Black Powder War (2006)

I am really enjoying this series, though, this felt like a middle book to me. I did still enjoy the plot developments that happened and Lawrence and Temeraire's relationship. ( )

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Oh, the endless highfalutin language and the endless diplomatic posturing. I put the next book on my list, but it'll be a while until I move it into my "holds" area. The language is just... tiring.

Not that I don't enjoy the plotting. I always want to see Novik reshaping history - with dragons and, while she's at it, with a new outlook on Napoleon's campaign. Also, this one was a road trip, replete with new road buddies, so it was more engaging as it wended its way from East to West, giving us new landscapes and cultures and whatnot.

But the language means you have to pay close attention to everything being said because this is old-timey England, and so they can't ever put things bluntly or clearly. It's so much about how you say it, not necessarily what you're saying. And you have to put up with strange colloquialisms, such as when Laurence talks to Temeraire as if he's a beloved child. (I find this off-putting, and I'm guessing I'm expected to since that's one huge dragon talking to one puny human.)

Regardless, as I said, I like the plotting so I'll suffer a bit til the end. ( )

Finally! I'd been waiting for a month to get the next Temeraire book, and it finally dropped the other day, so I sat down to devour it whole, much like a dragon with a nice, juicy sheep. The story picks up immediately after the events of Throne of Jade, when Laurence and his crew are ordered to Istanbul to fetch some dragon eggs that have been purchased from the Turkish sultan. It's a long, uncomfortable journey, and at the end, there are some unpleasant surprises for our heroes.

The relationship between Temeraire and Laurence is no less close or loving, but Temeraire is changing, learning much about how the world works, and giving serious thought to what it all means for dragon-kind. He's a thinker, and he considers men and dragons to be equals. It's a hard thing for him to accept that most men do not agree, and see dragons as servants at best. He wants to change that, to win rights for dragons including the right to choose how they live, and the right to pay for their work. Laurence, though he sees the right of it, is not sanguine about Temeraire's chances to change the status quo.

But there are more immediate issues to deal with, one of which is the advance of Napoleon's army into the east, to fight the Prussians. Laurence and his crew are drawn into the fight, not wholly unwillingly, but as the French rack up one victory after another, they realize that they have to make a choice. Along the way, we encounter an old nemesis, and meet a new, and quite charmingly stubborn little dragonet whose conversation is the 18th century dragon version of "Let me at him, I'll moidelize him!"

Novik's writing is well balanced between the action and the personal, and she makes each type of dragon, as well as each individual dragon, different, and fully-realized. What I found odd and rather interesting is that while I see Temeraire as a dragon, in spite of his intellect, I have been thinking of Lien as a woman who happens to look like a dragon. That's how different their characters are.

I'm enjoying this series tremendously, and while I would love to start the next book immediately, I'm going to hold off because I have SO many others started, many of which need to be returned to the library. ( )

Oh My God!!! This one was just twist after twist after twist! So good! :D ( )

Continuing the series, started w/His Majesty's Dragon (read for ORBC). Good. Dragged on a bit, but I'm not much for war stories.... did like hearing about dragons in China & Temeraire's desire to change things for dragons in Europe.
Like Tharkey especially & hope he reappears. ( )