Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
This book was really great to read! It wasn't quite as hard to read as Black Powder War, with looking for the cure, but then it was hard in what the guys in charge did to the French dragons!
Temeraire is as adorable as ever. I think Naomi Novik's dragons are my favorite. They have strong personalities and I love their interactions with their captains.
I also really enjoy the way history is woven into the plots of these books, sometimes dealing with heavy subjects. We get the POV from Laurence, who is a progressive character but still a product of his time, and Temeraire's, whose innocence is gradually being replaced by social awareness.
This particular book deals with the impact of disease on international politics and wars as well as the impact of and attitudes towards slavery.
I found the way Laurence and Temeraire delt with the disease to be a liiittle easy but somewhat realistic (? mostly in the second part of how they deal with it), but overall, I enjoyed this installement a lot and am anxious to get my hands on the next one *inserts sad face looking at personal finances and glaring at BH's vagueness regarding comebacks*
I also really enjoy the way history is woven into the plots of these books, sometimes dealing with heavy subjects. We get the POV from Laurence, who is a progressive character but still a product of his time, and Temeraire's, whose innocence is gradually being replaced by social awareness.
This particular book deals with the impact of disease on international politics and wars as well as the impact of and attitudes towards slavery.
I found the way Laurence and Temeraire delt with the disease to be a liiittle easy but somewhat realistic (? mostly in the second part of how they deal with it), but overall, I enjoyed this installement a lot and am anxious to get my hands on the next one *inserts sad face looking at personal finances and glaring at BH's vagueness regarding comebacks*
This book was slower than the others, but I want to be clear that the pace in now way means that the story, writing, or characters were in way hindered.
This was a necessary novel - and, towards the latter portion, really interesting in terms of story-building and how Novik is developing and merging the dragons with documented history. While necessary, I am super glad I've come past it and its plot-building/establishing ways.
Again, slow, but STILL AMAZEBALLS. Dragons. Drama. Really intricate history and historical weaving. Great period-etiquette/setting. Pertinent political subplots and influences pertinent to the era. The WRITING; the CHARACTERS! I'm buying copies of all these books.
This was a necessary novel - and, towards the latter portion, really interesting in terms of story-building and how Novik is developing and merging the dragons with documented history. While necessary, I am super glad I've come past it and its plot-building/establishing ways.
Again, slow, but STILL AMAZEBALLS. Dragons. Drama. Really intricate history and historical weaving. Great period-etiquette/setting. Pertinent political subplots and influences pertinent to the era. The WRITING; the CHARACTERS! I'm buying copies of all these books.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Can't say I'm particularly pleased with the way this book went I guess? The majority of it was good but I can't help feeling like it's been written into a corner and I've become more prejudiced against such blatant cliffhangers as left by this book when the series is as long as it is.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fantastic. Definitely my 2nd favorite in the series so far, after His Majesty's Dragon. The plot is stellar - there is a great sense of urgency through much of the book that makes it very difficult to put down. It's often gut-wrenching, always incredibly engaging, and then the last 50 pages or so blow the rest of the book out of the water. Highly recommend.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This installment is my favorite since the first in the series. No denying that the ending makes it unacceptable as a stand-alone novel, but this book really highlights what I see as the point of the whole Temeraire story so far: an intelligent, articulate and unbiased dragon as observer and critic of the Western, specifically British Imperial, worldview, the shortcomings of which the protagonist had been unable to see from his place within that society.
At the start of the series, the blurb promised a sort of C. S. Forrester-with-dragons, but quickly revealed itself as more Patrick O'Brian-with-dragons -- Temeraire taking the unconventional-friend role of Dr. Maturin. Now, with the social commentary ramping up, I see it as super-Jane Austen-with-dragons. In this one, Naomi Novik adds Temeraire's witnessing of slavery, colonialism and imperialism, racism, war crimes, refugees, and more to her previous concerns with animal rights, class and patriarchal sexism.
Plus adventure. I'm ready for the next one.
At the start of the series, the blurb promised a sort of C. S. Forrester-with-dragons, but quickly revealed itself as more Patrick O'Brian-with-dragons -- Temeraire taking the unconventional-friend role of Dr. Maturin. Now, with the social commentary ramping up, I see it as super-Jane Austen-with-dragons. In this one, Naomi Novik adds Temeraire's witnessing of slavery, colonialism and imperialism, racism, war crimes, refugees, and more to her previous concerns with animal rights, class and patriarchal sexism.
Plus adventure. I'm ready for the next one.