Black Powder War: A Novel of Temeraire

The third book in the Temeraire trilogy is just as good, if not better, than the first. These are truly fun books and they read really quickly, full of great characters, especially Lawrence, and especially Temeraire. They will also pique your interest in the "real" history of the Napoleonic era. The author has just sold a second trilogy, to the same publisher. I can't wait!

Laurence and company undertake an overland journey, only to encounter hurdles and the war at every turn. This installation begins as a comedy of errors and develops into a tragedy of errors, all without a strong overarching plot. Yet neither the misery nor aimlessness are particularly tiresome, although I did lose the thread the war a bit (my own fault--I let my attention slip while listening and I'm unfamiliar with the history). It works partially because there's still enough action to provide momentum, but moreso because the human element compensates: the precision of the lived, daily detail within the historical and fantastical setting, the way characters's personalities and values are shaped by these experiences, and, at the heart, the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire have pathos and humor and just enough conviction. This series continues to engage and satisfy me, and I can't wait to read more.

You know those stories where circumstances go from bad to worse, with every chapter? This is one of those. It makes sense- it's not only the third book in the series, but it takes place during one of the biggest wars in European history. While Temeraire has been discovering the concept of civil rights for dragons, and learning Chinese, Napolean has been marching across Europe.
One of the things I adore about this series is the amount of real history in it, despite the obvious fantasy elements. Things like the Battle of Danzig, and the Prussians getting their butts handed to them by the French.

In terms of pace, it's pretty constant. Tharkay is a fantastic character that I hope we see more of, and Arkady's pack of ferals is just fun. I keenly felt the frustration of Lawrence's crew being political pawns, and although at times I think Lawrence is extra-human in his level headedness, he's a wonderful character to be on board with. I have a suspicion of why some of the events unfolded as they did in this book, which I expect to be confirmed in the next book. I am prepared to be heartbroken (although it bears saying, anytime someone dies in this book it's never a character we feel we know well).

As always, I recommend the series to fans of the Napoleonic Wars era, historical fantasy, dragons, British Naval warfare, and character-driven stories. It's long, but it doesn't feel like it when you're reading. Or listening- because the audiobooks all have the same narrator and he's fantastic.

Third in the Temeraire alternate-world military fantasy series and revolving around Temeraire, a Celestial dragon, and his captain, William Laurence.

My Take
A fascinating start with Laurence in his new role as an adopted Imperial prince that quickly segues into a terrifying journey to Istanbul. Where it only becomes worse with betrayal.

Poor Temeraire. To go from the awe and reverence in which he's held in China to what he will experience in the West. He wants equality for dragons so badly, and Laurence is increasingly in sympathy with his aims, even though he knows how hopeless it will be. But after seeing how dragons live in China, how quickly the French adapt…

Turkey provides a setback, however, when Temeraire discovers dragon eggs are being sold. Of course, Temeraire is passing on his thoughts about dragons being paid and doing other work besides warmongering. You can imagine how well-received that is in Turkey, lol.

Temeraire's ideas will be about as well-received by the Prussians, although their aviators and dragons soon learn to appreciate some of Temeraire's innovations! Nor are Gong Su's skills limited to cooking, much to Temeraire's delight.

It's the last letter at the end of the book that really gets my goat. I certainly hope the pretentious, bigoted, and "superior" D. Salcombe encounters Temeraire! And I am on tenterhooks as to how Temeraire and Laurence will be received in England after all their experiences. Including the illuminating discoveries they make about what dragons in the egg can accomplish.

Arkady and the other feral dragons are…hmmm, interesting, frustrating, and a crack-up. I love the description of the story Arkady "tells", lol.

Not all the cultural exchanges are positive, though, as Dunne and Hackley discover to their cost. They're lucky that their captain is such an honorable man. It becomes worse with Lien's threats — and her new position with the Grande Armée. It doesn't pay to pooh-pooh what you can learn from books!

For all the reputation of the Prussians in our own history and that in the world of Temeraire, I'm not impressed. They sound more like the generals of our World War I.

It's one rescue and escape after another in this this tale of derring-dos. And it's that last rescue that is the most marvelous and unexpected!! I suspect "unexpected" is what we'll find in Empire of Ivory . There has to be some reason those English dragons didn't show!

The Story
New orders come for Laurence and Temeraire, and both are determined to take the fastest route: the dangerous Silk Road.

It’s one betrayal after another as Temeraire, Laurence, and their crew struggle to do the right thing through the deserts, in Istanbul, and for the desperate Prussians.

And the English dragons promised to the Prussians never come…

The Characters
The newly adopted Prince Captain William Laurence of His Majesty's Aerial Corps is partnered with Temeraire, a black Celestial dragon with his divine wind. Iskierka is a demanding, aggressive little thing.

Temeraire's crew includes…
…First Lieutenant John Granby; Lieutenants Riggs, Ferris, and Baylesworth; Keynes, the surgeon; Pratt is the armourer; Fellowes is the ground-crew master; Digby; Allen; Dunne, Hackley, and Salyer get demotions; Martin; and, the runners Emily Roland and Dyer as the crew. Laurence has included two Chinese cooks to cater to Temeraire's preferences: Jin Chao and Gong Su.

Tharkay, half-British and half-Chinese and not accepted by either side, will act as their guide. Most of the time. His companion is an eagle.

Macau, China
Lung Qin Mei is the dragon with whom Temeraire developed an intimate relationship. Sir George Staunton is the head of the East India Company. The rude ones include Mr. Chatham and Mr. Grothing-Pyle.

England
Admiral Lenton is Laurence's commander. Maximus and Lily are part of the English unit to which Temeraire belongs.

Istanbul, Turkey
Avraam Maden has secured a deal with the sultan for three dragon eggs. His family includes his wife and daughter, Sara (Sara is also kira, a business agent to the harem). Nadire is their maid. Mr. Arbuthnot was the ambassador. James Yarmouth is the ambassador's secretary whom everyone is blaming.

Hasan Mustafa Pasha is the official who acts as a go-between holding Laurence and company prisoner. His Majesty Selim III is the current sultan. Captain Ertegun is angry and insulting. Bezaid and Sherazde are Kazilik dragons whose eggs were promised.

Austria
Colonel Eigher is sympathetic. Emperor Francis is a French puppet.

The Prussians
King Frederick and his Queen Louise, the heart of the Prussian War Party, are both on the front. Colonel Richard Thorndyke is the liaison officer between the British and Prussians. Prince Hohenlohe leads the armies. Prince Louis Ferdinand commands the advance guard. Captain Dyhern is partnered with Eroica and leads their dragon formation. It's that predictability — endorsed by Frederick the Great — that hurts, although they are open to suggestion, eventually. Badenhaur is the officer assigned to Laurence. General Tauentzein, Holtzendorf, Marshal Blücher, and, the Duke of Brunswick (Scharnhorst was the duke's chief of staff) lead various parts of the Prussian army. I think Lestocq is another general. General Kalkreuth is trapped in Danzig. Colonel Ingersleben too quickly handed over Stettin.

The French
Napoleon is emperor. Berthier. Ambassador-to-China De Guignes is on his way back to France with Lien, the bad-luck white Imperial who hates Temeraire and Laurence. She proves too much, both good and bad. Marshal Lefèbvre is laying siege to Danzig.

Dragons
The ferals include Arkady who leads them; Gherni is a blue-and-white; Molnar and Wringe (a dark grey) are his lieutenants; and, Hertaz, greenish-yellow stripes over dusty brown, is their best hunter.

Durzagh is the language of dragons. The Chinese breeds include the Celestial — the ultimate in dragonkind, the Imperial, and Jade imperial couriers. Turkish dragons include the fire-breathing Kaziliks. Prussian dragons include high-flying Mauerfuchs and Berghexes. French dragons include the Flamme-de-Gloire and Honneur-d'Ors.

The Cover and Title
The cover has a deep grayed wood background with an orange Kazilik dragon, Iskierka, wrapped around a pocket watch-like frame with a cannon against a blue and orange cloud sky situated inside. The title is an embossed silver font that doesn't read well against the background while the author's name, an endorsement, and more info are in white. It's too bad the publisher didn't use the pale orange of the title on the spine; the contrast is much better.

The title is what this particular story revolves around, a Black Powder War with France attacking everyone.

This uniquely distinctive series blends together history and sympathetic characters in such an engaging way, as to make the books highly readable and fun. I love how Naomi Novik includes within her novels characters with such heart and spirit, which ultimately add depth and substance to the exciting storyline. As Peter Jackson (director of the Lord of the Rings films) stated "...these are beautifully written novels" and I couldn't agree more.

`Black Powder War' is the third installment within Temeraire series, which comprises of Temeraire, Throne of Jade and Empire of Ivory. Action-packed and intense, this thrilling adventure will have you soaring through the highest cloud and crossing vast Oceans where great ships prepare for battle. As Captain Will Laurence is returning home from China with his crew he and his Dragon are given new orders ~ to fly home immediately. Temeraire and Will are also instructed to collect three precious Dragon eggs that were purchased by the British. Their epic journey across Sea's and vast continents is fraught with danger and political interference.

Utterly spellbinding, never before have I encountered a marvelous fantasy tale that blends together both exquisite historical details with an exciting pirate `feel', akin to Pirates of the Caribbean versus Bernard Cornwell. Naomi Novik writes like Robin Hobb or Stephen King; with such extensive knowledge of her creation and spectacular world-building. Assured and accomplished this impressive novel is highly believable, compelling and a thoroughly engaging read that takes your breath away - literally! This is also the kind of story which similarly to "The chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis", it appeals to all ages from the younger reader to the adult reader.

5 Stars!

Another fantastic entry in the Temeraire series. The plucky Oriental dragon finds himself and crew on the return home to Britain from China. After a disastrous fire with their ship transport, they opt for an overland journey, taking them through the deserts of the Middle-East. Wil Laurence doesn't know what to make of their shifty guide Tharkay.

Temeraire remains as plucky and loveably naive as ever, certain that he can lobby for better treatment of dragons as soon as they get home. But home is thousands of miles away, and there are plenty of adventures to be had before they get there. The British government has negotiated to purchase three dragon eggs from the Turkish government. This is a troubling prospect to Temeraire who has quickly sussed out that buying eggs = buying dragons. And dragons being bought and sold = slavery.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Temeraire and company come across a pack of feral dragons, headed by the dragon Arkady who tells them a native dragon story - which is very complex and features plenty of fights over treasure, and drama between star-crossed dragon lovers.

When Laurence finally decides to make a break for it and escape the Sultan who has been holding them virtual prisoner, it's not without difficulty. Tharkay finally proves himself undoubtedly loyal and helpful in their escape. I cringed reading the rest of the book, knowing that no matter how much danger or difficulty Laurence and Temeraire face, they're sure to be questioned on everything by bureaucrats back home, and they won't get their fair share of credit.

Their continued journey westward lands them right in the middle of what is now Germany, during Napoleon's confrontation with Queen Louise of Prussia. The British allies take a serious pounding, and even Temeraire's presence is not enough to turn the tide of this historic battle. In the meantime, Lien, the disgraced albino Imperial dragon, has allied herself with Napoleon in order to have her revenge on Temeraire's part in the death of her prince. I felt bad for Lien. She's supposed to be a villain of course, but it's only an accident of birth that made the Chinese view her as unlucky.

I loved fiesty little Iskierka! Yay, baby dragons! She pops out of her shell, breathing fire, ready for a fight and just as saucy and independent as Temeraire. I loved the scene where Temeraire insists that he's certain he was never so silly as a baby as Iskierka is, and Laurence basically rolls his eyes at this, and doesn't say anything. The story ends with the Temeraire and crew, including dragonet Iskierka, and 20 new feral dragons on the final flight to Scotland. How will the British higher-ups react to their return? And what has Laurence missed in his year away? I can't wait to find out!

After the sluggish pace in "Throne of Jade", the action returns in this third book in about the dragon Temeraire and his rider, Captain Will Laurence. After foiling a plot against the Chinese Emperor, Laurence and Temeraire are ready to return to Great Britain and help in the struggle to contain Napoleon in Europe. However, as they prepare to get underway, they receive orders go to the Ottoman Empire and collect three dragon eggs that the British have purchased. Unfortunately, a fire aboard their ship threatens has delayed their departure, putting this mission in peril of not arriving before the eggs hatch.

In an attempt to save time, Laurence and Temeraire set off across Asia, following the old trade routes, facing the immense deserts and other perils along the way. When they arrive in Istanbul, they find that the political landscape has changed, and the Ottomans are unwilling to part with the eggs. Eventually forced to take the eggs by force, Temeraire and his crew race back to Europe, hoping to get the eggs back to Great Britain before they hatch. Unfortunately, the fly right into the middle of Napoleon's latest offensive. Pressed into service as an ally of the Prussians, Laurence and Temeraire find themselves thrust back into the midst of the European war.

In addition to providing additional glimpses of the geo-political reality of the Napoleonic era, but the real meat of this book is the continuing development of the dragons. We learn a great deal more about the different types of dragons, as well as their abilities and personalities. During the long journey west across Asia, we encounter a pack of feral dragons, which not only sheds light on the nature of dragons "in the wild", but also has implications later in the story. This may be my favorite book in the series, though the "sneak peak" at the fourth book at the end of this one is enough to make me want to search out the next book and keep reading.

For the third novel in the Temeraire series, Naomi Novik has given another fun -- but not necessarily strong -- outing as Temeraire and Laurence set off for another adventure. After the events in China, a letter comes to Laurence stating he must fly to Instanbul immediately as there are three dragon eggs that have been bought for England. Once there, it becomes very clear that everything is not as it seems and Laurence gets caught up in more of a political battle. Meanwhile, Napoleon is marching his armies against Prussia, and the albino Chinese dragon Lien (who has a serious vendetta against Temeraire and Laurence) has joined forces with the French.

Black Powder War's biggest problem is it feels like two different stories in one. The first is like a travelogue as Temeraire and Laurence end up in Instanbul and fight to get the eggs that England has paid for. Then the second half details the battle they get caught up in between Prussia and France. Both are entertaining to read, and they both build up very well to their own respective climaxes, but beyond the common thread of Temeraire and Laurence, there really isn't much that attaches these two halves together. I wonder if it might have served Novik better if she had expanded each half to their own single novel. The other issue I have is the seemingly lack of conclusion. It really is about half a page. I understand this is not the end of the series, but it seems like Novik got bored of the novel and was ready for it to be over.

The novel is still a great read, though. Novik's writing is strong as ever, once you get used to her using so many semicolons. The heart of the entire series is hinged upon Temeraire's and Laurence's relationship, and it is completely believable. Temeraire's ambitions to make life for dragons better across the world, and Laurence understanding it will never happen is a heartbreaking subplot. It is a great source of conflict between the two. The equal treatment up dragons seems to be the overall theme of the series. The battles are fun to read and pretty well done, but could be better. There is no sense that the battle against Napoleon will be an easy one.

As a whole, Black Powder War is another good installment of the Temeraire series, but it is probably its weakest. Those who enjoyed the first two will like this one as well, but it is pretty easy to recognize its faults. Novik just tries to cram two different stories into one, and it just didn't result in a cohesive story.

3/5

Temeraire and Captain Laurence have just completed their mission in China when an urgent messages arrives commanding them to go to Istanbul to pick up three dragon eggs to bring back to England. Of course, the mission is not that simple. For one reason or another, the party decides to go overland and somehow manage to get involved in all kinds of intrigue and battles that form the bulk of this book.

Unlike previous books in this series that I found fascinating and hard to put down, this one seemed like it was dragging and was not particularly interesting to read. I am not sure why as there was certainly enough action and even a couple of big battles that get intrigued by. I can only come up with three reasons for why I found this book to relatively boring: First, the writing style has evolved since the first two books and is much more in the period of the early 1800's. This means, among other things, that the language has become quite flowery. Now, if this remained confined to the dialog between the characters, then it would be alright, but it seems that the descriptive and narrative parts of the book have also been affected. Secondly, there are more and more unanswered questions that came up as I was reading this book and they detracted from my enjoyment of it. For instance, in the Prologue we read of Lien's burying her keeper and then moving away. Now, most other dragons are very distraught when their keeper/captain dies and are essentially put out to pasture as they are pretty much unmanageable. In this case though, Lien becomes Temeraire's implacable enemy and manages to get ahead of him in all his adventures and join his greatest enemies. Finally, this book has become very preachy as it investigated why Dragons are not being treated as human beings - or at least their equals. While this was interesting as a side conversation in previous books, in this one it is taking more of a central role and focus and is quite out of character from the rest of the story.

So, I decided to give this book only four stars because of these faults. At this point, the series is becoming quite established and it is obvious that it will now become a lengthy one at that. While the second volume spent over a year in getting Temeraire to China, his route back - with all the distractions and detours - was much shorter. I suppose we will not get more involved in the British - French war in the future - although this book already takes place post-Trafalgar. I will be interested in reading the next books in this series, but if they continue to deteriorate along the lines of this one, then I will probably put it aside after the next volume or two.

The Black Powder War is more than decent entertainment if you like this kind of thing. The book is paced like an action movie: the protagonists barely escape from one crisis before another is upon them. If I were a character in this book, I would be so exhausted by now. Wow!
The first part of the book, travel from China to Prussia, has an episodic feel to it: this happens, then that happens, for no particular reason - O My, what next? But the book comes into better focus when they arrive in Prussia and have to decide if they will aid the war effort of beat it back to England, things start to take shape.
I haven't got the expertise to critique the tactics of dragon warfare, but the French technique that so flumoxes the Prussians seems kind of silly. It's one thing for an action hero to jump from one speeding vehicle to another, when both vehicles are earthbound, but dragons are flying in 3 dimenions. I kind of doubt it would work. A quick change in elevation and soldiers are plummeting ineffectually to earth. Also, how close can one flying dragon get to another, what with the beating wings and all?
The author is clever about making Temeraire pose ethical quandries to Lawrence: dragons are sentient, should the be treated as chattel? Is it OK to steal someone else's property if you're the good guys in a book and you really need it?
I listened to this in my car on CD and I liked Simon Vances narration.
One other plot issue is this. There is a point where one of the characters has a clear, close shot at Napoleon from where he's hidden under cover. Why didn't he take it? Because if he had, the series would have ended right there, hit or miss. It's the only explanation.

"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).

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.

When I first came across Naomi Novik's three-volume Temeraire series, I naturally assumed that she had written a trilogy. Maybe she'd find a way to spin out the series into later novels, but I assumed that there would be the classic trilogy story-arc.

I was utterly wrong.

"Black Powder War" is an entertaining yet informative story-builder of a novel that is so necessary in a great series. I say "story-builder" because even though "BPW" has its own storyline, it clearly fits into a larger whole and the majory storyline moves along its arc but does not reach any resolution on any important point. Check out Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin series for several examples of this type of book - it's clear Novik is well-acquainted with O'Brian in more ways that just the Napoleonic era.

"BPW" opens with Temeraire and his beloved Captain Laurence still in China. Laurence has foiled a murder attempt and killed his Chinese enemy in the bargain. This earns the undying hatred for both Laurence and Temeraire of the Chinese albino dragon Lien, who is the ultimate villain in the series. She swears ghastly revenge against Temeraire - a vengeance that will leave Temeraire lonely and bereft by the sea, pining away for everything that he once loved . . . for Lien will have destroyed it all.

Laurence and Temeraire receive orders to fly at once to the Middle East to take possession of three dragon eggs purchased at great cost from a Sultan by England. So the first part of the "BPW" consists of a long travelogue through the wilderness of Asia. Laurence and Temeraire have many adventures, including an entertaining introduction to feral dragons.

Betrayed by the Sultan, Laurence and Temeraire cannot just grab the eggs and head home. From here, "BPW" leans toward despair, as Laurence and Temeraire find themselves outwitted and outfought, first by the Sultan and his cronies, and then by Napoleon's juggernaut.

A long book, "BPW" has plenty of action but is not an "action-packed thriller." Novik is a patient writer, and you must allow these books to unfold in their own time. Your patience will be rewarded in spades, however.

The premises of the book does not work. The author wants us to believe it is wiser to have Lawrence, the dragon, and the crew, walk across the dessert for 28 days to 30 days instead of fly it in 6 or 7 days. It states in the book that the dragon can only fly 100 miles a day.... come on! By his size and wing span he covers a 100 miles in less then 2 hours. Birds can fly 150 miles a day! The estimates of the distances, time, food, water etc. do not match mathematically. The author also wants us to believe that Lawrence is going to allow this "shady character" to lead them across the dessert even after realizing that the orders from command are in question because they would have been written before they had left China. The logic of the story falls apart and there is no depth to the story line. The first book was great, the 2nd okay, and this 3rd is horrible. Should I try number 4?

With Temeraire/His Majesty's Dragon, newcomer Naomi Novik came out of left field with what certainly appeared to be a winner. The quality of its sequel, Throne of Jade, demonstrated that the first volume was no fluke. Building on existing storylines, it showed that Novik's series possessed a lot more depth than its predecessor hinted at. And with Black Powder War, the author sets the bar even higher.

Some readers pointed out that this series didn't fill one with awe like works by authors such as George R. R. Martin, R. Scott Bakker and Steven Erikson. Be that as it may, in terms of entertainment this trilogy is definitely a breath of fresh air that enables it to stand out in the fantasy genre.

More and more, it's evident that Novik has an historian's eye for details. The backdrop of the tale remains the Napoleonic Wars. Bonaparte himself makes an appearance. The author's erudite knowledge of that historical period imbues her books with realism. And yet, as I mentioned in my review of His Majesty's Dragon, this is not your typical alternate history novel.

Although Laurence and Temeraire hold center stage once again, Black Powder War permits us to get better acquainted with other characters, both old and new. Granby, especially, comes to mind. Tharkay is also an interesting character, mostly because it's impossible to size him up. We get to see more of Lien, the albino dragon. Iskierka, a dragonet we meet near the end of the novel, shows a lot of potential.

Once more, it was a joyride to follow Temeraire's misadventures as Laurence and his crew must fly overland from China to Istanbul. Orders of capital import reach Laurence in Macao. Time being of the essence, a sea voyage cannot be considered. With the French doing their utmost to secure an alliance with China and with Napoléon terrorizing Continental Europe, Laurence is acutely aware that they have no time to lose. With the enigmatic Tharkay as their guide, they embark on a long sojourn. Along the way, feral dragons will land them in a heap of troubles, and they will soon discover that treachery is afoot within the Ottoman Empire. Somehow, they must find a way to return to England.

My only disappointment is that Black Powder War is by no means the end of the trilogy, not even an end. The book ends with a cliffhanger of a sort. Which means that I must now wait for the fourth volume to see what happens next. Quite vexing, actually!;-)

Kudos to Naomi Novik for breathing new life in the much-overused dragon concept, which in itself if laudable. Moreover, she did it with the skills of a veteran writer and unmistakable panache to boot!

Kudos also to Del Rey Books for releasing the three volumes of this trilogy in so short a span of time. For once, readers can have their cake and eat it too!

For the sole reason that it's a welcome change from the multitude of dark and gritty fantasy epics, I encourage everyone to give Naomi Novik a shot. You won't be disappointed. I haven't had this much fun reading fantasy books in quite some time!

[...]

The third in the "Temeraire" series gives Captain Lawrence and Temeraire an uncertain new mission. In order to accomplish this they must travel from the orient into the deadly territories further west, into the depths of the European continent. Novik continues her alternate history thread to great effect, pulling the characters into darker waters with a guide they don't entirely trust.

As with the previous instalments, the writing is beautifully fluid and expertly constructed. Whatever niggles her narrative had at the start of her career have now been entirely ironed out, leaving the narrative and dialogue very smooth and easy to digest. This novel is not quite as fast-paced as the first two, and the excitement of the title and blurb is a little misleading. This is a much more sedate story but with fine character development and cleverly placed action sequences to keep the story going. Wonderfully paced, but not action-packed - still well worth a read if you enjoyed the earlier books.

Black Powder War is the third book in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik and picks up right where The Jade Throne left off. The story starts with Temeraire and Laurence still in China where they quickly receive orders to go recover some highly coveted dragon on their way back to England.

Novik doesn't stray far from her winning her formula of fun characterization, political intrigue and heart pounding action sequences. All this makes for a very enjoyable just as its predecessors were. Novik keeps the story fresh by introducing new elements to the overall dragon lore and she is not afraid to kill off a character here and there.

PBW ranks second in the series for me and the fourth book in the series is set for a Fall 2007 release. This is not a stand-alone book however and interested readers should definitely start with first book in the series. Also this is a very family friendly series and is basically appropriate for junior high kids and older.

Naomi Novik, Black Powder War (Del Rey, 2006)

The third book in Novik's Temeraire series is just as much fun as the first two. The crew, waiting to head back to England after their odd, if successful, jaunt to China, are intercepted with a message asking them to go overland and pick up three dragon eggs in Istanbul that the Turks have just sold to the British. This involves a long trek across the desert (as this whole series has been a "what if [x] had dragons?" scenario, I can't help but think Novik had Lawrence of Arabia in mind here). But, of course, once they finally get to Istanbul, they find that their troubles are far from over...

If you liked the first two, this one's a must. Novik has quietly carved a name for herself in an age glutted with fantasy series as a high-quality practitioner of the art; if you haven't encountered her yet, she's well worth a try. ****

In this book, the dragon Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, are preparing to return home to Britain from China when they receive orders to retrieve three dragon eggs from the Ottoman Empire. In the interest of time, they risk a dangerous overland journey rather than going by sea. But the mountains, deserts, feral dragons and interference of the Turks are minor troubles compared to the wrath of an oriental dragon hell-bent on ruining their lives, even if she must change the tide of world war to do it.

Another page-turner. Much better than Throne of Jade if still perhaps not quite as good as His Majesty's Dragon (but that one has the benefit of being first, with no basis for comparison). Regardless, I can't wait to read whatever Novik writes next...

This third book dealt more heavily on the military battles and being away from England than the prior two (In Throne of Jade it was clear they were trying to go BACK to England), and I thought that the military might have been stepped forward a bit in importance. I also thought it odd a loose end hadn't been mentioned, nor wrapped up, in that there is supposedly one more unhatched dragon egg, though I was happy to see Granby get his dragonet, who will prove, I think, to be quite the handful.

I was pleased to read the continuation and I am still enthralled by this story. A lovely read for lovers of alternate history, dragons, or both. And I can't wait to read the next one.

His Majesty' Aerial Corps Captain Will Laurence and his partner HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON Temeraire the dragon relax after their Chinese escapades (see THRONE OF JADE). However, their R&R is cut short, when an envoy informs the daring duo of their assignment. They must travel to Istanbul to pick up three dragon eggs recently purchased from the Ottomans and bring them safely home before they hatch.

Will hires Tharkay, a half-breed guide who has parents in both nations, and decides the land route is best. However, the trek is hazardous from natural causes, a falling out between the two nations, and mostly because of the raging Chinese dragon Lien, who vows vengeance on Laurence and Temeraire for the death of her human mate. All this is happening while the clock is running out and a betrayal makes it seemingly impossible to accomplish the mission.

The latest Laurence-Temeraire adventure is once again a fabulous historical fantasy. The story line is filled with action and adventure while the secondary players add depth either to the escapades to the period. However, as always the tale is owned by the lead duo who both grows into better tolerant beings due to their relationship. Fans will enjoy the BLACK POWDER WAR.

Harriet Klausner

The first two books in the series were well written and entertaining, but this this third book has more excitement and anticipation than the others. Bravo. I look forward to book four with great anticipation.

While the third volume in the ongoing series (not a trilogy as it initially appeared) sticks fairly closely to the mold of the first two, there is enough novelty and interesting development here to keep the reader eagerly reading. The end is only disappointing insofar as at the finish of this volume there appears to be no real end in sight. On the one hand, that is cause for minor celebration, since it means that the characters who have been introduced in the first three volumes will be around for some time -- I wouldn't be surprised if this draws out to nine or ten volumes. On the other hand, some kind of real closure would be nice -- even if it were to begin again with another trilogy. What distinguishes this fantasy series from many other popular fantasy pieces is that it is tied to historical events (that are reimagined and tweaked, to accommodate within an alternate reality like our own the existence of intelligent dragons). That means it can't have some kind of artificial ending (Harry Potter finishes at Hogwarts, and/or he or Voldemort die; the Ring gets destroyed; etc.), but only the relative kind of ending that is possible in real history (a battle ends and there is a time before a new one begins; a king is crowned; a revolution takes place, etc.). This one ends, it seems, with no more certainty than the series began with. Temeraire has greater ambitions for dragonkind, but it is gradually becoming clear that these ambitions will have to take second place to the war with Napoleon. While that makes sense, and the war even in this reality took a long time, I'm not sure how much patience I will continue to have with the series if the plot continues to be, roughly: crises leading to character development and then some drawn about battle after which they need to rest and there are crises leading to character development and then another drawn out battle ... in this one, especially, she found ways to introduce a great deal of variety into this general schema, but at least this reader can only get so far interested in battle formations and dragons and ships and infantry fighting back and forth. What is really interesting in the story are the various characters, and the insights into dragon intelligence and ways of thinking and especially Temeraire's growing understanding of the world and increasing dissatisfaction with the position of dragons in the West. I can't help but wish, like Temeraire in the story, for the war to end soon so that these other issues can become the focus.

While this theme is the most intriguing, and gives the whole series a political and social edge that serves at least allegorically to encourage thinking about the kinds of oppressions with which our own history has been replete, it still continues to stretch credibility the extent to which the abilities and intelligence of dragons are, it seems, only just becoming known. The parallel with slavery, that is alluded to here, and the delusions about slaves that for so long justified the practice in the minds of their oppressors makes some sense of the way dragons are treated here -- and if you combine that with the idea that in their affections dragons are something like dogs, who become attached to the first person they imprint upon, and therefore less likely to revolt than they might otherwise, it can be further explained, but the dragons are not stupid and it is really difficult to credit that human beings would not know more about such powerful beings.

Still, there is inevitably some need to suspend disbelief in a story about dragons, and Novik treads a fine line between immersing us in a fantasy realm and developing parallels with our own history. It remains much more fun to read than most science fiction/fantasy I have seen in some time, and it is a bit silly to complain that there is more to come.

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.

Novik has another hit on her hands with this book. The characters she has created continue to evolve and breathe a life of their own. Indeed, the reader's (and Capt. Lawrence's) understanding of dragons grows as we encounter more of them, as well as different types. This make sense as Lawrence had almost no knowledge, so we can learn together.

The story in this novel feels a little like the middle of the bigger story, staring at the end of one adventure and ending without great resolution. While this is not unexpected, a little more of a climax would have been nice.

