Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Apex (Nexus, #3)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Apex

(Nexus #3)

Ramez Naam (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 7,080 ratings · 483 reviews

The Explosive Conclusion to Nexus and Crux

Global unrest spreads through the US, China, and beyond. Secrets and lies set off shockwaves of anger, rippling from mind to mind. Riot police battle neurally-linked protesters. Armies are mobilized. Political orders fall. Nexus-driven revolution is here.

Against this backdrop, a new breed of post-human children are growing into t ...more

Get A Copy

Kindle Edition, 608 pages

Published May 5th 2015 by Angry Robot

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Apex, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Technological Singularity Books Fiction or Non-Fiction

73 books — 119 voters

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Best of Cyberpunk

329 books — 1,175 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.17 ·

Rating details

· 7,080 ratings · 483 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Apex (Nexus, #3)

Apr 22, 2015 Rob rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-male, science-fiction, read-2015, cyberpunk

Executive Summary: This series has been a fortuitous discovery, and Mr. Naam does an excellent job bringing it to a satisfying conclusion.

Full Review
This series is yet another reason I'm glad I found Goodreads. I might never have discovered it otherwise.

The fact that I read this book, rather than waiting for the audio book to come out should be a good indication as to how I excited I was for it. My reading time is precious and my reading speed poor. I made sure to clear my schedule so I'd be ...more

flag 33 likes · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2017 TS Chan rated it really liked it

Apex is a great conclusion to the Nexus trilogy, a cyberpunk science fiction that blended thought-provoking social commentary with relatable characters and emotional resonance.

Imagine having the internet, a virtual reality platform and personal hard drives hosted in the brains of thousands or millions of the human race. And it's an open shareware where anyone with unlimited connectivity can freely contribute any application. This, in essence, propagates a single vast mind which is greater than Apex is a great conclusion to the Nexus trilogy, a cyberpunk science fiction that blended thought-provoking social commentary with relatable characters and emotional resonance.

Imagine having the internet, a virtual reality platform and personal hard drives hosted in the brains of thousands or millions of the human race. And it's an open shareware where anyone with unlimited connectivity can freely contribute any application. This, in essence, propagates a single vast mind which is greater than the sum of its parts. That is what Nexus is capable of accomplishing. Take one step further to host Nexus in a quantum mind and you will get sentient artificial intelligence. Upload this onto a human clone and a post-human is hence created.

Amazing. Beautiful. Frightening.

After the ending of the previous book, I expected a nightmare of artificial intelligence dominance and destruction to descend upon the world. While it certainly did, it was not entirely in the fashion that I’ve anticipated. The story took a bit longer to engage me than the previous two instalments, as many new characters were introduced to demonstrate the greater proliferation of Nexus and its implications – both good and bad. In the end, even though there were a lot more new characters, it was necessary to serve the plot towards its denouement. A concatenation of events led to an ending that was akin to watching an imminent train wreck of massive proportions in slow motion. It was nerve-wracking and intense!

All politics is personal. It turns out all policy is personal, too. She’d thought once that policy was a rational thing. That it could be decided based on logic and analysis, optimized to maximize the likelihood of best outcomes, either for the world, the nation, or at least for one side or the other. But no. None of those could compete with the personal experience of one man.

As with the first two books, this one continued the series' thought-provoking narrative. Of governments and policies being an extension of personal agenda and experiences of the leaders. Of the simple iteration of Prisoner’s Dilemma between the major forces in the world and the annihilation that can ensue. And how violence necessarily begets violence.

I recommend this series to fans of near-future science fiction. The books were not without its flaws as there were times where I found it repetitive. Regardless, with a highly engaging story and great characters, it is definitely worth reading.

This review can also be found at Booknest ...more

flag 28 likes · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2014 Dara rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2016, scifi, reviewed, series, lady-protag, cyberpunk

I loved the first two books in this series, Nexus and Crux so I couldn't wait for the final book to come out in May 2015. However, I couldn't get into Apex when I first got it. It was slow, too many new POV characters, largely uninteresting. So I put it down and figured I'd come back to it later. Over a year later, I did and much to my chagrin, my initial impression was correct and the book was ultimately a disappointment.

