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A review by janyriy
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
4.0
4.2 ⭐️
Their way back from China leads Laurence and Temeraire not over sea, but over land, along the old silk road. They pass deserts & mountains and go through Istanbul, only to end up stuck in Prussia with two unhatched eggs and Napoleon driving their forces across the continent. The last part of the book is a bit of a slog and a long series of defeats, but Novik still manages to inject some humour into it.
Overall, the book is a lot grimmer than than the first, but I don't mind the tone, I think it's very fitting. And I like that these historic events were not twisted to make the protags look better or like some special heroes that just swoop in and save everyone.
Also, there's such a sense of adventure in these books, one that I haven't felt in a while, and so far I'm not getting tired of it!
Their way back from China leads Laurence and Temeraire not over sea, but over land, along the old silk road. They pass deserts & mountains and go through Istanbul, only to end up stuck in Prussia with two unhatched eggs and Napoleon driving their forces across the continent. The last part of the book is a bit of a slog and a long series of defeats, but Novik still manages to inject some humour into it.
Overall, the book is a lot grimmer than than the first, but I don't mind the tone, I think it's very fitting. And I like that these historic events were not twisted to make the protags look better or like some special heroes that just swoop in and save everyone.
Also, there's such a sense of adventure in these books, one that I haven't felt in a while, and so far I'm not getting tired of it!