Death in the Cloud-E. J. Simon

Book: Death in the Cloud
Author: E. J. Simon
Publisher: Simon/Zef

Do you believe Artificial Intelligence will one day take over humans?

Death in the Cloud by E.J. Simon is the fourth book in the Michael Nicholas series. The book begins with a commercial airliner which goes missing over France. Two days later, it turns up in the USA, heading towards the White House. Barely saved by the plane, some days later, the nuclear missiles are aimed at Russia when the launch codes are breached. With a reciprocal attack by the Russian President in place, the world comes to the brink of a nuclear apocalypse. Alex Nicholas, who has been living in the cyberspace, after his murder in Queens has a decision to make. Facing the President of the USA in his underground bunker, he can save the world from annihilation, but will he be willing to sacrifice himself in return?

The book is very well crafted with the plot having the right number of ups and downs to keep a reader engaged. The technology of AI has been very well integrated into the story, and yet it is readable for the people who might not have much idea about how it works. With interesting twists and turns, there are very few dull moments in the book. I loved the way the plot moves ahead, keeping the thrill of the story alive till the last page. With real names used, imagining the situations does become easier. While the book is a part of a series, the plot stands out in itself, and since I am yet to read the earlier 3 books, I can attest to the fact that it can stand its ground as a standalone book. there are almost no loose ends in the book, and I loved the manner in which the suspense for the next book has been kept hanging.

The characters are well crafted, and the level of detailing is something to be admired. For me, Alex and Michael do stand out as characters in the way they handle situations and how they react to situations. Secondly, Heidi as a character was quite interesting and I would love to see how her role changes in the upcoming books with the way things unfolded in the end. Sindy and her stiletto deserve a mention even they did only have a short role in the book.

Overall, an interesting read if you like technology-based fiction and scores a 4.06/5.

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