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Dragons of Boston #1
Dragon Dreams
The monster awakens...
Harvard PhD student Aleksi Rychenkna longs for the peace of solitary study, away from people, questions, and human interaction. With a new advisor, a new project, and a fascinating new mystery, a preserved specimen that defies identification and contains human DNA, she has everything she wants.
But the mystery runs deeper than Aleksi bargains for. Powerful people are interested in her work; people who can make or break a young scientist’s career. Then, after an accidental exposure to the specimen’s strange DNA, she finds herself…changing.
It begins with dreams, nightmares of blood filled with violent images and urges. When threatened by another student, her social anxiety shifts to aggression. Her reflexes and instincts sharpen, and she is becomes stronger and faster than she should be. Aleksi begins to realize her dreams are more than psychosis.
Because they’re not dreams at all. They’re memories. And now the powerful people aren’t just interested in her, they’re hunting her.
Harvard PhD student Aleksi Rychenkna longs for the peace of solitary study, away from people, questions, and human interaction. With a new advisor, a new project, and a fascinating new mystery, a preserved specimen that defies identification and contains human DNA, she has everything she wants.
But the mystery runs deeper than Aleksi bargains for. Powerful people are interested in her work; people who can make or break a young scientist’s career. Then, after an accidental exposure to the specimen’s strange DNA, she finds herself…changing.
It begins with dreams, nightmares of blood filled with violent images and urges. When threatened by another student, her social anxiety shifts to aggression. Her reflexes and instincts sharpen, and she is becomes stronger and faster than she should be. Aleksi begins to realize her dreams are more than psychosis.
Because they’re not dreams at all. They’re memories. And now the powerful people aren’t just interested in her, they’re hunting her.
- GenresFantasy
388 pages, Paperback
Published May 9, 2019
10 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Chris A. Jackson
90 books192 followersFrom the sea to the stars, Chris A. Jackson’s stories take you to the far reaches of the imagination. Raised on the back deck of a fishing boat and trained as a marine biologist, he became sidetracked by a career in biomedical research, but regained his heart and soul in 2009 when he and his wife Anne left the dock aboard the 45-foot sailboat Mr Mac to cruise the Caribbean and write fulltime.
With his nautical background, writing sea stories seemed inevitable for Chris. His acclaimed Scimitar Seas nautical fantasies won three consecutive Gold Medals in the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards. His Pathfinders Tales from Paizo Publishing combine high-seas combat and romance set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Not to be outdone, Privateer Press released Blood & Iron, a swashbuckling novella set in the Iron Kingdoms.
Chris’ repertoire also includes the award-winning and Kindle best-selling Weapon of Flesh Series, the contemporary urban fantasy Dragon Dreams, as well as additional fantasy novels, the humorous sci fi Cheese Runners trilogy of novellas, and numerous short stories.
To learn more, please visit jaxbooks.com.
With his nautical background, writing sea stories seemed inevitable for Chris. His acclaimed Scimitar Seas nautical fantasies won three consecutive Gold Medals in the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards. His Pathfinders Tales from Paizo Publishing combine high-seas combat and romance set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Not to be outdone, Privateer Press released Blood & Iron, a swashbuckling novella set in the Iron Kingdoms.
Chris’ repertoire also includes the award-winning and Kindle best-selling Weapon of Flesh Series, the contemporary urban fantasy Dragon Dreams, as well as additional fantasy novels, the humorous sci fi Cheese Runners trilogy of novellas, and numerous short stories.
To learn more, please visit jaxbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 11, 2020
Book review
Even keeping the best records, maintaining the best containment, doing everything right, things can go grievously wrong. When Aleski discovers the bone slab she is working on is from an entirely different dig, her world shifts on its axis. She had just changed advisors and started a new project. Now this ... DNA and X-ray mess of paleontology. She does her best to continue with her project despite everything, including a nasty head cold and an on-campus murder.
If that isn't enough, she dreams of dragons. And she isn't the only one.
Character driven, this action-packed story keeps you moving to the very end.
Deeper thoughts
The theme of the story does seem to be about transformation. Is the person what they look like on the outside or what they are on the inside personality wise? Are they their experiences, even when the experiences are forgotten? Are they something else entirely? The questions aren't addressed head-on, but they do nibble in the back of your head as you read the book.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
Even keeping the best records, maintaining the best containment, doing everything right, things can go grievously wrong. When Aleski discovers the bone slab she is working on is from an entirely different dig, her world shifts on its axis. She had just changed advisors and started a new project. Now this ... DNA and X-ray mess of paleontology. She does her best to continue with her project despite everything, including a nasty head cold and an on-campus murder.
If that isn't enough, she dreams of dragons. And she isn't the only one.
Character driven, this action-packed story keeps you moving to the very end.
Deeper thoughts
The theme of the story does seem to be about transformation. Is the person what they look like on the outside or what they are on the inside personality wise? Are they their experiences, even when the experiences are forgotten? Are they something else entirely? The questions aren't addressed head-on, but they do nibble in the back of your head as you read the book.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
June 13, 2025
I enjoyed the story...Think Jurassic Park meets a good murder mystery. The science was a little above my pay grade, but I was able to follow along. I loved the characters and will definitely finish the trilogy.
May 31, 2019
This past weekend, I finished reading Chris A. Jackson's new book, "Dragon Dreams" from Falstaff Books. It is the first book of a new series. Chris Jackson was a new author to me and I am pleased to say I enjoyed his writing. The story takes place around Harvard and it's graduate school. You have paleontology, genetics, museums, ancient beings,secret societies, government conspiracies, school politics, murder, mysteries, action, and romance all in one book. It was an enthralling and captivating read. I highly recommend it. Otherwise, how will you know why there are dragons in Boston?
January 16, 2022
This is a hard book to review. While there are quite some issues with this book, it kept me engaged and I kept on reading. ( I spend an entire Sunday afternoon curled up with this book).
Let me address a few of the issues with this book. This book is an urban fantasy and the parts where a normal interaction is described feel slightly off. I really got a sort of uncanny valley feeling in the first half of the book. The dialogues and the human interaction seemed slightly off.
I also felt that some of the characters motivations where not believable.
Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that this book is almost propaganda for alcohol. There is a scene where a very introverted, border line recluse does not want to drink alcohol but if she does not do it she would not fit it. This book really drips with the feeling that you are not an adult if you do not like alcohol.
I also feel that the book could do with one more edit round. Just to clean up some things and remove a few obvious typing mistakes.
On to the good stuff. Even though this book is quite predictable, it was really hard to put this back down. It felt like a script for a pre prime time urban fantasy series genre Charmed. It has that same charm, that same naivety, and that same black and white world view. There are some organizations and people introduced in here that I assume will play a bigger role in the next books, but this book is not open ended. This is very much a stand alone book.
Let me address a few of the issues with this book. This book is an urban fantasy and the parts where a normal interaction is described feel slightly off. I really got a sort of uncanny valley feeling in the first half of the book. The dialogues and the human interaction seemed slightly off.
I also felt that some of the characters motivations where not believable.
Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that this book is almost propaganda for alcohol. There is a scene where a very introverted, border line recluse does not want to drink alcohol but if she does not do it she would not fit it. This book really drips with the feeling that you are not an adult if you do not like alcohol.
I also feel that the book could do with one more edit round. Just to clean up some things and remove a few obvious typing mistakes.
On to the good stuff. Even though this book is quite predictable, it was really hard to put this back down. It felt like a script for a pre prime time urban fantasy series genre Charmed. It has that same charm, that same naivety, and that same black and white world view. There are some organizations and people introduced in here that I assume will play a bigger role in the next books, but this book is not open ended. This is very much a stand alone book.
October 24, 2022
Did someone say modern-day cheesy monster movie? Took a little while to get going, but this was a fun story.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews