Review: An Intriguing Sci-Fi Novel!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2012
After 70 years of colonizing on the planet of Tofarn, humans and native Tofa still can't find a way to communicate or learn about each other in order to live in harmony together. Blended Tofa / Human communities have not done well, some have formally disbanded and others are on the verge of falling apart. Because of continued misunderstandings and communication failures, a new way to learn about each other is needed. Dr. Mara Cadell, a scientist comes up with a plan proposing to have Human and Tofa host mothers carry twin fetuses (one human, one Tofa) in the hope that the Twin-Bred will initiate interactions and communication in utero that will bond them together and bridge the gap between future generations of Humans and Tofa on Tofarn. Mara names the project LEVI (Long-Term Emissary Viviparous Initiative) after her twin brother that died in utero, but to others it is referred to and called "The Project." Will Mara's project succeed as she had planned? Can the Twin-Bred forge a new community of Humans and Tofa that will be able to communicate and understand each other enough to co-exist and live in harmony? Or will the individual plans of the Human and Tofa establishments only serve to destroy both communities and possibly have an irrevocable impact on Tofarn?Twin-Bred is a unique science fiction novel with an intriguing concept of whether Twin-Bred species can form a bond in utero and when born, use this twin bond to help create a harmonious society for future generations to come. This imaginative storyline encourages the reader to ponder this concept as they turn the pages. The author creates a lot of interesting characters in the story, in fact I felt the need to write them all down so I wouldn't get confused. It was interesting to follow the characters throughout the story, their individual stories added depth and intrigue, it seems like each of them had their own agenda for "The Project." I liked Mara's complicated and complex character the most, you couldn't help but feel for her as you learn about her own tragic story. The author does a good job of providing the reader with more than just a typical sci-fi story, she provides a thought provoking look into social, political and scientific aspects of humanity.While science fiction is not one of my favorite genres of books to read, I did enjoy reading Twin-Bred. I typically do not like far-fetched stories, but with this story I found myself engaged by the intriguing concept of twin-bred species. Twin-Bred is the story of a scientific attempt to promote a stable, peaceful and harmonic society between two species. Twin-Bred is a very intriguing and thought provoking novel that Sci-Fi fans should put on their reading list!Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and for hosting a virtual book event on my book review blog site.