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Doublesight #1
Doublesight
After the Doublesight Wars, dangerous and mean-spirited shape shifters were killed off, causing other doublesight to hide their gifts, congregate into their own villages or clans, and avoid most humans.
Zimp and Zora are the twin granddaughters of the crow clan’s sage. The reticent Zimp is relieved that she has not been chosen to take her grandmother’s position, but after Zora is murdered after an attack on the clan, Zimp is forced into her obligations.
Rumors, stemming from Castle Weilk, suggest that dangerous throwbacks have been born—gryphons, harpys, dragons—and, once again the humans decide to hunt them down. Fear leads to mistrust, and mistrust to murder, all seemingly.
The doublesight council assembles to assess the situation and sends five doublesight to investigate the rumors, placing Zimp in charge of four men. Struggling with her own intuitive abilities, and trying to hold a stable position as leader, Zimp finds herself in the center of a changing world and must decide on her real place within it.
Zimp and Zora are the twin granddaughters of the crow clan’s sage. The reticent Zimp is relieved that she has not been chosen to take her grandmother’s position, but after Zora is murdered after an attack on the clan, Zimp is forced into her obligations.
Rumors, stemming from Castle Weilk, suggest that dangerous throwbacks have been born—gryphons, harpys, dragons—and, once again the humans decide to hunt them down. Fear leads to mistrust, and mistrust to murder, all seemingly.
The doublesight council assembles to assess the situation and sends five doublesight to investigate the rumors, placing Zimp in charge of four men. Struggling with her own intuitive abilities, and trying to hold a stable position as leader, Zimp finds herself in the center of a changing world and must decide on her real place within it.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2013
39 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Terry Persun
89 books75 followersTerry Persun is a former airborne navigation equipment specialist and electronics engineer presently freelancing for science and technology magazines. He has won nine awards for his fiction and was a finalist in another seven awards—IPPY, Book Excellence, Foreword Reviews, USABookNews, and others. Terry is a multi-genre author of intelligent, tech-forward fiction with clearly drawn characters and thought-provoking themes. You can find him at www.TerryPersun.com
FOLLOW ME ON:
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LIST OF MY BOOKS
Science Fiction: Biomass series:
BIOMASS: Rewind
BIOMASS: Sky People (coming soon)
BIOMASS: Alive (coming soon)
Science Fiction: Neal and Mavra series:
Revision 7: DNA
Backyard Aliens
Science Fiction: Tempest Eugene Nesbit series:
The Killing Machine
The Humanzee Experiments
Science Fiction Stand-Alones
Hear No Evil
Cathedral of Dreams
Fantasy: Doublesight series
Doublesight
Memory Tower
Fugitives
Gargoyle
Fantasy: Shaman Detective series
The NSA Files
The Voodoo Case
Stealing Childhood
Mystery/Suspense: Stand-Alones:
Coming Clean
Mistake In Identity
Man Behind the Door
Historical Novel: Stand-Alones:
Sweet Song
Ten Months in Wonderland
Magical Realism: Stand-Alones:
The Witness Tree
Wolf's Rite
Giver of Gifts
To Our Waking Souls
General Fiction: Stand-Alones:
The Perceived Darkness
Deception Creek
Poetry:
Horse Logic
Balancing Act
Navigating Wind
Broken Fingers
Beautys Run Road
Sentences
And Now This
Every Leaf
Barn Tarot
FOLLOW ME ON:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Persun/e...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerryPersun
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tpersun
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrypersun/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/terrypersun/
LIST OF MY BOOKS
Science Fiction: Biomass series:
BIOMASS: Rewind
BIOMASS: Sky People (coming soon)
BIOMASS: Alive (coming soon)
Science Fiction: Neal and Mavra series:
Revision 7: DNA
Backyard Aliens
Science Fiction: Tempest Eugene Nesbit series:
The Killing Machine
The Humanzee Experiments
Science Fiction Stand-Alones
Hear No Evil
Cathedral of Dreams
Fantasy: Doublesight series
Doublesight
Memory Tower
Fugitives
Gargoyle
Fantasy: Shaman Detective series
The NSA Files
The Voodoo Case
Stealing Childhood
Mystery/Suspense: Stand-Alones:
Coming Clean
Mistake In Identity
Man Behind the Door
Historical Novel: Stand-Alones:
Sweet Song
Ten Months in Wonderland
Magical Realism: Stand-Alones:
The Witness Tree
Wolf's Rite
Giver of Gifts
To Our Waking Souls
General Fiction: Stand-Alones:
The Perceived Darkness
Deception Creek
Poetry:
Horse Logic
Balancing Act
Navigating Wind
Broken Fingers
Beautys Run Road
Sentences
And Now This
Every Leaf
Barn Tarot
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 6, 2013
3.5/5
Doublesight is a fantasy novel that centers on shifters (doublesights). The book takes the reader on an adventure to discover answers against threats and a possible war against the different clans—including humans (singlesights). This is the first book of a series.
Characters:
The story is written in third person that follows a number of characters. One main character is Zimp, who loses her twin sister (Zora) at the beginning of the story. Zimp doesn't believe she is as good as her sister with leading and is hesitant about assuming her new role as a leader. Zimp doesn't get much choice when she becomes the leader of a small mixed group of doublesights who must find out what is happening to other doublesight clans. The characters are multi-dimensional—having both strengths and weaknesses. Because of the shifts in the narratives, the reader gets a rounded picture of the characters. However, having so many viewpoints can be a little cumbersome.
Plot:
The beginning of the story allows the readers to see the struggles and tragedy that is affecting the doublesight clans. Each suffer losses and are thrown together to find out what they should do about things. History of prior wars and fighting plague the minds of each clan. Trust becomes a major issue throughout the book. The doublesights must work with each other but their natural predator and prey instincts create a weak bond that will need to be overcome—not to mention the inner turmoil a doublesight experiences when in their human or beast form. The later part of the book picked up for me when there was more action. The beginning was background and at some parts I grew tired about the different viewpoints of mistrust among the small doublesight group set out on a mission. (Don't worry there are still fight scenes in the beginning.) The ending leaves the readers wondering what will happen in the next book. I would have preferred a little more ending (down time) and connecting a few more loose ends before ending this book.
The Bottom Line:
Overall, it was a good read. If you like to read about shifters and fantasy worlds, you should give this book a try.
Doublesight is a fantasy novel that centers on shifters (doublesights). The book takes the reader on an adventure to discover answers against threats and a possible war against the different clans—including humans (singlesights). This is the first book of a series.
Characters:
The story is written in third person that follows a number of characters. One main character is Zimp, who loses her twin sister (Zora) at the beginning of the story. Zimp doesn't believe she is as good as her sister with leading and is hesitant about assuming her new role as a leader. Zimp doesn't get much choice when she becomes the leader of a small mixed group of doublesights who must find out what is happening to other doublesight clans. The characters are multi-dimensional—having both strengths and weaknesses. Because of the shifts in the narratives, the reader gets a rounded picture of the characters. However, having so many viewpoints can be a little cumbersome.
Plot:
The beginning of the story allows the readers to see the struggles and tragedy that is affecting the doublesight clans. Each suffer losses and are thrown together to find out what they should do about things. History of prior wars and fighting plague the minds of each clan. Trust becomes a major issue throughout the book. The doublesights must work with each other but their natural predator and prey instincts create a weak bond that will need to be overcome—not to mention the inner turmoil a doublesight experiences when in their human or beast form. The later part of the book picked up for me when there was more action. The beginning was background and at some parts I grew tired about the different viewpoints of mistrust among the small doublesight group set out on a mission. (Don't worry there are still fight scenes in the beginning.) The ending leaves the readers wondering what will happen in the next book. I would have preferred a little more ending (down time) and connecting a few more loose ends before ending this book.
The Bottom Line:
Overall, it was a good read. If you like to read about shifters and fantasy worlds, you should give this book a try.
May 8, 2013
The Doublesights are in trouble. Zimp has just had her world turned upside down. Her clan has been attacked and her sister, Zora, was killed. Now Zimp is forced into the obligations her sister held of leading the crow clan.
The story overall has a good meaning through the struggles and tribulations the characters find themselves in. Just the basic living is a challenge and the stories of the characters bring their individual values to life. The idea of the story was good but I would have liked to have a little bit more development on the background and everything going on. Some stuff is thrown in but I wanted more of an overall immersion into the character’s plights.
The story overall has a good meaning through the struggles and tribulations the characters find themselves in. Just the basic living is a challenge and the stories of the characters bring their individual values to life. The idea of the story was good but I would have liked to have a little bit more development on the background and everything going on. Some stuff is thrown in but I wanted more of an overall immersion into the character’s plights.
May 16, 2015
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This book was oddly written and for some reason I could not bring myself to finish it. The part when is where I draw the line. The books plot was also overly dragged out. When the characters say they are supposed to do ______ soon, it only happens about 10 chapters later. Maybe the book gets better towards the end but I did not have the patience right now to finish it.
This book was oddly written and for some reason I could not bring myself to finish it. The part when is where I draw the line. The books plot was also overly dragged out. When the characters say they are supposed to do ______ soon, it only happens about 10 chapters later. Maybe the book gets better towards the end but I did not have the patience right now to finish it.
September 13, 2017
Love
This book was very good and entertaining. I love the characters and the story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
This book was very good and entertaining. I love the characters and the story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
March 8, 2024
Good book
The idea of the Doublesight was very creative. I love how the different shifter species worked together. I can't wait to read the next book.
The idea of the Doublesight was very creative. I love how the different shifter species worked together. I can't wait to read the next book.
August 1, 2014
Well, after my long detour into other genres, we're back in the realm of fantasy. Indie author Terry Persun has created a fantasy that is fresh and exhilarating. Doublesight is both an adventure novel and a novel of one girl's coming of age.
The BLURB:
After the Doublesight Wars, dangerous and mean-spirited shape shifters were killed off, causing other doublesight to hide their gifts, congregate into their own villages or clans, and avoid most humans. Zimp and Zora are the twin granddaughters of the crow clan's sage. The reticent Zimp is relieved that she has not been chosen to take her grandmother's position, but after Zora is murdered after an attack on the clan, Zimp is forced into her obligations. Rumors, stemming from Castle Weilk, suggest that dangerous throwbacks have been born--gryphons, harpys, dragons--and, once again the humans decide to hunt them down. Fear leads to mistrust, and mistrust to murder, all seemingly. The doublesight council assembles to assess the situation and sends five doublesight to investigate the rumors, placing Zimp in charge of four men. Struggling with her own intuitive abilities, and trying to hold a stable position as leader, Zimp finds herself in the center of a changing world and must decide on her real place within it.
My REVIEW:
Persun thrusts you into the middle of action from page one. Zimp's clan is under attack, and no one knows why.
Wholly human or wholly crow depending on what form she is in, Zimp is a great character, both endearing and aggravating. At first, she is weak and allows a less qualified, but more aggressive clan member, Arren, to make decisions for her.
Brok, a shifter who is also a Thylacine, is also an interesting and vivid character. He is angry, and Zimp is wary of him. His brother is unable to shift back to human, and his tragedy is poignant for every doublesight, whatever species.
Lankor is a doublesight dragon, and is also a great character. He is angry and confused, unable to control his temper as they all seem to be.
Though they are being persecuted, the doublesight have many divisions and rifts among themselves, and must somehow find a way to work together to find out why they are being hunted. This leads to the discovery of a great evil that threatens their very existence.
This book is as much about personalities and the need to remember their own commonality as it is about the great evil that threatens their kind. Each individual is sharply drawn, and has presence, struggling for their own place in their society while their world faces calamity. Zimp and Lankor struggle to do what they know is right, in the face of treachery and occasional bad judgement.
I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that the ending is a set-up for book two. There is some resolution, it's just not complete, and there is ample room for more story. I always have mixed feelings about that sort of ending for the first book in a series, but despite that one minor flaw, this is an awesome book, and I think it is one of the better fantasy books I've read lately. There is nothing stale, or been-done-before in this tale. I will definitely be reading The Memory Tower.
The BLURB:
After the Doublesight Wars, dangerous and mean-spirited shape shifters were killed off, causing other doublesight to hide their gifts, congregate into their own villages or clans, and avoid most humans. Zimp and Zora are the twin granddaughters of the crow clan's sage. The reticent Zimp is relieved that she has not been chosen to take her grandmother's position, but after Zora is murdered after an attack on the clan, Zimp is forced into her obligations. Rumors, stemming from Castle Weilk, suggest that dangerous throwbacks have been born--gryphons, harpys, dragons--and, once again the humans decide to hunt them down. Fear leads to mistrust, and mistrust to murder, all seemingly. The doublesight council assembles to assess the situation and sends five doublesight to investigate the rumors, placing Zimp in charge of four men. Struggling with her own intuitive abilities, and trying to hold a stable position as leader, Zimp finds herself in the center of a changing world and must decide on her real place within it.
My REVIEW:
Persun thrusts you into the middle of action from page one. Zimp's clan is under attack, and no one knows why.
Wholly human or wholly crow depending on what form she is in, Zimp is a great character, both endearing and aggravating. At first, she is weak and allows a less qualified, but more aggressive clan member, Arren, to make decisions for her.
Brok, a shifter who is also a Thylacine, is also an interesting and vivid character. He is angry, and Zimp is wary of him. His brother is unable to shift back to human, and his tragedy is poignant for every doublesight, whatever species.
Lankor is a doublesight dragon, and is also a great character. He is angry and confused, unable to control his temper as they all seem to be.
Though they are being persecuted, the doublesight have many divisions and rifts among themselves, and must somehow find a way to work together to find out why they are being hunted. This leads to the discovery of a great evil that threatens their very existence.
This book is as much about personalities and the need to remember their own commonality as it is about the great evil that threatens their kind. Each individual is sharply drawn, and has presence, struggling for their own place in their society while their world faces calamity. Zimp and Lankor struggle to do what they know is right, in the face of treachery and occasional bad judgement.
I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that the ending is a set-up for book two. There is some resolution, it's just not complete, and there is ample room for more story. I always have mixed feelings about that sort of ending for the first book in a series, but despite that one minor flaw, this is an awesome book, and I think it is one of the better fantasy books I've read lately. There is nothing stale, or been-done-before in this tale. I will definitely be reading The Memory Tower.
July 31, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.*
Doublesight is a coming-of-age fantasy novel about a girl named Zimp who finds herself thrust into a leadership position she doesn't feel she's ready for. However, she has to find the strength within herself, because she is doublesight, a human who can shift into an animal, and her kind are being hunted by humans. Leading a special group to investigate rumors of a doublesight dragon who has turned against its own kind, Zimp must learn how to lead so that her people can have a chance at survival.
What I liked:
- The idea of the story. I think that having "doublesight" characters who can shift into animals is really interesting, and having them be at war with those who can't shift intrigued me.
- The life of the doublesight was very well developed. Being a doublesight isn't just a gift, there are dangers in the shifting, and each clan has its own rituals and rites, which I liked reading about.
What I didn't like:
- The pacing was off; the parts that were rushed should have been developed more thoroughly, and the parts that were given a lot of time should have been short scenes or cut completely.
- A lot of the character interactions seemed forced to me; I didn't buy into many of the situations Zimp got into. I felt like the characters fought just to add tension to the story, not because there was something to fight about.
Conclusion:
The idea was interesting, but the execution of the idea left me disappointed. I wouldn't completely dismiss the idea of reading the sequel, but I wouldn't give it as much time as I normally would. As for this one, I know that a lot of people value story over writing, and if that's you, you may be able to enjoy Doublesight. Personally, I didn't like the writing style and that prevented me from delving into the story as fully as I would have liked.
Doublesight is a coming-of-age fantasy novel about a girl named Zimp who finds herself thrust into a leadership position she doesn't feel she's ready for. However, she has to find the strength within herself, because she is doublesight, a human who can shift into an animal, and her kind are being hunted by humans. Leading a special group to investigate rumors of a doublesight dragon who has turned against its own kind, Zimp must learn how to lead so that her people can have a chance at survival.
What I liked:
- The idea of the story. I think that having "doublesight" characters who can shift into animals is really interesting, and having them be at war with those who can't shift intrigued me.
- The life of the doublesight was very well developed. Being a doublesight isn't just a gift, there are dangers in the shifting, and each clan has its own rituals and rites, which I liked reading about.
What I didn't like:
- The pacing was off; the parts that were rushed should have been developed more thoroughly, and the parts that were given a lot of time should have been short scenes or cut completely.
- A lot of the character interactions seemed forced to me; I didn't buy into many of the situations Zimp got into. I felt like the characters fought just to add tension to the story, not because there was something to fight about.
Conclusion:
The idea was interesting, but the execution of the idea left me disappointed. I wouldn't completely dismiss the idea of reading the sequel, but I wouldn't give it as much time as I normally would. As for this one, I know that a lot of people value story over writing, and if that's you, you may be able to enjoy Doublesight. Personally, I didn't like the writing style and that prevented me from delving into the story as fully as I would have liked.
December 17, 2014
I enjoy a good fantasy. A fantasy that incorporates not just magical powers but also mythical beasts captures my attention even more. The complexity of this world and the inner workings of the culture of the gifted Doublesight people (essentially, they are shape-shifters who have an animal image that they can morph into) made it a slow start at first, but as momentum built, I found myself highly engaged and interested in the politics and dangers and missions of the characters. The book is filled with powerful creatures, many of them Doublesight, which means they have human counterparts, and I have enjoyed that the question is never: Is a beast born evil? But instead: Has a beast chosen to turn itself into a monster, or into a noble creature? The characters have to examine themselves and choose what they will fight for, regardless of how their circumstances or birth might indicate. This novel ended on high-octane and I can only imagine that its sequel, Memory Tower, will keep up the exhilarating speed.
