Rating: 
Summary: Dan Brown takes you on a fun thrill ride
Review: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown is a book that will make you think, not only about how powerful computers are and what people can do with them, but you will also think about the power the government has to eavesdrop on you. If you have read other Dan Brown books, you will not be disappointed by his first novel Digital Fortress. Digital Fortress is a fast moving thriller that will take you around the world, and also inside the NSA. There are some twists and turns that make the story move along very well. There might be a bit too much globe trotting to seem realistic, but all in all it makes for a very fun read. Dan Brown uses very short chapters in Digital Fortress that makes for a quick read. You keep thinking, ok one more chapter, and before you know it you are done with the book. The climax is a bit unbelievable, but still makes for an interesting section of the book. There were a couple of things that I did not really like about the book, first being that it seems like this book was written to be a movie, and sometimes that takes away from the character development like it did in this case. Second the ending was very predictable, but all in all I would recommend Digital Fortress as a fun read!
Rating:
Summary: Digital Fortress- Dan Brown
Review: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown is a superior book. After reading The Da Vinci Code I knew I had to find more books that he wrote. He has a very unique writing style that is different from a lot of authors today. All of his books are action packed and always leave you guessing; Digital Fortress is no different. The characters are very interesting and compliment each other well. It is a technology thriller that has more turns than you will ever imagine. In a lot of books you can figure out what's going to happen, but Dan Brown has a way of keeping you on your toes. "Susan sat up. Emergency? She had never heard the word emergency cross commander Strathmore's lips. An emergency? In Crypto? She couldn't imagine. page 4"
One of the themes of this book is that someone is always watching. As more technology is developed and released more security measures have to be taken. One of the main parts of this book is that the government can read everything that goes on over the internet, from what internet sites you look at to reading your private emails. People have no privacy on the internet. If that's the case, then it's good in the sense that they can intercept potentially harmful information, but bad because you lose your privacy.
This would be a book I would definitely recommend for others. Dan Brown has an unorthodox way of presenting his chapters in one to two pages, but that makes for easy reading and the ability to switch around from character to character. The more you get into the book, the more you don't want to put it down. If you have read any of Dan Brown's other books you won't be disappointed with Digital Fortress.
Rating: 
Summary: Where was the proof reader?
Review: Reviewers seem to love or hate this book. Those who loved it, were impressed by the techno-babble and enjoyed the action. The rest of us realized what nonsense Dan Brown wrote whenever he strayed into any technical area (not just cryptology) and found the characterizations thin and the plot predictable. My question is, how can Mr. Brown have so little pride in his work? Many of the technical/scientific errors would have been trivial to correct. Did he not even bother to have it proof read by someone with even minimal computing/science knowledge?
Rating: 
Summary: Screenplay like, Simple Plot, Weak Heroine Role.
Review: I started reading Dan Brown's books from "Angels & Demons" and "Digital Fortress" was the second one I read. I have to say it was nothing compared to the first book. Several Reaons why I gave it a low 2-star rating: 1. The plot was too simple. Only 2-line development compared to multi-line thriller in Angels and Demons.
2. The author wasted too much time on the heroine's love story. It is necessary for the entire scheme but also seem awkward. It felt like the author was trying to get many things in at the same time but didn't do it well.
3. The heroine is not depicted as a strong or vivid character as advertised in the book's covers or in any novel. Her role seems pretty weak in the sense that many of her actions/events are not supporting the author's intention of painting her as an extremely intelligent cryptographer (with IQ of 170). She seems to me just like some pretty girl in a B movie.
4. The book touched very little on cryptology in the actual story. It like Cryptology 101. It offered less analytical content than I expected.
5. Much of the ending was predictible.
6. The writing is more like for movie script than for a novel. It's descriptive but not interesting. In all, it seems like some rush work. I have to say Dan Brown can definitely do better than this.
Rating: 
Summary: Different direction than DaVinci Code, and maybe better...
Review: Being a geek, maybe I identified with this story, but anyone who can enjoy a technothriller about national security and the NSA, high-tech espionage, and a wild manhunt in Spain can enjoy this book. It has all the elements: suspense, solid factual underpinnings, action, unrequieted love, and more twists than a length of Cat5 cable (geek joke...). I read this after DaVinci code, yes, I'm a bandwagon jumper, and it isn't the same type of book by any stretch. However, it is gripping and very well written, and I actually think I liked it more (than DaVinci). If you like Dan Brown, this will not disappoint. If you don't know Dan Brown, this is a great book to get yourself acquainted.
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Summary: Edge of your seat thriller and future movie script
Review: This book is simply a thriller. Does it have some character development issues, of course. Does it stretch the plausibility of the reader when it comes to technology, you bet! Is it a blast to read? Absolutely, no question. In fact the last few chapters, with the clock winding down and the pressure on to solve a code with seconds to spare, I found myself literally skimming and turning pages as fast as I could to try and find out what happened and then going back for a more thorough read. This is perhaps the highest praise for a tense thriller - the heart pounding, edge of your seat, emotional impact in the moment. It will make an incredible movie screen play, and would be a great thriller in the James Bond or Jack Ryan tradition. Is this a literary masterpiece, and are the criticisms of other reviewers in regards the writing accurate? Sure. However, this misses the point. This is just for fun, and in that regard succeeds brilliantly. You will forget the details soon after, but enjoy the process. If you get caught up in the details, then perhaps you are taking it too seriously. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Highly recommended.
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Summary: A Total Waste Of Time!!
Review: I doubt this will be a popular review, but I feel obliged to tell it like I see it...or read it, in this case - and "Digital Fortress" is a waste of time! I have now read all of Dan Brown's books and am a big fan. Brown tackles unusual subjects, conducts impeccable research on his topics and writes fabulous suspense thrillers, with the exception of this one. His characters are cardboard, totally without depth. The plot could have been believable but it is not written in a credible or logical manner. The action is chaotic - and there is too much action and too little substance here. The National Security Agency, (NSA), has a top secret, totally invincible code-breaking machine called TRANSLTR, especially effective against advanced electronic terrorism. A disgruntled ex-NSA employee, Ensei Tankado, is a genius computer programmer and author of encryption algorithms. He has written a program that creates unbreakable codes and is using this program to blackmail NSA. Tankado wants a public disclosure of TRANSLTR. This multibillion dollar wonder machine that supports the CIA, FBI, DEA, IRS, etc., and traces & monitors drug cartel shipments, corporate money transfers and terrorists chatter on the Internet, also grossly violates human rights. It is able to open and read everyone's email and reseal it without public knowledge. The US government has the capability, with TRANSLTR, of violating the privacy of computer users around the world. And Tankado is sworn to protect the peoples' right to privacy. Sounds like a terrific plot, right? That's why I bought the book. Enter Susan Fletcher, the beautiful, talented, brilliant NSA cryptologist and mathematician who steps in to investigate the unbreakable code that threatens to render TRANSLTR useless. What she uncovers should be shocking and terrifying, but it isn't. It's blatantly unbelievable. The theory is realistic, but the people who take action, and their different rationales, are totally ludicrous. How could people like this be in charge of national security? I could understand a bad apple, or even two - but there are just too many wackos populating this novel, and all with mega-responsibility. It would be horrifying if there were a secret code that would cripple US intelligence systems. But Brown tampered too much with a potentially great plot. He has Susan's boss, Commander Strathmore, deputy director of NSA's CRYPTO facility, send Susan's fiance to Spain on a Top Secret errand...and the fiance doesn't even work for NSA! He's a foreign language professor! Apparently Strathmore has his own agenda, which is ridiculous and totally weakens the storyline. There is unnecessary globetrotting, too many needless murders, silly dialogue, uncalled for disasters, etc., etc. If Dan Brown were not the author, I would have closed the book before the halfway mark. I kept waiting for the author to make some sense out of all the malarkey. There is so much potential here for a super suspense techno-thriller. And the issue of where to draw the line between national security and personal freedom is a wonderful one to explore. Unfortunately the novel contains too many special effects, unbelievable subplots and flat characters...and all the above mentioned needless action. The fascinating information about real life technologies, cryptography and the battle for privacy in cyberspace is lost in the mega-murders and catastrophes that plague this novel. If you are intrigued by the subject matter, then by all means read the book, and you may even enjoy it. It seems that other reviewers have. I don't often award 1 Star, but I really believe that that's all this novel deserves. I find Dan Brown's other books to be excellent - across the board.
