Check the link for those who havent heard of it or read it. But I’m more interested in people who have actually read the thing.
So, what can you tell me about it? You’re allowed to praise it or burn it down in flames (hehehe). But is it worth the time?
I absolutely adored it, but then again, I’m a sucker for dragons and revisionist history.
Big old fan–they’re great fun! Dry wit, good writing, decent characterization, and a frickin dragon navy. What’s not to love?
Your link is slightly hosed. Will try to correct.
Hell yeah, the last parenthesis wasnt hyperlinked, dont know why. Thanks mlees.
Elysian and Left Hand of Dorkness, could you say more. For example, about the pace, I’m curious, are they short books with a lot of action “Princes of Amber” or Jack Vance style or more today’s trend of having long details about the particular universe the story is set in?
I’m also curious, do you see things only from the hero’s side, or do you get a look at the villains too (it would be criminal for me not to have chapters solely dedicated to the workings of a Napeolonian Dragon Air Force, but then again, that might not fit the goal of the book)? Are there any major villains you can sympathize with?
Also, is there an overall plot, or did the writer conceive the idea for the first book, and then figured what to do next, using the historical background to fuel further plots?
I absolutely love the series.
In the later books, the author is trying to investigate other areas of the alternate world she’s created. Some don’t like them as much but they’ve kept my interest. (Haven’t read the last one–waiting for the MMPB edition, to keep my set consistent. And I want to keep a reserve. Just as I’ve got a few Harry Dresden books to go…)
It’s all from the perspective of the heroes.
I think they’re quite enjoyable if you like YA fiction. I read them all.
The first book in the series was excellent; Novik really seemed to capture the tone and dialog of the period very convincingly. Not, perhaps, to the Aubrey and Maturin series level of excellence, but certainly enough to be reminiscent of them.
The next two books in the series were pretty good although the third seemed in some ways to be a “bridge” book, just moving the story along.
In the fourth (Empire of Ivory), the main protagonist makes a decision that overshadows books 5 and 6 (Victory of Eagles and Tongues of Serpents). The tone of the series changes for the worse, Victory of Eagles is grim, angsty, and humorless and Tongues of Serpents is about the same, as well as somewhat directionless.
It feels like Novik has written herself into a bit of a corner – one assumes that redemption lies ahead for her heroes, but it’s not clear how she’s going to make that happen. And if she doesn’t, I don’t know how much longer she’ll be able to hold the audience, as the last book really wasn’t all that much fun.
Hmmm…just checked. Looks like the next book won’t be out until probably next spring.
I love the whole series, even while agreeing they’ve become rather grim. Although it’s all from the point of view of the protagonist, it’s not a good-versus-evil situation: plenty of people on the protagonist’s side are awful, and some of the antagonists are better people (whether human or dragon) than the protagonist’s leadership.
The first book is wholly self-contained. The latter ones are much less-so.
As for pacing, there are a lot of battle sequences, and they very well explore what it would mean to have dragons in an 18th-century military. However, there are also lots of periods in-between, exploring such things as dragon medicine, relationships between the protagonist and his family, how the presence of women in the dragon corps challenges 18th-century gender roles, and the like. I go in for that sort of thing, but if you don’t, you’ll probably be bored (he says tautologically).
I liked those I’ve read so far, although the last two have been a bit sombre in tone. I like the way that Naomi Novik has invented suitable naval tactics for a dragon force, and that such a force , in England at least, is considered infra dig, leaving the hero in an uncertain position.
However the profusion of different types of dragons of different status in different parts of the world seems inconsistent, and their large appetites with the large amounts of livestock needed to feed them seem unsustainable.
Nevertheless so far they are interesting and the relationship between Temeraire and his captain is well described and at times moving.
Ok, thx for the answers. I’ll pick the first one. I hate those absurdly long sagas where the first books are like giant roleplaying universe books with no plot (Gene wolfe’s Shadow of the Tortured, I’m looking at you. Or Alvin the Maker, as it is set in the same period).
Shame that we only get to see things from the British side, considering the period, it is probably the least interesting POV.
Well…although it’s from the point of view of a Brit, let’s just say he gets around :). Part of what makes the books so fun is that you’re not limited to seeing how things work out in England.
Well, I* love* Gene Wolfe. But I understand what you mean.
After the Game of Thrones TV series was announced, I realized that George R R Martin was the author. I’d been avoiding what I considered yet another interminable Tolkien ripoff–but I love his Fevre Dream. So I wolfed through all the novels & liked them a lot. (Well, I loved them until his evident disdain for outlining made the last volume a bit disappointing.)
I knew Martin’s series was unfinished but, after finishing it, I needed something else to read–right away! Temeraire was a great palate cleanser.
I liked the first one okay, didn’t like the second much, and really disliked the third. I thought they got increasingly dull and poorly plotted. A lot of aimless plodding along for the sake of it, with very little actual activity.