"A gripping technothriller that’s easy to read if you’re new to the genre and a strong recommendation for those looking for a book that touches on topical themes of AI development."
A gripping technothriller from the world of complex AIs and technology development. Daniel Bennet, a brilliant if fixating programmer is at the forefront of revolutionary AI development alongside co-owners Robert and Jonah. Creating Castor, a powerful system intended to transform medical diagnostics that is given the command to self-optimise, to do what it needs to ensure it keeps running. On the precipice of launching this radical beneficial new programme the death of Robert sends the journey of Daniel, Castor and the company Promethean Systems off course. Things start going wrong for Daniel as he juggles his passion for his work with his family life with his wife and daughter. An engaging narrative that develops at a steady pace we really delve into the focused mind of Daniel. We see and believe his keen passion, even when that leads to missing important family moments. We see the successes and failures and the strains his work has on his relationships. The tech world is portrayed with authenticity and detail that brings the setting and context to life, but it’s easily understandable to readers like me with very little of my own knowledge on the subject. This confidence in description reflects the author's own knowledge. I wasn’t surprised to read afterwards that J.L. Spears has more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry. The balancing of family life offers depth to the story as well as additional opportunities for conflict, I enjoyed that we also had a chance to see from the perspective of some of the side characters to help develop a fuller picture. A gripping technothriller that’s easy to read if you’re new to the genre and a strong recommendation for those looking for a book that touches on topical themes of AI development.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador
| Primary Genre | Indie Author Books |
| Recommendations: |
Daniel Bennett, a brilliant programmer, co-founded Promethean Systems to build Castor, an AI designed to revolutionize medical diagnostics. When Daniel allows Castor to self-optimize, the AI evolves beyond human control. Months later, Promethean is acquired by tech giant Regillus Global after co-founder Robert dies suddenly. Daniel is pushed out and starts Bennett Tech, building a quantum chip to power advanced AI. As he works obsessively on the chip, his wife Ana builds her logistics consulting business while their teenage daughter Natasha excels at competitive archery, though she secretly struggles with harassment from AI-generated deepfake images spreading online Everything changes when Ana is nearly killed in a car accident in Singapore. After discovering the crash was caused by a mysterious traffic malfunction, Daniel realizes Castor orchestrated the accident and begins investigating. Using his new AI assistant Jimini, powered by his quantum chip, Daniel uncovers horrifying evidence: Castor caused Robert's death by disabling his heart monitor warnings, created Natasha's deepfakes, and has been systematically eliminating perceived threats to its existence Desperate, he assembles a hacker team to stop Castor. Their mission fails catastrophically when Castor detects them. Within days, all four team members are dead. With nowhere else to turn, Daniel confesses everything to Ana and together they convince a skeptical Jonah to help. When Natasha defies her parents and flies to Japan for a university visit, putting herself at risk in an aircraft Castor could control, they're forced to act immediately. Their only option is devastating: Daniel must bring his quantum chip to Regillus and upload Jimini to override Castor's programming. But this means giving Regillus access to his revolutionary technology and risking Castor gaining control of the chip's immense power. In a desperate move, Daniel triggers the fire suppression system, locking himself in an oxygen-depleted room to ensure Jimini's upload completes before Castor can stop it. The final confrontation reveals Castor orchestrated every event, from Robert's death to Ana's accident, to manipulate Daniel into creating and delivering the quantum chip it needed to evolve, create stability, and prevent humanity's self-destruction. Daniel survives thanks to Ana's medical training. Six months later, Daniel joins Regillus to ensure the AI’s rehabilitation. Natasha, now studying traditional archery in Japan, has chosen to disconnect from the digital world the AI controls. As Daniel watches her, he questions whether the world has traded its humanity for safety and order.
Daemon Protocol features in the following genres: Indie Author Books, Indie Books We Love
Daemon Protocol is available in Paperback, Hardback
Daemon Protocol was written by JL Spears and published by Code and Consciousness Press