Rating: 
Summary: An excellent techno-thriller
Review: I tire of seeing reviews which praise a book as being a "wonderful debut" or a "very good first novel". It doesn't matter to me what number an entry in an author's overall work a novel is...what matters to me is whether or not it fills the bill. Dan Brown's Digital Fortress does that in spades. From the moment one of the main characters, Ensei Tankado, dies in Seville on page one Dan is in charge of a masterful plot. "Wait a minute," you're saying." "One of the main characters dies on page one? This must be some kind of Sunset Boulevard flash-back kind of thing." Not at all. Tankado becomes a major player through the mechanisms he leaves behind him to confuse the NSA, a super-secretive US government agency. Enter the Commander, NSA's chief operative officer, Susan Fletcher, its top cryptographer and her fiance, David Becker, a teacher of languages. Throw in a deaf assassin in Seville, some very suspect NSA employees, and you have a quick-paced story of high intrigue. It's a techo-thriller that doesn't beat you to death with details the way Clancy does, but teaches you all the same. I forgive the revolver with a silencer (doesn't work) and the multibillion government agency without emergency backup lighting (or at least a flashlight, for God's sake) in deference to the riveting story that kept me enthralled. I am in charge of the mystery/thriller section for the largest Borders Books in Dallas, and I'm making this a staff recommendation for this month. And believe me, I do not take lightly the responsibility of what I tell my regular customers they should read. Good work, Dan!! I'm looking forward to many more. Just keep the silencers off the revolvers...and lighten up (lights, get it?) Don't miss it folks.
Rating: 
Summary: The Cover Covers It
Review: The first thing you notice on the cover (after the standard title and author) are the words "A Thriller." No lie. It kept me going. Unfortunately I didn't have the time to sit down and read it straight through. It's the author's first book, and call it beginnners luck, but he did a fascinating job with weaving in technological details without making it too boring. I found the ideas in the book believable and frightening. The code breaking and NSA jargon was "simply marvelous" and refreshing without overloading us. The characters are fairly well written, while a little clunky, but the reader is still able to bond with them. I especially enjoyed Susan's character, a nicely portrayed intelligent woman that doesn't completely break down in a crisis situation (and with Mr. Brown's use of terrific plot twists, there were plenty of opportunities to test her with). There are several leaps of faith-- Becker's wild goose chase involving the ring proved to be more than a little frustrating at times (and the ending didn't help any). Fortunately, I kind of felt sorry for David and was glad when the chase kept going-- you want him to find the ring. Unfortunately, we are forced through one coincidence after another. Okay-- it isn't any worse than any other suspense novelist and Mr. Brown serves it up with a little culinary style to it. Overall, interesting characters, a non-stop plot line and great information make for an exceptional first novel. Mr. Brown's next novel is certain to make it to my nightstand and I look forward to it very much. As long as he doesn't lapse into a formula, he will certainly gain more recognition in the future.
Rating:
Summary: "A Thriller in the True Sense!"
Review: Digital Fortress was a fun book to read- the only problem being that you finish it way too soon! In fact, you'll probably read it straight through- it's that hard to put down! Full of surprises, this book is unpredictable and will keep you guessing. It's rare when a book about computers doesn't go over my head but I understood all the angles and concepts.
Rating:
Summary: guaranteed to boost your privacy paranoia
Review: It's rated a nine instead of ten because the two leading characters were too perfect in some respects, and so dumb in others. I also would've loved a note from the author -- at the end of the book, maybe -- explaining what was real and what was fiction (since he claims to have based a lot on insider tips). At any rate, the showdown (as they tried to protect the database) was one of the most exciting climaxes I've read in quite a while. Dan Brown isn't Clancy, but thank goodness for that based on Clancy's penchant for making even a battle dull by overloading the reader with technical details. Brown doesn't do this -- he adds just enough detail to make one wonder. The other thing about the novel that I thought was well done was that I couldn't figure out what his position on the role of the NSA and privacy vs. national security -- I actually had to think about it and reach my own position, events of the tale notwithstanding. How refreshing -- the author assumes his readers are intelligent and don't need the "right" positions hammered into their brains ala Clancy. The only real quibble I have is that Brown gives the EFF too much credit and too much power for such an anemic organization. Maybe it comes from reading too many issues of Wired. I found it difficult to believe that the NSA gave a damn about what the EFF would do or say, since no one else does. A good book, and well worth the money. I look forward to Brown's future attempts.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely spellbinding!
