Book 7, Crucible of Gold: Temeraire

It is very refreshing to find a series which does not shy from classic form and an elevated vocabulary. It is by no means the product of amateur vocabulary and writing skill. The story itself is wonderfully engaging and creative and I greatly look forward to the next book.

Naomi never fails to deliver her stories are not only well written, but a great adventure to go through each page feeding your imagination and making you connect with the characters

If you love dragons this is the book for you

Another enjoyable installment in this series. While not as exciting as Victory of Eagles - which was the high point for me - it is considerably more interesting than Tongues of Serpents. The previous books of the series are required reading at this point.

Continuing the adventure, Crucible of Gold furthers the adventures of Captain Lawrence and Temeraire in the battle against the evil of Napoleon and his dragons of conquest. Outstanding series in which dragons aren't magical, but can talk and reason out the failings of slavery. Excellent selection !

Temperature keeps up the excitement in this novel. Traveling from Australia to the Incan empire and another chance meeting with Napoleon, It is a wonder to think how they made it so far. Cannot wait to start the Blood of Tyrants!

I always loved the books of Naomi Novik, but this was very, very bad:
- the characters have radically changed their personality;
- the plot is almost non-existent;
- incredibly boring, it's been a real effort to conclude the reading

Such a let down after the glorious debut of Temeraire. Novik has really placed Captain Lawrence and Temeraire in the doldrums and there's hardly any opportunity for either of them to shine. I really struggled to finish it. Should she bring out another book, I won't be buying.

Unfortunately authors will stay with a series too long, and that's what's happened to the Temeraire series. The first three books were great; the next two books were pretty good; the next to last book was mediocre. This one is dreadful. Novik has run out of inspiration here. Most of the people and dragons have turned flat, whiny, and/or negative. You don't want to be with these characters. Even Temeraire seems less interesting.

The plot rambles on across continents, with some exciting moments but plenty of tedium, too, especially in the second half. Throughout the book the dragons seem to be very concerned about what they're eating. (I'm not kidding.) This tells you something about the quality of the story. Is there a point to all this that engages our imagination and emotions? I don't think so.

I won't be reading any more books in this series. As far as I'm concerned, it's done. The ending to this book is contrived and inconclusive. Readers are supposed to hang on and buy the next book. No, thanks.

Temeraire is back! With higher stakes, more character (and dragon) development, and even a few battles. After the last book, which I found lackluster, I was glad to listen to this one which takes up the mantle of the previous stories.

Sadly, Laurence hasn't turned privateer yet. But he does get back on the ocean, headed to South America on behalf of England. I found it an interesting leap that Napolean would travel to South America, with the help of the African Tswana, to secure more of the world in his conquest. It's nice to continue to see more cultures brought into the story, and yet more different dragon cultures. I really liked the dragon culture of the Inca, and the effects of earlier conquests on it.

We also get to see more of Laurence (and Temeraire) being anti-slavery, which is always fun. And even some *ahem* romantic development with Iskierka, which was highly entertaining. The plot was well-paced this time, with the action being a strong driver, right up through the end of the novel, which points Laurence and Temeraire in an unexpected direction.

Overall, I enjoyed it and can't wait to see what happens next. With only two books left in the series, I can't see how Napolean will be defeated...although I'm less convinced he *should* be, as my concern is entirely with the cadre of dragons and their captains.

Seventh in the Temeraire alternative history military science fiction series and revolving around Temeraire, a black Celestial dragon, and his human partner, Will Laurence.

My Take
Novik slips back to third-person point-of-view with an impersonal narrator describing the various characters and their reactions. And god knows there's a lot to react to! I suspect this POV contributed to making that question-posing hook at the start the surprise it was what with Novik's description of Laurence. That boy's gone native!

I do love how Novik has made Laurence such an honorable man — an overarcing series theme — with such a complex dragon. Poor Temeraire is a dragon with his love for ostentation, treasure, and putting on a good show. He also loves his captain and tries so desperately to understand his reasoning, to want his happiness. Unfortunately, Laurence can be too honorable as witnessed by events on the island. As for Hammond's hopes for negotiating with the Tswana…good luck, buddy.

Kulingile is the opposite side of the spectrum. Oh, not that. Not like that bitch Iskierka who is in a category all her own and outrageous enough that even Granby threatens her. At last! No, Kulingile is an easygoing sweetheart who doesn't have the itch for ostentation but does love his "captain". It makes for some difficult soul-searching for Temeraire!

Novik captures the time period's customs, manners, attitudes, and mores beautifully, which helps to underscore Laurence's willfulness and compassion in recognizing that he is in the Wiradjuris' land. So un-British of him!

There are more than enough plot twists in Crucible of Gold as we hop from disaster to disaster. Novik certainly kept me flipping those pages! That switch-up in Peru on the custom readers would "expect" was a plot twist, and caring for an ayllu is definitely giving Temeraire ideas, lol. Poor Laurence. Then there's Hammond, for Churki has her own ideas about him and setting up her own ayllu, rofl. Look out Europe, *more laughter*

Then again, that cliffhanger ending…

The Story
It's critical that the Portuguese ally with the British, if they are to have their support to land British troops in Portugal with a chance at beating Napoleon. But with the Tswana laying waste in Brazilia, the Portuguese may decide to surrender to Napoleon.

That alliance is so critical that the British government is willing to reinstate Laurence as a captain. A reluctant one who states upfront that he will not accept orders that are immoral.

It's a voyage fraught with disaster, one after another, as they survive explosions, surrender, marooning, and betrayal.

The Characters
The bookish, independent-minded Temeraire, a.k.a., the Most Honorable Lun Tien Xiang, is the most important breed of dragon, a Celestial black with a divine wind capable of destroying most anything. He's partnered with the honorable Will Laurence, a former captain in the British Aerial Corps who was drummed out for treason and transported to Australia. Gong Su has been with them since Black Powder War , 3, as Temeraire's chef. The rest of Temeraire's crew will include Lieutenants Fellowes and Forthing, Ensign Emily Roland, the bookish Sipho who is Demane's younger brother, the innocent Mr. Ferris who suffered horribly in Victory of Eagles , 5; Gerry is an orphan who becomes a runner; and, Midshipmen Cavendish, Bellew, and Avery.

Iskierka is a fire-breathing Kazilik dragon ( Black Powder War , 3) partnered with her adored Captain John Granby. She's a nasty selfish bitch, and I wouldn't mind if she died. Her crew includes Mr. Richers as her new first lieutenant; Bardesley is second lieutenant; Pohl is the harness-man; Mallow is the dragon-surgeon; and, Dewey is a former barber.

The traveling troop boards…
…Captain Tom Riley's HMS Allegiance, a dragon transport. Once, he and Laurence were friends until a final falling-out in Empire of Ivory , 4. Lord Purbeck is still the first lieutenant; Mr. Smythe is the sailing master; Lieutenants George, Burrough, and Paris; able seamen include Yarrow, Mayhew, Yardley, Griggs, Richard Handes is a brute, Crickton, Jergens, Cheltenham, Powton, and Cavendish; Midshipman Darcy; Urquhart is the weak cook's mate; Carver is Riley's servant; and, Baggy is one of the ship's boys. Old Molly and the gunner's wife with her baby are the only females in the crew. Demane and his dragon, Kulingile (a huge combination of Parnassian and Chequered Nettle); Richard Shipley (his brother is part of the Willow Tree crew) was a tailor and O'Dea, who had been a lawyer (with four wives! Katherine, Felidia, Willis, and Kate), were both convicts working Lawrence and Temeraire's lands.

Arthur Hammond is the English ambassador to the Chinese court ( Throne of Jade , 2).

South America
Brazil
The Tswana of Africa ( Empire of Ivory , 4) have called truce with Napoleon in order to free their families from slavery. Kefentse is the dragon in charge while Mogotsi is the human general. Mrs. Hannah Erasmus whose real name is Lethabo, is in Rio with them. Dikeledi is a pinkish dragon.

Prince João is the hopeful and naive prince regent of Portugal, living in Rio. Dom Soares de Câmara is quite the prideful slaveowner.

Captain Adair Galloway is in command of the Dapple . The crew includes Mr. Rightley, his third lieutenant; Wren is a midshipman; Able Seamen Ewyll, Weskett, and Todd; and, Creed. Blaise will captain the Potentate .

Peru
Anahuarque Inca, the Sapa Inca, a.k.a., empress of the Incas and the widow and daughter of the previous emperors, is based in Pusantinsuyo. Ninan is a warrior on attendance of the Sapa Inca. Maila Yupanqui is a feathered dragon ambassador for the Incans and considered the guardian of the royal house. Atahualpa's murder and Pahuac's suicide are a constant reminder to the dragons.

Palta is a protective dragon encountered outside the village of Quitalén. Supay. Taruca is of the khipukamayuq and owned by Curala, a dragon. Curicuillor, a dragon, is the curaca of Taruca's clan. Choque-Ocllo and Churki are some of her daughters. Ronpa is one of her sons.

In Talcahuano can be found the governor, Hualpa Uturuncu, a feathered dragon. Manca Copacati is their dragon champion, a venom spitter, who has never been bested in a challenge.

I think an ayllu is a family, a clan, but not necessarily of blood. A curaca is the chief of the ayllu. A khipu is a knotted message.

Australia
Shen Li is one of the new breed of dragon, one of four who can fly for great, great distances. She flies out mail and visitors to Laurence, Temeraire, and the men working for them on their new land. The Wiradjuri are one of the native tribes. Bunyips are nasty creatures, very sly…and sentient. The sea serpents are underwater dragons who will do most anything for fish.

Sydney
Mr. McArthur is the current governor. Again. His wife, Elizabeth is quite the clever one. Captain Ian Rankin, a snobbish jerk, has partnered with Caesar (who's worse than Iskierka!) and is in charge of the Aerial Corps in Australia. Lieutenants Blincoln and Drewmore are some of the aviators who torment Demane for his partnership with Kulingile, the scorned dragon from ( Tongues of Serpents , 6). Dorset is a dragon-surgeon. Lieutenant Paster of the New South Wales Corps is another jerk.

Mrs. Gerald is only respectable by marriage. Miss Hershelm is quite shy. Miss Oakley is another guest. Mrs. Pemberton is a recent widow with a desire to see the world and who will become a chaperone and hostage

Captain Willoughby is the idiot in command of HMS Nereide who may have precipitated war with China ( Tongues of Serpents ).

An invert is a homosexual.

Britain
Wellington is in command of the British Army. Captain Catherine Harcourt is partnered with Lily; she married Riley when he discovered she was pregnant. Tom is their baby son. Jane Roland is Emily's mother and partnered with Excidium. Candeoris. Laetificat has been posted at Gibraltar but is not doing well. Maximus, upset with Kulingile's size, is partnered with Captain Berkley; Gaiters is his surgeon. Other dragons who show up in Brazil include Messoria partnered with Captain Sutton, Immortalis partnered with Captain Little, Dulcia partnered with Captain Chenery, and Nitidus partnered with Captain Warren. They left Perscitia behind in England building their pavilions.

Choiseul had been a traitor; Praecursoris his dragon ( His Majesty's Dragon , 1).

The French
Napoleon, the French emperor, is making war in Europe and Brazil. Lien is a brutally intellligent white Imperial dragon who fled China after her treason was discovered ( Throne of Jade ). She's now an able advisor to Napoleon and Temeraire's greatest enemy.

The Triomphe is…
…a French transport captained by M. Thibaux. Her crew includes M. Vercieux, the ship's master. Genevieve is a young Fleur-de-Nuit who's rather full of herself with Monsieur De Guignes as her partner; they are both newly honored with the Legion de l'Aile. Ardenteuse is a Chanson-de-Guerre while Piccolo is a Grand Chevalier. Madame Récamier is gracious.

China
Qian is Temeraire's mother. It appears that Crown Prince Mianning has useful foresight.

Laurence's father, Lord Allendale, is devoted to abolition; Riley's father is a slave-owner in the West Indies.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a pale gold of cloudy skies and complementary hills and rocks that surround a blue-gray inlet with the wrecked pirate ship. It's Temeraire as the black dragon hovering slightly below the center of the cover, holding a plaque with the series information: a black background, bordered top and bottom in a lighter blue of the water, and the text in gold, as is the embossed title above Temeraire. The author's name is at the top in a brighter blue.

The title is Laurence's, Temeraire's and their companions' Crucible of Gold, the severe trials they endure throughout their journey.

I have enjoyed the first three books in this series and then kind of slogged/skimmed through the last few because there was some interesting points that would come up to hold my attention but this one I just couldn't even muster up the effort to finish reading. I skipped through most of the book and went to the end chapter to see if I could even care to wonder what happened. I can't tell you how tired I am of disasters that kill everybody off, long details of what dragons will eat and how messy it is or how it needs to be cooked, and introductions of new characters to take the place of old characters that have been killed. It is exhausting. And then the whole social agenda of Temeraire for the rights of dragons. Seriously. I get it. It just isn't enough to build a long and drawn out series on. The plot seems to be thinning out. The relationship between Temeraire and Laurence just isn't enough anymore to keep me reading. I would love to see some characters stick around long enough to be interesting or that their deaths are not so common place that you just don't care anymore, just aren't shocked, because really just about everyone is dying anyway so who cares. Time to move on to something else. Disappointing.

A pretty interesting addition to the series, especially since we get to see a whole different setup of human-dragon culture. Rather than the bonding of human and dragon thus far seen from Europeans, or the independence of dragons in China, the dragons of South America form family partnerships, called ayllu, with one dragon attended by and protective of multiple humans. At first seen as slavery by the British characters, it becomes obvious this is a symbiotic relationship...so long as the humans aren't stolen from their dragon. Which becomes a major plot point, going along with the plot point of Napoleon's promise to grant manumission to the African slaves, earning them as powerful allies.

I think my favorite part of this book is that Iskierka finally wins Temeraire over and, while it's not a romantic thing, it just amuses me so much that she's so smug about getting an egg by him.

Overall, a nice addition to the series, and a relief to find it of good quality after the lackluster previous book. It sets up quite a few game-changers for the final two books in the series, and leaves the reader eager for more.

As soon as I discovered the Temeraire series, I read all the books that were then available, so I was delighted to see a new volume after a gap of several years.

It suffers from the problem of long-running series that there is now a lot of backstory, and with the gap aforementioned, I spent the first three chapters trying to remember who all these people were and why they were arguing. It's a tribute to the author that I remembered most of them, and a good many of the key preceding events, by the end of the book.

A quick "the story so far" and/or a list of characters would make it easier to get back in, though.

Breaking down my rating, since different books are good for different reasons:

Language/prose style: 4 stars. The language gives an authentic period feel, without being so authentic that it's unnecessarily hard to read. There is an odd thing which I noticed a couple of times, in which we get what at first sounds like Lawrence's interior monologue (written in free indirect speech, beginning with some phrase like "Lawrence wondered"), and then someone answers him and it becomes clear that he was speaking at least some of these thoughts aloud. It may well be how novels were written in the early 19th century. I found it a little disorienting, though.

Plot: 5 stars. Reading through, I realized that one of the things Naomi Novik does exceptionally well is put her characters in situations in which there is no clear solution to their problem that is both moral and easy to carry out. Every option is either morally questionable or costly or both. This happens again and again, and keeps the tension up and showcases the strong moral character of Lawrence, who will put his opposition to slavery ahead of his personal interests and even the interests of his country.

Character: 3.5 stars. As I've already mentioned, the characters are memorable, even though there are so many, and the dragons not less than the humans. The dragons' lack of sophistication when it comes to human concerns is occasionally, I felt, a little overplayed. It's hard to sustain naive characters long-term without their naiveté becoming annoying, and Temeraire, for me, is starting to cross that line. However, his naiveté and Iskierka's selfish boastfulness and willfulness do provide plenty of fuel for plot complications.

I could stand to see more character development. I don't feel that the characters changed very much in this volume, certainly not compared to the previous volumes.

Setting: 4 stars. I enjoy the world in which dragons (and other mythical megafauna like bunyips and sea serpents) exist, and their influence on history, despite large amounts of implausibility. Such a very alternate world would be unlikely to have produced the same Napoleon and the same Napoleonic wars, for example, and the amount of food such large creatures as the dragons would need to consume just to stay alive, let alone fly for days, is thoroughly fudged, but I forgive all that because of the fascinating possibilities it produces. Even though the population of South America is being devastated by European illnesses, as did indeed happen historically, it doesn't enable the Spanish to conquer them because of the presence of the dragons. Likewise with Africa, and the Tswana and the Inca Empire make for an interesting dynamic in a world less dominated by Europe than our own.

Overall, a good entry to an excellent series, and proof that not every traditionally-published book has to be the same-old same-old. Alternate history Napoleonic wars with dragons? Thank you, I believe I will.

Will Laurence and his faithful dragon Temeraire have been living in exile in Australia for the past few years.

But building pavilions doesn't make for a very exciting book, so Naomi Novik's seventh novel is all about bringing the awesome pair back into action. It's a solid, tight historical fantasy that blasts Laurence and Temeraire into yet another strange exotic place, complete with shipwrecks, Frenchmen, whales, mutiny and feathered dragons.

Laurence is offered his commission back, because the British government has decided that it needs his help once more -- Brazil is in turmoil because of the Tswana empire, and the French have thrown Spain into chaos. Despite Laurence's misgivings, he and Temeraire leave on a ship for Brazil -- along with Demane, Granby, Iskierka and Kulingile.

But near the end of their voyage, their ship is destroyed, and the survivors find themselves marooned in the land of the Incas, ruled by dragons and not too pleased to see them. As they work their way to Rio, Temeraire and Laurence find themselves embroiled in another diplomatic disaster that can only end in another battle.

Temeraire and Laurence have gone to Asia, the Middle-East, Africa, Europe and even far-off Australia. Since they're rapidly running out of far-off places to visit, it's time for the pair to head off to South and Central America, which allows Novik to further flesh out her fictional world -- she mingles real history (Brazil's slavery issues) with fictional dragoncentric social customs.

The story also moves at a quicker pace than "Tongues of Serpents," with more dragon-fighting, fiery shipwrecks and a big climactic battle. Novik's prose has the stately, detailed quality of 19th-century novels, but she also imbues it with lots of vivid details ("blue light shining cold off the metal and casting a strange grey color over his face").

We also see how Laurence and Temeraire have matured after their exile. Laurence is now very aware that his conscience may be at odds with his orders, and struggles with the loss of a personal friend. And Temeraire is less impulsive and more thoughtful, as evidenced by his talk with the ancient Curicuillor. He still has a tinge of possessiveness, since he doesn't like the idea of Laurence having kids.

There is also some nice development for both the other dragons and their captains -- Iskierka and Granby hash out their differences, and Kulingile is seeking to assert himself now that he's no longer an undersized runt.

The captain and dragon are older and wiser, but Naomi Novik's strong writing and even stronger characters make "Crucible of Gold" a delight. It'll be a long wait to see what happens next.

I've been following the adventures of Laurence and Temeraire since the beginning, and enjoyed almost every moment of it. Reading another Temeraire novel is like going back to an old friend, as the tone of the narration clearly captures the personalities of the points of view it depicts, usually either that of Temeraire the dragon or of Laurence his affectionate but conflicted captain. Even if I can agree with a number of other readers that the last couple of installations have felt a bit like digressions, they felt like necessary digressions, following Laurence as he comes to grips with the disgrace of being dismissed from the Aerial Corps. With this one, he's back in business, even if his influence in the larger arena of the Napoleonic battles remains uncertain. He's been reinstated, and allowed out of exile in Australia, but only because his experiences in Africa make him perhaps the best candidate for convincing a powerful African tribe not to side with Napoleon against Brazil. What is certain is that Laurence and Temeraire are bound to get into trouble whenever Laurence's deeply felt sense of duty and propriety conflicts with his equally deep commitment to conscience, as reinforced by Temeraire's own gut-level instinct for fairness.

The series presents an alternate version of European history that imagines what it would have looked like if there really had been dragons - and one of the most intriguing aspects of the story is that its author, Naomi Novik, explores the manner in which cultural differences might play a role in how the peoples of each land might relate to these intelligent beasts. In China they are revered and treated as equals; in Africa, considered as reincarnated ancestors; among the Incas, that form the focus of the encounter here, they function as tribal leaders and jealous guardians of the peoples they protect and care for. I wouldn't suggest you start here, but for those who got started and may have lost enthusiasm, feeling that the story was flagging a bit in the last few novels, I can say: it gets better, and I see hints towards the end of this book that the series is beginning to work towards a culmination. There may still be two or three novels left, but I suspect (to mix metaphors) that the light at the end of the tunnel may be appearing just over the horizon. Now I can't wait for the next one.

Naomi Novik's Temeraire series really caught my attention in the first two or three books. However, after that I found that my attention began to wane. Fortunately Crucible of Gold seems to be a step back in the right direction. I enjoyed the book.

Captain Will Laurence and his dragon Temeraire are back in action after having been forced to the sidelines in Australia by suspicions of divided loyalties. The plot of the book gets a little convoluted but it will hold your interest. It involves the powerful African empire of Tswana, a French occupation of Spain, and revolution in Brazil. The British government has offered Laurence a reinstatement to his former rank and seniority in the Aerial Corps in exchange for his help and Temeraire's. That is how the pair finds themselves in Brazil where their troubles really begin to mount.

Give the book a chance and see how Laurence and Temeraire fare this time.

Before starting this book you really must have read all the prior books. There is a lot of history behind the people and dragons. It has been a while since I've read a Temeraire novel, but the important parts of the histories were repeated where it was able to jog my memory of the different support characters and dragons. I applaud when authors try to do this!

From reading the other reviewers, I'm in the camp of I enjoyed the first 3 books. Like books 4&6, this is more of an exploration book but I in the end enjoyed the book once I got past the beginning 70+ pages which seems like a long drawn out transition to get the characters to South America. As a reader I was sometimes confused why a lot of time was spent in one location (the island?), then a couple of thousand miles pass in a page? I guess in the end the book had enough of a mix of character development, a new dragon culture, and action sequences to make it an entertaining read for a series that was getting a little stagnant.

Naomi Novik's latest entry in the Temeraire series continues the story of the dragon Temeraire and Captain Lawrence. After being exiled to the wilds of Australia, Lawrence is reinstated to the British aerial corps. He is then sent to Brazil on a diplomatic mission.

The series started off with a bang with "His Majesty's Service" where Temeraire and Lawrence are introduced and continued it's exciting and creative storyline in the next two outings. Unfortunately, the series grew stale starting with the fourth entry. This outing, the seventh in the series, is the author's attempt to revitalize the series. Unfortunately, Novik tries too hard and fails.

While Novik's writing is still quite good and her premise is still interesting, her characters have grown trite and sometimes banal. Hopefully, Novik will fix this issue in the next book in the series.

Naomi Novik has produced another stellar fantasy novel full of rip-roaring adventure set in the Napoleonic Era. As each novel enfolds, the reader sees our two heroes, Captain Will Laurence and his young dragon Temeraire, grow and change.

In CRUCIBLE OF GOLD, the action is intense. The story begins in Australia, includes harrowing happenings on the high seas and finishes with a battle in South America. Political necessities require the British government to reinstate Laurence to his former rank but Temeraire's captain is even more reluctant to become a pawn in the international intrigues of the day. But he is also a patriot. Temeraire, still fairly innocent of the motives of men, urges Laurence to reclaim his rank and his duties.

In South America, the pair finds sentient dragons ruling benevolently over human populations. This reader found herself comparing these wise elders to the somewhat brash and materialistic Temeraire and concluded that for all his intellectual attainment, Temeraire is very young. His captain, however, has become a shrewd and ethical man standing strongly for what he believes to be right, even when it goes against orders.

I can't praise this series too highly, and this may be the best book to date. If you have not read the previous books in the series, they are required to get the full impact of this one: HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON, THRONE OF JADE, BLACK POWDER WAR, EMPIRE OF IVORY and VICTORY OF EAGLES. Combined with CRUCIBLE OF GOLD, this unique fantasy series will appeal to readers of McCaffrey's Pern series and the naval adventures penned by Patrick O'Brien. Quite a stretch? That's what makes this series so appealing.

Book 7, Crucible of Gold, brings Captain Will Laurence and his dragon Temeraire back into action against Napoleon. Will is reinstated and sent to South America to bring the Portuguese into the British fold. But as often happens they don't even meet the Portuguese until the last part of the book. Naomi takes the history of the Inca's with Europeans and gives it the twist that having dragons would bring. Because of that twist Will and Temeraire are put between the French and the Inca's with unexpected result.

For me parts of the book really did drag but then it would pick up and my interest level would increase. This happened throughout the book. While each event is important to the continuing history the story does not seem to be moving to any conclusion. I do know where Will and Temeraire are heading in the next book. Like this book there will be exciting action and new players in the story. What I am hoping for is more movement in the direction of defeating Napoleon.

I would not read this as a stand-alone but if you have read any of the first books you could pick this up and not be lost. I have book 6 in my TBR pile and wondered if I needed to go back and read it first. I did not feel like I missed anything by not reading it and do not feel like going back to read it now.

Last we heard of the Dragon Temeraire and his human Captain Laurence, they were condemned to a hard-scrabble life as farmers in far-off Australia. This judgment being rendered due to their traitorous activities in France, but modified from a death sentence as a reward for the heroic actions they take afterwards on England's behalf. As this novel starts up, the pair are working hard at creating their new life in the center part of Australia when, lo and behold, the English ambassador to China shows up with a message. Turns out that England does have use for Laurence's and Temeraire specific skills and knowledge after all. You see, Napoleon has not stopped in his mischief making even after he was beaten badly in the battle on British soil two years before. While England has managed to land their soldiers on the continent in Portugal, Napoleon has contrived an alliance with the dragon kingdoms of central African and those dragons are attacking the Portugese in Brazil. They manage to go from Africa to South America courtesy of French Dragon transports. Ergo, Laurence is re-instated into the service and the pair is dispatched to South America to deal with the African Dragons that they met previously.

From this start, the novel takes us on a rollicking and adventure-filled tale where Temeraire and his happy crew are shipwrecked; find themselves saved by a French transport that is carrying an Incan Dragon - huh?; are marooned on a dessert island, and yet somehow, by their wits and luck, manage to fulfill their mission at least in part. I will not mention any more details here as that would be giving away too much of the plot, but there are some interesting twists and turns throughout this tale that made it fun reading for all of us who have enjoyed this series of books. This one does not disappoint. On the negative side though, the suspension of disbelief becomes a little too great with some of the plot points, so I decided to take away one star as I found myself either groaning in disbelief, or looking at the text while shaking my head. Again, I do not want to give away too much, but I will point out that at one point in the novel, there is a decision to be made by an important South American figure between the French and British. While up to that point, the treatment provided both was exemplary; all of a sudden soldiers and fighting dragons are arrayed against our heroes with no provocation provided of any kind. Quite unlikely.

The adventure will clearly continue as the novel ends with several major plot threads remaining unresolved and Temeraire and his crew about to launch themselves into yet another country - instead of returning to England.

Another reason why I decided to give this novel four stars has to do with the lack of growth of the characters. Actually, it is even somewhat worse than that. For instance, Laurence has always been portrayed as a prim and proper Victorian Gentleman from the British Aristocracy with a propensity to always display a stiff upper lip and all that. In fact, he is quite prudish and insists that his fifteen year old female officer must be chaperoned even though she has been an aviator her whole life and probably more capable than most. While he is worried over her morals - again, he has managed to employ a middle-aged matron to be Emily's chaperone! - he seems to not have any issues with other behavior that was considered highly deviant during that time. He is also quick to adopt some very liberal attitudes in areas such as slaveholdings and the like. This complexity would have been great to see develop through the course of this series, but that is not how it comes about. It is simply described as it is, with no sections that describe how Laurence reaches these kinds of conclusions or what personal conflicts he may have had.

The author's lively writing style has not diminished, nor have her creative descriptions of various locales and battle scenes become jaded. In this book we are treated to a cutting out expedition that is somewhat reminiscent of an Alexander Kent book. So, if you are a fan of Naomi Novik, this book will definitely belong on the bookshelf with the rest of this series. If you have not read any previous book in the series, I would recommend you start at the beginning rather than here so that many of the interactions, references, and characters make sense.

This is the 7th book in the Temeraire alternate history/fantasy series that started with His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) and is another departure from the Napoleonic War that formed the basis of the earlier books in the series. Readers who did not care as much for Tongues of Serpents: A Novel of Temeraire (Temeraire Series) because Laurence and Temeraire were away from the war action may be disappointed with this book as well because they don't go back to the action in Europe, but I really enjoyed it.

The story arc in the series is linear without a lot of recapping the action from previous books, so a new reader to the series would do best to start at the beginning of the series and read the books in order. That being said, "Tongues of Serpents" was the first book I read in the series and I enjoyed it enough that I went back and read the series in order from the first book. There are wiki entries on the characters and plots to help a new reader understand the relationships among the characters.

The book starts with Laurence and Temeraire settled into life in Australia where they were sent after the events of Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4) and Victory of Eagles (Temeraire). Once again developments in the Napoleonic War (at least in the author's increasingly alternate version of the war) require their assistance. Hammond comes from China and Granby & Iskierka and Demane & Kulingile return on a dragon transport ship captained by Riley. Together they sail toward Brazil because Napoleon has brought the Tswana dragons from Africa to attack the Portuguese to reclaim their people who were stolen into slavery. On the way, they run into trouble, are diverted, and encounter Inca dragons. The idea of Napoleon having an interest in South America might frustrate a reader who wants the dragons to be the only thing "alternate" about the history in these books, but I enjoy the characters (human and dragon) more than I care about historical accuracy (even on an alternate basis) and the author created situations in this book that really brought out the best and worst in her characters.

The dragon characters are the undisputed stars of this book. Kulingile has continued to grow but is still very much a juvenile dragon and Iskierka runs roughshod over Granby in her avaricious quest to acquire treasure and provide Granby with the bling and "honors" she believes he deserves. Temeraire, as usual, finds something in this new culture that he works into his world view. The new Inca dragons are dramatically different in coloration and status with respect to people than any dragons previously encountered by our regular characters.

I was completely captivated all through this book. There are aerial battles for those readers who care that these are military dragons and a sea voyage for those who don't want Laurence to forget he was a naval captain before Temeraire chose him. And the descriptions of the devastation of the Inca culture after the earlier European explorers tie into the author's vision of how the Inca dragons relate to the Inca people. In addition, the author conveys a sense of history in the way she writes; the book often feels like it was written in the time period in which the action takes place.

There are some surprises in the book as well with a new dragon choosing a person and a long-time character being something different than everyone believed. These developments make me eager for the next book in the series.

This series is a "must read" for anyone who loves fantasy novels about dragons and/or alternate military history.

England still stands against Napoleon, but she's fearfully short on allies, which is why the English government does the unthinkable, reinstating Captain Laurence to his position and sending him, along with his dragon Temeraire, on a voyage to Brazil. Napoleon has sent African dragons there, ostensibly to recover their stolen descendents (humans captured and enslaved by slave traders). The African dragons know they're being used, that Napoleon doesn't care about the fate of the slaves. Still, they don't have to like Napoleon to want to overthrow the brutal system of Brazil.

As it happens, the British dragon transport is swamped and the Laurence and the survivors from his party end up not in Brazil but Peru where the Inca fiercely defend their independence (Pissaro hadn't calculated on dragons assisting the Inca when he invaded). British diplomat Arthur Hammond schemes for an arranged marriage that will bring the Inca into the war in Europe on the side of England. Of course, Napoleon has other ideas.

Author Naomi Novik continues her charming series about an alternate earth where dragons fight along with humans. Over the past several volumes, Novik has widened her story, shifting the focus from mirroring the historical battles fought by Napoleon into the rest of the world. China, Australia, Africa and now the New World become the focus. As she continues, she also deepens the characters. Temeraire (the dragon) has truly become the central figure in the story with Laurence providing a foil rather than the driving figure. Together, Laurence and Temeraire attempt to reconcile their certainty that England is in the right (a feeling made easier to support by Napoleon's depotism in Europe but made more difficult by England's own bigotry against dragons, it's single-minded support for evil allies and its truly evil plans to wage biological war on France) with the reality they see around them. No longer are Laurence and Temeraire willing to accept orders. Now, they see the evils of slavery and resolve to do something about it... hoping to find a way to make their actions redound to England's benefit.

CRUCIBLE OF GOLD is a lot of fun. Temeraire is a complex character (yes, he's a dragon but this merely gives Novik the chance to take him outside of social constraints and let him see the world through fresh eyes--he may not be human, but he's a person). His views of the world, interaction with Laurence, the other humans and the other dragons are consistently amusing. Then Novik lays on a solid fantasy adventure set in a world sufficiently close to our historical one that I, at least, hurried to Wikepedia to determine whether, perhaps, Napoleon really did interfere in Brazil while the Portugese royal family fled there during the Peninsular Wars. I confess that I liked the parallel history of the earlier books but I think Novik and her characters have matured as we step outside the narrow bounds of repeating our own history

It isn't essential to read the entire series as CRUCIBLE OF GOLD stands well on its own (although the whole series is superior). I really enjoyed this one.

While I feel that the first three novels were certainly strong, after that they got lost in the weeds a little bit. This one is a course correction that I feel is back in the right direction, though I worry about the next novel as the end of this book makes me fear Naomi is taking us back into the weeds.

All told, I prefer epic struggles, naval battles, the war in Europe, to poking around Australia or getting a social lesson in Africa. We don't make it back to Europe in this novel but there is at least a little more good fighting in it, and it seemed as if they were heading back that way.

Novik has also shed some of the predictability found in her previous novels, and in many situations I was genuinely surprised by the turn of events, I didn't see them coming, which was a problem with earlier Temeraire novels.

In creating this world I also appreciate her attempts to devise all the possible social structures man and dragon could have evolved to hold in this alternative universe she has invented. The relationship between the two is different in Britain than in other parts of Europe, Africa is different still, as is China, as are ferals, as is too the relationship between the two in the realms journeyed to in this book.

So yes, this book is better than the last two, but still not as good as the original three. The bad news? I'm still thoroughly annoyed at the childishness of the supposedly intelligent dragons, yes I know the main cast are "young" but even old dragons seemingly lack the wisdom of maturity and, and there are various contradictions, such as an appreciation of poetry and literature, which undoubtedly contains adult themes, married to a toddler personality. Maybe it is a lack of complexity in the dragon characters, they all seem so one dimensional. The good news? We may finally get an egg in the next book. Who wants an omelette?

Crucible of Gold is the 7th entry into Naomi Novik's Temeraire series and by now you pretty much know what you are going to expect. Each book of this fantastical historical fiction series has a certain mix of action, political intrigue, and character development and I would say Crucible of Gold is heavier on the action that some of the previous entries (which is a good thing). I think all of the books have been pretty decent but I thoroughly enjoyed Temeraire's adventures in the Southern Hemisphere and thought Novik introduced an interesting thematic element with her twist on slaves.

The word is that there are going to be two more books in the series and I eagerly look forward to reading them.

"Crucible of Gold" continues Naomi Novik's amazing run in the "Temeraire" series. You would think that a story about dragons fighting the Napoleonic Wars would start to grow stale, but Novik's imagination spans continents and civilizations while remaining fresh, vibrant, and surprising.

"Crucible of Gold" starts with Laurence and Temeraire in Australia, and Laurence hears the great good word that he has been reinstated as an officer in His Majesty's Aerial Corps. Britain, perhaps desperate for Laurence and Temeraire rather than motivated by mercy or justice, has forgiven Laurence his "treason" (Laurence had refused to play germ warfare and on his own saved Napoleon's dragons from a dastardly disease spread by Britain.) So Laurence is back in harness, so to speak, and whisking away to new-found adventures as a valued officer.

All plans are thrown aside thanks to a drunken crew and the nightmare of fire aboard ship. When ensues is a tale of mutiny, salvation, marooning, rescue, and eventually global politics as Laurence and Temeraire find themselves in South America, squaring off against Napoleon himself as they play geopolitics with the local royalty.

While "Crucible of Gold" may not be the most action-packed of Novik's novels (although there is plenty of action), the novel is a dizzying travelogue across hemispheres and civilizations. Novik keeps the story moving forward with intelligence and energy, and she even spices this novel with Big Issues of slavery, self-determination, and even veiled discussions of homosexuality. It may be hard for a series focusing on dragons to grow up, but "Crucible of Gold" is a mature, entertaining read and a fantastic addition to the series.

Highly recommended.

This series has settled into further adventures mode; as with Tongues of Serpents, our human and dragon heroes are in geographical backwaters, being exposed to new things (Incan dragons take acquisitiveness and possessiveness to new levels, further corrupting (from the European point of view of the novels) Temeraire and his companions). There are some nice ideas here about how existence of dragons would have affected world history, but the company is clearly on its way from point A to point B with a little danger thrown in here and there and various other obstacles to their journey, so the ideas don't get much chance to develop.

I enjoyed the book, the characters continue to evolve, though the evolution is more perfunctory in this book. It's not bad, but it's not up to the standards of the first five books, nor even to the previous one, which had some of the same flaws but more unity of place and more depth to the evolution of Laurence and Temeraire. So a pleasant diversion with familiar characters, but that's about it.

This review is from the hardcover version that I got from the library.

Crucible of Gold is Book 7 in the Temeraire series, and is a wonderful return to the storytelling that made me enjoy the first novels.
To be honest, the last book, was boring, a placeholder in the tale. This book, on the other hand, is an adventure.

Captain Will Lawrence is called back to service from his exile in Australia, so that he can help the British defend against Napoleon's latest strategy, an attack on Brazilia, colony of Britain's ally, Portugal. Lawrence, Temeraire, and a small contingent of dragons and other characters set sail across the South Pacific to aid in the defense.

Along the way are some unexpected twists and turns. Our heroes must face unforseen adversity and encounter the Incas before they can get to Rio and assist the Portuguese.

This story was wonderful. Naomi Novik brings forth another civilization, whose relationship with dragons is different from anything readers have encountered in the series. Her world-building is terrific. She also does a good job of making the readers think the story is going left, then swerving it all to the right as it comes into context with the bigger picture. At the end of the book, she reveals some information that has me waiting for the next installment of the series with great anticipation.

