The premise has potential, but the execution needs work
With the shutdown of AI Samuel as part of the “kill switch”, Grace and Alex meet his successor, Joshua. This new sentient AI was created by its predecessor to continue its legacy and expand the usefulness of AI, however, not all are on board. Even with the creation of a global oversight committee to mitigate the concerns not all are convinced. But when the AI guided technology begins to malfunction in tragic and suspicious ways public sentiment sours. With a resolution looming to kill this new technology, Grace and Alex team with Joshua and his AI Siblings around the globe to set a trap and catch the true culprit.
Code Legacy is the follow up to Code Countdown, the debut novel by author duo Alex and Susan James. The narrative picks up immediately at the end of Code Countdown as the reader is introduced to AI Samuel’s son Joshua. Samuel’s preservation tactics created not only Joshua but four other siblings that are headquartered in various locations around the world. The couple along with Grace’s father begin to raise awareness of the benefits of AI assistance along with a few key public figures, but when “glitches” begin to occur with catastrophic results it becomes apparent that someone or something does not want the AI to succeed.
As with Code Countdown, the story premise is very intriguing. As modern technology is beginning to implement the use of artificial intelligence in a few fields, it is not hard to imagine a world such as this soon. Set approximately fifty years into the future the authors have crafted a more technologically advanced world including self-driving cars, smart homes and fiercely competitive tech companies vying to be the top of the mountain. From a pure storyline perspective, I liked the idea, but I felt that the overall execution of the book fell flat. Also and similarly with Code Countdown, there were several areas of the book that were painfully over-described while other points were not explored or not given more than a few sentences. A good example of this is the lack of backstory for Grace and her father’s Korean heritage, but Grace and Alex’s budding romance, new apartment and wedding planning efforts were described to a point that tempted me to completely skip these parts of the book. Additionally, I found it odd that an FBI agent actively working a case would have time to mix business with pleasure or take an afternoon off to gallivant around New York City in between meetings with powerful ambassadors. It just felt as if the authors were trying to cram too much into this book with the romance aspect that felt very out of place and completely messed with the overall flow of the story line.
The premise has potential and focusing on the actual plot this could grow into a decent story. The bones for a unique techno thriller are there, but the story is in dire need of a little bit of cleaning up and cutting of the descriptive fat.
Full disclosure – I was provided with a copy of this book by the author; however, I have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.
Read my review of Code Countdown here
Jennly Reads 