His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1) in Beyond Reality

Jul 07, 2010 Sandi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2010, e-books

Call me crazy, but I like fantasy novels to be plausible. I like magic as long as it has an explanation or usage that seems "realistic" within its own fictional world. Mythological creatures need to make some sort of sense.

When Barnes & Noble offered the first book of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series as one of its Free Fridays books, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to read it for free. It has received so much praise from people who know their fantasy. I just have to say that it was okay, but it Call me crazy, but I like fantasy novels to be plausible. I like magic as long as it has an explanation or usage that seems "realistic" within its own fictional world. Mythological creatures need to make some sort of sense.

When Barnes & Noble offered the first book of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series as one of its Free Fridays books, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to read it for free. It has received so much praise from people who know their fantasy. I just have to say that it was okay, but it didn't wow me. The first part was really good, but it started dragging enough in the middle and the end that I started questioning the world Novik created and it started seeming really implausible.

The first thing that got me was the way dragons are hatched with a full command of the English language or whatever language they are exposed to in the egg. They not only know human language, they speak it. I'm pretty sure dragon physiology would not allow them to speak any human language. Novik doesn't even use the telepathic communication angle that other writers have used to work around this.

The second thing that got me was the feeding of dragons. They seemed to subsist on very little given their size and there were always plenty of cows and sheep around to keep them fed. Given the number of dragons in captivity, it seems like it would take an awful lot of resources to keep those dragons fed. I'm sure the environmental impact wouldn't be pretty.

I also wasn't convinced by the battle scenes. It just seems like it was impossibly difficult to fight a war from the back of a dragon, especially with all the harnesses.

There was a lot more that didn't convince me, but I won't go into it. However, I will say that Novik's formal prose was perfectly suited to the period of His Majesty's Dragon. She got the language right and never slipped into modern usage.

If you love dragons, you might love this take on them. I'm not a big fan though. This book was okay, but not great. I don't think I'll be reading the rest. ...more

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Aug 02, 2013 Banner rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Enjoyable read about a dragon and his rider set in the Napoleonic Era of the British French wars.The dialogue is quite Victorian and while enjoyable to listen too, I sometimes found it lacking in expression (but not distractingly so). The how and why dragons are so intelligent and among us is never explained, it "just is". Maybe this will be dealt with in future books of the series. However this is an alternate history so no explanation is really needed. But the dragons are quite interesting and ...more

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Sep 24, 2017 mina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I am never really fond of stories about dragons. Maybe because of previous disappointment in those stories, or maybe because I am afraid the dragon will be dead at the end or something. I hate sad stories.

Anyway, this is just a random book I picked from my Kindle apps library. Suddenly I already read 25% of it in one sitting. It was so engaging. I feel so involved and really want the main characters to be safe. The chemistry between Temeraire and Laurence is so strong and adorable. Not to mentio ...more

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Nov 20, 2008 bsc rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, read-2008, audiobook

Quite entertaining. Novik did a good job bringing the dragons to life. They were, by far, the most affecting characters of this book. I don't typically enjoy fantasy and dragons but I liked the setting of the Napoleonic Wars so I gave it a shot. Pretty good. 3.5 stars. ...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Kerry rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 10-out-of-10, 2006

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommed it to anyone who likes dragons in their historical fiction. Novik's sole fantastic premise is that dragons exist - in a number of regional varieties, from British and French to Chinese - and the rest of the story is extrapolated from this.

The novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars, and as it begins Captain Will Laurence is master of the ship Reliant when it encouters a French vessel. Once the ship it taken, he finds it carries a major prize - a drago I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommed it to anyone who likes dragons in their historical fiction. Novik's sole fantastic premise is that dragons exist - in a number of regional varieties, from British and French to Chinese - and the rest of the story is extrapolated from this.

The novel is set during the Napoleonic Wars, and as it begins Captain Will Laurence is master of the ship Reliant when it encouters a French vessel. Once the ship it taken, he finds it carries a major prize - a dragon's egg. Despite his misgivings, he finds himself handler to the newly hatched dragon, whom he calls Temeraire.

From there the book moves through Laurence and Temeraire's training as aviators as they try to find their place - Laurence is a misfit as a Navy man and Temeraire proves to be equally different when it is discovered he is a Chinese dragon rather than a familiar British breed.

This is a nicely written alternative history, where the dragons are as much characters as the humans. Laurence and Temerarie are beautifully drawn and getting to know them as they got to know each other was a delight. I did feel I had a bit of an advantage over Laurence, since I know that a five toed Chinese dragon was going to be as much a scholar as any kind of fighter and so I was unsurprised at Temerarie's delight in having Laurence read to him or his grasp of mathematics and tactics.

In the sequel (Throne of Jade, to be published next month) they visit China, so it will be interesting to see them learn more about Temerarire and his abilities.

Novik's air force is well drawn - used to dragon books where each dragon has a single rider, I was at first suprised by her full crews - from a second to the sharpshooters and bombers and the maintenance crew. They are well drawn and her tactics sound solid to me in my inexperience.

The end of the book covers the time of the Battle of Trafalgar and it's aerial partner the dragon fought Battle of Dover. Napoleon's method for invading Britain is brilliant and I don't want to spoil it by saying anything more than that. There is something of a Battle of Britain feel to this section as the tired, outnumbered aviators fight off an overwhelming force, but Novik makes it all her own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it.

[Copied across from Library Thing; 17 October 2012] ...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Megan rated it it was amazing

OMG, a mash-up up fantasy and Napoleonic naval books??? Heaven!Will Laurence is the Captain of a British frigate fighting the French Navy in the Mediterranean. He captures a French ship that happens to be carrying an unhatched dragon egg. It turns out that in Novik's alternative world, dragons are used by the military to fight aerial battles. Dragon's are rare, however and greatly praised by both the French and English. When the egg hatches before Laurence can get it to port, he ends up bonding ...more

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Sep 29, 2009 Sandi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, scifi-fantasy-horror-althistory, library-express, read-2009

The Napoleonic War with Dragons. Think Hornblower mixed with Pern. Lots of fun and Simon Vance did a great job with the narration.

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Mar 27, 2014 STEPHANIE STANTON rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, book-challenge

loved it! Book 9 of book challenge.

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Sep 03, 2009 Words rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

A fun read...I think it's one where everything seems to go right for the heroes no matter the situation, but - I didn't really mind this time. The dragons - Temeraire in particular - are precocious and adorable. I passed the time quickly reading this book. ...more

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