isak's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
wibblywobbly's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I wish i could connect more to the main characters and i wish that the established and new characters had been given some development/allowed to interact more than 2 lines at a time and interact more outside of the main character narration. I could remeber 2 of the British characters after a whole book.
eimearlong's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kittenscribble's review against another edition
4.0
Historical fantasy, second in the Temeraire trilogy. Captain Laurence, having grudgingly accepted dragon Temeraire into his life, is unwilling to give him up when the Chinese come a-calling to reclaim him. Brilliant work of adapting eighteenth-century technology and politics to a Napoleonic-era world with dragons, and the adaptation of Chinese culture is fascinating.
violetduckie's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I plan on probably continuing this series. This book is easy reading. I liked how this book focused a lot more on similarities to slavery. I also enjoyed the differences in cultures. There are some battle scenes that went on for too long.
tjwallace04's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I still absolutely love the premise of the Temeraire series (alternate history, Napoleonic war with dragons, Jane Austen meets Robin Hobb, etc.), but this second book had some uneven pacing that made it a bit of a chore. It starts with a bang and ends with a bang, but there is a long, dragging part in the middle with a sea journey that felt endless. The whole plot of this book also kind of hurt my heart. I hated my best dragon boi and his best captain friend being "in trouble" pretty much the whole time.
However! "Throne of Jade" increased my interest in the overall plot arc of the series. I thought I caught hints in the first book of a campaign for dragon rights, and it looks like that *is* the direction the series is headed, and I am excited for that.
And also I continue to be impressed with how the historical elements of the book are presented. I am guessing Novik did a lot of research about the era, the Napoleonic wars, ship life, etc. It all feels very believable (other than the dragons obvs) and grounded in fact. I was actually concurrently reading a book called "Jane Austen at Home" that looks closely at life in the Georgian and Regency periods in Britain, and these two books melded so nicely. (I love when that happens!) While I feel like I have a little bit of knowledge about British culture of that era, I know nothing about Chinese history/culture, so I wondered how accurate those parts were. I assume equally well-researched!
However! "Throne of Jade" increased my interest in the overall plot arc of the series. I thought I caught hints in the first book of a campaign for dragon rights, and it looks like that *is* the direction the series is headed, and I am excited for that.
And also I continue to be impressed with how the historical elements of the book are presented. I am guessing Novik did a lot of research about the era, the Napoleonic wars, ship life, etc. It all feels very believable (other than the dragons obvs) and grounded in fact. I was actually concurrently reading a book called "Jane Austen at Home" that looks closely at life in the Georgian and Regency periods in Britain, and these two books melded so nicely. (I love when that happens!) While I feel like I have a little bit of knowledge about British culture of that era, I know nothing about Chinese history/culture, so I wondered how accurate those parts were. I assume equally well-researched!
ruthailuj's review against another edition
5.0
I love, love, love, love Temeraire and Captain Lawrence. The journey to China and their experience there was really interesting. I have seen movies and read/listened to books that covered similar topics(minus the dragons) so it was great to have the cultural differences and prejudices addressed here. Also I was riveted the whole time I listened.
amachattie's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
linnaea's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism