Product Description
“A splendid series.”
–Anne McCaffrey

“Naomi Novik has done for the Napoleonic Wars what Anne McCaffrey did for science fiction: constructed an alternate reality in which dragons are real in a saga that is impressively original, fully developed, and peopled with characters you care about.”
–David Weber, author of the Honor Harrington series

After their fateful adventure in China, Capt. Will Laurence of His Majesty’s Aerial Corps and his extraordinary dragon, Temeraire, are waylaid by a mysterious envoy bearing urgent new orders from Britain. Three valuable dragon eggs have been purchased from the Ottoman Empire, and Laurence and Temeraire must detour to Istanbul to escort the precious cargo back to England. Time is of the essence if the eggs are to be borne home before hatching.

Yet disaster threatens the mission at every turn–thanks to the diabolical machinations of the Chinese dragon Lien, who blames Temeraire for her master’s death and vows to ally herself with Napoleon and take vengeance. Then, faced with shattering betrayal in an unexpected place, Laurence, Temeraire, and their squad must launch a daring offensive. But what chance do they have against the massed forces of Bonaparte’s implacable army?

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 51 reviews)

Suspense only in spurts. A plot that goes without going anywhere.

As Captain Laurence is about to make his slow way back to England, an urgent message is delivered to him. Ultimately, his orders change so that he must hurry to Turkey to pick up three dragon eggs that England has purchased. To make it in time, Capt. Laurence, his crew, and his dragon Temeraire must travel across the uncharted expanses of land that lie between China and Turkey.

Barring some unforeseen event, this is the last book in the Temeraire series that I plan to read. In my review of book 1 (I left it out of the review for book 2) I have described before that Captain Will Laurence is a drab and uncharismatic leading man. I was hoping to see a change in his demeanor and that has not yet happened. It still may, but there are too many other books I could read instead of waiting for him to become more interesting. And to make matters worse he seems to be really affecting Temeraire. The dragon has always been a free thinker and has bucked authority, trying to balance out how obsequious Capt. Laurence is. Through three books, now the relationship is beginning to strain and it is frustrating.

December 15, 2008

I'd like our world better if there were dragons.

The third book in the Temeraire series was better than the second but still not quite as enjoyable as the first; I think it's a natural progression, since the first book is fun because it is nice and uncomplicated, like Temeraire himself, and the subsequent books naturally get much more complicated as Temeraire grows up and becomes more of a complete being, and as the situation with the Napoleonic Wars grows more and more serious. I liked this one more than the second because I preferred the encounters they had as they went overland to the difficulties with the sea voyage. Though I have to say I'm impressed that Novik could do both: in Throne of Jade, most of the tension was between people kept in close quarters without bonds of trust or friendship for many months, and in this one it was between strangers who encounter each other unexpectedly. It worked quite well, both times, and that deserves some kudos. Though these books are starting to make me shake my head in exasperation just as I do while watching campaign footage and commercials. When I read these books, I think, "Freaking governments."

In the last one, Laurence and Temeraire get a load of crap from the Chinese government, though it turned out that was largely because of the internal plotting of the conspirators against the Emperor; once they were dealt with, things went pretty smoothly. In this one, they get a load of crap from the Turkish empire, from the Sultan and his flunkies, but not because there is some small faction at work: no, the Sultan himself is trying to mess with England, and is thus messing with Laurence and Temeraire. As the book intended, I didn't particularly like or trust the Eurasian guide Tharkay, who tries to be irritating throughout his time under Laurence's command; I did like how that turned out, though. But starting with the Sultan, and the British government's bad orders and failed commitments, and continuing on through the Prussian and Russian losses to Napoleon, the governments in these books are just -- dumb.

The scene when Lien, the albino Chinese dragon, explained to the very young and innocent Temeraire why she didn't need to fight him to get her revenge, was both frightening and outrageous; I wanted to reach into the book and punch her in the snoot for threatening my Temeraire, and also for being all devious and underhanded. She's a pain. And then the battle scenes were painful to read, not because they were too long or overcomplicated, but because they were so frustrating. It seems apparent to me now that while Napoleon was smart enough to grasp the basic strengths and weaknesses of his army, his greatest trait was simply that he wasn't an idiot. Everybody who fought him, was. Lord Nelson of the British Navy wasn't an idiot, and so he kept his head dealing with Napoleon's fleet -- which was led by Napoleon's fairly idiotic admiral, of course, not Napoleon himself -- and Nelson won. I'm betting that as these books finish up the story of the Napoleonic wars that this trend will continue: idiots like the Prussians, who expect their battle plan to work simply because it worked decades before for Frederick the Great -- because warfare never changes, and if it worked once, it will always work after that, forever and ever amen -- those idiots will fail. People who grasp the modern warfare that Napoleon is employing, and Laurence and Temeraire seem able to grasp it, will have success against l'Empereur. I can't wait to read about Waterloo with dragons, though I have to say I'm impressed that Novik has, I believe, stayed pretty true to history despite putting dragons in the mix. This is actually an excellent alternate history. With dragons.

Last thing: I'm glad Granby got his dragon, but that little pain better grow up quick. And I'm on Temeraire's side with dragon rights, and I'm glad Laurence has seen the light.
September 14, 2008

Just ok. Not as good as His Majesty's Dragon

I was really engrossed in the first book of this series, His Majesty's Dragon, and even found the second to be interested but the third was slow and disappointing. The book did pick up pace towards the end with the hatching of a new dragon during a battle and siege but that wasn't enough to make me move on to the next book in this series. A shame. I really enjoyed the concept but this book was too repetitive for me.
August 25, 2008

Just okay.

I loved the first Temeraire book, Her Majesty's Dragon. Black Powder War fell a little short of my expectations. The story didn't regain any of its unique glory until the very end.

Warning, spoilers:
In Black Powder War, Laurence and Temeraire didn't have control over their own fate. Laurence would've lingered in China if not for urgent orders from England. He wasted weeks in Turkey as a prisoner, waiting around for Turkish leaders to stop stalling. Then he was conscripted in the Prussian army and just went along with it. He only deserted until it was either that or starve. It wasn't until the very end did Temeraire finally suggest carrying the Prussian army out of the fortress that Temeraire and Laurence had any real impact on the war.

Mostly, the book's theme centered around the incompetency of leaders in charge, particularly in Turkey and Prussia. Yet all Laurence and Temeraire did about it was complain and talk about dragon's rights. They still followed orders even though they were detrimental. It was hard to become emotionally involved when the main characters are saying the battle will be grim, and especially when the battle is not in their own country. Laurence and Temeraire could still go home if the battle was lost. It didn't feel like anything was at stake for them, and thus, the reader. I was actually starting to cheer for Bonaparte because at least he seemed intelligent.

Additionally, the characters were lacking in compared with Her Majesty's Dragon. Still nothing of our old favorites Jane, Maximus, and Lily. Althougth a few characters were introduced - Tharkay and the Queen of Prussia. Both were extremely interesting but we didn't get too many details about them. I had hopes Tharkay would become the captain of the new dragonet, to replace the hawk he lost in the avalanche. But it wasn't to be. Tharkay was the only character in control of his own destiny. He made decisions for himself and carried them out. He helped the war effort in many more ways than Laurence.

I'm hoping Empire of Ivory is much better than Black Powder War, which seemed like a filler story needed to get Laurence and Temeraire from China to Britain.
August 16, 2008

L-- and T-- meander across Asia and Europe

"Black Powder War" is an alternate history novel, set in Europe and Asia at the time of the Napoleanic war. This novel continues where "Throne of Jade" leaves off with the (untrue) promise that this novel will focus on T--'s attempts to reform Brittish law concerning dragons. Instead, this novel follows L-- and T-- as they meander through a series of loosely related adventures across Asia and Europe. Along the way, they are confounded by new orders, frustrated by stupid managers, and delighted with new dragon friends.

This novel is fairly intersting and creative, and the new dragon friends absolutely delightful. My problem with this novel is that it doesn't deliver what was promised, doesn't really seem to go anywhere, and relies too heavy on the "stupid boss" theme. The reader is left at the end with another (untrue) promise that the next book will delve into T--'s attempts to reform Brittish law concerning dragons (it doesn't, either). The overall feel of the novel is "the continuing adventures of L-- and T-- as they meander through life", and it feels somewhat like an awkward middle child, mainly consisting of backdrop for future plot lines. The novel has all of the usual sequel problems -- the unique premises being conveyed in the first two novels, the third novel was left in a weaker position. Readers who prefer books with multiple sequels may disagree on this issue and should probably add one star to my rating.

"Black Powder War" is an entertaining read and pleasant escape, though perhaps not worth keeping on your shelf after. It will appeal to readers who enjoyed The Hero Strikes Back or Forged Without Fire: A Champion for Catlover or perhaps The Hawk Eternal (A Novel of the Hawk Queen).
July 16, 2008

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Throne of Jade (Temeraire, Book 2)
by Naomi Novik

Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4)
by Naomi Novik

His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1)
by Naomi Novik

Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, Book 5)
by Naomi Novik

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 1)
by Patrick Rothfuss