That said, I truly enjoyed this book.

Though not as multi-layered, the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik has captured and held my attention much the same way as the Honor Harrington series by David Weber did when I first started reading it. Ms. Novik has created an original series set in a world where dragons exist without having to introduce magic or telepathy as well to make the story work. These are no fantasy novels, but alternate history novels of a world where dragons exist and have become the air force of the late 18th century and early 19th century.

In "Black Powder War", the third book of the series, we pick up just about right where "The Throne of Jade" left off - with William Laurence and his dragon Temeraire in China ready to return home to England. But, an accident aboard the Dragon Carrier HMS Allegiance has left them stranded for a couple of months awaiting repair when a messenger arrives from Turkey with new orders for Laurence and Temeraire: secure three dragons eggs recently acquired from the Sultan and return them to England with all haste. Thus begins their adventure across China, the Persian Empire, and the heart of Asia to reach Turkey before the carrier ever could with its current repairs in progress. But, this adventure includes more than trek in the footsteps of Marco Polo and the Silk Road; as they reach Turkey all is not as it should be, and Laurence's solution drops him, Temeraire, and their crew into the heart of someone else's war...a war that is actually very close to home.

As with the previous two books in this series, "Black Powder War" continues to develop the cast of characters, introduces new characters, and most importantly continues to see Temeraire grow older, wiser, and more unique than most of his dragon peers. Also, Ms. Novik continues to do a great job of weaving this universe full of dragons into the history of the world as we already now it.

I highly recommend this series - defiantly start with book one, "His Majesty's Dragon". When you finish these first three books, you will be waiting in anticipation for the forthcoming book four just as I do.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

A Guide to my Book Rating System:

1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.

I loved the first book, disliked almost half of the second book (the long boat ride to China--please let's not revisit that), and I liked various parts of this third novel in the series. Novik did a good job of getting things moving faster in this book than in Throne of Jade. The trek across Asia into Turkey was really good reading: the feral dragons are a wonderful addition, and Tharkay was a pleasant surprise. Also, I enjoyed most of the chapters in Istanbul, although it dragged on a little too long before the thrilling escape. The real problem with this book comes with the battles in Prussia. This stuff is just depressing: loss after loss after loss on the muddy fields of Europe. This is just not fun reading. Plus, I was constantly waiting for some closure in this novel--finally some answers to the questions that were raised at the beginning of the book. Why did L and T have to retrieve the eggs? Why didn't anyone from the British forces show up? (I realize it must have something to do with the dragon disease)--but they could have provided some closure on this. Also, now we've gone two whole books without meeting up with T.'s friends (Lily, Maximus, etc)--that's too long to go without some great characters that we got to know so long ago. The "ending" is just too abrupt and open-ended. I invested alot of energy and time into reading this, haven't I earned a decent ending without having to buy the next book? All in all, I would say this book is an improvement over Throne of Jade but comes up short in comparison to the first book in the series.

Though not as multi-layered, the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik has captured and held my attention much the same way as the Honor Harrington series by David Weber did when I first started reading it. Ms. Novik has created an original series set in a world where dragons exist without having to introduce magic or telepathy as well to make the story work. These are no fantasy novels, but alternate history novels of a world where dragons exist and have become the air force of the late 18th century and early 19th century.

In "Black Powder War", the third book of the series, we pick up just about right where "The Throne of Jade" left off - with William Laurence and his dragon Temeraire in China ready to return home to England. But, an accident aboard the Dragon Carrier HMS Allegiance has left them stranded for a couple of months awaiting repair when a messenger arrives from Turkey with new orders for Laurence and Temeraire: secure three dragons eggs recently acquired from the Sultan and return them to England with all haste. Thus begins their adventure across China, the Persian Empire, and the heart of Asia to reach Turkey before the carrier ever could with its current repairs in progress. But, this adventure includes more than trek in the footsteps of Marco Polo and the Silk Road; as they reach Turkey all is not as it should be, and Laurence's solution drops him, Temeraire, and their crew into the heart of someone else's war...a war that is actually very close to home.

As with the previous two books in this series, "Black Powder War" continues to develop the cast of characters, introduces new characters, and most importantly continues to see Temeraire grow older, wiser, and more unique than most of his dragon peers. Also, Ms. Novik continues to do a great job of weaving this universe full of dragons into the history of the world as we already now it.

I highly recommend this series - defiantly start with book one, "His Majesty's Dragon". When you finish these first three books, you will be waiting in anticipation for the forthcoming book four just as I do.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

A Guide to my Book Rating System:

1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.

I loved the first book, disliked almost half of the second book (the long boat ride to China--please let's not revisit that), and I liked various parts of this third novel in the series. Novik did a good job of getting things moving faster in this book than in Throne of Jade. The trek across Asia into Turkey was really good reading: the feral dragons are a wonderful addition, and Tharkay was a pleasant surprise. Also, I enjoyed most of the chapters in Istanbul, although it dragged on a little too long before the thrilling escape. The real problem with this book comes with the battles in Prussia. This stuff is just depressing: loss after loss after loss on the muddy fields of Europe. This is just not fun reading. Plus, I was constantly waiting for some closure in this novel--finally some answers to the questions that were raised at the beginning of the book. Why did L and T have to retrieve the eggs? Why didn't anyone from the British forces show up? (I realize it must have something to do with the dragon disease)--but they could have provided some closure on this. Also, now we've gone two whole books without meeting up with T.'s friends (Lily, Maximus, etc)--that's too long to go without some great characters that we got to know so long ago. The "ending" is just too abrupt and open-ended. I invested alot of energy and time into reading this, haven't I earned a decent ending without having to buy the next book? All in all, I would say this book is an improvement over Throne of Jade but comes up short in comparison to the first book in the series.

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.

Ho hum to the whole French, Austrian, Prussian war thing. There was no heart in it. The trip through the desert and the time at the Pasha's seemed so meaningless to the plot, I felt I was wasting time "get to the good stuff". The third book could have easily been entirely set in the Ottomon empire with the sultan and fire-breathing Turkish dragons.

This third installment was pretty hard to get through both crossing the desert and the battle with the French. It got bogged down in the military/historical stuff. I definitely felt the plot suffered. I fell in love with the characters. For me, the most emotional moment of the entire novel was when Iskierka was born. She gave the rest of the novel LIFE. I skimmed a lot of the war strategy stuff, finding it wasn't adding anything.
I can't wait for the next installment to go back to the dragons, the aviators, the relationships... what made me fall in love with His Majesty's Dragon.

This is a great continuation of the series that takes place during the Napoleanic Wars but have a twist of what if their where dragons. In this one Laurence the captain of Temaire a Celestial Dragon is forced to go across country from China to England to pick up some dragon eggs. Along the way they meet some feral dragons who are actually pretty funny and bring some comedy to the book through their actions. This book does leave you hanging at the end and you cant wait to read the next book in the series.

Excellent characters, innovative ideas. Dragons development most engaging.

You see very few of my recommendations elsewhere. I have stopped reviewing what I don't like.

At this time the series has three books. Purchase all three at the least cost possible. The quality of the writing and the intense adventures do not diminish with subsequent volumes to date.

The editing is also good quality. So many authors lately have followed up a good initial volume or two with voluminous drivel. That is NOT the case here.

May subsequent volumes continue to be so well constructed.

Matt Muldoon

I don't generally take the time to write reviews, but after reading previous posts I thought I would weigh in. First, it baffles me that many people thought this was the weakest of the lot. I thought the second one, while good, was the weakest. In the Black Powder War Novic fleshes out the character of dragons. The chapters involving the brigand feral dragons are truly inspired. I found myself laughing out loud at their antics. Also, Tremeraire's radical leanings are also interesting.

This whole series has been a delightful read! I am a huge fan of all things dragon, but the way the dragons are involved here is wonderful. I have a friend who is a huge Napoleon Era buff, and he says that Naomi did an excellent job with that information as well. As a reviewer said below, the cliffhanger in Book 3 will make you absolutely nuts waiting for the next book! Write faster, please!

This book is quite similar to the previous two in the series, which I count as a point in its favor. I might have liked more dragon-master relationship building, but I was not displeased overall on that count.

This book was however severely wanting in any kind of satisfactory ending. Maybe it is because I rarely read fantasy, and tend to stay away from "endless" epic adventure stories...but I would have imagined that three books would have contained enough pages to have fully told a complete story. With this book's ending, I really get the feeling that I am being strung along. I know this is probably wise marketing, and that some fantasy readers love a series that promises never to end. I however, and I am sure some others of you out there, want an engaging tale told over one, or at most a few, books.

As it is Novik seems to have taken at most two books worth of material, stretched it out to three, and STILL not managed to tie anything of consequence up in the process.

So, while the book was still on the whole enjoyable, this is a warning to others like me who were hoping for a nice trilogy and not a never-ending story.

after the exuberance of the first book in this trilogy, His Majesty's Dragon, I found the 2nd book (Throne of Jade) to be a boring series of political arguments and this 3rd book to be a boring series of weary battles. OK, the feral dragons lightened it up a bit, but it was, overall, a depressing book with no satisfying resolutions. The author is obviously more interested in keeping the franchise going than in pleasing her readers or taking care of her characters. Enough already! If I hadn't fallen in love with Temeraire enough to keep slogging on, I would never have finished this book. Buy it used!

Maybe if the publisher contained this initial trilogy in one book it would've been a little better, but the story didn't seem as enchanting or engaging as His Majesty's Dragon. A lot of waiting around. The preview for the next book looks promising though.

The book started a little slow and seemed a little muddled during the Prussian campaign. However other than those two minor issues I thoroughly enjoyed the book and could hardly put it down once they started their trek. Also, the character Tharkay was a wonderful addition that created an unknown element through much of the book.

I bought the book originally because I read that Peter Jackson of The Lord of The Rings fame had bought the film rights to the series. The book and indeed the series are very easy reading and would appeal to anyone interested in this fantasy genre though if you are looking for anything particularly clever or challenging, look elsewhere. All in all I think it will make a better film than a book.

This book is a true emotional rollercoaster. I wavered between triumph and depression. The ending is great!!...Until you read the teaser for the next book. Then you start worrying all over again. Oh woe is me--the next one's not due out for a while.

Every member of my family has this series in their household now. It is a great new series of books that takes science fiction and history at face value and hits the ground running. They are well paced and carefully written.