Book 1), His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire

This is an enjoyable alternate Universe regency England era book, featuring an upstanding captain and the dragon for which he comes to care. His Majesty's Dragon is definitely a first book in the series, setting up the characters and having them go through training to prepare for more action in later books.

Story: Navy Captain Will Laurence finds himself with a prize: a captured French ship with a dragon egg in the hold. But the egg is hardening and about to hatch and a person must be paired with the dragon. The dragon chooses Laurence and the captain finds himself taken from all he holds dear as his life changes from being a naval officer to an aerial combatant atop his rare dragon, Temeraire. But along the way, the two will get to know each other, deal with diversity and prejudice, learn more about the mysterious Temeraire, and train heavily to prepare to defeat Napoleon.

Most of the story is the interaction of Laurence and Temeraire, with a few battle scenes near the end. As a build up first book, it's about character and relationships, man and dragon learning to navigate the new world upon which each is thrust. Most of the story takes place at the dragon training academy in Scotland and we are introduced to quite a few interesting characters - both human and dragon.

Laurence is an upstanding regency hero and at heart this is a love story between Laurence and Temeraire. Novik does a great job of giving us so many personalities and types but all within the historical Napoleonic Wars settings.

Although I enjoyed the story, I did feel a bit let down by the action/war scenes (after all the build up for 90% of the book. When the battle finally happens, it feels anticlimactic and like more could have been done with it). I couldn't help but come up with all kinds of scenarios in which the dragons could have been better utilized. That said, though, Novik does a good job of making the dragons less anthropomorphic and more alien to the humans who work with the

I listened to the Audible version of this book and the narrator did an excellent job.

His Majesty's Dragon combines two things I never considered as pairing: dragons, and the Napoleonic Wars. I was skeptical at first, but Novik managed to give me more than just a Horatio Hornblower story. And now I can't believe nobody put dragons into the 1800s before!

It's the first in a series (of 8, so far), and damned it all, I'm going to have to continue this series. Not only was the audiobook narrator fantastic, the characters intriguing, and the battle understandable *and* thrilling....I want to live in this world. It's the first time in a long time that I want to keep reading a series not because of the main character, or a cliffhanger plot, but because the world is so intriguing.

Believe me when I say, you don't need to enjoy battle fiction, or know anything about the Napoleonic Wars (although if you do, Novik's creative liberties are more clever). You don't even have to like the Regency era. Hell, you don't even have to like dragons! At its heart, it's a story of a dutiful man and his intelligent steed/pet/friend. It's got humor, action, and a lot of fresh dose into the ol' sword-and-sorcery genre of fantasy.

I recommend it for fans of fantasy, dragons, the Regency era, human/animal bonds, aerial anything, and historical fiction.

The previous (low star) review was from a disappointed recipient who did not get the item they ordered - It wasn't really a review of the story or this audio version of it. I found this first book in the series to be excellent. It introduces us to Lawrence and his experience meeting and learning with his dragon Temeraire. Readers can enjoy the entire series of adventures and this is the starting point. In the audio version, Simon Vance does an outstanding reading, bringing the characters to life, especially the intelligent, amazing dragon. I recommend the story highly for readers of a the correct age. There's fighting and war, and sometimes sadness (one of the hardest examples - a dragon's captain is hung for being a traitor and it breaks the dragon's heart). That example might be too painful for very young readers. But for all other groups, there's excitement, dedication, love and adventure, everything you need in a fantasy series. The next book in the series is in an entirely different setting, and is also sure to delight.

(1)of Book: Beginning
Where? How? What? When? Why? Does the book start out by giving you information that you need to know

(2)The characters:
Are the characters believable?
Are their actions believable?

(3)Division of the book: how the chapters are divided? Is it kindle friendly?

(4) The flow: how the book flows from one chapter to another. five: a smooth flow from chapter to chapter. Four; it has ripples. Three; has rapid in it. Two; it has a falls in it. One; it is Naval disaster.

(5) Cost of book: if you're reading this book on a kindle. The prices over $3.00 it is too much. the store.com will not like this. But being that this is an e-book, and not a real book $3.00 and under is a good price for them.

After reading this book I've given it a four star rating. The story had a pretty decent plot. It gave you the right amount of details to start you off reading his book for a good. The characters and there were a lot of them in this book were all sort of believable and away it was written to correlate with Britain's war with France. Was excellent! The main character which was a dragon. Had the name Temeraire, and throughout the whole book I called him temporary.

The book reads smooth, except for one chapter that made it feel like you went over waterfalls. It happened to be an action scene and there was no lead up to it. This was the only real bad thing about this book.

I got this book through a state library. On the Internet so the price was free the store.com wants too much money for it.

Innovative, fun start to a new series. Strong character development and a good ear for realistic 19th century dialogue. The battles are well done and are compelling. However, the battles are only one aspect of the storyline in this series. The main focus is the relationship between the captain and his dragon. The bond between the two of them is developed with care and craft throughout the entire series. In many ways, this bond is the driving force behind most of the action and is the most captivating aspect of the storyline.

Some of the novels in this series have more action than others. And the pacing in the novels varies. This first novel is particularly good on both fronts. But all of them are worth reading.

I was delightfully surprised by this (audio)book, the first in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. I wasn't sure - hmmm, dragons, war battles, Napoleon? But Simon Vance reads the series and well, he's one of the best, so I dove in. Glad I did!

I'm now completely hooked on listening to the entire series.

Ms. Novik is long (and expert) on description and short on blood and gore, which is just fine with me. Now, that isn't to say that the battles depicted in the book aren't without descriptive injuries; it's just that they are not the entire focus of the book.

Instead, Ms. Novik focuses more on setting up relationships between characters, the biggest, of course, between Laurence and Temeraire. She creates a world where one wishes that dragons were real - well, if they were all like Temeraire, that is!

I marvel at the sheer inventiveness of scenes, characters, historical references, and especially, the way Ms. Novik uses language. This is a real treat for those of us searching for more of an "adult" fantasy series. Clearly, the author has done her homework before setting off - and taking us with her - on this amazing journey. So very glad she is so productive!

As I listened, I kept thinking, gee, I really would like to see this played out on film. Fortunately, Peter Jackson has optioned the series, or so I've read - great news!

For those adults looking to read or listen to something "new" after going through the Harry Potters and/or the Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud (another great listen), check out Temeraire. Ms. Novik, you will find, has a way with words!

Great heavens, I love this book. I always liked the C.S. Forester Hornblower series and Patrick O'Brian; I am exceedingly fond of dragons. It was no stretch that I would like these books. I've just reread the first two and was reminded of how clever and complex they are. You'll be able to reread them many times. And they are very funny in a lovely, dry, throw away sort of fashion. I missed a little of that in the galloping adventures of the first read through.

Incidentally, Novik's UPROOTED is also fabulous. Our author is a bloomin' genius.

After years of wanting to read the Temeraire series I finally got around to reading it about two weeks ago and I absolutely loved it and haven't stopped berating myself about having not started reading it sooner.

Now, I don't know very much about the Napoleonic Wars but from what I've read about the author and the time period itself is that she used as much historical fact as she could whilst working in the alternative history with the dragons into the story.

As soon as I started the book (which I read on my cellphone) I was hooked. The way Naomi Novik spun her tale of war, action, adventure, historical fiction and fantasy all together was simply amazing. The amount of detail that went into not only the setting but the vivid descriptions of the events, the creation of the dragons and the world was wonderfully done.

At first I wasn't sure of what to make of Captain Will Laurence because he seemed a bit too haughty for his own good but eventually he grew on me especially when his bond with Temeraire evolved. For me though Temeraire was the star of the novel. I mean honestly who doesn't love an exotic, monstrously large talking dragon that loves to be read to and has an un-dragon like penchant for swimming and a taste for seafood?

The novel follows these two unlikely friends during a rough time in British history and we see Temeraire grow from hatchling to a young adult dragon along side his once naval captain turned aviator as they join in to wage war on the French forces trying to invade from across the English Channel.

Fraught with politics, a supreme sense of adventure and courageous battles, Naomi Novik's book was an amazing alternative look at what the world could have been like if we had been born into a world that included noble dragons. I loved learning about all the different breeds of dragons, their training and seeing all the different personalities that they exhibited.

Overall this was an amazing read and I'm so glad I finally gave this book a try. Novik's writing style is strong and unique and she has a voice that's all her own. It was so refreshing to see a female author writing about dragons and war as I haven't seen many female authors take part in this genre. This is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year and is on my list top 100 favourite books of all time.

I would recommend this to all fans of historical fiction and fantasy especially those who love alternative history novels. With great characters, an extremely strong plot and rich descriptions this is a must have for any fantasy reader's shelf and for a debut novel Naomi Novik proves she can hang with the big boys in the genre.

I'll be honest -- I was wary of picking up this book at first, despite the dragon gracing the front (I have a weakness for the magnificent creatures). I am not a fan of historical fiction, and at first the thought of throwing dragons into a historical war novel felt like a cheap gimmick. But I finally caved in and gave it a look, deciding I would hold my opinion until I was finished.

I'm glad I gave it a chance. Because as cliched as dragon riders have become now (we largely have the Dragonriders of Pern and Inheritance novels to thank for that), and as out of place as one would think them in Napoleonic-War-era Europe, the story works, thanks largely in part to the author's meticulous research and how seamlessly she blends the dragons into the history and culture of her world.

The story centers on English naval captain Will Laurence, who is reluctantly swept into the world of the British Aerial Corps when his crew captures a French ship and finds a rare, valuable dragon's egg aboard... and the resulting hatchling selects Laurence as his rider and captain. Laurence must not only learn the ways of the Corps, he must deal with the prejudice of the other dragon captains against his navy ways, as well as his own disappointment at being forced out of the navy. But he finds himself becoming fond and protective of his dragon, Temeraire... and realized that England's survival may rest on his talents as a dragon captain.

Naomi Novik has done her research quite thoroughly for this series, painting her alternate history with vivid detail without overwhelming the reader. She has blended the dragons into her world almost seamlessly, making it seem as if this very well could have happened in our history. I grew to love Temeraire, who had a sense of wonder and naivete about him quite at odds with his size, and sympathized with Laurence and his difficulties. And I found myself on the edge of my seat during the battle scenes, breathlessly awaiting the outcome of each.

If I have any nitpicks with the book, it's that the human characters are generally flat -- the dragons have an easier time and actually have more personality than most of the humans. I didn't mind this so much at first because I was one of those readers that was "just here for the dragons," but when I think back on a book and can only remember two human names (Laurence himself, and Catherine, one of the few female dragon captains), something's wrong.

Another minor quibble -- the fact that dragons can speak perfect English straight out of the shell. The justification for this is that they learn in the shell before they hatch, but when no other species can do this and the books have tried to maintain a realistic tone despite the dragons, it comes across as just a little jarring.

All in all, a good read, one I think both dragon fans and historical novel enthusiasts will enjoy.

What do you get if you combine Anne McCaffrey with Patrick O'Brien? Okay, I'm not sure, since it has been decades since I last read a book from the Dragonrider series, and I've never actually read any of O'Brien's books. But this book, about Napoleonic wars between the British and the French, is fueled by the same historical strife that drives O'Brien's stories, but with the added twist of airborne troops borne on the backs of dragons. And while that premise certainly might seem like a stretch, the finished product is a treat.

Our protagonist, Laurence, is captain of H.M.S. Reliant, and, as the book opens, he has just captured a French frigate. They soon discover that the French have a very valuable cargo aboard, a dragon egg. Unfortunately, the egg appears likely to hatch long before they can deliver it to the Aerial Corps so that the hatchling can be "harnessed" (paired with a rider). Because the British are in desperate need of additional dragons to counter Napoleon's superior numbers, Laurence can't afford not to have one of his officers attempt to harness the dragon when it hatches, even if it means losing a good man to the Aerial Corps. Things don't quite go as planned, however, and it is Laurence who finds himself bound to the hatchling.

The book then proceeds to describe the training of the new team and the adjustments Laurence must make in his transition from Navy to Aerial Corps. Eventually, Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, are called upon to help defend England from an attempted invasion by the French, in a thrilling finale.

This is an imaginative story, with an amazingly creative variety of dragons, and a whole new concept of warfare build around them. The dragons have powerful personalities in their own rights, and they help to flesh out the story, providing interesting contrasts to the human attitudes of honor and duty. I found myself cheering for the dragons as they fought not so much to defend Britain, but to protect each other and their riders. Entertaining and exciting, and I'll certainly be back for more.

His Majesty's Dragon (2006) knocked my socks off. I read the first book in one evening, the second the next and the third and fourth on a flight over to the US. I'm now consciously avoiding buying the fifth because, good lord, I'm going to run out of these before long.

Gushing aside, what is it about His Majesty's Dragon that really hit the spot?

First, for those that aren't familiar with the Temeraire series, the elevator pitch is "Hornblower with dragons". The Napoleonic Wars are in full swing, with a beleaguered Britain fending off the constant advances of the French Emperor. Vast ships, great clothes, thundering guns, and, now, dragons.

Captain William Lawrence is a long-serving and decorated member of His Majesty's Navy. When they capture a French frigate, Will finds himself in temporary possession of a dragon egg: one of unknown species and very near to hatching. Will understands the strategic importance of the dragons. So when the dragon hatches, he finds it his duty to take the fledgling under his own wing (pun unintended and somewhat inaccurate).

Poor Will. From being an ambitious and feted Captain in the most lauded branch of the military, he's suddenly, irrevocably cast down into the Aerial Corps - the most disdained. If the Navy is an appropriate home for a gentleman, the Aerial Corps most certainly is not. Will's intended swiftly breaks their connection and his father practically disowns him. His former Naval companions give him their condolences, but that's cold comfort. From fighting at Nelson's side, he's now a nobody.

He, does, however, have Temeraire.

Temeraire, Will's fledgling, is magnificent - in all senses of the word. As a rare breed of Chinese dragon, he's a welcome addition to the over-stretched British military. He's big ("heavy-weight"), smart and a quick learner. Thanks to Will's naval training and Temeraire's natural intelligence, the two soar through their training program. More importantly, Temeraire's curiosity and naivete are the perfect companion to Will's sense of duty and discipline. Will provides the dragon with focus and meaning, Temeraire gives Will a sense of warmth and open-mindedness.

The relationship between the two character is the heart of the book. Throughout His Majesty's Dragon, Will gradually reprioritises everything that he once held sacred. Although his duty to the country remains paramount, Temeraire teaches Will how to question authority (a theme that grows throughout the series). Will's new position as social exile also gives him a new perspective. The ironclad rules of propriety have a different meaning for him, due to his new home on the fringes. Still, what Will first sees as a sacrifice soon becomes an awakening - his friendship with Temeraire outweighs all the trials and frustrations.

If I mistakenly give the impression that His Majesty's Dragon is all lingering glances and delicate touches, far from it. Ms. Novik writes with all the understated elegance of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brien - depicting self-controlled (tight-laced) military men in a minimalist way that still manages to convey the full gamut of human emotion. A raised eyebrow, an incredulous look, a dropped title or over-lingering pause, true to her literary forebears, these are all the author ever needs.

Nor is His Majesty's Dragon merely paranormal bromance. Ms. Novik commits herself to the Napoleonic era both on and off the battlefield. Although the niceties of Georgian social life might strike some as frivolous, Ms. Novik does her very best to visualise what the "real" impact of a dragon would be on the sense and sensibility world of the Regency era. And, perhaps best of all, His Majesty's Dragon is rife with well-crafted fantasy battles. Although the narrative stays with Will and Temeraire, the author tries to convey the total picture of each skirmish - dragons, artillery, ships and all. Despite the obviously fantastic elements, Ms. Novik keeps to her literary style. The battles are less about personal heroism, but the importance of discipline and teamwork. Formations and tactics carry the day - not stableboys with vorpal blades. It is both captivating and immensely fun.

If His Majesty's Dragon were solely "Hornblower on a dragon" or "Sharpe with fire-breathers", it would be enjoyable solely as a display of enthusiastic ingenuity. But the book isn't just a clever conceit. Although Ms. Novik captures the setting and the style perfectly, the focus is always on the two main characters and their relationships - both with one another and the outside world. It would be all too easy to use Will and Temeraire solely as guides through the world, but the author never gives in to the temptation. They're warm, fascinating characters that grow from page to page. Although their heroism makes for a good story, their humanity is what makes a great book.

His Majesty's Dragon is a brilliantly written book. Novik excels on all levels in this novel. I was immediately drawn in to the story and captivated by the characters, both human and dragon. Novik's character development does not just hinge on what a character says, but also the manner in which they say it. So clearly defined was the behavior of each that halfway through the book I might have been able to identify each character had they gone nameless.

The bond she has created between dragon and man is remarkable. It is shades of friendship, family, mating and parenting, while simultaneously being none of those things. Beyond that, its believable. The emotions and personalities are fully realized.

Altering history to combine the threat of Napoleon with a world with dragons succeeds in ways I wouldn't have imagined. While set in a historical time period with history melded with fiction, this is no dry retelling, but a novel full of intrigue and adventure.

Novik's action sequences are fluid and exciting, taking us through the battles as more than mere observers. She understands the horror of war- there is no black and white, no armies oblivious to the pain and suffering of their foes.

I'm seriously in love with this novel and its characters. Add something to the new experiences file...I've never been in love with a dragon before.

I'm a huge fan of Patrick O'Brian's novels about British naval officers during the time of Napoleon. Like Jane Austen, but at sea!

And I really enjoyed Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern books (huge plotholes aside.)

This book is like the perfect love-child of both. Capt. Will Laurence is forced to give up his successful naval career for the rather dubious honor of harnessing a dragon. Britain's aerial troops are only second to their Navy, and every resource is needed to fight back the French's advance. Shunned by his family and former colleagues, he takes comfort in that his dragon, Temeraire, is everything you could want in a a best friend - loyal, smart, and fun to be around.

I loved everything about this book - the constraints of formal English society, the very personable pragmatic and naive dragons, the battle scenes.

I had trouble imagining the scale of the dragons - they are, essentially, like ships in flight. Their main rider is "captain" and they also carry several more men, the equivalent of midshipmen or gunners, who I think strap themselves on to the underbelly of the dragon. It's hard to reconcile smart, funny, charming, child-like Temeraire with something the size of a small building.

I kept expecting the dragons to be more telepathic - like the dragons of Pern, I suppose, but these dragons are not. There are some great surprises about the rather insular society of aviators as the story goes on.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

I think that most of the fantasy I've been reading lately has been taking itself quite seriously. Lots of death, sex, political intrigue, and bleak futures. The first book in Novik's Temeraire series is exactly what I needed: a fresh take on a well-worn fantasy trope that doesn't need high-minded literary aspirations due to it being so fun to read. Not to say that it isn't literary either; His Majesty's Dragon is a pretty great work of fantasy fiction.

This first book introduces the reader to William Lawrence, a sea captain in the Royal Navy. The books take place in an alternate version of Europe during the Napoleonic Wars, where dragons not only exist but are fairly common, and a key element of most nations' military forces. After a quick battle with a weakened French ship, Lawrence recovers a prize of great value: a dragon egg, ready to hatch. The intelligent animal unexpectedly picks Lawrence to bond with; duty compels Lawrence to leave his beloved ship and become an aviator, simply for the sake of putting another British dragon in the skies. However, his initial reluctance to leave his sheltered life as an officer and gentleman to become a social pariah (as most aviators usually are in this England) quickly fades, as he begins to form his own bond with the unique black dragon, who he has named Temeraire after the famous Royal ship of the line. Lawrence and Temeraire's training progresses quickly due to the dragon's extraordinary intelligence and unique flying abilities, but a clever plan by Napoleon to invade England forces them into action, and unveils some startling truths about what Temeraire is and where he came from.

The entire book rests on the relationship between Lawrence and Temeraire, and it does so comfortably. Both are excellent, sympathetic characters. Lawrence's stilted manners and fish-out-of-water naiveté contrasts perfectly with Temeraire's wide-eyed innocence and occasional childish enthusiasm, making them an easy pair to like and root for. Admittedly, though, their relationship does take some getting used to. Between the histrionics each goes into at any perceived threat towards the other and Lawrence's baffling tendency to refer to Temeraire as "my dear," there are some initial overtones of gay man-dragon love. But as the book progresses, Novik does a fantastic job of defining the strong, unique relationships between the captains and their sentient dragons. I perceived it as a mix of the feelings a person would have towards a child and a particularly loved pet. In any event, once the initial "wtf?" feeling wears off, it is written well enough to make some of the scenes between the dragons and their respective people heart-wrenching, if occasionally too sentimental.

As with any good alternate history that takes place in wartime, the battles are the highlights of this book. Novik eschews the "dragon-rider" approach, and instead puts forth the notion that dragons can support actual crews of various sizes, who operate much like naval crews of the time would. Thus, each battle scene mixes the tense, orderly progression of a naval clash with the chaos of aerial warfare. Also, we're talking about dragons that can do cool dragon things like spit acid and claw things apart. It really doesn't get much cooler than that.

The story is probably the weakest element of the book, in that it's understated and doesn't take a whole lot of surprising turns. This book has a distinct "introductory" feel, meaning that the establishment of the characters takes precedence over the actual plot. This doesn't actually cause any problems for the majority of the book, since the world and characters are so interesting that the story shines in a bit of their reflected light. However, the ending retains that simplicity; once the final twist is revealed, everything resolves itself with simplicity that strains credulity. Considering the buildup to the climactic scenes, I simply don't buy how things turned out.

The ending was almost unsatisfying enough for me to knock a point off, but I had so much fun reading this book that I decided to let it go. This is good, solid fantasy. I've never been a dragon guy; I'll admit to never having read a Pern book despite being a longtime sci-fi and fantasy reader. So, I can't really speak to how His Majesty's Dragon holds up to other books in the dragon genre, assuming that there is such a thing as a "dragon genre." But I can overwhelmingly recommend this book for fantasy readers, alternate history readers, and those with a penchant for wartime or historical fiction that don't mind some flights of fancy. I've already bought the next two; I'm sold.

This book took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting much, having been disappointed many times in books that have "rewritten" history with superficial world building. But this one? Blew me away. I was instantly pulled into Captain Laurence's world and quickly picked up the nuances of it due to how well written it was. I love a good historical fiction. And this one nails it, going so far as to even include scholarly articles on dragons at the end (this was a really good idea on Novick's part). Detailed but fluid writing with rich characters in a realistic and vividly gritty world of dragons in the 19th century. If there is any drawback, it was that the story did slow down in the middle. Also, a small continuity problem...Laurence recommends one of his crew, Hollins, to be a new aviator for a new dragon that is hatching. The problem with this is that the book has already explained that there is no egg without an aviator already waiting for it to hatch and that there is a long waiting list of potential aviators who are waiting for a spot to open up. How Laurence's friend and crewman could just suddenly step into position and take the new dragon is unclear and didn't jive with what the story already set up. But those two critiques aside, I really enjoyed this book and ran right back to the library after reading it to grab the next in the series. If you're looking for a solid historical fiction that includes a fantastical element, pick this one up. Excellent, detailed but non-cumbersome world-building with solid character development and plot development, all wrapped in a story that was very well written. A hard combination to pull off but Naomi Novik did it.

Just warning you: You're going to fall in love with Temeraire. You're gonna blow your budget, buying all the books of the series. You're going to have to live on raman noodles for a month. And it will be So. Worth. It. I envy you, the opportunity to meet Temeraire for the first time. You have quite an adventure ahead of you. (I re-read this entire series at least once a year, and it simply doesn't get old. )

The plot of this novel moves at glacier speed, which is fairly agonizing when the premise is as rich as this fantastic alternate history of dragons fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. So although I did love the characters, I'm not sure if I'm really up for another eight sequels where nothing much seems to happen to them.

His Majesty's Dragon is the first novel in the Temeraire Series, currently at five novels. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the book begins with a ship from the British navy, captained by William Laurence, capturing a French ship carrying a dragon egg. The egg was to be a gift to Napoleon from the Chinese emperor. A human-dragon bond must be built immediately, the egg is ready to hatch, and they are far from land, so Laurence is forced to become the dragon's captain (he names him Temeraire) and leave the navy for the British air force, which is populated entirely by dragons and their captains and crews.

There are really only two characters in His Majesty's Dragon: Captain William Laurence and Temeraire, his dragon. Temeraire's innate curiosity, intelligence, and iconoclasm make him a prodigal learner and one of the more interesting dragons in speculative fiction. Laurence and Temeraire quickly develop an extremely close bond and much of the book is driven by that relationship. Sadly, other characters aren't nearly as well drawn.

Novik does what any serious author of historical fantasy must do. That is, she gives great thought to what the full, logical implications of the introduced fantastical element would be. The much more informal culture of the English air force, or "Corps" as they are referred to colloquially in the book, offers a modern reader a less jarring prism through which to view the rest of England during the Napoleonic Wars. She also strives to represent English language and mannerisms of the day, as well as real-life events, accurately as well, largely succeeding.

After the seizure of Temeraire's egg, His Majesty's Dragon follows the training of Temeraire and Laurence in the British air force. There is a desultory sort of attempt at a love interest (although I appreciate that Novik approaches it with a healthy degree of subtlety) and a supposed friend turns out to be a bit of a villain, but the meat of the body is the training. Novik seems to taken some inspiration from fighter pilot movies. The structure of the story is the same: devoting the bulk of it to training, with a climactic fight at the end.

The training isn't quite as engaging as it could be though, the book is action-light, and what little action there is doesn't bother with plausible physics. It's certainly interesting enough though, and I can say that the next two books are much better.

I am so happy I stumbled across this book. It's been out for a few years and I'm not sure why it didn't come to my attention sooner, but I am SO glad that it finally did (probably reading a review on a blog, so thank you)!

Looking at this just on a library shelf, I probably wouldn't pick it up (sad, but true, I judge covers sometimes unless someone has told me about it or I have read the description. This unobtrusive cover, however, is hiding all kinds of awesome! Basically this has Master and Commander, Jane Austen, and Eragon, all wrapped up into one, it's fantastic! You get the old timey feel of proper speaking and manners mixed with naval battles and talking dragons and their handlers!

That being said, there were times where things were a bit slow, and someone would take a slight to a comment that would pass a bit over my head, but for the most part, I was able to imagine things exactly. The writing was superb and the story telling and story line are very original. I just can't say enough of how much I appreciate this book.

Ms. Novik's universe sounds so entirely plausible that I'm a little put out that I haven't been called to be a Long-Wing captain myself! I'm also pretty happy that I came upon this series when I did since the 7th (is it the last? Not sure) just recently came out so I can read through this as quickly as I am able (I hate waiting).

Definitely worth a read for fantasy buffs but for those with a historical fiction bent as well. Truly, awesome work!

This book was borrowed from my library.

After reading Uprooted I wanted to read more of her work. I was not disappointed! The character development is spectacular and there are so many messages in this series (yes, I couldn't wait to read them all) it's delightful. I have sent several copies to friends, as gifts, and they all raved about her work. I can't say enough good things about her writing.

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik is the reason why book clubs rock (mine in particular). I never would have picked this book on my own. Ever. It sounded like Patrick O'Brian (which I've never read) with dragons. But the purpose of book clubs is not to read books you would read anyway - it's to expand your horizons, to try different genres and stretch yourself. Sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes, it is a spectacularly horrid book that "needed" to be read. And sometimes, like this book, my pre-conceived notions and reluctance are overcome with surprised delight.

I should not have picked this up so close to bedtime because once I started, I wanted to keep on going to the end, but drat my heavy eyelids and exhaustion - I had to wait until the next day.

This is alternative history with a fantasy twist. Set in Europe in the early 1800s, France, headed by Napoleon, is at war with England. Military on either side have ground and Navy forces but they also have Aerial Corps which use dragons and their handlers for military manuevers. Dragons, due to their rarity, valuable skills, and time-consuming, complicated breeding and training, are precious to the empires. So that they don't go feral and out of control once hatched, each dragon egg is assigned a handler, with whom the baby dragon bonds for life. This is no small commitment for being a dragon's handler means the impossibility of a normal, stable existence and living apart from society. The bond between dragons and their handlers are deep and unbreakable - separation from each other can mean everlasting trauma.

Laurence is the proud captain of the English Navy. He's got everything lined up his life: promising future in the navy, fortune, and the near-engagement to a childhood sweetheart. A skirmish with a French ship lands he and his crew an unexpected bounty - a dragon egg. As valuable as dragon eggs are, this is a problem, as the dragon egg appears to be on the verge of hatching, and Laurence's ship is three weeks from the nearest port. His career in the Navy and possible engagement vanish in an instant when the newly hatched dragon picks him as his handler. From then on, Laurence has to leave everything and everyone he has ever known and enter the world of dragon warfare.

The worldbuilding is convincing and detailed. It called to mind the brief, but intense fascination in my childhood with the Dragonriders of Pern series. The battle scenes, despite some technical and logistic descriptions that went over my head, are exciting and suspenseful. But it's Laurence and Temeraire, his dragon, that got me.

"'I suppose you are one those hoarding creatures," Laurence said, looking affectionately up at Temeraire; many dragons had an inborn fascination with jewels or precious metals. "I'm afraid I am not rich enough a partner for you; I will not be able to five you a heap of gold to sleep on."

"'I should rather have you than a heap of gold...," Temeraire said.

"He said it quite normally, not in the least as though he meant to deliver a compliment, and immediately went back to looking at his clouds; Laurence was left gazing after him in a sensation of mingled amazement and extraordinary pleasure. He could scarcely imagine a similar feeling; the only parallel he could conceive from his old life would be if the Reliant had spoke to say she liked to have him for her captain: both praise and affection from the highest source imaginable, and it filled him with fresh determination to prove worthy...."

I loved the way their relationship developed - nurturing and surprisingly tender. Like a giant toddler - incredibly curious, bright, and endearing, Temeraire wins Laurence's heart and loyalty. I confess, during the chapter when it seemed as if Temeraire and Laurence were going to be parted, Temeraire's sadness, much like that of a child who has been torn from his mother - tore me up. Yup, this fantasy novel about military dragons actually made me cry.

The plot was never plodding and had the right mix of action and character development. This is a rich world, fully realized, with the substantive characters to people it.

Some of it is predictable. ***SPOILERS*** Somehow, I knew Temeraire would end up being the rarest and most talented of all dragon breeds. Somehow, before the book ends, the division in which Temeraire and Laurence are assigned to will have to fight a battle with the French in which the deck is stacked against them, but Temeraire will save the day. That's alright - that ride was still a fantastic one despite I knew where it was going.

If you're resistant to books that have a military bent - forget it for one second. Just read the first chapter and get swept away into His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. I loved it so much, I picked up the sequel, Throne of Jade, the day after and delved into that as well. This is a fantastic series!

"His Majesty's Dragon" is an intelligent, articulate, and surprisingly enjoyable read.

Naomi Novak has done what I didn't think possible--made me interested in a book about dragons. I read it, and I enjoyed it. Up to now, in my mind I have seen dragons as about as overdone in the fantasy genre as vampires are in the horror (and now romance) genre. As a result, I've never really had much interest in them. Smaug was a great antagonist in The Hobbit, but he was a distant subject, entered in to the story only in the end, and provided the necessary contrast to Bilbo's humble stature and unique qualities. Beyond that, I've never been able to catch the allure of giant, fire breathing lizards. St. George had his dragon, but as in Bilbo's case, it was the obstacle to overcome, not a friend, associate, steed, or tool. Further, the world in which dragons existed was fantastical, governed by magic, not the laws of physics as currently constituted. When I saw "His Majesty's Dragon" with its prominent black dragon curled across the cover (I know--never judge a book by its cover, but let's be honest--we all do it!), I was dismissive.

Then last month I heard that Peter Jackson, director of "The Lord of the Rings" and of the as yet unfilmed "The Hobbit," had bought the movie rights to "His Majesty's Dragon." Maybe there was something to it?

I picked up the book on CD, and we listened to it during a drive across the country. By the time the last disk was finished, my wife was asking me why we hadn't brought the sequel, too.

Why the difference? Unlike most dragon books, this one is not a fantasy, at least not in the conventional sense. In the world Novak sets her novel, we are in the midst of the Napoleonic wars, and the laws of physics are as applicable as in any Patrick O'Brian novel. In fact, one might find the similarities between O'Brian and Novak greater than with other novels featuring dragons. The story opens at the end of a navel action in which a British captain captures a French ship with a cargo of one precious dragon egg. In this alternate history, dragons form a branch of the world's militaries, providing an air support that is not unlike that of the naval forces, compete with crews. We watch as Novak's dragon is trained, as relationships develop, and as the dragons go to war, not merely as extensions of their "captain's" will, but as independent and cooperative, thinking beings.

Perhaps it is because the reader of the book was English, and everything sounds more articulate with an English accent, but even so, the plot, world development, relationships, and situations were intelligent and believable. As one writer said about good writing, it must "ring true," and Novak's story--of dragons and a world torn by the Napoleonic wars--rings true.

It took me a long time to get into His Majesty's Dragon. Novik is a slow writer. She does not rely on action, she takes her time to build things up. Sort of like a Merchant Ivory flick. Its British. Its slow.

I could not ever get past the 1800's British/France military setting. Combining this with dragons just felt so weird. This could have been avoided if Novik had just made up a new world. But no. The way I finally got close to accepting this was when I started to think of this world in a studio Ghibli setting. Think Porco Rosco only instead of planes, think dragons. Once I could do this things became fun.

The further you get into this story, the better it gets. The fight scenes are not great. These are not the strengths of the book. Instead it is the characters she builds. They come to life the more time you spend with them.

I have to say I like 'Uprooted', her newest book more than His Majesty's Dragon.

Her Majesty's Dragon came very highly recommended to me by two friends. Somehow, me (being an idiot) managed to not pick it up until it dropped in my lap. Seeing that my friends seems to have a pretty good idea of what my tastes in books are, clearly I need to move all their recommendations up the list.

So, back to the book. It's set during the Napoleonic Wars and there are dragons. The story centers around one English navy captain Will Laurence and Temeraire, the dragon whose egg Laurence captures from a French frigate. Temeraire hatches while they are en route to England and chooses Laurence as his handler. Unfortunately for Laurence, this means that he's getting transferred from the navy to the equivalent of the Royal Air Force. Training and battle happens.

The style of the book reads a little like a Horatio Hornblower novel with Anne McCaffery-esque dragons thrown in. I liked it a great deal. Temeraire is really cute for a multi-ton critter and exhibits an open, wide eyed and scaly-tailed manner as he learns how to be a good dragon in the RAF. It was endearing. I appreciated how Laurence tried very hard to be an officer and a gentleman to everyone around him regardless of if they were an officer or a gentleman themselves. I found it endearing.

I also liked how the dragons themselves were worked into the alternate history. It made sense to me that England would have fewer dragons than France (less land) and that China would guard theirs closely. the idea of using the dragons as one would use airships and airplanes seems like a no brainer, but I did like the addition of a essentially a gunnery crew for each dragon. I thought it was a neat idea.

While one looking at the cover and the blurb on the back might expect a "loud" exciting book with battle around every corner, I found that this was not the case at all... and was rather delighted by it actually. Instead there's a lot of focus on learning to work as a team and a lot of heart to heart moments that gave me the warm fuzzy feeling. I have a lot of respect for writers that make me like quiet time with characters, because it doesn't seem to happen for me very often. I've been finding that even if the book is full of action, if I can enjoy the quiet time with a set of characters I enjoy the book overall a great deal more.

That is not to say that the book is without conflict of any sort (besides the obvious war with Bonaparte). As is usual in polite English society, there are pecking orders and abuses that get quietly and efficiently dealt with in addition to the messes that major engagements of armed forces generally are.

I suppose if I have to find any fault with the book (and I'm stretching to do so!) the pacing might seem on the slow side if one's expecting action, but I found this didn't bother me in the slightest.

Well, I suppose I have to read the rest of these novels now. Yay!

I've been listening to the audio version of this book in my car and on dog walks. The only reason I did not give it five stars is because of some pacing problems. Part of the charm of the book is that is reads like an early Victorian social novel -- it has a measured pace and the nuances of an older, British writing style, but that's also something that takes getting reacquainted with in our digital age of instant gratification. I wanted to stay with it after the first few chapters, but I was eager for something more dramatic to happen, or at least be hinted at in the early chapters. As the writer established her world, some greater foreshadowing of the eventual conflicts would have helped but the pacing picked up quickly by Part 2.

I wasn't sure I would like it at all as I am generally averse to dragon tales in their usual domains, but Ms. Novik is possessed of a great imagination and made a very interesting choice in her setting. The relationship between Will and his always famished, carnivorous dragon is moving (though I was sorry for some of the meals Temeraire made of deer, sheep etc.) Their tender relationship reminded me of film and book classics about beloved animals like Old Yeller or Black Beauty. Some greater allegory is at work here with the "marriage" of humans who sacrifice normal lives in order to bond with a dragon and becomes an aviator. Temeraire seems to unshackle Will from the formal, emotionally cold world of his aristocratic background, and to bring him some missing passion and intimacy which is touching. Ms. Novik does little to establish why dragons are born speaking the human language of whosoever manages to witness their hatching and harness them, but it's a premise, once accepted, that took me to a world both familiar and strange. It gets increasingly larger, more visual and cinematic as it proceeds. The movie versions could be fantastic.

I can understand why this novel would not appeal to everyone, that it would be an acquired taste. But with seven sequels in its wake, that's a taste quite a few people have acquired. Full disclosure: the reason I read this novel is because a few of my own readers have compared my novel to this one, mostly citing its originality. I don't see that many connections, but I am very flattered by the comparison. Prophets of the Ghost Ants

I had high hopes for this book. I'm not a big fan of fantasy stories, but I thought the premise was pretty cool - turn of the 18th century naval warfare that pits the British against Napoleon...with dragons providing air support.

The book was interesting, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed overall. The tone of author Naomi Novik's writing is right on target which is both good and bad. It's good because she captures the mood and experience of late 18th/early 19th century Britain. It's bad, because the language associated with that time period is rather verbose and overdone and I found it had the propensity to bog down dialogue.

This isn't so different from what one finds in Patrick O'Brian's "Aubrey/Maturin" series. The stories are authentic and exciting, but at times it can be rough-going to slog through the heavily stylized language.

The concept is creative, but the story itself a bit drab. And if you're looking for a lot of action, brace yourself as there's actually not all that much in this first installment of Novik's very popular series.

The strongest component of "His Majesty's Dragon" is how Novik painted the relationship between the dragon Temeraire and his rider Captain Will Laurence. Temeraire hatches aboard Laurence's ship. An attempt is made for Temeraire to imprint on one of Laurence's officers, but instead the dragon is drawn toward the Captain. He leaves the naval service and joins the British air corps. While a Captain feels very strongly towards his ship, you can imagine how much tighter that bond is between himself and living, breathing, talking, thinking and very inquisitive dragon.

Their relationship develops nicely throughout the story and I couldn't help being drawn in emotionally by Temeraire's child-like innocence, protective nature toward Laurence, and his awakening into the world around him. This is a major focus of the story and their relationship, I assume, will continue to develop as Termeraire grows throughout Novik's series.

The book was good, but not great. I enjoyed the read, the characters and the overall introduction into the concept of dragons being part of the "every day" in turn-of-the-century England.

Yey, Dragons! Who doesn't like dragons...Even if you're one of those old buggers who somehow missed a hype over the "How the train your dragon" movie. Nah, let's not get too cynical here - dragons are creatures like all the others in fantasy universe, with bunch of cliches of their own, with standard usage and standard tropes. Maybe those are the reason why dragons were banished from any sort of 'serious' fantasy out there. Oh, you write about dragons...you're one of those aren't ya? Fantasy writing more recently developed itself as a means to an end - to a deconstructing the ideal of feudalism age (which was present in great many occasions), contrasting high and low, and making a great big of a mess in a process. But, Naomi Novik writes about dragons, why does she do that if dragons are so unwelcome? Well, that's just the thing, Naomi Novik doesn't write fantasy, she writes a pseudo-history - Napoleon wars with a dash of dragons for the good measure. It almost seems like Novik is trying to escape the genre, admitting dragons into her world but at the same time trying to justify them by saying that they fly by giant compartments of compressed air in their bodies. Does that sort of explanation reminds you of those Star Trek moments full of anti-graviton-thingamajiggs and all sorts of neutron-driven-devices which do all sorts of wondrous things? Kinda does, does it? Anyway, all that this was was some kind of general complaining in want of anything better to do, now to say how things actually function here.

Once we have established dragons as a reality in word of Naomi Novik, we may start to look for other elements of the story. And it's a good story, with ups and downs, with dramatic and emotional moments, with suspense and bits of danger, with contrast between high-brow culture of lords and ladies and down to earth culture of dragon riders who don't care much for that royalty nonsense. Take out all of the action bits and you have a nice story about parents and children, about growing up and deepening the bonds of parenting which are good enough just to read them for their sake. Problem lies elsewhere. At this point (and I haven't read entire trilogy yet), whole business seems a bit pointless. Underneath the mask of fantasy lies a story of Napoleonic wars and his defeat by Nelson at Trafalgar. If we would omit the entire part of the story where Laurence talks and interacts with his dragon, nothing would have been left for us except the history book which kinda goes by the book. I don't know, maybe it's failure of a first book only and entire series have something more to say than just "dragons are cool". Thing is, as always, in details. And there is so many of them and they actually make reading of this book worthwhile. The whole power-play between Temeraire and Laurence which kinda shatters the whole world of rules that Laurence takes for granted is just enough to read this book with interest, wanting to see what will happen next and will Laurence emerge changed from this process. That's where philosophical debate about nature and nurture, ideas and ideology starts to kick in and whole thing starts to make sense other than "dragons are cool" bits. And I can't say that this book doesn't have potential for something great, maybe it achieved it later on in the series, it has it lying dormant here as well, you just need to be warned that as a standalone project it lacks something. General idea, sense of direction, purpose? Whatever the answer is it shouldn't stop you from checking this book out, there are far worse things out there.

What a great idea for a book! The early 1800s is one of my favorite periods of history, and I can hardly believe no one thought of this idea before. It takes all the best parts of Patrick O'Brian and Anne McCaffrey and mixes them together in one great action packed dragon soup. How could you go wrong with that!

The language is the first thing I noticed and loved. It is seamless and easy to understand, but is undeniably old fashioned and perfect for the time period Ms. Novik chose. The gentlemanly airs everyone puts on, and the insults to honor if you but look at someone askance, had me grinning and begging for more. Indeed, a few times Captain Will Laurence was insulted or demanded an apology, and I wasn't even quite sure what had gone wrong. No one is allowed to step out of line on Laurence's watch, no sir.

Temeraire is thoroughly charming, smart and powerful, yet with an innocent naiveté that completely won me over. It made me remember my first foray into the world of Anne McCaffrey, and daydreaming of Impressing a gold dragon. The same emotions overcame me here. You know what I want? I want Sims 3 pets to have a dragon expansion pack. Screw unicorns, give me a dragon. I would play the HELL out of that!

Unfortunately, having a dragon in this universe means you are conscripted into the Aerial Corps without any choice. All dragons are the property of the Crown. It seems like such a waste to use something so majestic as a dragon as a bomber plane. Of course, they basically end up doing exactly that in the Anne McCafrey universe as well...but something about firing a gun at a dragon seems so barbaric. I hope Temeraire doesn't remain in the fighting corps long, I really want him to be happy and retire with Laurence some place warm and sandy. And this is after only one installment of the Temeraire series! I can't wait to read more.

This book isn't perfect, even if I like to gush about it. Not too much actually happened, and the love interest falls flat. However, this being the first in a series, the set up for more happening in this world is ripe. If you like anything about dragons or the Napoleonic wars, this book will be a treat for you.

Time was, dragons were the stuff of nightmares, horrors lying beyond the horizon, "Hic Sunt Dracones"--here be dragons. How times change. Revisionism is in, and our old nemesis has gotten a makeover. "His Majesty's Dragon" shows this isn't necessarily a bad thing, provided you don't mind having your dragons declawed.

At first glance, "His Majesty's Dragon" seems like a one-trick dragonet, its one twist being that it puts dragons in the middle of the Napoleonic Wars. The idea of mashing up fantasy and Napoleonic adventure is cute, but not terribly original. It's been done before, most notably with Susanna Clarke's 1,000-page bunker-buster "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell". Fortunately, that's not all "His Majesty's Dragon" has to offer. Like many good works of speculative fiction, it takes a well-worn concept and stands it on its head--here, deadly fire-breathing dragons are not monsters, but our friends and allies.

This too, has been done elsewhere, often in kiddie stories like "How to Train Your Dragon". But whereas these boy-and-his-dragon stories tend to present dragons as a geeky kid's dream pet ("does whatever I say, and if anybody gives me any grief, turns them into smoked baby back ribs"), the dragons in "His Majesty's Dragon" are more like a geeky adult's dream kid.

Dragons in Ms Novik's book are smart, sentient chaps who imprint themselves on the nearest suitable candidate after they hatch from their shells--much the way birds do in the real world. As the novel opens, Royal Navy Captain William Laurence captures a dragon's egg from a French frigate, and no prizes for guessing who the little critter picks to be his mommy-surrogate when he hatches. A panicked Laurence names his new companion "Temeraire" (French for "rash") after a ship in the Royal Navy--which is probably par for the course with guys' choices of baby names. We're always trying to get the kids named after our obsessions: I know one soccer-mad father who planned to name his son Zidane, while in Japan a certain Mr Hayashi (the name translates as "Wood(s)") was sadly thwarted in his attempt to name his son Tiger.

Also like some new parents, Laurence isn't overjoyed at the prospect of giving up his career and private life to look after a needy, grasping infant. The two of them are packed off to join Britain's Royal Aerial Corps, currently going tooth-and-claw with the French emperor Napoleon's own squadrons of dragons. The training scenes that follow are more 'Cosby Show" than "Karate Kid", as Laurence helps Temeraire to make friends, learn about where he came from, and navigate the treacherous shoals of adolescence. This is light, breezy fun, as we watch Laurence go from reluctant parent to proud father, and Temeraire from shy stripling to king of the skies. There is skullduggery and violence of course, even a climactic aerial battle against the foul and most foreign French, but this is a kind of "Princess Bride" combat, deadly without every feeling threatening.

This is to the fantasy genre what the marshmallow is to Irish cream cheesecake; soft, squishy and sweet, simple yet a little bland. "His Majesty's Dragon" under-does the action, adventure or humor in favor of "awww, shucks" moments of bonding between Laurence and his dragon. Characterization is also marshmallow-simple, especially among the human cast. It's "The Black Stallion" with scales, surprisingly without bite for a book about dragons. That said, at least Ms Novik explores how her Hornblower-meets-Helm's Deep setup might change history, with the Battle of Trafalgar as a sneaky deception to hide Nappy's real plan for invading England (this compares well with Ms Clarke's work, in which a powerful magician uses his wizardry to enable the British to beat Napoleon at ... Waterloo!--which is, er, precisely what happened historically).

The real joy of the book is found in the energy Ms Novik invests in her scaly heroes. Thought has gone into getting the tone of each dragon right--from the dim-bulb chirpiness of the smallest dragons, to the earnest inquisitiveness of Temeraire himself. Speaking as a father, I'd say that in Temeraire, Ms Novik also strikes about the right balance between children's clinginess and their desire for independence. Ms Novik also obviously takes great joy in devising weird and wonderful breeds of dragons, with names to match, from the Winchesters and Parnassians of Britain, to the Pecheur Couronne (crowned fisher) and Flamme de Gloire (flame of glory) of France, and the Imperials and Celestials of China. Perhaps it's not surprising her human characters seem deadly dull next to these flamboyant butterflies.

Still, just as not every movie needs to be in 3-D, not every fantasy novel needs blood and guts. "His Majesty's Dragon" is a gentler kind of tale, as warm and cuddly as a dragon itself. And if that doesn't make sense to you, you're behind the times.

A friend of mine who knows that I like fantasy books suggested that this series was worth consideration and I was not disappointed by the first book. The language is very like what one might expect of people of the time. The battle scenes were so well written that one might truly believe that Napoleon used dragons for combat.
A great array of characters makes this a most believable tale about dragons in the Napoleonic wars.

Imagine if the Napoleonic wars had been fought using an air force... of dragons.

That idea is the root of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series -- an alternate-history fantasy that explores the idea of a Horatio Hornbloweresque navy officer who suddenly finds a dragon uprooting his life. The plot is a bit thin in the first book of the series, "His Majesty's Dragon," but Novik makes up for this with her richly-realized alternate world and adorable friendship between man and dragon.

Captain William Laurence's Reliant has captured a French ship -- which turns out to have a dragon egg in its hold. And when the baby dragon hatches, it decides it wants Laurence and no other to be its rider. Unfortunately, accepting the dragon (now named Temeraire) means giving up his Navy commission and joining the Air Corps -- especially since Temeraire violently rejects the idea of accepting another rider.

But both rider and dragon have a lot of learning to do, especially since Laurence has some very unusual ideas about how to treat his dragon. And Laurence discovers that not all riders treat their dragons with such love, and that life among the Corps is very different from 19th-century England's. But as the bond between them grows and Temeraire grows rapidly to maturity, the Napoleonic Wars are raging -- and Temeraire's true power hasn't yet been shown.

The Temeraire series is what Christopher Paolini's books SHOULD have been -- a richly-drawn, intelligent series about the bond between a young man and his dragon. Novik still has some rough spots in "His Majesty's Dragon" -- such as the all-too-convenient explanation for how Temeraire speaks English right out of the egg -- but it's an undeniably fascinating mesh of what 19th century war would have been like if there had been dragons.

So she conjures up a pretty fascinating world, giving dragons different breeds, physical makeup, quirks, biological features (they can blast acid, fire, even sonic waves), and relationships with their riders (one poor little dragon's rider treats him like a disposable vehicle, inspiring Laurence's rage).

Admittedly there's not much plot until the last quarter; most of the book is about Laurence and Temeraire getting used to the Corps and each other. But Novik keeps it interesting with lush, detailed writing and some truly thrilling aerial battles aboard the vast dragons. On land, there's plenty of gentle comic relief ("I am afraid that some of them go there to drink, and keep low company." "Oh, you mean whores!") and lots of messy eating (including a very reluctant sheep).

And our heroes Temeraire and Laurence are a study in contrasts. The human is mannered, thoughtful and very tied to society's mores and expectations, while the dragon has a child's enthusiasm, curiosity, honesty and stubbornness (and a gold chain he uses like a security blankie). The supporting cast -- dragons and humans alike -- are a likable bunch as well, such as a delicate schoolgirl and her refined Longwing Lily, the vast Maximus, and even a vaguely sinister Frenchman.

"His Majesty's Dragoin" is a solid introduction to a brilliantly-conceived series, with plenty of adventure, humour and a lot of lovable dragons. Definitely worth flying with.

I think it is clear now that Naomi Novik has hit upon a successful formula with her Temeraire books. The sixth book in the series was released in July. His Majesty's Dragon is the one that began it all. We are introduced to Captain Will Laurence of the British Navy as his ship captures a French frigate with an unexpectedly valuable cargo - an unhatched dragon egg. The egg is brought aboard the British ship, it hatches, and the dragon (now named Temeraire) chooses Captain Laurence to be his master. This has ramifications for Laurence for the rest of his life. He leaves the navy to become an aviator. He realizes that he will be unable to marry the woman he loves. In short, he has entered an entirely new world.

The bulk of the book takes us through the development of the relationship between Temeraire and Laurence and gives us an understanding of the training that the dragons and aviators must go through. The plot thickens midway through the book when Temeraire is found to be a Celestial, an extremely rare breed bred only in China. He also has unusual powers that will be very valuable in the war against Napoleon.

The dragons are extremely interesting characters. Temeraire is highly intelligent, expresses himself well, loves to have Laurence read to him, and picks up military strategies very quickly. The bond between Temeraire and Laurence turns out to be immensely strong. I found that I very much enjoyed the dragons and accepted them completely as believable characters.

This first book in the series was great fun to read, and I look forward to the next ones.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy world created by Naomi Novik which introduced me to her world of dragons used as weapons of war. The novel takes place during the time when Napoleon was rampaging through Europe and countries had a very unusual weapon in their arsenal. I simply loved the idea of dragons who were so large that they acted as battleships and were outfitted with a pilot, a crew and armaments. Many of the dragons had their own natural abilities such as fire or spitting acid which could be used against an enemy. If you can allow yourself to accept this world created in the imagination of this author, I think you will enjoy this novel.

Captain William Laurence is a career Royal Navy man and is in command of the Reliant when they come upon a French frigate. Even though they have been weakened by illness and a fierce storm the French crew fights against all odds to avoid being taken by the British ship. Once the battle is over Captain Laurence discovers that the French ship has a dragon egg on board and by the indications of the shell, it is very close to hatching. Dragons are normally handled by members of the aerial corps which is a branch of service looked down upon because of their association with the dragons and their seeming laxity of discipline. Laurence knows that they are much too far from land and that the egg will hatch soon. After drawing lots, a member of his crew is designated to be the person who must put the harness on the hatchling and establish command of the dragon. But the dragon can choose to accept the harness and this dragon decides he wants Captain Laurence to be his handler. Thus begins the story of Captain Laurence and Temeraire.

I really enjoyed the warm relationship this author established between Laurence and Temeraire. It was necessary for the captain to give up his very promising career in the Navy to become associated with the aerial corps, his sense of duty and honor left him no other choice. He lost family, friends and his position in society. Instead of becoming bitter he learned the value of this dragon of his. The conversations between Laurence and Temeraire were sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but always compassionate and sensitive.

After reading this book I am positive that I will want to read the others in the series. This author had such clever ideas for how to make the story interesting and exciting that it just made me want to read about other adventures with Captain Laurence and Temeraire. The description of how Napoleon had planned to invaid England was wonderfully innovative. I want to thank the person who recommended that I read this book. I have already cleared a space on one of my book shelves to hold the other books in this series. These will definitely become "keepers".

Although this book may appear to be a partially-altered history of the Napoleonic wars (the Brits and French have different species of dragons fighting for them!) it's actually far more of a story about a man and his dragon learning about each other. This is not just battles and fighting, it's a book about character and growth.

Naval captain Will Laurence, when boarding a French ship that his men have taken, finds a dragon egg being transported. Dragons, when hatched, become bound to their new owners when the harness is put on them and from that point dragon and owner become virtually inseparable. One of Will's seamen wins (loses??) the lot to become the new owner of the dragon when it hatches - but when the egg is finally opened the newborn dragon instead takes to Will. This is a devastating loss for will as the Aerial Corps (dragon owners and riders) are not treated well in the society of the day.

Still, Will seems to take his new role fairly philosophically and he and Temeraire, the dragon, start learning about each other. Dragons can speak as soon as they are hatched and Temeraire is a very interesting character. He has incredible loyalty to Will but not the same level of loyalty to honour and country that his handler has.

Most of this story covers the training that Will and Temeraire go through with different dragons, flying in formation and trying to protect British shores from the French dragons loyal to Bonaparte. The battle of Trafalgar takes place in this book, among other battles, and it is rooted in history despite the rather large tangent of battles.

I enjoyed the book very much, particularly in Will's change of circumstance from sea captain to dragon handler, and in his dealings with Temeraire and the other dragons and their handlers. There are other books written following this and I will enjoy looking out for them - it's a great fun read and something that will appeal to many people.

Retitled for American audiences as His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire in the UK), Naomi Novik's debut novel is an alternate history sort of fantasy where nations harness the power of dragons in their political struggles. Set during the Napoleonic Wars Naomi Novik re-imagines the events of the military conflict if England and France were able to bring dragons to the battlefield. Captain Will Laurence is a naval officer in charge of the H.M.S. Reliant and in a sea battle he captures a French ship and most surprisingly, a dragon egg. When the egg hatches Will Laurence harnesses the dragon, Temeraire, himself at risk of his naval career. This begins the real story of His Majesty's Dragon as Laurence and Temeraire must soon adapt to service in the air corps and how different Temeraire is from the other dragons.

Alan Dean Foster, in one of the inside blurbs on the book, compares His Majesty's Dragon to the work of both Patrick O'Brien and Anne McCaffrey and the comparison is apt. Captain Will Laurence could have stepped off of any of Jack Aubrey's ships and the dragon aspect does have a certain air of Pern. While there is no "impression" as fans of McCaffrey would be familiar, Laurence does seem to "impress" Temeraire and the bond is quite similar between the two. Now, rather than mental communication the dragons here actually speak and speak English (or whatever language they are raised with when they are still in the egg). Moving past the mechanism where a dragon shaped dragon speaks the King's English better than some Englishmen through a snout and perfectly forms words and sentences, the dragon / human interaction is quite possibly the best part of the book. Temeraire is remarkable, even for a dragon, and learning more about Temeraire and what he is and how he will fit in to the English Air Corps and how Will Laurence will adapt to the striking transformation of the Navy to the Air Corps is the best part of His Majesty's Dragon. Sure, Novik gets the feeling of the Patrick O'Brien world of a naval man and does so without weighing the reader down with an overabundance of detail, but she shines in the character interaction. Will Laurence is a stiff navy man and the informality of the Air Corps is a shock to his system, though he adapts well to Temeraire.

No matter what title one calls His Majesty's Dragon / Temeraire by, the end result is a fast paced military novel with dragons, class, a stiff upper lip, humor, a dragon who loves to read if only he could turn the pages, military training and action, and great character interaction. The hype for His Majesty's Dragon was all set to lead to a disappointment, but happily, the novel meets the hype head on and, indeed, it merits the hype. This is a fine debut by an author to watch.

-Joe Sherry

Infusing fresh blood into the alternate history fantasy field, Novik begins the first book in her debut trilogy during the Napoleanic wars. Novik rewrites the era replete with naval battles and an aerial corps of fighting dragons. With nods to both Anne McCaffrey the grand-dame of dragons and Patrick O'Brian the grandmaster of maritime fiction she has freshened up and combined the genres.

When veteran Captain Will Laurence of HMS Reliant finally captures the French frigate he has been battling he has cause to wonder why they fought so hard not to surrender, even though it is obvious that the crew is in poor shape. A quick inspection of the hold reveals an almost hardened dragon's egg, which on examination is discovered to be dangerously close to hatching.

Panicked and knowing next to nothing about dragon care, straws are drawn and preparations are hurriedly made, just in the nick of time. Unfortunately, nobody explained the plans to the newly hatched dragon. Finding himself bonding with the beast Capt. Laurence realizes that his naval career is over, to be replaced with service in the aerial corps. Naming his dragon Temeraire after a dreadnought battleship, Capt. Laurence soon finds himself in the closest relationship of his life.

He discovers to his delight that Temeraire is affectionate, intelligent and a superb companion. After a fortuitous meeting with "the" dragon expert Sir Edward Howe, Laurence is surprised when it is revealed that Temeraire is a rare Chinese dragon, as the oriental breeds are almost unknown on the British isles. Even more surprising is what he discovers when sent to the dragon training grounds at Loch Laggan, an isolated base in Scotland.

Novik believably integrates a dragon-based aerial fighting force into the late-eighteenth-century military. She has also written an incredibly character driven novel, which keeps the pages turning not just for the action, but so the reader can find out what happens next to Temeraire and his captain. Included at the end of the book is an excerpt from the second in the trilogy, Throne of Jade, and this only serves to whet the appetite for more.

What would have happened had the Napoleonic wars been thought with Dragons in the air in addition to ships in the sea and armies on land?

That must have been the first thought that captured Naomi Novik's imagination and launched a series of books of which this is the first one. In this book we are introduced to this alternate reality world. Our first exposure to the world comes in standard form - a battle is fought at sea between a French Frigate and an English one. as we know from Hornblower, Bolitho, and others, the brits were experts at this kind of fighting and so the British Frigate ends up victorious. The winning Captain searches the ship and that's where we go off into the alternate reality because the ship is carrying a Dragon's egg!

Not long afterwards, the egg hatches and through a semi-comic sequence, the Dragon decides that Captain Laurence is worth bonding with. Now we find out that the Air Corps is both despised and set apart from the Navy so Laurence views this with disdain as his Navy career, potential family life, and future are all derailed. This is also the point at which I found the only real negative thing in this book - Captain Laurence is a caricature of the "proper English gentleman" of the period. He is absolutely wooden in how he relates to other people - especially women - and how he views everything through the prism of Honor and Duty. He even tries to fight a duel early on and is told that there are no duels in the air corps which disappoints him greatly!

Luckily the rest of the book is absolutely brilliant and captivating. The author's descriptions of how the Dragon starts growing up; how the problems of feeding this enormous creature are solved; how the Air Corps trains its Dragons and their handlers and all the various bits and pieces that are needed to make this into a semi-believable world are laid out in a very exciting and plausible way.

Taking a wooden Naval Captain and placing him into a universe where peers are young women who have their own minds and other women who are extremely sexually liberated presents an interesting development. And so, as the Dragon matures so does his handler Laurence. Another fun development is watching how this very intelligent dragon learns from his environment and others around him. The reading sessions that Laurence and Temeraire share provide an interesting counterpoint to the wartime setting. Of course, it tickles my funny bone to read that Laurence reads Laplace theories to Temeraire who understands them while Laurence does not.

The emotional attachments between Dragons and humans are well described although in somewhat weak terms. From neither side is it explained why the attachment is so strong: Do the humans feel parental emotions with the Dragons? Perhaps. But not in those days. Why do the Dragons attach so strongly to the Humans? Why do they fight for the humans? None of this is really explained very well, but perhaps it is saved for a future volume. Also, it was unexplained how come a Chinese Dragon, that has spent some months in a French ship could be born on an English Frigate and immediately speak flawless English. Later, we find the same Dragon speaking fluent French so there must be something more going on than meets the eye.

All in all, this was a very exciting read and one that definitely merits room on the library shelves and seeking out the other books in the series. If the next books explain some of the mysteries of this one, then this will become a very good series indeed. Highly recommended!

First in the Temeraire alternate history-fantasy-military series and revolving around a partnership of dragon and man.

In 2007, His Majesty's Dragon won the Compton Crook Award and the Locus Award for Best First Novel and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel.

My Take
The relationship that builds between Laurence and Temeraire is so sweet, and Novik pulls in the dragon love for treasure just as sweetly. Temeraire is primarily about that relationship, and Novik tugs away at our animal-loving heartstrings using Laurence's compassion for all living beings and Temeraire's perspective on loyalty and love to introduce us to this alternate world.

I love it that Temeraire speaks from the start. How intelligent and curious he is. That inquiring mind of his leads to many a'many philosophical discussions, and Laurence is going to have to keep up, lol. His intelligence also means that Temeraire gets bored easily.

The concept is fascinating, and for the most part I enjoyed this. The part that irritates me is actually rather minor and has to do with Laurence's family. That they would be so disappointed and think Laurence had failed. It's not like Laurence has much choice. If anything, they should be lauding his honor in putting his country first. Instead, Daddy Dearest thinks he deserves to be disowned. WTF?

The stories going 'round about life with a dragon are depressing, and it only goes to show how badly the truth can be mangled. What is not mangled is the rivalry and distaste of the navy for the aviators and vice versa.

As much as Laurence loves Temeraire, it's a hard adjustment to life as an aviator. Part of it is that rivalry, one that feeds resentment amongst the airmen and there are several who are quick to anger, to act against such an interloper as Laurence. Laurence is also accustomed to the discipline and neatness of the navy. The complete opposite of the aerial corps.

Oh, man, seems it's not just the dragons who are bred for the corps, *she says, laughing*

I love it when Laurence takes Rankin to task — gawd, what an understatement — and forces him to be kind to his wounded dragon. It's too bad I was crying at the time. It does provide Laurence an opportunity to do good by Mr. Hollin.

Yep, Laurence and Temeraire are going to upset a number of aerial corps customs. I particularly enjoyed Laurence and Temeraire reading together in the evenings and Temeraire and the other dragons appreciation for music. I am very much looking forward to reading what happens next in Throne of Jade.

The Story
Taking that prize, the Amitié, creates a disastrous conundrum for the crew of the Reliant, for everyone knows a baby dragon must imprint when it hatches. They've heard the stories. No sane man wants such a life.

And England is desperate for more fighting dragons.

The Characters
Temeraire is a Chinese Celestial dragon intended for Napoleon from the Imperial Throne. A dragon with divine wind who knows his own mind, lol.

Captain Will Laurence commands the Reliant. Edith Galman is the woman he loves. Lord and Lady Allandale are his parents, and father does not approve of his naval career. God knows what he'll say about the Aerial Corps. Fernao is a local servant on Madeira.

The Aerial Corps makes…
…good use of dragons in combat. Captain James and Volatilus ride dispatch. Captain Portland intends for Lieutenant Dayes to take over Temeraire. Andrews. Admirals Powys and Bowden are part of Aerial Command. Lieutenant Green. Laetificat is a female Regal Copper.

Laggan, Inverness-shire is…
…the training camp to which Laurence and Temeraire are sent where Admiral Lenton, commander-in-chief of the Channel Division, is in charge and rides Obversaria, a golden Anglewing flag-dragon. Celeritas instructs the new dragons. Captain Joulson instructs in aerial signalling. The harness master is Fellowes.

Temeraire's ground crew will include…
…Hollin, a leather worker, who heads up the crew, Pratt as armorer, and Bell as leatherworker with Calloway as the gunner. More crew includes Midwingman Ezekiah Martin, Cadet Emily Roland, Andrew Morgan, and Peter Dyer, Collins, Donnell, Dunne, Challoner, Wright, Lieutenant Riggs is excitable but a good shot, Allen is about to be ensign, and Turner is the signal-ensign. The disrespectful Lieutenant John Granby is assigned as first lieutenant. Other lieutenants include Evans and Johns.

Temeraire will join…
…a team with Berkley who rides Maximus, a Regal Copper; Captain Catherine Harcourt who rides Lily, a Longwing; Immortalis, a Yellow Reaper; Messoria, another Yellow Reaper ridden by senior Captain Sutton; Dulcia is a Grey Copper; and, Nitidus, a Pascal's Blue whose rider is Captain Warren. Captain Chenery. Peck and Midwingman Wilpoys are part of Lily's ground crew.

Levitas is a sweet and horribly neglected Winchester; Captain Jeremy Rankin, a third son of the Earl of Kensington, is his partner. Jean-Paul Choiseul, a Frenchman who fled Napoleon's France, rides Praecursoris. Victoriatus is a Parnassian ridden by Captain Richard Clark. Excidium is a Longwing whose rider is Captain Jane Roland (and Emily's mother). Inlacrimas, Excursius, Fluitare, and Actionis are other dragons mentioned.

Servants include Tolly and Nan who are quite accommodating while Jenkins is reluctant and Marvell is a moaner.

The Royal Navy
Admiral Lord Gardner is a commander in the Channel. Admiral Croft commands Commendable and the ships that include Reliant. The resentful Captain Barstowe of the Shorewise was Laurence's first posting as a lieutenant. Bedford commands the Hibernia and had served with Laurence aboard the Goliath at the Nile.

The Reliant is…
…a ship in His Majesty's Navy. Mr. Tom Riley is the second lieutenant and Laurence's friend. First Lieutenant Gibbs has found something odd in the hold of the Amitié. Mr. Politt is the naval surgeon. Midshipman Jonathan Carver, who's afraid of heights; Lieutenant Fanshawe; Battersea; Mr. Rabson, the armorer; Mr. Wells, who is the third lieutenant; Giles, the steward; and, Gordon, who caught the shark, are more of the crew.

The French
Napoleon Bonaparte leads his Grand Armeé on the continent. Triumphais is a Grand Chevalier and a dangerous fighter.

The snotty Miss Montagu, Viscount Hale, and Bertram Woolvey are houseguests of Laurence's parents. Lord and Lady Galman are Edith's parents. Mr. Donnellson is Laurence's banker in Edinburgh. Lord Winsdale is quite condescending.

Sir Edward Howe is an expert on dragons and is a member of the Royal Society. The various kinds of dragons include the common Yellow Reaper, three-ton Winchesters, Regal Coppers are red-gold, LongWings only accept female riders and are among the most deadly dragons, Grey Coppers are a pale greenish, Anglewings can maneuver in tight circles, Parnassians are large mid-weights, Fleur-de-Nuit, Pêcheur-Rayé, Chequered Nettle, Petit Chevalier, the middleweight Pêcheur-Couronné, and Poux-de-Ciel.

The Cover and Title
The cover has an orange woodgrain background with a black dragon, Temeraire, curled around a pocket watch that holds the image of a navy ship in full sail. The series information is at the top — thank you, Novik! — with the title in an embossed metallic gold right underneath it. The author's name is also in white and at the bottom of the cover.

The title is a snarky comment on Temeraire having been intended as His Majesty's Dragon.

Allegedly, I am an adult. So it goes without saying that I should carry today's youth-oriented escapist fantasy novels in a brown paper wrapper, and only read them in public if I've disguised them with the dust jacket from Joan Didion or Philip Roth or some other ordained author from the New York Review of Books.

Thankfully, I can carry Naomi Novik's "His Majesty's Dragon" with pride, secure in the knowledge that this is an intelligent, well-written, and moving story that should appeal to readers both young and old. I, along with many other "adults," am an unabashed fan of Patrick O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell. "His Majesty's Dragon" stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the books written by these two luminaries, and it is with eager anticipation that I wait to see if Novik can keep up the fantastic work over a long series as those two authors of the Napoleonic Wars have done.

As film critic Roger Ebert says about movies, it's not what the movie is about, it's how the movie is about it. Novik takes a historical and logical perspective on a fantastic scenario - what if dragons were fighting on both sides of the Napoleonic Wars? To tell her story, she creates Captain Laurence, who must be her homage to Patrick O'Brian. Like "Lucky Jack" Aubrey, Laurence is a fighting captain in the British Royal Navy, but his life changes forever when he captures a small French frigate with a massive dragon egg about to hatch. What emerges is Temeraire, a black dragon of boundless intelligence and courage. Temeraire adopts Laurence as his rider, and Laurence is shunted immediately to the Aerial Corps.

"His Majesty's Dragon" is long on Temeraire's (and Laurence's) training in the ways of "dragonic warfare." Along the way, Novik trains the reader to think of a world that has been filled with dragons - both the Romans and the Chinese were masters at dragon-breeding. Novik also steeps the reader in dragon-lore, but subtly so. She weaves dragon breeds and traits effortlessly through the narrative, and while there are many most-excellent dragons in the book, Temeraire is always a cut above.

A novel of sadness, loss, betrayal, friendship and triumph, "His Majesty's Dragon" is a book that should be widely read, for if it is, it will be widely adored. Grab it.

At its heart, this first installment of the Temeraire series is really a love story culminating in a kind of committed relationship of mutual respect and affection -- between a sea captain and the dragon to whom he finds himself accidentally committed. Initially reluctant to give up his seafaring life for a life in the sky, the main character Laurence comes to share a bond with his dragon Temeraire that resembles nothing so much as marriage (albeit Platonic). If that gives the impression of a sappy and sentimental romance, it is the wrong impression. This is also a very intriguing and adventurous piece of quasi-historical military fiction set in the world of a fantasy dragon-based military division, that bears close analogies to the British naval force with the difference that the vehicles are sentient and intelligent. That makes for a big difference, of course -- since the captains are bound to their dragons not merely by duty or profession or sentimentality but also by friendship and love. It also meant, for me as a reader, that I came to care as much about the ship (dragon) as its occupants -- which made the military engagements both more engaging and more tense. Temeraire combines curiosity and intelligence with courage and loyalty into a very believable persona. Laurence combines a strong sense of propriety and duty with vigor and passion -- and his portrayal in the sotry is rendered more lively (at least in my imagination) by its marked similarity to Russell Crowe's characterization of Captain Aubrey in the film "Master and Commander" (and Novik has said in an interview that his performance in that film was an influence in her thinking about the character). There are elements of the story that stretch credibility (it is hard to imagine a 50 ton dragon actually lifting off the air especially with a crew of sometimes more than a dozen men and their gear strapped to its back -- it is also very difficult to understand how a species with the capacity for human intelligence combined with incredible abilities would allow themselves to be subservient to humans for so long). Still, Novik doesn't entirely ignore these problems (the dragons have enormous wing spans and their bodies are filled with pockets of a lighter than air gaseous substance; and the suggestion is that dragon psychology is very different from human psychology, with its most notable feature coming from their tendency to "imprint" from an early age). The vagueness of these explanations puts this series squarely in the genre of historical fantasy (where magic and other inexplicable matters are allowed) rather than science fiction (where even alien species should have capacities that are semi-plausible on the basis of our current or an expanded science). If you can suspend disbelief enough to accept such fantasy elements, the rest of the world is depicted in a realistic and plausible and entertaining manner -- as enjoyable as any fantasy I've read in a long time.

Naomi Novik is able to seamlessly integrate exposition with character development, and writes in a style and language that evokes the world of 19th century Europe while retaining the ease of a very contemporary prose. The book moves along at an enjoyable pace, and was consistently inventive and intriguing with plausible but unpredictable story developments througout. I had a hard time putting it down for the two evenings it took to finish it. There is nothing very profound here, but it is a lot of fun -- and for light but entertaining and engaging military fiction combined with fantasy I haven't seen much better: "5 star" in its genre. I look forward to reading the remainder of the series -- which, by the way, was recently optioned for film rights by none other than Peter Jackson. (If anyone adapts this for film I hope he does, since I can't imagine anyone else doing justice to the rich and exciting fantasy world that Novik has created.)

"His Magesty's Dragon" is an alternate history novel, set mainly in Napoleanic England. The story is told from the point of view of L--, a naval captain, who is obliged to give up his career, his place in society, and his fiance to captain dragon T--. Dragons are rare and precious, living airplanes used in battle, much needed in this war. Initially resentful, L-- learns to treasure and love T--.

This novel is wonderfully creative and interesting. The personalities are well developped, and the dragons quite unique. The setting is a fairly accurate portrayal of history except for the dragons -- no magic, no mystical creatures, no fantasy in the traditional sense -- simply "what would the world be like if there were dragons." Personalities are varied and there are a few surprises. My problem with this novel is that the rise and fall of plot are a bit rough; that is, this novel is not intended to stand alone, but rather reads like the first few chapters in a much longer multiple book novel. The overall feel of the novel is "the continuing adventures of L-- and T-- as they meander through life", and I would have prefered a coherent thrust to the plot.

Overall a stellar book, well worth reading.

This book has created quite the buzz in the publishing world and with good reason. Naomi Novik has blended two great traditions in fiction: Sea-adventure and Fantasy into a wonderful concoction.

This fast-moving, thoroughly enchanting tale tells the story of a ship captain in His Majesty's Royal Navy taking a French ship in battle and finding a dragon's egg on board. Dragons are used all over the world in the Aerial Corps and Britain is using them against Napoleon. The dragons are intelligent and loyal, bonding with their handlers in some wonderful characters moments.

This book, the first of a trilogy, deals more with Laurence's (the ship captain) discovery of the egg and his adjustment as he goes from the Royal Navy to the Aerial Corps and his relationship to the dragon he has bonded with.

There are some great battle scenes, character moments, and humor as Novik expertly blends the two genres into something new and different. The book first appeared in England and was a success there so you know the author knows here Naval history. Now the book is available for the first time in North America. I highly recommend it. The novel is new, fresh and captivating. A winner!

I admit, when I first read the premise for this book, I had my doubts. A British naval officer, circa 1804 comes into possesion of a dragon's egg, and ends up in His Majesty's Aerial Corp, along with all the other dragons and their captains? What is this, Patrick O'Brien meets Anne Macaffrey?

Well, yes, actually, And it works, Wonderfully.

It helps that Novik knows the historical period so well, and not just physical details about clothes and references to 'the funds'. She also knows about how people behaved (the naval officer, Laurence, is quite shocked to discover that several dragons have female captains; but a man of his time and background would be shocked.)

There's a lot of interesting stuff about the training of the Aerial Corps, and several cool fight scenes, but the heart of the story is the relationship between Captain Laurence and the Dragon, whom he names Temeraire. It's a relationship much like parent and child, or a strange yet succesful marriage. Temeraire is like a bright, curious, energetic child; Laurence is the loyal mate, or parent, or sometimes even the straight man

Except for the dragons, there are no other 'fantastic' elements to Novik's world. No wizards or seers, or witchcraft. I think this makes the whole thing more believable. Novik isn't trying to throw in every 'Fantasy' convention in the encylopedia. These days that's refreshing.

People keep clamoring for original stuff, yet when it comes along nobody reads it. Read these books, people.

Three stars for the concept alone. The premise of the book is a lot of fun, and the plot moves along well enough. By the end of the book, though, I was frustrated.
The dialogue throughout is stilted, which in the main character's case is used as a shorthand for "he obeys rules and knows his duty". Unfortunately, it means that every emotion he has needs to be described because it can't be inferred from the dialogue, and there is little to his character beyond a respect for duty. Everything is repetitive and reiterated, from Temeraire beginning many statements with "Oh" to the shock of seeing women do things. Not to mention just how special Temeraire is, which gets laid on more thickly with every reiteration.
Many aspects of the story do not make all that much sense. The main character had a different career path and life, yet the transition to the new one is accomplished with only the symbolic gesture of an argument with his father. All of the dragon captains have a deep bond with their dragons, deeper than with any people in their lives, but are happy to risk them in dangerous battles for the sake of a nebulous, unquestioned "duty" and generally little thanks.
As many other reviewers have stated, the good idea presented here is not given well-rounded characters. I decided to read the synopses of the rest of the books rather than the books themselves.

I rarely read fantasy any more--so much that's published in that genre these days feels so unoriginal to me--but I tried His Majesty's Dragon on the strong recommendation of a friend, and was hooked within a few pages. It's historical fantasy: Ms. Novik has taken an actual historical period and series of historical events--the war between Britain and Napolean's France--and created a brilliantly imagined overlay. In her early 19th century Napoleanic era, dragons not only exist, they have been selectively bred and trained by both sides for use as a military air corps.

Novik does a fine job rendering the historical aspects of her tale, but it is the fictional aspects of the story--the culture and back-story surrounding dragons, the dragons themselves, who come alive as characters for the reader as much as their human masters, and the touching and developing relationship between Laurence and Temeraire, the lead human and dragon characters--that makes this book such an impressive piece of story-telling. Highly recommended for anyone who loves fantasy, historical fiction, or just a good read.

Imagine a nine ton dragon named Temaraire. He needs an Aviator. So step forward (at first reluctantly) a former Sea Captain in Drake's navy, Captain Will Laurence. Combine the two and install them for training to become part of an aerial force of fighting dragons. To protect and defend the shores of Britain, from the armies of Bonaparte during the Napoleonic wars. The blend of fantasy and history takes the reader on a journey of surprises in the unique first novel, by Naomi Novik, named, HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON.

I started this novel on a recommendation (enthusiastic and justifiably so ). I have never yet picked up any fantasy novel, and read it completely through to the end, since THE LORD OF THE RINGS . So it was some sense of trepidation that I started HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON and it has proved to be the exception. One of the joys of reading this novel, has been in never knowing what will happen next. It is a different world. A world of dragons, and their Aviators. And the combination of the two, and the methods and skills acquired during their training, leads the reader into a realm of fiction, quite unlike any other.

It is Temeraire himself, which really won me over. At nine tons, and still growing he is the second rarest known dragon in the world. He is intelligent, likes to be read to (he can hold a book but his talons prevent him from turning the pages) has wonderful manners and is devoted to his Aviator Will Laurence Yet, in the heat of conflict against the fighting dragons of the French, he proves lethal. For his part, Will shares warmth of devotion to Temeraire. And this is also reflected by the majority of the Aviators towards their own dragons, namely, The Dragons of the Longwing; the Yellow Reapers; Winchesters; Greylings, as well as the Celestial breed of Chinese dragon from which Temeraire is a descendant. Not just the Aviators. This includes, too, the ground crew, (who ensure the dragons are supplied with huge quantities of live stock and kept well groomed) but also the gunnery team, the harnessers, the bombers and sharp-shooters, who fly into battle on the great beasts.

It's a book for those that like to be taken to a different world. It also reflects well on the theme of loyalty that can emerge in time of war. In this case, not just between Officers and the ranks, but between Aviator and Dragon. Dragon and Aviator.

I should preface this with the warning that I'm going to gush -- frankly, I haven't been this madly fond of a book in the longest time (hm, when did Connie Willis last publish something?), and I'm at the stage where I want the whole world to know how great this book is. I bought it Wednesday afternoon, read 200 pages of it that night, then went out the next day and all I kept thinking about was going home and finishing it, which I did, staying up very late (past my bedtime) and finding the ending very bittersweet. Bittersweet because the conclusion happily justifies all the promise of the beginning chapters, and yet I'm sad because I'm through with the book and will have to wait weeks (till April 25) for the sequel. I know that's nothing compared to the wait with most fantasy trilogies, the gap between books is usually at least a year, but I want the sequel right NOW in my hot little hands.

The novel takes place in England during the Napoleonic Wars, only with the added twist of dragons (which must be admitted, improve every scenario). In this alternate universe, dragons are tamed by most nations of the world as a fighting force, bonding to a handler at hatching, and trained in the Aerial Corps in the pursuit of warfare. So when Will Laurence, a British Naval captain experienced in battle, captures a French frigate with a dragon's egg that is very quickly going to hatch, he has no choice but to put himself and the crew up to bonding with the creature because even though England has France outgunned in the way of ships (think Admiral Nelson and the superiority of the British Navy), France is outgunning England 2-1 in the way of fighting dragons. Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, are then thrust into the world of the Aerial Corps where things are done in a slightly different way than Laurence is used to in the Navy.

Novik handles the world-building with startling grace, given that this is her first novel. One of the prime pleasures of the book is authentic feel of the world she's built -- you can tell that months of research went into correctly portraying 19th century English society, from the realities of the Navy to the manners of the drawing room. And best, none of it is done showily or in a lecturing way, it's all of it presented as naturally as possible. She doesn't let research intrude upon telling the story, and better yet, her addition of dragons into this world is so well thought-out (from their feeding, breeds, natural inclinations, personalities, levels of intelligence, size and temperment, mode of fighting and the innovative invention of aerial fighting) that it adds to the depiction of the historical period. She seamlessly grafts on her inventions to the known historical realities, and comes up with a beautifully realized fictional world that's meticulously detailed and worked out. I adore that there is so much thought given to how the dragons would fit into this society, and she succeeds in a way that few authors of speculative fiction succeed -- I really want to spend more time in her imagined universe. That's the highest compliment I can give.

But, there are other pleasures as well. Temeraire and Laurence bond, and even though it is not a telepathic mind-meld (ala Anne McCaffrey), it is a deeply emotional connection. There is palpable love between man and dragon, and their relationship is the emotional thru-line for the novel. It makes me sound like a 12 year old girl to say this (which I am not), but Temeraire is such a cool dragon. I totally want one like him for my very own, because he is so intelligent and logical and witty and also nuzzles Laurence affectionately and loves him. I mean, I know, this is gushy, but you can't blame me! Novik captures the sweetness and light of their bond, enough to give balance to all the colder, plot-driven elements of the story. It's primarily an adventure, a story in wartime, an exploration of dragons in this fascinating society, but she doesn't neglect the warmer side of things. There are moments of extreme emotion, of emotional distress, mostly due to the closeness that aviators develop with their dragons, and each moment played realistically for me. I'm very particular when it comes to moments of high emotion -- each one has to be earned in character, in story, in meaning, and I hate more than anything the feeling of being manipulated to respond. Novik very definitely earns each emotion she wrung from me.

I can't recommend this book enough. It has all the everything you want from good speculative fiction (meticulous world-building, a desire to step into the universe), well-defined, charismatic, understatedly human characters you care about (though Temeraire is perhaps my favorite personality of all), a confident and elegantly polished prose style, emotional depths, gorgeous and inventive battle scenes (and I'm usually the type of reader to skim written battle scenes, but Novik writes so concisely about aerial battles that they are some of my favorite scenes in the book). It's a great book, extremely fun, addicting, polished, exciting -- I can't wait to read the next one, and the one after that. The last book of such promise from a new author was Susannah Clarke's "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell", and then I think I prefer Novik's to Clarke's. JS&MN is almost too ambitious for its own good, and Clarke has a lesser insight into human personality than Novik, while "His Majesty's Dragon" has no weaknesses. I can't perceive any faults or flaws, and recommend it whole-heartedly.

The first book in the "Temeraire" series is a great start. I usually steer clear of dragon fiction, but came across a preview in a book magazine that depicted the scene in which the eponymous dragon is born, amongst a naval crew on a vessel during the Napoleonic war. It was a wonderfully touching and exciting scene and very well written, which prompted me to try the novel out.

Being an alternate history novel, this book could quite easily have fallen flat on its face. The gall, to introduce dragons to the Napoleonic war! Rather than try to fool us into believing this faux-history, "Temeraire" plainly tells us that this DID happen and makes you feel a bit silly for not having remembered it from the school history lessons you hated as a kid. The story itself and the language are far from plain however, the former straightforward but compelling, the latter beautiful and very fluid.

If you hate dragon fiction or fantasy in general, I doubt you'd even be reading this review. If you think there's even a change you might like it, then you should buy it now and give it a read. You really will be surprised.

It took me a long time to get around to reading this, which is a shame, because it's delightful. If you like historical fantasy at all, you're almost certain to enjoy this book.

Will Laurence is a captain in His Majesty's Navy at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, and it looks a lot like the Navy you'd see in a Patrick O'Brien book--all protocol and taking enemy ships for profit--until his ship captures a precious dragon egg and Laurence is sent off the Aerial Corps to be captain of the dragon instead. Dragons here are essentially flying, talking ships, which makes for some entertaining battle scenes and opens up room for an imaginative alternate world.

The plot is entertaining: not action-packed--there's a lot of training, and a lot about Laurence's adjustment to the Aerial Corps, which is much more casual and modern than he's used to (there are even *gasp* women in it!)--but fun; I was rooting for Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, and enjoyed the story throughout. The characters are vivid and interesting, and I especially enjoyed Laurence's struggle to adjust and the conflict between his respect for hierarchy and his discomfort with some of the ways things are done in the Corps. Creating such a stiff and formal protagonist is a risk, but Laurence works because at the same time he's good-hearted and willing to adapt. Temeraire is also entertaining, breaking the typical dragon-companion mold (he likes books, for instance), and he manages not to come across as a animal-companion wish-fulfillment fantasy, which is rare in this sort of book. I've read comments indicating there's a lot of romance in the book, which baffle me--there isn't, at least not in the sexual sense; the growing friendship between Laurence and Temeraire is at the heart of the story. Laurence's apparent love interest is awesome, though, and I'd love to see more of her in future books.

Otherwise, the writing is good, the period details convincing and the fantasy elements well-integrated into the historical setting. Novik's style hints at 19th century writing, while still being easy going for the modern reader. The secondary characters are endearing or obnoxious as the author intended, and feel real enough to set them apart from the typical fantasy extras. And Novik manages a modern, critical look at the British Empire without Laurence's ever breaking character; he's unthinkingly loyal, even while the narrative questions that devotion. Really, there's no downside here, unless you're leery of starting a long and unfinished series. But while there seem to be some long-running threads introduced (Laurence's relationship with his father, for one), the book works well as a standalone.

This isn't great literature, and I don't expect to read it again. But I do intend to read the sequel, and I recommend this one to anyone looking for fun, high-quality fantasy.

I hadn't read a fantasy novel in close to 20 years and I thought I might like to try and find a good one. After a short bit of research and a recommendation from my sister I was lead to the Temeraire series which is highly rated and selling well on the store. This isn't your classic fantasy story; there are no dwarves or elves, fairies or knights, wizards or castles. It isn't even set in medieval times. It takes place in the Napoleonic era and the only difference from our own world is the existence of dragons, a popular theme these days.

The first thing I noticed is how stiff the dialogue is and how the plot just sort of plods along. At nearly 350 pages in length not a whole heckuva lot happens in the book. I'm also having some difficulty figuring out the logistics of the air battles. Each dragon has a trainer to guide them and in battle they carry large wooden transports for men to ride on. Dragons can fly up next to other dragons and airmen can board (or raid) them like a ship. It seems as if the author was going for the effect that dragons were essentially ships of the air. In fact Lawrence, the lead character, had been ship captain before Temeraire, freshly hatched from his egg, took a shine to him thrusting him into the role of dragon trainer.

Turns out this dragon is no ordinary dragon. Temeraire is a Chinese Celestial dragon and that little plot point is probably the best part of the entire story. It sets Temeraire apart and explains how a ship captain with no experience in training dragons could become integral in the battle with Napoleon's army. It's also clearly a setup for future books since Temeraire becomes a tantalizing prize.

Besides the physics of the air battles it also struck me as odd that these powerful, intelligent dragons would allow themselves to be used as weapons of war in the battles of humans. Temeraire is clearly more intelligent than Lawrence (although he is highly exceptional for a dragon) but even the dullest of dragons appear to be capable of speech. Maybe this issue will play a larger roll in later books but if I were a dragon I would shake the human's from my back and leave rather than risk my hide over the quarrel of humans.

I already have the second book in the series so I'll give it a try but so far it's been kind of ho hum. The characters seem very flat and the writing is, at best, average. Looking at the reviews I can see that I'm in the vast minority but if `Throne of Jade' doesn't prove to be better than this one I may give up on the series.

For anglophiles or fantasy fans alike, Naomi Novik adeptly rewrites history with that most mystical of beasts, the dragon.

Set in the time of the Napoleonic Wars, this first of a three-part series sets the stage for a relationship that was both unexpected and undeniably refreshing, and it made me eagerly await the next installment.

Captain Laurence is the epitome of the British naval officer, bound by his duty to his country and pure pomp and circumstance. But, when his crew takes a French frigate prisoner, and Novik introduces the real star of the book--the dragon, Temeraire--Laurence is forced to reexamine his life, his future, his priorities and all that he holds dear.

Hatched from an egg aboard ship, Temeraire immediately bonds with Laurence, and a life-changing journey begins. Leaving the navy to join what Novik terms the aerial corps--the equivalent of today's air force, substituting dragons in lieu of airplanes--Temeraire and Laurence begin a new life together and forge a relationship that leaves readers wanting to know more.

Once you get past the "olde" English (which often required me to reread certain passages), Novik skillfully integrates the "dragon corps" into both the time period as well as the war effort and makes you wish that history were truly this fascinating in school.

The changes in society to accommodate the dragons flow naturally, and you barely question their significance, easily accepting the fact that the aerial corps plays a significant role in the war effort.

Novik poignantly treats the reader to a story of training, bonding and personal growth as Laurence teaches Temeraire the meaning of duty, and Temeraire teaches Laurence the true meaning of friendship and esprit de corps.

The biggest shortcoming of the book is the fact that up until the end, Temeraire never truly gets to "strut his stuff," and when he finally does, only a few pages are left.

Armchair Interviews says: All in all Novik has seamlessly created a new 18th century Europe, an original fantasy world and characters that are well defined and engaging. With a sneak peak of the next of two installments innocently included as an epilogue, you know you'll come back for more!

Wow.

I'm actually thinking of suing the writer of His Majesty's Dragon. Why? Because I stayed up way too late, too nights in a row, which then meant I got sick. And really sick. Gargle with broken glass (because gargling with unbroken glass doesn't really hurt) type of sick.

This book was fantastic. It's a `what-if' type of book. As in: What If the Napoleonic wars also had an aerial corps -- which was composed of Dragons? That's a pretty cool What if. The story moves very quickly (they find the egg on page 2) and then the whole training thing, battles, move to war...etc.

She's nailed the feel of the 1800s (well, I'm assuming she's nailed -- because how the hell would I know?), and the Dragons themselves are pretty cool. Not only are they Dragons, with a Rider, but they have an entire aerial corps. Each dragon is ridden by several men, including boarding parties (to board other dragons), riflemen (to attack ships), bombers (ummm, kind of explanatory).

I label this a must read.

Even if it makes you sick.

Ryan McFadden
Author of 'Women of the Apocalypse'
[...]
Women of the Apocalypse

When I first heard the premise of His Majesty's Dragon I wasn't sure I would like the book. I don't usually like historical fiction, nor war fiction or nautical fiction. But the fact that there were dragons included in the story intrigued me. But I still might have passed the book up if not for the wealth of positive reviews on the store. In this case, I am glad I went with the crowd.

I was not disappointed in this book at all. It far and away exceeded my expectations. The world building was masterfully handled and doled out in a manner fitting to the pace of the story and in a way that added to it, rather than the infamous "info dump" employed by some authors. The interactions of the characters with each other were believable and the friendship between Laurence and Temeraire was the strength of this book. I am eager to read more stories with these characters and will probably re-read this book at some point. And from someone who almost never reads a book twice I can offer no higher praise.

Just finished His Majesty's Dragon -- the genre: historical fantasy. It's a "what if" story which follows real history, but a history in which dragons actually exist. Great concept and a good solid book. I thought it was a tad slow in places, but I think that's because I'm not a huge fan of the historical period in which the story takes place. With that said, the characterization is strong. And the relationship between Lawrence and Temeraire saves whatever slow parts of the story there are. Again, my critiques is based more on my personal tastes in historical periods than the writing or the story. Never the less, I give it a solid four stars will continue the series. Novik is a great writer, and her knowledge of the period shines. Definitely read this book, even if you aren't a fantasy or dragon book fan. It has something for everyone.

Imagine the Napoleonic Era. France vs England. Boats, cavalry, and gunpowder were the order of the day. Britain was hanging on by the skin of its teeth, its only protection the power of its Navy and the support the Arial Corps can give. But all that changes when Captain William Laurence captures the cargo of an enemy ship: an unhatched Dragon egg, a prize more valuable than -

Wait, what?

Author Naomi Novik has created a world where Dragons are a rather prominent reality. These are no beastly creatures; Dragons can talk, have feelings, desires, fears. Like people they can be greedy, or kind, or bored. Like people, Dragons want to protect their country and serve in the military as great winged arial weapons.

Dragons also bond to a specific "pilot", and when baby Temeraire bonds to Captain Laurence, he must quickly learn the ropes of being an Arial Corps Captain. He must gather a crew, learn the art of Dragon-to-Dragon fighting, repelling boarders off of Temeraire, providing support for the Navy, and above all he must learn to trust Temeraire.

Having never been in the Napoleonic Era myself, I can't say how accurate the historical aspects are. The blending of fact and fiction, however, works very well. This isn't "History with Dragons Dumped Into It". Dragons have been around forever, but the general public doesn't know much about them. From Captain Laurence's point of view, we learn about the Arial Corps and Dragons. Everything from getting enough food to feed a fleet of Dragons to convincing the public that Dragons aren't just brutes is touched on.

