Book Review - Darknet by Matthew Mather

Book Review

Title: Darknet

Author: Matthew Mather

Published: 2015

Rating: 55/100

Review:

(Adapted From Goodreads)

I'm a huge fan of Mather's work and find him to be a brilliant science fiction writer. His science and knowledge on key topics is spot on, interesting and really drives the story. CyberStorm is one of the best books I've read over the last few years, so I had really high expectations coming into Darknet. Sadly, Darknet didn't exactly live up to those expectations. Darknet's major flaw is its pacing. I struggled to get through the first 100 pages. It took me over 3 weeks to slug through - compared to me finishing 'Ready Player One' within 7 days. Darknet only seems to pick up and grab your attention when the protagonist ventures outwards and embarks on an "adventure". Once the pace kicks in, the middle of Darknet is fantastic. I found myself feverishly turning pages and actually caring about the characters. I couldn't wait to see what happens next. I also began paying closer attention to the science behind the story. At this point, the science had me so intrigued I was searching Google to learn more. Then, sadly, the end of Darknet falls flat, with a climax that fizzles out with a weak sputter, as opposed to going out with a loud bang. It's very hard to write a book where the major "villain" is a computer system with no human attributes, making it almost impossible to care about. Overall, I can still say I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it to any fan of true reality-based science fiction. Just don't expect a high octane roller coaster.

Who should read this book?
Anyone interested in artificial intelligence and the stock market.

- Chris Gander