Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Don't worry, it's not a Stand clone
I am a big Preston/Child fan. When I saw the cover of this book, I hesitated and thought "Man, I hope this isn't a 90's version of King's "The Stand". After all that book was an epic tale but it took me like a year to read and I wasn't "up" for another run at the same thing. I'm happy to say that the only real similarity Mount Dragon has to The Stand is "the superflu", "Cap'n Tripps", "X-FLU", whatever you want to call it; a doomsday virus capable of wiping out the human race.I'm not one to tell anyone any secrets so I'll just say this: This was a very well written book, It's an adventure that takes place in the New Mexico desert in a Genetic engineering lab. Yes, the main plot is working with a doomsday virus but there is much more to this story than that! It has high tech computer hacking, industrial espionage, history and legend, cat and mouse chases, and more plot twists than you can shake a test monkey at. Honestly, I was very entertained by this book. It wasn't what I expected but that was a pleasant suprise. I constantly found myself hitting a major crisis and saying "how can this be happening? I still have XXX amount of pages left here." Not just once, but several times. The book always kept my interest and every time I thought I had the whole thing figured out, the authors threw in another twist. If you like adventure, you'll enjoy this book. Solid writing and character development throughout, a good branching plot, excellent technical and scientific explanations, and the ending was well conceived and not rushed. Thumbs up on this one, not a 5 star (which I seldom give) but a strong 4.
Rating:  - An average novel
Of all the works published by the Preston and Child team, "Mount Dragon" is my least favorite. The premise of the novel is very similar to The Andromeda Strain, as mentioned by another reviewer. The novel would pick up steam at points, then drag for a while, get exciting again, drag again, etc.The story revolves around a top secret facility which is believed to be devloping a secret weapon. Two scientists discover the truth behind what is being developed and tested at the facility and soon are on the run. All along, they are aided by persons outside the facility, one of which knows the mastermind personally. The book starts like most Preston and Child books -- at a rapid pace. However, until the mystery starts to unravel, the pace becomes too slow. The book then picks up again when the truth behind Mount Dragon is discovered. Then, the last third of the book involves the heroes on the run which is too long and drawn out. The confrontation between the mastermind and his adversary in a virtual world is highly entertaining, even though it does seem to be a bit out of place. Overall, if you like the other works by Preston and Child, you will probably enjoy this one. If you're a fan of science thrillers and haven't read any of their works, read "Riptide" or "The Ice Limit" as they are better works with little to no slow points in the storyline.
Rating: - Another Preston and Child romp
Preston and Child always can be counted upon to provide a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, engrossing read, and *Mount Dragon* is no exception. There is just enough scientific content pertaining to virology and various cybernetic phenomena to rank this a cut above the typical action "thriller," and the authors' descriptions of the bleak, arid New Mexico setting is superbly presented. I also enjoyed the inclusion of a Bill Gates-like computer nerd-turned-megalomaniacal businessman as an antagonist who interestingly, is not "all bad." Certainly there is a requirement for the reader's suspension of disbelief in certain places, but that's why we call it "fiction." The one element of the story that is irritatingly hackneyed is the all too predictable inclusion of a brainy young female who happens to have lovely, long legs and smoldering violet eyes. Keeping one eye to the potential of the book as Hollywood material, the authors also made sure to include a kind of absurdly gratuitous sex scene toward the end of the book. Ho hum. Otherwise, this is a smart, creative, and well-presented novel that is sure to keep its readers turning the pages in anticipation of what happens next.
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