Crucible of Gold (Temeraire)

Really well done! I liked this one oh so much better then "Tongues of Serpents" - it had a quick pace, and time flew as I read it on buses and trains while commuting. I love books like this! But she is not done yet, there are clearly more books to come, as the overarching story of the war is not yet concluded. I am looking forward to more!

I am done with MS Novik, while this book is definitely better than her last it is still a poor effort. it moves way to slow. captain Lawrence and his dragon must return to England and FIGHT. I am sick of diplomacy. fIGHT.

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.

I loved the first 3 books, couldn't put them down. But I think this is an uninspired read. The book assumes that you remember every character and plot twist from the previous novels. It was difficult to get involved in the first 3-4 chapters. Temeraire is petulant and whiney. In previous novels he had a dry wit and was intellectual. I was so excited when I saw the release date for Crucible of Gold, now I am just underwhelmed.

It is amazing how well written this book is. The ambience is masterfully described and the characters are so nicely developed as the story goes. Definately a must-read, specially if you like history and dragons.

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 !

I think that this book was simply an effort to make money rather than to create art. The first 3 books were absorbing. The reviewers who say it is a travelogue are right. There isn't much action. The books is boring and does not contribute to the series. I nearly put it down many times. Two stars because I managed to finish. I know it can be better than this. This series is over for me.

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

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.

If you are new to the Temeraire series stop: go purchase In His Majesty's Service which is the first three books in the series in a collection for you. Those are the best of the series by far, and worth every penny.

This is the kind of series which you cannot jump into at the end and really enjoy- there are so many references to prior books that this one will make little sense at times for those new to the series.

That said, for fans of the series, I imagine your questions are: is it as good as the first three books? Or as bad as the last two? The answer is neither. While not a return to the stellar first three, it is much improved over the last two which had many fans worried for the future of the franchise. Especially after the lowest average reviewed book of the series being the last one, Novik had a lot on the line. Another book like Tongues of Serpents: A Novel of Temeraire (Temeraire Series) would probably kill the series for most fans.

Fortunately, Novic scored with a solid return to form. In many ways this reminds me of Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4) which is a good thing. More action, more plot development and a bunch of well executed twists and turns- I would strongly suggest avoiding spoilers at all costs, as your enjoyment is likely to enhanced by your virtue. And at the end, the plot is set up well for the next book and I for one am now looking forward to it. Recommended for fans of the series. Everyone else, go buy the first three books. Now! Trust me!

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.

So I just finished this book for the 4th time. My measure of a good book is if I can read it multiple times and still enjoy it. This book has a lot of layers, and there’s more to notice every time through it. The sentence structure would give an English teacher a headache – I counted one paragraph with five semi-colons, two colons, and two quotes from different people mixed into that, with only one period. There ought to be a grammar rule about periods outnumbering semi-colons, but I digress.

The plot is action-packed and full of surprises, although once in a while, I do wish fortune would favor our heroes rather than work to destroy them. I still can’t see any foreshadowing of the group getting chased out by the Sapa Inca, and with the way Napoleon likes Laurence, I can’t
understand why he’d order that. That was too much of a heel-turn IMO.

Bringing the African dragons over to Brazilia was an entertaining plot wrinkle, and I cheered for Laurence when he refused to do anything against his morals. Hammond is such a government pleaser, and Laurence isn’t anymore – I like watching the two of them go at each other. Those two make a nice character mirror since their personal compasses are completely opposite. The fact that Churki has latched onto Hammond is great fun. Serves him right!

Iskierka’s one-note personality is getting annoying. She’s a narcissist, which means no further character development. I feel sorry for Granby. I wish he could cut her loose and go find a dragon that would treat him decently. I like Granby, and it’s a bummer to see him tied to someone who treats him this badly.

Temeraire would do better to stand up to Iskierka rather than being just as petty as she is in reply, and it’s Temeraire’s character development that got a four-star rating from me instead of a five. Chinese dragons are bred for wisdom, and it would be nice to see some wisdom from Temeraire instead of pettiness. He’s had enough hardship that he ought to be learning from it rather than whining about it. And by now, he should have noticed Laurence doesn’t like glittery clothing. I know that’s being played for laughs, but the joke got old. Temeraire ought to respect Laurence, rather than (almost) descending to Iskierka’s level.

The book’s final climax involving Lily’s formation just couldn’t be better. I like those characters a lot, and the battle where they captured the French transports was a great piece of writing.

I like this series enough I’ll probably read it a fifth time.

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.

I truly hate a novel, even in a series, that does not stand on its own. Crucible of Gold, while it was nice to catch up with Temeraire, Laurence, Gong Su etc. again, left me wanting character plot, not just run-around Dirk Pitt stuff. It was heavy on action but at the sacrifice of us getting much farther in any character development. This seems to be my pet peeve with this author. What I LOVED so much in the first two books has never been recaptured.
A ship was always sinking (not realistic), and the end I could not believe when it just stopped. BOOM. What a let down.

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.

This is the second book in a row I've read by an author I like where I felt like they published an incomplete book. Cruicible of Gold is a series of adventures thrown together which starts where the last book left off and just ends somewhere. To me, this is not a whole story that builds and builds with a climax and then a glimpse of what the expect the next book to address. This book seems to be incomplete.

Why 4 stars instead of 3 stars? The writing was good and I liked the characters, for the most part (though the dragons seem to be increasingly petty in each book) and overall, enjoyed book... was nice to just sit back and read, kind of like a weekly TV series. Still incomplete, the past books in this series have had more of a story that builds and resolves in the pages of a single book.

Don't start with this book if you are new to the series.

I really enjoyed this book, but I'm only giving it 4 stars because the series is definitely feeling its age. I still love the author's writing, and I had trouble putting the book down, but the story just felt a bit inconsequential. I did like the Inca storyline more than the ones in the previous two books, but the way they left it just felt really rushed and strange. Also, the way that everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong was pretty frustrating and annoying. It just feels like the author is stretching out the story so she can keep making money on new books in the same series. Everything that happens almost feels like it was first written down in an outline, then the author had to figure out how to get the characters to the next set piece. Still, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to anyone that likes the Temeraire series.

Not to put too fine a point on it, this is not a series you can jump into anywhere. Novik is working a long story arc here, and you'll be cheating yourself out of the full effect if you try to skip over the previous books in the series. The transformation of a promising Captain Will Laurence of the British Navy into the Captain of the fighting dragon Temeraire would be story enough - but the scope of the series transcends that.

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, Laurence and Temeraire find themselves facing one challenge after another. They first must come to terms with their own situation; Temeraire is an exotic dragon from China of unique talents and heritage - of which he had no knowledge having been captured by Laurence from a French ship while still in the egg. Laurence's upbringing as a member of the aristocracy who entered the Navy against his father's wishes did not prepare him for the Aerial Corps and its somewhat disreputable reputation or unconventional mores. The press of war against Napoleon binds them together even as does their outsider status within the corps.

While both distinguish themselves initially, a greater fate awaits. At the risk of tossing out a few spoilers, Temeraire's Chinese origins end up impelling them both into journeys together halfway around the world and back again; into desperate battle after battle, from triumph to disaster repeatedly. And as that is happening, Laurence and Temeraire are also continually finding themselves at odds over their duty versus their personal honor, the demands of authority versus their own perception of matters and the proper course, nay the only course to take.

The previous book in the series had seen the pair exiled to Australia, expelled from the Corps and polite society. (Rude society wasn't too keen on them either.) Only great heroism in the service of his country had kept Laurence from the noose; only criminal stupidity by those ruling his country had put Laurence in that position in the first place. Left at loose ends in the upheavals of a colony badly governed, Laurence and Temeraire embarked on an epic and near-fatal trek across the continent which left both of them with a determination not to be misused in the future. They settled into a retreat from society, in a valley they could call their own.

