This was free on Kindle so I downloaded it before boarding a long flight. The alternate history aspect (add Dragons to the Napoleonic wars) is a nice hook--good enough that I ended up buying the boxed trilogy. Basically the dragons become airborne ships with a crew, more like a naval ship or zeppelin than the typical depiction of airborne dragon combat with a single pilot.

Temeraire, the dragon, is innocent and basically good but enough wisdom and imperfection is mixed in to keep him interesting. What makes him more entertaining is his uniqueness amongst a wide variety of other interesting dragon types, shapes, sizes and personalities and the application of these various traits to the war at hand.

Laurence, the dragon rider who bonds with Temeraire, is a fairly typical British swashbuckler made of stern moral fiber. Novik creates a world that isn't too innocent or childish--these books are for grownups--but where her dragons are a respectful but creative addition to dragon fantasies, Laurence and the other human characters are of the cookie cutter variety.

Nice reads but after three books I did not want to become more invested--so not so great that I felt I must follow Temeraire and Laurence to the end. ( )

I got this novel through LibraryThing's secret Santa exchange, and I loved it! It starts with a Navy captain capturing a French ship during the Napoleonic wars, and finding a huge dragon egg in the hold. Temeraire bonds with Captain Laurence and his life changes forever. He has to go for training as an aviator in the wilds of Scotland, where his strict naval background and high birth are liabilities. As his dragon grows quickly, rushed into training to help defend England from France's incursions, Laurence has to find his own place in the airman's corps. Temeraire is incredibly intelligent, often explaining concepts from the books that Laurence reads for him, and it was sometimes funny and sometimes poignant seeing how Laurence explains politics, duty and social mores to his young dragon. The characters are richly drawn, and the backdrop of war gives everything an urgency. The sexism of the period was deftly handled. I was sucked right into the story and am eager to track down the next book in the series. I also ended up re-reading it as soon as I got to the end, and this time caught a tiny hint about Temeraire's breed. :) ( )

fantasy, dragons, military, Napoleonic Wars ( )

 Random Comments review ( )

I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this, but it was a surprisingly delightful read! Books about dragons can often be somewhat corny, but this one manages to avoid any corniness. The dragons are very believable, the main characters are all very likable, and the friendship between the dragon and his captain is very touching. I think that's what makes the book so good: deep down, all of us wish we could have a best friend who is loyal and smart and loving, and that is what the book is ultimately about. Of course, all of the warfare and dragon fantasy is fun too, but the friendship is what makes the book worth reading. ( )