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adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
This one wasn’t as good as the first, but it was still solid. The fact that the entire plot revolves around going to China was unexpected, and I assume it was to set up the following books in the series more than anything else.
It's a good thing I love Laurence and Temeraire so much, because their dynamic really carries this second installment. The plot in this one is a bit slow; Novik takes a journey that most authors would breeze over in a paragraph or two and turns it into an entire book. There isn't a lot of action to be had, and events kind of meander around. Reading this so far after the fact, and knowing that there are seven more books to come, there's no real suspense about whether Laurence and Temeraire would be separated. But it's a nice break from the other intense reading I've been lately, and I love Laurence and Temeraire enough that I'll keep reading the series as I can.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-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
Just spent a solid twenty minutes writing a review for this but accidentally hit the home button and it all got deleted, so… I’ll try to sum it up because I can’t bear to rewrite it properly right now:
- Loved it, didn’t really notice any of the complaints that other readers had (regarding pacing, plot, characters etc) while reading - thinking about it now, I still don’t mind, even though I see what they’re saying
- Loved Laurence. He’s still wonderful and stubborn and forever loyal to Tem
- Loved Temeraire. He’s still baby but fierce and smart and forever loyal to Laurence
- Loved the continued growth of the characters, always a joy to read
- Jealous of Tem’s Language Learning Skills™️
- Excited to read the third book
- Loved it, didn’t really notice any of the complaints that other readers had (regarding pacing, plot, characters etc) while reading - thinking about it now, I still don’t mind, even though I see what they’re saying
- Loved Laurence. He’s still wonderful and stubborn and forever loyal to Tem
- Loved Temeraire. He’s still baby but fierce and smart and forever loyal to Laurence
- Loved the continued growth of the characters, always a joy to read
- Jealous of Tem’s Language Learning Skills™️
- Excited to read the third book
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, Abandonment
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Last year, I read the first book and absolutely fell in love with the series . I was so excited to see more of this world that is so closely similar to our own but so vastly different because of involvement with dragons. I loved seeing how the dragons were raised, treated and revered in China.
While I did love seeing Laurence and Temeraire’s bond grow stronger after facing peril in the dragon’s homeland, I felt that the story was very shallow in how it treated the land of china and her people. I know this is a historical fantasy and from the point of view of a British military man, I just wish it hadn’t been so black and white with the Chinese characters, and that they had been fleshed out more.
While I did love seeing Laurence and Temeraire’s bond grow stronger after facing peril in the dragon’s homeland, I felt that the story was very shallow in how it treated the land of china and her people. I know this is a historical fantasy and from the point of view of a British military man, I just wish it hadn’t been so black and white with the Chinese characters, and that they had been fleshed out more.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5
The pacing was tedious in the first half of the book. The second half was much more enjoyable.
The pacing was tedious in the first half of the book. The second half was much more enjoyable.
An improvement on the first! I felt that this one had more of a direction, was better paced, and had a more intriguing storyline overall. These books feel like comfort food in the best way.
I love these books. Does it help that I have a professional narrator read them to me? Maybe.
Just as good as the first book. It is hard not to love Temeraire! These books are quick reads that let you get caught up in a whole different world - I love it!