July 5, 2015
Those with “Doublesight” have the ability to shape-shift into the animal or mythological creatures like lion-wolf hybrids, crows and my favorite, dragons. They are being hunted by humans and they also have schisms between themselves and in order to survive they must remember and find a way to return to the way they were before the rift.
I found this idea fascinating and Persun has constructed a fascinating world. The problem I has was the writing and I wonder if it a formatting error on Kindle; there were sentences that I had to read twice and I find it hard to believe that an author that has written as many books that have been loved by readers would write like he has in places here. Sentences are fragmented in places and stilted in other; the order of the words make it difficult to read. I would have rated this much higher of not for this.
3.5/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or the publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
I found this idea fascinating and Persun has constructed a fascinating world. The problem I has was the writing and I wonder if it a formatting error on Kindle; there were sentences that I had to read twice and I find it hard to believe that an author that has written as many books that have been loved by readers would write like he has in places here. Sentences are fragmented in places and stilted in other; the order of the words make it difficult to read. I would have rated this much higher of not for this.
3.5/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or the publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
August 30, 2013
First, I would like to thank the author Terry Persun for giving me this book for an honest review. I really take pleasure in shape shifter fiction I found Doublesight to be inspiring, there were crows, lion-wolf hybrids and dragons. This world had many possibilities for growth and imagination. It’s a fantasy novel about a girl named Zimp who finds herself thrust into a leadership position she doesn't feel she's ready for. She finds that she is up to the challenge as she goes along. There is so much potential for this world of Doublesight, they are hunted by humans and have many conflicts that they need to work through and much more. Overall I enjoyed this book and hope there may be more to their story in the future.
March 25, 2014
I don't generally review books, but this one seems to be suffering from a lack of them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot was original and compellingly told, the characters were three-dimensional, and I didn't find it predictable. I always appreciate it when an author can make me dislike a character yet still care what happens to them. It's also fantastic when I'm actually surprised by a development.
In criticism, the author does seem to misplace his storyline for a bit near the last third or so of the book. The writing loses its clarity and the plot becomes a bit muddled. He does, however, manage to find his way back before the end of the book.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot was original and compellingly told, the characters were three-dimensional, and I didn't find it predictable. I always appreciate it when an author can make me dislike a character yet still care what happens to them. It's also fantastic when I'm actually surprised by a development.
In criticism, the author does seem to misplace his storyline for a bit near the last third or so of the book. The writing loses its clarity and the plot becomes a bit muddled. He does, however, manage to find his way back before the end of the book.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
May 30, 2015
3.5 stars
~ A copy of this book was graciously provided to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ~
So I've read a few shifter novels before but this was different from any I have read.
In the beginning, I was totally intrigued by the concept of Doublesight (shifters) and humans being at war.
But slowly though out the book I would find myself going from enjoying what I was reading to losing interest countless times.
I'm not sure if it was because this book was so different to what I usually read or if it wasn't executed well.
But I will say that the ending totally had be sucked back in and I find myself wanting to what happens in the next book.
I'm not sure what the age range this is based at but I would easily say 14+.
~ A copy of this book was graciously provided to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ~
So I've read a few shifter novels before but this was different from any I have read.
In the beginning, I was totally intrigued by the concept of Doublesight (shifters) and humans being at war.
But slowly though out the book I would find myself going from enjoying what I was reading to losing interest countless times.
I'm not sure if it was because this book was so different to what I usually read or if it wasn't executed well.
But I will say that the ending totally had be sucked back in and I find myself wanting to what happens in the next book.
I'm not sure what the age range this is based at but I would easily say 14+.
May 17, 2016
Doublesight is a vividly portrayed world with interesting insights. If you love a good fantasy that has excellent world building- then this is a book worth taking the time to read through. The characters evolve and have depth. The story itself, while clearly fiction, makes you think about how we view things here in our own world. I will definitely be reading the entire rest of the series soon. Well done Terry Persun, looking forward to more of your works :)
May 26, 2015
I liked this book. The characters were interesting and I really liked the storyline. I found a few editing issues, but other than that, the grammar was pretty spot on, so I'm happy! I'm definitely intrigued enough to get the next one, I just hope it's as good!
Read
January 18, 2019I found this on kobo and the cover and blurb caught my attention. I tried to get into it a couple of times, but I just couldn't. It may just be my mood or something, but I really just couldn't get into it. May get back to it later to give it another chance when I'm in a different mood as the writing is good/polished with no glaring issues or annoyances.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews