On the note of the cast, there isn't a sole main character, but a cast of main characters. Currently ten in the first volume. I felt this was a better way to structure the story. One of the inspirations I took from was One Piece, not in the setting, but how it treats its characters. A character can show up much later after they're introduced and play a major part in the story. I think that a book can flourish when you focus on the characters and develop them. This is why I don't do a main character, though if I had to pick a character to lead the cast, it'd have to be Lee, the oldest of the four kids. He is prominent through the general draft/plans I have with the series, but I make sure to give the other characters more exposure. Juggling characters can keep things from getting stale, but mixing up too many characters can stifle creativity as well.
On that note, let's talk the characters. We have Lee, the main kid coming of age. Then you have Red, a plucky kid with a goofy smile. Next is Tara, a young girl that gives her support to her friends and last but not least, we have Ingred, whose actual name is Red, but to avoid confusion with the other Red, was nicknamed Ingred. It's around when the moment when they find out more about him and what he can do is where the general story picks up. So, he's more or less the source of everyone's eventual status and discovers.
Another element that can build a strong story is the world your characters live in. The setting, basically. Building your world can draw in readers, moreso if you develop the world with great detail and a format that almost makes it seem like the world could exist somewhere in real life. One Piece again has a very interesting world, one with a lot of undertones and layers and we don't even know about it in its entirely. Twenty years and Eiichiro Oda has still kept people interested. I've been invested in One Piece a decade this year, and the payoff has been superb. And on that note, it's only been ten months, but Hunter x Hunter has stayed fresh in my mind, as much as One Piece with how well-written and developed the story, world and characters are. A shame Yoshihiro Togashi's health problems and family (His wife is the author of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, another series I took some pages from with two of the main characters featured) keep the manga from frequent updates, but what is there to read is fantastic.
I admit I try to keep it simple, but a bit of complexity can go a long way. However, too much complexity can stall a story and harm it, and too many unresolved plotlines makes things messy. As it stands, Mission will have continuity, and keep things simple enough to keep things fresh in the reader's mind. On that note, continuity is key, too. One thing that I like is seeing previous elements return, especially if they drive the story. Characters growing, aging and developing makes you invested in them and it almost feels like you grew up alongside them, if not vice versa. I understand that format may not work with all works, and there is a plus with keeping a character the same for worldwide appeal (Mario, Mickey Mouse, etc). but it does work when handled correctly.
This is my first self-published book, and it does show. It's not perfect, that I know. It's not the greatest story, that I also know. And of course it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. That is certain. But, I know this much: It's gotta be better than Twilight (Whoops) and various other amounts of cringeworthy erotica (Not that Mission is intended to be an erotica series, period).
So, with that said, why not give Mission a read? If you like it, great. If not, that's fine as well. This is my first book, so I'll have to learn somehow. I think you'll like it if you're into adventure, fiction and fantasy.
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