JANA
Rating:
Summary: Fun, fast paced techno-thriller
Review: The first of many excitingly fun reads by author Dan Brown is more of a techno-thriller than the more traditional thrillers his books to follow have become, but Brown shows flashes of his more polished writing style in this book about secret government spy agencies and conspiracies within them. When the fiancée of government techno-wizard Susan Fletcher is hired to embark on a dangerous mission overseas, she is naturally petrified for him. When she finds out he is being used as a pawn in a government conspiracy involving her own boss (who secretly pines for her attention) all hell is about to break loose. Nevermind that the super-computer that protects all secret government information is about to go down....inviting anyone with a desktop computer to hack into anything they have ever wanted to know... If you are a fan of high-tech thrillers, this will be a very fun read for you. It may be a bit too "tech-y" if you are not into that kind of thing - so bear that in mind as well. All-in-all it's a very fun book to read and I would recommend it, especially if you have read any of Brown's other novels (Deception Point, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code) and enjoyed them. Sit back and have fun with this one!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting plot, weak characters
Review: Here's the problem: Digital Fortress has a good plot, but it's filled with weak characters. I really liked the plot. A disgruntled NSA employee develops an unbreakable encryption program (the Digital Fortress) and threatens to give both the encryption program and the key (which is buried in the program) away on the Internet. If the bad guys gain access to the key, they will be able to communicate without fear of the NSA decrypting their messages. This throws the NSA into a panic - as it should - so they send David Becker to track down the former employee. However, David learns that the man has died in suspicious circumstances, so ... well, you know. Pretty good so far, but now consider the main characters. Susan Fletcher and David Becker are the perfect pair. She's beautiful, intelligent, sexy and decent to the core. He's beautiful, intelligent, sexy and - yes - decent to the core. Although Susan has an IQ of 170, she's mostly eye candy. The only surprise was that nobody tied her to railroad tracks in front of an oncoming train. Although that might have improved her characterization. David, on the other hand turns out to be the greatest daredevil of all time, outwitting a professional assassin, even though the most exciting thing he has done is to thrash an opponent on a squash court (and then treat him to a fruit shake and bagel). There's another character known only as Jabba ... enough said? Okay, so what's the bottom line? This clearly isn't a top-level thriller, but if your plans fall through some weekend, this wouldn't be a bad book to pick up.
Rating:
Summary: Ignoring the techno-details, pretty darn good plot
Review: Few thrillers dare to tread on the turf of the NSA, preferring the comfortable terrain of the FBI or CIA. As portrayed by Brown, the NSA relies upon stealth, brainpower and technological wizardry to monitor the world's voice and data communications. The plot revolves around a brilliant, ex-NSA scientist, Tankado. Worried about the government's ability to monitor all communications, he has threatened the release of a totally new cryptographic technology, termed "Digital Fortress". Digital Fortress is impervious to traditional "brute force" attacks and, thus, the NSA's highly parallel supercomputers. The only chance to contain this groundbreaking technology lies with Susan Fletcher, head cryptographer, and her fiance, David Becker, who has been sent to Spain to retrieve Digital Fortress' only key. Ignoring the book's technological explanations (many of the cryptographic and other details are flat-out wrong), the plot is pretty exciting. Few novels deal with the NSA with all of the requisite, technically daunting explanations... but Brown has rendered a pretty exciting story around the NSA, even if many of the background details are off-base.
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