Apex picks up immediately after the events of Crux (which I largely forgot I loved the first two books in this series, Nexus and Crux so I couldn't wait for the final book to come out in May 2015. However, I couldn't get into Apex when I first got it. It was slow, too many new POV characters, largely uninteresting. So I put it down and figured I'd come back to it later. Over a year later, I did and much to my chagrin, my initial impression was correct and the book was ultimately a disappointment.

Apex picks up immediately after the events of Crux (which I largely forgot [my fault] but Ramez Naam does a good job of inserting small recaps here and there). Naam introduces too many new characters late in the game that I mostly couldn't get behind. The only one I felt invested in was Carolyn Pryce, National Security Advisor to the US president. I was irritated when I had to spend time with Breece or one of the many Chinese scientists instead of Kade or Feng. As for Sam: (view spoiler) It's a shame she was wasted for 90% of this book. But so were Kade, Feng, and many others.

The story is poorly paced. I didn't get into it at all until the halfway mark and I'm not sure if it's because the story got better or I had Stockholm Syndrome. The many POVs dilute the story and take focus away from Kade, Sam, Feng, and Su-Yong. The events in Washington DC felt out of place and largely disconnected from the main plot. I could have easily done without them (including Rangan who I never cared about). Naam doesn't have a flashy or poetic writing style. It gets the job done and nothing else so I didn't even have nice prose to keep me interested.

I don't want to spend my whole review hating on the book but one more aspect I would have liked to have known about: Are there any adverse effects of Nexus? I mean, you're taking a drug that messes with your neurons. There has to be some side effects. Early onset Alzheimer's? Dementia? Why isn't anybody studying this?

There were many cool ideas in the Nexus arc that I wish Naam had explored more. Unfortunately Apex was a huge letdown.

D+ ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

May 05, 2015 Bradley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, transhumanism

This third novel is a serious departure from the first two. Global politics and truly high stakes action is involved, including several full-featured revolutions, the machinations of an evil world-mind, and a nuclear war. Sound pretty epic? It is.

And there was enough action and solid pace to make the introduction of many new characters worth continuing.

Don't worry, though! If you're worried that those surviving main characters don't carry over into this novel, rest assured. All of them have cen ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Sep 03, 2018 L.A. Starks rated it it was amazing

Whoa! Tremendous third book of the trilogy! This ambitious and technologically fictional-but-prescient novel crosses the globe between Washington and China in a blockbuster war-of-the-worlds kind of finish.

An exceptional finale to a great trilogy. Highly recommended. Kudos to Naam.

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

May 12, 2015 Miles rated it liked it · review of another edition

Ramex Naam’s Nexus Arc has become wildly popular since I read the first installment back in early 2013. I’ve enjoyed this series and would recommend it to pretty much anyone interested in near-future scifi, but I have to admit that Apex was a rather lukewarm finale.

While Naam has created a vibrant speculative landscape full of tantalizing and terrifying futuretech, he has also failed to temper his obnoxious penchant for dull, sloppy prose. I wouldn’t have thought it possible that the third book ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

May 05, 2015 Josh Bancroft rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, ebooks, kindle

Love love love this series. Ramen Naam is doing some of the best speculative writing on neuroscience, AI, the mind, and what it means to be human that I have ever read. He's got a lot of great essays and non-fiction, too–this is one sharp dude. I highly recommend the Nexus series (Nexus, Crux, and this book, Apex) to anyone interested in good scifi and/or having your mind opened to the possibilities (and dangers) that lie ahead for us. ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2015 Jason rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2015

2 Stars

Apex was a huge disappointment for me.

It was long, drawn out, predictable, boring, and little happens for much of this book. It is completely unlike the first two books. I pretty much hated it.

The series had potential to be an all time classic and for the first two books it still is. The conclusion is not up to the standards set in the first two books.

I love the high concepts in the series but hated the ending.

Oh well, it happens.

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

May 04, 2015 Robyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

A satisfying and somewhat terrifying conclusion to a trilogy I couldn't put down. ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jul 28, 2016 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read2016, sci-fi-fantasy, post-human

As part of my ongoing quest to finish up some series and trilogies I have started before this year, I requested the last book of the Nexus trilogy from interlibrary loan. I love Ramez Naam's treatment of the post-human idea (he calls it transhuman which is a more politically correct term in the 21st century probably), but there are some things that made me enjoy this book slightly less than the others. Still solid, still hard to put down.

Putting some of this behind a spoiler tag since it might s ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Apr 14, 2015 Steven Shaviro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

APEX is the third volume of Ramez Naam's trilogy that began with NEXUS and continued with CRUX. These are near-future thrillers that deal with a technology that is able to link brains to one another. In the real world, there has already been research on technologies that would allow brain trasmissions on a very primitive level. Disabled people can, to some extent, relay commands to a computer through thought alone -- their neural impulses get transmitted to the machine, and translated into comma APEX is the third volume of Ramez Naam's trilogy that began with NEXUS and continued with CRUX. These are near-future thrillers that deal with a technology that is able to link brains to one another. In the real world, there has already been research on technologies that would allow brain trasmissions on a very primitive level. Disabled people can, to some extent, relay commands to a computer through thought alone -- their neural impulses get transmitted to the machine, and translated into commands that it can understand. Even the transmission of simple sensations and feelings from one person to another seems to be possible. Naam extrapolates from these technologies to imagine a brain mechanism allowing people to network their thoughts and emotions with each other. It's sort of like WiFi for the brain -- I can share in the feelings and sensations of another person; we can communicate wirelessly; at the limit, brains can meld together to form a group mind; at another extreme, somebody can manipulate somebody else's motor reactions, forcing them to do things they don't want to do.

Naam's trilogy looks at the possible consequences (social, political, aesthetic, and spiritual) of such a technology being developed. It could be used to enhance personal experience, like at a rave (people are enabled, not just to share the same musical high, but actually to feel each others' reactions at the same time). It can also be used for terrorism and destruction. Attempts by various governments to suppress the technology can also have extreme effects -- think of current regulations on drugs and certain softwares, only amplified a million times.

NEXUS and CRUX looked at some of these possibilities -- a group of graduate students develop the Nexus technology, which allows brains to interact in real time; the technologie leaks out into the world as a whole; the US government tries to brutally suppress it, and ruins many lives in the process; the Chinese government seeks to adapt it as a weapon of war.

APEX moves beyond the more individualized use of such technology such as we see in the first two volumes, to consider how it might work on a mass scale. We get group minds -- children who were first exposed to Nexus in the womb, and Buddhist monks who are able to join themselves together during meditation. We also get a lot about the possible use of such mind technology in political protest -- which breaks out both in the US and in China in the course of the novel. Minds can link together for more effective resistance; but they can also be spurred on to hate and massive violence by the synergistic effect of mass mental transmission. The novel also features a crazed AI, the brain of a scientist that has been reproduced on a quantum computer, and whose mental links to others through the network allow her to wreak havoc on an unprecedented scale.

The book is exciting, gripping, and extreme; but at the same time Naam is really thinking hard about the possibilities for both good and evil that such a mind technology could unleash. He doesn't give us any easy answers. While the novel clearly suggests that government suppression of this sort of technology does far more harm than good -- in the same way that actual surveillance and censorship by the US and Chinese governments today does far more harm than good -- he doesn't underplay the negative effects of such a technology either. A new technology like the one envisioned in these novels really does change everything. But this does not mean it is either a panacea or a threat. Everybody will have to do things differently, once such a technology is established. But the technology itself enters into play with all sorts of other social, political, and economic forces, rather than determining any particular outcome.

The only criticism I have of this book, as of the whole series, is that, while its actors involve both hackers and governments, megalomaniacal millionaires and just ordinary folk, left wing political activists and Buddhist monks committed to peace -- the one element missing from Naam's picture is large globalized corporations. I think that such entities will have a major role to play, apart from either governments or citizens' groups -- and a role that will almost certainly be for ill -- in any such technological development. This dimension of the problem is missing. But all in all, Naam gives us a smart, as well as highly entertaining, look at how this particular technology might work, and more generally, at how technologies interact with other sorts of social, economic, and political forces, in a future which still remains entirely open.
...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2017 Andy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 2017-shortlist, top-10-2017, sci-fi, 2016-shortlist

Darn its been near on a year since I read the last part which I could tell after only a few pages as its straight into the action & Im a little lost but we soon whip around all the plot threads & characters & ive got the thread of the story if not all the names..... I really should go back-2-back on some of these trilogies..... note to self.... AGAIN!

Its a fast paced read, very readable too which has been the draw for this trilogy throughout, not once has it bogged me down with tech heavy narrat Darn its been near on a year since I read the last part which I could tell after only a few pages as its straight into the action & Im a little lost but we soon whip around all the plot threads & characters & ive got the thread of the story if not all the names..... I really should go back-2-back on some of these trilogies..... note to self.... AGAIN!

Its a fast paced read, very readable too which has been the draw for this trilogy throughout, not once has it bogged me down with tech heavy narrative. The characters too be they evil or for good are very likeable & have been well fleshed out during the trilogy & I find myself rooting for them on their adventures. The bond between them all is very close as is the way with a linked Nexus mind which again makes them even more endearing I would say.

As to the plot...... well you need to read the prior two in the trilogy tbh but a short synopsis...... Its now 2040 & as we near the completion (of the trilogy), the factions are fully laid out – The Americans who are anti-post human but quite willing to use them for their own gain & so maintain the dominance of a superpower (no change there then!), the Chinese the other superpower of the same ilk & the Indians, the “next” superpower but one that needs the nexus technology in order to be so. Then there is the 4th way..... a mad post-human scientist come entity for want of a better word who is hell-bent on revenge for years of captivity & enslavement by the Chinese government........ the world must pay!

For much of the story it builds with America in forever increasing turmoil through open revolt or China facing a swell of uprising after a government coup by hardliners whilst India embraces the Nexus tech. However in reality they are all playing second fiddle to the entity through it’s manipulations & machinations...... That’s a simplistic view for sure as all the characters stories intertwine be they MC or mere interludes & the multiple plots move ever forward at an increasing pace to the inevitable collision course(s)

5 Stars easily & didn’t think many would touch Vlad The Last Confession this year as my favourite book but Apex ranks alongside it for sure........ Another thing to note, each one of the Nexus series has made my top 10 reads for the last 3 years, says it all I think.

An exciting conclusion to what’s been a grand series. I hope to read more from this author.
...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 13, 2020 RJ - Slayer of Trolls rated it liked it · review of another edition

The final installment in the Nexus trilogy wraps up the storyline and is not a stand-alone story by any means. This time around there's a slow-build up in intensity over about 850 pages with a lot of action at the end but quite a few slow parts leading up to the finish. It feels a bit wordy in a way that the prior two installments didn't, but it's still a worthy conclusion to an award-winning science-fiction technothriller trilogy that explores the the idea of post-humanism. ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Dec 31, 2018 Alaina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, sci-fi, fiction, fantasy, kindle-unlimited, 2018

I was super excited to find the next book of this series on my kindle.. it sucks that I had to buy it though. Okay, so other than my excitement for this book.. well.. I was a bit bored this time around. I mean, I still love certain characters and I guess the science-y part of it all.. and yet, I still found myself getting bored.

Now Apex is the third book of this series and it falls right after the second book. I feel like there was a bit too much to follow this time around. Plus, I did feel myse ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Aug 28, 2015 Belinda Lewis rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I read these as a series and am reviewing them as such (although I would like to say that this is a series I enjoyed less and less as I went along, ergo the dropping in stars as we progress).

There are some really great concepts here. Especially in the first book the way that drugs, nanotech and augmentations combine to create near-post-humans and post-humans is beautifully explored. The repercussions of this on society and the way in which people let fear of the unknown dictate their actions equ ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2018 Erik rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: scififantasy, detailed-review

Transhumanism

In his essay ‘Why Socialism?’ Albert Einstein remarks upon a concept that lies at the heart of this sci-fi series, the extinction of the human race:

I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked that only a supra-national organization would offer protection from that danger. Thereupon my visitor, very calmly and coolly, said to me: “Why are you so deeply o

...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 03, 2021 Sabrina rated it liked it

The Apex of the Nexus trilogy was unfortunately too revolutionary, too politic, too spirituel, too ferocious, too glorious, too self-sacrificing, too trigger-happy and too long. I still enjoyed the conclusion, but it felt forced. Politics do not seem to be the author’s strength, though there certainly was some truth in his visions. As before, I disliked the spiritualism of connectivity – does no one want to keep some secrets? Also, some character got renamed from Ava (second book) to Kate (th ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2020 spikeINflorida rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Book 3 of the NEXUS Trilogy, APEX is another techno-thriller in the vein of James Bond meets Matrix meets Jason Bourne. Although too weighty at 600 pages, the story remains Bruce Lee fast and Sarah Conners tough.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 08, 2017 YouKneeK rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, completed-series

Apex is the final book in the trilogy that began with Nexus. It begins at pretty much the same instant that the previous book left off. I thought it wrapped up the trilogy well, although there was one thing near the end that I wish hadn’t happened. By the end, the author had addressed all of the many little plot threads and character arcs. He didn’t necessarily tie everything up into a neat little package, which can sometimes feel unrealistic anyway, but he provided a good idea of where things w ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Apr 25, 2017 Hank rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Naam does a spectacular job of tension filled, epic endings. The pacing in this book, compared to Crux was much better. I was engaged the whole way.

I liked the issues Naam brought up although some of the situations were getting a bit far fetched. Although I think he belabored the Budhism aspect, I loved that part and was lost in the feelings of peace he so skillfully wrote about.

My first 5 star book in a while, loved the issues, loved the characters, loved the action and tension and (view spoile ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 19, 2017 Od Busakorn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

With Apex Ramez Naam brings his debut series to a satisfying conclusion, though in a less enthralling and more hodgepodge fashion. More satisfying in the handling of the thematic idea of AI (4.5 stars), and less so for the writing (3 stars). Overall it's more 3.5 stars than 4 stars. I felt his writing is weaker in Book 3. I still don't like his style of repeating bits of dialogue when switching from scene to scene. Mr Naam still needs to hone his craft for finer literary prose and Book 3 probabl With Apex Ramez Naam brings his debut series to a satisfying conclusion, though in a less enthralling and more hodgepodge fashion. More satisfying in the handling of the thematic idea of AI (4.5 stars), and less so for the writing (3 stars). Overall it's more 3.5 stars than 4 stars. I felt his writing is weaker in Book 3. I still don't like his style of repeating bits of dialogue when switching from scene to scene. Mr Naam still needs to hone his craft for finer literary prose and Book 3 probably should be proof-read again for typos.

Apex finally gets into the geopolitics of superpowers with USA, China and India, which I think was a bit too slow coming. This could have been introduced in Book 2. Naam deals with the geopolitics reasonably well, with plausible enough scenarios and MO assigned to each superpower.

The characters continue to evolve in Book 3 and adapt to new events and crises. The Condi Rice-inspired character, national security advisor to POTUS, is a worthy new addition, and the real-life and avatar version of Zhi Li, the megastar face of the Chinese AI, is also interesting, even if a bit cartoonish. Naam did a good job of creating the feel of future Shanghai. My favorite character, Feng, the Chinese clone, continues to be a delight, while Sam has gone understandably more glum and self-absorbed given her PTSD. Kade becomes a butterfly, in a good way. The treatment of the supporting cast is good, particularly the Chinese. The minor Indian characters are thin by comparison. The book is not very long but Mr. Naam managed to pack a lot of action, sub-plots and layers in it, from techno terrorism, AI gone haywire, paranoid geopolitics, smart people stumbling over themselves and each other trying to save the world, and sometimes sappy human stories. Fortunately I can do sappy.

I continue to appreciate Naam keeping with the moral dilemma with AI and SI, presenting both positive and negative scenarios and not trying to push the reader one way or another. I am not smart enough to judge the science of Nexus but I imagine it's not too farfetched beyond the 2040 future. The part that feels a bit strange and requires me to suspend disbelief is the Buddhism part, where Thai monks behave oddly. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate mediation and even try to practice it a bit. I believe there is something to the power of the mind, though we still know very little about it. For this reason perhaps, I can't help feeling the mind-power angle in Book 3 sounds almost woo woo.

All in all, this is a highly enjoyable series that helps expand my understanding of AI and its implications. It informs with good entertainment and the reader is left with some important questions to ponder over. I call that a success.

My review of Book 1: Nexus, and review of Book 2: Crux. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2015 Rose rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I feel almost guilty saying this because I was practically shouting from the rooftops on the previous two that sci-fi lovers everywhere should read this series, but I didn't care for this one nearly as much. My major problem was that the first half of the book was just so bloody boring. Naam spent an incredible amount of time showing us how great Nexus was, how far reaching the mind could be with it, but after two books full of that, I didn't need a third. For most of the first half, I could onl ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 27, 2015 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, series-finished

3.5 stars, rounded up because I think the trilogy was really good. I love the idea of Nexus, and I liked throughout the trilogy how the author explored many of the ramifications. However, I had a hard time getting into this book - there were a LOT of new points of view, and lots of switching between them. I didn't hate any of them, but I didn't feel compelled to read another short chapter about another person I didn't really know. It took me about a month to read the first 60% - I'd pick it up a ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 05, 2015 Molly added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

In this thrilling conclusion to the Nexus trilogy, Naam creates a world that is coming apart at the seams. No one is in control, and no one knows who their real enemies are. While Nexus and Crux were complex, international technothrillers, in Apex the conspiracies run deeper, the global repercussions are wider, and the cast of characters has expanded to include Chinese actors, Indian spies, and an all-female DC hacker collective. Of course, Naam continues to do what he does best - things blow up ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 10, 2015 Michael Hicks rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

[Note: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.]

I was instantly captivated by Ramez Naam's sci-fi debut, Nexus, and have loved reading how his characters and this near-future Earth have responded to the burgeoning transhuman movement. With Apex, Naam picks up the story threads left at the end of book two, Crux, and delivers a highly satisfying conclusion to his series.

Apex is a large book, in both page count and scope. The advanced brain enhancement technology of the Nex [Note: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.]

I was instantly captivated by Ramez Naam's sci-fi debut, Nexus, and have loved reading how his characters and this near-future Earth have responded to the burgeoning transhuman movement. With Apex, Naam picks up the story threads left at the end of book two, Crux, and delivers a highly satisfying conclusion to his series.

Apex is a large book, in both page count and scope. The advanced brain enhancement technology of the NexusOS has been causing a political stir for quite sometime, and it all comes to a head here. There are political coups, conspiracies, terrorism, riots, the rise of AI, and the threat of nuclear warfare.

This is a dense novel, with multiple subplots revolving around the birth of the PLF, a pro-transhumanist terror group, technological heists between China and India stemming from the viral load of the once-human Su-Yong, and disputes over the US presidential election, and so many other moving pieces intersecting these various subplots that the book feels much longer than it really is.

And that, really, is my only gripe. While Amazon lists the page count of this book at 608 pages, it feels twice as long and makes for a bit of a ponderous read. There is just so much happening, and so many characters involved, that it's hard not to feel the weight and pressure of the story. I recall the prior two books being rather briskly paced and energetic, whereas this one is more of a massive pot-boiler. While it took me some time to get through, it was certainly well worth it. There's also the issue of information delivery, with segments of the story being told in large chunks and then abandoned for a long while to focus on other issues, before circling back to pick up the threads on something else.

All that said, I did find Apex to being a strong finish to the story with the characters meeting their natural conclusions and, in some cases, a few surprises along the way. I do wish more would have been done to make Sam less one dimensional here, as she's been a strong character previously with a very interesting background and journey throughout. It's a bit of a shame to have her reduced here to a simple worrywart, mother figure with little else to do. I was happy to see Ranjan Shankari with a more integral role this time around, though, and Kade's steps toward becoming a leader was very well done.

