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The Midas Effect: A technothriller
What if you could make all your wishes come true?
In this international technothriller, a young European university professor’s ability to turn his imagination into reality – known as the Midas Effect – attracts the attention of the CIA and NASA, drawing him into clandestine scientific operations to attempt to control him. But how do you harness the power of a god?
★ NOVEL SELECTED at the literary section of SITGES INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL 2017
★ One year at #1 in the Crime Thriller and Adventure category on amazon.es
★ BEST OUTSTANDING BOOK 2017 on "Ni un día sin libro" Spanish Literary Website.
In this international technothriller, a young European university professor’s ability to turn his imagination into reality – known as the Midas Effect – attracts the attention of the CIA and NASA, drawing him into clandestine scientific operations to attempt to control him. But how do you harness the power of a god?
★ NOVEL SELECTED at the literary section of SITGES INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL 2017
★ One year at #1 in the Crime Thriller and Adventure category on amazon.es
★ BEST OUTSTANDING BOOK 2017 on "Ni un día sin libro" Spanish Literary Website.
504 pages, Hardcover
Published December 30, 2021
21 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 27, 2020
The Midas Effect does a little of a lot of things. There’s a bit of a superpower motif, but the quantum inflexors’ abilities are used sparingly. The CIA is present as an important plot point, but very little espionage actually takes place. There’s a romantic relationship between two of the main characters, but it often seems to get left behind. The story builds off theological and philosophical themes of a man with the power of a god, but that aspect is never deeply explored. I think one of my biggest frustrations with this book is that I was never quite sure what it was trying to do. Genre-breaking can be a great tool, but in this case, it just left me a bit befuddled.
My favorite part of The Midas Effect was the ending. There were some major plot twists at the end, a couple of which I had anticipated due to foreshadowing. This showed that the twists weren’t just present for the shock value; they had been planned all along. Despite my frequent confusion with the direction the book was taking, the plot was formulated well, and the ending was satisfying.
My least favorite part of this book was the characters. Each character was distinct, and the relationships between them were well-developed and important to the storyline. Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters or feel strongly connected to them. I disliked the main character, Miguel, from the start due to his sexualization of women and treatment of his ex-girlfriend. This dislike turned into disinterest throughout the majority of the book as it seemed that Miguel’s motivations purely revolved around his love interest. I simply wasn’t invested in most of the characters of this book, and that made it drag on at times. I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a well-designed plot and doesn’t mind when a book takes a while to get going but not to anyone looking for a fast-paced or action-packed read.
My rating of The Midas Effect is 3 out of 5. Even though it was translated from Spanish, the book was well written and edited. I only found a couple of typos in all. It also had a thought-provoking premise and a well-designed plot. Yet, for me, the downfalls of the book were its slow pace and unrelatable characters.
I received a free copy of this book through OnlineBookClub in return for an honest review.
See more reviews on my blog.
My favorite part of The Midas Effect was the ending. There were some major plot twists at the end, a couple of which I had anticipated due to foreshadowing. This showed that the twists weren’t just present for the shock value; they had been planned all along. Despite my frequent confusion with the direction the book was taking, the plot was formulated well, and the ending was satisfying.
My least favorite part of this book was the characters. Each character was distinct, and the relationships between them were well-developed and important to the storyline. Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters or feel strongly connected to them. I disliked the main character, Miguel, from the start due to his sexualization of women and treatment of his ex-girlfriend. This dislike turned into disinterest throughout the majority of the book as it seemed that Miguel’s motivations purely revolved around his love interest. I simply wasn’t invested in most of the characters of this book, and that made it drag on at times. I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a well-designed plot and doesn’t mind when a book takes a while to get going but not to anyone looking for a fast-paced or action-packed read.
My rating of The Midas Effect is 3 out of 5. Even though it was translated from Spanish, the book was well written and edited. I only found a couple of typos in all. It also had a thought-provoking premise and a well-designed plot. Yet, for me, the downfalls of the book were its slow pace and unrelatable characters.
I received a free copy of this book through OnlineBookClub in return for an honest review.
See more reviews on my blog.
April 17, 2020
Originally posted on Reedsy Discovery.
Visit my website -- Digital Zen -- to read more of my reviews!
Miguel Le Fablec always knew there was something peculiar about himself, but it'd take a special invitation to NASA to realize just how incredible he really is. It turns out that he has the ability to turn is imagination into reality, but such a power comes with dire consequences. The Midas Effect is a story of power, love, and religion, that plays on the mind-bending characteristics of quantum mechanics.
Most people know the story of King Midas. It's a cautionary tale of a man endowed with a great power -- the ability to turn everything he touches into gold-- only to have it consume him and everything he loves in the end. Author Manuel Dorado's allegory of this story isn't quite as simplistic as King Midas', but it's a great way to deliver this timeless lesson all-the-same.
From the start, The Midas Effect proves to be appropriately quick with the action. That being said, this book isn't quite as off-the-rails as one would expect from a story about being able to literally turn dreams into reality. Instead, The Midas Effect is able to contain itself enough to where it doesn't become an unrestrained showcase of supernatural powers, as seen in many superhero comics and movies. This added level of realism allows for a more mature commentary on some of its themes.
One such theme is that of power. Those who want it will stop at nothing to obtain it, and those who have it usually end up resenting it. Moreover, The Midas Effect acts as a commentary on religion and it's role in society. Manuel Dorado did not shy away from exploring the ramifications of the existence of such a power, and he uses this to produce an engaging climax and resolution.
Despite the religious commentary, science stands at the forefront of this story. Even though it is ultimately fantastical, there were enough scientific constraints in place to establish a more convincing world. As mentioned before, a book about an ability of this nature could've easily gone off the deep end.
Furthermore, Manuel Dorado's characters were well-developed and believable. They each possessed unique characteristics, including little nervous ticks and other details that made them realistic. However, these same details sometimes came off as repetitive.
Unfortunately, even with such a tantalizing premise, it seemed like The Midas Effect fell short of being truly mind-expanding. Perhaps the author was hesitant to bite off more than he could chew. A great foundation for some seriously cool world-building was being developed, and the story seemed to be gearing up for a larger franchise, but alas, it ended up plateauing into something self-contained and modest.
Still, The Midas Effect is a moderately detailed story that neatly wraps itself up in the end. Anyone looking for an easy-to-digest thriller that pays proper respect to science and religion alike will enjoy this. Even though this book failed to reach its true potential, it was a great one-off tale with many lessons, twists, and turns.
Visit my website -- Digital Zen -- to read more of my reviews!
Miguel Le Fablec always knew there was something peculiar about himself, but it'd take a special invitation to NASA to realize just how incredible he really is. It turns out that he has the ability to turn is imagination into reality, but such a power comes with dire consequences. The Midas Effect is a story of power, love, and religion, that plays on the mind-bending characteristics of quantum mechanics.
Most people know the story of King Midas. It's a cautionary tale of a man endowed with a great power -- the ability to turn everything he touches into gold-- only to have it consume him and everything he loves in the end. Author Manuel Dorado's allegory of this story isn't quite as simplistic as King Midas', but it's a great way to deliver this timeless lesson all-the-same.
From the start, The Midas Effect proves to be appropriately quick with the action. That being said, this book isn't quite as off-the-rails as one would expect from a story about being able to literally turn dreams into reality. Instead, The Midas Effect is able to contain itself enough to where it doesn't become an unrestrained showcase of supernatural powers, as seen in many superhero comics and movies. This added level of realism allows for a more mature commentary on some of its themes.
One such theme is that of power. Those who want it will stop at nothing to obtain it, and those who have it usually end up resenting it. Moreover, The Midas Effect acts as a commentary on religion and it's role in society. Manuel Dorado did not shy away from exploring the ramifications of the existence of such a power, and he uses this to produce an engaging climax and resolution.
Despite the religious commentary, science stands at the forefront of this story. Even though it is ultimately fantastical, there were enough scientific constraints in place to establish a more convincing world. As mentioned before, a book about an ability of this nature could've easily gone off the deep end.
Furthermore, Manuel Dorado's characters were well-developed and believable. They each possessed unique characteristics, including little nervous ticks and other details that made them realistic. However, these same details sometimes came off as repetitive.
Unfortunately, even with such a tantalizing premise, it seemed like The Midas Effect fell short of being truly mind-expanding. Perhaps the author was hesitant to bite off more than he could chew. A great foundation for some seriously cool world-building was being developed, and the story seemed to be gearing up for a larger franchise, but alas, it ended up plateauing into something self-contained and modest.
Still, The Midas Effect is a moderately detailed story that neatly wraps itself up in the end. Anyone looking for an easy-to-digest thriller that pays proper respect to science and religion alike will enjoy this. Even though this book failed to reach its true potential, it was a great one-off tale with many lessons, twists, and turns.
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June 20, 2021**Laura Fitzgerald translated the novel. She has retained excellent page-turning quality and the English is supple and effective.**
Appraisal: This is an unusual novel in several ways. I like unusual, which is why I was drawn to it in Big Al’s looong list of indie books looking for reviews.
For a start, it was written in Spanish and has been published in translation. So from the outset this British reader is getting a different worldview. Spanish is not constructed anything like English. A book has to be well constructed to withstand such a sea change without reading as stilted. For this reason, I don’t usually seek out translated literature or poetry. But I had already become intrigued by this novel before realising. Still, I like being outside my literary comfort zone. It’s why I review indie books, because they are like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. So with this.
The premise is a simple one, but one which I have not come across before in science fiction: what if you could influence events so as to have the outcome you want every time. We can all imagine ourselves having that ability, so although it is definitely fiction about science it also snuggles up warmly to the reader, as the concept is eminently graspable. What would we do with that ability? Could we control it? How would we control it? And, most importantly (as the blurb considers) what would The Powers That Be do with a person with such a gift?
I like the way certain characteristics of the people inhabiting the book are reinforced each time they take centre stage. Castillo fiddles with his tie, Gorlov has an endless supply of cheap pens which he deconstructs while he thinks. Everyone has a tic. Physical descriptions of the characters really worked for me, as with this: “Fred smiled. His Anglo-Saxon features compressed with the action, his eyes almost disappearing between cavernous wrinkles.” The descriptions are pithy and insightful, reinforcing characterisation, motivation and action. This enables the protagonists to think in really rather subtle ways. Indeed, the imagery throughout the book is a delight. I also like the lightly worn knowledge of the geographical settings that Dorado uses, in the USA, Europe and the Middle East.
So much for the characterisation, what of the plot? There is plenty of that too, despite the ‘inflection’ taking place, inevitably, inside the head of the Midas. There is danger, and chases; allies turn out to be enemies and vice versa. The page turning quality is excellent.
And, finally, it has a twist at the end which I did not see coming (and I almost always spot the twist coming).
Recommended.
**I originally prepared this review for Big Al & Pals indie review site: received a gratis e-copy**
Appraisal: This is an unusual novel in several ways. I like unusual, which is why I was drawn to it in Big Al’s looong list of indie books looking for reviews.
For a start, it was written in Spanish and has been published in translation. So from the outset this British reader is getting a different worldview. Spanish is not constructed anything like English. A book has to be well constructed to withstand such a sea change without reading as stilted. For this reason, I don’t usually seek out translated literature or poetry. But I had already become intrigued by this novel before realising. Still, I like being outside my literary comfort zone. It’s why I review indie books, because they are like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. So with this.
The premise is a simple one, but one which I have not come across before in science fiction: what if you could influence events so as to have the outcome you want every time. We can all imagine ourselves having that ability, so although it is definitely fiction about science it also snuggles up warmly to the reader, as the concept is eminently graspable. What would we do with that ability? Could we control it? How would we control it? And, most importantly (as the blurb considers) what would The Powers That Be do with a person with such a gift?
I like the way certain characteristics of the people inhabiting the book are reinforced each time they take centre stage. Castillo fiddles with his tie, Gorlov has an endless supply of cheap pens which he deconstructs while he thinks. Everyone has a tic. Physical descriptions of the characters really worked for me, as with this: “Fred smiled. His Anglo-Saxon features compressed with the action, his eyes almost disappearing between cavernous wrinkles.” The descriptions are pithy and insightful, reinforcing characterisation, motivation and action. This enables the protagonists to think in really rather subtle ways. Indeed, the imagery throughout the book is a delight. I also like the lightly worn knowledge of the geographical settings that Dorado uses, in the USA, Europe and the Middle East.
So much for the characterisation, what of the plot? There is plenty of that too, despite the ‘inflection’ taking place, inevitably, inside the head of the Midas. There is danger, and chases; allies turn out to be enemies and vice versa. The page turning quality is excellent.
And, finally, it has a twist at the end which I did not see coming (and I almost always spot the twist coming).
Recommended.
**I originally prepared this review for Big Al & Pals indie review site: received a gratis e-copy**
July 1, 2021
This started out slow and was initially only going to be a 4 star review. But author Dorado really picks it up in the back half. Early in the book, he spent too much time trying to justify the premise of the plot. This is Sci-Fi, so at some point you must count on your readers to suspend disbelief. Spaceships can travel to distant stars with hyper drive, telekineses is real, etc. I felt Dorado belabored the quantum effect past the point of diminishing returns.
The pacing was also a bit off for me, but as this was originally written in Spanish and translated to english, I’m not going to ding points for this minor, and likely personal, point.
A little less than halfway through things explode into action. Several times I was disappointed as I thought I could see a predictable ending. Then -ping- the story would ricochet off in a different direction. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong.
I liked the characters so subsequently cared about what happened to them. For all of the science involved, this is a very human story.
I very much recommend this book. Just hang in there until the action starts.
The pacing was also a bit off for me, but as this was originally written in Spanish and translated to english, I’m not going to ding points for this minor, and likely personal, point.
A little less than halfway through things explode into action. Several times I was disappointed as I thought I could see a predictable ending. Then -ping- the story would ricochet off in a different direction. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong.
I liked the characters so subsequently cared about what happened to them. For all of the science involved, this is a very human story.
I very much recommend this book. Just hang in there until the action starts.
July 2, 2021
The Midas Effect by Manuel Dorado is a techno-thriller based on old folklore turned science fiction. Miguel Le Fablec comes to the United States of America as an engineer. Before he even steps foot on our land, he appears as something unique. Assuming that he can make his imagination become a reality. This gift is also a curse; The Midas Paradox.
I found The Midas Effect interesting. Manuel Dorado carefully sets up the plot and characters, then picks up the pace to an incredible speed. This novel takes you down a path of regret, deceit, and integrity. Science lovers would enjoy this novel as Miguel works hard to perfect his gift. Will the Midas Effect be used for good or evil? And will Miguel and his partner have a say in what they do? The twist at the end is mind-blowing as everything that was happening shifts.
I found The Midas Effect interesting. Manuel Dorado carefully sets up the plot and characters, then picks up the pace to an incredible speed. This novel takes you down a path of regret, deceit, and integrity. Science lovers would enjoy this novel as Miguel works hard to perfect his gift. Will the Midas Effect be used for good or evil? And will Miguel and his partner have a say in what they do? The twist at the end is mind-blowing as everything that was happening shifts.
June 24, 2021
Fantastic story writing techniques with a unique idea
Manuel Dorado has done a great job regarding this well-crafted novel. The author slaps us with the deep thought question—what if we can get all our desires? The story is captivating and a page-turner. Both the author who originally wrote in Spanish and the translator did a great job in ensuring that the essence of this book is not lost during the process. The Author skillfully introduced a twist to the Midas story and gave it an exciting touch. At first, I never know what to expect from a book like this. However, I was grateful I got a copy after reading the book. I recommend this book to everyone.
Manuel Dorado has done a great job regarding this well-crafted novel. The author slaps us with the deep thought question—what if we can get all our desires? The story is captivating and a page-turner. Both the author who originally wrote in Spanish and the translator did a great job in ensuring that the essence of this book is not lost during the process. The Author skillfully introduced a twist to the Midas story and gave it an exciting touch. At first, I never know what to expect from a book like this. However, I was grateful I got a copy after reading the book. I recommend this book to everyone.
June 25, 2021
The Midas Effect: A technothriller (English edition) by Manuel Dorado has a rather unique premise of being able to turn your imagination into reality. That's a great start to this book and one that is executed well. The characters are well developed and the storyline flows easily as different elements are added from the CIA to NASA. This book is a twist on the classic Midas story, building and expanding upon that theme. Fun to read, engaging, and the translation from Spanish to English was done well too. Dive into this unique and interesting book to experience the fascinating concept of getting everything you could ever imagine. Highly recommend.
June 22, 2021
Interesting story with a good idea
This is the journey of the ability to make things happen the way you desire them to every time. The story will cause you to think about that ability and what you would do if you had it. The characters are well developed and the adventure will pull you in and keep you guessing what will happen next. Although the story is translated to English, the journey is still easy to follow and a fun read. Check this one out folks. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.
This is the journey of the ability to make things happen the way you desire them to every time. The story will cause you to think about that ability and what you would do if you had it. The characters are well developed and the adventure will pull you in and keep you guessing what will happen next. Although the story is translated to English, the journey is still easy to follow and a fun read. Check this one out folks. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.
May 6, 2021
Somewhere between good and very good. The author has a good imagination and it is on display here. It's a little blotted and uneven in places, but overall an enjoyable read, especially for thriller and sci-fi fans.
I really appreciate the review copy!!
I really appreciate the review copy!!
October 16, 2021
this was a book that really had me thinking especially what would happen if someone could grant wishes. It was a really well done book with interesting concepts and characters.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews