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Double Helix #1
Double Helix: Tempest
Nominee - 2017 Amazon Kindle Storyteller Awards, 2017 Kindle Book Awards, 2017 Global Ebook Awards, and the 2017 Reader's Favorite Awards.
The adventure begins in the year 2256.
Mars has been terraformed into a tropical paradise where there is peace, beauty, and the colonists have finally completed their first interstellar spaceship. Although life is good, a genetic bottleneck and genetic mutations have plagued the Mars colonists for more than two hundred years, leaving the population with 95% female inhabitants and men who are born sterile.
Chancellor Janna sends her only daughter Aura, a fifteen-year-old schizophrenic and next in line to be Chancellor, to planet Earth in hopes of finding human survivors to cure their genetic crisis. Little does the Chancellor know, there are others that likes things the way they are.
While Aura is forced to fight to survive on a frozen, post-apocalyptic Earth, others are fighting to keep Mars from slipping into tyranny. And in the process, a temporal vortex is birthed. This vortex, the Tempest, will forever change the past, present, and future, and put the fate of the entire galaxy in jeopardy. The fall of humanity is at hand.
The sometimes strange, sometimes humorous, sometimes dark and disturbing world of Double Helix is a character-rich, science fiction, epic adventure.
The adventure begins in the year 2256.
Mars has been terraformed into a tropical paradise where there is peace, beauty, and the colonists have finally completed their first interstellar spaceship. Although life is good, a genetic bottleneck and genetic mutations have plagued the Mars colonists for more than two hundred years, leaving the population with 95% female inhabitants and men who are born sterile.
Chancellor Janna sends her only daughter Aura, a fifteen-year-old schizophrenic and next in line to be Chancellor, to planet Earth in hopes of finding human survivors to cure their genetic crisis. Little does the Chancellor know, there are others that likes things the way they are.
While Aura is forced to fight to survive on a frozen, post-apocalyptic Earth, others are fighting to keep Mars from slipping into tyranny. And in the process, a temporal vortex is birthed. This vortex, the Tempest, will forever change the past, present, and future, and put the fate of the entire galaxy in jeopardy. The fall of humanity is at hand.
The sometimes strange, sometimes humorous, sometimes dark and disturbing world of Double Helix is a character-rich, science fiction, epic adventure.
- GenresScience Fiction
566 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2017
10 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 20, 2017
Even though I enjoyed this book at times and it's well written...
Two stars for all the violent deaths of women.
Two stars for killing off all LGBT+ characters.
Two stars because I'm annoyed someone actually tagged this as LGBT+.
Two stars for all the hetero-nonsense.
Two stars for the two weeks I spent reading this.
Two stars for all the violent deaths of women.
Two stars for killing off all LGBT+ characters.
Two stars because I'm annoyed someone actually tagged this as LGBT+.
Two stars for all the hetero-nonsense.
Two stars for the two weeks I spent reading this.
May 21, 2017
This is a sci-fi saga rather than an ordinary novel. It’s very, very long (think LOTR, War and Peace) and it is intended to deliver a planet load of detail and characterization. The planet in question is Mars, in the future of course, after civilisation on Earth has been lost to an Armageddon and contact with its colonies on other planets in the solar system has been cut away.
The Martian colonists are managed by a government of scientists and the wealthy, factors which go hand in hand there, but that government is overseen by an aristocratic hereditary regent who is supposed to act as a check and balance to keep them grounded, to stop them oppressing the poor neighbourhoods. With ambition and a bit of killing, someone’s trying to buck the system and remove the safeguards on power. People are people, no matter where they are in the Solar System. Then again, maybe that’s what you’re supposed to think is happening. It’s time to begin the investigation.
A core theme in this book is that of the sex ratio. Following generations of genetic engineering, 95% of the population of Mars are female and only some of the 5% males are fertile. Nearly all of the population are slender blondes, so much so that they have no idea what the human race is supposed to look like, i.e. diverse genetic and racial variation. This story isn’t intended to be a comment on that issue but it does show us how BORING a life like that would be. Another subject it opens up is the lesbian life, which is normalised in this because there’s clearly very little alternative. There are sex clubs, naked people, lots of mentions of girl-girl crushes, plenty of panties and in the end that sounds a bit samey too.
