Sunday, February 8, 2015

Jurassic Park with Wings

The Great Zoo of China – Matthew Reilly (Gallery Books)

China has spent nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars to build a primordial Disney World; a vast zoo, of epic proportions, designed to create a worldwide phenomenon to attract tourist dollars from all over the globe. While a mere zoo, even a huge zoo, may not be enough to set the world on fire, the special attractions at The Great Zoo of China will certainly raise the bar.

Author Matthew Reilly seems to be making the case that he is the heir apparent to the Michael Chrichton adventure thriller mantle, but he may veer just a shade too close to the Lost World/Jurrassic Park realm with the striking parallels in The Great Zoo of China, replacing the reanimated dinosaur clones dragons.

The best laid plans similarly run off the monorails when the mythical creatures prove beyond the control of those who would try to control them. While there is a comfortable, lived in feel to the storyline, Reilly does have a knack for writing entertaining yarns, which makes this one a quick, entertaining read.

No comments: