A Matter of Life and Death: K.B. Hoyle’s Breeder Cycle

In these days of COVID-19, it feels both strange and somehow right to review a series in which a global pandemic plays a major role. But K.B. Hoyle’s Breeder Cycle doesn’t stop there. This YA dystopian series will make your pulse pound and your spirit soar as it delves into both the worst and best of human nature. With a fast-paced style that’s both raw and tender, Hoyle’s books reaffirm the value of life and liberty…and a pursuit of happiness that refuses to trample down others to get there.

K.B. Hoyle’s Breeder Cycle encompasses 4 books: Breeder, Criminal, Clone and the prequel Hunter, which takes place roughly 200 years before the main body of the trilogy, and sets the stage for future characters and events.

Breeder introduces us to a teenage girl known as Seventeen, an elite Breeder in the Denver Commune. Ever since Earth was nearly destroyed by a three-pronged wave of famine, plague, and (supposed) alien invasion, the Unified World Order (UWO) has controlled every facet of human existence. It’s “all for the greater good,” and Seventeen’s life is as good as it gets. Her genetic makeup is flawless, her intellectual skill and physical health are optimal, and she lives at peace with her sister Breeders in the climate-controlled tower known as Sanctuary. Her role in the Unified World Order is clear: to repopulate a devastated Earth with other perfect citizens like herself. Of course, she’s not allowed to ever meet, name or hold the fruit of her womb, but that’s all for the best–isn’t it?

Then everything starts to go wrong. A man named Pax infiltrates Sanctuary, rescues Seventeen from certain death, and begins to show her that all she has been taught is a lie. According to the UWO’s mandates, Pax shouldn’t even exist: with his blue eyes and red-gold hair, he’s a prime example of the sort of “genetic inferior” that was supposed to have died out generations ago. When Pax tells her that there are other survivors like him out in the wild–a whole underground network of “Nests”–Seventeen’s curiosity gets the better of her. She has to know the truth.

Seventeen takes on her childhood name, Pria, and a new identity: whether she likes it or not, the UWO now views her as a rebel and a criminal. Together, Pria and Pax seek out a rebel Nest in the mountains above Denver. Here, Pria discovers a world she’s never known, a world the UWO would consider highly dangerous: people of all different ethnicities, ages and personalities living together as families and in community. People who value all human life, not just the sort deemed fit for survival.

The more Pria learns about this new world, the more she’s determined to help them fight back against the UWO’s stranglehold. In Criminal (Breeder Cycle Book 2), she undertakes a dangerous mission to fully erase her former identity as a Breeder, so that she can go incognito into the UWO capital in Washington. Along the way, her friendship with Pax deepens–and so do the mysteries surrounding him. Why is Pax so conflicted around her? Why does he hide certain parts of his past? And how does he know so much about the inner workings of the UWO?

By the time Clone opens (Breeder Cycle Book 3), Pria has learned that the UWO leaders aren’t the only liars in her life. Pax has lied to her, too. But one truth remains: he loves her enough to die for her. And Pria loves him just as fiercely.

Which is a good thing. Because as the UWO launches its final attack against the rebel survivors, both Pria and Pax face doubt and death at every turn. And the only chance they have to take down the UWO is to trust one another completely.

If you’re new to the Breeder Cycle, I’d recommend reading Hunter first–or at the very least, before reading Clone. There are lots of neat connections between Hunter and Clone: for example, it’s fun before reading Clone to try and guess who Daniel and Emma’s descendants are (I guessed right! Yay!), and how their hideout in Virginia links to Pria’s mission (this one unfolds throughout the book).

One caveat: as with Hunter, the rest of the Breeder Cycle is best fitted for older teen through adult readers. These books deal with many hugely important but difficult topics, such as eugenics, rape and human cloning. As an adult reader, however, I appreciated the way that Hoyle approached these issues honestly, with full emotional and moral weight, through the eyes of multiple characters.

And speaking of characters–wow. In my opinion, this is where Hoyle is at her very best. She draws her protagonists with quick, vivid strokes and takes you deep inside them. She’ll never just tell you that a person is sad: she’ll show it through dialog and body language, like a zoomed-in camera.

The characters and plot of the Breeder Cycle–especially Pria and Pax–captured my attention and my heart. I know their story will linger on in my imagination for years to come.

You can learn more about K.B. Hoyle’s work at her author website, or purchase her books directly from Amazon. Be sure to check out her award-winning fantasy series The Gateway Chronicles, as well!

More K.B. Hoyle-related posts:

K.B. Hoyle’s Gateway Chronicles, Part 1: The Six and The Oracle

K.B. Hoyle’s Gateway Chronicles, Part 2: The White Thread and The Enchanted

K.B. Hoyle’s Gateway Chronicles, Part 3: The Scroll and The Bone Whistle

And for a fun bonus, here’s a YouTube of alt-rock band Switchfoot’s song “I Won’t Let You Go“…from the moment I first heard it, I felt like it could have been written just for Pax and Pria.