Enthralling, but unusually paced for a series.

Novik has created a truly wonderful story. The cast is marvelous, the scenery is rich, and the premise is both captivating and refreshing.

However, the pacing feels more like a slightly episodic long form fantasy than it does a series. "His Majesty's Dragon", the first book, was a bit more conventional. It had a fairly symmetrical plot arc and a thoroughly rousing conclusion battle.

However, "Throne of Jade" was rather more ponderous (as it no doubt would have been for Laurence and Temeraire, sailing to the other side of the world and becoming embroiled in lengthy diplomatic tangles). It also didn't have nearly as cinematic an ending, though still a good one.

"Black Powder War" is similar. They spend a lot of time traveling over vast tracts of fairly barren land, and it doesn't happen very fast. There are several great aerial battles, but what could properly be called the climax is actually not a fight at all. Some might find this disappointing, but I feel that she is taking the time truly do the story the justice it deserves. And that is more exciting than a bit of token action.

I have recently become more accustomed to books like "Wheel of Time" and "The Way of Kings", than to short form fiction. And when the Temeraire series is viewed as a single story of multiple volumes rather than a set of connected, but independent, stories, the arc and pacing feel more natural. Certainly the two books following "His Majesty's Dragon" are slower. However, they are also deeper. Novik takes the time to really delve into the world she is giving us, as well as into the characters with which she has populated it so wonderfully.

As always, Simon Vance is brilliant. His narration is at once subtle and captivating.

13 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

really enjoyed the book

It gets a bit long in the descriptions, but I really enjoyed the story. Makes me want a dragon of my own.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Silk Road: Macau to Istanbul to Danzig, via Dragon

Simon Vance brought Naomi Novik's fantasy to life. I'm learning more about the Napoleonic War from this series, despite the fictional dragons. It's an entertaining alternate history, close enough to the "truth" in some scenes to trigger my interest (so I look things up, comparing the historic account with the fictional).

I liked this 3-part plot, even if the pacing got bogged down in Prussian campaigning (by committee, with outdated strategies). Loved the characters. Here be dragons! Huzzah for the beast-baby Iskierka and for shrewd, swaggering Arkady! We also get a close encounter with Napoleon and threats from Lien, set on avenging her dead captain.

And here we meet the inscrutable Tharkay, half-Nepalese, half-British, fully ostracized. Totally hot.

Hopeful ending, when Team Temeraire finally gets to go home, escaping from besieged Danzig / Gdańsk. They have been away from home a full year. The journey has been fraught with fear, hunger, cold, assassinations, accusations, betrayals, avalanches, bandits, feral dragons, fire, and bloody bloody battles.

Excerpt:

"But the sky ahead was opening up to a fierce, deep, cloudless blue, an endless road of wind and water before them. A signal was flying from the mast of the Vanguard: "Fair winds, sir!" Turner said, as they passed the ships by. Laurence leaned into the cold sea wind, bright and biting. It scrubbed into the hollows of Temeraire's sides to clean away the last of the eddies of smoke, spilling away in gray trailers behind them...

Out ahead of them, Arkady began something very like a marching song, chanting lines answered by the other ferals, their voices ringing out across the sky, each to each. Temeraire added his own to the chorus, and little Iskierka began to scrabble at his neck, demanding, "What are they saying? What does it mean?"

"We are flying home," Temeraire said, translating. "We are all flying home."

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

NEW Interesting characters!

LOVED some of the new characters we meet in this book! I enjoyed the places they traveled too and the challenges they faced. One of my favorite books in the entire series and the narrator is a pleasure to listen to as always.

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A Return to Form

At last, the story of the Napoleonic wars in a world with dragons continues. I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. I especially like the battle/action scenes. I look forward to listening to the fourth book, Empire of Ivory.

Simon Vance is a narrator who grows on you. I strongly recommend everybody to check out the other works he narrated, and he has narrated a lot.

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Great Series

I felt that this book, unlike the first two, dragged a little in the middle. It was engaging enough though to really get my emotions stirring for the characters. Excited a read the next one.

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Exciting adventure across Europe

This series of books are wonderful with mixing history and fantasy. With Simon's voice added into it just makes the characters come that much more to life.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Another wonderful chapter in the Temeraire series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am loving the entire series of books, and was thrilled to learn Peter Jackson has bought the wrights to make "His Majesty's Dragon" into a film! This book his hard on Temeraire and Captain Lawrence, but their love and dedication carry them through. It's colorful and brilliantly plotted out, and we get to see more of the world in which they live.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lawrence - he always does the right thing

Which scene was your favorite?

The birth.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Danger at every turn.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Temeraire

Simon Vance as narrator does not disppoint and the series by Naomi Novik is very good!

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Thrilling tale of travel and war!

Would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, travel, military novels. I would also recommend to anyone reading the second to last entry in the series to reread / listen to all the prior entries before Part 3 (you will understand why when you take up that book and read about Lawrence's latest "condition")