The Dragon Factory: The Joe Ledger Novels, Book 2

Really bad bad guys, mad scientists, mosters, evil plots to take over the world, hidden underground lairs, a secret government agency, none-stop action, and the baddest good guy ever - Joe Ledger. This is a great book.
To top it off Ray Porter's narration is world class, some of the best I've ever heard.
I'm becoming a big fan of Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter.

The second book in what is (at the time of this writing) a three book series was a strong follow-up to it's predecessor, Patient Zero. Joe Ledger, now a bit more settled in with his new job, finds new battles to fight and new threats to the continuation of the human race.

This whole series is worth listening to just to hear Ray Porter's performance, possibly the best I've ever heard. I'll be on the lookout for any new books he does and would have no hesitation basing a selection solely on the merits that Ray Porter had narrated.

My only problem with The Dragon Factory was the "flavor" of villain. Jonathan Maberry has brought Nazi's into present day, and as you can imagine, the dialogue of these villains is ugly, offensive, and off-putting. While I fully recognize the fact that if these characters had been less hateful they wouldn't have been the level of villain the story was working towards, I can't pretend that there weren't times that I wished we could fast forward through some of the hate speech. I could have done without it, and feel I still would have been able to understand that these were the "bad guys". I'm sure there's an argument to be made in the other direction, but it's not one I choose to make at this time.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book for a good thriller, performed by a really top rate narrator.

I really liked listening to this story. It was a fast paced wild story with excellent narration. Even though it is Fiction there seemed to be many historical facts inserted. I also liked the first book, Patient Zero, with the same talented narrator, Ray Porter, who makes both books an easy listen. I have also become a Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter fan.

I have to disagree with most of the reviewers here. This was a fun novel, and I'm glad I bought it. But it was disappointing compared to the first novel. The "bad guy" characters were all rather trite. There were also a number of elements in the plot (and plot connections) that were blatantly obvious, yet the supposedly brilliant people and the supercomputer at the Department of Military Sciences had a hard time figuring out. If it's that obvious to a reader, it kills the suspension of disbelief when it's presented as a startling revelation to the characters.

They Lose All Sense.

Another Five Star Novel, with a Five Star Performance by Ray Porter.

I will be the first to admit that this not as good as Patient Zero the first book in this series and even though you could read this book without reading that book, I believe you would be happier to read PZ first. PZ introduces you to Joe Ledger and to the Department of Military Sciences (X-Files on steroids). Some have given this less the five stars, the trap they have fallen into is that they are comparing Maberry to Maberry. That's like giving your second favorite book in the world three or four stars, cause it ain't as good as your favorite. Meaning only one book you have ever read could earn five stars. This book is still better then most of what is out there.

This is a Mad Scientist Novel (Mevil), no Zombies, but lots of genetic monsters.

Pro: Like a Koontz novel this filled with all kinds of creatures and bad guys. Here is a sample of what you will come across; Centaurs, Scorpion Dogs, Elves, The Chamber of Myths, Quetzalcoatl, Chinese Dragons, European Dragons, Sea Serpents, Gargoyles, The Hive, anti-aging gene, White Angel, mudpeople, transgenic soldiers, albino twins, life unworthy of life, extinction clock, Tigerhounds, clones, Neanderthals, New Men, unicorns, faith gene, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. The bad guys are cliche, Nazi's, Albinos and Russians, but in a book like this sometimes cliche is good. I lived for almost a year as a kid in Germany and went on vacation there almost two years ago and I love the German people, but you have to admit they make great bad guys. You may say that is politically incorrect, but you know you agree.

Con: I got sick and tired of the Extinction Clock. Every one of the 133 chapters starts with the Extinction Clock Countdown. It seemed to me that they kind of Wussied Ledger a little. He falls in love in this, he gets touchy feelie in parts, he less of a smart a@@ and he thinks before acting, something he didn't do in book 1. There are a couple of points where the book gets real patriotic in a patronizing way. There are a couple of duller then usual parts and the book seems a little unnecessarily stretched out. The epilogue is kind of stupid. Keep in mind we are comparing Ledger to Ledger, which sets the bar pretty high.

Ray Porter is great. I did notice in this book that Ray sounds an awful lot like Tom Hanks. I like Tom Hanks, so that is not a problem with me, it just seemed weird.

OK, maybe I don't love this genre (what is it even? Military spy stuff?) Anyway, One has to go with the unrealistic technology and the all-knowing Church/Deacon/etc. However, Maberry sticks to his own reality and that's good enough for me. It's Ledger-world. It has basic rules and Maberry is true to them. It's consistent (which is a big plus for me--I hate an author who creates a fantasy and then changes the rules on what can and can't happen.)

I find that the characters are in many ways to good to be true. BUT I love them. One wants a world where Joe Ledger Kicks-blank and takes names. His moral compass is nice.

I generally read murder fiction (I avoid romance/murder--just want dead people). I prefer a mystery. In the Ledger novels (this is the second that I've "read" the bad guys are just put in front of you. Yet, I enjoy the plot which has a beginning middle and end, the end twist (which is a must in the modern novel...why? I don't know) is generally pretty well crafted, and the characters don't "do" stuff just to do it--there are reasons for their actions and we know what they are.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first. I am currently reading the third book and have given up pretending that this is not my style. Just like a well crafted wine or beer a well-crafted novel is fun for all.

I've enjoyed my Joe Ledger adventures so far. Probably not for those who dislike violence and want a hero that eschews it, but for the rest, I highly recommend it.

Get to the plot and provide some drama. Even the first book started out so slow - I almost gave up - but it eventually got better the further into the story. In this second book, I only got through 5 hours and gave up because nothing was happening. Just blah, blah, blah.

Maberry is now my favorite author! You can never be disappointed when you listen or read. There is never a dull chapter or paragraph, I can't get enough of these books. They're suspenful, intense, funny, and heartbreaking. If your looking for a book that will tickle your psyche, get this book.

I like this series of novels starring smart ass super cop Joe Ledger. I'm not into detective or cop books so I can't compare it to any others so I'll just say it's like a James Bond, Jackie Chan mix action movie for your ears.

No, but only because I don't listen twice after I know the plot, and not because it wasn't a great book.

Yes. Mayberry writes a nicely plotted thriller, with overlapping but separate elements. Ray Porter kills it as the narrator and adds to the suspense. It can get slightly predictable, but any action thriller will be, and this book is less predictable than most.

My favorite scene would spoil the plot.

Yes, but again, putting it in my review would be a spoiler.

Look, so maybe a little suspension of belief is required to really enjoy these Joe Ledger novels. But WHO CARES. I thoroughly enjoy both Mayberry as an author and Ray Porter absolutely rocks as the narrator.