Reviews

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

hedvigvj's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted slow-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

3.75

roguehireling's review against another edition

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4.0

I have to say that this book started out much slower then the previous ones and the tone managed to get on my nerve a bit.

But drudging through the beginning was worth it. Ramps up nicely and progresses the story along really well.

Still its obviously an in between book, more so then the previous one.

Never the less I am excited about reading the next one.

bbybarx's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

rlygirl's review against another edition

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4.0

What fun this 3rd installment in the Temeraire series was! I flew through it. Pun intended. It was equal parts comical and serious, with lots of war going on, but it was also fascinating to be a rider/witness to the incredible journey across continents as Temeraire and crew made their way back to England with much hiccups along the way.

Temeraire is growing as a dragon, posing moral dilemmas, being the "bigger dragon" to a group of ferals, talking politics more than ever, and he's not just a spoiled teenager anymore though his occasional sulking fits and fussy eating scenes are still funny.

mkaiww's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

readerinthedale's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Temeraire and crew are headed home, over land instead of sea. This installment continues to add other dragon societies to the mix. We encounter a band of ferals, the dragons serving the Turkish empire, and the dragons of Germany. There are also dragon eggs to transport which adds a new level of interest.

Maybe not my favorite book of the series. I am most interested in the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire, and while it is ever-present, this book has a lot to distract from it. There is a lot going on and a sense of exhaustion that detracts a little from the fun. I was especially not a fan of the last part of the novel, which is set in Germany. Lots of boring war talk, and moving around without clear purpose. But the end of the novel looks forward to a potentially more enjoyable book 4.
Also poor Granby, it is a shame to lose him from Temeraire’s crew especially when his new dragon Iskierka is not my favorite vy any means. T•T

femti11's review against another edition

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3.0

I read The Satanic Verses right before Black Powder War, and picked this up mostly because I wanted an easy read, and that it was. It does suffer greatly by comparison. I'm usually bored to tears by battle scenes, and there is a whole lot of them in the last 2/3 of this book, although I'm still not sure why it's called "Black Powder War", as it didn't really seem relevant to the story or battle in general. "White Dragon War" might've been more appropriate, but who am I to say. So far I prefer the first Temeraire book over book #2 and #3. I might yet read the rest of them, because they're nice and easy reads, but for what it's worth I'm not keeping them, instead opting to give them away once I've read them.

lorelai0624's review against another edition

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adventurous funny 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? Yes

5.0

allaboutfrodo's review against another edition

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3.0

I love the Temeraire series, but Black Powder War is not as good as the first two books in the series. I like Temeraire's formation mates, and there was too little of them and too much of the petulant fire-breathing Iskierka for my taste. However, I do like Tharkay and the feral dragons, and the Black Powder War is still a fun read.

(This was not my first time reading Black Powder War, just my first time putting it in goodreads.)

September 2020 note: Rereading the series. I forgot how much duller this entry is than the first two books in the series.

hannyj's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars