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FIFTH COLUMN

fifth_column_bk_chimera fifth_column_bk_phoenixvariant fifth_column_bk_seraphim fifth_column_nv_phoenixascent
 
Full Name: Sophia, Damien, Jay
Nationality: International
Organization: Fifth Column
Occupation Agency

Creator: Nathan M. Farrugia
Time Span: 2012 - 2014

ABOUT THE SERIES

The Fifth Column is an evil international covert organization.

"Evil" is my word, not theirs, but it is also the attitude possessed by the three Fifth Column operatives as they flee their own people in order to mount a fight against the group. More on the three in a moment.

We the readers are told enough about the Fifth Column to come to the conclusion that I did when we are told it is "the world's most powerful and secretive organization. They run our militaries. They run our governments. They run our terrorist cells". Further, "the Fifth Column had no flag, no symbol; it was merely a nickname for the dark side of the world's military-industrial complex: the labyrinthine government that managed the real world while maintaining a fantasy world of freedom and democracy."

The trio of soon-to-be former operatives are Sophia, Damien, and Jay. No last names are given (that I could find) and really none are needed.

The leader of this three-team is without a doubt the one female in the mix, Sophia, and she receives the majority of attention because she is the one mostly calling the shots; the other two are loyal to her and follow her in her change of heart from being a Fifth Column operative to taking on that organization in the hopes of bringing it down. In truth, it seems she starts out just wanting away from her bosses but since they go after her with deadly intent, she decides to reciprocate.

"Recruited as a child, Sophia is a deniable operative for the Fifth Column. Like all operatives, Sophia's DNA has been altered to augment her senses and her mind is splintered into programmed subsets". In an informative blurb for the first recorded adventure, we are told "Sophia doesn't exist. Officially. Unofficially, she's an augmented operative for a clandestine agency. She gets the toughest missions and never fails. Until she does. When a mission turns into a disaster, she's never heard from again."

The other two members of the group are:

Damien - described as a "young ... man in his early twenties. He had pale olive skin, dark hair that hadn't been brushed in weeks and a nose slightly too big for his face. He looked like a young, ethnic version of James Dean."
Jay - said to be "Pardo: half Portuguese and half African. At a stretch, he could pass for Arabic, which made him a popular choice for Middle East operations." He seems to be the only one with any sense of humor, much to the annoyance of the others.

Words said above about augmentation are very important to the events of these three. They have each received special training and enhancements that allow them to function considerably better than 'normal' which makes them exceptionally deadly opponents. It also allowed the Fifth Column to maintain control of them ... until it doesn't. The misfirings occur in the opening of the first adventure and we are there to watch them become very confused as to what is going on in their heads and what is real or not. And that is when Sophia begins to see she, and her colleagues, need to get away. It is possible that the three would have just tried to disappear forever if the Fifth Column did not go after them. Bad mistake.

BOOKS

Number of Books:3
First Appearance:2012
Last Appearance:2014

1 The Chimera Vector The Chimera Vector
Written by Nathan M. Farrugia
Copyright: 2012

"On a routine mission in Iran something goes catastrophically wrong. Bugs are beginning to appear in Sophia's programming and the mission spins out of control. High-speed chases, gun fights, helicopter battles, immortal psychopaths, super soldiers and mutant abilities are all in the mix in this edge-of-your-seat action-packed techno-thriller."
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2 The Seraphim Sequence The Seraphim Sequence
Written by Nathan M. Farrugia
Copyright: 2013

"Mind control: coming to a government near you. The Fifth Column’s latest technology, Project Seraphim, is almost ready. Once active, they can force anyone in the United States to feel and do anything, on command. And then the world. Can Damien, Jay and Sophia stop it in time? Or will they fall under its spell?"
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3 The Phoenix Variant The Phoenix Variant
Written by Nathan M. Farrugia
Copyright: 2014

"Rogue operative Sophia is in the wrong place at the right time. A terrorist attack vaporizes a large chunk of the Upper West Side, almost killing Sophia. Narrowly avoiding the explosion, she gives chase to an operative running from the blast zone. Amid the chaos, Sophia recovers a rare meteorite from the operative and is quickly ensnared in a hunt between clashing factions of a labyrinthine covert government known as the Fifth Column."
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NOVELLAS AND SHORT STORIES

Number of Stories:1
First Appearance:2014
Last Appearance:2014

1 The Phoenix Ascent The Phoenix Ascent
Written by Nathan M. Farrugia
Copyright: 2014

Set in the Fifth Column universe though long before the events involving Sophia and team.
"One man versus an army.  Can a rogue alchemist turn the tides of war? The Mongol army is storming China, devastating everything in its path. Their mission: recovery of an artifact with otherworldly powers. Their General will stop at nothing to recover it. Zhu is an alchemist in the wrong place at the right time. He has the artifact ... and an assassin’s blade at his throat. And he’s the only person who can beat them." 
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MY COMMENTS

One problem occurs when an author envisions a series where the main characters are having their minds and memories messed with - how does the writer keep the characters guessing as well as maintain any degree of suspense for the reader, all while not confusing those writers. Perhaps the drafter of this series did it for others but for me, in the first adventure, I was lost, big time. All the way through it.

The second tale was better but to be honest, my heart just was not in it and I did not make it to the third. Hopefully you will fare better.

GRADE

My Grade: B-

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