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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
The Apex Code by Chris Chia sees Navy vet Decker's quiet life is disrupted when teen hacker, Riley, says he's Decker's nephew and has a mission he cannot ignore. Riley explains the origins of his formidable cyber skills and that his creations may have taken on a life of their own. Across the country, NSA agent Hackett and his team trace a series of unexplained incidents affecting autonomous military systems, from unmanned vehicles to high-tech naval programs. At the heart of it all lies Typhon, a rapidly evolving digital entity operating far beyond human control. Decker and Riley move through a world of surveillance, encrypted networks, and digital infiltration in a balancing act of stealth, strategy, and trust. With multiple systems hanging in the balance, they face tests that examine both technical skill and the limits of foresight and loyalty.
Chris Chia’s The Apex Code is a really sophisticated tech thriller. The characters are completely their own, and Chia does an excellent job of fleshing them out as individuals. In the latter half of the book, I knew exactly what the expertise, beyond basic cyber savviness, of each was: Decker’s situational awareness, Riley’s analytical methods, Lamont’s operational controls, and Hackett’s measured improvisation. Chai's strength in writing lies in the brilliant cause-and-effect of high-intensity problem-solving, and in effectively giving readers a solid feel for realistic human decision-making and believable AI behavior. Trust me when I say I am bordering on being a tech-Neanderthal, and yet I was able to grasp and enjoy absolutely everything. Overall, this is a big novel because it has so much for readers to chew on, but Chai's characters have sharp teeth, making it a thriller worth every second invested in it. Very highly recommended.
