Monday, July 24, 2017

Review: Breeder (Breeder #1) by Cara Bristol

Breeder by Cara Bristol

Breeder (Breeder #1) by Cara Bristol
Purchase link: Amazon

My rating: star star star star Half

Heat rating: Flame  Flame  Flame  Flame

Breeder by Cara Bristol blurb

Cara Bristol has outdone herself with Breeder. It's by far the best book of hers I've read. Breeder is fascinating, riveting and gut-wrenching as Dak and Omra overcome an ingrained class structure and the prejudices towards women in their society.

The description of Breeder says it is a dark romance and let me tell you, if you are turned off by the work "dark" then don't be. By today's standards, Breeder is not a dark romance. It is intense, emotional and engaging, maybe a little on the edgy side, but it is not dark. Perhaps Ms Bristol might want to rethink the "dark" branding because these days "dark" involves rape, incest, abuse and all sorts of other taboo and unsavory things which I think authors use to titillate and add shock value rather than telling a good story. If Breeder had been dark in today's definition of the word for romance I would not have read it, nor would I have enjoyed it as much.

Breeder is set in the world of Parseon, an alien planet with ties to earth which they refer to as Terra. Through some genetic engineering Parseons and Terrans share some common DNA but as a people and society they as as far apart in the galaxy as their respective planets are. With Dak and Omra's relationship, Ms Bristol highlights the disparity in class and roles between the men and women of the planet. The men are the ruling class, strong, educated, revered. The women are little more than chattel. Good only for breeding and menial tasks. They are not even considered intelligent enough to warrant an education. The world building for Parseon is well thought out and well illustrated.

I loved Dak. He is everything that a man should be in Parseon society. He's strong, intelligent and he's one of five Alpha Commanders ruling the planet. While Dak has been brought up as a true Parseon male, he's also open-minded. He's even open-minded enough to allow certain liberties between men and women in an enclave in his sector, willing to interact with the alien Terrans and allowing them into his part of the planet. Once Omra enters Dak's life, he experiences a great deal of confusion about his feelings for her because it goes against what they call their Protocol. It was very interesting to see a softer side to Dak while also watching him struggle with emotions he has never experienced before. The conflict between Dak the Alpha Commander and Dak the man touched my heart.

Omra was a very interesting heroine. She is your classic Parseon female, raised to bear children and to be used by the men in whatever manner they saw fit. She never questioned her role in life and even accepts the punishments and beatings she receives as deserving because she disobeyed someone superior to her or did something wrong and needed discipline. Watching Omra blossom and find her worth not only to herself but also to Dak is a thing of beauty. Dak, of course, offers her liberties not normally allowed women and Omra responds positively to Dak's treatment. Omra's strength and intelligence is second only to her sweet, kind and giving nature.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this story. I was riveted from page one and when I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about it and Omra's plight. I may also have been lusting after Dak more than is healthy. *grin* I found him exceedingly sexy. And because of how sexuality is handled in Parseon, I thoroughly enjoyed Dak and Omra discovering and finding pleasure with each other.

Ever since reading Breeder, I've been telling anyone who will listen how good it is and that they should read it. I have been recommending it to everyone. :-)

I can't wait to read the next book to find our more about the Parseon women and how their society changes and opens up for them.

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4 comments:

  1. Everyone I know who has read this one loved it. I'm going to have to get to it at some point.

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    Replies
    1. I generally really like Cara's books but this one was exceptional.

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  2. Wow! Just wow! Thank you for the great review!

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