Domesticating Dragons (#1)
A more dangerous breed of pet.
In a future where a canine epidemic has wiped out all dogs, one company, Reptilian Corporation, aims to replace them with custom-made dragons. To that, they’ll need to domesticate an otherwise ferocious reptilian predator. Fresh out of a PhD program for genetic engineering, Noah Parker is thrilled to land a job at the hottest biotech in the American southwest. He hits the ground running and soon becomes one of Reptilian’s most productive genetic engineers.
Yet his success is a carefully planned subterfuge. Noah’s younger brother was born with a rare muscle disease. It’s incurable, unless Noah can find and prove the genetic mutation that’s responsible. He plans to use Reptilian’s considerable resources to do just that.
The company, meanwhile, begins producing various models of dragons en masse to fill the countless voids that dogs left behind. Noah wins the chance to design a much-needed dragon, an agile flying model reminiscent of the dragons of myth. But his quest to develop an ideal prototype uncovers disturbing secrets about his employer. Bringing them to light is the right thing to do, but might end his career and his already-remote chances of helping cure his brother’s disease.
Reviews
“With characteristic verve, Koboldt contrasts the playful adventure plot with the eerily dystopian setting and a searing examination of corporate greed and ambition. Fans of inventive speculative fiction are sure to be pleased.”
“Koboldt does a fantastic job… a fantastic, and definitely different, follow-up to his debut trilogy. I’ll take more of this, please!”
“Lab-based science fiction, with its grounding in the real world, real situations and people who feel like friends rather than out-of-this-world superheroes is a lot of fun when it’s done right. It’s done right in DOMESTICATING DRAGONS, with its geeky hero who saves the day, gets the girl and fulfills all of our dreams of dragons.”
“DOMESTICATING DRAGONS was an enjoyable read. Koboldt put his training as a geneticist to good work… but it’s not SO hard-sciencey that you can’t follow along.”
“A fun ride through the science of bringing dragons to life, not as monsters but as pets.”
“A fun read, with an engaging cast of characters, not the least of which, unsurprisingly, are the dragons.”
“I recommend the book to anyone interested in genetic engineering to get a picture of a possible future. For dragon lovers, this is a must-read!”
“I have no idea if any of this is even remotely plausible but it’s a lot of fun!”
“Koboldt weaves a highly entertaining, fast-paced, and technically adroit tale in DOMESTICATING DRAGONS, one which should whet the appetite of anyone who dreams of having their own dragon someday.”Keith Willis, author of the Kilbourne Knight series