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ladypalutena's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It is truly remarkable that every one of Naomi Novik's series has a very different tone. Her two fairy tale retellings (Uprooted and Spinning Silver) are different from the Scholomance, and the first book in the Temeraire series reads like Jane Austen wrote it.
I have seen these books on the shelf at Barnes & Noble, and I've been interested because if you put the spines together, they make a dragon scene. I finally picked up this first book, since I finished the Scholomance earlier this year, and this is an excellent book.
It's a retelling of the Napoleonic Wars, but with DRAGONS. What more can you want? I will admit that it was a little hard to get into at first, because I had to get reacquainted with a way of writing I haven't come across since I took a graduate class on Jane Austen (that's my fault; I've been reading things written in the last hundred years or so, not from the 1800s). Novik does an incredible job of mimicking the Austen style, and my husband, who's a huge Master and Commander fan, may end up picking these up at some point as well.
I keep wavering on how to rate it, so I think I'll settle for the baseline of a four - it was an interesting story, there were some parts that felt rushed (it's a very short book!), and there were a few parts that were unclear (at one point, a character is hanged for treason. I had no idea he was killed until other characters were talking about it a few pages later. It's a poorly written scene. Gives me big "Wait, did Jet just die?" vibes). Overall, a very interesting retelling and enough for me to maybe want to buy the whole box set because they'd look great on my shelf.
I have seen these books on the shelf at Barnes & Noble, and I've been interested because if you put the spines together, they make a dragon scene. I finally picked up this first book, since I finished the Scholomance earlier this year, and this is an excellent book.
It's a retelling of the Napoleonic Wars, but with DRAGONS. What more can you want? I will admit that it was a little hard to get into at first, because I had to get reacquainted with a way of writing I haven't come across since I took a graduate class on Jane Austen (that's my fault; I've been reading things written in the last hundred years or so, not from the 1800s). Novik does an incredible job of mimicking the Austen style, and my husband, who's a huge Master and Commander fan, may end up picking these up at some point as well.
I keep wavering on how to rate it, so I think I'll settle for the baseline of a four - it was an interesting story, there were some parts that felt rushed (it's a very short book!), and there were a few parts that were unclear (at one point, a character is hanged for treason. I had no idea he was killed until other characters were talking about it a few pages later. It's a poorly written scene. Gives me big "Wait, did Jet just die?" vibes). Overall, a very interesting retelling and enough for me to maybe want to buy the whole box set because they'd look great on my shelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death and Blood
Minor: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, and Sexism
miraclesnow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Breathtakingly emotional and deeply moving characters in this one. A pity I don’t have the next book in my hands as I write this review, I need it like I need air to breathe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Blood, Animal death, War, and Death
Moderate: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexism
beanaroni's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Blood, Murder, Death, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Classism
themoonshoes's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
how this book hasn’t gotten an adaptation yet is beyond me. i do not want that to happen though
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, War, Death, and Violence
Minor: Gore, Grief, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
birdbug's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. My interest was primarily in the dragons and not so much in the historical period it takes place in. I was not disappointed, the dragons in the book are fantastic and imaginative. Everything I wanted in a dragon book. And I was surprisingly sucked into the setting. I almost wish I knew more about the Napoleonic wars. I can't wait to read the next book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Violence, and Blood
beeping_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A fun reimagining of international war with dragons instead of airplanes. The main dragon is sweet, there is interesting detail on military movements and tactics, and enough side stories to keep things exciting along the way.
Watch out for the blindly upper class perspective and the lukewarm treatment of female characters, as well as the uncomfortable premise of dragons being happy to serve.
Watch out for the blindly upper class perspective and the lukewarm treatment of female characters, as well as the uncomfortable premise of dragons being happy to serve.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism and Slavery
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, and Blood
directorpurry's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and War
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
readingelli's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Violence
Treason, betrayalarrono's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
It's a good book! I like how the author explores the concept of the world in depth, with a fair amount of care and research into the implications of the oddities of their world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Death
Minor: Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and War
sarmckay's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Gore
Minor: Death