There’s something that really intrigues people about stories dealing with secret organizations. The James Bond glamour of being a secret agent with the weight of the world on your shoulders seems to draw attention with the allure of danger, the imaginative outfits, and the slick and sophisticated gadgets that tickle everyone’s fantasy. What if you could be a secret agent? What if the fate of the world depended on you? In J.A. Faulkerson’s fictional tale “Adinkrahene,” (C. 2014, $7.99/E-book, $3.99, 177 pages) he explores that fantasy as the life of a Washington Post political reporter named Jonathan Fraiser is turned upside down, almost overnight.
The story is based on the premise that there is a secret Jim Crow organization, the Corporate Cabal, being discreetly manipulated by the Satanic ideals of an alien race called Satarians, and they are flexing their power by attempting to control the political arena of the free world. Cabal is focused on securing the future of White people and suppressing the rise and advancement of all minority races.
A Black anti-Cabal organization known as ARMS (Adinkrahene Reparations Management Syndicate) is focused on exposing them and working to secure justice for those wronged by White supremacy.
This is an interesting story because it is based on the presidency of Barack Obama (his character is named Herbert Newsom), and it focuses on many current controversial issues. Newsom is planning to run for a second term, but he is met with resistance. ARMS, focused on ensuring that Newsom maintains his presidential office, turns Fraiser into a secret agent and uses him expose Corporate Cabal.
Faulkerson did a solid job developing the plot of the story. The story was deep and complex, but not overwhelming, and there were intriguing characters to support the story. Faulkerson changes character perspectives at the beginning of every chapter, keeping the story fresh and enabling the reader to empathize with each person.
The character development of the book was extremely rapid. Characters would meet on one page, and then on the next they have been friends for months. It also doesn’t help that there are no references to season and no in-depth environmental detail; so Faulkerson leaves a lot for the reader to paint their own picture.
Overall, the book was a solid B+. Everything you could expect to see in a book about secret agents was present: the action, adventure, gadgets, and especially the drama. The secret-society appeal and conspiracy theories were also there. Faulkerson intends on making “Adinkrahene” into a three-book series that documents the journey of the journalist Frasier into the world of espionage and the secret war between the Corporate Cabal and ARMS.
More information about Faulkerson and his plans for the series can be found on his blog, www.jafaulkerson.wordpress.com.
