What do you think?
Rate this book
Malfunction Trilogy
Infraction
Protecting his family isn’t easy for Starke Coven. Miles below the surface of an inhospitable earth and struggling to make ends meet in a heartless society, Starke works his legal maintenance job during the day, runs contraband through the dangerous underbelly of the city during the nights, and struggles to manage a depressed mother and fatherless younger brother at home.
When Starke’s father returns years after abandoning the family, Starke is quick to offer a bribe to keep him from destroying what he’s worked so hard to build.
But as Starke struggles to deliver, he stumbles onto a secret that will leave hundreds of people dead. Starke is forced to decide whom to trust and the choice he makes could lead his family to destruction.
When Starke’s father returns years after abandoning the family, Starke is quick to offer a bribe to keep him from destroying what he’s worked so hard to build.
But as Starke struggles to deliver, he stumbles onto a secret that will leave hundreds of people dead. Starke is forced to decide whom to trust and the choice he makes could lead his family to destruction.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2018
11 people want to read
About the author
J.E. Purrazzi
36 books58 followers I grew up on a steady diet of adventure both real and imagined. It was never quite enough. So what is a girl to do? The answer: live in a fantasy world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 9, 2019
Prequels are tough. Most of the time, the readers already have a pretty good idea of what goes down in them, making it tough for there to be any kind of emotional investment in the story. This was not the case in Infraction. Though I already knew how it would end, I was still utterly captivated.
By far my favorite part of Infraction was Stark. In fact, he's now probably my 3rd favorite Malfunction character next to Cowl and Minerva. He was just such a good person! So loyal and self sacrificial for his family, never asking for anything in return. I know that single sentence doesn't sound like he's that exceptional or amazing of a character, but believe me, he is. There's so much more about him that I love, but as another reviewer mentioned, much of his character is subtle, so it's rather hard to put into words. Needless to say, he's great!
Another thing about the book I loved was the whole relationship between Cowl and Starke. Starke was such a key part of Cowl's life and directly affects who he becomes later on, that it would be very easy for the relationship to be slightly disappointing when actually getting to encounter it. I'm glad to say it was not in the least! They had such a great slightly bantery big bro- little bro relationship! I love how Cowl was (and is still) so impulsive and reckless, wheras Stark is the exact opposite, being the collected level headed one. They complimented each other so well! They actually reminded me quite a bit of Hiro and Tadashi from Big Hero Six, which is high praise in my book.
And as a bonus, it was really cool to be able to see Cowl (Who is actually one of the protagonists of the main series) through the lense of Starke, his older brother.
Honestly, I'm not even sure there's a single thing about Infraction I didn't like. The characterization is solid all around, the worldbuilding vivid as usual, the pacing fast, and the ending sad and dark yet so touching. Infraction is not a story you want to miss. I'd highly recommend it to anyone-especially those already familiar with Malfunction
By far my favorite part of Infraction was Stark. In fact, he's now probably my 3rd favorite Malfunction character next to Cowl and Minerva. He was just such a good person! So loyal and self sacrificial for his family, never asking for anything in return. I know that single sentence doesn't sound like he's that exceptional or amazing of a character, but believe me, he is. There's so much more about him that I love, but as another reviewer mentioned, much of his character is subtle, so it's rather hard to put into words. Needless to say, he's great!
Another thing about the book I loved was the whole relationship between Cowl and Starke. Starke was such a key part of Cowl's life and directly affects who he becomes later on, that it would be very easy for the relationship to be slightly disappointing when actually getting to encounter it. I'm glad to say it was not in the least! They had such a great slightly bantery big bro- little bro relationship! I love how Cowl was (and is still) so impulsive and reckless, wheras Stark is the exact opposite, being the collected level headed one. They complimented each other so well! They actually reminded me quite a bit of Hiro and Tadashi from Big Hero Six, which is high praise in my book.
And as a bonus, it was really cool to be able to see Cowl (Who is actually one of the protagonists of the main series) through the lense of Starke, his older brother.
