Temerarie and Cpt. Laurence travel to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa to try to find a cure for an infectious disease that the dragons have caught. Novik really brings Africa to life, I was wincing in sympathy when the characters would get stuck with the 3 inch acacia thorns. There's a more overt linking of dragon and human slavery in this novel, and I love how incidents from previous books are called back into play. The integrated dragon city at Victoria Falls was fascinating, especially as compared to the one they visited in China. ( )

Novik once again produced an enjoyable adventure, on par with the rest of the series.

The exploration of the African continent and culture is exciting and fresh. As an action, adventure story these books are very good, but not for someone looking for complex plot, politics, or magic.

With the glimpse of French culture and the influences Lien is having there at the end of this book, it is obvious that there is still a great deal to be explored and great opportunities for the character development of Temeraire and Laurence.

It is similar to the previous novels in that it reaches the anticipated climax early and contains a secondary resolution story at the end.

This series is recommended for moderate readers interested in fantasy with a historic flair. No complex prose or questionable content, so the novels are suitable for younger readers too. The writing is good, the story is good, and after the fourth book I am still dying to read more! ( )

Summary: Temeraire, Laurence, and his crew return to England following the battle in Prussia, only to find the reason that no support had come from the British aviators: a terrible consumptive disease has ravaged the ranks of British dragons, leaving most of Temeraire's friends unable to fly, let alone fight. When circumstances indicate that a cure may be found in Africa, several of the dragons take transport to Capetown. However, they must press into the interior forests in order to find what they seek, and face the unknowable dangers that lurk in the heart of the Dark Continent.

Review: There are some books that are safe to pick up to read for half an hour before bedtime. This is not one of them. I should have known better than to pick it up when I needed to be sleeping in the first place, but I got so sucked into the last 150 pages that I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it... and it ends on such a cliffhanger that it took a major force of will not to dive immediately into Victory of Eagles.

While the first book of the series remains my favorite, this one is running a close second. It's packed with exciting adventures, compelling peril, lovable characters, thought-provoking treatment of issues like slavery and colonialism, and plenty of humor and charm. It improves on the previous volume in two ways: first, no big battles (plenty of fighting, but no endless descriptions of troop movements and military strategics.) Second, it's less episodic than previous novels; or, rather, it's still episodic, but the pieces flow together much more smoothly than they did in Black Powder War. The language is wonderful as always, mimicking period style while somehow remaining much easier to read... which is a good thing when you find yourself compulsively reading into the wee hours of the morning. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: The series as a whole is becoming a must-read for fantasy fans, and a must-try for historical fiction fans. I can't really recommend reading them out of order or as standalones, but it's nice to see that the series isn't declining in quality, as can happen so often in longer fantasy series. ( )

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but am not enjoying the later volumes as much. This book sees aviator Laurence and dragon Temeraire journeying to Africa. It is interesting to see how Novik imagines Africa in the early 1800s, in this alternate world where dragons exist. But for most of the book I just didn’t have the same connection to the characters, nor the same level of concern with their dilemmas. Developments in the final section of the book, however, did remind me of the reasons why I was drawn to this series in the first place, and I am keen to see where Novik goes from here ... ( )

While not as good as Throne of Jade, the second and best of the Temeraire series, Empire of Ivory is still a page-turner with depth. Temeraire and Laurence journey through Africa and confront a civilization in which Africans view dragons as their ancestors. In their efforts to find a cure for the fatal illness that is plaguing England's dragons, Temeraire and Laurence and their crew find themselves in mortal danger from this African civilization. As the book ends, Novik causes her heroes to make a moral decision that will leave them in a no-win situation and motivate the reader to turn to the next and newest of the series, Victory of Eagles. ( )