Tim Marquitz's Influx was published by Ragnarok Publications is June 2015.
Information about Tim Marquitz:
Tim Marquitz is the author of the Demon Squad series, the Blood War Trilogy, co-author of the Dead West series, as well as several standalone books, and numerous anthology appearances including Triumph Over Tragedy, Corrupts Absolutely?, That Hoodoo Voodoo that You Do, Widowmakers, At Hell's Gates 1&3, Neverland's Library, Blackguards, and the forthcoming SNAFU Survival of the Fittest (Cohesion Press), In the Shadow of the Towers (Night Shade), and Unbound (Grim Oak Press). Tim also collaborated on Memoirs of a MACHINE, the story of MMA pioneer John Machine Lober.
Tim is co-owner and Editor in Chief of Ragnarok Publications.
Click here to visit the author's official website.
Information about Influx:
For Theodor Crane every day is a lie.
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.
Either might see Theo dead.
A REVIEW OF TIM MARQUITZ'S INFLUX
Influx is the first full-length novel in the Clandestine Daze series. (The author has previously written a novella, Eyes Deep, which is set in the Clandestine Daze universe. Influx features the same protagonist as Eyes Deep.)
I don't normally read much urban fantasy, because most contemporary urban fantasy novels tend to be of low quality and are not worth reading, but Tim Marquitz is one of the few authors whose novels I've enjoyed reading. His novels are much fresher and grittier than many other similar kind of novels. Influx is a good example of his ability to write interesting urban fantasy with gritty elements.
Influx can be categorised as urban fantasy, but it's actually a combination of urban fantasy and spy fiction. Urban fantasy spy fiction is an interesting sub-genre of speculative fiction, because it gives authors an opportunity to use elements from two totally different genres.
Influx is a story about a doppelgänger from Aellisar, Z, who has taken the body and appearance of Theodor Crane after killing him. He's an infiltrator, a murderer and a spy for the Aellisar Intelligence. His mission is to prevent the war between the Aels and humans... This is the beginning of a fast-paced story. I won't write more about the story, but I'll mention that it's entertaining.
When I began to read this novel, I quickly found myself enjoying it, because the story moved fast forward and the happenings were interesting. I admit that I had a few reservations about the quality of the story, but it turned out to be a good and fluently written story with emphasis on fast-paced entertainment. It was perfect reading for a lazy summer day.
Z is an interesting protagonist, because he's a doppelgänger who has taken the appearance of Theodor Crane. Because Z looks like Theodor and lives his life, he has become a husband and a father, and also a head of corporate security for Drake Advanced Technologies. The author writes well about Z's life, his "adopted" family and his work.
What makes Z an especially interesting protaginist is that he can transform into different persons when he eats pieces of their eyeballs. The conversion to another person is difficult and causes pain for Z, because his body has to change into a new form. The author describes the change in an excellent way by writing about what Z feels during the change and what happens to his body.
The author has added a bit of black humour to his story, which is nice. I've always enjoyed reading stories that have black humour in them, because it adds an interesting atmosphere to them (in capable hands, black humour is an excellent tool that can be used to make the story more entertaining).
One of the best things about Influx is that it's different from other similar urban fantasy novels. It's a refreshingly original novel that offers good entertainment to readers who love the grittier side of urban fantasy. The author's sharp writing style and sense of noir makes it an entertaining reading experience.
Because Influx is the first part of the Clandestine Daze series, it serves as an introduction to the series and creates a basis for future happenings. It'll be interestesting to see what happens in the next novel, because this novel was a fast and fun read.
I'm sure that fans of Tim Marquitz will find this novel interesting and will enjoy it. It will also appeal to newcomers who haven't read any of the author's novels yet, because it's a fast-paced and easily accessible novel with gritty elements.
Good and fast-paced urban fantasy entertainment!