It’s been a while since I’ve read near future science fiction that wasn’t overly apocalyptic. This was a good re-introduction thereto.

Basically, we’re a few decades in the future. Genemods and other biotechnology are known and not entirely uncommon. I’m not sure such technology will actually be available in only 25 years, but it would be interesting to live in a world where such things have come to be.

The technology at the core of the story is Nexus: a nanotech drug that allows brain to brain communication. Even further, the main character has figured out how to run an OS on it. You’re basically installing a new OS and code directly on your brain. That sounds at once really cool and terrifying to me. Especially since I do believe that this is in our future, whether or not it comes about via something like Nexus. It’s only a matter of time.

Beyond that, I found the characters in general interesting. Seeing Kaden Lane’s thought process as he came up against radically different government philosophies and ended up in situations well out of his depth was interesting. Su-Yong Shu as an early posthuman seemed at once just human and alien enough to be believable.

As both a positive and negative, there are a lot of frantic action scenes, particularly in the latter half of the book. They’re well written and driving but got right on the edge of action fatigue by the end.

Overall, great book. Among the best cyberpunkish / near future sci fi I’ve ever read. Big world building cliff hanger right at the end. Definitely going to read the sequel(s).