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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This book took me longer to get through than the previous three of the series. The dragons of England have caught a plague, which is wasting them away and killing them one by one. In a desperate attempt to find a cure, Laurence, Temeraire and a few of their squadron sail to Capetown, the Dutch colony beginning to establish itself in South Africa. There they search for a cure, a rare mushroom that grows only in the deepest forests. Novik has clearly done a lot of research and her portrait of this alternate version of Africa in 1805 is given equal thought, care, and fantasy dragon culture as the other countries that the series has visited. I still found myself very nervous, reading a white author working in a fantasy version of such a painful historical period. The horrors of the slave trade are not ignored, nor is the hypocrisy and greed of those who continually vote to maintain its legality in England. I don't think that authors should avoid writing about this period, but I couldn't read it without anxieties about misrepresentation, and on whether this book (only 12 years old) would show its age. I will definitely be picking up the next one, because this one ends on a dreadful cliffhanger. I might take a little break before I jump into it though.
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood
Minor: Cannibalism
Another great installment in the Temeraire universe! As usual, the plotting is fast-paced and enthralling, the worldbuilding is fascinating and the characters are engaging. My only quibble with this is that the narrative arc feels a little unbalanced. I'd rather Novik had ended the story with the resolution of the Africa arc, rather than introducing new plot elements very late in the novel and then leaving those threads hanging to be resolved in the next installment.
I am consistently surprised by this series. At first I thought that this would simply be the Napoleonic Wars but with dragons but at this point is so much more than that! Each book takes us to a different area of the world as Laurence and Temeraire follow the orders from their superiors in their efforts to win the war against France.
In this book Temeraire and Laurence are finally back in England and encounter a horrible scene as the dragons are all sick with some kind of respiratory illness (How fun to read about a dragon pandemic while in one huh?) So while the dragons are all quarantined and there's little clue as to how to get a cure going, Temeraire is exposed and they realize that he is immune. I gotta say that up to this point, the book was fairly slow for me, a lot of politics about how to deal with the sick dragons and how to not let their enemies know that they are vulnerable.
Eventually they realize that the possible cure is in Africa and so a group of them go to Africa, including a minister and his wife who were previously slaves. This is one of the bigger themes of the novel since Laurence (thanks to Temeraire) is realizing that a lot of the things done by the English Empire (and other empires) are questionable if not immoral. Slavery is something that Laurence doesn't want to take a stand on but throughout this book he is forced to face it head on and figure out what he really believes is right. Laurence has really evolved throughout this series and this book is one where big changes and decisions are made that cannot be taken back by all parties involved.
All in all I am deep with this series and can't wait to see what happens next because wow cliffhanger!
In this book Temeraire and Laurence are finally back in England and encounter a horrible scene as the dragons are all sick with some kind of respiratory illness (How fun to read about a dragon pandemic while in one huh?) So while the dragons are all quarantined and there's little clue as to how to get a cure going, Temeraire is exposed and they realize that he is immune. I gotta say that up to this point, the book was fairly slow for me, a lot of politics about how to deal with the sick dragons and how to not let their enemies know that they are vulnerable.
Eventually they realize that the possible cure is in Africa and so a group of them go to Africa, including a minister and his wife who were previously slaves. This is one of the bigger themes of the novel since Laurence (thanks to Temeraire) is realizing that a lot of the things done by the English Empire (and other empires) are questionable if not immoral. Slavery is something that Laurence doesn't want to take a stand on but throughout this book he is forced to face it head on and figure out what he really believes is right. Laurence has really evolved throughout this series and this book is one where big changes and decisions are made that cannot be taken back by all parties involved.
All in all I am deep with this series and can't wait to see what happens next because wow cliffhanger!
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Colonisation
I picked up this series again as a filler audiobook to play in the background--I was so loose about it I didn't even input it as something I was currently reading. So far, this is my FAVORITE Temeraire book in the series.
So much happens in sequence quickly enough for me to stay interested, and the way it ends is insane! I couldn't believe it was over when the book had finished and I felt like I needed to start the next one right away to see what was going to happen to Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire.
I haven't touched this series since finishing the very slow and agonizingly uneventful third installment The Black Powder War in nearly ten years and had to brush up on the synopsis before starting this book. I think the third book felt so flat because it focused more on the historical events of the Napoleonic era after the betrayal plots of the first two, and that's why I had no urge to really continue the series. Also, I think I was phasing out of science fiction/fantasy around that time and reaching into the exploration of adult contemporary.
This book was such an AMAZING reentry for me! England's dragons are sick, Temeraire gets exposed, they travel to Africa to try and find a cure and meet some epic African dragons and their culture, and then Laurence and Temeraire make a REALLY questionable decision that had me scrabbling to see where I packed my copies away.
It feels good to get back into Naomi Novik's historical fiction and I am pumped to challenge myself to finish the series this next year.
So much happens in sequence quickly enough for me to stay interested, and the way it ends is insane! I couldn't believe it was over when the book had finished and I felt like I needed to start the next one right away to see what was going to happen to Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire.
I haven't touched this series since finishing the very slow and agonizingly uneventful third installment The Black Powder War in nearly ten years and had to brush up on the synopsis before starting this book. I think the third book felt so flat because it focused more on the historical events of the Napoleonic era after the betrayal plots of the first two, and that's why I had no urge to really continue the series. Also, I think I was phasing out of science fiction/fantasy around that time and reaching into the exploration of adult contemporary.
This book was such an AMAZING reentry for me! England's dragons are sick, Temeraire gets exposed, they travel to Africa to try and find a cure and meet some epic African dragons and their culture, and then Laurence and Temeraire make a REALLY questionable decision that had me scrabbling to see where I packed my copies away.
It feels good to get back into Naomi Novik's historical fiction and I am pumped to challenge myself to finish the series this next year.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal death, Slavery
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy
Look I had a lot of time on trains recently
On the one hand, it was nice to break away from the This Is 1800s But With Dragons, onnnnn the other hand. The depiction of Africa is…odd. Nothing I can really put my finger on, especially since Laurence is well established as Upper Class English, but it’s…odd. I also feel like she could’ve dug a little deeper into the crisis point? It felt like an easier decision than, really, it should’ve been. However, kudos for giving the MC an actual hard choice.
Also, urge to throttle Laurence is increasing with every book oh my GOD
On the one hand, it was nice to break away from the This Is 1800s But With Dragons, onnnnn the other hand. The depiction of Africa is…odd. Nothing I can really put my finger on, especially since Laurence is well established as Upper Class English, but it’s…odd. I also feel like she could’ve dug a little deeper into the crisis point? It felt like an easier decision than, really, it should’ve been. However, kudos for giving the MC an actual hard choice.
Also, urge to throttle Laurence is increasing with every book oh my GOD