≡ Read Gratis His Majesty Dragon Temeraire Book 1 Naomi Novik 9780345481283 Books

His Majesty Dragon Temeraire Book 1 Naomi Novik 9780345481283 Books

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His Majesty Dragon Temeraire Book 1 Naomi Novik 9780345481283 Books

So the other day nothing made me happy.  I started book after book and put them back down again, wondering if it was them or me.  And then, over coffee with The Housemate, during which we agreed that sometimes you have to work to find the book that catches hold of you, she talked again about the Temeraire books and how much she was enjoying them.  Since we had His Majesty's Dragon in our shared library, I gave it a try that night, and lo, it was good.  It was very, very good.

The story engaged me right from the get-go.  I'm a sucker for dragons, so I was predisposed to enjoy it, but I don't read just anything about them.  I got lured in by action, good characterization, and an intriguing premise, that in the Napoleonic wars, England and France (among other countries) use dragons as aerial corps. A newly-hatched dragon may accept a harness from a human, and if s/he does, then the two of them are virtually tied together for the life of the human. In ideal circumstances, they become best friends, family even.

So when Captain Laurence finds himself in the position of having to harness a dragonet who has hatched aboard his ship, he is not happy.  His life is the navy, and he knows how hard the life will be in the air corps, how much he'll have to give up. But he quickly learns how much more he gains when he and Temeraire are paired, and in fact the relationship between the two is the best part of the book.  Temeraire is an absolute delight, and watching Laurence come to love him is soul satisfying.

There's a good deal of military detail, but it's not off-putting, and in fact the battle at the end of the book is quite exciting.  There were moments of comedy, of heartbreak, and drama. It's an easy read, and a quick one, and it did what nothing else was doing for me this week, it captured my imagination and my interest, and kept me reading.  I can't wait to start the second book in the series.


Tags : His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) [Naomi Novik] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>“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</b> 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</i> captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo,Naomi Novik,His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1),Del Rey,0345481283,Fantasy - Epic,Fiction - Fantasy,Ship captains,Dragons,Fiction,Napoleonic Wars, 1800-1815,Fantasy,Fiction Fantasy Historical,Fantasy - Historical,Alternative histories (Fiction),Science Fiction - Alternative History

His Majesty Dragon Temeraire Book 1 Naomi Novik 9780345481283 Books Reviews

This review really applies to the entire series. This is an outstanding read, with rich language that effectively evokes the Napoleonic era, characters that are sympathetic and three-dimensional, and a fast-paced plot that sweeps from the British Isles to China and South America as the dragons are woven seamlessly into the history of the Napoleonic wars.
Lovers of Pern's Dragons or the tree-cats of Sphinx will be entertained by Novik's twist on the "everyone wants to be a dragon-rider/adopted by a tree-cat" theme. Unlike most fantasy or science fiction featuring intelligent animals or aliens, where the bond with them is highly coveted, Novik's England is a place where being an "aviator" is considered sort of a necessary evil. Certainly they are valuable to the nation's defense and all, but it certainly isn't a profession for a gentleman! Even a Navy career is disappointing to the protagonist's well-born Lord of a father, but when Laurence is thrust into his relationship with Temeraire his father refuses to even have him in the front door! He has to break off his engagement, because he couldn't ask a well-born lady to marry him now...it is a wonderful change of pace.
Novik also offers something else that fans of McCaffrey's Pern and Weber's Honorverse will appreciate--strong female warriors.
Between the gorgeous language, the expertly researched and presented historical backdrop and the delightfully charming main character Temeraire, this is a series you will want to read, listen to on Audible, then re-read and re-listen.
Like some recent reviewers, I read "Uprooted" before eagerly seeking out more Naomi Novik books, and when reading the reviews, I decided to wait a while before starting this series. My decision ended up being wise, because I truly loved this series!
It is however written in a completely different style, and you can't in any way compare this to other books of Novik's, or other fantasy books in general.
The writing is beautifully crafted in classic English, but without the rambling boredom you'd associate with that linguistic style. The humor is dry and witty, and the action is everywhere. If you're like me and re-read the battles of Gondor and Helm's Deep over and over as a teenager, you should thoroughly enjoy these books. I was also a huge fan of the dragon Temeraire as a character; in a way, this series is a love story between him and his captain, Laurence. Their companionship through adventures at high seas, many continents, and of course the Napoleonic wars is at the center point of the whole series, and it's actually a lovely relationship you can really invest in as a reader (I know that's hard to believe, what with one half being a dragon). There's a reason Stephen King liked this book...
The only way the series can appear to a disadvantage is if you compare it to anything else in the fantasy fiction realm. It's just too different and individual, and you have to really embrace the style and story without trying to measure it up to other pre-existing standards.

Also, even though the two main characters are male, there are a few kick-ass female characters, Laurence's boss Jane Roland, and one young member of his crew -Jane's daughter- Emily Roland. They're not hugely developed characters, but still absolutely dominate in a male-ruled world of characters, and provide sufficient delight for female fantasy enthusiasts.
So the other day nothing made me happy.  I started book after book and put them back down again, wondering if it was them or me.  And then, over coffee with The Housemate, during which we agreed that sometimes you have to work to find the book that catches hold of you, she talked again about the Temeraire books and how much she was enjoying them.  Since we had His Majesty's Dragon in our shared library, I gave it a try that night, and lo, it was good.  It was very, very good.

The story engaged me right from the get-go.  I'm a sucker for dragons, so I was predisposed to enjoy it, but I don't read just anything about them.  I got lured in by action, good characterization, and an intriguing premise, that in the Napoleonic wars, England and France (among other countries) use dragons as aerial corps. A newly-hatched dragon may accept a harness from a human, and if s/he does, then the two of them are virtually tied together for the life of the human. In ideal circumstances, they become best friends, family even.

So when Captain Laurence finds himself in the position of having to harness a dragonet who has hatched aboard his ship, he is not happy.  His life is the navy, and he knows how hard the life will be in the air corps, how much he'll have to give up. But he quickly learns how much more he gains when he and Temeraire are paired, and in fact the relationship between the two is the best part of the book.  Temeraire is an absolute delight, and watching Laurence come to love him is soul satisfying.

There's a good deal of military detail, but it's not off-putting, and in fact the battle at the end of the book is quite exciting.  There were moments of comedy, of heartbreak, and drama. It's an easy read, and a quick one, and it did what nothing else was doing for me this week, it captured my imagination and my interest, and kept me reading.  I can't wait to start the second book in the series.