There is plenty of action in addition to the politics of the book. Imagine sea battles, with the crews of the ships firing cannons and pistols at each other, only now the battles take place far up in the sky and the ships are trying to gouge each other's throats out.

His Majesty's Dragon isn't for everyone. There is a lot of politics and philosophy (are Dragons people? Do they get rights?) alongside the action. But if you don't mind that, or just want to see what a major era of history would have been like with Dragons, this is the book for you.

The French frigate shouldn't have bothered with a fight, but when English Captain Will Lawrence discovers the treasure--a huge dragon egg already nearing hatching time--he understands the French desperation. But there is a problem--someone will have to bond with the about-to-hatch dragon and that someone will be lost to the British navy forever. Lawrence holds a drawing, but the dragon, when he hatches, has other ideas and selects Lawrence himself. Lawrence is abruptly pulled from the British Navy and into the dragon corps.

The French, under Napoleon, are planning an invasion of England and only the British Navy and their outnumbered Dragon corps stand between Napoleon and final victory. Lawrence, and his dragon, Temeraire, are thrown into training to prepare for the coming invasion. Lawrence learns that the society of dragons is even more unusual than he had anticipated. A dragon Captain's bond with his dragon is the strongest thing in his (or her) life. A dragon Captain may marry, but his wife will never be first in his life. As a result, polite society scorns the dragon soldiers even though they form the island's thin defense against the despotism of Napoleon.

Temeraire and Lawrence adjust to one another and to the dragon corps, upsetting some of the conventions of both navy and dragon force. Meanwhile, Temeraire grows into one of the largest and most rare of dragon species--one cultivated in Imperial China itself.

Author Naomi Novik provides an intriguing twist on alternate history. Her fantasy history closely parallels that in our own universe, yet dragons are an ever-present force, at least since Roman times. With control of the air as important as control of the sea, however, the threat to England combines the historical danger that England faced with Napoleon with that it faced under Hitler's blitz.

HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON is a deeply character-driven novel. Although there are a couple of fascinating action scenes where dragons battle dragons, the bulk of the story deals with the relationship between Temeraire and Lawrence, and between Lawrence and the other members of the dragon corps. Still, Novik's insights into society and into character itself makes this fascinating reading. This is Novik's first novel and it's a major accomplishment. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

This is an astounding book. Full of action with well developed characters and an amazingly new approach to dragons. Totally unlike any book with dragons I have ever read and it makes so much sense you wonder why it's never occurred to anyone before. Truly wonderful!!!

Temeraire is a wonderful character who grows from an egg to a young adult dragon with some nice twists and turns. And the people around him are equally engaging.

On top of that Ms. Novik's portrayal of the Napoleonic Wars is very imaginative! I love alternate history books and Ms. Novik creates a world where dragons and Napoleon co-exist very nicely. And she gets the real portions of the history right which gives voracity to to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who likes dragons, alternate realities or fantasy SF - actually I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, well written story. And then buy the next two and wait, like I am, for the fourth!

Novik's first book, His Majesty's Dragon is an alterate universe fantasy novel. Imagine if the Napoleonic Wars were fought with the addition of dragons? Interesting premise aside, the most captivating elements of the novel have to do with this author's talent for character and emotional development.

Laurence is the captain of a British ship that captures a dragons egg. The English need as many dragons as possible to prevail in the war against the French. So this is a great prize. But then it is discovered the egg is about to hatch--two weeks away from anyone who is trained to manage dragons. Laurence knows that the dragon will bond immediately with one person after hatching or else become feral and therefore useless to the Crown.

Ultimately Laurence becomes the one that the dragon hatchling bonds to. Laurence must immediately give up his position and his career to care full time and for the rest of his life for the dragon hatchling. What he doesnt know is that this is the best thing that could ever happen to him.

Novik's novel of the love and companionship shared between human and intelligent dragon is captivating, touching and insightful. What is viewed by those not experiencing it as an onerous burden is instead a wonderful pairing of souls and intents. Our rather stiff Captain Laurence becomes a responsive and loving father/comrade to his dragon charge and in the process becomes a champion of all dragons. In addition the suspenseful and innovative dragon battle scenes create a counterpart to the psychological development of Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire.

I was given this by a friend who knows of my interest in fantasy as well as historical warfare. It sounds like an intriguing premise, but it fell flat for me.

I won't go into the storyline other to say that a British naval officer finds himself as a partner for an exceptional dragon whose egg was found on a French frigate. The book is an odd mix writing wise of some nicely turned phrases and some awkward organization. It's referred to in other reviews, but often events are referred to - not precisely as flashbacks - but as information about events that have been occurring within the chronology of the book that the character is aware of, but not the reader. The first example was the main character resuming meals with his former first officer on his former ship that he had apparently gotten in the habit of doing after partnering with his dragon. But these meals aren't mentioned at all except in this fashion. There are also times when a scene that normally would have dialogue between the characters involved are simply described along the lines of "At first he disagreed, but after many arguments he was slowly won over" (this is not a line from the book, merely an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about). Sometimes this kind of thing will extend many paragraphs and just doesn't feel right to me when reading. The author also tends to start storylines that then just disappear. There was a section where the main character and his dragon start working on new maneuvers, only to have the anticipated displaying of said maneuvers to the instructor cut short due to something else happening. And then this is never returned to. Explanations of some things are delayed - for instance, the first battle starts at the beginning of a chapter. The whole thing is played out, and then only after everyone is recuperating do we get the offhand explanation that it was a surprise attack.

One thing that sort of felt odd to me was that the dragons feel so... bland. They basically feel like big dogs in personality. Loyal to their owner, quite housebroken. There's no sense of a 'mythology' behind the dragons, it feels like everyone in the world knows they exist and that they've existed alongside humans forever, but the ONLY time we see them in the book are as weapons of war in the hands of men. I don't know how to explain why this bothers me, but it does.

The biology of the things feels off at times. The description of how fast they fly seems off - as in far too slow compared to other flighted animals including estimates of Pteranodon speed (the closest analogue in size to the dragons in the book).

And the military aspects work the least well in my opinion. There are descriptions of training maneuvers with dragons flying upside down for extended periods of time. The reasons why are never given. And besides the physiological likelihood of this being possible being low for such creatures, the description of the battles later make it seem pretty unnecessary. One thing that really bothered me was that the military situation was basically the same as it was in the real world, down to the number of ships in each battle. Yes, the author showed that she was able to look up the numbers and basic information for any battle, but this is alternate history. Given that dragons have been around for the whole war prior to the book's start, wouldn't it have been more interesting for history buffs if some thought would have been put into creating a true alternate history where the dragons' effects would have been logical? Simply put, if you're trying to impress the history buffs, regurgitating numbers and strategy that can be gotten off of wikipedia isn't going to do it when the conditions of the war are affected so much by alternate weapons of war that were never present. Trafalgar is described with precisely the same number of ships for each side, and in one of the more ludicrous sequences, when the battle is drawn up with starting positions, the former naval officer says offhand something like "Two columns, breaking their line twice?" in satisfaction as if it was obvious that such a strategy was the right one. This was a former captain of a ship, not a fleet commander and certainly not one with Nelson's experience and ingenuity. I've read books of that battle, and the strategy he chose wasn't the obvious one. There should have been some surprise and even confusion by the main character on seeing it.

So basically I found this novel to be awkwardly written, with no interesting mythology from a fantasy standpoint and no interesting alternate history from a historical standpoint. In the end I was left wondering "What's the point?" If it's to show the relationship between a man and his dog, errr dragon, then it's probably a 4 star book. If it's supposed to be alternate history and/or fantasy, then it's not.

Novik's world is awesome. Having just finished LIFE OF PI and a recent translation of "DON QUIXOTE", I was a bit worried that Novik's writing was simplistic at first. Ha, by the third page I couldn't put it down! Wow... Tall ships, the excitement and history of the Napoleonic era, dragon husbandry, and even an excerpt from Sir Edwards's book on dragon breeds explained so eloquently. :)

I read this book in two days while on vacation and ran right out to four bookstores to find and buy the 2nd and 3rd installment! The cover art is also spectacular!

This book made me remember why I have loved fantasy my entire life. Anyone who loves animals, and loves history will love these books. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This series is a keeper. The most innovative use of dragons I've ever enjoyed.

And, for once, the other author's blurbs on the cover were TRUE! I was not disappointed. Keep the history/fantasy coming Ms. Novik with or without Temeraire I will read your next novel.

I rarely read fantasy any more--so much that's published in that genre these days feels so unoriginal to me--but I tried His Majesty's Dragon on the strong recommendation of a friend, and was hooked within a few pages. It's historical fantasy: Ms. Novik has taken an actual historical period and series of historical events--the war between Britain and Napolean's France--and created a brilliantly imagined overlay. In her early 19th century Napoleanic era, dragons not only exist, they have been selectively bred and trained by both sides for use as a military air corps.

Novik does a fine job rendering the historical aspects of her tale, but it is the fictional aspects of the story--the culture and back-story surrounding dragons, the dragons themselves, who come alive as characters for the reader as much as their human masters, and the touching and developing relationship between Laurence and Temeraire, the lead human and dragon characters--that makes this book such an impressive piece of story-telling. Highly recommended for anyone who loves fantasy, historical fiction, or just a good read.

Imagine a nine ton dragon named Temaraire. He needs an Aviator. So step forward (at first reluctantly) a former Sea Captain in Drake's navy, Captain Will Laurence. Combine the two and install them for training to become part of an aerial force of fighting dragons. To protect and defend the shores of Britain, from the armies of Bonaparte during the Napoleonic wars. The blend of fantasy and history takes the reader on a journey of surprises in the unique first novel, by Naomi Novik, named, HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON.

I started this novel on a recommendation (enthusiastic and justifiably so ). I have never yet picked up any fantasy novel, and read it completely through to the end, since THE LORD OF THE RINGS . So it was some sense of trepidation that I started HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON and it has proved to be the exception. One of the joys of reading this novel, has been in never knowing what will happen next. It is a different world. A world of dragons, and their Aviators. And the combination of the two, and the methods and skills acquired during their training, leads the reader into a realm of fiction, quite unlike any other.

It is Temeraire himself, which really won me over. At nine tons, and still growing he is the second rarest known dragon in the world. He is intelligent, likes to be read to (he can hold a book but his talons prevent him from turning the pages) has wonderful manners and is devoted to his Aviator Will Laurence Yet, in the heat of conflict against the fighting dragons of the French, he proves lethal. For his part, Will shares warmth of devotion to Temeraire. And this is also reflected by the majority of the Aviators towards their own dragons, namely, The Dragons of the Longwing; the Yellow Reapers; Winchesters; Greylings, as well as the Celestial breed of Chinese dragon from which Temeraire is a descendant. Not just the Aviators. This includes, too, the ground crew, (who ensure the dragons are supplied with huge quantities of live stock and kept well groomed) but also the gunnery team, the harnessers, the bombers and sharp-shooters, who fly into battle on the great beasts.

It's a book for those that like to be taken to a different world. It also reflects well on the theme of loyalty that can emerge in time of war. In this case, not just between Officers and the ranks, but between Aviator and Dragon. Dragon and Aviator.

I should preface this with the warning that I'm going to gush -- frankly, I haven't been this madly fond of a book in the longest time (hm, when did Connie Willis last publish something?), and I'm at the stage where I want the whole world to know how great this book is. I bought it Wednesday afternoon, read 200 pages of it that night, then went out the next day and all I kept thinking about was going home and finishing it, which I did, staying up very late (past my bedtime) and finding the ending very bittersweet. Bittersweet because the conclusion happily justifies all the promise of the beginning chapters, and yet I'm sad because I'm through with the book and will have to wait weeks (till April 25) for the sequel. I know that's nothing compared to the wait with most fantasy trilogies, the gap between books is usually at least a year, but I want the sequel right NOW in my hot little hands.

The novel takes place in England during the Napoleonic Wars, only with the added twist of dragons (which must be admitted, improve every scenario). In this alternate universe, dragons are tamed by most nations of the world as a fighting force, bonding to a handler at hatching, and trained in the Aerial Corps in the pursuit of warfare. So when Will Laurence, a British Naval captain experienced in battle, captures a French frigate with a dragon's egg that is very quickly going to hatch, he has no choice but to put himself and the crew up to bonding with the creature because even though England has France outgunned in the way of ships (think Admiral Nelson and the superiority of the British Navy), France is outgunning England 2-1 in the way of fighting dragons. Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, are then thrust into the world of the Aerial Corps where things are done in a slightly different way than Laurence is used to in the Navy.

Novik handles the world-building with startling grace, given that this is her first novel. One of the prime pleasures of the book is authentic feel of the world she's built -- you can tell that months of research went into correctly portraying 19th century English society, from the realities of the Navy to the manners of the drawing room. And best, none of it is done showily or in a lecturing way, it's all of it presented as naturally as possible. She doesn't let research intrude upon telling the story, and better yet, her addition of dragons into this world is so well thought-out (from their feeding, breeds, natural inclinations, personalities, levels of intelligence, size and temperment, mode of fighting and the innovative invention of aerial fighting) that it adds to the depiction of the historical period. She seamlessly grafts on her inventions to the known historical realities, and comes up with a beautifully realized fictional world that's meticulously detailed and worked out. I adore that there is so much thought given to how the dragons would fit into this society, and she succeeds in a way that few authors of speculative fiction succeed -- I really want to spend more time in her imagined universe. That's the highest compliment I can give.

But, there are other pleasures as well. Temeraire and Laurence bond, and even though it is not a telepathic mind-meld (ala Anne McCaffrey), it is a deeply emotional connection. There is palpable love between man and dragon, and their relationship is the emotional thru-line for the novel. It makes me sound like a 12 year old girl to say this (which I am not), but Temeraire is such a cool dragon. I totally want one like him for my very own, because he is so intelligent and logical and witty and also nuzzles Laurence affectionately and loves him. I mean, I know, this is gushy, but you can't blame me! Novik captures the sweetness and light of their bond, enough to give balance to all the colder, plot-driven elements of the story. It's primarily an adventure, a story in wartime, an exploration of dragons in this fascinating society, but she doesn't neglect the warmer side of things. There are moments of extreme emotion, of emotional distress, mostly due to the closeness that aviators develop with their dragons, and each moment played realistically for me. I'm very particular when it comes to moments of high emotion -- each one has to be earned in character, in story, in meaning, and I hate more than anything the feeling of being manipulated to respond. Novik very definitely earns each emotion she wrung from me.

I can't recommend this book enough. It has all the everything you want from good speculative fiction (meticulous world-building, a desire to step into the universe), well-defined, charismatic, understatedly human characters you care about (though Temeraire is perhaps my favorite personality of all), a confident and elegantly polished prose style, emotional depths, gorgeous and inventive battle scenes (and I'm usually the type of reader to skim written battle scenes, but Novik writes so concisely about aerial battles that they are some of my favorite scenes in the book). It's a great book, extremely fun, addicting, polished, exciting -- I can't wait to read the next one, and the one after that. The last book of such promise from a new author was Susannah Clarke's "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell", and then I think I prefer Novik's to Clarke's. JS&MN is almost too ambitious for its own good, and Clarke has a lesser insight into human personality than Novik, while "His Majesty's Dragon" has no weaknesses. I can't perceive any faults or flaws, and recommend it whole-heartedly.

The first book in the "Temeraire" series is a great start. I usually steer clear of dragon fiction, but came across a preview in a book magazine that depicted the scene in which the eponymous dragon is born, amongst a naval crew on a vessel during the Napoleonic war. It was a wonderfully touching and exciting scene and very well written, which prompted me to try the novel out.

Being an alternate history novel, this book could quite easily have fallen flat on its face. The gall, to introduce dragons to the Napoleonic war! Rather than try to fool us into believing this faux-history, "Temeraire" plainly tells us that this DID happen and makes you feel a bit silly for not having remembered it from the school history lessons you hated as a kid. The story itself and the language are far from plain however, the former straightforward but compelling, the latter beautiful and very fluid.

If you hate dragon fiction or fantasy in general, I doubt you'd even be reading this review. If you think there's even a change you might like it, then you should buy it now and give it a read. You really will be surprised.

It took me a long time to get around to reading this, which is a shame, because it's delightful. If you like historical fantasy at all, you're almost certain to enjoy this book.

Will Laurence is a captain in His Majesty's Navy at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, and it looks a lot like the Navy you'd see in a Patrick O'Brien book--all protocol and taking enemy ships for profit--until his ship captures a precious dragon egg and Laurence is sent off the Aerial Corps to be captain of the dragon instead. Dragons here are essentially flying, talking ships, which makes for some entertaining battle scenes and opens up room for an imaginative alternate world.

The plot is entertaining: not action-packed--there's a lot of training, and a lot about Laurence's adjustment to the Aerial Corps, which is much more casual and modern than he's used to (there are even *gasp* women in it!)--but fun; I was rooting for Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire, and enjoyed the story throughout. The characters are vivid and interesting, and I especially enjoyed Laurence's struggle to adjust and the conflict between his respect for hierarchy and his discomfort with some of the ways things are done in the Corps. Creating such a stiff and formal protagonist is a risk, but Laurence works because at the same time he's good-hearted and willing to adapt. Temeraire is also entertaining, breaking the typical dragon-companion mold (he likes books, for instance), and he manages not to come across as a animal-companion wish-fulfillment fantasy, which is rare in this sort of book. I've read comments indicating there's a lot of romance in the book, which baffle me--there isn't, at least not in the sexual sense; the growing friendship between Laurence and Temeraire is at the heart of the story. Laurence's apparent love interest is awesome, though, and I'd love to see more of her in future books.

Otherwise, the writing is good, the period details convincing and the fantasy elements well-integrated into the historical setting. Novik's style hints at 19th century writing, while still being easy going for the modern reader. The secondary characters are endearing or obnoxious as the author intended, and feel real enough to set them apart from the typical fantasy extras. And Novik manages a modern, critical look at the British Empire without Laurence's ever breaking character; he's unthinkingly loyal, even while the narrative questions that devotion. Really, there's no downside here, unless you're leery of starting a long and unfinished series. But while there seem to be some long-running threads introduced (Laurence's relationship with his father, for one), the book works well as a standalone.

This isn't great literature, and I don't expect to read it again. But I do intend to read the sequel, and I recommend this one to anyone looking for fun, high-quality fantasy.

I hadn't read a fantasy novel in close to 20 years and I thought I might like to try and find a good one. After a short bit of research and a recommendation from my sister I was lead to the Temeraire series which is highly rated and selling well on the store. This isn't your classic fantasy story; there are no dwarves or elves, fairies or knights, wizards or castles. It isn't even set in medieval times. It takes place in the Napoleonic era and the only difference from our own world is the existence of dragons, a popular theme these days.

The first thing I noticed is how stiff the dialogue is and how the plot just sort of plods along. At nearly 350 pages in length not a whole heckuva lot happens in the book. I'm also having some difficulty figuring out the logistics of the air battles. Each dragon has a trainer to guide them and in battle they carry large wooden transports for men to ride on. Dragons can fly up next to other dragons and airmen can board (or raid) them like a ship. It seems as if the author was going for the effect that dragons were essentially ships of the air. In fact Lawrence, the lead character, had been ship captain before Temeraire, freshly hatched from his egg, took a shine to him thrusting him into the role of dragon trainer.

Turns out this dragon is no ordinary dragon. Temeraire is a Chinese Celestial dragon and that little plot point is probably the best part of the entire story. It sets Temeraire apart and explains how a ship captain with no experience in training dragons could become integral in the battle with Napoleon's army. It's also clearly a setup for future books since Temeraire becomes a tantalizing prize.

Besides the physics of the air battles it also struck me as odd that these powerful, intelligent dragons would allow themselves to be used as weapons of war in the battles of humans. Temeraire is clearly more intelligent than Lawrence (although he is highly exceptional for a dragon) but even the dullest of dragons appear to be capable of speech. Maybe this issue will play a larger roll in later books but if I were a dragon I would shake the human's from my back and leave rather than risk my hide over the quarrel of humans.

I already have the second book in the series so I'll give it a try but so far it's been kind of ho hum. The characters seem very flat and the writing is, at best, average. Looking at the reviews I can see that I'm in the vast minority but if `Throne of Jade' doesn't prove to be better than this one I may give up on the series.

For anglophiles or fantasy fans alike, Naomi Novik adeptly rewrites history with that most mystical of beasts, the dragon.

Set in the time of the Napoleonic Wars, this first of a three-part series sets the stage for a relationship that was both unexpected and undeniably refreshing, and it made me eagerly await the next installment.

Captain Laurence is the epitome of the British naval officer, bound by his duty to his country and pure pomp and circumstance. But, when his crew takes a French frigate prisoner, and Novik introduces the real star of the book--the dragon, Temeraire--Laurence is forced to reexamine his life, his future, his priorities and all that he holds dear.

Hatched from an egg aboard ship, Temeraire immediately bonds with Laurence, and a life-changing journey begins. Leaving the navy to join what Novik terms the aerial corps--the equivalent of today's air force, substituting dragons in lieu of airplanes--Temeraire and Laurence begin a new life together and forge a relationship that leaves readers wanting to know more.

Once you get past the "olde" English (which often required me to reread certain passages), Novik skillfully integrates the "dragon corps" into both the time period as well as the war effort and makes you wish that history were truly this fascinating in school.

The changes in society to accommodate the dragons flow naturally, and you barely question their significance, easily accepting the fact that the aerial corps plays a significant role in the war effort.

Novik poignantly treats the reader to a story of training, bonding and personal growth as Laurence teaches Temeraire the meaning of duty, and Temeraire teaches Laurence the true meaning of friendship and esprit de corps.

The biggest shortcoming of the book is the fact that up until the end, Temeraire never truly gets to "strut his stuff," and when he finally does, only a few pages are left.

Armchair Interviews says: All in all Novik has seamlessly created a new 18th century Europe, an original fantasy world and characters that are well defined and engaging. With a sneak peak of the next of two installments innocently included as an epilogue, you know you'll come back for more!

Wow.

I'm actually thinking of suing the writer of His Majesty's Dragon. Why? Because I stayed up way too late, too nights in a row, which then meant I got sick. And really sick. Gargle with broken glass (because gargling with unbroken glass doesn't really hurt) type of sick.

This book was fantastic. It's a `what-if' type of book. As in: What If the Napoleonic wars also had an aerial corps -- which was composed of Dragons? That's a pretty cool What if. The story moves very quickly (they find the egg on page 2) and then the whole training thing, battles, move to war...etc.

She's nailed the feel of the 1800s (well, I'm assuming she's nailed -- because how the hell would I know?), and the Dragons themselves are pretty cool. Not only are they Dragons, with a Rider, but they have an entire aerial corps. Each dragon is ridden by several men, including boarding parties (to board other dragons), riflemen (to attack ships), bombers (ummm, kind of explanatory).

I label this a must read.

Even if it makes you sick.

Ryan McFadden
Author of 'Women of the Apocalypse'
[...]
Women of the Apocalypse

When I first heard the premise of His Majesty's Dragon I wasn't sure I would like the book. I don't usually like historical fiction, nor war fiction or nautical fiction. But the fact that there were dragons included in the story intrigued me. But I still might have passed the book up if not for the wealth of positive reviews on the store. In this case, I am glad I went with the crowd.

I was not disappointed in this book at all. It far and away exceeded my expectations. The world building was masterfully handled and doled out in a manner fitting to the pace of the story and in a way that added to it, rather than the infamous "info dump" employed by some authors. The interactions of the characters with each other were believable and the friendship between Laurence and Temeraire was the strength of this book. I am eager to read more stories with these characters and will probably re-read this book at some point. And from someone who almost never reads a book twice I can offer no higher praise.

