REVIEW: The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry

The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 2 March 2010
Format: Paperback, 496 pages
ISBN 10: 0312382499
ISBN 13: 978-0312382490
Copy: out of pocket


Back of the Book: "Joe Ledger and the DMS (Department of Military Science) go up against two competing groups of geneticists....


One side creating exotic transgenic monsters and genetically enhanced mercenary armies; the other is using twenty-first century technology to continue the Nazi master race program begun by Josef Mengele. Both sides want to see the DMS destroyed, and they've drawn first blood. Neither side is prepared for Joe Ledger as he leads Echo Team to war under a black flag."


Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series is a guilty pleasure. A lot of what Ledger and his team do are implausible but that does not make The Dragon Factory or the Joe Ledger series any less entertaining.  The fact of the matter is that Maberry can write a very entertaining and fast paced novel that leaves you at the edge of your seat and begging for more. It was where I found myself when I finished the first book in the series, Patient Zero. It is still the case at the end of The Dragon Factory.


The great thing about The Dragon Factory is that since we have already read the first book in the series we can take right off and start the show, no need for formalities. With that in mind the pacing is a faster than in Patient Zero but at times I found it does get bogged down in some explanations and exposition, but only slightly. This is somewhat expected as few readers will be geneticists, some explanation is required and it is done quickly and simply enough for the reader. Once that is out of the way it is pure adrenaline. There is no complaint when it comes to Maberry's pacing in his Ledger novels.


The characters in The Dragon Factory are all familiar faces with the doctors who discover the plot and the bad guys being the new additions.  The mysterious Mr. Church has a bit more light shed on his background, but he is still as elusive as ever.  Joe's team is back as is Grace. Maberry throws us a few curve balls as some members of the team will not be returning for the third installment. I would elaborate more but I do not want to ruin it for readers.


While the plot in Patient Zero was more like "24 meets 28 Days," The Dragon Factory seems to remind me more of a James Bond story as the villains are over the top with their massive hidden bases and nefarious plot to usher in a new world through their "Extinction Clock" and leave the world for the Nazi master race.

One of the reasons that I enjoy Maberry's Joe Ledger series is that as bad-ass as Joe is, there is another side to the character. He has a dark past that he carries with him and refuses to let go. While most heroes would leave the past behind, Joe carries it with him and it effects his decision making as the novel and series moves progresses. He is constantly tormented with the decisions that have made him who he is and when he is under pressure he recalls those agonizing incidents with horrific clarity. It makes Ledger more than a two dimensional character and more realistic even if some of the things that take place in the novels are not.


On a side note, I happen to have the copy of The Dragon Factory featured above and while the cover is not all that exciting, I would like to say that I like the feel of the paper/material that they made the cover with. It has a different texture to other novels out there. It has a sort of unfinished feel that gives it grip. 


The Dragon Factory, just like Patient Zero could be read as a standalone, but the end of The Dragon Factory has a small cliff-hanger which should lead into the next book in the series The King of Plagues which is due out March of 2011.


Plot:  7
Characters:  8
Style:  8


Overall:  8/10