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Browne Candidate [book]
[9781591460251] |
$12.00 |
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| Displaying 1 to 6 (of 6 reviews) |
Result Pages: 1 |
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| by Marian E., APOOO Book Club |
Date Added: Wednesday 09 April, 2008 |
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Imagine a world where most women have been left barren by alleged transgressions of previous generations. One can imagine that the few fertile women are exalted as goddesses. In the world of Aurora; Candidate Browne, this is not case. Early in life, some of those capable of conception are sold by poverty-stricken parents into a life of slavery and forced to do the bidding of the United World Council, who through propaganda have glorified what is referred to as the Candidacy Program. Would be parents are paired with a Candidate who moves into their home to perform the ritual of coupling until conception occurs.
Candidate Browne often recalls the day she was sold into Candidacy and whirled away by a cyborg, kicking and screaming in protest. This would describe Browne's life and stay at the Garden. Despite many attempts to beat her into submission, relentlessly, she dared to dream of freedom. With a tracking device implanted behind her ear set to explode should she stray too far, she may never possess an opportunity to taste what freedom could be.
That is until the Willaimses and yes, freedom may still be a heartbeat away as she learns; when she is selected by them and taken into their home. Browne meets their young, handsome butler and all around handyman-in more ways than one, Bain. Shortly both are romanticizing the other; Bain vows to take Browne away and she hangs on his every word. The world in which they live is a dangerous one, as there are those who fight the order of the World Council and the area is heavily patrolled. Whether Bain can make good on his promise is the question.
Written in third person omniscient, Browne Candidate is a quick and interesting read. I enjoyed Ms. Kurtz's style and literary tone immensely; however, I would have appreciated the read more if I had found it more imaginative. The exact year was not stated, but it is a world of cyborgs and cities built high above a polluted and diseased earth. With the advances in technology in our own time, I would think the future holds computers capable of voice recognition and scanning devices as a means of identification, but yet the soldiers of the Resistance input key codes into what feels like outdated security systems and consume the flesh animals. The synthesizing of soy to imitate flavors of foods we find familiar would have been perfected by then. Like everything else names also evolve and characters such as Angel, Martin, Aurora, and Terry are names I see long forgotten.
Ms. Kurtz did well with imagery, but it sometimes seemed vague by way of setting. I found following the travels of our antiheroes difficult, unable to discern if they were in the city of New England Tre or traveling below, on earth. How they traveled between the two, especially when some parts of earth's atmosphere was poisonous is a mystery. I would liked to have been told more about the city's construction, hundreds of miles above the earth as well as the gravity of the threat the United World Council actually posed to the people. I did enjoy the read however, I found it begged more questions then it answered and the fact there are no pages numbers served as a minor irritant.
Rating:  [3 of 5 Stars!] |
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| by RaeLynn Blue |
Date Added: Wednesday 09 April, 2008 |
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Browne Candidate by Nicole Givens Kurtz is a short shot of reality. With the onset of many diseaes and chemicals to both assist women with getting pregnant or not, I found the very real possiblities presented in this novel to be both hair-raising and slighlty frightening.
Although shorter than most novels, I did find the plot of Aurora and her lover, Bain, to be both classic and original at the same time. I was drawn into their world immediately, and found Aurora to be both a strange and very odd character. Not withstanding, her childhood was ripped from her, sold by her mother, and forced into a life of servitude, I would probably be very wierd myself.
Bain isn't as well rounded as Givens Kurtz's other characters, or his counterpart, Aurora. However, she falls for him, and I can see why. He's handsome, her tutor to more worldly things and the sole male in the house outside the "father." However he isn't your typical alpha male. His brother, Ren, who shows up later in the novel, appears to be fit that role.
I also enjoyed the comparions between Angel and Aurora. One who seeks to become pregnant, and one who does not wish to be so--one wealthy, one a slave. When they finally come together, it is a lesson for us all on relations and the reality that we perceive and the one we hide from.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and recommend it to others seeking some ethnic science fiction thrillers. I also happily recommend it's sequel, Zephyr Unfolding, which expands upon the Resistance, and focuses more on Angel, Ren, and what happens to them after the results of this novel. Givens Kurtz demonstrates maturity and a more sophisticated level of writing in the sequel to this book.
However, this being her first novel, it was a finalist in the EPPIE's best science fiction category, and as a finalist for best science fiction novel in the Dream Realm Awards.
And I agree. There is good stuff in this novel. So, if you're looking for a quick, suspenseful, fun, and outright solid science fiction novel. This is one to try.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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| by Constant Read |
Date Added: Wednesday 09 April, 2008 |
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I was introduced to an author new to me with this book. One of very few African-American women writing speculative fiction, Nicole Givens Kurtz makes a grand debut. She takes us into a physically, politically and morally devasted world where most women are not valued except as babymaking machines and adjuncts to their husbands and most people are not free. Except that her lead characters are people of color, the world is reminescenet of the world of The Handmaid's story. The two women featured in this book are Aurora, who was sold into servitude by her mother and has since borne children for three women who were unable to produce, and Angel who is seeking to be fertilized even though she isn't ready to become a mother (to shore up her marriage). The two men who are featured are brothers: Boy toy Bain who is in the same household as Aurora and Ren who is a leader of the resistance.
Both women leave their situations: Aurora runs away with Bain (assisted by Ren) and Angel is kidnapped by Ren. this takes us into the world of the Resistance.
It's not hard to see why Aurora is attracted to the handsome Bain even though he seems somewhat immature. she can't really remember being cherished for herself and he says he loves her.
It is interesting to watch these women progress through the novel. But maybe the best thing about the book is that it is an action thriller populated by people we come to care about.
If you want to know what happens to these people, pick up the sequel, Zephyr Unfolding.
Rating:  [4 of 5 Stars!] |
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| by Michael LaRocca |
Date Added: Wednesday 09 April, 2008 |
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Aurora Browne, age 10, is sold by her mother for a bag of silver. Aurora becomes a Candidate, meaning that her sole purpose in life is to breed. Keepers and Pale Soldiers control her every move through a combination of beatings, physical superiority, psychological manipulation, and an implant behind Aurora's ear that will explode at the press of a button.
The seas are stinking cesspools of pollution that none dare swim in, filled with mutated marine life. Most of Earth's landscape is as barren as the wombs of the rich women who live in floating cities and hire Candidates to bear "their" children. This is the future, and an ugly future it is.
At age 18, Browne, who is brown, is selected for breeding by her fourth couple. The child, the offspring of Browne and the husband, will be genetically altered to hide the skin color of its birth mother.
With her latest assignment for the Williamses, Browne meets Bain, butler/cook/sexual surrogate, and learns of a world where freedom is a remote but present possibility.
Browne is nearly six feet tall, with a kinky afro, enchanting hazel eyes, an almost indomitable will, and a wealth of misconceptions trained into her by the followers of Harvestina. Bain is tall and tan, with long blonde locks. The sexual chemistry is unmistakable, but what can they do about it?
Kurtz writes in the cross-genre tradition that is becoming common among e-authors. In this case, romance and science fiction. This is a different take on the issue of infertility. She writes with a sure hand, bringing her characters and her settings to life. She knows that, regardless of genre, it is characters that drive the most entertaining stories.
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!] |
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| by Escape to Romance (Irene Marshall) |
Date Added: Tuesday 08 April, 2008 |
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Aurora Browne, age 18, had been sold by her mother, when she was only 10 years old, to become a candidate. In the last 8 years, she has escaped and been captured 7 times, and has borne 3 children to 3 different couples. In a time when few women are able to reproduce, candidates are closely guarded. Escape or attempted escape is severely punished. Known for the last 8 years merely as Browne, Aurora bears the scars as mute testimony of her activities.
Strictly indoctrinated with propaganda, Browne knows nothing of love or making love. Even kissing is completely unknown to her until she goes to the Williams, hopefully to produce a 4th child, and meets Bain.
Bain has sold himself into a life of servitude, as a domestic servant, as a mere boy, in an attempt to survive. Now he's become a "surrogate" to Mrs. Williams. A man to replace her husband in bed, whenever she desires. He has accepted his life as is, till he meets and falls in love with Browne. his only living relative is his older brother, Ren, who is a high ranking officer in the resistance, down on a contaminated Earth.
When Bain decides to escape back to Earth and to take Browne with him, he relies on Ren for assistance. Since Ren has another mission scheduled in the area, he decides to combine the two. Bain manages to escape, alone, then returns for Browne. Their escape, combined with Ren's other mission, leads them all into enough danger and adventure to last a lifetime.
Shades of A HANDMAIDEN'S TALE, I think we've got a real winner here. While this book begins much like the aforementioned book, it quickly surpasses THE TALE. Becomming much more exciting and interesting. The ending much happier. There are many opportunities for further books in a series if the author so desires. Personally, I'd love to learn more about Angel and Ren.
Previously unheard of by this reader, Ms. Kurtz has a talent for story telling and for engulfing the reader into the story. I couldn't put this one down and read until after 2:30am this morning. I just had to see what happened next. I certainly hope this author continues to share her gift with the rest of us.
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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| by Kevin Aguanno |
Date Added: Wednesday 12 March, 2008 |
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Exploring how religious institutions can get out of control, the separation of Church and State, along with the role of reproductive technologies and surrogate mothers in society, this book tackles difficult current issues with class and finesse. The author has taken disparate topics and woven them into an intriguing story that demonstrates her mastery of the genre. After I read this, I found out that the book won an award -- it is no wonder, as it is one of the best sci-fi books I have read in the past year. Two thumbs up -- waaaaay up!
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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| Displaying 1 to 6 (of 6 reviews) |
Result Pages: 1 |
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