I binge read the entire series in two weeks, which was a satisfying approach as there is a definite sociopolitical edge as the series progresses and the difference that dragons can make to a society’s progression becomes more apparent. I like authors like Ursula K. LeGuin who examine cultural influences, as well as alternative history series like the early Alvin Maker books. Novik has done a very good job here of fusing the two genres to the betterment of both. The first book can be read purely as a ripping yarn, but the later books add complexity and meaning.
This is one of the few works that I will be turning around and rereading immediately to examine the craft of how they were written instead of just how the plot develops. – Amazon Review
His Majesty’s Dragon: Book One of the Temeraire
In the first novel of the New York Times bestselling Temeraire series, a rare bond is formed between a young man and a dragon, and together they must battle in the Napoleonic Wars.
“A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel.”—Stephen King
Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.
When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.
“Just when you think you’ve seen every variation possible on the dragon story, along comes Naomi Novik. . . . Her wonderful Temeraire is a dragon for the ages.”—Terry Brooks
Don’t miss the magic of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series:
HIS MAJESTY’S DRAGON • THRONE OF JADE • BLACK POWDER WAR • EMPIRE OF IVORY • VICTORY OF EAGLES • TONGUES OF SERPENTS • CRUCIBLE OF GOLD • BLOOD OF TYRANTS • LEAGUE OF DRAGONS
About the Author
An avid reader of fantasy literature since age six, Naomi Novik is also a history buff with a particular fascination with the Napoleonic era and a fondness for the work of Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen. She lives with her husband and daughter in New York City along with many purring computers.