Series: The Breeder Cycle
Author: K.B. Hoyle
Publisher: Writer's Coffee Shop
Genre: Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic, Romance, Sci-Fi.
Release Date: 25th August 2016
BLURB from Goodreads
Following the horrors Pria discovered in the basement of Sanctuary and her miraculous rescue, there is no longer any doubt in her mind that the Unified World Order and its goals for humanity are wicked. Convincing the rest of the world will be another story. When it’s revealed the files she stole from Sanctuary are worthless to the rebel cause, Pria and the other Free Patriots must scramble to come up with another plan to convince the rest of the criminals to rise up in open revolution—before the UWO’s monsters hunt down and destroy them all. But Pria’s tenuous grasp of liberty, self-determination, and human nature complicates her role in the rebellion as she finds herself torn between Pax, her ever-present protector, and Henri, her good-natured friend. As she works through her feelings, she becomes increasingly anxious for Pax, who displays symptoms of a disturbing ailment.
Free Patriots from a neighboring Nest bring with them a new plan to infiltrate the seemingly impregnable UWO machine, and Pria is once again at the center. This time, she must be willing to erase her identity, just as she’s beginning to figure out who she is. It’s a sacrifice she’s ready to make to take down the UWO and save the world, but she has no idea just how difficult it will be.
Criminal follows Pria from the relative safety of Asylum, to the wilds of the mountains, to the ordered madness of Denver Commune, through the inner workings of her heart and mind, and straight to a shocking, inevitable revelation that shatters her confidence in that which is most precious to her.
Goodreads Link
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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TWCS PH
CRIMINAL
ACROSTIC
C is for Commune.
Pria and some others go on a mission to Denver Commune.
R is for
Remembrance. Pria struggles to remember who she is.
I is for
Incriminating evidence. Pax goes to trial and Etienne stand trial.
M is for Making a
move. The Free Patriots decide to make their move against the UWO.
I is for Illness.
Pax hides a mystery illness.
N is for New
friends. Pria makes a couple of new friends at Asylum.
A is for Awkward
romantic tension between Pria and Pax, and Pria and Henri.
L is for Love. Pria
learns what love is.
EXCERPT
“We
hadn’t planned on
going out today,” Lovey says, “but we can make an exception. You won’t learn to hunt overnight.”
I’ve been turning in circles,
studying the menagerie of animals in Lovey Dovey and Moon’s apartment. A squirrel, some
mice, and even a fox. There are pigeons cooing quietly in their cages, and
songbirds tweeting relentlessly. I don’t know how Lovey and Moon manage to sleep
in here with all the noise.
“I’m sorry,” I say, “but it’s just Moon who hunts, right?
You take care of live animals.”
“Mostly,”
Lovey says. “I do some trapping, too, and keep her company.”
“Is
there anybody else who goes with you?” I ask.
“We
have a crew of regular hunters,” Moon says. “There is safety in numbers.”
“I’ll go see who’d like to join us today,” Lovey
says. She trots off, leaving Moon and me alone.
I
give Moon a tight-lipped smile, and she smiles back.
After
a moment, she asks, “Do you know how to handle a weapon?”
“Not
really, no.” Pax has shown me a few things, and I remember that first morning
with him in the abandoned apartment. “I know how to shoot the basic weapons,” I
say, patting my Ringer, “but that’s
about all.”
“We
use bows and arrows to hunt,” Moon says.
I
frown, remembering ancient-looking pictures in my Agoge lessons. “Like in the
old, old days?” I ask.
“Yes,”
Moon says. “They are efficient. And silent. And they do less damage to the
meat.” She goes to open a trunk along the wall, crooning a few words to the fox
as she passes its enclosure. She returns with a curved wooden bow and a sheath
of red-feather-tipped arrows. “Would you like me to show you how?”
I
nod.
Moon
spends the next hour showing me the proper way to hold the bow and arrows, how
to stand, how to breathe, and how to sight down a notched arrow. She even lets
me release a couple of arrows into a target on the wall, which I barely hit
even though it’s
only twelve feet away. By the time Lovey Dovey returns, my arms and shoulders
are burning. It’s
been too long since I’ve
exercised.
“All
right. Our usual crew is gathered,” Lovey says. She hands me a camouflage parka
to put over my clothes. “Use that instead of the jacket you have on. We should
all wear camouflage, and it’s
gotten cold out there.”
I
shrug out of my black jacket and into the one she’s handed me.
“I
ran into Wallace on the way,” Lovey continues. “He asked me when we could find
him another cloned animal, but I told him we don’t have time today. Maybe
tomorrow.”
Moon
pulls on a camouflage jacket and then gathers the bow and arrows.
“In
the meantime, your friend Pax asked if he could come along. I told him to wait
with the guys in the hangar.”
I
frown. I thought he’d
given up on coming but apparently not. I buckle my gun belt around the outside
of the parka.
“Keep
that handy,” Moon says, nodding toward my Ringer. “You won’t use it to hunt, but there
are always perils out in the wild.”
“I
know,” I say. “I remember.”
We
leave their apartment and make our way down the winding cave corridor. “Where
do you want to go today?” Lovey Dovey asks Moon.
“To
the west,” Moon says. “Up. To avoid any unnecessary . . .
conflict.” She looks sideways at me.
I
bite my lip, thinking it’s
me she’s worried
about. But since she said up, she’s probably thinking about Golems. The
Golems don’t like
higher altitudes. But I suppose since they are just machines, they don’t technically like or dislike
anything. So that means they don’t
work well at high altitudes. I wonder why that is. Perhaps the higher altitudes
thin out the artificial blood too much for their hydraulic parts to be effective.
I
wonder whether Lovey Dovey and Moon know they’re just machines, considering
how few people Luther has told. But they are in and out of Wallace’s shop all the time. Of course
they’ve seen Pat
hanging from his ceiling.
It’s chilly in the hangar, where
we meet up with a group of men and Pax. They’re all dressed like I am, in
camouflage parkas. The outside air temperature must have dropped this month.
Come to think of it, I’m
not even sure what month it is. In Sanctuary, the passage of time was marked by
a large talking clock and calendar on the wall. I haven’t seen anything of the like
here in Asylum, although I’m
sure somebody must be keeping track.
Because
it feels natural, and because I don’t know anybody else, I move to stand next
to Pax. He nods.
“All
right,” says a man with brown curly hair.
“Garrett,”
Lovey whispers in my ear.
“We’ve all got clearance to go
outside?” He gives Pax and me pointed looks.
“Luther
arranged ours,” I say and look at Pax.
“Yes,”
he says. “I’ve
received clearance.”
Garrett
nods and puts a finger to his ear. “Requesting leave for hunting party. Nine
members.” He waits a few seconds and then says, “Ten-four. On our way.” He
lowers his hand. “Lead the way, Moon.”
Moon
steps to the entrance where a security guard holds back the netting for us. She
leads us out into the mottled light of early morning. In the weeks since I
escaped Sanctuary with Pax and Holly and Trent, the summer heat has cooled
considerably. The air is chilly but not too cold, and dry leaves and pine
needles crunch beneath my feet. Autumn. I haven’t felt autumn on my skin since
I was thirteen years old. After that, I was sequestered away into the
protective bubble of Sanctuary behind thick walls and a Looking Glass. No
contamination from the outside world was allowed for five years of my life, and
every precious moment I’ve
spent outside since Pax set me free is like a rediscovery of my soul. I throw
my head back and breathe deep, letting my eyes flutter closed.
A
few of the men toss amused glances my way, and two of them lean together to
whisper something while looking at me. My reaction must seem strange to them.
Or maybe not as strange as I think. They do live underground after all. The
outdoors must be almost as refreshing to them as it is to me. And to Pax, after
months in captivity.
I
look at him and find he’s
looking at me. He lifts the corner of his mouth in an almost-smile, and then
looks away at the trees. We’re
coming to the edge of the netting, and thick shafts of sunlight angle down,
piercing the tree cover. Pax passes through the light, and his hair shines gold
and his eyes look clear as blue glass.
“You
should pull up your hood to cover your hair,” Lovey says to him. “It’s so bright it could show
through the tree cover.”
I guess
I wasn’t the only
one staring at him.
Pax
does as Lovey says without a word.
BOOK ONE
Title: Breeder
Author: K.B. Hoyle
Series: The Breeder CycleGenre: Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic, Romance, Sci-Fi
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.
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
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K. B. Hoyle is an author, public speaker, creative writing instructor, and classical history teacher who uses her knowledge of the ancient and medieval worlds to pen speculative fiction for readers of all ages. She and her husband stay busy at their Alabama home with their four young sons.
She is a Readers' Favorite 5-Star reviewed author, a multiple recipient of the Literary Classics Seal of Approval, the winner of the Gold Book Award for YA Series (2016) for The Gateway Chronicles, her best-selling six-book Fantasy series, and the Silver Book Award winner for YA Science Fiction (2015) for BREEDER, the first book in her Dystopian Trilogy, The Breeder Cycle. She was a featured panel speaker at the 2013 Sydney Writer's Festival in Sydney, Australia, and her books receive high acclaim from readers and reviewers worldwide.
She is a Readers' Favorite 5-Star reviewed author, a multiple recipient of the Literary Classics Seal of Approval, the winner of the Gold Book Award for YA Series (2016) for The Gateway Chronicles, her best-selling six-book Fantasy series, and the Silver Book Award winner for YA Science Fiction (2015) for BREEDER, the first book in her Dystopian Trilogy, The Breeder Cycle. She was a featured panel speaker at the 2013 Sydney Writer's Festival in Sydney, Australia, and her books receive high acclaim from readers and reviewers worldwide.
K.B. Hoyle Interview
courtesy of
TWCS
Is
there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
There
are several messages, really, in Criminal, that I want my readers to
grasp, but as an author, I never want the message to overtake the primary
function of the novel—which is to entertain the reader. So obviously first and
foremost, I want to just tell a good story, and for my reader to be carried
along by the story and to have a good time reading it. As far as the
message/messages go, I’d say the primary one in Criminal has to do with
identity. I sought to answer the question of what makes us human? The main
character, Pria, is faced with this question over and over in the story, even
to the point where, by the end, her entire reality is shaken by some
presuppositions she has about this question. Pria has to discover her personal
identity, but she also has to figure out what she believes about the identity
of others, and what that means about the human race and her part in the
rebellion against the Unified World Order. These are big issues, and things I
think we should all think about, even though we’re not living in a dystopian
society.
How
much of the book is realistic?
I’d
say this book is about 50% realistic. Obviously all the characters and the plot
are fictionalized (and the concept of the Golems), but I base my settings and
my conceptions of the future society off research I did into real technologies,
conspiracy theories, my own knowledge of Denver and its surrounding areas, and
just basic knowledge of human nature and my thoughts on future trends in
society. I could see some of the sorts of things I write about coming to pass.
Actually, some of the things I have written about in my books have come to pass
already in the years since I started researching them. It’s a little
frightening.
If
you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
This
is a difficult question! Because by the time you get a book all the way to
publication—especially when it has taken a long time (as this book has)—you
tend not to wish that you could go back and change things. And my editing team
does such a fantastic job of helping me tweak things. Hmmm. I guess, maybe, if
I could go back, I would make the first act of the book a little shorter (so as
to get to the main action faster), and the last act longer (so as to draw out
the finale).
Is
there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I
used to find it challenging to discipline myself to do the planning and
research I needed to work out a novel before I started writing it, so that
would have been my old answer to this question, but I’ve progressed enough in
my career now (I’ve written 9 novels—8 published and 1 on deck) that I’ve found
my writing rhythm. I know the drill. I know how to research and outline and
plan. I actually really relish all those steps. And I know when to start
writing. All of that is, quite frankly, more or less easy. What is particularly
challenging is my schedule—finding the time and just fighting exhaustion to get
it all done. With four small children to mother (all boys and all 9 and under),
a day job as a teacher, my website and social media platforms to manage, trips
and speaking engagements to manage, my house to (attempt to) keep clean, meals
to cook, and just all the regular things in life to get around to, the
challenges I face are never (or rarely) IN the actual writing. The challenges
are external to the writing, but they affect the writing. Finding the right
balance where I can get all the work done and still get sleep and maintain
healthy relationships and good health is difficult.
What
were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in
bringing “Criminal” to life?
Aside
from the external challenges mentioned above, I didn’t have too many of these
challenges in bringing Criminal to life. It did take me much longer to
write Criminal than it usually takes me to write a book, but that’s
because I had just had a baby and was nursing at the time. I also battled a
bout of post-partum depression while trying to write the book, which didn’t
help me to be very productive, but on the other hand, staying actively engaged
in a creative project was good for me at the time in battling depression. I
didn’t have too much extra research to do because I was just building on the
research and world-building I had already done for Breeder. I’d spent about three years
prepping this whole series, The Breeder Cycle, so writing Criminal
was really just a matter of going back to my notes and making sure I was still
on track and following the plan.
REVIEW
To say I found this review difficult to write is an understatement because I adored the book and it's characters. Why did I find it almost impossible to write? Well because I loved it so much, I desperately didn't want to give away spoilers. Yet I wanted to rave and rave about this book so everyone goes out and buys it! Now when I look at what I wrote I am amazed by how long my review looks! Please don't let the lengthy look of my review put you off reading it.
Title: Criminal
Series: The Breeder Cycle
Author: K.B.Hoyle
Publisher: Writers Coffee Shop
Genre: Writer's Coffee Shop
Release Date: 25th August 2016
BLURB from Goodreads
Following the horrors Pria discovered in the basement of Sanctuary and her miraculous rescue, there is no longer any doubt in her mind that the Unified World Order and its goals for humanity are wicked. Convincing the rest of the world will be another story. When it’s revealed the files she stole from Sanctuary are worthless to the rebel cause, Pria and the other Free Patriots must scramble to come up with another plan to convince the rest of the criminals to rise up in open revolution—before the UWO’s monsters hunt down and destroy them all. But Pria’s tenuous grasp of liberty, self-determination, and human nature complicates her role in the rebellion as she finds herself torn between Pax, her ever-present protector, and Henri, her good-natured friend. As she works through her feelings, she becomes increasingly anxious for Pax, who displays symptoms of a disturbing ailment.
Free Patriots from a neighboring Nest bring with them a new plan to infiltrate the seemingly impregnable UWO machine, and Pria is once again at the center. This time, she must be willing to erase her identity, just as she’s beginning to figure out who she is. It’s a sacrifice she’s ready to make to take down the UWO and save the world, but she has no idea just how difficult it will be.
Criminal follows Pria from the relative safety of Asylum, to the wilds of the mountains, to the ordered madness of Denver Commune, through the inner workings of her heart and mind, and straight to a shocking, inevitable revelation that shatters her confidence in that which is most precious to her.
Free Patriots from a neighboring Nest bring with them a new plan to infiltrate the seemingly impregnable UWO machine, and Pria is once again at the center. This time, she must be willing to erase her identity, just as she’s beginning to figure out who she is. It’s a sacrifice she’s ready to make to take down the UWO and save the world, but she has no idea just how difficult it will be.
Criminal follows Pria from the relative safety of Asylum, to the wilds of the mountains, to the ordered madness of Denver Commune, through the inner workings of her heart and mind, and straight to a shocking, inevitable revelation that shatters her confidence in that which is most precious to her.
PURCHASE LINKS
INITIAL THOUGHTS
Seriously looking forward to reading this. Book one ended at such a crucial
time in the action!"
THOUGHTS WHILST READING
10% I have so many
questions already! What will happen to Pax? Have the UWO X-1s really found
Asylum?
14% What will be
uncovered on the files Pria managed to get from Sanctuary?"
29% So it's the trial.....what
will the verdict be?
REVIEW
I received an e-copy of this book directly from the publishers, Writer's Coffee Shop in exchange fore my honest review.
The cover is dominated by what I would initially describe as a clockwork bird, but once you read the book you would perhaps use another more fitting word. I cannot reveal that word as it would give away a very large clue/spoiler.
I love the intricate design of the cogs and wheels within the bird and think it fits very well with the cogs etc included within the tree on the cover of book one, Breeder. I think the covers for this series so far are both simplistic yet extremely intricate too.
Would this cover make me pick the book up from a bookstore shelf? Yes, I think this book cover would certainly have me wanting to learn about the novel contained inside.
So Elan, Celine, Henri, Pax & Pria have escaped as well as managing to rescue a medical worker called Holly and one of the babies No30 who was in the section of "being left to die" purely because he did not have the required eye colour.
The team is almost back to Asylum and their fellow rebels when Pria's pain medication has worn off. Pria is laid on the aircraft floor which exacerbates her pain. Pria listens to the conversations taking place around them. Henri is talking to the escapee Santuary medical worker Holly. They are discussing possible names for the little baby bot No30. Henri suggest Trent as trente is the french word for thirty. He asks Holly she will keep Trent. Holly's knee jerk reaction is that the baby boy needs a nursery technician to care for him. Holly goes on to say that she is not qualified. Henri explains to her that Trent needs a mother and that she could be a mother to him. Henri also enlightens Holly to the whole procedure of meeting Luther & the assembly vote that will happen when or soon after they arrive at Asylum.
Pria also hears Pax recounting how she was shot by a Protector during the escape to Celine. Though Pax has endured the tiring mission and escape he still insists it is him that lifts Pria out of the aircraft.
We learn more details about the residents in Asylum in this book. We catch up with characters we met in book one, such as Luther, Bishop, Paz and Pria of course. At the same time we learn more about certain characters too such as Henri and his sister Celine and their individual reactions to the sentence that their brother Etienne and his followers are given following their trial for the attack on Pria in book one. They are both naturally devastated by the sentence yet react in totally different ways almost like the opposite you would expect each of them them to do. We also take a closer look at Celine and her relationship with fellow aircraft pilot Elan. By looking at the relationship between Celine and Elan you see how fragile life really is at Asylum.
The other relationship looked at in Criminal, and probably the one we are all waiting for/rooting for is the fledgling one between Pax and Pria. There bond is becoming increasingly complicated (as yes the couple kiss) It is crystal clear that Pax cares deeply for Pria. One of the problems is that Pria has never felt this way about anyone before, a loving relationship is the total opposite to everything she was taught and indoctrinated against by those at Sanctuary. Pria finally appears to admit to herself that she has deep feelings for Pax and realises that it's okay to have those feelings and wants a relationship with Pax. Then Pax quite literally takes a step back from her, leaving her feeling cold, isolated and confused. So once again their bond is split and set adrift. Having said that when they desperately need someone to comfort them, speak up for them or fight their corner they are still "there" for each other.
The government has improved their "golems" as in Breeder they couldn't go/work on higher ground/land. It's during a routine hunting trip that a group from Asylum including Pria find out in the worst way possible when they are attacked. You really do feel how much the loss of one particular character affects Pria. She is clearly devastated, immediately thinking the whole attack is somehow her fault or somehow she caused it.
Luther and Bishop are still investigating the Golems. The UWO (government) still insist the Golems are aliens from another planet. Whereas Luther believes that the (UWO) government have created them and that it was also the government that initiated the "great devastation" too. The Golems are here to ensure that everyone follows the rules set by them.
Bishop is still studying and researching the technology the government use in their "golems" by dissecting any Golem parts that can be retrieved from attacks and battles and is both shocked yet resigned to the fact that the government are constantly improving them and their capabilities too. It is Pax that reinforces Luther's beliefs about the Golems when her reveals what he saw in the basement rooms at Sanctuary whilst he was hiding out there.
It's during a routine hunting trip that a group from Asylum including Pria find out in the worst way possible when they are attacked. You really do feel how much the loss of one particular character affects Pria. She is clearly devastated, immediately thinking the whole attack is somehow her fault or that somehow she caused it.
It is a shame that this particular character dies as though I feel I had only just met her I had already become attached to her.
The "funeral" of the character who dies after being attacked really puts a lump in your throat and genuine tears in your eyes. It is something that Pria has never witnessed before, as at Sanctuary there was no such ritual or service. A death in Sanctuary means cremation and the ashes being used to fertilize the soil, kind of going back or been given back to earth.
Also in this book we meet the leader and some residents or as they call themselves "free patriots" of the nearby nest with a highly dangerous, elaborate plan which once again will put Pria in a life or death situation!
Pria also discovers that Luther still has his doubts about trusting Pax even after everything he has done and undergone for the cause, but could Luther's judgement be correct?
One of the sections in the book I totally adored was the scene between Bishop and Pria, when he is helping her choose a new surname by using a baby names book from "before". Pria finally chooses Nastasyia as her surname. Bishop helps her with the meaning of her name which he explains he believes fits her perfectly. Pria = beautiful and Nastasyia = new beginnings. Bishop goes on to say that Asylum is Pria's "beautiful new beginning". Pria also discovers that Pax means peace, which all things considered could well be (in my opinion) the totally the opposite of what he is.
In a latter section of this book Pria is presented with the opportunity to learn about her history, her family prior to her been taken to Sanctuary as well as everything she underwent there too. Though the person giving her this information would most certainly be killled if found out. I totally agree and understand when Pria cannot resist the temptation to take the memory drive with her details to look at later. I know as a reader I would like to know who Pria's family are and where they live now as well as everything that was done to her in Sanctuary. this memory drive represents more than just her medical records, but facts about her family too.
I received an e-copy of this book directly from the publishers, Writer's Coffee Shop in exchange fore my honest review.
The cover is dominated by what I would initially describe as a clockwork bird, but once you read the book you would perhaps use another more fitting word. I cannot reveal that word as it would give away a very large clue/spoiler.
I love the intricate design of the cogs and wheels within the bird and think it fits very well with the cogs etc included within the tree on the cover of book one, Breeder. I think the covers for this series so far are both simplistic yet extremely intricate too.
Would this cover make me pick the book up from a bookstore shelf? Yes, I think this book cover would certainly have me wanting to learn about the novel contained inside.
The book cover has the same attributes as the book, in that, it
has what appears to be a simple main theme, yet when you look closer at the
cover/or delve deeper into the book you reveal the intricacies.
This book quite literally picks up as Breeder ended as if this is just the next chapter. Though there was no recap, it didn't bother me at all as when I began reading, everything from book one came back. The whole thoughts of will I remember everything I need to from the book/books I have read is something I always worry about it when reading a series. A phrase that jumps to mind is "slipping back into a pair of comfy slippers and Pj's" and I do not mean that in a derogatory way. Another phrase I could use is "like re-visiting old friends"So Elan, Celine, Henri, Pax & Pria have escaped as well as managing to rescue a medical worker called Holly and one of the babies No30 who was in the section of "being left to die" purely because he did not have the required eye colour.
The team is almost back to Asylum and their fellow rebels when Pria's pain medication has worn off. Pria is laid on the aircraft floor which exacerbates her pain. Pria listens to the conversations taking place around them. Henri is talking to the escapee Santuary medical worker Holly. They are discussing possible names for the little baby bot No30. Henri suggest Trent as trente is the french word for thirty. He asks Holly she will keep Trent. Holly's knee jerk reaction is that the baby boy needs a nursery technician to care for him. Holly goes on to say that she is not qualified. Henri explains to her that Trent needs a mother and that she could be a mother to him. Henri also enlightens Holly to the whole procedure of meeting Luther & the assembly vote that will happen when or soon after they arrive at Asylum.
Pria also hears Pax recounting how she was shot by a Protector during the escape to Celine. Though Pax has endured the tiring mission and escape he still insists it is him that lifts Pria out of the aircraft.
We learn more details about the residents in Asylum in this book. We catch up with characters we met in book one, such as Luther, Bishop, Paz and Pria of course. At the same time we learn more about certain characters too such as Henri and his sister Celine and their individual reactions to the sentence that their brother Etienne and his followers are given following their trial for the attack on Pria in book one. They are both naturally devastated by the sentence yet react in totally different ways almost like the opposite you would expect each of them them to do. We also take a closer look at Celine and her relationship with fellow aircraft pilot Elan. By looking at the relationship between Celine and Elan you see how fragile life really is at Asylum.
The other relationship looked at in Criminal, and probably the one we are all waiting for/rooting for is the fledgling one between Pax and Pria. There bond is becoming increasingly complicated (as yes the couple kiss) It is crystal clear that Pax cares deeply for Pria. One of the problems is that Pria has never felt this way about anyone before, a loving relationship is the total opposite to everything she was taught and indoctrinated against by those at Sanctuary. Pria finally appears to admit to herself that she has deep feelings for Pax and realises that it's okay to have those feelings and wants a relationship with Pax. Then Pax quite literally takes a step back from her, leaving her feeling cold, isolated and confused. So once again their bond is split and set adrift. Having said that when they desperately need someone to comfort them, speak up for them or fight their corner they are still "there" for each other.
The government has improved their "golems" as in Breeder they couldn't go/work on higher ground/land. It's during a routine hunting trip that a group from Asylum including Pria find out in the worst way possible when they are attacked. You really do feel how much the loss of one particular character affects Pria. She is clearly devastated, immediately thinking the whole attack is somehow her fault or somehow she caused it.
Luther and Bishop are still investigating the Golems. The UWO (government) still insist the Golems are aliens from another planet. Whereas Luther believes that the (UWO) government have created them and that it was also the government that initiated the "great devastation" too. The Golems are here to ensure that everyone follows the rules set by them.
Bishop is still studying and researching the technology the government use in their "golems" by dissecting any Golem parts that can be retrieved from attacks and battles and is both shocked yet resigned to the fact that the government are constantly improving them and their capabilities too. It is Pax that reinforces Luther's beliefs about the Golems when her reveals what he saw in the basement rooms at Sanctuary whilst he was hiding out there.
It's during a routine hunting trip that a group from Asylum including Pria find out in the worst way possible when they are attacked. You really do feel how much the loss of one particular character affects Pria. She is clearly devastated, immediately thinking the whole attack is somehow her fault or that somehow she caused it.
It is a shame that this particular character dies as though I feel I had only just met her I had already become attached to her.
The "funeral" of the character who dies after being attacked really puts a lump in your throat and genuine tears in your eyes. It is something that Pria has never witnessed before, as at Sanctuary there was no such ritual or service. A death in Sanctuary means cremation and the ashes being used to fertilize the soil, kind of going back or been given back to earth.
Also in this book we meet the leader and some residents or as they call themselves "free patriots" of the nearby nest with a highly dangerous, elaborate plan which once again will put Pria in a life or death situation!
Pria also discovers that Luther still has his doubts about trusting Pax even after everything he has done and undergone for the cause, but could Luther's judgement be correct?
One of the sections in the book I totally adored was the scene between Bishop and Pria, when he is helping her choose a new surname by using a baby names book from "before". Pria finally chooses Nastasyia as her surname. Bishop helps her with the meaning of her name which he explains he believes fits her perfectly. Pria = beautiful and Nastasyia = new beginnings. Bishop goes on to say that Asylum is Pria's "beautiful new beginning". Pria also discovers that Pax means peace, which all things considered could well be (in my opinion) the totally the opposite of what he is.
In a latter section of this book Pria is presented with the opportunity to learn about her history, her family prior to her been taken to Sanctuary as well as everything she underwent there too. Though the person giving her this information would most certainly be killled if found out. I totally agree and understand when Pria cannot resist the temptation to take the memory drive with her details to look at later. I know as a reader I would like to know who Pria's family are and where they live now as well as everything that was done to her in Sanctuary. this memory drive represents more than just her medical records, but facts about her family too.
FINAL THOUGHTS
My absolute first thoughts as I finished this book were "Wow! I did not expect that "twist" coming. . . well... I did have a tiny inkling that it could be a possibility but. . . wow! And what a place to put the twist right at the very end of the book! When can I read the next one???
I honestly didn't believe it possible but K.B. Hoyle has delivered an absolutely brilliant sequel to Breeder. Criminal is again primarily about a dystopian society and it's government which has a complex breeding program that adds an extra genetic si-fi edge to the book. I adore this highly addictive series on one side there's the highly scientific society on one side, whilst the opposing side of society is made up of a rag tag mixture of outcasts and rejects.
My absolute first thoughts as I finished this book were "Wow! I did not expect that "twist" coming. . . well... I did have a tiny inkling that it could be a possibility but. . . wow! And what a place to put the twist right at the very end of the book! When can I read the next one???
I honestly didn't believe it possible but K.B. Hoyle has delivered an absolutely brilliant sequel to Breeder. Criminal is again primarily about a dystopian society and it's government which has a complex breeding program that adds an extra genetic si-fi edge to the book. I adore this highly addictive series on one side there's the highly scientific society on one side, whilst the opposing side of society is made up of a rag tag mixture of outcasts and rejects.
***GIVEAWAY***
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