Veena’s review of Breeder (The Breeder Cycle, Book 1) by K.B. Hoyle
Adult Dystopia published by The Writers Coffee Shop 11 Dec 14

This is an incredibly moving story about a young woman and her journey to find herself. It takes only one incident to dissolve the façade around B17 and bring to light the true ugliness that surrounds her. With the help of Pax, a fellow traveler, she finds herself learning to survive and growing into the young woman called Pria. This is my first book by K.B. Hoyle, but this world and the characters have captured my imagination and I will be waiting with bated breath for their story to continue to unfold.

B17 is a genetically superior being and definitely at the top of the food chain in her world, where she lives in the lap of luxury.  And yet, despite her genetic superiority, she’s ignorant not only of the life outside her beautiful prison but also deprived of the basic skills of reading and writing. She’s been fed on the propaganda of the ruling regime and has definitely imbibed the Kool-Aid.

A medical procedure, a voice in mist that should have never been there leave her with an uncomfortable awareness that all is not as it should be.  She starts to peer outside the glass walls of her prison and question the very existence of her perfect dream. But questions are not encouraged, and suddenly her very life is in danger, only to be rescued by Pax, who is, indeed, a real person and not just a figment of her imagination.

Life outside her compound is definitely not at all what she might have imagined. Now Pria needs to learn survival skills and to put her formidable brain and intellect to use for other than being a breeding machine for genetically superior children. When all seems lost and freedom might just be a fallacy, Pria and Pax find themselves rescued and taken to a rebel camp.  Here, she discovers the magic world of books and learns to read while she forges new relationships and makes new enemies.

But rebellion requires sacrifice, and there is something that only Pria can do that will aid the family she has now joined.  Does she have the strength and courage to do what is asked of her? More importantly, will she survive the test that she’s undertaken.

I agree with Ms. Hoyle’s comments that there is definitely a vacuum of dystopian stories and definitely room for more. This story leaves an indelible impression on me and even a couple of weeks later I can’t stop thinking about it.  The world is gray and ugly and life is very difficult. It is, indeed, back to the survival of the fittest and yet there is incredible color to be found in human emotions and relationships.

Pria and Pax captured my imagination and I can’t wait to see their story continue to unfold in future books.

Grade: A

Summary:

Everything about Seventeen’s life is perfect, from her genetics, to her home in Sanctuary, to her status as a Breeder in the Unified World Order. But all that changes when she meets a rogue Enforcer named Pax, who infiltrates Sanctuary and targets her for extraction from the Controlled Repopulation Program. Pax seems to know a little too much about her, and he plants dangerous doubts in her mind that accuse Sanctuary of hiding a dark secret, and that cause Seventeen to question everything she’s ever known.

When Seventeen’s life is threatened, she has little choice but to run away from Sanctuary with Pax. But for Breeders, contact with men is forbidden by law, and even the simple act of taking Pax’s hand is treason.

Mired in confusion, Seventeen travels with Pax to the outside world and takes the name Pria, the identity of her childhood. But she is far from certain she’s made the right decision when they discover an entire community of people who should no longer exist.
Seventeen, now Pria, is thrust into a position as a key player in a dangerous bid to bring down the Unified World Order. Meanwhile, Pax’s attachment to her and her growing attraction to him contribute to the ever-growing mysteries in her life.

Pria’s journey from a sheltered, naïve Breeder to a rebel agent requires not only external transformation but self-discovery. As her world crumbles, Pria must decide who she is and what she really believes.

But the truth comes at a cost, and uncovering it will require a greater treason than she could ever have imagined.

No excerpt available

Other books in this series: