After mysterious figures corner and questionably rob Jo Winston, strange things start happening to this average insurance salesman living in D.C.. He unlocks his ability to sense the coercion from others – literally as a fog engulfing victims subjected to the coercion – when he attends a political rally. An entity known as “The Organization” takes notice of Winston’s abilities. Suddenly, Winston becomes a valuable asset to those who wish to use Sensors to halt corruption. Winston may however be stronger than those who wish to control him think. Winston’s advanced abilities could position him as a threat and put his safety, the safety of his girlfriend, Seren, as well as his sister, Callie, in jeopardy. Perhaps others Winston finds along the way have a better plan for the future of Sensors and Coercers. Even if these plans are daring, perhaps it’s all worth the risk.
This fast-paced novel has a tight plot with a high concept premise of good and evil that stays strong throughout the book. The science behind the science-fiction is vague, yet it doesn’t matter because the book reads more like an exciting superhero movie than hardcore sci-fi. The superhero or protagonist Jo Winston’s dialogue along with the rest of the dialogue could get cheesy at times, but it also made the book fun. For example, at one point Jo Winston makes a playful, one-liner reference to Star Wars. When the story is not on Winston, the novel shifts among many characters, so some characters like Pitcher, the detective, and Winston’s sister, Callie, come across as forgettable or feel like surrogates for plot advancement. A lot of Winston’s cocky characterization (a-la Iron Man and Deadpool) comes through in the book. The secondary characters, however, have repetitive descriptions attached to them which make them feel one-note. While some of the plot becomes predictable midway through the novel, and the mystery starts to dissipate; the epilogue does successfully leave the story on a suspenseful, intriguing note.
COERCION is a face-paced, superhero-like story with plenty of twists and turns – some of which are predictable – but not dull.
~IndieReader.