A BIOTECH RACE AGAINST TIME TO DEVELOP MILITARY-GRADE DRAGONS
Brilliant genetic engineer Noah Parker is pitted head-to-head against the founder of Build-a-Dragon to design custom dragons for the military.
Genetic engineer Noah Parker has at last landed the job he's long coveted: director of dragon design for the Build-A-Dragon Company. With a combination of genetic engineering and a cryptic device known as the Redwood Codex, he and his team can produce living, breathing dragons made-to-order. But sales of dragons have plummeted, and the Build-A-Dragon Company will have to find new revenue streams if it hopes to stay in business. A contract to develop dragons for the US military promises a much-needed lifeline. Yet the specs are more challenging than anything Noah has ever designed. Worse, he learns that a shadow company headed by former CEO Robert Greaves has stolen the dragon-making technology to make a competing bid. Noah's dragons will face off against those of his old adversary. It's a head-to-head design competition, with the ethical future of domesticated dragons hanging in the balance.
Service at the Red Rooster Inn isn't what you'd call 'good,' or even 'adequate.' Darin would be the first to say so, and he owns the place. Evie isn't much of a barmaid; Kat's home brewed ale seems to grow less palatable with each new batch; and Seraphina's service at the bar leaves much to be desired. As for the bouncer, Big Tom, well, everyone learns right quick to stay on his good side.
They may be bad at running an inn, but they're the best team of con artists in the Old Queendom. When a prospective client approaches Darin with a high-paying job, he knows he should refuse. But the job is boosting a shipment of priceless imperial dream wine, the most coveted and expensive drink in the world. And, thanks to a stretch of bad luck, he's in deep to The Dame, who oversees criminal enterprises in this part of the Queendom.
If they fail, they're as good as dead, but if they succeed . . . well, it's enough money to get square with the Dame and make all of their dreams come true. Plus, it's an option for Darin to stick it to the empress, who he has good reason to despise.
Then again, there's a very good reason no one has ever stolen imperial dream wine . . .
Contains mature themes.
A collection of essays from historians, linguists, martial artists, and other experts to help you write more compelling fantasy by getting the facts right
Whether it's correctly naming the parts of a horse, knowing how lords and ladies address one another, or building a realistic fantasy army, getting the details right takes fantasy writing to the next level. Featuring some of the most popular articles from Dan Koboldt's Fact in Fantasy blog as well as several never-before-seen essays, this book gives aspiring and established fantasy writers alike an essential foundation to the fascinating history and cultures of our own world, which serve as a jumping-off point for more inspired and convincing fantasy.
Build-a-Bear Workshop meets Jurassic Park when a newly graduated genetic engineer goes to work for a company that aims to produce custom-made dragons
Noah Parker, a newly minted PhD, is thrilled to land a dream job at Reptilian Corp., the hottest tech company in the American Southwest. He's eager to put his genetic engineering expertise to use designing new lines of Reptilian's feature product: living, breathing dragons.
Although highly specialized dragons have been used for industrial purposes for years, Reptilian is desperate to crack the general retail market. By creating a dragon that can be the perfect family pet, Reptilian hopes to put a dragon into every home.
While Noah's research may help Reptilian create truly domesticated dragons, Noah has a secret goal. With his access to the company's equipment and resources, Noah plans to slip changes into the dragons' genetic code, bending the company's products to another purpose entirely . . .
