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Fantasy. Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML:Naomi Novik's triumphant debut, His Majesty's Dragon, introduced a dynamic new pair of heroes to the annals of fantasy fiction: the noble fighting dragon Temeraire and his master and commander, Capt. Will Laurence. Now in the latest novel, they soar to new heights of breathtaking action and brilliant imagination.It is a grim time for the dragon Temeraire. On the heels of his mission to Africa, seeking the cure for a deadly contagion, he has been show more removed from military service–and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. For Britain, conditions are grimmer still: Napoleon's resurgent forces have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon's prime objective: the occupation of London.
Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon's forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war and to aid the resistance against the invasion before Napoleon's foothold on England's shores can become a stranglehold.
If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain's scattered forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before–for king and country, and for their own liberty. But can the French aggressors be well and truly routed, or will a treacherous alliance deliver Britain into the hands of her would- be conquerors? show less
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I've loved all the Temeraire books so far, but this and the first installment are the best.
Victory of Eagles is darker than the preceding novels, more straight-up about the mundane dreadfulness of war and also featuring a deeply depressed Laurence. So it's less delightful than the others, less amusing and sparkling. But it's so well-written, quite technically accomplished and thoughtfully constructed. I admire that Novik does something new with each Temeraire novel rather than relying on a successful formula: this particular novel is less linear than the others, repeatedly backtracking to show us both Laurence's and Temeraire's perspectives on a particular sequence of events. It follows (and explores) Temeraire's perspective more, and show more more clearly. (The most effective and eye-opening instance of this strategy for me is when Temeraire realizes how totally not okay Laurence is, and the reader suddenly sees--with Temeraire--that he's been in a terrible state all along.) It takes on this new tone.
Like the other novels (especially the third, in which we meet the excellent Iskierka, Tharkay, and the ferals), this one introduces compelling new characters, especially of the dragon variety.
I love that the dragons all call Harcourt's baby "the egg." Tickles me every time. show less
Victory of Eagles is darker than the preceding novels, more straight-up about the mundane dreadfulness of war and also featuring a deeply depressed Laurence. So it's less delightful than the others, less amusing and sparkling. But it's so well-written, quite technically accomplished and thoughtfully constructed. I admire that Novik does something new with each Temeraire novel rather than relying on a successful formula: this particular novel is less linear than the others, repeatedly backtracking to show us both Laurence's and Temeraire's perspectives on a particular sequence of events. It follows (and explores) Temeraire's perspective more, and show more more clearly. (The most effective and eye-opening instance of this strategy for me is when Temeraire realizes how totally not okay Laurence is, and the reader suddenly sees--with Temeraire--that he's been in a terrible state all along.) It takes on this new tone.
Like the other novels (especially the third, in which we meet the excellent Iskierka, Tharkay, and the ferals), this one introduces compelling new characters, especially of the dragon variety.
I love that the dragons all call Harcourt's baby "the egg." Tickles me every time. show less
Summary: As this book opens, Temeraire is an unhappy resident of the breeding grounds, and his captain Will Laurence is in prison, awaiting death for treason, each of them held hostage as surety for the other's good behavior. Unfortunately for Britain, it is a bad time to have taken their most powerful dragon out of active service: Napoleon has successfully invaded England, and British forces are scattered, and forced to beat a hasty retreat. However, neither Laurence nor Temeraire are the sort to sit inactive while there's a war to be fought, and this time the stakes are higher than ever before... for they're fighting not only for their country and their homes, but also for their lives and their freedom.
Review: Action-wise, a lot less show more happens in this installment of the Temeraire series than in the previous few books. There's a lot more talking, a lot more military maneuvering, and a lot more tiny skirmishes (plus one blow-out of a book-ending battle) in this one, and less of the constant (if episodic) adventure that characterized Black Powder War, for instance. Given my general dislike for military strategy and big battle scenes, you might think that this would cause me to dock the book some serious points. Novik, however, has cleverly figured out a way to keep even me interested in military strategy and troop movements: make one of those troops entirely out of captain-less dragons... and put Temeraire in charge of it.
Temeraire's so charming and intelligent that I think we tend to forget he's only a few years old, and watching him grow up and mature piece by piece is one of the pleasures of this series. In this case, watching him have to simultaneously accept the consequences of his and Laurence's choices at the end of Empire of Ivory and accept the responsibility that comes with a leadership position was fascinating, and further cemented Temeraire's place as one of the best dragons out there.
This book also kept up Novik's amazing trick of writing in period style while keeping it easy to read, and even though it wasn't all-action-all-the-time, it was still very absorbing, and pulled me through the book at a good clip. Overall, while Victory of Eagles does mark a change in tone and plotting style from previous books, it's not an unwelcome change, and once again, the book ends promising interesting adventures to come. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I can't imagine anyone getting to the end of Empire of Ivory and not immediately wanting to read the next one, so of course this book is recommended. The series as a whole is also obviously recommended to fantasy fans, and suggested to historical fiction fans who are willing to dabble a little outside of their comfort zone. show less
Review: Action-wise, a lot less show more happens in this installment of the Temeraire series than in the previous few books. There's a lot more talking, a lot more military maneuvering, and a lot more tiny skirmishes (plus one blow-out of a book-ending battle) in this one, and less of the constant (if episodic) adventure that characterized Black Powder War, for instance. Given my general dislike for military strategy and big battle scenes, you might think that this would cause me to dock the book some serious points. Novik, however, has cleverly figured out a way to keep even me interested in military strategy and troop movements: make one of those troops entirely out of captain-less dragons... and put Temeraire in charge of it.
Temeraire's so charming and intelligent that I think we tend to forget he's only a few years old, and watching him grow up and mature piece by piece is one of the pleasures of this series. In this case, watching him have to simultaneously accept the consequences of his and Laurence's choices at the end of Empire of Ivory and accept the responsibility that comes with a leadership position was fascinating, and further cemented Temeraire's place as one of the best dragons out there.
This book also kept up Novik's amazing trick of writing in period style while keeping it easy to read, and even though it wasn't all-action-all-the-time, it was still very absorbing, and pulled me through the book at a good clip. Overall, while Victory of Eagles does mark a change in tone and plotting style from previous books, it's not an unwelcome change, and once again, the book ends promising interesting adventures to come. 4 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I can't imagine anyone getting to the end of Empire of Ivory and not immediately wanting to read the next one, so of course this book is recommended. The series as a whole is also obviously recommended to fantasy fans, and suggested to historical fiction fans who are willing to dabble a little outside of their comfort zone. show less
The Temeraire series is nine books long, and is currently being reprinted in three three-book omnibus volumes, which might lead you to think it a trilogy of trilogies (as is true of, for example, The Expanse). This is especially true because the first three books came out in rapid succession in the same year. But while there is at least one embedded trilogy in the series, it's actually books three through five. In book three, Black Powder War, Napoleon had steamrolled through continental Europe and the British dragons were weakened by disease; in book four, Empire of Ivory, Laurence was disgraced and separated from Temeraire; these cliffhangers are largely resolved by the end of book five, Victory of Eagles, which would work as a show more stopping point, though it also leaves a hook for more adventures.
This seems like a canny move on Novik's part; beginning her plot trilogy with the last book of a trilogy in terms of release sequence mean the people who picked up the first trilogy have to keep on going!
Anyway, having found the stuff about searching for the cure in Empire of Ivory a bit dull, I really enjoyed this one. Novik switches up the formula a bit; while the previous books were all told in third-person limited perspective for Laurence, this one makes Temeraire himself a viewpoint character for the first time, which is great. There are lots of intense, grueling sequences of the kind that Novik really excels at (and made Black Powder War such a good read) as the French slowly take Britain, and the British do their best to push back. Laurence's moral forthrightness has some good implications here, and I liked his reunion with Temeraire a lot. There's also some good stuff about what we're willing—and unwilling—to do in the desperation of war. Wellington appears as a minor character here, and he's excellent; Novik cleverly weaves some echoes of real history into her alternative one, especially with Nelson. Of course I love all the stuff about Laurence's stiff moral code, how could I not? Overall, I really enjoyed this one, my favorite since the first book.
I have sometimes been a bit skeptical about Novik's alternative history, to be honest. Why would all of European history basically be the same with dragons up until the 1800s, but begin diverging then? But most non-European countries seem to have quite different histories in this timeline. Obviously, this has to be the case, or you don't get 1) the fun premise of "Napoleonic War with dragons" or 2) any suspense. But her approach pays off here; because Napoleon didn't invade England in our history, it just feels utterly wrong when he is able to do so here, allowing the readers to experience the same alienation and estrangement as the characters. It's just not right that Napoleon should be in England. You feel this just like Laurence does, even if for a different reason. show less
This seems like a canny move on Novik's part; beginning her plot trilogy with the last book of a trilogy in terms of release sequence mean the people who picked up the first trilogy have to keep on going!
Anyway, having found the stuff about searching for the cure in Empire of Ivory a bit dull, I really enjoyed this one. Novik switches up the formula a bit; while the previous books were all told in third-person limited perspective for Laurence, this one makes Temeraire himself a viewpoint character for the first time, which is great. There are lots of intense, grueling sequences of the kind that Novik really excels at (and made Black Powder War such a good read) as the French slowly take Britain, and the British do their best to push back. Laurence's moral forthrightness has some good implications here, and I liked his reunion with Temeraire a lot. There's also some good stuff about what we're willing—and unwilling—to do in the desperation of war. Wellington appears as a minor character here, and he's excellent; Novik cleverly weaves some echoes of real history into her alternative one, especially with Nelson. Of course I love all the stuff about Laurence's stiff moral code, how could I not? Overall, I really enjoyed this one, my favorite since the first book.
I have sometimes been a bit skeptical about Novik's alternative history, to be honest. Why would all of European history basically be the same with dragons up until the 1800s, but begin diverging then? But most non-European countries seem to have quite different histories in this timeline. Obviously, this has to be the case, or you don't get 1) the fun premise of "Napoleonic War with dragons" or 2) any suspense. But her approach pays off here; because Napoleon didn't invade England in our history, it just feels utterly wrong when he is able to do so here, allowing the readers to experience the same alienation and estrangement as the characters. It's just not right that Napoleon should be in England. You feel this just like Laurence does, even if for a different reason. show less
Another very strong installment in this series—exciting, gallops along at a great pace, and full of the grim consequences and occurrences which Novik had only hinted at before. For everything that happened to Lawrence in Victory of Eagles, though—and oh, poor Lawrence; he needs a strong drink and a holiday on a beach somewhere—this was really Temeraire's book. I loved his attempts both to negotiate the oddities of human organisation and politics, and his attempts to inculcate similar structures amongst the other dragons. Jane continues to be awesome; I think I would in fact quite like a spin-off series in which she and Wellington join forces and they browbeat everyone else into order with the force of their combined awesome.
A huge step up after the disappointing fourth book. Genuine repercussions of choices, character development and growth, a lack of quick and easy solutions, an even, engrossing pace of plot, and meanwhile the strength of the novels -- the character dynamics, their dialogue exchanges and emotional throughlines -- are present as much as ever. The addition of Temeraire as a recurring POV to compliment Laurence's really added a lot for me as well.
There is a lot of pain in this book, Napoleon invades England while Temeraire and William Lawrence are separated. Exigency means that Lawrence gets a temporary reprieve from being hanged as a traitor and you see people dealing with a lot of different stresses to cope with what is immediately before them. Wellesley is the leader and he has a lot of problems to deal with, not least of which is how Temeraire has decided to gain some independence and is taking several of the dragons with him.
It's messy and complicated and occasionally it felt a little bogged down in William's issues, not that he doesn't have them. But it's hard to know where things are going to go from here with exile on the cards.
It's messy and complicated and occasionally it felt a little bogged down in William's issues, not that he doesn't have them. But it's hard to know where things are going to go from here with exile on the cards.
Warning: MAJOR spoilers for Empire of Ivory.
After defying the British government in Empire of Ivory, Will Laurence has been stripped of his rank and sentenced to death for treason. He is currently being held prisoner as a hostage for Temeraire’s good behavior. Meanwhile, Temeraire has been exiled to the dragon breeding grounds, where he is languishing from boredom and from anxiety about Laurence. The two are eventually reunited, but at a terrible cost: Napoleon has invaded England, and Temeraire is needed to help keep the French at bay. Despite being a condemned traitor, Laurence is ready to do his duty, but the ugliness of warfare and the bleak reality of his future drive him closer and closer to despair.
Although I had a lukewarm show more reaction to Empire of Ivory, I absolutely loved this fifth installment in the series. At first I was nervous about Laurence and Temeraire being separated, but Novik did a great job of telling the story in alternating chapters – one focusing on Temeraire, the next on Laurence, etc. This is certainly the most emotionally intense book in the series, as both Laurence and Temeraire are forced to make many terrible choices: several scenes had me in tears. I also enjoyed the character development, not only of Laurence and Temeraire but of several secondary characters as well: Iskierka, Tharkay, and Wellesley/Wellington were particularly interesting to me. I’m eager to continue with the series, although I might need to take a short break from the Napoleonic Wars! show less
After defying the British government in Empire of Ivory, Will Laurence has been stripped of his rank and sentenced to death for treason. He is currently being held prisoner as a hostage for Temeraire’s good behavior. Meanwhile, Temeraire has been exiled to the dragon breeding grounds, where he is languishing from boredom and from anxiety about Laurence. The two are eventually reunited, but at a terrible cost: Napoleon has invaded England, and Temeraire is needed to help keep the French at bay. Despite being a condemned traitor, Laurence is ready to do his duty, but the ugliness of warfare and the bleak reality of his future drive him closer and closer to despair.
Although I had a lukewarm show more reaction to Empire of Ivory, I absolutely loved this fifth installment in the series. At first I was nervous about Laurence and Temeraire being separated, but Novik did a great job of telling the story in alternating chapters – one focusing on Temeraire, the next on Laurence, etc. This is certainly the most emotionally intense book in the series, as both Laurence and Temeraire are forced to make many terrible choices: several scenes had me in tears. I also enjoyed the character development, not only of Laurence and Temeraire but of several secondary characters as well: Iskierka, Tharkay, and Wellesley/Wellington were particularly interesting to me. I’m eager to continue with the series, although I might need to take a short break from the Napoleonic Wars! show less
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Author Information
56+ Works 59,749 Members
Naomi Novik was born in New York on April 30, 1973. She received a Bachelor's degree in English literature at Brown University and a Master's degree in Computer Science from Columbia University. She participated in the design and development of the computer game Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide. Her first novel, His Majesty's Dragon, was show more published in 2006 and was the start of the Temeraire series. She has won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel, and the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Her book, Uprooted, won the 2016 Nebula Award for Best Novel. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Naomi Novik is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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- Canonical title
- Victory of Eagles
- Original title
- Victory of Eagles
- Original publication date
- 2008-07-08
- People/Characters
- Temeraire; William Laurence; Granby; Iskierka; Tharkay; Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (General)
- Important places
- England, UK; Scotland, UK
- Important events
- Napoleonic Wars
- Dedication
- For Dr. Sonia Novik, who gave this book a home
- First words
- The breeding grounds were called Pen Y Fan, after the hard, jagged slash of the mountain at their heart, like an ax-blade, rimed with ice along its edge and rising barren over the moorlands: a cold, wet Welsh autumn already, ... (show all)coming on towards winter, and the other dragons sleepy and remote, uninterested in anything but their meals.
The breeding grounds were called Pen Y Fan, after the hard, jagged slash of mountain rising like an axe-blade at their heart, rimed with ice along its edge and rising barren over the moorland. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"No, my dear," Laurence said. "I do very well."
- Original language
- English
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Statistics
- Members
- 3,144
- Popularity
- 5,517
- Reviews
- 102
- Rating
- (3.94)
- Languages
- 8 — Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Polish, Russian, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 27
- ASINs
- 13