Honestly, I'm not even sure there's a single thing about Infraction I didn't like. The characterization is solid all around, the worldbuilding vivid as usual, the pacing fast, and the ending sad and dark yet so touching. Infraction is not a story you want to miss. I'd highly recommend it to anyone-especially those already familiar with Malfunction
April 15, 2025
“Running around with guns and hacking into things was keeping [Cowl] entertained and out of too much trouble. [But] how bad of a big brother did [Starke] have to be to have an assault rifle as a babysitter?”
I am very sparing with five-star reviews; I give them only to my all-time favorite stories. Those books that move and impress me to the extent of nearly becoming a part of me. Only 6% of my Goodreads reviews receive such a rating. I have never given five stars to a short story or a novelette. Well, except for Infraction.
Infraction offers us a glimpse into the backstory of Cowl’s brother, Starke Coven—the doomed character who gets frequently mentioned in the Malfunction trilogy. Rest assured that Starke’s story will shatter your heart. But the narrative will also leave you feeling surprisingly edified and uplifted—in the way that only the very best pieces of tragic fiction can. While Infraction and Revelation may technically serve as accompaniment pieces to the Malfunction universe, I regard them as necessary reading for any Malfunction fan. Not only do these stories further enrich Moore’s world, but they also help the reader better understand and identify with the characters. Infraction succeeds not only in coaxing us readers to fall in love with Starke, but it also helps us to understand the overwhelming impact that he left on Cowl.
While Starke may not initially seem like a character whose story demanded telling, he is expertly and palpably over the course of about 100 pages. In fact, he has emerged as my favorite Malfunction character! I resonate deeply with his struggles to serve as a fitting role model for Cowl, despite the constraints that their life situation thrusts upon them. Heartbreakingly, despite perpetually living for others, Starke does not even believe in his own goodness—which offers a fascinating juxtaposition.
Starke’s character is by no means the only thing to appreciate about Infraction, though. Filled with excellent characterization all around, a dynamic plot, sharp dialogue, powerful prose, palpable family relationships, insightful world-building, an act of betrayal that incenses the reader, and an unexpectedly beautiful ending, the narrative amounts to pure gold.
It seems that not many have read Infraction yet. Only nine people have rated the piece on Goodreads, but eight of them have given it five stars. This is a travesty. If you love the Malfunction books, then you need to read Infraction. Yesterday. In my estimation, it is J.H. Moore’s magnum opus. While I love every book (whether or novella) set in the Malfunction universe, this one has always been my favorite. Each time that I read it, I am blown away.
I am very sparing with five-star reviews; I give them only to my all-time favorite stories. Those books that move and impress me to the extent of nearly becoming a part of me. Only 6% of my Goodreads reviews receive such a rating. I have never given five stars to a short story or a novelette. Well, except for Infraction.
Infraction offers us a glimpse into the backstory of Cowl’s brother, Starke Coven—the doomed character who gets frequently mentioned in the Malfunction trilogy. Rest assured that Starke’s story will shatter your heart. But the narrative will also leave you feeling surprisingly edified and uplifted—in the way that only the very best pieces of tragic fiction can. While Infraction and Revelation may technically serve as accompaniment pieces to the Malfunction universe, I regard them as necessary reading for any Malfunction fan. Not only do these stories further enrich Moore’s world, but they also help the reader better understand and identify with the characters. Infraction succeeds not only in coaxing us readers to fall in love with Starke, but it also helps us to understand the overwhelming impact that he left on Cowl.
While Starke may not initially seem like a character whose story demanded telling, he is expertly and palpably over the course of about 100 pages. In fact, he has emerged as my favorite Malfunction character! I resonate deeply with his struggles to serve as a fitting role model for Cowl, despite the constraints that their life situation thrusts upon them. Heartbreakingly, despite perpetually living for others, Starke does not even believe in his own goodness—which offers a fascinating juxtaposition.
Starke’s character is by no means the only thing to appreciate about Infraction, though. Filled with excellent characterization all around, a dynamic plot, sharp dialogue, powerful prose, palpable family relationships, insightful world-building, an act of betrayal that incenses the reader, and an unexpectedly beautiful ending, the narrative amounts to pure gold.
It seems that not many have read Infraction yet. Only nine people have rated the piece on Goodreads, but eight of them have given it five stars. This is a travesty. If you love the Malfunction books, then you need to read Infraction. Yesterday. In my estimation, it is J.H. Moore’s magnum opus. While I love every book (whether or novella) set in the Malfunction universe, this one has always been my favorite. Each time that I read it, I am blown away.
March 31, 2018
Warning: Some spoilers if you haven't read Malfunction.
It's difficult, but sometimes necessary, to write a story without a happy ending. When I learned that J.E. Purrazzi had crafted a novella around the doomed character of Starke Coven from her excellent novel Malfunction, I had every confidence that she could pull off this feat. I was not disappointed. The story is both thrilling and heartbreaking, yet with a welcome glimmer of hope to balance out the darkness. The characters are all distinctive, and Purrazzi's world-building, as always, is brilliant. This story helps to flesh out the dire circumstances underpinning the main conflict of Malfunction. It also provides additional insight into the motivations of tertiary protagonist Cowl Coven from that novel. Cowl is probably my favorite character in the series, so I welcomed the opportunity to find out more about his past. And even though he plays a supporting role in this particular story, with the main focus remaining on Starke, I felt that I had an even better impression of who Cowl is as a character once I finished Infraction. As I said, the ending is most definitely not a happy one, yet Purrazzi still finds a way to make it beautiful. I won't spoil precisely how she manages it, but if you've enjoyed the stories she's published so far in the Malfunction series, then I highly recommend you add this one to your shelf. You won't be sorry.
It's difficult, but sometimes necessary, to write a story without a happy ending. When I learned that J.E. Purrazzi had crafted a novella around the doomed character of Starke Coven from her excellent novel Malfunction, I had every confidence that she could pull off this feat. I was not disappointed. The story is both thrilling and heartbreaking, yet with a welcome glimmer of hope to balance out the darkness. The characters are all distinctive, and Purrazzi's world-building, as always, is brilliant. This story helps to flesh out the dire circumstances underpinning the main conflict of Malfunction. It also provides additional insight into the motivations of tertiary protagonist Cowl Coven from that novel. Cowl is probably my favorite character in the series, so I welcomed the opportunity to find out more about his past. And even though he plays a supporting role in this particular story, with the main focus remaining on Starke, I felt that I had an even better impression of who Cowl is as a character once I finished Infraction. As I said, the ending is most definitely not a happy one, yet Purrazzi still finds a way to make it beautiful. I won't spoil precisely how she manages it, but if you've enjoyed the stories she's published so far in the Malfunction series, then I highly recommend you add this one to your shelf. You won't be sorry.
February 25, 2018
Welp, if you like to ball your eyes out, this is the novella for you. I love the introduction to Cowl's older brother Starke. I love being able to 'see' more Bunker life and how things are run. Like the other novella, you can pick this one up whenever and read it anywhere in the series, as it has no spoilers... but if you can, I recommend reading this one first before you start your Malfunction journey.. because that's exactly what it is.. a journey through this dismal world Purrazzi has created...
I still can't get this story out of my head.. it's going to stick with me for a long time.
I still can't get this story out of my head.. it's going to stick with me for a long time.
July 27, 2018
Great introduction to the Bunker
The Bunker is a closed society where enforcement of the rules has been pretty relaxed for a while, but that is about to change. This tells the story of a young man who has too much responsibility, trying to care for his family anyway he can. When his long absent father appears troubles can't be far away. I really felt sympathy for the main character and look forward to reading more from this author.
The Bunker is a closed society where enforcement of the rules has been pretty relaxed for a while, but that is about to change. This tells the story of a young man who has too much responsibility, trying to care for his family anyway he can. When his long absent father appears troubles can't be far away. I really felt sympathy for the main character and look forward to reading more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews