Dragon Gold (Order of the Dolphin Book 2) by Kristie Clark
A Technothriller Novel published by Delphi Imprint, LLC (07/15/21)
First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery as an ARC
Summary:
Eva Paz is continuing to make breakthroughs in dolphin communication. She, along with the dolphins, is making great use out of the upgraded facility. The only problem is where she got the money to pay for the building and the man she took the money from is back to claim it. Julian, his megayacht, and his henchman waste no time and kidnap Eva’s mother and hold her as a ransom for the millions Eva took. The money is already spent but Eva won’t let that stop her from gathering her friends to stop her old nemesis and save her mother, the reef, and the natural order of the ocean.
Keywords:
Dolphins, Communication, Teaching, Parents, Friendship, Mother, Daughter, Revenge, Family, Marine Life, Swimming, Submarine, Boat, Yacht, Dolphin Communication, Marine Biology, Island, Genetics, eco-fiction
My Review:
Dragon Gold made me question what I knew about marine biology, genetics, submarines, and dolphins. The facts of the world that Clark builds are rich and persuasive. I would believe Lusca are real. Clark writes them in a more convincing way than any of the dinosaurs in the Jurassic series. The way Clark writes about dolphin communication and communication between dolphins and humans using imaging technology and playback is very exciting and kind of makes me want to work with dolphins. They are one of the smartest animals in the world after all! The opening scene depicts the practical usage of this partnership in a fresh and sensational way before being swept up in the main plot of the story.
The story was thrilling, full of action, and contained high stakes. Eva is more than capable of handling herself, but it will take a team to take down the bad guy. There is more than one moral to this story. Friends to the rescue! Though there were quite a few characters to keep track of, I felt like there was a balance to the amount of narrative time spent with the main characters, and really enjoyed the POV switching. The chapters told from the perspective of the dolphins added some fun and lightness to the heavy perils Eva and her family (and the reef at large) were facing.
Julian is the epitome of a villain and played his character perfectly. His right-hand henchman was even more vile than Julian and without much backstory, the reader can feel disgusted without any hint of pity for him. Julian, is more complex, and I really enjoyed the chapters from his POV. If at first, he had clear and virtuous reasons for creating what are ultimately sea monsters, but he quickly devolves into a madman and the perfect supervillain to hate.
The book was well-paced and a very fun read. It will appeal to readers who enjoy eco-fiction and/or thrillers. There is even some romance to round out the layers of this book.
My favorite part about this story, though, was the dolphins. They are the coolest part of the book, especially Cleo and the role she plays. She is able to follow multi-step directions and during her POV chapters, she shows her ability to think through problems. For readers who love reading horse books, they may get a kick out of the Order of the Dolphin books.
This novel was published by Delphi Imprint, LLC on 07/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.
TL;DR Star Rating: 4.5
Links for more information:
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