Laurence and Temeraire's journey together continues in this latest book. The British Empire would rather do without them if given a choice - but needs must when the Devil drives (or Napoleon as the case may be). The pair's previous exploits in Africa leave them the only choice to counter a move by Napoleon to overthrow Portugal's Brazilian colony by providing transport to African dragons seeking their human families stolen by the slave trade. Laurence is restored to his rank in the Corps - provided he and Temeraire set out at once across the Pacific for South America to preserve the interests of a key British ally. (And if they don't succeed, well Laurence and his dragon are highly expendable...)

They embark, accompanied by Laurence's former Lieutenant Granby, now captain of the dragon Iskierka, and the heavyweight dragon Kulingile captained by a protege of Laurence's from Africa, Demane. Iskierka is a rare talent, a fire breather, but such a narcissistic nightmare to handle, the Corps is happy to send her off. The trio of dragons, their captains, their crews sail once more on the dragon transport ship Allegiance, commanded by Laurence's old friend from the Navy, Captain Riley.

Alas, Fate is not kind to Laurence. Circumstances deprive them of the ship, nearly all of their supplies, and a good portion of their crew even before they can quite reach South America. Rescued under desperate circumstances, left marooned, Laurence and his companions yet find a way to reach the continent and continue their mission. It's an engrossing tale, and if the previous novel had left Laurence and Temeraire at a nadir, this one puts them on an upward trajectory again.

To go into further detail would put out too many spoilers, but I'll throw out a few teasers. There's a personal revelation that will come as a surprise; a certain amount of comedy as Iskierka's diva temperament leads them into complication after complication; a classical allusion (Look up the story of the wife of Odysseus, Penelope); surprise encounters, and more. Tempered by his prior experiences and his grim assessment of the situation, Laurence once more does the necessary thing no matter how badly it will upset his superiors. Laurence is rather tired of being betrayed by incompetence, prejudice, and stupidity. To cap it all off, there's yet one more personal revelation at the end of the tale which sets up the next tale to come. Is the climactic ending of the series at hand? We'll use have to wait and see.

One of the continuing themes of the book is biology; having a dragon as a companion is rather complicated by their continual need to eat. A lot. Add to that the whole matter of creating more dragons, the comparable complications among humans, and biology is not something that can be ignored. It frequently plays into the plot.

One of the consequences of European expeditions to the New World was the decimation of the local populations, exposed to diseases they had never encountered before. (Just as a previous Temeraire novel turned on a disease European dragons had never encountered.) Temeraire can be expected to outlive Laurence by decades, possibly several centuries. This adventure confronts Laurence with the unsettling question of is Temeraire his dragon, or is he Temeraire's human? And who will Temeraire be left with after Laurence if he does not allow himself to have a family? Add to that Laurence's responsibility to one officer in his crew in particular, Emily Roland. The Aerial Corps is forced to have a certain number of female officers for dragons that won't tolerate male captains, one of the things that makes it difficult for the Corps to deal with the rest of a male-driven society.

Novik has fun depicting the various ways human-dragon societies end up arranging themselves. It's one of the aspects of this saga that makes it so entertaining. This latest installment continues it in fine form.

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.

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.

I'm rounding up about half a star.

Novik never settles for the obvious. She once again demonstrates this fact in this intelligent extrapolation of how the presence of dragons would and would not have changed the collision of the conquistadors and the Incan empire. Of course, the key continuing characters in the series have to cope with the culture that results.

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.

As much as I dislike saying it, The Crucible of Gold isn't a good book, it's merely okay. The writing is fine but the plot premise is starting to wear a bit thin - while the early Temeraire books felt more like classic military fiction that happened to have dragons, the more recent books feel like travelogues visiting every part of the world becoming less interesting with each new stamp in the passport.

I do like the main characters in the series and because I've read the previous six books I was curious to know what happened to them, but overall I found the story tired and not very interesting. The Napoleonic Wars have provided a great backdrop for many writers and Ms. Novik succeeds best when she places her books in Europe. As she ventures abroad to Africa, Australia and in this book, South America, her alternative history of the world becomes less enthralling with each successive iteration.

