Koboldt, Dan: Domesticating Dragons (2021)

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=Tamar

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May 20, 2012
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Koboldt, Dan: Domesticating Dragons (2021) - In a high-tech, bio-tech future, genetics genius Noah Parker is driven by his personal mission to prove that his brother's rare variant of a debilitating disease is genetic. The therapy exists, but variants have to be proven genetic to get treated. The job with the giant bio-tech corporation is just a means to him, but he can't tell them that. Meanwhile, he has to design reptiles in many forms to replace all the breeds of dogs, because of the disease that is still killing the last ones and the gray wolves they are related to. And they have to sell, because if the company goes out of business, nobody else will be doing this.

Koboldt combines an engaging story with corporate skulduggery and some biotech passages that could be heavily researched or total bafflegab, I don't know, it sounded good. Most of it is pure fantasy - even genetic intelligence tech can't quite explain how a dragon can understand English upon hatching, and any hints of telepathy are faintly scotched with an "almost". There are enough different kinds of characters to please most people, and even the villain has an understandable motive. Some scenes are unpleasant - characters die, and mixed-breed dogs are (mis)used for plot purposes, but on the whole this is not a horrific novel. I think some scenes that are off-page would have been better on-page. It's a good read, and the dragons are neat.
Recommended.
 

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