On my mobile screen in the Kindle app, this ran to 1,464 pages (I think the paperback was about 882), so that took me a few long days and late evenings to finish. A lengthy book is fine if it has an equivalent amount of strong drama, action and complexity to pack in or at least plants solid islands of drama along a chain. My personal view was that this tale drifted in places and I do wonder if everyone who starts reading this genuinely completes it without skipping forward. I read every page, the only fair way if you’re going to comment on an author’s hard work, but even I was tempted. For example, there’s a good bit around page 1,200 where an assassinated woman leaves a message to her daughter, not quite “Obi-Wan, you are our only hope” but similarly full of trust, fear and tension. Could the same story could have been told faster than that, say in 450 pages? Would it have been more dramatic with less time for the steam to escape? That’s an opinion and there would be a range of views over this as some readers prefer an epic, so lucky them because there’s even some neo-Roman influences dropped in at the end which suggests there’s at least another fifty percent of this fantasy world yet to be developed (Part 2 pending).
The mistake count was very small, e.g. “would shoot” instead of “wouldn’t shoot” at one point, otherwise pretty clear. In case you don’t like it, there were a lot of women swearing, Cs and Fs, but I doubt anyone would be offended as it’s commonplace now and who can tell if this would be any different in the future? The Ranger characters are supposed to be common grunts and you’d expect their speech to reflect that but the characters of apparently higher social worth swear just as often. Spot the difference?
That’s it really, a heavy book and a light review. It was a reasonable story and explored an interesting angle of “What would it be like if…” but I think it would have been more engaging if it had been edited down a little, a lot, and in the next book in the series I hope the other colonies aren’t quite so un-diverse and girly. The Kill Bill-style rebel with the katana was fun though and I hope she gets a run in the next book to shake things up.
The Martian colonists are managed by a government of scientists and the wealthy, factors which go hand in hand there, but that government is overseen by an aristocratic hereditary regent who is supposed to act as a check and balance to keep them grounded, to stop them oppressing the poor neighbourhoods. With ambition and a bit of killing, someone’s trying to buck the system and remove the safeguards on power. People are people, no matter where they are in the Solar System. Then again, maybe that’s what you’re supposed to think is happening. It’s time to begin the investigation.
A core theme in this book is that of the sex ratio. Following generations of genetic engineering, 95% of the population of Mars are female and only some of the 5% males are fertile. Nearly all of the population are slender blondes, so much so that they have no idea what the human race is supposed to look like, i.e. diverse genetic and racial variation. This story isn’t intended to be a comment on that issue but it does show us how BORING a life like that would be. Another subject it opens up is the lesbian life, which is normalised in this because there’s clearly very little alternative. There are sex clubs, naked people, lots of mentions of girl-girl crushes, plenty of panties and in the end that sounds a bit samey too.
On my mobile screen in the Kindle app, this ran to 1,464 pages (I think the paperback was about 882), so that took me a few long days and late evenings to finish. A lengthy book is fine if it has an equivalent amount of strong drama, action and complexity to pack in or at least plants solid islands of drama along a chain. My personal view was that this tale drifted in places and I do wonder if everyone who starts reading this genuinely completes it without skipping forward. I read every page, the only fair way if you’re going to comment on an author’s hard work, but even I was tempted. For example, there’s a good bit around page 1,200 where an assassinated woman leaves a message to her daughter, not quite “Obi-Wan, you are our only hope” but similarly full of trust, fear and tension. Could the same story could have been told faster than that, say in 450 pages? Would it have been more dramatic with less time for the steam to escape? That’s an opinion and there would be a range of views over this as some readers prefer an epic, so lucky them because there’s even some neo-Roman influences dropped in at the end which suggests there’s at least another fifty percent of this fantasy world yet to be developed (Part 2 pending).
The mistake count was very small, e.g. “would shoot” instead of “wouldn’t shoot” at one point, otherwise pretty clear. In case you don’t like it, there were a lot of women swearing, Cs and Fs, but I doubt anyone would be offended as it’s commonplace now and who can tell if this would be any different in the future? The Ranger characters are supposed to be common grunts and you’d expect their speech to reflect that but the characters of apparently higher social worth swear just as often. Spot the difference?
