The Quantum Spy by David Ignatius
Rating 4
A political thriller involving The CIA and Chinese spies in a bid to win the race in discovering the Quantum Computer. The highest, sensitive and most powerful tool in modern mankind.
Although I am not scientific or computer knowledgeable, I did understand the gist of the quantum theory albeit most of it went over my head. Don’t let that stop you from reading the novel tho.
A good read, with a good plot although some of the sub plots relating to Harris Chang didn’t ring true. Would the CIA be that easily deceived?
Very interesting was the character of American Chinese Harris Chang and how he fitted into the American Society. How easily perceptions change.
Overall, a decent spy/thriller.

Obviously very cleverly written, this is a 'thinker's' novel.
Not sure whether I particularly liked the characters but they were well placed and the book flowed well to a solid conclusion.
Not my usual genre too but it did feel good to be out of my comfort zone for once.
A good holiday read which I will recommend.

To a certain extent, I struggled to see the point of this story. The quantum aspect barely makes an appearance and when it does, if you blink you'll miss it.

At the same time, it's jam packed with intrigue, twists and turns, and is an easy read, perfect for a hot lazy day.

This tells the story of the race to find a Quantum computer that can solve problems for the government. There are a lot of characters involved in taking down the Chinese competition which can be a little confusing to start with. The explanations of quantum computing was a little to "technical" for me but the deceptions, actions and lengths the government go to be the first to reach the goal was good reading.

Top spy novel, absolutely loved it.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for opportunity to read an advance copy of this publication.
Highly recommended if this is your genre of books.

This book was a little bit of a different genre for me (typically read crime stuff). I found the story interesting but felt that some of the technical stuff went way over my head. I'm glad that I did read it because its good to sometimes branch out and explore different genres.

Not one for me, tried on several occasions but couldn't get in to the story

A spy novel that was fascinating in places and confusing in others. I found this book to be a heavy and in done places tedious read.

A thrilling tale with a different slant to the usual spy stories. Easy to read and very compelling.

The Quantum Spy is a standard espionage thriller set in the up-to-date world of quantum computing and the developing Sino-American stand-off that threatens to turn hot in the immediate future. Whilst the writing is well-paced and easy to read, the overall plot is a little disappointingly linear, with a surprising lack of blind alleys to tease the reader. Overall, then, this is a reasonably enjoyable yarn, with enough plot ‘hooks’ to sustain interest and a reasonably developed tension as the final denouement is reached. For this reader, however, it would have benefited from the incorporation of a few more false leads to keep the reader guessing at key points in the developing storyline. Despite this relatively minor disappointment I have to admit that I felt compelled to read more than I planned on the three evenings I spent reading the book - always a good sign.

I found this novel too difficult to read. As I have no understanding of the subject matter I am sorry to say that I couldn’t finish it. I am sure there will be many readers who will find it fascinating but it was not for me.

Having been a connoisseur of the spy novels genre and having never read any other book by this writer, I was a bit skeptical going in. But I must say, I found it surprisingly delightful. The character and locale sketches are very colourful. Harris Chang is an extremely likeable protagonist. The story lines blend seamlessly into one another. I did find the prose a little unsophisticated in certain places, especially in the beginning, but it seemed to repair itself as the novel went along. I was a bit unsure of where the narrative would go once they had unveiled the main antagonist (perhaps that is too strong a word). I wasn't sure if there was any more story to be told. But as it turns out, there was !

I’m so sorry I couldn’t get in to this book at all so I couldn’t finish it

A great book. A strong storyline that was exciting and exhilarating, that came the reader engaged at all times.

Many thanks to Netgalley and David Ignatius for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

This is the first book I've read by the author, and it was an enjoyable read on the whole.

The plot locations switched in an interesting manner, and we were given some insights into how the race for technology is conducted behind closed doors, and the thought-processes of the rival sides.

There were some well-drawn characters, however I never felt that I got to know any of the characters - apart from Harris - that well, so there are some gaps to be filled in (perhaps some of the characters have appeared in previous novels?)

All in all, a good read, and I'd definitely read more by this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

I tried to like this book, I loved the concept and the cover. There was for me however way to much 'quantum' science explanation to make it enjoyable for me. More about the science than the characters and the plot. Not for me - sadly.

I did not find this book particularly engaging, and it was certainly not thrilling. The characters were two dimensional, the dialogue uninspired and the action distinctly absent. The political machinations and the parts on quantum computing were very good but that did not make up for the flatness of the plot. I read to the end though.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was quite good great storyline, the characters where spot on too. Great fictional spy thriller. Couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Well written and topical as always with this author, but not my favourite. I could not really get into it and it never totally engaged me.

Probably my fault as anything complex and scientific and computer related leaves me cold and I failed to grasp any of the technical information.

I will hope to do better with his next thriller.