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Colony Six #0.5
Insight
Welcome to the CORE: Commonwealth Objective for Reform and Efficiency
Detective Reese Parker is a survivor. Having left behind a violent past in Welfare Colony 6, she is now a sketch artist and detective with the New York Enforcer Division. Her entire focus is maintaining peace and order among the CORE’s remaining two million residents, to make certain their society never faces another economic and nuclear Breakdown.
She must also keep her secret. Because she never wants to be sent back to Colony 6.
With constant Teev surveillance and rigid control in the CORE’s most heavily populated state, Reese’s job mostly consists of tracing small-time juke pushers or sending rebellious students to reconditioning. She doesn’t have to face demented fringers that encroach upon the Core like her counterparts in Dallastar do, or patrol the northern borders where radiation-crazed animals attack unwary travelers. She’s content with being the most accurate sketch artist in the CORE.
But when one of her sketches puts her up against a human monster bigger than anything else that threatens the CORE, it’s a fight she might not survive.
Note from the author
This novella is part of my Colony Six futuristic dystopian sci-fi series. After finishing the first two books, I decided I wanted to write about the catalyst that took Reese, one of my important characters, back to Dallastar near where she grew up and where the series really begins. This is the case that almost got her killed and eventually led to events that in subsequent books reunites her with her childhood crew from Welfare Colony 6, otherwise known as the Coop (after the cramped conditions and chickens they raised there for extra food).
You can read this story either before or after the first two books—it doesn’t have spoilers. If you are new to my series, keep in mind that this short piece won’t contain the intricacies of the much longer novels, but I hope it’ll give you a taste of my post-apocalyptic world. I’ve included terms at the end of the novel to help catch you up, so maybe take a peek at those. Enjoy!
Detective Reese Parker is a survivor. Having left behind a violent past in Welfare Colony 6, she is now a sketch artist and detective with the New York Enforcer Division. Her entire focus is maintaining peace and order among the CORE’s remaining two million residents, to make certain their society never faces another economic and nuclear Breakdown.
She must also keep her secret. Because she never wants to be sent back to Colony 6.
With constant Teev surveillance and rigid control in the CORE’s most heavily populated state, Reese’s job mostly consists of tracing small-time juke pushers or sending rebellious students to reconditioning. She doesn’t have to face demented fringers that encroach upon the Core like her counterparts in Dallastar do, or patrol the northern borders where radiation-crazed animals attack unwary travelers. She’s content with being the most accurate sketch artist in the CORE.
But when one of her sketches puts her up against a human monster bigger than anything else that threatens the CORE, it’s a fight she might not survive.
Note from the author
This novella is part of my Colony Six futuristic dystopian sci-fi series. After finishing the first two books, I decided I wanted to write about the catalyst that took Reese, one of my important characters, back to Dallastar near where she grew up and where the series really begins. This is the case that almost got her killed and eventually led to events that in subsequent books reunites her with her childhood crew from Welfare Colony 6, otherwise known as the Coop (after the cramped conditions and chickens they raised there for extra food).
You can read this story either before or after the first two books—it doesn’t have spoilers. If you are new to my series, keep in mind that this short piece won’t contain the intricacies of the much longer novels, but I hope it’ll give you a taste of my post-apocalyptic world. I’ve included terms at the end of the novel to help catch you up, so maybe take a peek at those. Enjoy!
- GenresScience FictionDystopia
104 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2019
88 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Teyla Branton
42 books220 followersTeyla Rachel Branton grew up avidly reading science fiction and fantasy and watching Star Trek reruns with her large family. They lived on a little farm where she loved to visit the solitary cow and collect (and juggle) the eggs, usually making it back to the house with most of them intact. On that same farm she once owned thirty-three gerbils and eighteen cats, not a good mix, as it turns out. Teyla always had her nose in a book and daydreamed about someday creating her own worlds. She is now married, mostly grown up, and has seven kids, so life at her house can be very interesting (and loud), but writing keeps her sane. She thrives on the energy and daily amusement offered by her children, the semi-ordered chaos giving her a constant source of writing material. Grabbing any snatch of free time from her hectic life, Teyla writes novels full of mystery, romance, and imagination. She warns her children that if they don’t behave, they just might find themselves in her next book! She’s been known to wear pajamas all day when working on a deadline, and is often distracted enough to burn dinner. (Okay, pretty much 90% of the time.) A sign on her office door reads: DANGER. WRITER AT WORK. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. She loves writing fiction and traveling, and she hopes to write and travel a lot more. She also loves shooting guns, martial arts, and belly dancing. She has worked in the publishing business for over twenty years.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 24, 2019
Insight is book 0.5 in the Colony Six series. Teyla Branton has created an intriguing storyline with interesting and well developed characters. This is the story of how Reese (MC) returned to Dallastar, her home region. Even though this was on the short side, it followed Reese through the events leading up to her transfer to Dallastar. It is extremely well written, the pace is excellent, and you are kept glued to your ereader until the last page. If the remainder of the series is written on the same level or surpass Insight, it will be a super star. I highly recommend it. Received a copy and this is my voluntary and honest review.
January 1, 2020
This was an enjoyable side story (prequel to Colony Six trilogy) about Reese and her past run-in with the CORE and the catalyst behind why she does what she does with her crew and why her lust for revenge or justice is key.
Reese is one of the fascinating characters, her skill (or maybe curse) to sketch what is in others' minds - which makes her perfect as a detective, even if she has to keep the source of her skill secret.
Another great story from one of my favourite authors.
Highly recommended.
Reese is one of the fascinating characters, her skill (or maybe curse) to sketch what is in others' minds - which makes her perfect as a detective, even if she has to keep the source of her skill secret.
Another great story from one of my favourite authors.
Highly recommended.
May 20, 2020
A little bit about Reese her past as a child going over into her working now in future new york doing sketches for the New York Enforcer Division.
But she has a gift (or is it more a fluke?) Reese can sketches the images she sees in the mind of the other, without them telling them to her. So she has to work around them to get them in words too.
This time she made a sketch of an important person doing evil things.
And when they arrest him strange things happen with the witnesses and even Reese herself is in danger.
Great novella with action and justice in it.
But she has a gift (or is it more a fluke?) Reese can sketches the images she sees in the mind of the other, without them telling them to her. So she has to work around them to get them in words too.
This time she made a sketch of an important person doing evil things.
And when they arrest him strange things happen with the witnesses and even Reese herself is in danger.
Great novella with action and justice in it.
February 8, 2019
I DNFed this one halfway through, unfortunately. The premise seems interesting and the beginning was sufficiently intriguing. My problem came with the fact that the writing is very flat. There is a lot of tell and not much show. Because of that I couldn't really get a feel for the protagonist and hence care for her enough to continue reading.
I know it's just an introductory novella, so hopefully the main series are better. I do not feel the inclination to check it out though.
I know it's just an introductory novella, so hopefully the main series are better. I do not feel the inclination to check it out though.
April 4, 2019
yes I would recommend this book. It was a quick read but I found the lead character intriguing. She had a difficult history, which is only alluded to, but is using her unusual talent to advantage, as a detective, to solve crimes. It is a well developed world, where things appear to be under control, but there are hints that all is not well, I look forward to reading more and seeing where the author takes her heroine, and us!
August 16, 2021
She got out, but not for good
Working as a detective for a fairly rich planet, after growing up as a starving street rat, she was good at her job. She wanted to be the best, and for no reason ever go back to where she came from. When a case blows up, she has no idea where it'll lead. The story characters besides the main 2 need some more fleshing out, to be able to completely immerse in the experience, but the plot and story are good, and it is a quick easy read.
Working as a detective for a fairly rich planet, after growing up as a starving street rat, she was good at her job. She wanted to be the best, and for no reason ever go back to where she came from. When a case blows up, she has no idea where it'll lead. The story characters besides the main 2 need some more fleshing out, to be able to completely immerse in the experience, but the plot and story are good, and it is a quick easy read.
May 31, 2022
Jesse was a troubled youngster but with a very supportive group. She was a misfit, as were most of her friends. But even then she had a secret that drove her, but she did her best to hide it.
Now she is a detective with the same secret. She hides the drive but uses the result to her advantage. She is very successful but that's both the good news and the bad news.
The book unfortunately was 50% promotion for other books instead of finishing cleanly with this good story.
Now she is a detective with the same secret. She hides the drive but uses the result to her advantage. She is very successful but that's both the good news and the bad news.
The book unfortunately was 50% promotion for other books instead of finishing cleanly with this good story.
March 10, 2019
It's a tiny sample of a bigger book, without any HEA!
Not enough of a story to satisfy me. Well written, but incomplete, tiny sample of a bigger book without any happy ever after. Disappointing. It ended just when it was getting even better. Skip this one. It's just a tiny tease of something bigger and better...sad...
Not enough of a story to satisfy me. Well written, but incomplete, tiny sample of a bigger book without any happy ever after. Disappointing. It ended just when it was getting even better. Skip this one. It's just a tiny tease of something bigger and better...sad...
December 16, 2019
I did finish this book, but I found it hard going & confusing—this was probably because I’m not used to reading books set that far in the future! However I’m not entirely sure if I would recommend it to other people as most of the people I know would probably Lynch me for recommending ‘such an awful book’.
August 2, 2021
I downloaded Insight, the prequel novella to the A Colony Six series, as a free ebook from Amazon. Very interesting world-building and intriguing characters. This is my first book by this author and I must say I enjoyed her writing style. The whole idea of drawing, and the compulsion to draw, what she sees in the thoughts of others added a new level of freshness to a solid plot line
June 27, 2019
Nice short book.
Reese uses her "vision" in her work as a police sketch artist. She sees inside the person's mind and then uses questions to allow her to draw a perfect sketch of the suspect.
She can't let anyone know about her skill because that would send her back to Colony 6.
Reese uses her "vision" in her work as a police sketch artist. She sees inside the person's mind and then uses questions to allow her to draw a perfect sketch of the suspect.
She can't let anyone know about her skill because that would send her back to Colony 6.
September 21, 2019
Not quite as good as Sketches, however this was probably due to it being a short story and because the events in it had been referred to in Sketches so I knew what was going to happen. However, an enjoyable and short read.
November 20, 2019
In the beginning
This novella fills in the gaps that were not applied about in Book 1 (Sketches.) it answers the questions about the KC that the first book did not explain. It also included more of the story of Reese’s childhood in Colony 6.
This novella fills in the gaps that were not applied about in Book 1 (Sketches.) it answers the questions about the KC that the first book did not explain. It also included more of the story of Reese’s childhood in Colony 6.
July 26, 2021
Justice served
An exciting adventure where honest people are hard to find! Where greed, power, money and evil reign high above mere poor people! This enforcer can’t be bought, she will see justice served! In the end she wins but loses everything! Who can she trust?
An exciting adventure where honest people are hard to find! Where greed, power, money and evil reign high above mere poor people! This enforcer can’t be bought, she will see justice served! In the end she wins but loses everything! Who can she trust?
February 23, 2019
Insite
I really liked this book. The characters were well developed and likable most of them. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
I really liked this book. The characters were well developed and likable most of them. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
June 10, 2019
Entertaining story in a post-apocalypse world.
June 30, 2019
This book title definitely fulfills its pages. It's insight on the rest of the series. Now I want to reread the series. So good.
August 30, 2020
Good read
I enjoyed this book and can not wait to read the next story in this series. I read another series by this author and loved it.
I enjoyed this book and can not wait to read the next story in this series. I read another series by this author and loved it.
November 24, 2025
DNF at 21%. It’s not that this wasn’t a good book, I just wasn’t into it. The initial premise of her doing the sketch drawings was interesting but then I’m just not into this whole detective stuff.
February 26, 2019
I liked this novella but do wish it had been a tad longer. I have always liked the way Branton writes but felt this one was missing something.
I did enjoy the storyline and how it alluded to a deeper mystery as to what may have happened to her colony 6 crew. I also appreciated how even though the society is trying to make sure it is taking care of its people the 1% are still kept as the favorites just as in all societies. I'm interested in whether Reese will ever be able to have a real relationship with anyone, friend or more.
I did enjoy the storyline and how it alluded to a deeper mystery as to what may have happened to her colony 6 crew. I also appreciated how even though the society is trying to make sure it is taking care of its people the 1% are still kept as the favorites just as in all societies. I'm interested in whether Reese will ever be able to have a real relationship with anyone, friend or more.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews