Nowhere near as good as the first. None of the major plot points made sense. Like, Hideo created this magical algorithm that just enforces all laws? That's the most insanely complicated thing I've ever heard. Even if you think every law is moral, which is stupid in and of itself, any algorithm designed by humans is biased. Zero's motivations never made sense at any point in the story, and his middle-of-the-book backstory reveal did absolutely nothing to change my opinion of him or Hideo. I am pissed as hell that Emiko forgives Hideo for everything he did, including all of those deaths, and gives him the chance to work on the next neuro link. Fuck that.

Gave it two stars because it was action-y enough that I bothered to finish it, but it was a disappointment.