The Dragon Factory: A Joe Ledger Novel
ByJonathan Maberry
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Readers` Reviews
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
mohit
I enjoyed Patient Zero very much. Joe Ledger was a smart ass with an edge against authority figures, the writing was crisp though nothing outstanding. In Dragon Factory, however, the writing falls off, the editor allowed far too many repetitive scenes and dialogue that were needless (how many times did the reader need to be reminded, told how evil Cyrus and Otto's plans were?, they're Nazis who want to eradicate 5 billion people, for God's sake.). Paris and Hecate were characters that didn't add much to the story. The dialogue between the good guys was also very repetitive and should have been reworked. Also, in the denouement scene, Ledger has five broken ribs and numerous other injuries...I know it's a rather comic-booky genre he writes in, but what he does physically after all these injuries was impossible to suspend disbelief for me. I found myself wanting to hear more about 82, a tragic character, while the constant shoot out raged almost ad nauseum. This effort was too preachy for my tastes, had numerous typographical errors, and just didn't measure up to Patient Zero.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
prasad
The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry is a science fiction action thriller. This is book 2 (of 6) in the Joe Ledger Series featuring the Department of Military Sciences (DMS).
The book is about some left over Nazis trying to fulfill the Nazi agenda of killing off all human races they believe to be inferior. The way they are orchestrating this is to develop a way for genetic diseases to be changed so that they are more of a virus or bacterial infection. These Nazis have been experimenting with gene therapy, transgenics, and cloning. Our hero Joe Ledger, and his team, is tasked with tracking down the source of a video showing a hunt of a unicorn. This includes sneaking into a large storage facility deep in the mountains of Denver, finding and rescuing the boy who sent the video, and bringing down the bad guys.
The DMS’s work is made harder at the beginning of the story due to forces within our own government trying to shut them down. Additionally, Joe and Grace’s relationship continues to grow, putting them in the difficult position of an attachment that makes things harder for a warrior. More of Joe’s personality comes through here. He exhibits all three aspects of his personality, but he is mostly in warrior mode throughout this book. Church continues to be a strong leader through the difficulties he faces in saving the DMS. The enemies include 2 Nazi scientists, a couple of twins that are considered the children of one of the scientists, and an assassin. The team also runs up against Russians, genetically altered soldiers, and genetically altered animals.
The story is told from the point of view of many of the different characters. All are in the third person except for Joe Ledger’s, which is in the first person. I found this very interesting and was able to follow the story very well through the different viewpoints. It’s a longer story, but all parts are needed to tell it completely. The structure of the story makes sense and works very well. It’s obvious that Maberry spent a lot of time researching the subject matter and he provides a lot of information relating to the research the Nazis are doing.
The characters are very credible both the evil Nazis and the bigger than life heroes. The heroes are the kind we like to see. My favorite character is Joe Ledger. This may be because he takes up so much of the story and because he is a bigger than life personality with many likeable qualities. My second favorite in the series is most probably Rudy, Joe’s best friend. Although Rudy played a small role in this story, it was significant and admirable.
I was very willing to read another Joe Ledger book after reading the first one, Patient Zero. And even though I have a pile of other books to read I will be making it a priority to read the rest of the Joe Ledger series. This is a book (and series) that I highly recommend to those who like science fiction, action, thrillers, and military engagements. I believe that it is appropriate for teens as well as adults.
The book is about some left over Nazis trying to fulfill the Nazi agenda of killing off all human races they believe to be inferior. The way they are orchestrating this is to develop a way for genetic diseases to be changed so that they are more of a virus or bacterial infection. These Nazis have been experimenting with gene therapy, transgenics, and cloning. Our hero Joe Ledger, and his team, is tasked with tracking down the source of a video showing a hunt of a unicorn. This includes sneaking into a large storage facility deep in the mountains of Denver, finding and rescuing the boy who sent the video, and bringing down the bad guys.
The DMS’s work is made harder at the beginning of the story due to forces within our own government trying to shut them down. Additionally, Joe and Grace’s relationship continues to grow, putting them in the difficult position of an attachment that makes things harder for a warrior. More of Joe’s personality comes through here. He exhibits all three aspects of his personality, but he is mostly in warrior mode throughout this book. Church continues to be a strong leader through the difficulties he faces in saving the DMS. The enemies include 2 Nazi scientists, a couple of twins that are considered the children of one of the scientists, and an assassin. The team also runs up against Russians, genetically altered soldiers, and genetically altered animals.
The story is told from the point of view of many of the different characters. All are in the third person except for Joe Ledger’s, which is in the first person. I found this very interesting and was able to follow the story very well through the different viewpoints. It’s a longer story, but all parts are needed to tell it completely. The structure of the story makes sense and works very well. It’s obvious that Maberry spent a lot of time researching the subject matter and he provides a lot of information relating to the research the Nazis are doing.
The characters are very credible both the evil Nazis and the bigger than life heroes. The heroes are the kind we like to see. My favorite character is Joe Ledger. This may be because he takes up so much of the story and because he is a bigger than life personality with many likeable qualities. My second favorite in the series is most probably Rudy, Joe’s best friend. Although Rudy played a small role in this story, it was significant and admirable.
I was very willing to read another Joe Ledger book after reading the first one, Patient Zero. And even though I have a pile of other books to read I will be making it a priority to read the rest of the Joe Ledger series. This is a book (and series) that I highly recommend to those who like science fiction, action, thrillers, and military engagements. I believe that it is appropriate for teens as well as adults.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
amalia ghergu
The Extinction Clock is counting down. Time is short--10,800 minutes (just seven days)--and if the clock zeroes out, billions will die.
Ex-cop Joe Ledger and the DMS (Department of Military Science) are assigned the mission to stop the clock and the men behind it, a pair of freakishly brilliant monsters who intend to commit genocide on an apocalyptic scale. Cyrus Jakoby and his faithful colleague Otto have come up with a beautifully simple way to deliver their lethal bio-agent in a way that specifically targets blacks and homosexuals.
Joe and his people are starting out in the dark, and it doesn't help that the acting President wants to dismantle the organization while he has the chance. Adding to the pressure is Joe's state of mind. He's still mourning a friend who committed suicide and he's having trouble keeping it strictly business with an attractive colleague who just happens to outrank him.
The whole "scientists with guns" sub-genre of thrillers owes a lot to Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels and writers like James Rollins (author of the excellent "Sigma Series" books) and David Lynn Golemon's (the "Event Group" novels) have brought their own spin to the concept. Maberry's DMS (Department of Military Sciences) is up there with the best of them and this book, the sequel to Patient Zero, offers science that is scarily plausible.
This is a very cinematic thriller written in movie-style parallel storylines that introduce us to our heroes and villains before setting them against each other. Readers who like plot-driven fiction will find this book as satisfying as a bar of Swiss chocolate but may feel a little overstuffed after devouring all 496 pages.
The various plots unfold at a breakneck pace, drawing readers in from the very first page. Not interested in a plot thread involving a super-computer intelligence program that makes Echelon look like a simple phone tap? There's always the subplot involving the race-targeted doomsday virus or the genetically engineered monsters cooked up in the "Dragon Factory" of the title.
The story sprawls across the globe and involves a large, multi-culti cast of characters. We've seen types like these people before, but Maberry makes them fun. When wise-ass Joe Ledger is confronted by suits waving NSA badges and demanding he come with them, he asks them how NSA is spelled. That snarky edge helps Maberry pull off some of Ledger's more bombastic moments in the story and manages to keep the DMS part of the tale anchored in some sort of reality.
There's a large cast of supporting characters, from Rina Sanjay, a freshly minted researcher at WHO to Mr. Church, the enigmatic head of DMS who is not above blackmail at the executive level to make certain his budget is protected.
The villains are charismatic and wily and all of them are totally nuts. Cyrus is the craziest in some ways, but Otto has to be nuts to have served him so faithfully over the years. They are bad guys but in a way that still feels a bit real world, unlike the Twins (Hecate and Paris Jakoby, Cyrus' genetically engineered offspring) who are super-villains out of a comic book. They're beautiful and decadent and crazy too, so they're amusing characters, but nothing about them is even remotely real.
The writer has also done a good job of creating details that make Cyrus's evil world come alive. Otto likes concocting meals out of genetically engineered vegetables (dwarf broccoli, spinach-carrot hybrids) and meat from birds long extinct (like Dodos). It's a whimsical detail that tells us much about how fiendishly playful these two monsters are. (And for the record--Dodo does not taste like chicken but more like bald eagle, only chewier.)
This is a world where things have been developed with great attention to detail complete with gadgets that will appeal to the techno-thriller crowd. The science is one step beyond bleeding edge, but not so far into science fiction that it doesn't seem likely. This is also a world where no matter how outlandish things get, there's a real sense of logic underlying the events. It may be mad logic--Cyrus is quite aware that he's insane--but nothing happens without a very good reason.
Some of the plot twists are fairly predictable (it's not hard to figure out who the mole inside DMS is) but others...others are not predictable at all. There's never too much time to stop and think, and the mysteries that present themselves ("Who, or more precisely, what, is Child 82?") keep us from getting too far ahead of the story.
Paris and Hecate have authority issues and when Paris inevitably challenges their father (the Twins call Cyrus "Alpha") it gets very ugly very quickly. Paris may be a quantum cuckoo, but he is much less deluded than his father is when it comes to the chimeras they've created. The problem is that Cyrus may have taught the twins all they know but he hasn't taught them all he knows. The maneuvers and counter-maneuvers of the members of this most dysfunctional family form the core of the most entertaining parts of the novel.
The book's weakness is probably dialogue. Maberry gives Ledger some good lines, but every once in awhile; he also gives him a groaner like "Let's dance." No one will be reading this book for the dialogue though--it just gets in the way of the action.
Maberry delivers on every promise he makes in this book, throwing cryptozoology, Nazi plots, bio-terrorism, secret cabals, island lairs and computer viruses into the mix. The stakes are high--nothing less than global mass murder--and if Joe and his team can't stop what Otto and Cyrus have set into motion then God help us all.
The Dragon Factory is uncomplicated fun. There are some quiet moments when Joe talks to his friend Rudy about his failures in life or when Grace Courtland, Joe's designated love-interest-to-be, tells him she can see that things are bothering him, but mostly the book is one long adrenaline rush.
Ex-cop Joe Ledger and the DMS (Department of Military Science) are assigned the mission to stop the clock and the men behind it, a pair of freakishly brilliant monsters who intend to commit genocide on an apocalyptic scale. Cyrus Jakoby and his faithful colleague Otto have come up with a beautifully simple way to deliver their lethal bio-agent in a way that specifically targets blacks and homosexuals.
Joe and his people are starting out in the dark, and it doesn't help that the acting President wants to dismantle the organization while he has the chance. Adding to the pressure is Joe's state of mind. He's still mourning a friend who committed suicide and he's having trouble keeping it strictly business with an attractive colleague who just happens to outrank him.
The whole "scientists with guns" sub-genre of thrillers owes a lot to Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels and writers like James Rollins (author of the excellent "Sigma Series" books) and David Lynn Golemon's (the "Event Group" novels) have brought their own spin to the concept. Maberry's DMS (Department of Military Sciences) is up there with the best of them and this book, the sequel to Patient Zero, offers science that is scarily plausible.
This is a very cinematic thriller written in movie-style parallel storylines that introduce us to our heroes and villains before setting them against each other. Readers who like plot-driven fiction will find this book as satisfying as a bar of Swiss chocolate but may feel a little overstuffed after devouring all 496 pages.
The various plots unfold at a breakneck pace, drawing readers in from the very first page. Not interested in a plot thread involving a super-computer intelligence program that makes Echelon look like a simple phone tap? There's always the subplot involving the race-targeted doomsday virus or the genetically engineered monsters cooked up in the "Dragon Factory" of the title.
The story sprawls across the globe and involves a large, multi-culti cast of characters. We've seen types like these people before, but Maberry makes them fun. When wise-ass Joe Ledger is confronted by suits waving NSA badges and demanding he come with them, he asks them how NSA is spelled. That snarky edge helps Maberry pull off some of Ledger's more bombastic moments in the story and manages to keep the DMS part of the tale anchored in some sort of reality.
There's a large cast of supporting characters, from Rina Sanjay, a freshly minted researcher at WHO to Mr. Church, the enigmatic head of DMS who is not above blackmail at the executive level to make certain his budget is protected.
The villains are charismatic and wily and all of them are totally nuts. Cyrus is the craziest in some ways, but Otto has to be nuts to have served him so faithfully over the years. They are bad guys but in a way that still feels a bit real world, unlike the Twins (Hecate and Paris Jakoby, Cyrus' genetically engineered offspring) who are super-villains out of a comic book. They're beautiful and decadent and crazy too, so they're amusing characters, but nothing about them is even remotely real.
The writer has also done a good job of creating details that make Cyrus's evil world come alive. Otto likes concocting meals out of genetically engineered vegetables (dwarf broccoli, spinach-carrot hybrids) and meat from birds long extinct (like Dodos). It's a whimsical detail that tells us much about how fiendishly playful these two monsters are. (And for the record--Dodo does not taste like chicken but more like bald eagle, only chewier.)
This is a world where things have been developed with great attention to detail complete with gadgets that will appeal to the techno-thriller crowd. The science is one step beyond bleeding edge, but not so far into science fiction that it doesn't seem likely. This is also a world where no matter how outlandish things get, there's a real sense of logic underlying the events. It may be mad logic--Cyrus is quite aware that he's insane--but nothing happens without a very good reason.
Some of the plot twists are fairly predictable (it's not hard to figure out who the mole inside DMS is) but others...others are not predictable at all. There's never too much time to stop and think, and the mysteries that present themselves ("Who, or more precisely, what, is Child 82?") keep us from getting too far ahead of the story.
Paris and Hecate have authority issues and when Paris inevitably challenges their father (the Twins call Cyrus "Alpha") it gets very ugly very quickly. Paris may be a quantum cuckoo, but he is much less deluded than his father is when it comes to the chimeras they've created. The problem is that Cyrus may have taught the twins all they know but he hasn't taught them all he knows. The maneuvers and counter-maneuvers of the members of this most dysfunctional family form the core of the most entertaining parts of the novel.
The book's weakness is probably dialogue. Maberry gives Ledger some good lines, but every once in awhile; he also gives him a groaner like "Let's dance." No one will be reading this book for the dialogue though--it just gets in the way of the action.
Maberry delivers on every promise he makes in this book, throwing cryptozoology, Nazi plots, bio-terrorism, secret cabals, island lairs and computer viruses into the mix. The stakes are high--nothing less than global mass murder--and if Joe and his team can't stop what Otto and Cyrus have set into motion then God help us all.
The Dragon Factory is uncomplicated fun. There are some quiet moments when Joe talks to his friend Rudy about his failures in life or when Grace Courtland, Joe's designated love-interest-to-be, tells him she can see that things are bothering him, but mostly the book is one long adrenaline rush.
Kill Switch: A Joe Ledger Novel :: Predator One: A Joe Ledger Novel, Book 7 :: The Tilted World: A Novel :: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel :: A Joe Ledger Novel by Jonathan Maberry (2012-04-10)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
efrat
I love how Maberry is creative with his story plots and making scenarios more believable. Only reason this book isn't 5 stars is I believe the antagonists could be stronger characters and less stereotype bad guy. As in killing henchman because they feel like it or because its a tuesday, saying they are evil because evil is powerful. With the main villain later on they fix this "evil" issue however i think it could have been done better. Maberry has created many amazing villains that are very creative and some even sympathetic but these are not them. Still a great story and overall I can look past the villains character flaws. Porter also does an amazing job in creating all of the different voices for the characters and really tests his dialects.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
neena
Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry was wicked smart and brutally twisty.
Read It File It: I am in love with the Joe Ledger! There I said it. It is probably best to get that out there and acknowledged. During the Dragon Factory, I was biting my lip, clicking my nails against the desk, and closing my eyes as things got tense. These books are such intense rides and this one was a little heartbreaking. I recommend these to any one who enjoys a good mystery with a little bit of fringe!
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated by: Ray Porter /Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
Going to admit that it took 2 books for me to fall in love with Ray's voice for Joe but now I adore it. Sometimes it just takes a bit and then it clicks!
Final Thoughts: Bring on Book 3!
Overall Rating: 4.50
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.50
Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry was wicked smart and brutally twisty.
Read It File It: I am in love with the Joe Ledger! There I said it. It is probably best to get that out there and acknowledged. During the Dragon Factory, I was biting my lip, clicking my nails against the desk, and closing my eyes as things got tense. These books are such intense rides and this one was a little heartbreaking. I recommend these to any one who enjoys a good mystery with a little bit of fringe!
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated by: Ray Porter /Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
Going to admit that it took 2 books for me to fall in love with Ray's voice for Joe but now I adore it. Sometimes it just takes a bit and then it clicks!
Final Thoughts: Bring on Book 3!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
paolo
I really enjoy living vicariously through Joe Ledger. Mayberry creates characters that are not only flawed, but somehow accessible.
The intensity was high and had me completely on the edge of my seat throughout. I kind of felt what was coming towards the end of the book and when it happened it was a soul crusher. I'm sure it was a way for the author to endear Ledger to the reader even more - I was thinking this the whole time until it happened. Well, it worked.
Couldn't put this one down and I really loved this story, even though I have an emotional hangover. Well done Mr. Mayberry!!! Thank you for Joe Ledger. I need a nap.
The intensity was high and had me completely on the edge of my seat throughout. I kind of felt what was coming towards the end of the book and when it happened it was a soul crusher. I'm sure it was a way for the author to endear Ledger to the reader even more - I was thinking this the whole time until it happened. Well, it worked.
Couldn't put this one down and I really loved this story, even though I have an emotional hangover. Well done Mr. Mayberry!!! Thank you for Joe Ledger. I need a nap.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
daniela
Johnathan Maberry's 1st Joe Ledger novel grabbed those zombie enthusiasts by storm with his debut new series starting with Patient Zero.
Although my wife and I loved that book, after just finishing his brand new one here, The Dragon Factory we thought was somewhat even better.
Something most writers don't do: Making bigger and better sequels.
In the Dragon Factory, Maberry ups the danger ratio so cranked up that it made the dangerous zombie scenario he created in Patient Zero seem almost like a cakewalk.
Trust us people, when we read the last 100 pages of the Dragon Factory, we knew that this writer has hit his feverish peak and stride in writing nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thriller ending of this phenomenal novel.
The Dragon Factory is multi-threaded, has numerous new and horrendously diabolical new bad guys with colorful henchemen of various varieties. In fact, we'd venture to say this new novel has some of the most colorful bad guys, and so darn creepy, that they actually made the latest Joker in the Dark Knight look like a mere punk with a bad mud-caked face paint. (Yes, they are that horrific, both in looks as in diabolical design.)
Joe Ledger and his DMS team are stretched thin and up to their necks in world saving, clock-ticking danger that could easily eradicate most of the human race.
If you like thrillers with sci-fi/Horror tones, with loads of Clancy-like ultra-techno secret combat commandoes, then mixed in with colorful comic-book-like larger than life characters, (but not in a cheesy way), with a spice of a love story, and all of them mixed with a dash of James Rollins and David Golemon and Matthew Reilly - but with a heavy dose of Johnathan Maberry at the height of his writing prowess - then you are gonna love The Dragon Factory.
On the back cover, it is written that Sony Pictures has optioned this series. Man, if they can truly make a major motion picture here - and do it right - this would be a mega-hit bluckbuster with no problem. With a sequel already bigger and better, ready to be made.
We very much look forward to Maberry's next Joe Ledger novel.
How is he gonna beat this one is anyone's guess.
Major kudos goes out to you, Mr. Maberry!
Although my wife and I loved that book, after just finishing his brand new one here, The Dragon Factory we thought was somewhat even better.
Something most writers don't do: Making bigger and better sequels.
In the Dragon Factory, Maberry ups the danger ratio so cranked up that it made the dangerous zombie scenario he created in Patient Zero seem almost like a cakewalk.
Trust us people, when we read the last 100 pages of the Dragon Factory, we knew that this writer has hit his feverish peak and stride in writing nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thriller ending of this phenomenal novel.
The Dragon Factory is multi-threaded, has numerous new and horrendously diabolical new bad guys with colorful henchemen of various varieties. In fact, we'd venture to say this new novel has some of the most colorful bad guys, and so darn creepy, that they actually made the latest Joker in the Dark Knight look like a mere punk with a bad mud-caked face paint. (Yes, they are that horrific, both in looks as in diabolical design.)
Joe Ledger and his DMS team are stretched thin and up to their necks in world saving, clock-ticking danger that could easily eradicate most of the human race.
If you like thrillers with sci-fi/Horror tones, with loads of Clancy-like ultra-techno secret combat commandoes, then mixed in with colorful comic-book-like larger than life characters, (but not in a cheesy way), with a spice of a love story, and all of them mixed with a dash of James Rollins and David Golemon and Matthew Reilly - but with a heavy dose of Johnathan Maberry at the height of his writing prowess - then you are gonna love The Dragon Factory.
On the back cover, it is written that Sony Pictures has optioned this series. Man, if they can truly make a major motion picture here - and do it right - this would be a mega-hit bluckbuster with no problem. With a sequel already bigger and better, ready to be made.
We very much look forward to Maberry's next Joe Ledger novel.
How is he gonna beat this one is anyone's guess.
Major kudos goes out to you, Mr. Maberry!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
diego ulanosky
OMG I am totally addicted to this series!! I Love all of echo team so much, especially Ghost, Top and Bunny, Mr Church, and of course the infamous and lovable psycho hero Joe Ledger!!! ? Best series I ever heard!!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
jacopo
I enjoyed "Patient Zero", Jonathan Maberry's first Joe Ledger novel. The idea of a terrorist being able to turn people into zombies (mind you he's not just a terrorist, he's an Islamist extremist) is genre-bending in a way that's just mind-boggling. The author has a choppy style (hundreds of chapters, some of which only take up a page or even less) and writes with a first person speed that's astounding, so the book rockets right along, and you don't have much time to think about the improbabilities involved.
This second book takes place just after the first. We start with the National Security Agency trying to arrest Joe Ledger as he visits his dead ex-girlfriend's grave. Of course Joe doesn't let himself be arrested, and no sooner does he escape than the action begins, with Joe and his team ("Top" because he was a Top Seargent, and "Bunny" because his name's Harvey Rabbit) going to Colorado, fighting off some monsters, and discovering a bunch of records that seem to involve Nazi research into gene-splicing and eugenics. There are villains, of course, a murderous pair of almost-albino incestuous twins, impossibly beautiful and incredibly intelligent and deadly, and their father, a combination of Dr. Moreau (he of "The Island of..."), a Bond villain, and Mr. Burns from "The Simpsons". I swear to you, at the beginning of the book, his version of Smithers tells him there's a meeting with some dignitaries that he should attend, and he insists the sidekick send one of his clones to the meeting instead, naming a particular one. The sidekick tells him "You shot him last week" and when he asks why the sidekick tells him "Because it was Tuesday" and that explains things. Frankly, I found this sort of thing amusing as hell, a bad guy so villainous and nefarious as this, but he is a bit cartoonish.
Joe and his team battle monsters (both the twins and their dad have used the genetic stuff to engineer mutants who are vicious in the extreme), using weaponry like guns, grenades, and their knives. Various characters wander in and out of the plot, with Joe and his buddies killing a bunch of them. Joe's girlfriend, who fights in another unit, makes several appearances.
Back in the '20s and '30s, there were novels called "pulps", named for the cheap paper that they were printed on. They were usually looked down on, at the time, as a lower form of entertainment, but some of the authors who wrote them are now considered pioneers of their genres, typically science fiction and the hard-boiled detective mysteries. As far as I'm concerned, Jonathan Maberry and his character Joe Ledger are the modern-day descendants of those authors and characters. This is a good book, and it seems the series has gotten more interesting.
This second book takes place just after the first. We start with the National Security Agency trying to arrest Joe Ledger as he visits his dead ex-girlfriend's grave. Of course Joe doesn't let himself be arrested, and no sooner does he escape than the action begins, with Joe and his team ("Top" because he was a Top Seargent, and "Bunny" because his name's Harvey Rabbit) going to Colorado, fighting off some monsters, and discovering a bunch of records that seem to involve Nazi research into gene-splicing and eugenics. There are villains, of course, a murderous pair of almost-albino incestuous twins, impossibly beautiful and incredibly intelligent and deadly, and their father, a combination of Dr. Moreau (he of "The Island of..."), a Bond villain, and Mr. Burns from "The Simpsons". I swear to you, at the beginning of the book, his version of Smithers tells him there's a meeting with some dignitaries that he should attend, and he insists the sidekick send one of his clones to the meeting instead, naming a particular one. The sidekick tells him "You shot him last week" and when he asks why the sidekick tells him "Because it was Tuesday" and that explains things. Frankly, I found this sort of thing amusing as hell, a bad guy so villainous and nefarious as this, but he is a bit cartoonish.
Joe and his team battle monsters (both the twins and their dad have used the genetic stuff to engineer mutants who are vicious in the extreme), using weaponry like guns, grenades, and their knives. Various characters wander in and out of the plot, with Joe and his buddies killing a bunch of them. Joe's girlfriend, who fights in another unit, makes several appearances.
Back in the '20s and '30s, there were novels called "pulps", named for the cheap paper that they were printed on. They were usually looked down on, at the time, as a lower form of entertainment, but some of the authors who wrote them are now considered pioneers of their genres, typically science fiction and the hard-boiled detective mysteries. As far as I'm concerned, Jonathan Maberry and his character Joe Ledger are the modern-day descendants of those authors and characters. This is a good book, and it seems the series has gotten more interesting.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
nancy strange
Second book is better than the first action packed a REAl page turner. I am not your typical Bourne spy novel reader. I really enjoyed this book. Maberry could dispense with the quotes before chapters though. They are real simple (seen before) captions that any simpleton could get from a google search. Nietzsche quotes? pfft. SOOOO smart. Must have googled these. I have read these quotes before in other book from this genre. Just too generic. If you are going to use a quote….please find something original. I am quibbling…
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
monique orchard
Book two of the Joe Ledger series continues to impress. The same cast of characters returns to face new threats against humanity. No zombies this time but there are enough seriously bad guys and other items from your nightmare to bring together a riveting story. The action is fast and furious and the author pulls no punches. As the body count piles high, anyone can be snuffed out at any time in this book as only the strongest will survive and main characters are not exempt. If you like action this is the book for you.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sarah price soucek
This is the sequel to Patient Zero. Joe Ledger is back, as is love interest Grace Courtland. The two work in a special Ops unit tasked with eliminating science-based - think, highly unusual - threats. In this instance, the villains are manipulating genetics with the goal of creating a master race - Hitler anyone? This is a fun read. Lots of action. Great villains, in particular a set of albino twins - brother and sister. The Ledger/Courtland romance takes some unexpected turns. There are true shocks in this novel. A fun, fast, read. Not too deep, but more so than would be expected for this genre. Maybe not quite as good as its predecessor, but close. Enjoy.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sergsab
When I came across Jonathan Maberry's newest book, The Dragon Factory, I was intrigued enough by the name to consider it. It's a genre I like, that's a plus. It's the second in a series, and I'm a sucker for a good series, that's another plus. What clinched it though, was the mention that Maberry is the author of Patient Zero. I loved Patient Zero, says I to myself.... sign me up!! Never mind that I didn't recall reading a book in the "Joe Ledger" series. I have a mind like a sponge, full of holes and stuff pours out of it, so I figured I just didn't remember the name of the main character.
The Dragon Factory arrived and after reading the first few pages, I realized that I had no idea who any of these characters were. I headed to the computer and looked up Jonathan Maberry. Oh...oops....I was thinking of Year Zero by Jeff Long....I've never read Patient Zero...double oops..
Now I love series, but I hate reading them out of order. My dilemma was, do I spring for Patient Zero on my Sony Reader, (instant gratification), order from the store (slightly delayed gratification), drive across town to the bookstore, (irritating traffic pretty much ruins any gratification) or check it out of the library (very delayed gratification)? Too late for any of these choices, after reading the prologue I was already sucked into The Dragon Factory. I couldn't stop myself, I'm weak, so I decided to go for it and read the book, hoping it wouldn't' be one of those books that confuses the reader if she hasn't read the series in order.
In The Dragon Factory, Joe Ledger and the DMS (Department of Military Science) discover two different groups of whacked out geneticists. One group has discovered a way to bring mythological creatures to life, as well as creating genetically enhanced transgenic mercenary armies. The other group is using modern science to continue the Master Race program that Nazi Josef Mengele envisioned. Both groups want Ledger and the DMS destroyed. An attack is launched on Joe and his group, which is akin to poking a cranky bear with a sharp stick. Joe and his team respond, let's just say.....rather vigorously.
If you're an action, thriller, suspense techy geek fan, you're going to enjoy The Dragon Factory. It's not necessary to read the first book in the series to be able to follow along, the book refers to the past occasionally, but not enough to make the reader go, "huh?" It was, however, enough to make this reader go..."hmmm...." And now Maberry's first book in the series, Patient Zero, is on the teetering tower of "To Be Read" tomes. (Yes, alliteration can be fun.....)
The Dragon Factory is chock full of really evil bad guys, mythical creatures come to life, transgenic mercenaries, genetic monsters, a couple of crazy genius albinos, Nazi's, clones, and mad scientists. Throw in a bunch of Russian mercenaries. Add to this geeky technology, brutal combat, terrific low key good guys and you've got one hell of a good read. (If you're a bit squeamish, be warned...it's got violence, blood, gore, bullets, knives and grenades, but hey, its got Nazi's. whaddya expect?) (And if you're a wee bit straight-laced, its got some sex, not much, not gratuitous, be patient, its pertinent to the story.)
(Oh and I'm ordering Patient Zero today!!)
The Dragon Factory arrived and after reading the first few pages, I realized that I had no idea who any of these characters were. I headed to the computer and looked up Jonathan Maberry. Oh...oops....I was thinking of Year Zero by Jeff Long....I've never read Patient Zero...double oops..
Now I love series, but I hate reading them out of order. My dilemma was, do I spring for Patient Zero on my Sony Reader, (instant gratification), order from the store (slightly delayed gratification), drive across town to the bookstore, (irritating traffic pretty much ruins any gratification) or check it out of the library (very delayed gratification)? Too late for any of these choices, after reading the prologue I was already sucked into The Dragon Factory. I couldn't stop myself, I'm weak, so I decided to go for it and read the book, hoping it wouldn't' be one of those books that confuses the reader if she hasn't read the series in order.
In The Dragon Factory, Joe Ledger and the DMS (Department of Military Science) discover two different groups of whacked out geneticists. One group has discovered a way to bring mythological creatures to life, as well as creating genetically enhanced transgenic mercenary armies. The other group is using modern science to continue the Master Race program that Nazi Josef Mengele envisioned. Both groups want Ledger and the DMS destroyed. An attack is launched on Joe and his group, which is akin to poking a cranky bear with a sharp stick. Joe and his team respond, let's just say.....rather vigorously.
If you're an action, thriller, suspense techy geek fan, you're going to enjoy The Dragon Factory. It's not necessary to read the first book in the series to be able to follow along, the book refers to the past occasionally, but not enough to make the reader go, "huh?" It was, however, enough to make this reader go..."hmmm...." And now Maberry's first book in the series, Patient Zero, is on the teetering tower of "To Be Read" tomes. (Yes, alliteration can be fun.....)
The Dragon Factory is chock full of really evil bad guys, mythical creatures come to life, transgenic mercenaries, genetic monsters, a couple of crazy genius albinos, Nazi's, clones, and mad scientists. Throw in a bunch of Russian mercenaries. Add to this geeky technology, brutal combat, terrific low key good guys and you've got one hell of a good read. (If you're a bit squeamish, be warned...it's got violence, blood, gore, bullets, knives and grenades, but hey, its got Nazi's. whaddya expect?) (And if you're a wee bit straight-laced, its got some sex, not much, not gratuitous, be patient, its pertinent to the story.)
(Oh and I'm ordering Patient Zero today!!)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
lusine
This is one astounding book. It has everything you could want, a great plot, and well developed characters along with more twists and turns than you can imagine. It is one book you will not want to put down. This is the real deal.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
peter allard
This was another random pick from our local library's new fiction shelf. This was fast paced, gritty and just far out enough to keep my attention. For the last half of the book I couldn't put it down. The moral of the story: there is real Evil in this world and it has names and faces. Short of giving away key elements of the story line, suffice it to say that the evils of Eugenics and Nazi racial programs did not die with Adolf Hilter. The story threw curves that caught me off guard, and even had a lesson in morality. We are who we choose to be, not what we are born. I will definitely read another Maberry book, probably all of them!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
luci
Excellent next installment of these exciting and lovable characters. Suspend your disbelief and fall into Joe Ledger's world. The audible version is great - Ray Porter is a phenomenal reader and perfectly embodies the ledger character.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
michael harrel
This series continues to captivate me. Sometimes stretches credulity but the it is fiction..right? The writing ensures that you care about the characters. The author did not lose a step from the first book to this one. I will start number 3 in the series today!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
t r a c y
This series continues to captivate me. Sometimes stretches credulity but the it is fiction..right? The writing ensures that you care about the characters. The author did not lose a step from the first book to this one. I will start number 3 in the series today!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jenny nicolelli
Having picked up the previous Joe Ledger book, Patient Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel, I was anxious to see what would come next. This book was equally captivating as the previous one. A fast-paced story that absolutely engages the reader. I had a hard time putting it down.
I am looking foward to the next installment of the Joe Ledger series...
I am looking foward to the next installment of the Joe Ledger series...
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
stuart meczes
Well I won this book through [...] & was pretty ecstatic to get it, let alone anything for free. This is my first review so I hope nobody wants to reach through their screen and slap me haha so here it goes! This book was awesome all the way through. I would give it 3.5/5 stars because at times it seems that things were too coincidental ie. bad guys: "yes I have a yadda yadda" Good guys shortly after: "do you think they have a yadda yadda". Also (How to put this without spoiling anything) Joe is not superman yes he gets hurt, but it seems he overcomes herculean odds at times, BUT that's what also makes it a good read is that your main character is, at times, such a badass he can take the insane beating & still save the day. I am in no way bashing this book it was great & I think Maberry did a great job; God knows I could never write a novel. There are just some little things that I shrugged my shoulders at.
Hell yes I would recommend this book & Patient Zero, I enjoyed them both! This book deepens the characters & also leaves you wanting more & wondering what will come next....& I want to read what comes next. I enjoyed patient zero slightly better, but Dragon Factory is a worthy book in the Joe Ledger series. My hope for the next book would be a slight tone down in the 'really?' dept and replacing it with more 'Damn that was a sweet move' stuff. This book DOES do that of course but the final chunk is a little more unbelievable in the sense of the beatings people around Joe take vs. himself; and who keeps going & who is out of the fight.
This book is great though I enjoyed reading it immensely! I hope you will pick up a copy from your local retailer or the library. Give Mayberrys' work a chance & don't miss Patient Zero it was wicked! I hope my review helped & that by the end of the book you will have enjoyed it as much as I did and know where I'm coming from. Anyone who read this before today I was working third shift & was a little tired, so I apologize for the third grade grammar.
Hell yes I would recommend this book & Patient Zero, I enjoyed them both! This book deepens the characters & also leaves you wanting more & wondering what will come next....& I want to read what comes next. I enjoyed patient zero slightly better, but Dragon Factory is a worthy book in the Joe Ledger series. My hope for the next book would be a slight tone down in the 'really?' dept and replacing it with more 'Damn that was a sweet move' stuff. This book DOES do that of course but the final chunk is a little more unbelievable in the sense of the beatings people around Joe take vs. himself; and who keeps going & who is out of the fight.
This book is great though I enjoyed reading it immensely! I hope you will pick up a copy from your local retailer or the library. Give Mayberrys' work a chance & don't miss Patient Zero it was wicked! I hope my review helped & that by the end of the book you will have enjoyed it as much as I did and know where I'm coming from. Anyone who read this before today I was working third shift & was a little tired, so I apologize for the third grade grammar.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
stacy van
Tom Clancy with a scifi twist. The story is non stop with great historical tie ins and implications of good science gone bad. As a big scifi/fantasy reader I loved how this genre was combined with the espionage/military thriller genre. A great read!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
leslie stach
A very mediocre novel, full of overused cliches and poor research. When you have someone from the World Health Organization asking if a genetic disorder has "Mutated and become contagious" (Genetic diseases are not in any way contagious, nor will they mutate EVER to become so.) or how the mobster were using "Teflon coated copkiller rounds" (Teflon is used to fix feeding problems, it has no impact on penetration whatsoever)
It simply strikes me as poorly researched. Aside from that the writing wasn't bad, and the plot was decent. I am looking forward to see if Maberry can work out some of his sophomore roughness.
It simply strikes me as poorly researched. Aside from that the writing wasn't bad, and the plot was decent. I am looking forward to see if Maberry can work out some of his sophomore roughness.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
mindi scott
Honestly, why get into the plot and characters and all that jazz.
JUST READ ALL THE JOE LEDGER NOVELS!!!
If you like action, these are for you. I am a huge fan of Vince Flynn and his Mitch Rapp novels, but Joe Ledger gives Mitch Rapp a run for his money on who is the biggest bad @$$ out there.
JUST READ ALL THE JOE LEDGER NOVELS!!!
If you like action, these are for you. I am a huge fan of Vince Flynn and his Mitch Rapp novels, but Joe Ledger gives Mitch Rapp a run for his money on who is the biggest bad @$$ out there.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
lena vanausdle
just finished patient zero. it was awesome. wanted the next book in series. the store says it is code zero. i got a sample and all of a sudden he lists everyone that died...thanks for ruining the suprise.
this is book two i suppose.
cant wait to start it.
this is book two i suppose.
cant wait to start it.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
julie wise
How in the hell does this moron get published? Reads like it was written by a 14 year old scifi buff for other 14 year old boys. Technically, scientifically, militarily and in terms of police operations the only thing he gets wrong is virtually everything. Just to ice that cake, his writing about relationships, hand to hand combat and psychotherapy read like the product of someone who has a. Never had sex, or even a girlfriend. b. Never had a physical altercation more serious than a playground shoving match. and c. Never talked to a more astute therapist than the school guidance counselor. I mean, If your looking for a child's impression of grown up life, look no further. Makes DC comics look like well researched science. Absolute P.O.S.!
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
carly
"The Dragon Factory" starts out as a rollicking adventure story, but ends as a ham-handed mishmash of 1960s leftist tropes and "Man from Uncle"-type spy antics. A few examples are given here, although alert readers will notice more.
The chief villian is revealed as Josef Mengele. Wow -- what originality! One wonders why the author did not simply go for broke and make the bad guy Hitler himself.
Mengele has maintained his youthfulness through science and seems to amuse himself by cloning himself. He murders his clones regularly, although why he does so is never explained. The only clone he spares is the one who rejects his worldview. Again, the reason why Mengele protects this particular clone is not mentioned.
Mengele operates a secret research facility near the Mexican border in Arizona, staffed by hundreds of people. Yet the facility has never been detected by the Border Patrol, military drones, satellite surveillance, etc. Really? Only Joe Ledger can cross the desert undetected, enter the facility without being noticed, and escape unnoticed. However, this exercise does little to advance the plot.
Ledger encounters mercenaries made more aggressive by treatment with gorilla DNA -- despite the fact that gorillas are reluctant to engage in aggression. He defeats one such mercenary who is armed with a large combat knife, while Ledger himself has only a small folding knife. The brand of Ledger's knife is mentioned repeatedly, and unnecessarily. One wonders why. By the way, the mercs are all South African racists. But of course! Aren't they all?
Maberry kills off Ledger's girlfriend; a development that most readers will see coming a mile away, and one the author treats as though it's never been done in any book, film, or TV program. He even resorts to separating her from the rest of her unit by means of a vault-like door closing unexpectedly. Amazing! Never seen that before!
There's more tripe to discover, but no point in listing more. Profit by my example, and read something else instead.
The chief villian is revealed as Josef Mengele. Wow -- what originality! One wonders why the author did not simply go for broke and make the bad guy Hitler himself.
Mengele has maintained his youthfulness through science and seems to amuse himself by cloning himself. He murders his clones regularly, although why he does so is never explained. The only clone he spares is the one who rejects his worldview. Again, the reason why Mengele protects this particular clone is not mentioned.
Mengele operates a secret research facility near the Mexican border in Arizona, staffed by hundreds of people. Yet the facility has never been detected by the Border Patrol, military drones, satellite surveillance, etc. Really? Only Joe Ledger can cross the desert undetected, enter the facility without being noticed, and escape unnoticed. However, this exercise does little to advance the plot.
Ledger encounters mercenaries made more aggressive by treatment with gorilla DNA -- despite the fact that gorillas are reluctant to engage in aggression. He defeats one such mercenary who is armed with a large combat knife, while Ledger himself has only a small folding knife. The brand of Ledger's knife is mentioned repeatedly, and unnecessarily. One wonders why. By the way, the mercs are all South African racists. But of course! Aren't they all?
Maberry kills off Ledger's girlfriend; a development that most readers will see coming a mile away, and one the author treats as though it's never been done in any book, film, or TV program. He even resorts to separating her from the rest of her unit by means of a vault-like door closing unexpectedly. Amazing! Never seen that before!
There's more tripe to discover, but no point in listing more. Profit by my example, and read something else instead.
Please RateThe Dragon Factory: A Joe Ledger Novel