Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Drive Maker #1

Flashpoint

Rate this book
What is the cost of peace?

Guilt-ridden over her role in the cataclysmic Order War, Taylor Ghatzi decided to retire from galactic politics and dedicate her life to the Emergency Service—until a deadly terror attack strikes her home world, and she may be the only one able to unravel the mystery behind it.

Meanwhile, Cherran DeGuavra, the son of the most important statesman in the past century, gave up on trying to reunite the galaxy frayed by his late father's greatest mistake, but now must call upon all of his diplomatic powers to prevent it from tearing itself even further apart.

With the galaxy's powers on a war footing and their own government obstructing them, Taylor and Cherran may need to start a fight to prevent one.



Subscribe to Adam Quinn's newsletter at:
smarturl.it/AQNewsletter
to be notified of new releases!

Paperback

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Adam Quinn

4 books54 followers
Adam Quinn is a Chicago-based author of science fiction and space opera. When he’s not writing about the technology of the future, he’s studying engineering so that one day he can help create it.

Looking for more of Adam’s work? Check out his facebook page , or his website at adamquinnauthor.com to learn about all his current work, and subscribe to his newsletter to make sure you’re the first to know about new releases.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
24 (28%)
4 stars
31 (37%)
3 stars
15 (18%)
2 stars
10 (12%)
1 star
3 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Meenaz Lodhi.
984 reviews86 followers
July 8, 2017
For a novel writer, Adam's story is original and well written. The political unrest galactic wide is thought provoking, the characters are well defined, full of action and mind advanced humans, a great combination!
Profile Image for Veronica of V's Reads.
1,528 reviews42 followers
August 15, 2016
This is the first book in a sci-fi space opera trilogy and is an excellent first book by a young author.

The galaxy is still healing from the Order War which claimed billions of lives in the quest for freedom from the repressive Galactic Government. Ten years ago marked the final battle, and General Taylor Ghatzi, a powerful telekinetic female humanoid, was on the front line at the point of the Pyrrhic victory. It's where Taylor lost her friend and partner, Prince Steve.

Now, the galaxy is splintered into several factions, some systems under better (Meltian Empire) rule while others were in worse (Kaleknarian Empire) control. On Icarus Day, the annual remembrance of the final Order War battle, Admiral Ghatzi is caught is a deadly battle with fire-throwing telekinetics (aka Firestormers) from a rebel organization calling itself the Alliance. She's able to save many, due to her quick thinking and quicker reflexes, including Hezekiah, her second in command. Hezekiah is a man she might find some solace with, if she wasn't his commander, and if he doesn't get killed first. Hashing out the goals and leadership of the Alliance is as high on Taylor's list of priorities as is preventing any movement that could tip the precarious galactic power structure into war.

Cherran DeGuavra is a Meltian diplomat charged with filling his father's large, and powerful, shoes in keeping the balance of peace in the galaxy. He's all about the appearance of calm, knowing that a single misstep could be seen as aggression in PanGal, the loose association of ambassadors from all the empires. That the Kaleknarians have aggressively occupied Tracsion, the only system planet that mines flip-drive powering tracsionite, is a move toward war. Cherran also believes the Meltian government is not as cohesive as the president would like--specifically Ryan Harrison, chair of the Defense branch, seems to have far too many secrets, and some odd over-reaching goals, for a peacetime commander. That Harrison wants to send a powerful contingent of warships to liberate Tracsion, as well as take out colluders to the Icarus Day attackers--the small rebel Jacobian organization--is also suspect, especially for Admiral Ghatzi. She believes Harrison may be protecting the very people behind the attack, using his political will to take out rival organizations.

The stage is set for battle and it's up to Taylor to navigate the frontlines with caution, and competence, while Cherran works his diplomatic magic--both endeavoring to maintain the peace, free the oppressed, and figure out Harrison's angle. It's a tense book, with several battles and skirmishes spanning what amounts to roughly two weeks' time. Through the dual POV, Taylor and Cherran, we get both the political and the tactical sides of the experience, and there's a tiny dash of romance--Taylor definitely has feelings for Hezekiah, which seem to be reciprocated. I expect the next book will explore this relationship as it develops from genial commander-subordinate to a more equality-type romantic one. I liked the action and the adventure of this galaxy, and the creativity of the many factions. The political intrigue was also good, but a little harder for me to follow with Cherran's POV, compared to the investigation being run by Taylor and her commander. It think this is an inherent problem with the shell-game that is politics, than with the author's skill, however. It's always a tough piece to write, and to understand, when the characters can't see the full picture due to elaborate subterfuge by the main antagonist, in this case Harrison.

Still, I really enjoyed the book. I'm a fan of adventure sagas, and this one's definitely headed in a great direction, with Harrison's main objective still a bit murky, and Taylor, Hezekiah, Cherran and others keeping very close tabs on him. It's unclear if Harrison's a mastermind, bent on ultimate galactic control, or a puppet whose nefarious projects have taken on their own new and dangerous roles. There are so many characters, it's a little hard to track everything, but I found the pace to be good, with little down-time. The goals are always for peace, even if some battle is necessary to achieve it. Taylor's battle scars are not only physical, she still suffers nightmares of her time in the War; and her growing affection for Hezekiah is scary--she doesn't want to lose another lover, like she did with Steve. It's endearing. I'm anxious to see how all of this plays out in the coming books. A great first book in a series, and one I'll continue to follow, for sure.
Profile Image for David Huelsmann.
180 reviews2 followers
November 28, 2018
I was an inveterate science fiction reader. In fact that was about all I would read. Now that I am older my interests, of course, have broadened quite a bit. Unfortunately, this science fiction novel is just about as bad as it gets. Termed are thrown in willy nilly without any definition. People pop up all olver the place that the author seems to assume you know. Simply just no worth reading at all.
652 reviews
June 23, 2017
Intrigue in the skies

A tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Aliens enslaving a planet. Power struggles, murder and
a war on the brink. It a race against time to unravel all the plots.
If you like adventure with plenty of action, you are going to love this
Profile Image for The Mysterious Reader.
3,585 reviews63 followers
September 18, 2017
Space Opera on a grand scale with action, adventure and high level politics and intrigue, this is a great start for a series - and at a low, low bargain kindle price (zero) that (really) can't be beat!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
Author 2 books7 followers
October 31, 2017
I really enjoyed this Sci-Fi book. One thing's for sure: I'd love to own an SX-7! I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. :)
3 reviews
February 24, 2017
Flashpoint was hard to get into at first but it was also my first space opera reading. After you got some of the characters down, things started flowing smoothly from there. Some authors let you read about space... Adam Quinn successfully made me feel a part of space. I really did enjoy it.
Profile Image for Cherie.
Author 27 books117 followers
July 27, 2016
Taylor Ghatzi must re-enter the world she'd left behind in order to stop another galaxy war in Adam Quinn's Flashpoint. Most of this space opera novel is told from Taylor's point of view. A telekinetic now working in emergency services, she embraces her military background, which makes her a strong character, although sometimes I felt a bit distanced from her. She lets down her mask, though, by the end. The other view point is from the diplomat Cherran DeGuavra. Cherran easily became my favorite character. Sometimes foppish in nature, he carries the weight of his father's legacy upon him with pride. The intricate world building took me a little while to get used to with many unique names and an alphabet soup of agencies, but I enjoyed Quinn's attention to detail as well as the technological advances he created. I found the galaxy politics rather relevant to what's going on in the world today, and I have a feeling we've just dipped our toes into the mysteries of this galaxy's inhabitants. Space opera fans will likely enjoy Flashpoint by Adam Quinn.

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Julie.
280 reviews5 followers
August 15, 2016
Definitely a Space Opera
I have never read a space opera before so I really didn't know what to expect. Adam Qinn introduces you to a world he created that is definitely exciting, interesting and moves quickly. His characters are fully fleshed out almost immediately. And as the story progresses he continues to fill in the world he has created. It took a bit for me to understand what was happening and to get into the story. But once there I didn't want to leave it. He does use a lot of words I had never heard of before so the dictionary was good to have immediately available. Adam has created a world and characters that is truly unique and he definitely knows this genre well. After I got into the story I couldn't put it down. Now I want to see what happens to everyone in the next book. If this genre is one you like you will definitely love this book. If it isn't you should really try it. It just might become your next favorite.
Profile Image for AK Mama Reads.
453 reviews46 followers
August 15, 2016
This is the scifi book I've been missing all year. Imagine if Starship Troopers was written by L Ron Hubbard and Christopher Nolan, then you'd have an inkling of the tone of this book. Though not the plot because it's completely original and action packed, sans giant alien bugs. There are definitely aliens. But they aren't generally some slimy dudes, they are much more like humans. Sometimes indistinguishable, sometimes not. Although the jargon does take some getting used to, I liked the advanced technology and politics contained in the story. The characters are faced with tough choices, and Taylor is constantly struggling to do what's right for her people while getting over past heartache. This was an interesting mix of serious and humorous, with a great deal of suspense thrown in as the worlds are in an uproar over multiple attacks. I'm excited to see where the series goes from here!
Profile Image for Trisha.
976 reviews17 followers
August 13, 2016
Taylor goes back and tries to save her homeworld from total destruction doing the one thing she never wanted to do again, but she might be the only one that can stop it. But there are also other political tug a wars going on across the galaxy that might do even more damage if not handled right and by the proper people. Can the son of a dead politician help prevent another huge mistake from happening?

This book sends you to many places and you meet a lot of people, and if you can keep them all straight in this awesome, action packed, galaxy of a book you will love it. The book moves fast and the characters a re well rounded and have interesting backstories that set them up nicely. The story was great and I can't wait for the Drive Maker book 2 of the trilogy to come out, and I really hope these come out on audio.
Profile Image for Samantha.
31 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2016
This first installment of the Drive Maker series kicks things off in high gear! Adam does an excellent job of building a futuristic world that still reflects many of the norms that are relevant in society today, which makes it easy for the reader to imagine the evolution from our time to Taylor's time. Taylor, the heroine of this story is a relatable character that struggles to overcome her aversion to the spotlight that her name constantly brings her, all while doing everything that she can to fight for a better future for the all. This story is action-packed and full of imaginative technologies that help draw the reader into a new place in space and time. It's a great read, and I'm truly excited to see what comes next in this new series.
472 reviews21 followers
January 28, 2017
Low-Brow, Low Budget SciFi Dross

"Flashpoint (Book 1 of the Drive Maker Trilogy)," is a low-brow, low budget, amateurish SciFi dross. The writing is immature and juvenile in execution, while the storyline arc is inane.

Set 10,000 years in the future, humanity is throughout the galaxy, aliens abound, telekinesis is routine, swords are still basic weapons, and knockoffs of Jedis float around. There are competing and combative sects following the breakup of a Galactic Government.

It is corny and dumb. Maybe as YA or as a storyboard for anime, a comic book, or a video game premise it might have merit. As a book for adult SciFi, totally fails.

The book is not recommended and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
Profile Image for Heidi.
517 reviews5 followers
August 27, 2016
The author gave me this book in return for an honest review. It took me a while to get into this book, there are a lot of acronyms I found distracting. By about 20% I was hooked and couldn't put it down. There is a lot of action. I enjoyed the characters and I am hoping to get to know them all a little better in the next book. Overall a very well written book, with enjoyable characters
1,254 reviews6 followers
August 18, 2016
A space opera, set in a plausible future filled with political intrigue, different species, and special abilities. This is told mainly from Taylor's point of view. The book has a really good pace, good world building, great characters and some of their backstory, action, tech, and humor. Good start to the series.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,455 reviews
April 28, 2017
This was the first book by Adam Quinn that I had read so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was an interesting SciFi story. For a debut novel it was pretty good. I plan on reading the next book in the series to see what happens.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.