Rating: 
Summary: thriller all the way
Review: I'm sure you've read the words," couldn't put it down." Well, move over Ludlum, Demille, Clancy and Follett, Dan Brown has arrived. As an avid reader Ijudge the merits of a good novel as how the author keeps me turning the pages. Mr.Brown does accomplish this with ease. One of the best thrillers that i've read in a long time. The dialogue is as good as Demilles, the plot as thrilling as Ludlum and written with the ease of Follett. I've already checked with Amazon to make sure they inform me as soon as Dan Brown's next novel is published.
Rating:
Summary: First rate cyber-thriller.
Review: I don't often read novels, but in this instance I was captivated by the book's synopsis and, boy, am I glad I bought it. A riveting storyline, with a masterful portrayal of the world of computer security.
Rating: 
Summary: Here's to a better job next time
Review: Neither "techno" nor "thriller", Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress" is only a fair impersonation of a Robert Ludlum novel and is equally as bad as Payne Harrison's "The Black Cipher". You will learn essentially nothing about cryptology nor the NSA in reading "Digital Fortress" that you couldn't learn yourself in 6th grade primers on codes and ciphers. For better written thrillers that use cryptology as a backdrop, see Pearson's "Simple Simon" (soon to be released as a movie, "Mercury Rising") or Harris' "Enigma". For cryptology itself, look for David Kahn's recently revised "Codebreakers" (non-fiction), "The Puzzle Palace" (non-fiction about the NSA) and several good articles in "Wired" Magazine over the past two years concerning cryptology. Dan Brown can obviously write well; we can only hope for a better researched, more engaging work next time.
Rating: 
Summary: Ridiculous - Another forgetfable throwaway "thriller" b
Review: Sometimes I pick up an obscure book and try to give the author a try. But, try as I might, I could not find much that interested me in this forgettable book. Once I bought it I thought I would give it the review it deserved (a bad one). When I saw the tons of "reader comments" I almost laughed. I find if hard to believe that an obscure first novelist - where I just happened to find his last book in the store (and not because it has been selling like hotcakes, they only had two) - has so many "rave reviews" online. More, in fact, than the new John Grisham book (which was equally as horrible). So please, friends of Dan Brown (or the author himself). Please do not insult our intelligence by these false reviews and fade into obscurity like what will inevitably happen with a novel this predictable, technological incorrect and implausible with boring, undeveloped characters. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! - DB
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent first novel!
Review: Great start to a career as a novelist. This was a book that I couldn't put down. Not only is the subject of the plot scary and kind of nerve - rattling, but the story that Brown weaves around his main premise is quite believable. I was a bit taken aback with some of the typos and grammatical problems. The editor and typesetter should be more careful even though this is a first edition. I did find some areas quite predictable. I don't know if the author meant this or I just twigged onto this, but it didn't detract from the book itself. All in all, an excellent first novel!
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
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