“ Temeraire is a terrifically entertaining fantasy novel. 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. 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. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons. Acquire His Majesty’s Dragon, and then settle in for a delicious, entertaining, utterly believable adventure you’re never going to forget.Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies. If you’ve never read the Temeraire series, you should. It has been a very long time since I have been this mesmerized and delighted by a fantasy series, or frankly any literary work. She has created a canon of work I believe will endure through time, come to be homed with classics like Adams’ Watership Downs, and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.Īnd in light of the fact I am such a very difficult reader to impress, it comes as astonishment that once I’d read all nine novels, I immediately, without hesitation, and with great delight, began the first in the series and swam my way through the entire series once again, relieving that joy. There is no peer for this, in my opinion. This is fantasy married to alternate history at its peak. In short, Novik’s world building is some of the best I’ve ever read.

Of course Napoleon added those dragon recruits to his troops to great effect, as did the British, and the Swiss, and the Russians.Īnd of course the Chinese revered and recognized dragonkind, built their cities to accommodate their draconian neighbours, gave them rights and employment, allowed them to create their own hierarchies and culture. Of course there are sentient dragons populating the globe. That surprise was further augmented by Novik’s impeccable research, the solidity of her character and plot development. Such a surprise awaited when I flipped to the first page of His Majesty’s Dragon: Napoleonic naval adventures married seamlessly and believably to an aerial component via dragons. Reader note: I’m reviewing the entire nine novels of the Temeraire series in this review.