Thursday 18 December 2014

BLOG TOUR & REVIEW - BREEDER BY K.B. HOYLE

Title: Breeder
Author: K.B. Hoyle
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Writer's Coffee Shop
Release Date: 11th December 2014

BLURB from Goodreads
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.


PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon US
Amazon UK
TBA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K.B. Hoyle is a bestselling author, a public speaker, a creative writing instructor, and a classical history teacher who uses her knowledge of the ancient and medieval worlds to pen speculative and fantasy tales for people of all ages. She has been married since the age of twenty to the love of her life, with whom she has four wonderful children. Find out more about her at www.kbhoyle.com

 AUTHOR LINKS 
 Blog 

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MY REVIEW
Title: Breeder
Author: K.B. Hoyle
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Writer's Coffee Shop
Release Date: 11th December 2014

BLURB from Goodreads
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.



INITIAL THOUGHTS
As one of my favourite genres is dystopian I was immediately attracted to this one, both with the cover and the blurb. 

MY REVIEW
I downloaded this one from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
The cover is grey which perfectly fits the dystopian/apocalyptic feel of the book. The tree on the cover represents the "Tree Of Unity" that is mentioned within the book. It represents a tree that the girls in the Sanctuary can sit and stare at during meditation, it is supposed to represent the fact they are altogether as one reproducing for the greater good of the world.
The tree is also relevant as those "survivors" that live on the outside have a slang/nickname for those in the commune or sanctuary, they call them "cogs". As you will see on the cover the tree branches/leaves are actually cogs and wheels. This name represents that the girls are merely small cogs in a greater cause.
Would the cover make me pick this book up from a bookstore shelf? Yes, for sure!
The dystopian/apocalyptic society is set on Gaia, which was once over populated. The world was divided and at war with each other. Along came the "3 Devastations". The three devastations were 1 The Great Famine, followed by 2 The Great Pandemic and finally 3 The Great Incusion. That is when the "Unified World Order" was created. It is then that the Controlled Repopulation Program is brought into place. So the main characters in this book are Pria or number 17 as she is referred to inside the Controlled Repopulation Program inside the building referred to as Sanctuary. Number 17/Pria is chosen to become what is called a breeder or carrier and be part of this revered program as she carries a specific gene that will make humanity stronger, have better health and be more versatile. It is drilled into the females in Sanctuary that their "life is perfect in Sanctuary, that they want for nothing ". Every minute of their day is planned out. All Breeders/Carriers have their head's shaved to prevent anyone from becoming vain or jealous as these are two traits that are considered undesirable.   The majority of females in Sanctuary are drugged via medication given to them in the guise of being vitamins to keep them and their pregnancies healthy. It is considered a gift and something very special to be carrying a child. Though as soon as the children are born and able to be separated from their mothers they are. Not all pregnancies go full term, sometimes the children being carried are deemed nonviable and are terminated. No one really knows what happens to the children when they are removed from their mothers at Sanctuary. In fact what is hinted at is extremely sinister.
For some reason which we don't really find out Number 17/Pria has been taken down for a medical procedure which means she is no longer pregnant. As she has undergone this procedure her medication is changed, which has a side effect of allowing her to become more lucid and aware of her surroundings. It is during the state of part lucidity that Pria meets a male protector named Pax, he says he is there for her, he can help her escape. It is an extreme rarity to see a male in Sanctuary, in fact the last time Pria remembers seeing a male was before she came to Sanctuary when she was just 5 years old. Once in Sanctuary the girls are what I could only describe as being brainwashed, they are told that they are doing an important job for the world, and that their lives are perfect and should be happy to be part of this special program.This reduction in medication also allows her to become inquisitive and to ask questions. the down side to this is that she is noticed and marked as a  possible "problem". The head woman within the sanctuary known as the "Mother" tries to dissuade No17/Pria from asking questions, unfortunately this leads 17/Pria to question herself and become depressed by her situation. No17/Pria cannot forget about meeting the male protector called Pax. In fact N017/Pria does end up being rescued by Pax, though are his motives truly honest as he too wants to use her to ingratiate himself with a nearby nest of survivors. Pax and Pria are taken in to nest but end up paying dearly for their new home as the survivors want something in return that ends up putting Pria back into the very danger that Pax originally rescued her from.
I have talked about the society and its beliefs whilst still leaving plenty of details for you to discover on your own by reading this great book. I really enjoyed the complex society, the different classes of people and the characters. I also loved the fairly fast pace of the writing and the descriptions of the surrounding. I loved the description of the large one way window, there was both a great scene describing and a tragic thing seen through it too.
There's some great characters too, Pax and Pria both not used to trusting others, came to genuinely trust and rely on each other. I also warmed to Celeste near the end of the book. This book ends and leaves you with so many questions. I want to know much more about Pax and his story of his survival up until he met Pria. I also want to learn about what the survivors/would be rebels are going to do next. I have an awful feeling that we haven't seen the worst of these people yet. that perhaps we should be wondering which organisation is the most corrupt. I could seriously rattle on about this book forever, so much happens within it's pages.
Did I enjoy the book? I loved it I quite literally devoured it! The plot, society and characters just had me addicted to the book I hated having to put it down!
Would I recommend the book? Yes its a must read! If you enjoy dystopian fiction then this is for you.
Would I want to read another book in this series? Yes please, as soon as its available!
Would I want to read other books by K.B. Hoyle? I do intend on checking out other books by this author.


PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon UK


DREAMCAST

So as you will see from my review above I loved this book, and truly believe if kept true to the book & characters that K.B. Hoyle has created it would make a brilliant movie! That's one of the reason I also wanted to do a dreamcast post.
Below are the actors & actresses that author K.B. Hoyle would choose to play her characters, and  I've also included whether I agree with the people she has chosen or not! Yes I so couldn't resist adding my "two penneth" at the end of the Dreamcast too (Yorkshire saying for those of you not from the UK!).


Pria
Gemma Arterton                                                       Natalie Portman
In my head, I picture either Natalie Portman or Gemma Arterton as Pria, but in reality, they are both just a little too old to pass for 18-year-old Pria. But that’s the look I was going for. 
A younger actress who fits the description would be Zoey Deutch.

 Zoey Dutch

~ My Thoughts ~ 
Hmm, my choice would be Natalie Portman

Pax
Michael Fassbender                         Eddie Redmayne
Pax is SO difficult to cast because I don’t really think there is an actor out there who perfectly fits his description. Well, I take that back. If Michael Fassbender were ten years younger, he would be ideal to play Pax. But as it is . . . Eddie Redmayne probably fits the description of Pax the best as far as coloring goes, although he’s a little too thin to be Pax.

~ My Thoughts ~ 
Out of the two actors pictured above I'd say the one I picture as Pax 
is Eddie Redmayne

Henri and Etienne
B.J. Britt
Since these two are identical twins, they could obviously be played by the same actor, and I think B. J. Britt would be a great fit! He’s very attractive, tall, and athletic, and he has a great smile, and I think he could embody both the brooding grumpiness of Etienne and the cheerful optimism of Henri.

~ My Thoughts ~
I also agree with K.B. Hoyle's vision for the twins
Etienne & Henri


Celine
Tiffany Hines
Tiffany Hines is gorgeous, but she also has an edge to her, and could, I think, play Celine really well. She also looks to me like she could actually be related to B. J. Britt, so that’s always a plus when casting people who are supposed to be siblings.

~ My Thoughts ~
Again this is another great choice of actress by the author.


Mother
Famke Janssen
Famke Janssen is actually just a little too young to play Mother, and she’d have to dye her hair silver for the role, but other than that, her face and structure are perfect!

~ My Thoughts~
I picture "Mother" as being older, more like Imelda Staunton in the below pic. I'd love to know what other readers thoughts are too!


Luther
Dominic West                                                 Luke Evans
I’ve always pictured either Dominic West or Luke Evans in the role of Luther. Both of them have rugged, weathered looks about them that suit my description of Luther, although Luke Evans has better eyes for the role.

~ My Thoughts ~
Of the two actors pictured above I'd go with Dominic West for the part of Luther.

Bishop
Alan Tudyk
I think Alan Tudyk has a great soulfulness to him that would well suit the role of Bishop. He’d have to go a little blonder than he naturally is (he’s actually more of a ginger in real life), but his face is what I picture on Bishop.

~ My Thoughts ~
Yes, as K.B. Koyle describes Bishop, I'd say Alan Tudyk could fit.


Elan
                                   Joseph Gordon-Levitt                                        Zachary Levi                
Elan is supposed to be someone who could pass for a member of the genetically perfect society in the story, so he should be played by someone with an olive complexion and dark hair and eyes. Both Zachary Levi and Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be good fits!

~ My Thoughts ~ 
I'd choose Joseph Gordon-Levitt from the two great choices from the author for the character of Elan.

Holly
Anna Paquin
When Anna Paquin has dark hair, she pretty well fits my image of Holly. Holly is a character who is very pretty, and has the dark hair and eyes of everyone else in the approved society, but she’s not genetically perfect, so she could never have been a Breeder. I like that Anna Paquin is beautiful, but she has some tiny quirks that set her apart from traditional “beauties.” I think that would suit a character like Holly very well.

~ My Thoughts ~
Yes Anna Paquin fits my thoughts on what Holly could look like too.

Wallace
Brett Dalton
Wallace was once a male Breeder in the story, so he would need to be played by an actor who is very traditionally handsome, as well as being of impressive physicality. Brett Dalton fits the tall, dark, and handsome bill to a T.

~ My Thoughts ~
I agree with K.B Hoyle that Brett Dalton definitely fits a guy that was once a male Breeder.

Brant
Orlando Bloom
I’ve loved Orlando Bloom as an actor ever since The Lord of the Rings first came out, so I tried to find a place for him, in the cast. As Luther’s younger brother in the story, Brant should be played by a character who looks a lot like the character playing Luther. I think Orlando Bloom could work as Brant to Luke Evans’ Luther. 

~ My Thoughts ~
Yes, I think Orlando Bloom would fit as Brant the younger brother to Luther played by Dominic West as his older brother Luther.

So now you've seen who the Author would like to play her characters and I've added my two pennerth, do you agree or disagree? Who do you think fit the characters?





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