There is much in Raptor that could draw socially sensitive commentary, yet the only objections anyone is likely to make to the novel would come from scientists, who may question the natural history of the Utahraptors.

The behavior of the animals seems driven more by the needs of the plot than by instinct. The Utes in the novel are welldrawn people; there is no condescension toward them, and their customs and attitudes are presented matter-of-factly. All in all, a more honest, upfront portrayal of Native Americans would be hard to find in a novel that features sensational events rather than careful scholarship.

In Raptor, Zindel repeats something he does in Loch: he portrays animals in need of defense from rapacious explorers who would kill them rather than capture them. In Loch, the millionaire Cavenger hopes to vindicate his years of work in cryptozoology (hidden [crypto] animal...