REVIEW: Influx by Tim Marquitz

Influx by Tim Marquitz
Publishing information: Kindle
Publisher: Ragnarok Publications; 30 July 2015
ASIN: B010PMEHJC
Series: Clandestine Daze #1
Copy: Provided by author
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "A doppelganger, Theo is trapped in the role of the man he murdered. Tasked with safeguarding the secrets of his homeland his loyalty is torn between his new life and his mission when an influx of militants stream to Earth. A pawn of both sides, he's given just days to bring the terrorists to heel. Failure means war, but success comes with its own consequences."

Last year I reviewed the novella, Eyes Deep (review here) featuring a new anti-hero who is a doppelgänger, someone who can assume the identity of others, named Theodor Crane. Marquitz has decided to turn his new character into a series and it all begins here with Influx.

I still don't know what to make of our hero, he is definitely doing his best to do good with his "adopted" family and keep them safe but he is also fighting a convert war that his side appears to be losing. Theodor has a lot on his plate and it is a plate that we still haven't figured out just what is on it and that makes for a frustrating read. I like not knowing everything when I read a book and being kept in the dark should keep me on my toes as I slowly uncover everything about the character and their motivations; however, with Theo, I just can't seem to grasp anything and that leads to annoyance.

Theo works for a shadowy government agency that isn't from the human world, but one that deals with the supernatural. In Influx we have Theo's agency up against a sect of equally capable agents, which are playing a game of cat and mouse. As the book comes to a close I still haven't the foggiest idea just what his organization or their rival is doing, or what the end game is. While I get the gist of some things, there are still many unanswered questions, which leads to a difficult read.

Influx only hints at things to come and while the deck is definitely stacked against Theo and his bureau, I can't say for certain if this is a good thing or if it could spell disaster for his kind and humans as the reader is still very much in the dark at this point in the game. It leaves me irritable and I am sure I am not alone. I like the character enough to continue with the series and the build up of mystery has my interest peaked but I want some answers in future installments and soon as it is not great to leave your readers in a state of uncertainty. I have enjoyed everything Marquitz has seen fit to print and I have faith that he will turn this new series around and make it just as enjoyable as everything else he has done, but there are a few kinks to be worked out and I know I just need to give him time to do it. Authors need to take risks and I am happy to see Marquitz doing exactly that in order for him to become a stronger writer so I look forward to the next book in the series.

Overall 7/10