Over a year and a half ago, I was emailing back and forth with author J.B. Manas. He said he had a book called Dragon Island in the works and said that it had Jurassic Park vibes. At the time, all he shared was the summary and this logline:
“A paleontologist and her scientist ex-boyfriend must learn why the U.S. military is covering up an alleged dragon attack on a small island before an overzealous general silences them for good.”
Over the next year or so, as we kept in regular touch, I heard updates about how the book was coming along and how it was almost finished. Then finally, he shared the new book with me, and I devoured it straight through to the Acknowledgements, where he explained, similar to how he first introduced me to the then-future novel that:
“I wanted a story that fired the imagination the way Jurassic Park did when I first read it. But I also wanted it to feel scientifically believable–not an easy task when we’re talking about dragons.”
As a fan of Crichton’s novels and the rest of his work, I believe that I can say with at least some authority that J.B. Manas has accomplished what he set out to do.
And he did so with all thriller, no filler. This book moves. It has a great story to tell and it doesn’t take a break. Don’t mistake the emphasis on the thrills for a lack of character development. It doesn’t short-change the characters at all, because at the end of the day, the story is first and foremost about people.
This story may also be scarier than anything Crichton conceived in the inspiration for this book. Whereas Crichton’s dinosaurs were more of a scientific curiosity that rich philanthropist John Hammond wanted to share with the world, Manas has dragons, but the rich philanthropist didn’t fund them. The U.S. Military is in charge, seeking solutions and perhaps overusing the greater good to get away with whatever the heck they want.
Fans of Jurassic Park will enjoy this twist on the classic, notably replacing the dinosaurs with dragons. Crichton fans will be interested to note that because of its all-thriller pacing, it’s more reminiscent of Crichton’s Jurassic Park follow-up, the action-packed The Lost World.
I also have to say that I really enjoyed the skepticism maintained throughout the book. It keeps a novel titled “Dragon Island” more grounded than you would expect for a work of fiction.
All of this was new and exciting for me. As a friend and fan of J.B. Manas, I like hearing about upcoming projects, and I love experiencing them with fresh eyes every time he completes them. I tend not to ask too many questions when he’s in the process of writing, but then again, with Dragon Island he had me at “it has Jurassic Park vibes.”
I love Crichton, and I love Manas. And if J.B. Manas wants to go further into this world, I’m happy to be along for the trip. But I’m also thankful that this wild ride of a book, which mirrors some of the helicopter stunts within it, is self-contained. It could go on, but if you only give it one shot, you won’t be disappointed.
Me, on the other hand? Whether it’s Dragon Island 2 or my long awaited hope for a follow-up to The Kronos Interference, I’m excited whenever J.B. Manas puts the finishing touches on a novel. I’m excited to share this review with you, and I hope that you enjoy reading Dragon Island as much as I did.