Double Suns

Twisted Mirrors, Episode I

Fiction - Science Fiction
260 Pages
Reviewed on 01/15/2020
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Lesley Jones for Readers' Favorite

Double Suns - Twisted Mirrors, Episode I is written by Charley Blackwolf. When Doctor Wersack arrives on the planet called Finakka, he brings the brutal news that their world faces extinction. The people have ignored the signs for too long now. Only a few, a race of warriors, will have the opportunity to escape and survive while the rest will perish. When they travel through the space warp, they have no idea what they face or who will survive. When half of their population falls victim to a virus, extreme action is needed if their race is to survive. As time goes by, a man from Earth is pulled into their world. When he mistakenly kills a tribal leader, his only chance of survival is to place his trust in the tribe.

In Double Suns - Twisted Mirrors, Episode I by Charley Blackwolf, the author has managed to create a very unique and engaging storyline. The detail in the plot building up to the escape is admirable and really sets a scene that keeps you engaged and your imagination on full alert. I loved the complex characters, they were realistic and their internal dialogue revealed a great deal about their view of the world. Even the minor characters had great backstories, which is unusual but made the story even more interesting. The narrative is one of the most descriptive I have ever come across in a book that sparks every one of your senses. I loved the character Billy Jackson; he brought some good humor to the story. I also thought the character Gregor was superb and we saw many different aspects of his personality. Although the ending was quite abrupt, I look forward to the next book in the series to find out what happens to Billy. I am sure the excitement will continue and more wonderful characters will make an appearance.

Charles Remington

The sun Tannex is coming critically close to catastrophic extinction and the denizens of the few inhabited planets which orbit the star must either leave the system or perish along with their sun. Double Suns – Twisted Mirrors by Charley Blackwolf (Episode 1) chronicles the efforts of the Finakkan people to urgently advance an embryonic technology to enable them to travel to three alternative planets (one of them our own world) in order to escape the coming cataclysm. The story follows the first Finakkan settlers when they arrive on the planet Sorn, shortly after their elite forces have ‘cleansed’ the southern half of the planet of the indigenous population. Here they encounter problems with the new environment, some of which are serious and some insurmountable. The local inhabitants prove to be more difficult to cull than was expected, with the Finakkans becoming embroiled in a long campaign involving three planets.

This volume is the first of a series and concludes with a detailed glossary of characters, place names, terms and belief systems of the people and planets involved in the tale. Personally, I thought the start of Double Suns – Twisted Mirrors was a bit of a slow burn but once the story got going, I found it was well-written and interesting. The characters were well-drawn and the various terrains vividly described. Charley Blackwolf writes well, but as this volume is a brief introduction to the series, we await the next episode to see how the saga will unfold. A promising start to a well thought out series.

K.C. Finn

Double Suns – Twisted Mirrors is a work of intriguing science fiction penned by author Charley Blackwolf, and forms the first episode of a continuing saga. Written as the opening to a wide-reaching and post-apocalyptic science fiction epic, we come face to face with a devastated world where most of the life upon it has been wiped out by the impact of a dying star. For those who survive, redemption and salvation come in the form of a man who is part machine, and one who walked amongst them offering both life and death through the spread of his genetics. But amid this new hope, there are jealousies and suspicions which could bring about another finality.

Author Charley Blackwolf plays a great deal upon gender and human nature in this truly fascinating tale of both the destruction of a world and the recreation of it after an apocalypse-level event. The plot focuses on the initial stages of this recreation when a prophet-type character arrives to try to help survivors continue their species and rebuild the world that was taken from them. I liked the belief systems in place and the dialogue and narration really got those across well, with plenty of grandiose soothsaying, prophesying and prognosticating about the fate of the human race and the death of its shining star. As a series opener, it holds a lot of promise for more tales in the future, and overall I would certainly recommend Double Suns – Twisted Mirrors to science fiction readers seeking a new and unique world to delve into.

Rabia Tanveer

Double Suns - Twisted Mirrors, Episode I by Charley Blackwolf is the story of fighting for survival. Set on a planet called Finakka, the most genius minds of the planet are working together to find a new planet that they can call home. Their planet might be dying, but they are an intelligent race and they will find a solution to this tragedy. Their sun is dying and they need all the help that they can get. Doctor Wesrack is at the center of this research and he is trying his best to get politicians to notice the gravity of the situation. Will he and his team be able to find a suitable planet for his people in time? Will their experimental excursions be successful?

Double Suns - Twisted Mirrors, Episode I by Charley Blackwolf is a complex story, one that will demand your attention and make you want to put everything else aside. It is very apparent that the author has done a lot of research about planetary evolution and it shows in the narrative. The pace of the story is not too fast or too slow, but it builds as the story progresses and you meet new characters. This is a very good start to a series and I am sure there are going to be a lot more characters in future novels. Setting the tone and the groundwork for the ongoing series, this story introduces the universe it is set in and the characters that will be seen prominently. I believe future novels are going to be even more intricate and will answer some very intriguing questions that will surely arise in readers' minds. Readers who enjoy science fiction will enjoy this a lot.

Liz Konkel

Double Suns – Twisted Mirrors: Episode 1 by Charley Blackwolf is a science fiction adventure that tackles various civilizations as they fight for survival and new beginnings. Every planet once had a vast and varied life. Then the sun started dying. While the sun dies, the planets are forced to find new means of survival as the world around them becomes hostile and desperation leads to shocking choices for their future. As some gave up hope, others refused to let this be the end of their civilizations. The populations dwindle and survivors search for other places in the galaxy to call home while pushing the boundaries of science that could be their only way to survive.

The story weaves between various characters from different civilizations and showcases a generational tale of survival that takes place under a dying sun. The various characters are from species that share the commonality of all suffering from the same fate and each is determined to find a way for their people to survive. The theme explored throughout focuses on the weight of survival and the evolution of civilizations in the name of this survival. Science and technology play an important role in the creation of the rich mythology Charley Blackwolf has created that gives these civilizations ways to reach other planets and to keep their species surviving to the next generation. The story introduces two different races that are at the heart of events and the perspective weaves between characters from the two, which allows you to see the different sides.

Blackwolf provides a variety of voices with well-rounded characters that include Sarah who goes against the opinion of her people to save someone else, Gregor who has a lust for power, Billy who finds himself in the right wrong place, and the lovely J-Kal who goes on to have a profound place in the story. Each of the characters faces many challenges that make for an epic adventure that includes a virus, dangers from other planets, rebels, and many other threats that could see the end of these civilizations. As the characters fight to survive, questionable actions occur and surprising twists that can change the course of everything. Double Suns – Twisted Mirrors: Episode 1 is ideal for serious science fiction lovers that enjoy doomsday scenarios, science, planetary adventures, and epic discoveries.