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Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur
Not yet published
Expected 3 Feb 26A FanFiAddict Most Anticipated Title!
How to Train Your Dragon meets Mad Max in this story of an orphan in a fractured Southwest who just wants to ride a dinosaur under the lights.
Come one, come all to the dinosaur rodeo!
Tif Tamim wants nothing more than to be a dinosaur buckaroo. An orphan in search of a place to rest his head and a job to weigh down his pockets, Tif has bounced from circus to circus, yearning for a chance to ride a prehistoric beauty under the sparkling lights of a big-top.
To become a buckaroo, Tif needs to learn the tools of the trade, yet few dino maestros want to take a scrawny nobody from nowhere under their wing. But when Tif frees a dino from an abusive owner and braves the roving gangs of the formerly-American west to bring the dino to safety, he catches someone’s eye. And boy, how those eyes dazzle Tif from the back of a bucking carnotaur.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
How to Train Your Dragon meets Mad Max in this story of an orphan in a fractured Southwest who just wants to ride a dinosaur under the lights.
Come one, come all to the dinosaur rodeo!
Tif Tamim wants nothing more than to be a dinosaur buckaroo. An orphan in search of a place to rest his head and a job to weigh down his pockets, Tif has bounced from circus to circus, yearning for a chance to ride a prehistoric beauty under the sparkling lights of a big-top.
To become a buckaroo, Tif needs to learn the tools of the trade, yet few dino maestros want to take a scrawny nobody from nowhere under their wing. But when Tif frees a dino from an abusive owner and braves the roving gangs of the formerly-American west to bring the dino to safety, he catches someone’s eye. And boy, how those eyes dazzle Tif from the back of a bucking carnotaur.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 3, 2026
560 people want to read
About the author
Ian McDonald
265 books1,264 followersIan Neil McDonald was born in 1960 in Manchester, England, to an Irish mother and a Scottish father. He moved with his family to Northern Ireland in 1965. He used to live in a house built in the back garden of C. S. Lewis's childhood home but has since moved to central Belfast, where he now lives, exploring interests like cats, contemplative religion, bonsai, bicycles, and comic-book collecting. He debuted in 1982 with the short story "The Island of the Dead" in the short-lived British magazine Extro. His first novel, Desolation Road, was published in 1988. Other works include King of Morning, Queen of Day (winner of the Philip K. Dick Award), River of Gods, The Dervish House (both of which won British Science Fiction Association Awards), the graphic novel Kling Klang Klatch, and many more. His most recent publications are Planesrunner and Be My Enemy, books one and two of the Everness series for younger readers (though older readers will find them a ball of fun, as well). Ian worked in television development for sixteen years, but is glad to be back to writing full-time.
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August 29, 2025I will never be tired of fantasy dinosaur books. And this is a post-apocalypse western where they ride dinosaurs instead of broncos?
Please, I need.
Please, I need.
January 18, 2026
I loved the concept of this story. Who wouldn’t love a story about a dinosaur buckaroo in a world where dinosaurs come out a hole in the timeline, allowing for dinosaurs to be extracted from the past. They return them to the past once they’ve gone around on the rodeo circuit for a while. I could not find myself caring much for Tif, our main character, who is actually not yet a buckaroo, but just wanting to be one. There was a some good queer rep in this, which was a nice highlight for this book.
3.5 stars
Thank you to @tordotcompub for my eARC. All thoughts are my own.
3.5 stars
Thank you to @tordotcompub for my eARC. All thoughts are my own.
November 7, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a review.
Even more ridiculous than the summary led me to expect! I loved it! A very timely dystopia and DINOSAURS!!!
Even more ridiculous than the summary led me to expect! I loved it! A very timely dystopia and DINOSAURS!!!
September 26, 2025
the fundamental difference between Tif's world and ours is the existence of the B2T2. a literal hole in the timeline, the B2T2 allows technicians to extract live dinosaurs from the distant past; and to return them to the same second they stole them from approximately seven years down the line, once they've been ridden into the ground for the rodeo circuit.
yes, I said rodeo circuit. the dinosaur rodeo circuit, of course. I have complicated (and overwhelmingly negative) feelings about our current timeline, in-real-life rodeos, so you can imagine that wrapping my brain around this version was staggering. but the book gentles you into it; the book holds your hand and tells you about the different rodeos and their caravans, the tremendously bizarre existence of Silver Clowns, the emergence of buckaroos and parades. honestly there's not a whole lot of world-building but I thought for this novella it worked. all Tif cares about are the rodeos; why should we learn about anything else?
the beginning of the book sees Tif on a long walk with an old carnotaur who needs to be returned to his original timeline. you might think you know what to expect from this book. you might be thinking: this is an easy equation. boy plus dinosaur equals riding in the rodeo! but no. it's swiftly explained that the carnotaur is simply too old, that riding him would be a death sentence, and that actually, Tif isn't a buckaroo at all, because he's never been trained.
in order to return the carnotaur, Tif must find a circus that can bring both of them to the B2T2. he ends up running with Memphis Red's Tatterdemalion Circus when Memphis herself offers them a spot. here he meets Prince, one of my favorite love interests of all time.
making Prince a lowkey terrible person was such a fantastic choice for this book. he's awful and gorgeous and sleeps all day because he's allergic to the sun. he rides the dinosaurs with an ease that suggests he can talk directly to them. he's the best buckaroo this circus has seen for a long time. and at one point, everyone has been in love with him.
the rest of the crew includes the so-named Silver Clown, mysteriously trained and never seen without his trademark silver outfit, Whistling Matilda, a Canadian whose country has not devolved into feudal kingdoms and/or dinosaur rodeos and so kind of wants to go home, Memphis Red, leader of the pack and collector of strays, and Prince himself. the found family vibes are lovely.
🌈 queer rep: queer/achillean mc, queer/achillean love interest
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨
yes, I said rodeo circuit. the dinosaur rodeo circuit, of course. I have complicated (and overwhelmingly negative) feelings about our current timeline, in-real-life rodeos, so you can imagine that wrapping my brain around this version was staggering. but the book gentles you into it; the book holds your hand and tells you about the different rodeos and their caravans, the tremendously bizarre existence of Silver Clowns, the emergence of buckaroos and parades. honestly there's not a whole lot of world-building but I thought for this novella it worked. all Tif cares about are the rodeos; why should we learn about anything else?
the beginning of the book sees Tif on a long walk with an old carnotaur who needs to be returned to his original timeline. you might think you know what to expect from this book. you might be thinking: this is an easy equation. boy plus dinosaur equals riding in the rodeo! but no. it's swiftly explained that the carnotaur is simply too old, that riding him would be a death sentence, and that actually, Tif isn't a buckaroo at all, because he's never been trained.
in order to return the carnotaur, Tif must find a circus that can bring both of them to the B2T2. he ends up running with Memphis Red's Tatterdemalion Circus when Memphis herself offers them a spot. here he meets Prince, one of my favorite love interests of all time.
"And Tif is in love. In an instant, for all time. His heart stolen by the wink of rhinestone."
making Prince a lowkey terrible person was such a fantastic choice for this book. he's awful and gorgeous and sleeps all day because he's allergic to the sun. he rides the dinosaurs with an ease that suggests he can talk directly to them. he's the best buckaroo this circus has seen for a long time. and at one point, everyone has been in love with him.
"He really is the most beautifully selfish creature. He can't help it."
the rest of the crew includes the so-named Silver Clown, mysteriously trained and never seen without his trademark silver outfit, Whistling Matilda, a Canadian whose country has not devolved into feudal kingdoms and/or dinosaur rodeos and so kind of wants to go home, Memphis Red, leader of the pack and collector of strays, and Prince himself. the found family vibes are lovely.
🌈 queer rep: queer/achillean mc, queer/achillean love interest
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this new novella that takes place in a barren and dying United States, where traveling groups of circuses travel the wasteland bringing the joy of dinosaur rodeos to the people.
I liked dinosaurs as a kid. Had some toys, I think a file card collection of facts and figures about the big creatures. Jurassic Park and the movies blew dinosaurs up in the public imagination. I was in the book stores at the time, and people could not get enough. Books, calenders, Dinotopia, anything with big creature, big teeth sold. My nephews are still riding that wave, able to list stats and figures about dinosaurs that I never knew, especially since the science has changed so much over the years. As a Godzilla fan though, I have always been partial to stories about dinosaurs. Devil Dinosaur for one, the aforementioned Godzilla and his buddies. These are always fun, and interesting. Just like this story, which also is more topical, and filled with lots of interesting ideas. And big gnashing teeth dinosaurs. Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur by Ian McDonald is a story of finding one's place in society, our possible future, and of course big thunder lizards, and long treks across a failed United States.
The time is the future. The United States exists only on maps, a broken country, devastated in many ways, barren and dry. Warlords control areas, militias based on whatever idea they feel at the time. Across this area groups of entertainers pass, circuses full of entertainment, including dinosaur rodeos. These dinosaurs are real, brought from the past with time travel technology. IN control of these beasts are dinosaur buckaroos, people who train, ride, control and take care of the dinosaurs, and when the time comes, send them back to die in the far past. Tif Tamim wants nothing more than to be a buckaroo, to have money to spend, and a place to feel safe, not used to the wild world Tif has found himself in. However bad luck follows Tif, causing him to wander from circus to circus, currently with a bicycle that is blood keyed to himself. A situation arises and Tif finds himself with a dinosaur, miles to cross, and bad people to avoid. And an uncertain welcome at the end.
A packed book for a novella with a lot of world building, ideas and character growth. One kind of wishes the book could be a little longer, to breath a bit, but that's why there could be more books. One can tell the writer is not from America, there is a little too much drawing on the myth of the United States and the west, but one can't complain when there are dinosaurs walking around in the future. The story moves well, and quickly starting fast and never really letting up. Tif is an interesting character, a stranger in a strange land, a bit naive, but a good person. There are thrills and quite a lot of big ideas, ones that I would like to see more of. Especially about the science and why the United States seems to be in the place that it is in.
A good novella, quick to read, easy to get into and fun. The dinosaurs are a very nice touch. My first book by Ian McDonald, but a world I would like to read more about.
I liked dinosaurs as a kid. Had some toys, I think a file card collection of facts and figures about the big creatures. Jurassic Park and the movies blew dinosaurs up in the public imagination. I was in the book stores at the time, and people could not get enough. Books, calenders, Dinotopia, anything with big creature, big teeth sold. My nephews are still riding that wave, able to list stats and figures about dinosaurs that I never knew, especially since the science has changed so much over the years. As a Godzilla fan though, I have always been partial to stories about dinosaurs. Devil Dinosaur for one, the aforementioned Godzilla and his buddies. These are always fun, and interesting. Just like this story, which also is more topical, and filled with lots of interesting ideas. And big gnashing teeth dinosaurs. Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur by Ian McDonald is a story of finding one's place in society, our possible future, and of course big thunder lizards, and long treks across a failed United States.
The time is the future. The United States exists only on maps, a broken country, devastated in many ways, barren and dry. Warlords control areas, militias based on whatever idea they feel at the time. Across this area groups of entertainers pass, circuses full of entertainment, including dinosaur rodeos. These dinosaurs are real, brought from the past with time travel technology. IN control of these beasts are dinosaur buckaroos, people who train, ride, control and take care of the dinosaurs, and when the time comes, send them back to die in the far past. Tif Tamim wants nothing more than to be a buckaroo, to have money to spend, and a place to feel safe, not used to the wild world Tif has found himself in. However bad luck follows Tif, causing him to wander from circus to circus, currently with a bicycle that is blood keyed to himself. A situation arises and Tif finds himself with a dinosaur, miles to cross, and bad people to avoid. And an uncertain welcome at the end.
A packed book for a novella with a lot of world building, ideas and character growth. One kind of wishes the book could be a little longer, to breath a bit, but that's why there could be more books. One can tell the writer is not from America, there is a little too much drawing on the myth of the United States and the west, but one can't complain when there are dinosaurs walking around in the future. The story moves well, and quickly starting fast and never really letting up. Tif is an interesting character, a stranger in a strange land, a bit naive, but a good person. There are thrills and quite a lot of big ideas, ones that I would like to see more of. Especially about the science and why the United States seems to be in the place that it is in.
A good novella, quick to read, easy to get into and fun. The dinosaurs are a very nice touch. My first book by Ian McDonald, but a world I would like to read more about.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a sort of "vibes" piece and I wasn't sure how I felt after I read it.
We're in a world where time travel can work in that dinosaurs can be brought forward from their original time. Once they are here, they are auctioned off to traveling rodeos who then parade them through town, do "bronc' busting" events and generally are entertaining. Because what else would you do with a dinosaur? Well, I can think of quite a few things but that wasn't the point of the story.
The dinosaurs and their handlers travel the fragmented former United States, trying not to run afoul of warlords, trying to find enough water and money, and trying to survive in a desolate land. The USA isn't the world, though. One of the characters has ended up in this Mad Max world from Canada, which is still a functioning polity. I can definitely see that the USA would have difficulty with getting the center to hold in extremity, considering the point we're at now.
Anyway, our POV character is a boy who just wants to be a dinosaur rider. Luck just doesn't go his way, but he does end up with an elderly carnotaurus who must be returned to the time travel facility so that it can return to its own time.
In this bewildering landscape that doesn't feel like it holds together for me (although maybe the author has thought it through, or maybe he just wanted dinosaur riders and wasn't worried about the details) the thing that got me to feel the most was how the dinosaur wranglers said goodbye to their beasts. They all knew that they weren't going to have these creatures forever, they all attached to them anyway, and they all had to suffer loss every few years when their creatures were returned. Reading these scenes felt to me just like it feels to say goodbye to a beloved pet.
Of course, then the wranglers purchase new beasts and start the cycle of exploitation all over again, so I'm not sure how to handle that. I also had the feeling that I have in some of this author's work that he and I understand how people work very differently and so his characters don't always make sense to me. Maybe it's just that he has more hope for the human race than I do.
We're in a world where time travel can work in that dinosaurs can be brought forward from their original time. Once they are here, they are auctioned off to traveling rodeos who then parade them through town, do "bronc' busting" events and generally are entertaining. Because what else would you do with a dinosaur? Well, I can think of quite a few things but that wasn't the point of the story.
The dinosaurs and their handlers travel the fragmented former United States, trying not to run afoul of warlords, trying to find enough water and money, and trying to survive in a desolate land. The USA isn't the world, though. One of the characters has ended up in this Mad Max world from Canada, which is still a functioning polity. I can definitely see that the USA would have difficulty with getting the center to hold in extremity, considering the point we're at now.
Anyway, our POV character is a boy who just wants to be a dinosaur rider. Luck just doesn't go his way, but he does end up with an elderly carnotaurus who must be returned to the time travel facility so that it can return to its own time.
In this bewildering landscape that doesn't feel like it holds together for me (although maybe the author has thought it through, or maybe he just wanted dinosaur riders and wasn't worried about the details) the thing that got me to feel the most was how the dinosaur wranglers said goodbye to their beasts. They all knew that they weren't going to have these creatures forever, they all attached to them anyway, and they all had to suffer loss every few years when their creatures were returned. Reading these scenes felt to me just like it feels to say goodbye to a beloved pet.
Of course, then the wranglers purchase new beasts and start the cycle of exploitation all over again, so I'm not sure how to handle that. I also had the feeling that I have in some of this author's work that he and I understand how people work very differently and so his characters don't always make sense to me. Maybe it's just that he has more hope for the human race than I do.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
To be honest, this was a mess. The author had a very cool premise – dinosaur rodeos! – and clearly had no idea what to do with it. This novella can’t decide what kind of story it is, and the result is that it tries to do half a dozen things and fails at all of them. Is it coming-of-age? Is it whimsical fun? Is it a romance? Is it a dystopia? Is it a boy-and-his-beast story? Is it found-family? No, to all of the above. I was constantly asking myself what the point of this book was; it ended up so wishy-washy that it was mind-numbing. It took me weeks to read what I should have been able to finish in a day, because it kept putting me to sleep.
In the future, the USA has completely broken down into a bunch of little religious fiefdoms and militia-run territories and everything is terrible. Except humans kind of discovered time-travel, and naturally decided dinosaur circuses-and-rodeos should be a thing. I am not exactly opposed to this – who could be?! – but McDonald waffled on every aspect, unable to commit. One moment we’re being subjected to loving descriptions of the pageantry of the dino circuses, the costumes of the dino rodeo-riders, the wonder seeing a dino in the flesh inspires – the next it’s musings on whether this is all terribly demeaning and unnatural for the dinosaurs, flirting with the idea that maybe this is Wrong without confronting the idea head-on. As promising as the the various secondary characters are, the pagecount is too low to really get to know any of them properly, or for the protagonist to bond with them, so the found-family vibes the author’s clearly going for just fizzle out pathetically. Etc.
At 70%, the main character goes off to rescue a best friend we’d never heard a whisper of prior to that. His mentor up and leaves the circus they’re both a part of with no warning, effectively ‘just because’. What is the deal with Prince? Is anyone ever going to explain what the Silver Clowns are? Nope and nope.
Wonderful cover I would love to have on my wall; a book it’s not worth wasting your time on.
In the future, the USA has completely broken down into a bunch of little religious fiefdoms and militia-run territories and everything is terrible. Except humans kind of discovered time-travel, and naturally decided dinosaur circuses-and-rodeos should be a thing. I am not exactly opposed to this – who could be?! – but McDonald waffled on every aspect, unable to commit. One moment we’re being subjected to loving descriptions of the pageantry of the dino circuses, the costumes of the dino rodeo-riders, the wonder seeing a dino in the flesh inspires – the next it’s musings on whether this is all terribly demeaning and unnatural for the dinosaurs, flirting with the idea that maybe this is Wrong without confronting the idea head-on. As promising as the the various secondary characters are, the pagecount is too low to really get to know any of them properly, or for the protagonist to bond with them, so the found-family vibes the author’s clearly going for just fizzle out pathetically. Etc.
At 70%, the main character goes off to rescue a best friend we’d never heard a whisper of prior to that. His mentor up and leaves the circus they’re both a part of with no warning, effectively ‘just because’. What is the deal with Prince? Is anyone ever going to explain what the Silver Clowns are? Nope and nope.
Wonderful cover I would love to have on my wall; a book it’s not worth wasting your time on.
December 3, 2025
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
.
How can you not be utterly charmed by this cover?? The bestest carnotaur boy doing his best job, a flipping dinosaur cowboy being broody and mysterious. This cover is one of the best I’ve seen this year. All the props to the artist.
.
I will say that the synopsis makes this novella seem like it will be much more romantic than it is. There is also not that much dinosaur rodeo despite the cover, title, and what the synopsis would suggest. Instead it feels like the post-apocalyptic wasteland storyline takes up the majority of the plot. Not that it is a bad thing, it just definitely was not what I expected going in based on the synopsis.
.
I did enjoy the direction the story took (that said I still missed the dinosaur rodeo time with the broody gay cowboy). Without spoilers, cause this is a novella so time does go by very quickly, Tif has to navigate around those who have taken control in the shattered country in order to get his friend across the Canadian border (a character from Québec, yay!) and to reunite with his brother - what happens after that? Well, you’ll have to read and find out for yourself.
.
The diverse outcast family of the dinosaur rodeo is still the heart of this story and I was left wanting to learn more about every member and wanting to continue on the road with them. There is magic and potential in this world and I would love to see more stories come out of it from this author - and also more gorgeous covers too, that would be so cool.
.
Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur is definitely worth checking out, but I would suggest not reading the synopsis so your expectations are not set by it.
.
*I received an eARC from Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
.
How can you not be utterly charmed by this cover?? The bestest carnotaur boy doing his best job, a flipping dinosaur cowboy being broody and mysterious. This cover is one of the best I’ve seen this year. All the props to the artist.
.
I will say that the synopsis makes this novella seem like it will be much more romantic than it is. There is also not that much dinosaur rodeo despite the cover, title, and what the synopsis would suggest. Instead it feels like the post-apocalyptic wasteland storyline takes up the majority of the plot. Not that it is a bad thing, it just definitely was not what I expected going in based on the synopsis.
.
I did enjoy the direction the story took (that said I still missed the dinosaur rodeo time with the broody gay cowboy). Without spoilers, cause this is a novella so time does go by very quickly, Tif has to navigate around those who have taken control in the shattered country in order to get his friend across the Canadian border (a character from Québec, yay!) and to reunite with his brother - what happens after that? Well, you’ll have to read and find out for yourself.
.
The diverse outcast family of the dinosaur rodeo is still the heart of this story and I was left wanting to learn more about every member and wanting to continue on the road with them. There is magic and potential in this world and I would love to see more stories come out of it from this author - and also more gorgeous covers too, that would be so cool.
.
Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur is definitely worth checking out, but I would suggest not reading the synopsis so your expectations are not set by it.
.
*I received an eARC from Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really, really wish I liked this novella more. The world building is strong and the writing is neat (barring a few spelling errors, which I do hope get fixed before publication), but it felt like the story lacked soul. I couldn’t get into any of the characters other than Tif and the plot felt a little nonsensical. Part of it was the way that half the plot seemed to be explaining the world and how it worked. This was interesting, but a novella it did not make. It was also painfully obvious that this author is not American, which is usually not a problem, but this novel is very clearly an Americana sature written by someone who doesn’t really understand the nuances of American culture or it’s geography. Ultimately, the strong premise feels undermined by weak character writing and a strange lack of direction. 3/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for an advance review copy of this title.
