Journal Entry 1 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Wednesday, March 01, 2006

ARC copy, reviewed for Front Street Reviews

My review:
Infusing fresh blood into the alternate history fantasy field, Novik begins the first book in her debut trilogy during the Napoleanic wars. Novik rewrites the era replete with naval battles and an aerial corps of fighting dragons. With nods to both Anne McCaffrey the grand-dame of dragons and Patrick O’Brian the grandmaster of maritime fiction she has freshened up and combined the genres.

When veteran Captain Will Laurence of HMS Reliant finally captures the French frigate he has been battling he has cause to wonder why they fought so hard not to surrender, even though it is obvious that the crew is in poor shape. A quick inspection of the hold reveals an almost hardened dragon’s egg, which on examination is discovered to be dangerously close to hatching.

Panicked and knowing next to nothing about dragon care, straws are drawn and preparations are hurriedly made, just in the nick of time. Unfortunately, nobody explained the plans to the newly hatched dragon. Finding himself bonding with the beast Capt. Laurence realizes that his naval career is over, to be replaced with service in the aerial corps. Naming his dragon Temeraire after a dreadnought battleship, Capt. Laurence soon finds himself in the closest relationship of his life.

He discovers to his delight that Temeraire is affectionate, intelligent and a superb companion. After a fortuitous meeting with “the” dragon expert Sir Edward Howe, Laurence is surprised when it is revealed that Temeraire is a rare Chinese dragon, as the oriental breeds are almost unknown on the British isles. Even more surprising is what he discovers when sent to the dragon training grounds at Loch Laggan, an isolated base in Scotland.

Novik believably integrates a dragon-based aerial fighting force into the late-eighteenth-century military. She has also written an incredibly character driven novel, which keeps the pages turning not just for the action, but so the reader can find out what happens next to Temeraire and his captain. Included at the end of the book is an excerpt from the second in the trilogy, Throne of Jade, and this only serves to whet the appetite for more.


My husband expressed an interest in reading this series, so they are on reserve until he is finished with them. Since two of the three are galley review copies, I promised him that if he wants to keep them for our PC we'll buy brand new copies when they are released, since actual books are easier to shelve.