Pros
- Interesting and mysterious expansion of the story universe with visitors
- Suspense with the crew of Cabrón at conclusion of story
Cons
- Resolution of the conflict seems only temporary as extrasolar Waymakers can still enter the system
- Story regarding the surprise visitors leave readers hanging
- Departure
Malfunction Junction Review
Malfunction Junction by Rachel Aukes gives readers an exciting, yet tense, conclusion with regards to the three-way conflict between the Waymakers, humanity, and the Glimmers.
Just when humanity believed it was done with the Waymakers and free of their surveillance and oppression, the Waymakers make their return and bring with them the threat of an expanded war that threatens yet again the extinction of humankind.
As the series progresses, the story universe expands. From the creation of the Waymakers to their return, readers are provided with glimpses of the potential discoveries around them. These discoveries motivate the crew of the Cabrón to explore their surrounding galaxy, an act made possible because of their enhancements as the original crew of the colony ship Aria.
But before Jack and his companions can leave, they’re thrust yet again into another conflict that results in a devastating loss for the crew, a loss that later encourages them to pursue their desire to explore.
With the return of the Waymakers and the Glimmers pursuing them, humans are at a disadvantage with their inferior technology. It’s only with the help of some mysterious saviors that humans have some small chance to survive. For humanity, the solution to the conflict between the Waymakers and Glimmers is salvation, but for these mysterious visitors, it’s a test. And the result, though fascinating, isn’t quite explored in this book, leaving readers hanging.
While the solution provided by the mysterious visitors solves the local conflict between two artificial intelligences, it still begs the question: who are the Glimmers? What little information provided by the author only piques curiosity. A war that has raged for millennia has only recently entangled the Waymakers and their human creators.
What’s impressive is that despite this longstanding war, technology created by humans is able to affect the Glimmers, who have had a longer opportunity to expand their technological advancement.
Regardless, there’s much left to be explored with the introduction of these visitors to the story, and there’s still the potential threat of the remaining Waymakers outside of the solar system. Jack’s treasure trove of data about the surrounding local galaxy is exciting since this data has the potential to expand the universe and opens the crew of the Cabrón to more exciting adventures and discoveries. However, that would be a detour from the original plot and conflict of the series.
There’s a lot of teasing in the story, from the new visitors that help humanity fight the AIs to the treasure trove of data gathered by the Waymakers about the surrounding solar systems. These two revelations inspire the imagination, but it remains to be seen whether either will be expanded upon.
Malfunction Junction by Rachel Aukes is an exciting military space opera that is reminiscent in many ways of The Expanse, and fans of The Expanse will find Waymaker Wars just as thrilling and suspenseful.
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