November 25, 2025
What a weird little science-fiction novella. Set in a world where dinosaurs can be transported through time, this story follows Tif on his journey to become a dinosaur buckaroo (essentially a dinosaur rider in a rodeo/circus). There is a lot going on in this story, and most of it is not explained. At its core, this is an adventurous, queer found family story set in an eclectic dystopian future. With dinosaurs. But there are many topics that feel haphazardly included, namely explorations of race, religion, and identity. I think that the author is trying to be inclusive, but some things just feel uncomfortably stereotypical. Overall, I do think that this novella will appeal to fans of dinosaurs and short, weird science-fiction stories.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Macmillan for providing me with an eARC!
Thanks to Edelweiss and Macmillan for providing me with an eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
S/O and TY to NetGalley and the publisher Tor publishing group for the eARC of this title.
A really interesting premise combining rodeo culture, time travel, dinosaurs, and sci-FI, magi-tech, that’s a little aimless slice-of-life, though very depressing, in the beginning but inevitably comes together into a cohesive narrative. If you think that’s a lot of commas you won’t love this writing style. Pardon the pun but a bit more incubation time would have been good for this story. I did appreciate the minutiae at times and the author spends a lot of the short time with this story world building and raising questions rather than answering them. It does come to a satisfying conclusion though and I’d say the pieces really came together at about the 75% point.
I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy stream of consciousness, machismo, and alternate history.
3.5/5 stars.
A really interesting premise combining rodeo culture, time travel, dinosaurs, and sci-FI, magi-tech, that’s a little aimless slice-of-life, though very depressing, in the beginning but inevitably comes together into a cohesive narrative. If you think that’s a lot of commas you won’t love this writing style. Pardon the pun but a bit more incubation time would have been good for this story. I did appreciate the minutiae at times and the author spends a lot of the short time with this story world building and raising questions rather than answering them. It does come to a satisfying conclusion though and I’d say the pieces really came together at about the 75% point.
I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy stream of consciousness, machismo, and alternate history.
3.5/5 stars.
September 23, 2025
Tif is an orphan who dreams of riding a dinosaur in an alternate southwest rodeo. We follow Tif learning the ropes, and freeing a dinosaur from an abusive owner. This is just the smallest bit of the story as a whole and it is very worth reading. It has lgbt rep, some humor, and is definitely is made for those of us that grew up with Jurassic Park. For being a novella, it has packed in every single thing it possibly could and this is a complement. I had a lot of fun and only wished it was longer so I could keep within this world. This book is out in February 2026 and thank you to @Tor Publishing Group for my ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The premise of the this novella is so solid - a futuristic United States functioning Mad Max style with a temporal rift thrown in that mean people can bring dinosaurs forward in time to be part of rodeos and circuses. However, I think the author tried to pack to much into this little book. There seemed to be a lot of attempts at making commentary on several current hot button issues, but they were half hearted at best. The writing style leaned almost literary which felt a little confusing for what the piece was about. Still a great concept, but ultimately I was left wanting a little more here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available for my review.
This was an enjoyable chaotic mess of a book. Set in a future United States where everything has fallen apart into a set of conflicting regions. What do they have in common? Why, dinosaur rodeos, of course! This book has: dinos (of course), mercenaries, time portals, dino parades, dino-bronc busting, dino auctions, unrequited love, biker gangs, found family, missing family, robots, gatling guns, but sadly no aliens. Way too much for one short novella, but then... Dinosaurs!
This was an enjoyable chaotic mess of a book. Set in a future United States where everything has fallen apart into a set of conflicting regions. What do they have in common? Why, dinosaur rodeos, of course! This book has: dinos (of course), mercenaries, time portals, dino parades, dino-bronc busting, dino auctions, unrequited love, biker gangs, found family, missing family, robots, gatling guns, but sadly no aliens. Way too much for one short novella, but then... Dinosaurs!
November 21, 2025
Based on e-arc from Edelweiss
2.5
I almost DNF this a few times. This wasn’t what I expected it to be. I found parts of it to be confusing because a few things weren’t explained well and/or were not given enough context clues to figure it out. And it kinda felt like it still needed some editing done. Hopefully the finished version reads better.
Someone else might enjoy this better than I did. Try it out for yourself if the description still interests you.
2.5
I almost DNF this a few times. This wasn’t what I expected it to be. I found parts of it to be confusing because a few things weren’t explained well and/or were not given enough context clues to figure it out. And it kinda felt like it still needed some editing done. Hopefully the finished version reads better.
Someone else might enjoy this better than I did. Try it out for yourself if the description still interests you.
September 20, 2025
Thank you Tor Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC!
Unfortunately, I DNFed after about 50%, the writing felt a little confusing, and I couldn't get into the story. It saddens me, because the premise seemed like a lot of fun, and right up my alley. In the end I think this book just wasn't for me.
Unfortunately, I DNFed after about 50%, the writing felt a little confusing, and I couldn't get into the story. It saddens me, because the premise seemed like a lot of fun, and right up my alley. In the end I think this book just wasn't for me.
September 24, 2025
Rating: 3.5
Through fleeting sparks of attraction, the ancient ferocity of dinosaurs, and a world that shimmers at the boundary of myth, McDonald’s novella invites readers into desire’s quiet spaces.
[Full review available here]
Through fleeting sparks of attraction, the ancient ferocity of dinosaurs, and a world that shimmers at the boundary of myth, McDonald’s novella invites readers into desire’s quiet spaces.
[Full review available here]
October 21, 2025
In a dystopian future , Tif an orphan, looks to find a place for himself as a dinosaur rider in a dinosaur circus. The descriptions of the dust, dirt, dinosaurs, and the many characters who live in the circus are glorious. Short but fantastic read.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC . My opinions are my own.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC . My opinions are my own.
December 2, 2025
A great concept that didn't come together for me.
December 4, 2025
Good premise but the writing style wasn't for me.
December 5, 2025
Such a unique concept, but unfortunately it doesn't stick the landing. The concept is everything I could want in a book--dinosaur rodeos? Sign me up! The book almost feels too short to get a decent grasp on the world. Additionally, the novel moves at a breakneck pace from the start, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't (but that's more of a me thing). By the time I reached the end and felt like I had just settled in, it was over. The characters were ok, but I didn't feel like I got quite enough time to spend with all of them to really know them and like them. I did like our main character, at least.
This is definitely a book I'd recommend to a lot of the dinosaur lovers in my life (and there are plenty of those!), as even though I wasn't the main audience, I know there are some people who are going to adore this.
This is definitely a book I'd recommend to a lot of the dinosaur lovers in my life (and there are plenty of those!), as even though I wasn't the main audience, I know there are some people who are going to adore this.
January 10, 2026
“He was a wrangler, a wannabe buckaroo, and a buckaroo is brave and strong and able. Yes, sir.”
I received an eARC of Boy, With Accidental Dinosaur by Ian McDonald from Tor Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!
🦖 Tif Tamim has always wanted to find a circus where he can be one of the buckaroos riding dinosaurs in front of a roaring crowd, and when he rescues an abused dino he’s halfway there. Now he just needs to find a circus willing to take him in, but that is easier said than done! 🦖
As soon as I saw the cover of Boy, With Accidental Dinosaur I was obsessed. Mixing cowboys with dinosaurs? What could go wrong?
Unfortunately, quite a bit can go wrong. This story just felt full of loose threads and forced diversity that even cool time travel and weird depressed rodeo clowns couldn’t fix. In my opinion you can just skip this one, but it’s out on February 3rd if you think I’m wrong!
I received an eARC of Boy, With Accidental Dinosaur by Ian McDonald from Tor Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Here are my thoughts!
🦖 Tif Tamim has always wanted to find a circus where he can be one of the buckaroos riding dinosaurs in front of a roaring crowd, and when he rescues an abused dino he’s halfway there. Now he just needs to find a circus willing to take him in, but that is easier said than done! 🦖
As soon as I saw the cover of Boy, With Accidental Dinosaur I was obsessed. Mixing cowboys with dinosaurs? What could go wrong?
Unfortunately, quite a bit can go wrong. This story just felt full of loose threads and forced diversity that even cool time travel and weird depressed rodeo clowns couldn’t fix. In my opinion you can just skip this one, but it’s out on February 3rd if you think I’m wrong!
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