Crux basically picks up where Nexus let off.

Nexus is a force in the world, with more than a million people using it, growing every day. One particularly interesting use is giving Nexus to children with autism to allow them to communicate directly mind to mind. Another is the children that were born to parents using Nexus. Interesting in both cases.

On the negative side, there have already been cases of people using Nexus for more nefarious purposes. Rape. Blackmail. Assassination. Like any new technology, there is the potential for much to go wrong. Something this big? Of course it does.

But where it really starts getting terrifying is when you consider the parallels with what Snowden revealed a few years ago and the current election cycle. The United States government (among others) in the world of Nexus has made such transhuman technology a crime. They are detaining those same children born with Nexus. One of the main storylines of Crux is just how deep such a hidden agenda might go. It’s well written.

One note from a structural standpoint is that there is quite a lot of action in this book. It gets to the point where the action itself starts to drag. It could really use a few more breathers. It’s certainly not a dealbreaker, but I think Nexus did it better.

All together, an excellent book. I look forward to the conclusion.

Final note: Feng is my favorite. He’s hilarious.