I initially looked forward to each new book in the series with much anticipation but now I feel like I read them almost as an obligation. If you've never read one of the Temeraire books - don't start with this one (the first one, His Majesty's Dragon really is excellent). If you've read the previous six you know what you are getting into and if you liked the previous six, you'll like this one.

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 have to be honest. The last in this series left me flat. My faith is restored with this book, but there are still some issues.

And restored is a key event since Lawrence and Temeraire are restored to the British Navy. Seems their skills as negotiaters are needed. There are some uneven spots in transitions as we are left to just understand that they got from here to there somehow.

That's been an issue for me in the last two books. I feel like Novik is cutting corners, or being asked to cut them, instead of using her skills to paint the picture.

The relationship between Lawrence and Temeraire continues to grow. I like that they still have bumps. We find out a bit more about Granby as well as Iskierka. Their connection had some funny bits for me.

Novik explores a new corner of the world by taking our intrepid pair to South America. Without giving away the plot, I will have to say that some of the interactions here made me scratch my head. Either I was reading too fast or she skipped over significant things in favor of just moving the story ahead.

But, as I said, it did restore my faith in this series and I will hope for another!

It has been almost two years since the last book in this series, Tongues of Serpents: A Novel of Temeraire (Temeraire Series), was released and yet Naomi Novik appears to jump from the last sentence of that book directly to the first sentence of this one. Readers who are unfamiliar with the previous Temeraire novels will probably be quite lost. It would help greatly if a reader were familiar with at least the first novel in the series, His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1), to understand the culture of a world where dragons not only exist, but are used as a military weapon. However, by reading on into this novel any reader will pick up (although possibly very slowly) the different characteristics each dragon has and the relationship between dragon and man as well as man and governmental agency. It might help to know that the dragons of the English fleet are obtained as eggs and a specific person is designated to be with that egg as it hatches because of the attachment formed by the young dragon to that specific person. The human becomes the dragon's captain and therefore must be an aviator. A dragon can weigh anywhere from 10 to 30 tons. In this telling of the battles with Napoleon dragons on both sides of the conflict play an enormous role.

In this story Will Laurence and Temeraire have settled down and are living and farming in New South Wales, Australia, since Laurence was removed from the service for treason. Instead of hanging, he was transported to Australia. All of those adventures took place in previous novels. Now an emissary has been sent to re-instate Laurence to his original rank of Captain because he, his dragon Temeraire, and two other dragon teams are being sent to Brazil to try to negotiate with that country to keep them from siding with Napoleon in the war which is still raging. Before arriving in South America the group has to endure shipwreck, abandonment on a deserted island, and mutiny.

The writing of this novel is as superb as I think it has been in the previous stories. It is indeed a fascinating concept to think of dragons being able to talk, reason through problems, vote, and fight for their country. I had found that the last several books were not nearly as exciting and interesting to me so I'm glad I took a chance and decided to read this next novel in the series. It looks like author Naomi Novik is right back on track. As usual there is not a finale with this story because it will pick right back up in book number eight, but all the loose ends are tied up quite satisfactorily and there is even a very clever surprise at the end.

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?

This is book 7 of the Tremeraire series, so if you've made it this far, you're very familiar with the characters and the setting, and you enjoy both.

Starting with book 4 ("Empire of Ivory,") the Tremeraire books have been travelogues, with each new novel exploring a new location and populating it with dragons. Here, it's the Inca and Peru. Despite the setting, we don't really learn much about Incan culture. Rather, Crucible of Gold's Peru is largely about the culture of the dragons, which isn't terribly complex and largely colored by the death of much of the human population due to European diseases of Smallpox and Measles, which is the one aspect of the book that mirrors actual history.

It's entertaining enough, since a lot more happens than in Book 6 ("Tongue of Serpents.") I found myself enjoying the numerous passages told with Tremeraire's narrative voice, which is somewhat childish and pre-occupied with visible wealth and food, but still charming.

Ultimately, it's still episodic. The book abruptly leaves the current conflict between Peru and Brazil unresolved in a very unsatisfying way in order to provide a hook for the next book. It was enjoyable reading along the way, but I was left with the impression that Novik intends to string along the war between Britain and Napoleon forever, never really resolving anything, so she can continue to write novels in the same background.

Naomi Novik , in her first book in this series "His Majesties Dragon" thought of a wonderful idea, basically combining what I think of elements of the Dragonriders of Pern with Captain Hornblower, what is almost naval fiction during the Age of Sail ON Dragons. Huge dragons, weighing up to 30 tonnes, the size of small sailing ship, dragons who are smart and self-aware and with personalities. Dragons who bond with their "Captains" somewhat like other dragons might with their riders. The simile between sailing ships and dragon continues as the largest dragons in this world are even manned and equipped a little like small men of war.

It was a brilliant idea and a fantastic series, and the first few books were great. Then, things started to go on a downturn for our protagonists- the Celestial dragon Temeraire and "his Captain" Lawrence, a man of extreme honour.

Every book then got darker and darker and things went from bad to worse for our heroes. Honestly, this series got to the point where it could depress a hyena. Many fans abandoned it.

So, here's the seventh book, and boy, Novik outdid herself (Thar be spoilers ahead!). True, it started with the inestimable Captain Lawrence getting his rank back along with a pardon. The Crown needs him and Temeraire to head off a disaster in South America.

But of course, things get even worse (worserer?). Storms, fire on board the ship, the ship explodes, captured by the French, marooned, mutiny... well, I was starting to beat my head on the desk. Brilliant though the series idea may be, many of us really didn't like the dark downturn.

However, for those of us who stuck with Temeraire for 6 and ½ books, things finally look up again. Although there's a small lack of those stirring dragon-ship battles, the action certainly heats up, and this book isn't the dark and depressing volume that the last couple were.

I am looking forward to the next, but with some trepidation.

Compared to the other books, this one is a bore! After so much anticipation, this was a let down. A plodding plot that had so much potential but ultimately was more of the same regardless of time, place or character. I certainly hope the next book makes up for this.

First off, one should not start reading this series here. While Ms. Novik does make some effort to remind readers of the events of the previous books, the first few books are really quite good and worth reading. The first book is His Majesty's Dragon.

Second, for any reader who, after reading the past two books in this series, seriously considered not buying the next, i say give this one a shot. It's vastly better than Tongues of Serpents, and i think better than Victory of Eagles.

Now that i've said that, on to my review of Crucible of Gold. After quite a decline in the quality of the Temeraire series, Ms. Novik has mostly found her stride again. The former Captain Lawrence has resigned himself to living in the bush in Australia, building a splendid pavilion for Temeraire and ignoring the wars in Europe. When Hammond shows up on his doorstep with an offer to return to the service, even the most obtuse reader knows Lawrence will accept.

With only two inhabited continents yet unvisited, it's no surprise that Hammond's mission is to one of them: South America. Lawrence, Temeraire, and the sad remnants of his ground crew go to sea. Whatever can go wrong of course does, and we follow our heroes through misadventure after misadventure. And in the end, of course, the plot hook that will have readers waiting impatiently for the next installment.

There's plenty of action in this book, a nice return to the style of the earlier books. Few and far between (though, alas, not absent) are the dragging pages of navel-gazing, from either man or dragon, that made the previous book such a waste of paper.

It's not perfect, though. The dragons still have fits of tween-angst, and the uneven pacing makes it a difficult novel to lose oneself in. Fortunately, the good far outweighs the bad.

For any fan of the first several books in the series, i strongly encourage slogging through the low points to get to this book. Should Ms. Novik manage to continue the rebound, there may well be a few more good books to be gotten out of this series.

For anyone considering this book, i say again, start at the beginning. It's worth it.

In 1809 British aviator William Laurence and Temeraire his dragon companion remain exiled in New South Wales for their treasonous act of saving French dragons from a plague. Their saving England from Napoleon kept them from state execution (see Tongues of Serpents).

Meanwhile plague brought by the Europeans devastates the Incan Empire at a time when Empress Anahuarque Inca considers allying with the Brits or the French. She leans towards a marital arrangement with Napoleon if he dumps Josephine while Iskierka the dragon pushes her captain Granby as a better alternative. Spain has fallen to the French and the powerful Tswana African tribe, with French support, raids Brazil tentatively to rescue black slaves but also to hold the royals captured in Rio. Tottering on the brink of defeat, the British government sends self-proclaimed ambassador plenipotentiary to China, Arthur Hammond, to return to the front Laurence and Temeraire.

Fast-paced and filled with action, the latest terrific timely Temeraire historical fantasy is a great thriller that grips readers throughout with a taste of life in many diverse spots while the world is at war. The abolitionist hero feels contempt towards his side's leadership; who demand patriotism from grunts risking their lives with little logistical support (can't raise a war fee tax) while the leaders direct the war from the comfort of their London suites. Fans will enjoy this excellent historical as the British leadership fumble the war while hiding behind the Decatur mantra of "Our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but right or wrong, our country!"; but forced to bring home Laurence whose mantra is the Shurtz corollary: "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."

Harriet Klausner

I have been more than patient, I waited for Temeraire and Lawrence to get back to the fight against Napoleon through three books and now this one drags the story to Incan South America (might as well have been back to Africa, the storyline is so similar). Uh uh, I'm done now (sorry if I sound ticked off, it's just that I adored this series, I even bought the first three books in audio version as well as paper).

But each book after has gotten more and more preachy, dragg-y and one off, it's like the Scrappy Doo of dragon books and I will not read it anymore, not even for free.

If I had to sum up this book it would be like this (Scooby Doo analogy to follow);

The scooby Gang (Laurence, Granby, Iskierska, etc.) take the mystery machine (HMS Allegience to Brazil)to Brazil. On the way they are waylaid and caught up in a dangerous and mysterious situation, they find out some bad guys turn out not to be totally bad. No ghosts, but pretty similar all the same.

Velma, played by Laurence, figures out what's going on, but it's Scooby that saves the day, but not before Scrappy (the world's most annoying cartoon puppy) played by Iskierska almost ruins everything.

Story ends with Temeraire gulping down a huge amount of food (like Scooby, but without the scooby snacks).

Sigh, I just wish the story would wrap up with taking Napoleon down. Plus, there's already an inbuilt sequel to the story, Napoleon escapes the island of Elba where he was exiled and returns to France and his usual shenanigans. I see this as two books, the first ending with his defeat and exile to Elba, the second book, the peace is shattered with Napoleon's escape and ending with his second and last defeat at Waterloo, maybe Temeraire and Laurence could escort him to St. Helena, his final place of exile.

Crucible of Gold continues the saga of Captain Laurence and his dragon Temeraire. This novel lacks any gripping plot or drama for me. I found it boring, methodical and almost completely uneventful. The novelty of dragon characters has worn off by this the seventh offering in the series. Unfortunately, this story just drags on without any gripping action with the exception of a few brief scenes. Although still interesting, the development and interaction of the dragon and human characters was not enough to keep me intrigued with the story.

I really don't understand why so many other reviews complain about how the series "turned into a travelogue" after book 3. It's been a travelogue since book 2, and I'd say that this work compares favorably to Throne of Jade. It's another book filled with the dangers of travel in the early 19th century and introduces us to a new culture with more court politics. How many pitched battles happen in Jade? Let's be fair people.

Crucible of Gold is an excellent book and a return to form for the series. I'd give it 4.5/5 stars.

Having read and enjoyed all the previous books in this series, I decided to stop the progress in the middle of this one. The author creates/reveals, quite unnecessarily, that Granby, a generally sympathetic character, is homosexual. My interest in the whole story has disappeared and I have returned the book. Sorry.

The best Temeraire novel yet. Without giving away any plot secrets, I have to say that this is the most exciting Temeraire novel we have read to date with plot twists galore and some heart-thumping suspense. Thank you, Ms. Novik !

Wonderful work of fiction I love that Laurence was given his commission back and they on their way back through lots of adventures probably will get China to join their case against Napoleon. A wonderful reading I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have.