Naam is due tremendous applause for keeping all the gears turning in this massive tome. As I said, there is an awful lot happening here, with a lot of spinning plates to keep an eye, but the author does a fabulous job of tying up the various thread and delivering an energetic and compulsively readable finale to not only Apex, but to the series as a whole.

If you've been following the Nexus series thus far, then grabbing a copy of Apex is a no-brainer and it brings the series to a close with a rollicking finish replete with serious tension and action. If you haven't been, then I highly recommend you start at the beginning, where you'll likely find yourself becoming a fan in no time. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2014 Mitchell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: published-2014, near-future, fiction, published-2015, five-star, liked-reviews, five-star-science-fiction, science-fiction, library, series

Wow. And that's with a slow and confused start. Though perhaps if I had just read the other two books it would have felt smoother. There are a lot of well done details here. A lot of character actions that just felt right. And there's a lot of technology and society stuff going on as well, perhaps too much. But the strongest part of the book is the feeling of optimism in the chaos and fear. Not a book for the masses perhaps, but worth reading and discussing. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 20, 2016 Tate added it · review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish

Didn't actually finish this. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 30, 2022 Srikar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 2022, science-fiction

A satisfying ending to a great science fiction saga. Thoroughly enjoyable, readable and somewhat realistic (in its politics) as well!

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 10, 2015 Peter rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received an advanced review ebook of this for free through NetGalley. I don't think it affected my review. What may have affected the review was my enjoyment for the previous books, which is why I signed up to get the early look... I just couldn't wait until it came out in stores.

Nexus, the nanotechnological drug that connects people mind-to-mind, continues to spread and make changes on the world. Kaden Lane continues to struggle with preventing abuses of the technology, and preventing those I received an advanced review ebook of this for free through NetGalley. I don't think it affected my review. What may have affected the review was my enjoyment for the previous books, which is why I signed up to get the early look... I just couldn't wait until it came out in stores.

Nexus, the nanotechnological drug that connects people mind-to-mind, continues to spread and make changes on the world. Kaden Lane continues to struggle with preventing abuses of the technology, and preventing those who oppress those who might use it, and hopes to secure the rights of a group of Nexus-capable children he's trying to protect. Meanwhile, in the US, a contentious Presidential election is about to explode with accusations that they were behind a terrorist group that has been the bogeyman used to excuse their own abuses of civil rights. But the fate of the world might all depend on what is happening in China, where the remnant of one of the first true post-humans, the digitally uploaded consciousness of Su-Yong Shu, which has escaped an imprisonment that functioned much like torture with the drive and possibly the capability to take over the world... and she's also gone mad.

This book caps off the Nexus trilogy, one of my favorite series in recent years, and, like the predecessors, it's filled with action, disturbingly plausible speculation on near future technology, and a large cast of characters that, mostly, you can sympathize with and understand even when they're making decisions you abhor.

It also almost completely satisfies, both on it's own (although it probably should not be read without the other two books), and as a conclusion. That's difficult to do while juggling so many balls, but for the most part, it works remarkably well. There are a few elements to the conclusion that, were I reading another book, I might criticize as overly schmaltzy or a cheat, but here, it flows naturally from premises that have existed throughout the series, so I have no objection.

Despite the technological speculation that forms the basis of the series, and talk of posthumans and transhumans, there's a strong humanistic streak in the book, a belief in the fundamental decency of most people, whether they're baseline human or augmented, or hive minds or digital uploads, where they may do the wrong things for the usual selfish reasons, or operate from faulty premises, but they're trying to be the most moral they can within that. I really enjoy that feeling. Even people deep in the political process occasionally struggle with their conscience, and change their minds. Maybe it's not realistic, but it's appealing, especially when too often in SF there are tropes like evil emperors who are evil because they're pure evil.

Again, I read an Advanced Review Copy, so there were a few typographical or grammatical errors that I hope and assume will be fixed in the final edition, and the only reason I mention them is because they're about the biggest complaint I have. Well, there is one other... the book jumps around a lot, particularly at the end, between the various storylines. This isn't the problem... the problem is that a few times they recap the same events multiple times, and it feels unnecessarily repetitive. But in the end, it's a very small problem in a very good book. And as long as I'm listing minor disappointments, I might have also liked a little more peek at the future, but I suppose there's always potential for other books that might supply that, or, failing that, my own imagination. Whatever the case, I look forward to seeing what Naam does next.

I still have the ebook, but I enjoyed it so much that I'm going to buy a physical copy, so the series will look nice together on my shelves, and, if our technological civilization ever totally collapses, I can read by candlelight and imagine a world that might have been. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 26, 2020 LindaJ^ rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, political, kindle

I read the first book in this series in December 2015 and liked it so much I immediately bought the rest of the series. I read the second book in the series in April 2017 and while I did not like as well as the first, my review tells me I was definitely going to read the third. And I did - in January 2020. It was just what I needed after reading The Memory Police -- something with a lot of action and improbable scenarios.

When I started this, the third installment, I did not remember much of what I read the first book in this series in December 2015 and liked it so much I immediately bought the rest of the series. I read the second book in the series in April 2017 and while I did not like as well as the first, my review tells me I was definitely going to read the third. And I did - in January 2020. It was just what I needed after reading The Memory Police -- something with a lot of action and improbable scenarios.

When I started this, the third installment, I did not remember much of what had previously happened but it came back pretty quickly. This book opens just where the last one ended -- everyone is in a jam. While the immediate threats are quickly dealt with and things settle for a bit, the tension remains.

The action takes place mainly in the US, China, and India. Kade, Sam, and Feng find a sanctuary in India. Rangan has escaped custody in the US and falls in with a group of protesters. In China, the Avator is making Ling's, and lots of others, life a challenge. NexusOS is thriving. Nexus fueled protests and rebellions are occurring around the world. Chaos reigns.

There a new characters in this book and the story swirls from one point of view to another - almost too many count and hard to keep track of them all. I don't know what the print version looks like, but in the Kindle edition, there is only a slight space between the different characters supplying a viewpoint and I often had to pause and back up as it was difficult to detect the change when the action is heavy and I'm reading fast.

Lots and lots of politics here - in all the countries. There are clashes between conservative hardliners, leftwingers, moderates, and military types in all the countries featured. Some of each group consider the morality of possible actions. There are a lot of story angles and some get short shrift, but overall a decent story. While the end leaves things better off, lots of possibilities remain for continued tension and a future return to this world.

At the very end of the book, the author talks about advancements in science and nanotechnology that are happening. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
http://www.healthdietalert.com/apex-plump/	1	2	Dec 13, 2016 11:36PM
http://www.healthdietalert.com/apex-plump/	1	1	Dec 05, 2016 04:15AM
http://www.healthdietalert.com/apex-plump/	1	1	Nov 28, 2016 01:09AM
The Not a Book Cl...: Apex: Section 5 - Chapters 118-End (Full Spoilers)	13	25	Oct 06, 2016 01:37AM
Norwescon: Apex	2	6	Feb 17, 2016 09:05PM
2015 Reading Chal...: Apex by Ramez Naam	2	14	Aug 11, 2015 06:04PM
The Not a Book Cl...: Apex: Section 2 - Chapters 23-52	8	16	Jun 17, 2015 07:13AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Science Fiction

215 users

Fiction

91 users

Science Fiction > Cyberpunk

51 users

Thriller

25 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

13 users

Science Fiction > Dystopia

10 users

Science Fiction > Near Future

9 users

Fantasy

8 users

Audiobook

8 users

Speculative Fiction

8 users

See top shelves…

About Ramez Naam

Ramez Naam

1,342 followers

Ramez Naam was born in Cairo, Egypt, and came to the US at the age of 3. He's a computer scientist who spent 13 years at Microsoft, leading teams working on email, web browsing, search, and artificial intelligence. He holds almost 20 patents in those areas.

Ramez is the winner of the 2005 H.G. Wells Award for his non-fiction book More Than Human: Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement. He' ...more