections. I was satisfied with the ending.
I may pass on this one. Thank you for the review!
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