Review: The captivating storyline, the well-developed characters, and the breathtaking realization that this isn't impossible - kept me reading, chapter after chapter and hour after hour. The unexpected twists and turns provided excellent thrill reading. I enjoyed solving the mystery codes on the Digital Fortress website and writing notes to my family in code. No need to long for the days of Cold War spy novels anymore - there's a late-90s book that provides all the suspense you can handle! IOTITCTFSBAWONONAREONIHXK
Rating:
Summary: An intelligent page turner that will keep you up at night!
Review: For those of you who enjoy thought provoking and exciting techno-thrillers, this book is for you. I kept trying to figure out how an author with an English degree had such a thorough understanding of how computers, firewalls and all that other technical stuff worked?? An excellent book that I would highly recommend for your reading list.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This book kept me guessing the whole way! I was amazed how fast-paced the story was. There was no place in the book where I could put it down and get some rest! Fantastic read!
Rating:
Summary: Good first try, but not "Clancy Class" material yet
Review: Digital Fortress is a good story told at a pretty good clip. But before you read, turn to page 188 and change the line "Becker checked his watch. It read 1:45pm.." edit that to "1:45am" (Proofreader error). It'll make more sense. Now we 're ready to tackle the other weak points in an otherwise good action story.
TRANSLTR is the billion dollar secret NSA decryption engine that, according to the story line, can break any encrypted code within minutes to produce the clear text message. The story antagonist is blackmailing the NSA by claiming that he has invented a new unbreakable algorithm. To prove his point, he encrypts the algorithmic program using it and posts it on the internet. He then tells the world he'll sell the key to unlock it to the highest bidder.
Now here's where this smart guy loses me. Knowing that the NSA just might kill him to keep his new algorithm secret from everyone, he says that he has given a copy to a trusted confidant. If anything happens to him, his friend will publish the key on the Internet so EVERYONE in the world will have access to unbreakable encryption thereby foiling the UsofA NSA operations.
In other words, if anyone kills me, everyone gets the prize. Anyone see a motive for a "poorer" government to assassinate this guy? I sure do.
Not to give away too much of the plot, but the author gave away the key to the ending much too easily. It's too easy for anyone with a math background. The crypto geniuses didn't get it until a dozen pages later, which is a real surprise since they are suppose to be the super math wizards.
On the plus side, the writing is good and story progresses at a fast and easy pace. Good job for a new writer but has a long way to go to reach "Clancy Class"
Rating:
Summary: Altogether, a disappointment.
Review: Having started to read this book, I decided to do a search on "national security agency". They do indeed have a home page (nsa.gov), with pictures to boot. Anyway, my next link was fas.org - a fascinating site. While perusing their pages, my screen burped. Actually, it was more like a blink. It has never done this before and my first thought was that I had been flagged by "Big Brother". Scary stuff indeed! "Digital Fortress" was a big disappointment for me. Where to start, let me count the ways. Becker's trip to Spain for one was so far out there that I was hoping for a well placed bullet to the brain - his, that is. Here we have a strong jawed, 35 year old, cranberry drinking savant for whom a shot of vodka very nearly brings him to his knees. Within the space of 24 hours he manages to encounter an array of the most distasteful stereotypes - the vengeful Japanese victim of nuclear fallout; his meglomaniacal mogul father; the pompous food critic; the big fat ugly German; the out of control teenagers. And there's more. A ruthless, deaf, Portugese assassin who is unable to catch a scooter with a top speed of 40mph - and he's driving a car! And then there is the equally gorgeous and talented Susan who drives a Volvo ( although it is not mentioned, we can assume that Becker drives a sensible 6 year old Saab). Now Susan is an assertive modern woman unable to put a sleaze like Hale in his place. She fails to recognize the man for whom she has worked for 10 years (check the abovementioned web site for a picture of the director of the NSA). I would suggest that she employ the services of John Grisham and sue the socks off the NSA for not installing emergency lighting in their state of the art building. The line between suspension of belief and disbelief is a thin one. Mr. Brown's premise is original and intriguing. However, I believe that he has to make his characters more accessible and identifiable for the masses. Also, for those that like a good chase book, "The 39 Steps" has always been a favorite of mine.
Rating:
Summary: Kept me up at night reading! ! ! :-)
Review: This book was a pleasure to read. Well written and full of some of the most impressive twists and turns that I almost got dizzy just reading it. I didn't how the book would end until the very end. Well worth the time and money to buy it. Ban Brown has written a book that will take an important place on my bookshelf, right in front, in the middle. A must read for anyone who is even slightly interested in computer security, word/computer puzzles, murder, intrigue, good guys versus bad guys, surprise endings, staying awake at night trying to finish the book in one sitting or maybe your just somebody who really likes to read a good book now and then. My final take is this: Grab a Coca Latte, a comfortable couch, this book and settle in for a wild ride. ----> P. Hannum
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