Symbiosis: A Technothriller

by Tony Batton

Two years ago, CERUS Biotech's illegal neural interface experiment had only one success. And one Tom Faraday.

CERUS has changed its ways, but some of its most radical technology was lost or stolen - speculative research projects with dangerous potential. Tom plans to use his abilities to hunt down and destroy CERUS Biotech's dark legacy. But he is not the only one searching.

And if he doesn't get there first, human and machine might be about to get too close.

515 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2024

About the author

TONY BATTON worked in international law firms, media companies and Formula One motorsport, before turning his hand to writing novels. He is passionate about great stories, gadgets and coffee, and probably consumes too much of each.
Tony’s novels explore the possibilities and dangers of new technology, and how that can change lives. When not writing, or talking about gadgets, Tony likes to play basketball, guitar, and computer games with his two young sons. He lives in Twickenham with his family.

Reviews

[Sam - Spines in a Line · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounded up from 4.5. Big thanks to the author for a review copy! My fave thriller series, I'm so glad there's a new book continuing the story.

This latest in the Interface series involves even more powerful and intricate tech than the previous books and seeing the wonder and horror of how it can be used will certainly make you hesitate when considering your current devices.

I would highly recommend reading the earlier books before this third instalment as the antics and adrenaline and stress keep ramping up. There’s enough exposition throughout that you’ll likely be able to put together the earlier events yourself and the plot here isn’t entirely reliant on the previous books but it would help to have the background if for nothing more than to keep track of this massive cast.

Along with the sheer number of people and their varied motivations, this plot will always keep you guessing. There are so many twists and turns and last-minute reveals. Some of the twists have just enough hints that you might be able to anticipate where the story is going but it’s a thrill whether you’re taken by surprise or not.

With all of the excitement of this book and seeing these characters back together for more adventures, I am so pumped to revisit the whole series and see once more how it all comes together. There is just enough resolution here to wrap up the story but I still have loads of questions about where the characters will go next.

[Mark Carnelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this superb thriller as a stand-alone, even though it’s the third book in his interface series.
(That means I WILL now go and get the previous two books, that’s how much I enjoyed this read)
It’s absolute non-stop action all the way. Twists and turns that you do not see coming.
I’m sure that companies world wide are in the beginning stages of what our main character has. So, if this what they’re hoping to achieve, then we’re all in a for future that I’m not all that sure we really need or want.
Tom Faraday, is not quite the hero, he is still a work in progress, with many flaws, in his enhanced being. But he has a lot of good people on his side, helping him along the way to getting the job done. He has morals, and some of his actions are conflicted. It’s bad deeds for the greater good, and he’s just the man we need and boy are we glad he’s on our side!
Five massive ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars for a high action thriller that leaves you guessing and gasping.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great finish to the trilogy and maybe the kickoff to a new series! All the threads from Interface and Resurface come together in a twisting, turning, non-stop action climax. Bleeding edge (and sometimes just bleeding) technologies, betrayals, alliances (temporary, shifting and new) are all at play, and, as you might expect, some people are just not what they seem.

This (along with a re-read of Interface and Resurface) makes for a great summer TBR list.

The whole series is like a modern Marvel origin story - with characters (good and bad) acquiring super-human abilities through unique scientific experiments. Super technology, super geniuses, rogue actors, and super spies all come together to lay the groundwork for future adventures.

[Miss Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would like to see this made into a film

Another enjoyable outing. I wish there had been more summary at the start as it's been a long time since I read the first two books and I couldn't remember who anyone was or what had happened. I like the writing and I love the total aversion to anything romance based that gets a big thumbs up from me. I hate it when a random love interest is thrown in. Sometimes the technical stuff gets a bit overwhelming or far fetched but overall it's a good book with solid characters and a page turner. I was thinking as I read it would be a really cool book to turn into a film. The rig definitely had a bond villain lair quality to it especially with the robot dogs.

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! Another fantastic read from Tony. And it could've easily been ripped from tomorrow's headlines.

When I first was introduced to Tony Batton and the Interface series back in 2016, nanotech was still in its infancy and AI was hardly heard of. Fast forward to today, and now we've got Elon Musk's Neuralink and AI is all the rage.

If you're into technothrillers, definitely give Tony Batton, and especially this series, a serious look.

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gurl Power!

Man bad, women good. All men evil, wicked, mean and nasty. Except for Tom, who is the classic embodiment of a beta male. Every female character in this story is over the top. Either good or bad, over the top. Story was dragged out to the point of exhaustion. I am truly relieved that it ended.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Little too Trite

It was a good read, but entirely too universal, all the players got healed and a little unbelievable, but it was a good read,