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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Great Zoo of China in Books
Nov 13, 2019
The Chinese government have been working for years to create the ultimate tourist attraction, a very special zoo stocking with only one kind of animal - dragons. Long considered a myth the Chinese have found that they do exist and now they are ready to astound the world by showing of these amazing creatures and the fantastic zoo they have created to house them.
CJ Cameron is one of those invited to attend a special press preview tour, on behalf of National Geographic. A renowned expert on all types of reptiles she takes her brother Hamish with her as a photographer as part of a small and select group so that they can be the first to reveal the zoo to the world.
But on this special day, the dragons have their own plan and soon the Chinese are fighting for control of the dragons and the zoo they have created, with Cameron and the other group of journalists caught in the middle as the fearsome beasts rampage through the complex. Cameron must rely on her wits and experience with crocodiles and alligators to survive.
The obvious four word description of this book is 'Jurassic Park with dragons' but also superficially that does describe it's also missing the point of both books. Indeed Reilly acknowledges the Jurassic Park angle, both in an off the cuff remark by Hamish at the start of the book and also in the interview at the back. Jurassic Park has Michael Crichton in full science-as-thriller mode, pondering the latest advances (at the time) of both DNA and fossil discoveries and then giving a glimpse of how these beasts must have been when they ruled the world. The thrill comes from the dinosaurs themselves, they are the stars of the book.
In The Great Zoo of China the dragons are very much a McGuffin. Any suitably fearsome creature would have done, real, historical, mythical or completely imagined. They are simply a powerful threat to humans and agents capable of wreaking huge amounts of death and destruction, as would be expected of Reilly. The star of the show is Cameron, and to a lesser extent her brother (and a few others).
Cameron is Reilly's first lead female character in an action role (The Tournament being a completely different kind of book) and this works really well in the novel, both in terms of setup and plot and she makes a convincing heroine using her knowledge and intelligence to combat each threat.
Of course there are moments where the reader has to suspend their belief. Reilly doesn't aim for gritty realism, he goes for the big and impressive set pieces, almost certain death and narrow escapes that clearly would be impossible in the real world. His novels are very much blockbuster movies transferred to the written word, with the added bonus that the special effects come free courtesy of the reader's imagination.
As usual the plot drives at a breathtaking pace although the real story doesn't start until Reilly has taken us on a tour of his ultimate zoo and shown off his dragons before letting them off the leash.
Yes some of it is pure hokum and there are a couple of plot holes, but at the end of the day this was not written to win any literary prizes. This was written to entertain and thrill and it does that with ease.
Rated: Strong language and graphic violence (i.e. lots of people eaten by dragons)
CJ Cameron is one of those invited to attend a special press preview tour, on behalf of National Geographic. A renowned expert on all types of reptiles she takes her brother Hamish with her as a photographer as part of a small and select group so that they can be the first to reveal the zoo to the world.
But on this special day, the dragons have their own plan and soon the Chinese are fighting for control of the dragons and the zoo they have created, with Cameron and the other group of journalists caught in the middle as the fearsome beasts rampage through the complex. Cameron must rely on her wits and experience with crocodiles and alligators to survive.
The obvious four word description of this book is 'Jurassic Park with dragons' but also superficially that does describe it's also missing the point of both books. Indeed Reilly acknowledges the Jurassic Park angle, both in an off the cuff remark by Hamish at the start of the book and also in the interview at the back. Jurassic Park has Michael Crichton in full science-as-thriller mode, pondering the latest advances (at the time) of both DNA and fossil discoveries and then giving a glimpse of how these beasts must have been when they ruled the world. The thrill comes from the dinosaurs themselves, they are the stars of the book.
In The Great Zoo of China the dragons are very much a McGuffin. Any suitably fearsome creature would have done, real, historical, mythical or completely imagined. They are simply a powerful threat to humans and agents capable of wreaking huge amounts of death and destruction, as would be expected of Reilly. The star of the show is Cameron, and to a lesser extent her brother (and a few others).
Cameron is Reilly's first lead female character in an action role (The Tournament being a completely different kind of book) and this works really well in the novel, both in terms of setup and plot and she makes a convincing heroine using her knowledge and intelligence to combat each threat.
Of course there are moments where the reader has to suspend their belief. Reilly doesn't aim for gritty realism, he goes for the big and impressive set pieces, almost certain death and narrow escapes that clearly would be impossible in the real world. His novels are very much blockbuster movies transferred to the written word, with the added bonus that the special effects come free courtesy of the reader's imagination.
As usual the plot drives at a breathtaking pace although the real story doesn't start until Reilly has taken us on a tour of his ultimate zoo and shown off his dragons before letting them off the leash.
Yes some of it is pure hokum and there are a couple of plot holes, but at the end of the day this was not written to win any literary prizes. This was written to entertain and thrill and it does that with ease.
Rated: Strong language and graphic violence (i.e. lots of people eaten by dragons)
Michelle (114 KP) rated A Feast for Crows in Books
Apr 21, 2018
Love these books, so much more in them than in the series. Don't get me wrong I like the series as well yet with the books I can read them over and over again, which I can't do with the series unless I can afford to buy the DVD's. In the books we find out a lot more about the characters and how they became queen of the dragons, etc.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Set in a school in a house that was donated by the characters from The Originals. Witches, vampires and werewolves are the main characters but new species are appearing like dragons and a necromancer!! Dealing with supernatural mysteries and normal teenage antics.
Gaming and BS RPG Podcast
Podcast
Brett and Sean (BS) are two of your friends talking about roleplaying games and other related...
The Colour of Magic: Discworld: The Unseen University Collection
9.0
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Book
On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly...
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Fire and Heist in Books
Apr 2, 2019
I picked this up off the library shelf for the title; I took it home for the description. Were-dragon thieves? Awesome. It turns out it's not that simple. For one, the were-dragons have lost the ability to transform over the years - the last dragon to transform was Sir Francis Drake, and the book is set in modern times, so, at least a couple hundred years have passed. And humans know the were-dragons exist! I suppose without the ability to transform, they're little more than rich celebrities with parlor tricks. (Immune to fire to certain temperatures, ability to breathe fire.) What humans don't know is how much the wyverns tend to steal to enrich their hoards. And that some of them can do limited magic.
We open on Sky, sixteen, rattling around her mansion, dealing with her now dysfunctional family of three brothers and their father. Her mother went missing not very long ago, during a heist. The kids have been told she's gone, she's alive, she's not coming back, and to drop the matter. Were-dragon society almost exiled all of them for whatever their mother got into, so they're all on thin ice. Sky, of course, is having none of this. When she stumbles on a lead for where her mother went, she pursues it, and learns all kinds of secrets.
The book was okay, I suppose. I was a little appalled at were-dragon society, and that the dragons just - bow to the authority of the Council. Dragons should have more spine. The heist part was pretty cool, with Sky and her friends figuring out how to take apart every layer of security piece by piece.
I don't know. It was a fluffy book, but not a feel-good book, and I just wasn't that enthused.
You can read all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
We open on Sky, sixteen, rattling around her mansion, dealing with her now dysfunctional family of three brothers and their father. Her mother went missing not very long ago, during a heist. The kids have been told she's gone, she's alive, she's not coming back, and to drop the matter. Were-dragon society almost exiled all of them for whatever their mother got into, so they're all on thin ice. Sky, of course, is having none of this. When she stumbles on a lead for where her mother went, she pursues it, and learns all kinds of secrets.
The book was okay, I suppose. I was a little appalled at were-dragon society, and that the dragons just - bow to the authority of the Council. Dragons should have more spine. The heist part was pretty cool, with Sky and her friends figuring out how to take apart every layer of security piece by piece.
I don't know. It was a fluffy book, but not a feel-good book, and I just wasn't that enthused.
You can read all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Fade Away (Myron Bolitar #3) in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Myron Bolitar has a meeting with the President of the Dragons. What he isn't expecting, is to be offered a position on the team. He won't get much playing time, but the underlying issue is that they need him to find another player, Greg Downing. Myron and Greg have known each other for many years, Myron even dated Greg's wife way back when. But Greg is known to disappear, so why is everyone so intent on having Myron locate him now? The reason is one you won't believe.
I have grown to love the characters in the Myron Bolitar series. The adventures they find themselves in are really not something you would expect from a sports agent and a rich guy.
When Greg Downing goes missing at first it's no big deal since this is something he does frequently. But the Dragons are about to go to the playoffs and Greg would never disappear at a time like this. Myron and Win go and take a look at Greg's place, but what they find is very unusual. When the place go back to investigate, the evidence is no longer there. What was Greg involved in? Who knows where Greg is? Why did Greg pick this time to disappear?
Finding out who is behind Greg's disappearance can end up a life or death situation for Myron. Will he find Greg and will he continue with his position on the Dragons?
I have grown to love the characters in the Myron Bolitar series. The adventures they find themselves in are really not something you would expect from a sports agent and a rich guy.
When Greg Downing goes missing at first it's no big deal since this is something he does frequently. But the Dragons are about to go to the playoffs and Greg would never disappear at a time like this. Myron and Win go and take a look at Greg's place, but what they find is very unusual. When the place go back to investigate, the evidence is no longer there. What was Greg involved in? Who knows where Greg is? Why did Greg pick this time to disappear?
Finding out who is behind Greg's disappearance can end up a life or death situation for Myron. Will he find Greg and will he continue with his position on the Dragons?
A Game of Thrones: The Story Continues: The Complete Boxset of All 7 Books
9.8
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HBO's hit series A GAME OF THRONES is based on George R R Martin's internationally bestselling...
Todd (Tangled Tentacles #3) by JP Sayle & Lisa Oliver
JP Sayle and Lisa Oliver
9.0
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Were the Fates wrong giving Todd two mates, or will the two dragons be able to redeem themselves and...
MMM Paranormal Romance Shifters Dragons Series