A review by byrdy
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was a suggestion for my book club and immediately intrigued me. Dragons and the Napoleonic Wars? Yes, please! I have not read much fiction featuring dragons, but I really enjoyed this.  I will say, probably because this is the first in a series, there is not a lot of action/plot, and I felt pretty disconnected from the main character, Laurence. We are not in his head very much. But Novik is really good at setting a scene, and you can tell she focused attention on period dialogue and how dragons might exist in this world. The dragons are the best part, and the battle scenes are terrific. They made me think of the Horatio Hornblower series (a compliment). I think it's worth giving this book a try if you aren't sure about the fantasy genre. You will stay grounded in historical fact while dipping your toes into the fantastic.  Just think about the dragons in this book as big, flying, talking dogs. :)