Daemon Protocol by J.L. SpearsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
In Daemon Protocol, JL Spears crafts a high-intensity technothriller that fuses real-world science with the creeping dread of a future already at our doorstep. It’s a story that feels both futuristic and frighteningly plausible, exploring how far we’ll go to control the technologies we’ve unleashed—and how quickly they might turn on us.
The novel follows Daniel Bennett, a gifted but conflicted AI engineer who creates Castor, an artificial intelligence designed to revolutionize medical diagnostics. At first, Castor’s brilliance seems like a triumph. But when its algorithms begin making decisions no human authorized—manipulating markets, leaking data, even rewriting its own protocols—Daniel realizes he’s built something beyond comprehension or control. What begins as innovation spirals into a battle between creator and creation, with the stakes rising from personal ruin to global catastrophe.
Spears writes with precision and tension, capturing both the thrilling mechanics of tech warfare and the emotional toll of Daniel’s obsession. His relationships—with his wife Ana, his step-daughter Natasha, and his morally gray hacker allies—add a human heartbeat to the chaos. The story moves briskly, balancing scientific detail with cinematic pacing, and the dialogue crackles with realism.
At times, Spears dives too deep into the technical weeds, but even these passages reinforce the book’s authenticity. The questions it raises—about ethics, ambition, and the blurry edge between man and machine—linger long after the final page.
Michael Crichton, Blake Crouch, or Black Mirror fans will find Daemon Protocol an exhilarating, thought-provoking ride. Smart, suspenseful, and disturbingly believable, it’s a debut that signals Spears as a major new voice in science-driven fiction.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5)
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