Thank you, Ms. Novik, for returning to the adventure and creativity which got me hooked in the first place.

I went into this novel without much background into the series or familiarity with the characters. While there are many events and people that were alluded to from prior novels they are not that prominent so as to make those books a requirement. The central concept of introducing dragons into historical fiction is expanded on in this book to the continent of South America. There, dragons play a much different role than they apparently do in the prior books in the series, essentially dominating the plague decimated population.

The story was very jumpy, with some chapters seemingly rushed and illfitting. The plot elements were rather lacking, it was primarily a travelogue serving as a middle novel for the larger series. The human characters were rather flat, while the dragons, though much better characterized struck me as uniformly petulant. While not a bad novel, there was nothing all that good either. Its a very quick read and fans of the series will likely enjoy the twist of dragons in South America, but otherwise it isn't worth reading.

This latest novel in the Temeraire series is full of incident and adventure, conveying our heroes from Australia, across the Pacific, and then overland from one coast of South America to the other. Along the way they run into an assortment of nefarious Frenchmen and -women, the canny queen of the Incan empire, and the rather ineffectual Prince Regent of Portugal. It's a more entertaining ride than that presented by the previous two novels, though it doesn't quite measure up to the quality of the first couple books of the series.

That said, Ms. Novik does develop her alternate history even more fully in this book, which somewhat makes up for the lack of character development or anything approaching true suspense. As dragons are the preeminent weapon of the time, in spite of their generally amiable and even sweet natures, their presence all over the globe has allowed cultures like the Inca and Tswana to fight back against the depredations of fortune-seekers and colonialists. This leveling of the playing field is interesting and refreshing, and I'm already looking forward to reading more about it.

By all means, if you've been following the series this far, continue with this one; and if your interest has lapsed of late, this book is likely to rekindle it. Give it a look.

In this book, Temeraire and Captain Laurence embark on yet another exciting adventure. They start out in exile in Australia but are soon reinstated to their former position in the British aerial corps on the condition that they embark on a diplomatic mission to Brazil. On the way there, many mishaps occur and they even end up in the Incan empire at one point, hence the name of the book.

Similar to previous books in the series, Laurence's experience as a Navy captain figures prominently in the plot, and those who enjoy stories about the British Navy, such as the Horatio Hornblower or the Aubrey/Maturin series, will likely enjoy this book. The exotic location and different local customs also made the book interesting. I found it amusing that the local customs were the opposite of British customs and had the dragons more in charge than the humans. As usual, there was also plenty of well written action and playful banter both amongst the dragons and with their handlers.

I have pretty much enjoyed the Temeraire series up to the last novel "Tongues of Serpents". That novel was rather predictable and while it advanced the plot it was rather mediocre in it's plot. It was like a time out for the series where they had to resolve the banishment of Captain Lawrence to Australia before they could make him a Captain on the list again and back in service. It was also predictable how the dragon eggs would turn out and that the least of the eggs would become the best.

The new novel though is much more like the better books of the series in that the plot is not a simple going from A to B, but with surprises on the way with things not going as planned. You also finally get back to the conflict with Napoleon and also back to the Dragons introduced before in the series. Though I was a bit surprised that the new dragon from "Tongues of Serpents" had so little impact as part of the plot. Regardless I was glad to see the series back on track.

I stopped reading the Temeraire series - which I absolutely loved - after book 3, based on countless recommendations that the story grew stale and disjointed. However, I couldn't resist reading Novik's latest entry, and found it - well - middling.

I'm a big fan of Novik's carefully researched language which places her improbable heroes - usually stalwart, occasionally irritable aviator Laurence and his usually noble, occasionally aggravating dragon companion Temeraire - in a time and place which feels genuine yet fresh. The way she writes her characters is appealing, and her alt-nineteenth century world-scape is exciting. The problem lies with the story itself. 'Crucible' starts out with a bang, with the gang's adventures on the sea culminating in an unpleasant marooning, but then it becomes a bit disjointed when they end up in Peru. What started out as character exploration ends up with the aviators and their dragons running around the world yet again, which is ultimately less interesting and merely confusing.

Seeing Temeraire on the big screen would be monumental, but not at the expense of aimless storytelling.

Love Temeraire! It is great that in this latest adventure we travel to the one continent they hadn't been to yet - South America. I recently took a course in South American history, and was very impressed with the details Ms. Novak wove from Incan and tribal history of the area into Temeraire's version of the world.
As always - great dragon and human characters and great colorful details. Can't wait for the next one!

Naomi Novik is well into her series about the dragon Temeraire and an alternate Earth in Napoleonic times and "Crucible of Gold" (Del Rey, $25, 270 pages) is volume seven of a series that could go on as long as Aubrey and Maturin.

If you've read the first six installments, you'll like the seventh; if you haven't and it sounds interesting, it's a necessity to start with the first book, "Her Majesty's Dragon."

Novik does not fail to deliver another thrill-packed adventure, from Australia to South America and the heart of the Incan Empire. Her imaginative alternative history and delightful characterizations make this book hard to put down. Temeraire and Laurence and their crews and mates have grown over the years and I feel I know them like friends, and the newest dragonets are wonderful. I cannot wait for the next adventure!

I have enjoyed the Temeraire series to date, but this book is splendid. It is paced so that it is difficult to put down. The characterizations are well drawn, but still able to surprise and delight. The plotting of this book is thoroughly enjoyable; just when you think you know where you are, you are taken somewhere else. But what I am most grateful for is what I like best in alternative history; the possibilities it raises, and the thought-provoking ideas that stay with you long after. One is expected in such a book; this has at least six. It is a wonderful and well-written story. When is the next one coming out?