That’s it really, a heavy book and a light review. It was a reasonable story and explored an interesting angle of “What would it be like if…” but I think it would have been more engaging if it had been edited down a little, a lot, and in the next book in the series I hope the other colonies aren’t quite so un-diverse and girly. The Kill Bill-style rebel with the katana was fun though and I hope she gets a run in the next book to shake things up.
March 7, 2017
Humorous epic adventure
I have never considered myself a fan of space sci-fi but when I got an advanced copy of Double Helix: Tempest to review, that changed for me very quickly.
I am so glad I read this book. The plot is so interesting
The writer does an excellent job of pulling me in from the very beginning. The characters are instantly likeable and relatable. I had a wonderful ride to the very last page!
Patricia Wayne is such an amazing author. Her writing style is so present, so engaging, you will love the unique warmth she brought to this science fiction novel.
I have never considered myself a fan of space sci-fi but when I got an advanced copy of Double Helix: Tempest to review, that changed for me very quickly.
I am so glad I read this book. The plot is so interesting
The writer does an excellent job of pulling me in from the very beginning. The characters are instantly likeable and relatable. I had a wonderful ride to the very last page!
Patricia Wayne is such an amazing author. Her writing style is so present, so engaging, you will love the unique warmth she brought to this science fiction novel.
November 16, 2017
Enthralling, nearly spell-binding sci-fi adventure! I am definitely in luck to lay my hands on “Double Helix: Tempest”. I was attracted by the title, and it is not my first book of the author as well. I must say, it definitely exceeded all my expectations!
This is the story of a colonial society on Mars that consists of women mainly, with only less than five percent of men’s population. Having built their first spaceship Athena, they are aimed at fulfilling their mission to the Earth and reshape future opportunities. But the connection with the ship was lost, as well as with Princess Aura, the Chancellor’s daughter. Meanwhile, peaceful life on Mars is in danger, Senator Isadora has been killed and Chancellor Janna foiled a conspiracy plan.
The book has an amazing plot with numerous twists and turns, so you can never predict what will come next. There is a great number of characters and several storylines, which are intertwined and interact uniquely, forming an indivisible whole of a complex but gripping story! The greatly mastered women characters reminded me of the New Amazon Warriors at times. I enjoyed the inner strength of Chancellor Janna, the sophisticated and emotional features of Aura. I also liked the wise Tiberius and the brave, even-tempered commander Graves. However, my favorite is Eryn! Her belonging to some ancient battlefield on Earth, her investigation of the council’s deaths, moreover, her confrontation with Alyssa were more than exciting, evoking interest and urging to turn pages!
If you are looking for remarkable adventures, mysteries, great warriors, intrigues, ambitions, amazing scenes of space traveling and a lot more, give this fascinating book a try!
This is the story of a colonial society on Mars that consists of women mainly, with only less than five percent of men’s population. Having built their first spaceship Athena, they are aimed at fulfilling their mission to the Earth and reshape future opportunities. But the connection with the ship was lost, as well as with Princess Aura, the Chancellor’s daughter. Meanwhile, peaceful life on Mars is in danger, Senator Isadora has been killed and Chancellor Janna foiled a conspiracy plan.
The book has an amazing plot with numerous twists and turns, so you can never predict what will come next. There is a great number of characters and several storylines, which are intertwined and interact uniquely, forming an indivisible whole of a complex but gripping story! The greatly mastered women characters reminded me of the New Amazon Warriors at times. I enjoyed the inner strength of Chancellor Janna, the sophisticated and emotional features of Aura. I also liked the wise Tiberius and the brave, even-tempered commander Graves. However, my favorite is Eryn! Her belonging to some ancient battlefield on Earth, her investigation of the council’s deaths, moreover, her confrontation with Alyssa were more than exciting, evoking interest and urging to turn pages!
If you are looking for remarkable adventures, mysteries, great warriors, intrigues, ambitions, amazing scenes of space traveling and a lot more, give this fascinating book a try!
May 26, 2017
Highly engaging and enjoyable
I know the writer of this book through work. I enjoyed the book so much, I kept forgetting it was written by someone I know.
The main characters are all well defined. My favorite kept changing as the characters' personalities developed. There were plenty of surprises, things I honestly didn't see coming, which is unusual for me while reading a book.
Some of the violence was a bit much for me, but I got over it. Still, there were a couple choices I questioned.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story, whether they are a science fiction fan or not.
I know the writer of this book through work. I enjoyed the book so much, I kept forgetting it was written by someone I know.
The main characters are all well defined. My favorite kept changing as the characters' personalities developed. There were plenty of surprises, things I honestly didn't see coming, which is unusual for me while reading a book.
Some of the violence was a bit much for me, but I got over it. Still, there were a couple choices I questioned.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story, whether they are a science fiction fan or not.
October 15, 2017
Each character was strong in their own rights, even if at first they didn't seem as important. I loved the way the author tied them in with each other.
This is very well written and I cannot wait to see what else this author can come up with.
I will be recommending this read to all friends and family.
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. Utterly fantastic read.
This is very well written and I cannot wait to see what else this author can come up with.
I will be recommending this read to all friends and family.
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. Utterly fantastic read.
March 28, 2017
Disclaimer
I have received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an epic novel, spanning two planets and unfurling an intricate political drama.
The novel follows several characters, all female, and focuses mainly on each of their lives and struggles. This is probably the highlight of the story, itself. Each character has a flaw and layers, which helps bring them each to life. From a "princess" with a technology phobia (imagine having to deal with that in the future), to a soldier who wants to fit in, to my favorite, a badass police officer (referred to as Protectorates) with criminal desires — all of them struggle to overcome negative traits that prevent them from living their lives to the fullest.
Of course, being an honest review, I also have to point out a things that brought this down a star for me. The novel felt too long to me, and there were a few times the details were unnecessarily drawn out.
Following are some descriptions that stood out the most to me:
"There wasn't much visible through the wall of falling water except streetlights struggling to illuminate the flooded avenues and a single red and blue neon sign above the nightclub that read, The Citadel, which beamed through the rainy darkness like a lighthouse."
"... the decaying ruins of thousands of frozen buildings which lined ancient city streets, and only broken up by mounds of debris on both sides of one massive trench of black smoldering topsoil."
Overall, I see this novel being the foundation of what should be a fascinating universe once the author is finished with all of the books. As a teaser, as the novel continues on, the universe opens up to multiple dimensions, time travel, and a hidden secret society, and so much more.
This absolutely is on my Must-Reads List.
I have received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an epic novel, spanning two planets and unfurling an intricate political drama.
The novel follows several characters, all female, and focuses mainly on each of their lives and struggles. This is probably the highlight of the story, itself. Each character has a flaw and layers, which helps bring them each to life. From a "princess" with a technology phobia (imagine having to deal with that in the future), to a soldier who wants to fit in, to my favorite, a badass police officer (referred to as Protectorates) with criminal desires — all of them struggle to overcome negative traits that prevent them from living their lives to the fullest.
Of course, being an honest review, I also have to point out a things that brought this down a star for me. The novel felt too long to me, and there were a few times the details were unnecessarily drawn out.
Following are some descriptions that stood out the most to me:
"There wasn't much visible through the wall of falling water except streetlights struggling to illuminate the flooded avenues and a single red and blue neon sign above the nightclub that read, The Citadel, which beamed through the rainy darkness like a lighthouse."
"... the decaying ruins of thousands of frozen buildings which lined ancient city streets, and only broken up by mounds of debris on both sides of one massive trench of black smoldering topsoil."
Overall, I see this novel being the foundation of what should be a fascinating universe once the author is finished with all of the books. As a teaser, as the novel continues on, the universe opens up to multiple dimensions, time travel, and a hidden secret society, and so much more.
This absolutely is on my Must-Reads List.
April 13, 2017
Well written, but
Unrealistic, poor science, terrible political realism, some of the characters were too stupid to hold the posts there were holding. The main characters were unlikeable.
Unrealistic, poor science, terrible political realism, some of the characters were too stupid to hold the posts there were holding. The main characters were unlikeable.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews