Meltdown

The Minus Faction #3

by Rick Wayne

An enigmatic mastermind recruits four people with extraordinary abilities and offers them everything they want in exchange for the impossible. But after one of them uncovers a plot to hack the human race, they're not sure which side they're on -- just that not all of them will survive.

"The Minus Faction" is a super-powered speculative thriller in seven novella-length episodes. In Episode Three . . .

After losing his girlfriend and his job, Ian Tendo’s sensible life has fallen apart. When he’s arrested by the FBI, he doesn’t imagine things could get any worse.

That is, until dark forces recruit him to be an agent of terror. Forced to commit horrible acts in secret, Ian knows death is close—either at their hand or his own.

But unexpected help comes in the form of an eleven-year-old prodigy. Wanted by the police and pursued by a living nightmare, the pair’s only hope is a mysterious organization known as the Minus Faction.

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2015

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Reviews

[Jennifer Linsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are a quick read. They're episodic, developing an overall plot arc, so you can't really jump in in the middle. That's not a bad thing, but it is a thing which needs to be mentioned.

[Ryan Toxopeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, I was swept along in the story Wayne has created. This one is big on intrigue, as the new protagonist Ian finds himself on a terrorist watch list for no reason that he can fathom. He’s a sort of “every man” character, who’s devastated by his recent breakup when his life gets further complicated by the FBI and secret organizations. And then a foul-mouthed, super-intelligent 11 (and a half) year old girl comes into the picture – and, well, I think Ian was swept up in the story, too.

There are a lot of fantastic events along the way, and the characters from all three stories come together at the end of this one.

And here’s where this story fell down to 4 stars. I got confused when the POV hopped from one character to another without scene breaks. You’re in Ian’s head, then John without warning. I think it happened a couple times at the end where I wasn’t sure where I was in terms of head-space. I’d noticed very minor cases of this in previous stories, where something would be seen from a minor character’s viewpoint for one line, but it wasn’t a problem to follow. Don’t get me wrong, the story is still excellent, and I’m going to be continuing on with this series. I just hope future stories are clearer about whose POV we’re seeing through, and don’t become jumbled now that all the stories have come together.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah... Ian and Wink... I loved the dynamic between these two...

In the style typical of the series, you've got twists, turns and a seriously nasty baddie. This book also starts digging a little deeper into the overall plot of the series, turning the hints and tidbits from a drip to a stream.

Rick Wayne presents the team and group combat/action with the same polish and punch as the smaller encounters in the first entries of the series. After this book, I knew I had to see the story to its conclusion.

[Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read in the series, and keeps me interested in finishing the series.

[Jens · Rating 5 out of 5]

If by this book you're not hooked on the series, there's something wrong with you.

Hyperbole, yes, but Rick's a fantastic author, and deserves a bit of that :)