Just finished His Majesty's Dragon -- the genre: historical fantasy. It's a "what if" story which follows real history, but a history in which dragons actually exist. Great concept and a good solid book. I thought it was a tad slow in places, but I think that's because I'm not a huge fan of the historical period in which the story takes place. With that said, the characterization is strong. And the relationship between Lawrence and Temeraire saves whatever slow parts of the story there are. Again, my critiques is based more on my personal tastes in historical periods than the writing or the story. Never the less, I give it a solid four stars will continue the series. Novik is a great writer, and her knowledge of the period shines. Definitely read this book, even if you aren't a fantasy or dragon book fan. It has something for everyone.

Imagine the Napoleonic Era. France vs England. Boats, cavalry, and gunpowder were the order of the day. Britain was hanging on by the skin of its teeth, its only protection the power of its Navy and the support the Arial Corps can give. But all that changes when Captain William Laurence captures the cargo of an enemy ship: an unhatched Dragon egg, a prize more valuable than -

Wait, what?

Author Naomi Novik has created a world where Dragons are a rather prominent reality. These are no beastly creatures; Dragons can talk, have feelings, desires, fears. Like people they can be greedy, or kind, or bored. Like people, Dragons want to protect their country and serve in the military as great winged arial weapons.

Dragons also bond to a specific "pilot", and when baby Temeraire bonds to Captain Laurence, he must quickly learn the ropes of being an Arial Corps Captain. He must gather a crew, learn the art of Dragon-to-Dragon fighting, repelling boarders off of Temeraire, providing support for the Navy, and above all he must learn to trust Temeraire.

Having never been in the Napoleonic Era myself, I can't say how accurate the historical aspects are. The blending of fact and fiction, however, works very well. This isn't "History with Dragons Dumped Into It". Dragons have been around forever, but the general public doesn't know much about them. From Captain Laurence's point of view, we learn about the Arial Corps and Dragons. Everything from getting enough food to feed a fleet of Dragons to convincing the public that Dragons aren't just brutes is touched on.

There is plenty of action in addition to the politics of the book. Imagine sea battles, with the crews of the ships firing cannons and pistols at each other, only now the battles take place far up in the sky and the ships are trying to gouge each other's throats out.

His Majesty's Dragon isn't for everyone. There is a lot of politics and philosophy (are Dragons people? Do they get rights?) alongside the action. But if you don't mind that, or just want to see what a major era of history would have been like with Dragons, this is the book for you.

The French frigate shouldn't have bothered with a fight, but when English Captain Will Lawrence discovers the treasure--a huge dragon egg already nearing hatching time--he understands the French desperation. But there is a problem--someone will have to bond with the about-to-hatch dragon and that someone will be lost to the British navy forever. Lawrence holds a drawing, but the dragon, when he hatches, has other ideas and selects Lawrence himself. Lawrence is abruptly pulled from the British Navy and into the dragon corps.

The French, under Napoleon, are planning an invasion of England and only the British Navy and their outnumbered Dragon corps stand between Napoleon and final victory. Lawrence, and his dragon, Temeraire, are thrown into training to prepare for the coming invasion. Lawrence learns that the society of dragons is even more unusual than he had anticipated. A dragon Captain's bond with his dragon is the strongest thing in his (or her) life. A dragon Captain may marry, but his wife will never be first in his life. As a result, polite society scorns the dragon soldiers even though they form the island's thin defense against the despotism of Napoleon.

Temeraire and Lawrence adjust to one another and to the dragon corps, upsetting some of the conventions of both navy and dragon force. Meanwhile, Temeraire grows into one of the largest and most rare of dragon species--one cultivated in Imperial China itself.

Author Naomi Novik provides an intriguing twist on alternate history. Her fantasy history closely parallels that in our own universe, yet dragons are an ever-present force, at least since Roman times. With control of the air as important as control of the sea, however, the threat to England combines the historical danger that England faced with Napoleon with that it faced under Hitler's blitz.

HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON is a deeply character-driven novel. Although there are a couple of fascinating action scenes where dragons battle dragons, the bulk of the story deals with the relationship between Temeraire and Lawrence, and between Lawrence and the other members of the dragon corps. Still, Novik's insights into society and into character itself makes this fascinating reading. This is Novik's first novel and it's a major accomplishment. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

This is an astounding book. Full of action with well developed characters and an amazingly new approach to dragons. Totally unlike any book with dragons I have ever read and it makes so much sense you wonder why it's never occurred to anyone before. Truly wonderful!!!

Temeraire is a wonderful character who grows from an egg to a young adult dragon with some nice twists and turns. And the people around him are equally engaging.

On top of that Ms. Novik's portrayal of the Napoleonic Wars is very imaginative! I love alternate history books and Ms. Novik creates a world where dragons and Napoleon co-exist very nicely. And she gets the real portions of the history right which gives voracity to to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who likes dragons, alternate realities or fantasy SF - actually I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, well written story. And then buy the next two and wait, like I am, for the fourth!

Novik's first book, His Majesty's Dragon is an alterate universe fantasy novel. Imagine if the Napoleonic Wars were fought with the addition of dragons? Interesting premise aside, the most captivating elements of the novel have to do with this author's talent for character and emotional development.

Laurence is the captain of a British ship that captures a dragons egg. The English need as many dragons as possible to prevail in the war against the French. So this is a great prize. But then it is discovered the egg is about to hatch--two weeks away from anyone who is trained to manage dragons. Laurence knows that the dragon will bond immediately with one person after hatching or else become feral and therefore useless to the Crown.

Ultimately Laurence becomes the one that the dragon hatchling bonds to. Laurence must immediately give up his position and his career to care full time and for the rest of his life for the dragon hatchling. What he doesnt know is that this is the best thing that could ever happen to him.

Novik's novel of the love and companionship shared between human and intelligent dragon is captivating, touching and insightful. What is viewed by those not experiencing it as an onerous burden is instead a wonderful pairing of souls and intents. Our rather stiff Captain Laurence becomes a responsive and loving father/comrade to his dragon charge and in the process becomes a champion of all dragons. In addition the suspenseful and innovative dragon battle scenes create a counterpart to the psychological development of Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire.

I was given this by a friend who knows of my interest in fantasy as well as historical warfare. It sounds like an intriguing premise, but it fell flat for me.

I won't go into the storyline other to say that a British naval officer finds himself as a partner for an exceptional dragon whose egg was found on a French frigate. The book is an odd mix writing wise of some nicely turned phrases and some awkward organization. It's referred to in other reviews, but often events are referred to - not precisely as flashbacks - but as information about events that have been occurring within the chronology of the book that the character is aware of, but not the reader. The first example was the main character resuming meals with his former first officer on his former ship that he had apparently gotten in the habit of doing after partnering with his dragon. But these meals aren't mentioned at all except in this fashion. There are also times when a scene that normally would have dialogue between the characters involved are simply described along the lines of "At first he disagreed, but after many arguments he was slowly won over" (this is not a line from the book, merely an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about). Sometimes this kind of thing will extend many paragraphs and just doesn't feel right to me when reading. The author also tends to start storylines that then just disappear. There was a section where the main character and his dragon start working on new maneuvers, only to have the anticipated displaying of said maneuvers to the instructor cut short due to something else happening. And then this is never returned to. Explanations of some things are delayed - for instance, the first battle starts at the beginning of a chapter. The whole thing is played out, and then only after everyone is recuperating do we get the offhand explanation that it was a surprise attack.

One thing that sort of felt odd to me was that the dragons feel so... bland. They basically feel like big dogs in personality. Loyal to their owner, quite housebroken. There's no sense of a 'mythology' behind the dragons, it feels like everyone in the world knows they exist and that they've existed alongside humans forever, but the ONLY time we see them in the book are as weapons of war in the hands of men. I don't know how to explain why this bothers me, but it does.

The biology of the things feels off at times. The description of how fast they fly seems off - as in far too slow compared to other flighted animals including estimates of Pteranodon speed (the closest analogue in size to the dragons in the book).

And the military aspects work the least well in my opinion. There are descriptions of training maneuvers with dragons flying upside down for extended periods of time. The reasons why are never given. And besides the physiological likelihood of this being possible being low for such creatures, the description of the battles later make it seem pretty unnecessary. One thing that really bothered me was that the military situation was basically the same as it was in the real world, down to the number of ships in each battle. Yes, the author showed that she was able to look up the numbers and basic information for any battle, but this is alternate history. Given that dragons have been around for the whole war prior to the book's start, wouldn't it have been more interesting for history buffs if some thought would have been put into creating a true alternate history where the dragons' effects would have been logical? Simply put, if you're trying to impress the history buffs, regurgitating numbers and strategy that can be gotten off of wikipedia isn't going to do it when the conditions of the war are affected so much by alternate weapons of war that were never present. Trafalgar is described with precisely the same number of ships for each side, and in one of the more ludicrous sequences, when the battle is drawn up with starting positions, the former naval officer says offhand something like "Two columns, breaking their line twice?" in satisfaction as if it was obvious that such a strategy was the right one. This was a former captain of a ship, not a fleet commander and certainly not one with Nelson's experience and ingenuity. I've read books of that battle, and the strategy he chose wasn't the obvious one. There should have been some surprise and even confusion by the main character on seeing it.

So basically I found this novel to be awkwardly written, with no interesting mythology from a fantasy standpoint and no interesting alternate history from a historical standpoint. In the end I was left wondering "What's the point?" If it's to show the relationship between a man and his dog, errr dragon, then it's probably a 4 star book. If it's supposed to be alternate history and/or fantasy, then it's not.

Novik's world is awesome. Having just finished LIFE OF PI and a recent translation of "DON QUIXOTE", I was a bit worried that Novik's writing was simplistic at first. Ha, by the third page I couldn't put it down! Wow... Tall ships, the excitement and history of the Napoleonic era, dragon husbandry, and even an excerpt from Sir Edwards's book on dragon breeds explained so eloquently. :)

I read this book in two days while on vacation and ran right out to four bookstores to find and buy the 2nd and 3rd installment! The cover art is also spectacular!

This book made me remember why I have loved fantasy my entire life. Anyone who loves animals, and loves history will love these books. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This series is a keeper. The most innovative use of dragons I've ever enjoyed.

And, for once, the other author's blurbs on the cover were TRUE! I was not disappointed. Keep the history/fantasy coming Ms. Novik with or without Temeraire I will read your next novel.

This was my first encounter with Dragons. I intended to begin with the Pern series, but a friend of mine talked me into this one. I'm glad she did as I fell in love with Temeraire--his inquisitive and intelligent mind. I can foresee his coming philosophical ideals and challanges. I fell in love with Laurence's constant struggle between what is good, proper and expected and what is wholly life. Temeraire opens Laurence's heart and mind, with his "innocence of a child" questions and comments. All the dragons are so loveable. Historic events are included in this story that are accurate and make the story that much more real. Reading this book, we could all wish for dragons! There are characters you could love to hate, and character you would hate to love. There is potential for the rest of the series. I am looking forward to more. I must continue...

Del Rey gave Novik quite the push, releasing all three books in rapid succession and investing in extras like the embossed cover, selective lamination, and sending sample chapters to the freebie tables at lots of conventions. Novik is currently up for the Hugo and a few other awards for His Majesty's Dragon.

So, is His Majesty's Dragon really as good as the buzz implies? Well, yes and no. Set during the Napoleonic wars, the book follows Captain Will Lawrence of the H.M.S. Reliant as he captures a valuable dragon egg from a French ship. The egg hatches, and the dragon bonds with Lawrence, transforming him from Naval officer to Aviator. The life of an Aviator is very different from the navy discipline Lawrence is used to; likewise, Temeraire the dragon turns out to be quite unusual. Both man and dragon feel alienated at first, but this only deepens the bond between them. And Lawrence's background will serve him well as he and Temeraire prepare to defend Britain against Napoleon's latest offensive.

The plot itself felt a bit slow, I think because I never got a clear idea what was going on in the world. We know the war is progressing, but aside from the very beginning and the very end, that war doesn't feel real. It's distant, and our protagonists don't play much of a part, even though everyone stresses how vital dragons are to the British. So we know Lawrence and Temeraire will see combat . . . eventually. I'm not one who needs grand combat and explosions and drama in every scene, but it sometimes feels like the truly important story is happening elsewhere.

The relationship between Lawrence and Temeraire is both a strength and a weakness. It's a genuinely loving relationship, and I liked watching it develop. Lawrence is parent, friend, protector, and partner to his dragon. Unfortunately, the bonding between human and dragon is incredibly reminiscent of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonrider series. Time after time, even as I enjoyed reading about the human/dragon relationship, I couldn't help feeling as though I had read it before.

Despite these issues, I liked the book. I liked Lawrence's stiff manners, a sharp contrast to the rest of the Air Corps. I enjoyed the relationship between Lawrence and Temeraire. I loved breaking out of traditional fantasy fare and entering a world with both dragons and firearms. And while it takes a long time to get there, seeing the dragons in combat was a great deal of fun.

Given that this is Novik's debut novel, I have an easier time forgiving the issues I mentioned above, and I hope the second book will be even more enjoyable.

His Majesty's Dragon is a breath of freash air in the world of fantasy. This is top dollar fantasy AND they released the first three together! I can 't wait to get to the second as the first was wonderful.

Think Napolean, British, French, War Ships and... Dragons?? Very much so did Novak capture the essence of dragons is one already increadable time in history.

Napolean (of course the french commander) is fighting the british.. just like in history.. as we may have read in school, BUT there are dragons - and not some surprise to the world, but dragons

that have and will be there in that world. Laurence, a british war ship captain, has just taken a french ship and is comendering all the provisions, as well as the ship itself, when they find an egg.

Not just any egg, but a dragon egg - and.. its hatching..

Laurence ends up being "thrown' into the life of a dragon rider - as the rider of Temeraire (the original name for the book).

What this book is really about is the relationship that creates between rider and dragon - and the feelings that Laurence begins to have for all the dragons - in many ways turning the thoughts

of other dragon riders upside down.

They return to shore and Laurence is sent to train with Temeraire - and finding that his dragon is more important and more rare than the others.

I enjoyed the well thought out ways of the dragons and thier riders - as well as the near flawless mixture of history with this new 'twist'. Anyone that enjoyed a book with a dragon in it, or possibly one that enjoys the history of this time period will find this to be an enjoyable book.

What can be said about Temeraire that hasn't been said already? The story is great!

This is the beginning of the awesome series of Temeraire, where we are introduced to Lawrence, a navy captain that because of destiny finds himself tied to one of the best dragons in literature, Temeraire.

His Majesty's Dragon is my favorite book of the series, I have read it many times and it is always enjoyable. We find characters that are easy to love and great plot development. The story takes place during the Napoleonic wars and follows the real facts that we know, historical people from that time make an appearance fitting perfectly in the world created by Naomi Novik.

This is one of the books that offer characters that stay with you forever. Great read!

Would you listen to His Majesty's Dragon again? Why?
I'm not really in to rereading/listening/watching of books/audiobooks/movies so I don't think I would. Yet I really liked the books and would be willing to relisten to this book if too much time went by between the last book in the series I had read/listened and the next in the series. I would need a refresher.

What other book might you compare His Majesty's Dragon to and why?
I think at first I would compare it to Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. Yes the two only has Dragon riders in common but that is all one needs, it fits that genera. Some dragon riding books I've read hasn't pulled you in to feeling for the dragon, both Dragonriders of Pern and Temeraire series did this.

My brother had been telling me how much he enjoys Naomi Novik's books for months. But I have not read many alternate histories and wasn't sure it was something I would enjoy. Boy am I glad he convinced me to give it a try. I have only read this one book but am anxious to read the rest of the series.

Temeraire is well written with his child-like curiousity and thirst for knowledge mixed with his bloodthirsty, youthful hope for battle. Captain Laurence, with his battle experience from the navy and prudishness in the face of the more relaxed aviation corp works well as his teacher and friend. The way the two of them progress and develop is subtley done and fascinating.

The fact that not every person was all good or all bad was wonderful. So often, especially for a new writer, there is too much black and white in the story. The author here doesn't mind letting you start to like people before letting you see their darker side.

So, for anyone who enjoys history but likes the idea of seeing what would have happened if one major element is added, I recommend Naomi Novik. Yes, I admit it. My brother was right.

First off, I want to say that overall I enjoyed this book and have every intention of reading Throne of Jade the second book in the series. While the book was far from perfect, it was definitely worth reading and I enjoyed it strait through to the end.

Let me start with the advantages of this book. First off, I loved the concept from the second I started reading the book, taking an alternate view of history where dragons are integrated into our society and warfare in Napoleanic times is a fantastic idea and it is well laid out in this first title of the series. Also, the main dragon of the book Temeraire is an excellent character in his own right and is the star of the book (even if he is not the protagonist). Novik also makes a number of other smart decisions like having the protagonist of the book be a naval captain and not some wide eyed 16 year old boy that has become too standard in these types of titles. Having a complete outsiders perspective on the concept is excellent and really helps drive the tale home.

However, there are a number of issues in the title that prevent it from being something I will read over and over again and costs it a couple of stars. The first is that outside of the dragon himself, the rest of the characters have very little depth at all and do not pull you into the series. The biggest offender here is Will Laurence himself, his conversion from fearing the affect that this change will have on his life to aviator is completely without any conflict or drama at all. He overcomes gigantic burdens like being ostracized from his family, losing the love of his life, losing everything he has ever known in his life in a matter of a paragraph of the book. Sure he makes a bad choice of friends when he first gets into the aviator's "club", and has a shock of there being women aviators, but nothing comes out of any of these conflicts either which really lessens the impact of the story overall.

However, despite Will's paper thin "good guy" image bringing down the overall feel of the book, I have a lot of hope for the rest of this series and did enjoy this first title quite a bit. I hope to see the author grow the other characters which as much care and affection as she did Temeraire and hopefully the future books will expand upon the action, drama and intrigue that she presented in this book even if she didn't delve into any of them very much in the first title.

I do recommend the title (especially if you can get the free Kindle download), and hope that my purchase of Throne of Jade will be rewarded by an improved story throughout.

The author takes advantage of the creative freedom allowed when incorporating talking dragons into an historical novel. She develops an intelligent, loyal dragon as one of the main characters along with his captain. These two become the center of the story that portrays the Napoleonic Wars from the British perspective.

I enjoyed the tone and pace of the book and especially the writing about the dragons. The story is less than gripping or compelling but is certainly enjoyable.

This isn't a genre that I would have picked up on my own. I read it since it was a free kindle download. I think it was well worth the effort. If I continue reading the series, I will do so because of the excellent character development of the dragon Temeraire and his relationship to the captain. I would hope for more intriguing action in future books.

Having not read the rest of this series as yet, I have to say I'm greatly looking forward to it. I won't summarize the plot here, as that's already taken care of elsewhere. Instead, I'd just like to give reasons for WHY I enjoyed this book so much.

Firstly, Naomi Novik is definitely an author who enjoys her characters. They're very vividly drawn and their distinct personalities match the decisions they make. People aren't at cross purposes because one is good and the other evil. No, this isn't that kind of two-dimensional fantasy. Instead, just as in history, individuals are at odds because of conflicting needs and desires. Simple stuff, but you'd be surprised how rare it is to find.

Secondly, I have to confess that I was emotionally manipulated by this book. Even when you see certain plot developments coming a mile away, they don't fail to evoke the intended response. This isn't a story about shock or surprises or twists and turns, but about the natural evolution of relationships, both good and bad.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more.

Friend gave this to me as a gift. Got me started on the whole series. This really throws you into a regency world with dragons. No, it really works! The dragons have as much personality as the people. You'll like it if you love dragons and historical novels.

His Majesty's Dragon benefits from a unique premise: It is the 18th century, dragons exist, and nations use them in war as predecessors to aircraft. Novik, the author, cleverly makes the protagonist a seasoned Navy man and not a wide-eyed dragon handler recruit, which provides a fresh perspective on dragons and their implementation. I imagine that another writer might have chosen an adolescent dragon handler as the primary character to match Temeraire's youth, which would have been a mistake. Laurence's background and preconceptions as an outsider to the Aerial Corps enrich the novel. However, I believe that Novik missed opportunities to provide more conflict in regard to Laurence getting used to Temeraire and his change in social standing. The author touches on Laurence's dismay at working alongside commoners and women, but the social drama is mostly insignificant. As a character, he is too fair-minded and capable. He never seems to be in jeopardy, which lessens the tension in the few action scenes. Too few, in my opinion: The novel deserves more epic clashes, and the first bout of action occurs 200 hundred pages into the novel, far too late for a military adventure. The action centers on dragon-on-dragon combat, and I would have preferred a scene demonstrating the destructive power of dragons on men, ships, battlements, etc. Only describing the biting and clawing of dragons at one another does not set the action apart from that of other dragon novels. The idea that dragons are rigged with gun crews is interesting, and when the crew boards an enemy dragon with pistols and swords drawn is a memorable scene, but Novik does not inject the action with enough flair and excitement. Despite my qualms, the novel is an entertaining page turner mostly due to the crisp language and likable, if noncomplex, characters. It reads like a young adult novel that is not written for young adults. I think that more complexity and sophistication--Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell comes to mind--in later installments will improve the series.

His Majesty's Dragon, by Naomi Novik, was a little bit of an impulse buy. I was looking for another book, but the searches brought up more flotsam and jetsam from the bottom of the internet deeps than anything relevant. Among the random mess, a short blurb about this book caught my eye. I picked it up the next time I went into a store. Rarely has such a good book been bought so casually.

At the outset, the premise seemed to aim more at my grandfather than any reader of fantasy- the setting is an English ship in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars, and the reader is mostly tangled in sailcloth and brine-soaked ropes for the first chapter or two as they follow Laurence, the intrepid captain of the Reliant, through his days.

However, all that comes to a quick point when, in the capture of a fast-running frigate?, an interesting bit of loot comes into the hands of the crew. Down on the lower decks, out of sight and carefully protected- a dragon egg. Not just any common Anglewing either, but a species unknown to any aboard.

It is about here that the world snaps into focus. Yes, it is fairly maritime. Yes, it is the Napoleonic era- and yes, both sides of the war use dragons. It's history with a fire breathing, acid spitting air force.

The Navy is not usually concerned with anything of the sort, of course. The draconic section of the army- the Aviators- are usually filled with cads and bounders. It is a vocation relegated to third sons and other such folk, and with only the slightest shadow of the straight-backed integrity of the rest of the British army. Thus it is with great upset that Laurence realizes that the dragon must be hatched aboard his ship- it is far too near its time to get it to shore. That means, of course, that his sailors must risk life and limb to try and tame the bloodthirsty beast for England, lest it should fly off to become feral and they should lose an advantage in the war.

As these things must go, it is of course the least suitable member of the crew to which the young dragon attaches himself- Laurence, the captain. The two are, of course, not meant to be. They will go their separate ways as soon as they reach land, and Laurence will return to the governance of his ship while Temeraire will go on to fly for England. Of course.

Such arrangements rarely work out, and the rest of the book follows the two through a fascinating recreation of the war, with a vibrant and well developed cast of characters- winged and otherwise- and a lovely sense of humor. The author has done her research, and the reader positively breathes nineteenth century Britain even as His Majesty's air force strafes a herd of cattle for lunch.

Refreshingly free of the gimmicks and givens that are beginning to weigh down the rising numbers of 'dragonrider' books, and set in a solid base of history and literary aptitude, His Majesty's Dragon and its sequels are the perfect vacation books- the vivid imagery and characters will keep you company through any long journey, and will leave you wanting more.

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction
Plot: High
Giggles: Medium
Violence: Vivid battle scenes, but British battle scenes. More captures than beheadings, but plenty of both
Sex: Low
Language: Low

More book reviews every Monday at Tome Rat Reviews: tomerat.blogspot.com

This book is, quite simply, love. It had me by the end of the first page, and it didn't let go of me until the last word of the last chapter. The characterization was wonderful, the dialog was entertaining, the worldbuilding was masterful. Novik takes some of my favorite things from books like the Aubrey & Maturin stories (endearing character interaction, deft depiction of a fascinating world/time) and mixed them with fantasy in a way that works beautifully.

Some will probably object when this series is described as "Master and Commander, only with dragons" but the comparrison is inevitable. Novik's love of O'Brien's series is evident in her characterizations and choice of setting.

The (excellent) narrative voice is all, Novik, however. I am impressed by her distinctive style and her ability to throw in little details about the characters and setting that just make the story come completely to life. Am charmed by Temeraire's voice and his relationship with Laurence. Also by the fact that while he is intelligent, Temeraire's is a distinctly non-human intelligence. Extra points for the fact that so far no one has developed a special telepathic connection with any of the dragons ala Mercedes Lacky/Anne McCaffrey.

The story of Laurence, a sea captain who becomes "attached" to Temeraire, a dragon, has good possibilities. The fact that the author has chosen a heretofore unexplored foray into combining history and fantasy is a major draw for this novel. The relationship that develops between Temeraire and Laurence is very well done; it is believable and shows the reluctance that Laurence feels for having his life plans thwarted. Beyond that, this novel has great potential but lacks a direct action that often makes one wish the plot would move more quickly. The language is stilted, probably in an effort to sound more like Jane Austen since the time frame is similar; it does become annoying after a while, making Laurence seem to be a bit of a prig. A personal annoyance for me was Laurence's repeated term of endearment for Temeraire---"My Dear"---if I'm to believe we're dealing with a ferocious beast, I don't want to think of him as a "dear." However, this is a good beginning to a series that I feel will develop nicely as we follow the adventures of these two and the interesting characters who accompany them.

I only downloaded this because it was free and I've been lacking in good fantasy reads lately. I was surprised by how quickly the plot captured me, and I read the book in about a day.

This is a story of great heroics, of lords and ladies, and of dragons and war. It is set apart in discussing the practical side of the existence of dragons in a slightly more modern setting (the Napoleonic era) than the typical fantasy novel.

The story isn't limited to the dragons' use in war, or their training, or the ways in which the dragon and human interact; but there is some insight into the character of human beings in general, anthropomorphised onto dragons.

It is a particularly clever story and I'm glad that the author has made it available for free, because otherwise I would not have discovered the series.

Temeraire is a very enjoyable fantasy. This is something that I hadn't expected to write about this novel. I got pretty overdosed with fantasy dragons a few years back and haven't read many books where they are main characters since. However, this novel surprises with the nice writing tone of the author. The characters are attractive without being derivative of other successful fantasy dragon series. In fact, setting the novels in an alternative universe, but one that is close enough to our own to have recognisable historical events, with the twist of being inhabited also by intelligent dragons is very clever.

Don't avoid this novel because of the dragons - if like myself - you'd had enough of that particular fantasy cliché. It's the opening to a very enjoyable read that certainly makes me want to read book 2 in the series.

Lovely detailed fantasy! The main character is a fussy Naval officer forced into the secretly co-ed, rough and riotous Aerial corp by his adoption by the dragon, Temeraire. The focus of the book is the developing relationship between the dragon and the former naval officer -- and on the implications of Temeraire's shocking breed. I love that we don't have the (now hackneyed) italics as the silent method of communication from previous fantasy literature -- this dragon speaks fluently in English and French upon birth having learned it through the eggshell! Can't wait for more

Naomi Novik mixes Napoleonic-era British seafaring with dragons in this exciting debut. The charming characters and the narrative's enthusiasm for the historical period overcome rough spots and minor historical inaccuracies to produce a fresh fantasy read.

The British navy of the Napoleonic era has long provided the setting for beloved historical fiction, including C. S. Forester's novels of Horatio Hornblower and the classic Aubrey and Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian. Novik's new contribution is the blending of this familiar historical setting with the most common element of fantasy: dragons.

Yet _Her Majesty's Dragon_ comes alive not from any combination of trans-genre tropes, but rather from Novik's focus on the characters. Laurence, a young sea captain turned dragon aviator, predictably accepts his new career and the different society that it entails, but Novik couches his gradual change in a classically British sense of duty. Laurence's honorable decency, a value taken from his naval service, guides his interactions with his fellow dragon captains.

The key character in the entire book may be Laurence's dragon, Temeraire. Novik presents him as brilliant and perceptive, yet with the inquisitiveness and naiveté of a child. His growth as a character as he interacts with other dragons charms the reader just as it charms Laurence.

Novik's main tool in these characterizations is her precise command of nineteenth-century British upper-middleclass society. Laurence is constantly concerned with regimented manners that derive from status and gender, and this sense of society even permeates the narrative voice.

The tactical blending of large dragons into the nineteenth-century British military is less smooth. Novik strains her naval analogy by labeling dragon crewmembers with terms that denote sailors in specific levels of a ship's rigging, even though the dragons have no overhead area. Several of the military details ring false, including the repeated references to rifles and riflemen in an era when the standard shoulder-arm was the smooth-bore musket.

The middle of the book slows in places, as Laurence and Temeraire go through repeated training. However, Novik seeds this section with just enough secondary characters and new conflicts to hold the reader's interest. The last third opens with a poorly visualized aerial skirmish described from the overall formation. Yet Novik then builds the tension by seamlessly weaving her climax within the true history of the time. The final battle is vividly shown in the visceral experiences of Laurence and Temeraire as they fight off a French attack.

Although the Napoleonic-era backdrop and the classic fantasy dragons may seem the key to _Her Majesty's Dragon_, Novik actually succeeds through her charming characters as developed by her detailed portrayal of nineteenth-century British society.

I really was not impressed with this story. It tends to jump around, the conversations are not realistic. I sometimes have to wonder if the characters ever took a breath do to the lack of breaks or description during conversations. The basic concept of the story makes a vague attempt at being unique in the Dragon Riders of Pern have crash landed on Britain sense. Over all I found it to be cliche and was so glad I did not actually spend money on it. Perhaps if you liked a series like the Dragons of Pern this might appeal to you. If you want a well thought out plot with smooth story telling and characters that actually have some depth to them, this book is probably not for you. How it got a high rating I have not a clue.

His Majesty's Dragon puts established dragons in the employ of England during the battle of the Nile and run up to the battle of Trafalgar. Captain Laurence, a seasoned British Navel officer, captures a French ship that has in its hold an dragon egg. Fearing the dragon will become feral if it not harnessed (bonded to a human ) he determines that one of the crew must attempt the bonding as the ship is still several weeks from land. Fate has it that Laurence himself is destined for the dragon, and although there is fame and money awaiting them on shore for capturing the French ship and successfully hatching the dragon, a cruel reality looms as well. Dragons and there human handlers become a part of the royal air corps. This is a lonely existence as the dragons require so much time and attention. It will force captain Laurence out of the Navy where he has rank and status. It also means he will have to give up on a normal life; marriage, family, an estate of his own.

He accepts this as a matter of duty knowing that the corps is perceived as inferior to the other Services. The Dragon , Temeraire, quickly wins him over and he too easily slips into life in the Corps. A very large section of the book is spent leading up to and including the training of Laurence and Temeraire. The reader is introduced to other dragons and handlers but it is all haphazard. Although several dragon species are introduced, the author spends little time with details and, as a result they do not stay fixed in ones memory. All dragons seem to have the same even temperament, no distinct personalities emerge. It would have been better to have some dragons who were feisty, belligerent, quiet, or even funny. Again, this just reinforces the fact that no other dragon stands out as a whole unique entity.

Laurence muddles through and learns some dragon and life lessons but, he seems all to accepting of the new life and his place in it. Novik goes to lengths to show that he is a refined gentleman in a much courser world but does not grasp that even gentlemen would struggle more in such new surroundings. The new dragon is tested once or twice in neat non-combative events. And in the final real battle one would hope that Laurence would bring some part of his past military experience to bear in order to save the day. However the climax is complete by the surprise manifestation of a new ability in Temeraire. More time is spent by Novilk in explaining how she would treat dragons humanely instead of how to use them as effective weapons.

Despite these criticisms the story moves well from beginning to end. It is not as deeply layered as it could have been , and will appeal to younger readers who have not read novels of more complexity. The setup for the next book is handled very well. I will read the next book.

British navy Captain Will Laurence of the HMS Reliant stands on the deck of the French vessel the Amitie in shock; he cannot understand why the veteran captain chose to fight when his crew was undermanned and ill and his ship likely to lose even if they were hale. He soon learns why the French chose to fight against overwhelming odds. On the Amitie is a Chinese dragon egg; everyone knows that China has the most powerful dragon fighters in the world. If the French got it they would have had an edge in the aerial war with England.

Laurence takes the egg to his ship. When it hatches, he names the dragon Temeraire; quickly the human and the dragon bond. Laurence leaves the British Navy to join with Temeraire His Majesty's Aerial Corps. However, he and Temeraire must learn on the job aerial combat tactics for Napoleon has sent his powerful airborne fleet to begin the battle of Britain.

The key to this delightful military fantasy is how cleverly Naomi Novik imbues dragon-combat into her vibrant depiction of the Napoleonic War between Britain and France. It is so well done readers will believe dragons and their masters fought actual aerial battles. Temeraire seems very genuine with a unique personality affirmed by the ability to communicate while Laurence is a bit more typical of the Regency period novels as a courageous champion. HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON, the opening gamut in a Napoleonic Wars trilogy, is a fabulous combining of fantasy elements inside a strong historical tale.

Harriet Klausner

as a huge fan of Regency era fiction, as well as fantasy, and I collect dragons, so the premise of this series sounded very good to me. Boy, was I NOT disappointed!

This book is very well written-those who say it's wooden may not understand that it's written in the Regency/Napoleonic era (think Jane Austen)-and that is how they talked and interacted back then. While being a very exciting fantasy war story, the backbone of the book is the wonderful relationship between Captain Laurence and Temeraire! All the secondary characters and other dragons are well written as well. I can see this series being made into a movie in the future.

Really, really good and highly recommended for fellow Regency fans looking for something a bit different.

5 +++ stars.

I was going to say "please welcome Christopher Paolini", but since this book is so much better than Eragon, I thought that would be an insult to Naomi Novik :) Yes, imagine McCaffrey crossed with Forester & O'Brian--the Napoleonic Wars fought with dragons as well as ships--and this book is what you get.

This isn't a book I would have chosen for myself--I'm certainly no Napoleonic War fiction buff--but I received it for Christmas and thoroughly enjoyed it. The alternate history is well constructed, the characters both human and dragon are well drawn, and in particular Laurence and Temeraire are very likable and real, and one comes to care about them very much. The adventure is gripping.

The book is an easy read and I look forward to finishing the rest in this series. Excellent!

I read books because I love stories. Therefore I have to wonder at anyone trashing this book because the human charectors are not well fleshed out. It's the story stupid!
That being said, there is more that could be done with the humans in the story. Sometimes, just when it feels like we are learning some deeper dramatic understanding of a character, the scene shifts and we are left feeling like something is missing. Of course, the shift of scene is usually an exciting twist or compelling plot point so it really is a minor criticism. Just enough to take off one star. All in all with a story about dragons juxtaposed against the Napoleonic wars, the blending of historical details, culture of the times and the actual outcomes with a well constructed fictional history of dragons is critical. If this was not done very well - the story would fail as it would read as sophomoric and hokey or childish and the story is clearly not aimed at children. The author succeeds in sweeping the veil of fantasy away through the well drawn historical backdrop, compelling story and the extremely interesting character of Tememaire. Looking forward to the next volume!

I got hooked on this series so fast that my elbows got sore from holding the books open. I actually longed for the next book and am deeply thankful that the publishers released these 3 books in papaerback within a short period of time (they all have 2006 copywrite dates). These books have an entirely original premise, that of inserting intelligent, articulate dragons into known history in a plausible way. But what really makes them excellent is Ms. Novik's ability to create characters to whom one can instantly become attached and intigued by and her mastery of period, historical details with no jarring modern expressions that break the immersion in the Napoleanic era. Be still my heart, I'm on book 3 with no new one in sight! Sigh. At least I know that I am not likely to ever lose interest in this series, if she continues it. Thank you Naomi Novik for a marvelous, unique contribution to the fantasy genre!

I loved this book. It reminds me a little of the Anne McCaffrey books about the dragon riders of Pern. I loved that the dragons could talk to everyone. Temeraire's abilities and background was so interesting. I was on edge when they were in battle. I laughed a lot as he grew in knowledge and Will's responses to him. This was a book I did not want to put down. If one had no responsibilities and could just read all day this would be one to read. I can't wait to get the other books.

It's been a while since I picked up a fantasy novel, but I've always had a soft spot for dragons so when a friend recommended this and I found myself at the end of a really long, hard week at work, it seemed like the right book at the right time. And it really delivered! The book is a mashup of Horatio Hornblower and the Dragonriders of Pern, two of my favorite series of all time, and it does justice to both its distinguished forbears. I enjoyed it immensely and am looking forward to reading the two follow-up books in the series.

I picked this book up out of curiosity after seeing it described, a little misleadingly, as 'The finest fantasy debut since Robin Hobb'.

It didn't turn out to be quite all that: the characters were on the flat and uninteresting side (including Laurence, the all-round good guy hero), the dialogue was often questionable and the grammar was painfully bad. I've never seen so many pointless semi-colons in my life, and the book was littered with repetitive, awkward and run-on sentences. 'Very' and 'certainly' were used ad nauseam in lazy attempts to create some intensity, and almost every page suffered from an infestation of clumsy adverbs.

I understand that Novik started out writing fan-fiction, and it appears she never quite shook off the amateurish style. She also seems to make the subconscious assumption that we already know her characters, never going into any great depth about their thoughts and emotions. These are the two main factors that detract heavily from what might have been a very good story.

But it's not all cons, so on to the pros:

While any other book would've been left to gather dust, this one kept me reading. Though I didn't like the execution of the story, I appreciate the good ideas behind it, and how it strives to put a fresh twist on the hackneyed 'dragon story' formula. It has an original concept, an interesting alternate-historical setting (which I can't vouch for the accuracy of), some well-written action sequences, and of course the charming Temeraire.

The dragon is the book's saving grace, and the reason I stuck with it until the last page: an endearing, touchingly human character, albeit with a penchant for eating large amounts of cattle. Reading about his development is what made this an engaging and enjoyable novel for me, and I wish Novik had written her other characters so well.

Overall it could have been so much better, but is worth reading for the dragon alone. The plot can drag at times, the quality of the writing is patchy at best and I think the novel would have benefited from stricter editing, but it's more a hit than a miss. If you're looking for brilliant prose and characterization, this isn't a good choice, but give it a try if you're looking for an enthusiastic, undemanding dragon fix.

I read a lot but for the last few years have searched for something new, something not - evil dragons, mages, medieval setting, mighty swords,yada, yada, yada...and then I picked this book up. Original idea done extremely well. And, oh look, it's not 1000 pages long with fifteen volumns of that size planned! I read it in one sitting. Plus, my husband just told me I'm in trouble because he stayed up until 6 am this morning finishing it and had to be at work at 9. And another part of I loved (and I hope I'm not giving anything away) NO BONDING. I love Mercedes Lackey and the Valdemar series but the 'lifebond/soulbond/lovebond' shtick is so overdone. I love the way this author presents the ties between the dragons and their riders. Great book.

Now when I was referred to this book I had a lot of skepticism. I don't normally like to read historical fantasy. It's just not usually my cup of tea, but I have told my self many times that I would have to give a book a try at least once. So I gave this one a go and I was not disappointed. Ms. Novik has created a believable world with interesting and likable characters. She has also did her fair share of research and the historical element was in great detail. I would have believed dragons were used in the Napoleanic Wars. I would recommend this for fantasy readers. A good book addition to anyone's library.

I'm not familiar with Patrick O'Brien's work (though I will change that now), but I have read and re-read the Horatio Hornblower series many times, and about halfway through His Magesty's Dragon it hit me - this is a Horatio Hornblower story. I got it through my library, but I am going out to buy it and the next two books in the series. The story is very well written. Once you step into Novik's world, everything is plausible, the pieces all fit together nicely, and there are no literary sore thumbs to distract you from the plot and the characters. A very good, easy-flowing read, a rousing adventure, and very likeable characters (human and dragon). I highly recommend reading this series.

I picked up this book expecting to love it. Its concept is really quite brilliant. The idea of doing what is essentially a dragonrider-type novel a la Anne McCaffrey with Chinese dragons allows Novik to tap into the deep and more-or-less-neglected well of Chinese dragon lore (most fantasy novelists stick with the tried-and-true Western dragon mythos in their writing), while setting it during the Napoleonic Wars avoids the problem of having to come up with believable new terminology and new mindsets for her characters; all Novik really needs to do is channel Aubrey Maturin or Horatio Hornblower and we're sold on the issue of believability, at least.

Novik brings together all of these fascinating elements, but the tale she tells with them is, unfortunately, not all that interesting. It's a simple plot; Man meets dragon, Impresses said dragon, faces down those who are prejudiced against dragonriders, and then the dragon matures and features prominently in a tide-turning battle. There's nothing wrong with it exactly, but it's pedestrian. It's a tale I've read before, and nothing in the novel deviated from it in the slightest. In the end, it was just another coming-of-age fantasy novel about a boy and his talking pet. Except that Novik upped the age of the boy in question in order to put him in plausible command of a dragon.

I suppose there's nothing wrong with a story about a boy and his talking pet, exactly, but I wanted this novel to be more. It was a good novel, not a great novel, and I so wanted it to be great, to fulfil the promise of its concept.

I do think it's possible to tell an old story in an innovative and interesting way without toying with the plot overmuch; but for that you need either brilliantly innovative prose on the level of McKillip or Zelazny, or you need a brilliantly innovative main character, someone with an extremely distinctive "voice." This novel, unfortunately, has neither.

At the same time, I can't say it was a bad book. If you go into it without high expectations I see no reason it shouldn't be enjoyable.

I wasn't sure how to rate this book - so at the end I've decided to give it 4 stars.

I did enjoy it overall. I am big fan of dragons. I liked the idea, the writing style is interesting but mostly
it's the Temeraire himself - and his relationship with Laurence - that kept me reading to the end.

There are many problems with this book and some other reviewers have summed them up pretty nicely.
I feel that, although this is supposed to be an alternative history, author wasn't able to handle it very well -
apart from dragons and aerial battles it doesn't feel any different. History is not Ms Novik's strongest point.

I am also not a big fan of Laurence. I understand he is a man of his era, yet I just find him terribly boring and uninspiring. I do love Temeraire though!

I know some people are upset about technical issues, but I don't really care about that. The story is interesting.
I wanted to know how it ends. I did care about the main characters. So for me, it's solid 4 stars and I will be reading next book in the series.

This is a debut novel of aerial dragon warfare in an alternate Napoleonic-era Britain. The premise is original: a British naval captain, Laurence, is reassigned to defend the homeland skies with a rare Asian dragon named Temeraire. The author shows much imagination, particularly in her bestiary of various dragons, which have become the deadliest weapons in the war. She writes intelligently, and she has a strong grasp of the historical period. She seems particularly imitative of Jane Austen and Patrick O'Brian.

And there's the critical flaw. She cannot match Austen, and no one does Napoleonic naval warfare quite like O'Brian. The reader is left seeing the large gap between Novik and the masters, and the gap gets quickly awkward, particularly when the writer cribs from O'Brian, going so far as to steal the prized "never in life" line.

Furthermore, Novik never quite fleshes out her world to the extent of Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, or Susanna Clarke in Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. One must wonder: in this alternate history, is the world the same but only with dragons? Are there any other differences? Why are the dragons so docile? I could also never quite understand how exactly the crews remained harnessed to their dragons during aerial combat. One wonders why human crews are even necessary, given that a dragon is not inanimate like a ship.

Still, Laurence and Temeraire are strong characters (unfortunately, the other characters are largely less so), and the plot is entertaining and fluid enough so that I can see why Peter Jackson inquired about buying the movie rights. There are some innovative touches in the novel, such as dragon aircraft carriers and a charming scene where the off-duty dragons take a swim.

Bottom line: His Majesty's Dragon was pretty good, but at the close of the novel, I was not intrigued enough to continue to the next book in the series. I would pass this one up for Susanna Clarke's alternate Napoleonic-era novel of rival magicians: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

I was somewhat disappointed by "His Majesty's Dragon". I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it never did. The main character, Captain Will Laurence, was likeable but flat, with little depth or backstory. His dragon, Temeraire, was a more interesting character. Laurance's romantic involvement with another character begins abruptly, and is little explored.

Still, I found the concepts in this book fascinating. The setting--the Napoleonic was--is well developed and interesting. The idea of war with dragons (organized similar to war at sea) is also very well developed. Much of the book was devoted to establishing this setting.

I am not sure if I would recommend this book, except as casual entertaining for a fantasy fan. If the other books in the series are an improvement, a weak first volume may be overlooked.

I am on my second reading of the 'Temeraire' trilogy--I just can't seem to put the books down! I am utterly hooked.

Naomi Novik has created a spellbiding world where dragons are important to Britain's defences, where men,and women,fight the enemy with courage and skill.The dragons themselves are fully realised characters with their own personalities and none more so than Temeraire himself.What a creation! His youthful curiosity is engaging, his eagerness to learn is admirable but it his devotion to his Captain Laurence that is at the heart of the books' success.Their learning about each other is what drives the books and their mutual love and affection for each other is very endearing.There are many dialogues between the two that I read over and over and the 19th century language is put to great use.

The battle scenes were very well done and, as I love reading literature of that era, I was in my element.I love the stiff upper-lipped courage of the dashing British servicemen and women! I think Ms.Novik has captured the British state of mind perfectly and her research into the Napoleanic Wars obviously shows.

I can only implore everyone to read these wonderful, escapist books.I am in love with Temeraire and his world!

It's an easy comparison to make between this new series by Novik and McCaffey's "Pern" series: they both deal with people flying dragons, living with dragons, and forming a relationship with dragons-in short, they're books about dragons. However, where "Pern" falls short, Temeraire succeeds;likewise, where McCaffey shines, Novik fails.

Let me explain.

The strength of "Pern" was the characters and all of the intrigue, sub-plots, and "wheels within wheels" between the characters. By the time they mounted their dragons, the reader was so riled up about what was happening on the ground that it didn't matter much. In fact, although this may be considered heresy among fantasists, I felt McCaffey's writing was weak when it went to describe action, combat, and flight.

This weakness does not exist in Novik's writing. The battle scenes are vivid, intriguing, and a bit unconventional (in an exciting sense). There's a palpable enthusiasm from Novik as she writes the air battles, describing the dragons soaring through the air fighting ships, that infects the reader. It could be her background in computer gaming that has enhanced these sections, making them pure gold and raising the bar for fantasy writers often times treating the action of their books as "something for the kids". No, no: Novik, along with Temeraire, soars whenevere their's a battle (which is a rare gift).

Having said that, as soon as the characters are grounded the dialogue drags. The characters are barely 2-dimensional, the tension seems forced (like you could almost see the notes from a creative writing teacher on the margins), and the characters seem not to change, with the exception of the two main characters.

I wish, therefore, Novik would have given us more time in the air: since this is her strength.

I would recommend this book, only with the clause: good battle scenes, poor dialogue. Then again, I would only attach this clause if I could get away with not sounding like a war mongering psychopath.

I had casually picked this book up from a rack at the airport, just needing something to pass the time.

Boy, did I get sucked in. I cannot claim to be a history buff, nor am I very knowledgeable of the Napoleonic Wars, but I was immediately captivated by the realism injected into I had initially assumed to be "just a fantasy novel."

I ended up reading it in small bits over a large span of time, due to my prohibitive schedule, and I found myself thinking about the book during idle times, and speaking about it to my wife in random conversation. It was that profoundly new and intriguing to me.

From the outset, Novik's command of atmosphere and scene composition create as immersing an environment as I've ever experienced in a novel.

She convincingly weaves the existence of dragons into the fabric of history, thoroughly covering all conceivable bases as to their effect on our world. More than that, she seizes the opportunity to use her dragons and their colorful and eggagerated personalities to address very human issues in hyperbole.

Once a character is introduced, their development is at once quick and thorough, though by no means rushed--certainly a difficult balance to strike. The path to understanding Laurence, for me, was a very challenging and fulfilling one.

I'm writing this after finishing book 3, and having thoroughly enjoyed all 3, I must say that this first one, as the introduction to this incredible world, is the one that sticks with you most.

I have read many reviews claiming this as perfect movie material. I'm most certainly inclined to agree. Perhaps even as an animated film (Hiyao Miyazaki could certainly do it justice.)

The reason the fans are already crying for movies and video games is simple: Naomi Novik has created a unique universe that captures the imagination more solidly than anything I've seen since J.K. Rowling and her bespectacled juggernaut.

#1 is a will written novel with interesting well developed characters and an interesting twist on history with dragons. The story line is full of twist and turns with liberties taken with the Napoleonic Wars. I would recommend this novel too anyone who enjoys will written historic novels. Enjoy reading

First of all, I don't write reviews--this is my first. I work in a library, and instead of writing reviews, I recommend books to my patrons. That being said, I had to write a review of this book! We got it in the collection and the cover was lovely, and I was impressed by the people who had read it (Stephen King, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks)...what a great book.

The character of Laurence is not wooden--he is quite the Victorian gentleman and soldier. I received a lovely history lesson, enjoyed the flight/fights (her descriptions are quite exciting and make battles actually interesting--which I normally dislike). And finally, the interaction between Temeraire and Laurence is wonderful. Made me laugh and cry a little at various places--which Anne McCaffrey's later books haven't since "Masterharper of Pern." If you love dragons and like real, mature characterization mixed with a little teenage angst, read this series. Yes, the first is the best, but the others have a lot to recommend too. Enjoy them! I'm buying the set.

These books are Excellent! (With a capitol E!) Upon first hearing about this series, I looked up the official website, which has the whole first chapter availiable for online readers (temeraire.org, in the menu on the left click 'writing', under His Majestys Dragon click 'Read an excerpt from the book.' I would suggest reading it if you are unsure about whether you want to buy/read this book. You can get an idea of the writing style, etc.) After reading that chapter, I was hooked! I got all three books as soon as I could and gobbled them up ravenously. All three were very good, though I will say that this, His Majesty's Dragon, was my favorite of the three. (Which isn't to say the other two weren't good, I simply like this one more.) However, if you are not one for violence I would be careful, some of the battle scenes have gore worthy of Lord of the Rings. The characterizations were wonderful, there were no flat chracters, even those who barely appear in one scene seem human (or dragon, whichever the case may be). If you love fantasy or history or both, I'd definately give these books a try.

It's okay. It is easy to get excited about the concept and even easier to be disappointed with the actual book. Whether you are looking for a novel with deep character development or thrilling action, it simply does not have enough substance/writing/use of literary devices to keep you engaged throughout.

If you don't mind spacing out during a read and glossing over pages at a time, you may just enjoy getting through the book simply to satisfy your curiosity at how it ends.

Even back when I read a lot of fantasy and played D&D, I was never much of a dragon fan -- I just never found them particularly interesting. However, I do like Napoleonic era stories (such as Bernard Cornwell's vastly entertaining Sharpe series, or the Hornblower books), and I do like counterfactual (aka "What If?") history, so I overcame my dragon disinterest and picked this up after reading several glowing reviews. The premise is probably the best thing about this initial book in what is currently a three-book series. Basically, take the Napoleonic era and add dragons, so that each country has an "Air Corps."

Our introduction to this is via 30ish British Naval Captain Will Laurence, who captures a dragon egg in a naval action against the French. Alas, when it hatches, he becomes its master, dooming him to a life in the Air Corps. By taking someone outside the insular dragon world, and injecting him into it, the reader is taken for a ride with the Captain as he must quickly learn about this new branch of the armed services. Thus, to a large degree, this book feels like a setup for those that follow. Novik is rather intent on introducing the reader to this tweaked world, so much so that the pacing suffers and there's not a lot of drama amidst all the training scenes and man-dragon emotional bonding. One quibble I have in this area is that Captain Laurence is totally shocked upon meeting a female Air Corps captain. However, it's well established that the deadliest dragons only controllable by women captains, and since Air Corps officers are just as famous in the press as their Army and Navy counterparts, it seems like the "scandal" of female officers would be well known to all -- especially to someone as educated and socially aware as Captain Laurence.

All this "setting the table" material might be fine if either the Captain or his dragon had any real personality. Unfortunately, Laurence is a standard-issue good officer, firm but fair with his men, keenly insightful when he needs to be, with a stiff upper lip and all that. His dragon Temeraire is even less interesting, his main qualities are loyalty and curiosity, neither of which plays much of a role in the story. Temeraire's "Jacobite" views have the potential to become an interesting complication, but perhaps that is fodder for another book. Similarly, none of the other characters exceed their allotted one dimension, from bluff and genial colleague to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed underling, to loyal caretaker. Even the turncoat is easily spotted by the reader before they've actually done anything turncoatish.

In the background to this introduction to the Air Corps is the cat-an-mouse game being played between the French and British navies, all in relation to a possible invasion of England. This culminates in the final third of the book, when the action starts to pick up as Napoleon masses troops in northern France. This leads to one very major quibble I have with the plot. It's established that the French are "up to something" behind their lines, and that the Air Corps can't manage to slip behind the French dragon patrols to learn what it is. This lack of knowledge leads to a major surprise and climactic finale. The problem is that you don't need to get a dragon behind the lines to learn what the French are up to. You just need one spy with a few bits of gold to bribe one of the thousands of workers involved in the months-long French project. This kind of espionage was very common in the Napoleonic era and a project of that scale would have been nigh impossible to keep secret from enemy informants. This is an unfortunate case of the author viewing everything through the lens of her dragon creations and forgetting about some basics.

Despite the various flaws, the book is reasonably entertaining enough to pass muster for a day at the pool or a long plane trip. However don't expect great things from it.

I loved Uprooted, and was really looking forward to His Majesty's Dragon. It started out well, but ended up being a bit of a soap opera with too much battle detail. Just not enough happened. There just wasn't quite enough plot to sustain a whole book.

[***** = breathtaking, **** = excellent, *** = good, ** = flawed, * = bad]

In an alternate-history England, Captain Laurence captures a French ship during the Napoleonic War and ends up with a dragon egg that hatches on board. Temeraire, an especially impressive species of dragon, bonds with him, which necessitates a career-switch for Laurence to the anything-goes Aerial Corps of British dragons and their riders who fight their French counterparts. Unputdownable! Longer review at ImpatientReader-dot-com.

I bought this book because I read and loved Uprooted. What a disappointment. At least Novik openly acknowledges she was inspired By the film of "Master and Commander" and Jane Austin. In the first 40 pages alone there a four scenes that are directly copied from Master and Commander and the every mention of Edith is straight from "Persuasion". And Madeira doesn't have beaches and the water is really cold. Novik writes well but the book doesn't have enough depth to carry off the fantasy aspect of things. On a positive note, I am surethat writing this series enabled her to develop as a writer and produce the far more nuanced and interesting Uprooted.

Captain and Commander meets swashbuckling adventure worthy of Alexandre Dumas but with dragons -- and what dragons they are! Nothing remotely sword and sorcery here, a truly unique offering and the writing never once got in the way of the story. I'm sold.

I have just read all three books within a matter of days. All I can say is that this is my new Pern. The first book is fabulous (and they get better from there). Novik doesn't pull punches and it's clear that she has it all worked out from the beginning. I spent each night nervous for what would happen to Temeraire, Laurence, and the crew as well as the other dragons and their crews. There's quite a menagerie of characters, but the story stays solid throughout. I'm only disappointed that there are 3 (for the moment).

As a proofreader, I read lots of books, and most of them are bores. Novik's trilogy is a joy and a delight. "His Majesty's Dragon" sets up the period and the relationships with such skill and charm that it's virtually impossible not to want to go on to the next book. Seldom is there a unique concept in the publishing world, but this is one: it may remind you of Horatio Hornblower and Patrick O'Brien, or Jane Austen, or any of the fantasy action novels that feature dragons, but in the way all the elements are brought together and woven with style and feeling, there's nothing else like it.

I had put off reading this series for a very long time, and god how I regret it!!! It's true that this book blends without blemish the real world of the Napoleonic Wars and that of a fantastic world where dragons exist. But in this book dragons not only exist, they are given characteristics far beyond the stereotypical image we tend to associate with these beasts of legend. In this series they are given such distinct personalities and a few rather uncommon gifts; namely curiosity, gentility, and a child-like innocence. That is, until they get to war. Novik is able to make the dragons come alive in such a way as the reader least expects from the first few pages. And what is truly touching throughout is the relationship between Temeraire and Laurence and how it blossoms to the extent that if affects all the other dragon captains. This is a really unique book and if you don't give it a chance you are really missing out. I've learned one thing in all my years of reading...never judge a book by it's first chapter!

Give this series a chance. You won't be able to put it down!

This book is wonderful! I was a little hesitant at first to pick it up because I'm not usually in to the alternate history books, but was pleasantly surprised at the novel as a whole. The characters are well-developed and are enjoyable to read about. There is a lot of humor interlaced with some battle scenes that may be a little gory for those who aren't used to reading books with content like Lord of the Rings. This book will,however, keep a reluctant reader wanting to read more.

I picked this book up while on vacation in California, and couldn't put it down. As preposterous as it may sound, Ms. Novik puts the reader into the action immediately, and makes you a kid again, believing in dragons. I was so enthralled, I rushed back to the store, and immediately bought the two succeeding volumes, and heartily recommend them to anyone who enjoys this genre. The last novel like this I enjoyed as much was The White Dragon, by Ann McCaffrey. This gives her a run for the money.

Sometimes you read a book that makes you forget that you are reading. This is one of those books. Naomi Novik's skill of the craft, her vibrant characters, and light narrative made His Majesty's Dragon come alive for me. If you are looking for a clean fantasy adventure that is kind and rewarding to the reader, with intelligent characters and interesting personalities, read this book.

Don Nichols, author of
The Tinker God (on Kindle)
Beyond Detection (on Kindle)

What an AWESOME story! I've been a fan of Anne McCaffrey's "Dragon Riders of Pern" series for years. Coincidently I'm also a European history buff. Viola! "His Majesty's Dragon". A great read for Dragon lovers. Not so much history that the story is dry, but enough for any reader (including an avid history fan) to appreciate the richness, flavor, and authenticity of the setting. Any great story idea can be ruined if the author doesn't properly flesh out the characters, and make the reader empathize with them. Well no fear of that happening here. You are immediately caught up in the story, and truly care about the characters. I couldn't put this down. My only complaints are that I would love to have a hardcover edition and now I have to wait for the other books in the trilogy to come out. Thanks to the author and best of luck with your future projects.

I'm not the biggest fan of dragon books, so I approached this one with more than a bit of trepidation. Well, I was very pleasantly surprised. This book is the best fantasy I've read in some time.

Novik has crafted a very well-balanced story, combining detailed alternate history, fairly swift plotting and really terrific lead characters. The support cast ranges from adequate to good. My only real regret was that the book was not first published in hard cover--it deserves to be. The setting and details are great, and the reader really feels the bond between officer and dragon. Do yourself a favor: read this book.

People who enjoyed Michael Moorcock's seminal The Warlord of the Air and its sequels (see the omnibus A Nomad of the Time Streams) this series is for you! It has a lot of the same atmosphere, though maybe lacking the substance of Moorcock's work, which was a clever 'intervention' on his part, riffing off Edwardian imperialists like Kipling, Conrad and Wells and his whole point in writing the book. This is set in an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars. Some of the dialogue seems a dash clunky to me and the books lack the authority of the Moorcock titles, but I liked these a lot better than, say, Turtledove's interminable stories. Good, light reading. Recommended.

I recently came across an interview with the author on Ain't It Cool News where I learned that the Producer/Director Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings trilogy) had purhcased the film rights to this new trilogy by Naomi Novik. Having always felt that dragon adventures on film leave me disappointed I felt sure that there must be something special about these books to have piqued Jackson's interest. After all look at Eragon's critical derision, if that wasn't a sign that dragons aren't a good bet at the moment what is?

So I was wondering what could be so good about this book that anyone could really think making another dragon movie would prove us all wrong. After the first couple of chapters are through I realised that this was going to be a truly exciting adventure, aimed at young adults but more than sophisticated enough to win over older readers.

I am sure you already know the plot if you are reading this so I won't repeat it here. What surprised me is the way the French are depicted, they are the enemy of course, but instead of making them dastardly and wimpish as is often the case they are represented as cunning and wily, extremely clever in their military maneouvres and a worthy adversary to our plucky and outnumbered heroes. Much is made of the bond that the dragon handlers develop with their dragons and when, during a large battle with the French over the English Channel, a French dragon is disabled by a British one we feel sorry for the French dragon and his handler, almost as much as we would for one of the dragons we know. highlighting for the reader that battle is as horrendous for the enemy as for those we are rooting for.

Novik's use of language throughout the book echoes the language of the 19th century as do the sensibilities and manners of the main characters. In a time when becoming an officer in the military was reliant on first being a gentlemen of good breeding we are shown that more important is integrity and honor, indeed one of the characters has 'impeccable' breeding but has very few positive character traits, unlike the bulk of the dedicated captains.

Novik takes us on a wild ride, there are very sad moments between moments of light comedy and when the final battle comes (as we know all along that it will) we are not disappointed. In fact the descriptions of the battles are so clear that you can imagine it as though you were already watching the movie.

I have already bought the second and third books in the series and look foward to starting the next. the questions is now whether the movie will live up to the book, time will tell, but we already know at least the story is in very capable hands.

I love dragons and I love fantasy that contains dragons, so it was with delight that I started reading His Majesty's Dragon. However, with only a the first chapter under my belt I decided that it was just too difficult to follow this book. The story line just jumps all around and makes you wonder if you should go back to see if you missed something.

Some organization and editing would have made all the difference in the world. The activities should have been presented sequentially so that the reader could follow as they occur. Being jerked from the present exciting happenings to the past and back again is difficult for readers to follow.

For example, just as the dragon was hatching, the narrative of that major and exciting event just stopped cold and reverted back to the extensive lore about dragons that they gleaned from several books they had onboard, then hopped back to the present again to finish telling about the hatching. The knowledge they learned about dragons would have best been presented as they were reading the books while and anxiously awaiting and preparing for the egg to hatch. Then the exciting hatching process could have been described without interruption in a manner that was smoother and not as jerky, and without spoiling an otherwise wondrous event.

Another example, in the very FIRST mention of the new Captain Riley and ex-Captain Lawrence dining together we read, " ... he compensated for his guilt at displacing his former captain by inviting Lawrence to dine with him virtually every night. This practice had been interrupted by the gale, but that having blown itself out the night before, they meant to resume this evening." My reaction when I read that was, "Huh? I don't remember reading that they dined together or that there was a storm. What else have I missed?"

As the story was being written, the author was obviously inventing past events to explain the present; but she should have gone back and inserted these events where they belong, not haphazardly thrown them to the reader weeks after they happened. This is both lazy writing and lazy editing. A good copyeditor would have corrected that blunder.

This is a book I won't be finishing and a series I won't be reading. Too bad ... it looked like a good book and has great reviews. ::: sigh ::: Guess I'm just too spoiled by Robin Hobb's writing.

Captain Lawrence is an officer of His Magesty's Royal Navy in the war with Napoleon. He knows the meaning of duty. But his sense of duty is pushed to it's limits when, while capturing a French frigate he discovers in the hull a dragons egg that, according to the somewhat dragon-wise ships sergeon is going to hatch in a third of the time they can possibly make port! He knows that, though the hatchling may choose to let anyone else in the ships crew harness it, there is as good a chance that it will let the captain be the one to ride it as the cabin boy. And, though he will do anything he can to serve his king, he doesn't like the idea that he might have to leave his successful, life-long Naval career to become part of the Aireal Corps, the dragon flying division of His Magesty's Armed Forces. After so many takes on the dragon story it's encouraging to know that there are still people out there who have enough imagination to make such an unprecedented and captivating dragon story out of a main event in history!

When I was at Balticon last year, they were giving away teaser samples of His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik's first novel. Here the high concept conceit is very simple: What if there were dragons during the Napoleonic Wars? It's Aubrey-Maturin meets Pern. A sea captain bonds with an exotic dragon and gets drafted into the Dragon Corps trying to prevent France from invading Britain. The book is the first in what is at least a trilogy, so the pacing is a little languid. There is a lot of backstory about how dragons and humans have coexisted. Much thought has been invested in all the different breeds of dragons and the battle tactics, trying to maintain the suspended disbelief plausibility. Perhaps too much. The book is great mind candy and pretty fun, but could have been tightened up considerably.

This could be one of the most brilliantly written fantasy series I've ever had the pleasure of picking up. I usually avoid revisionist history like the plague, but these are so beautiful! The relationship between the innocent, brilliant, naieve dragon and the somewhat more worldly ship's captain trying to adjust to a sudden change in job is amazing. The books capture the flavor of the times brilliantly; they don't biew the world of the 17th century England with rose glasses, but with critical intelligence and deep affection. The author knows her stuff.

I'd been rubbing elbows with my fellow shopper as we reached over each other for the same books to check out during a sale. She handed me "His Majesty's Dragon" and said, "Wow, this looks like a good book, have you read it?" After reading the back cover I agreed and put the book in my cart.

I'm SO glad she handed it to me! I couldn't put the book down. Naomi Navik's writing is so easy to read and interesting too! Her take on history, as well as her creative means of crossing the English Channel was quite fun to read.

The book isn't too bloddy or full of gore, nor is overly romantic or unrealistic .. all of which are ways to turn me off of a book before I finish it. In fact, I liked the book so much that I immediately signed on to the store to look for the next two books in the trilogy. I'm trilled to see they're in print and I can get them right away!

My favorite authors include Anne McCaffery, Mercedes Lackey, J.A.Jance and Clive Cussler. I think I have to now add Naomi Novik to that list.

I saw this at the local Wal-Mart yesterday and purchased it as a lark more than anything being rather desperate for new reading material, which just goes to show that with the decline of the independent bookstore, gems of fantasy can be found anywhere as long as one perseveres to look. Moreover, one can hope the mass market will work in the reader's favor and encourage to publishers to support not just the promised sequels but more works by this talented new writer Naomi Novik.

While variations on dragons are something of a mainstay among fantasy, quite often they are portrayed with little or no thought beyond imitating the style of say the Pern novels. While it is better to copy something good than to put up work with weak or no ideas, Naomi Novik has strived for and achieved the greater task of taking a unique look at an idea, real dragons in the world of Napoleon, and given full and creative thought to the history, whys and hows of dragon life and warfare, and even the social consequences. The reader is served with not just an entertaining and sensitive story of devotion and duty, but a rich setting that enhances story. The writing is excellent, the vision of her setting rich in execution (and in possibilities for the coming 2 sequels) - a rare and excellent combination. While "Hornblower" in a fantasy setting has been cultivated before, Novik produces a story that compares favorably not only with the volume of fantasy fiction of any type or setting, but with the more challenging competition of the Napoleon naval adventure. Alexander Kent and Dudley Pope not only sticklers for historical detail, but sensitive to the need for good storytelling to bring detail alive would appreciate Novik's imaginative vision of a truly Napoleonic approach to war dragons, rather adapting a 'fighter pilot' mentality ill-suited to the setting or a 'Dragonrider of Pern' copy that would have been limited Novik's creativity without adding anything new or unique. This reader looks forward eagerly to the forthcoming sequels "Throne of Jade" and "Black Powder War." The combination of fanatasy dragons and the Napoleonic wars might not appeal to everyone, but those whose interest is sparked will be amply rewarded with a fine novel of engaging characters and issues of devotion and duty carefully examined in a complex and vivid setting.

This is a fabulous book, engaging and entertaining. I loved all the main characters, human and dragon alike. Unfortunately, the next two in the trilogy dragged on interminable and, after the exuberance of this book, were surprisingly joyless -- Throne of Jade bored on and on about politics which permanently ruined much of the initial pleasure and joy in the relationship between Laurence and Tremeraine; and Black Powder War was just that, a long never-ending string of weary battles big and small. Worst of all the ending is a cheat. This was billed as a trilogy, but the end of the third book is open-ended with no resolutions of any kind.

Generally I don't like books that fantasize historical events. I'm not one for revisionist histories. What I like are stories with dragons. I also appreciate something clever and new. I found that I really got into this book which adds dragons to the Napoleonic wars with Brittan. I liked the Captain and his dragon, Temeraire. I thought the story was clever and fresh.

Another reviewer criticized the characterization as naive and one-dimensional. I can't deny that this was somewhat true, but I found myself charmed by the story and the characters. I liked the writer's style. It felt like I was reading a period fiction.

Get ready to be captivated as Naomi Novik draws us into an alternate history where humans and dragons join forces in the war against Napoleon. For every fan of Patrick O'Brien, Alexander Kent and Anne McCaffrey this is fantastic stuff which left us eagerly devouring this series. If you loved the Patricia Briggs Dragon Bones and Dragon Blood, ensure you get all five of these at once - you'll want to read them immediately!

Novik's world of dragons and men fighting alongside for king & country was an unexpected delight for me. The pacing was pitch-perfect for the tale being told, and the atmospheric telling and electrifying fight/flight sequences riveted my attention to the page.

It is definitely similar to Eragon. Consider these similarities:
1) Central characters are humans who take care of dragons that they help hatch from eggs that they unexpectedly gain possession of.
2) Neither human had any prior experience with dragons
3) The dragons communicate in English
4) War!

It's an excellent book, and I look forward to reading the sequel within a few weeks.

When I purchased this book, I was a little concerned that it would turn out to be yet another dry as dust, epic, Dungeons and Dragons-type book. I couldn't have been more wrong. It is a wonderful, wonderful story. I completely lost myself in a world that it both familiar and unfamiliar. It's an interesting time period to choose for a fantasy novel, especially when written by an American, but she does it brilliantly. Temeraire is one of the best characters I've ever come across. Dangerous, intelligent, but almost childlike in his curiosity and innocence, I found myself completely won over.

The book takes place during the Napoleonic Wars in England. Rather than these wars being fought by land and sea, Novik has dragons forming the aerial corps of the world military. She manages to do it in such a way that it doesn't seem the least bit odd. I find myself struggling to remember that there weren't really any dragons at the Battle of Trafalgar. I cannot praise this book highly enough. My only hope is that the rest of the books in this series maintain the quality of this one.

As a final thought, for those who are interested in such things, according to Novik's website this series has been optioned for a movie by Peter Jackson.

This book is average from a writing aspect and above average from a character development standpoint. It's hardly great as everyone makes it appear to be. Often times in the story the author jumps from one place to another in just the break of a paragraph. She also jumps time in a similar fashion. The book is not laid out very well. This makes it confusing to follow. There's no transition.

Overall Temeraire makes the story. You watch an extremely intelligent dragon, mature during the book under the reigns of a mature captain who will do anything for the dragon. Interesting story line but poorly placed 3/5.

I would recomend this book to all who enjoyed the novels of the English sea captain by Patrick O'Brien (same period Master and Commander) - this is more whimsical and has that thrill that alternate-reality history has.

I was as surprised as anyone to find myself reading this book recently -- I don't think I've read a book with a dragon in it (not counting Harry Potter) since junior high almost 30 years ago. These books are great -- alternate history rather than fantasy, I guess, because most of the historical detail is as exacting as anything you'd find in Patrick O'Brian or, for that matter Georgette Heyer (they are not romances, however). Novik has a great talent for character and an impressive ability to convey just how threatening it felt to be British in the early 19th century, with the whole Western world falling to Napoleon. It accomplishes the very best of historical fiction, which is to make you forget about the inevitable and known outcome and care desperately about the people involved.

Its been a long time since I picked up a book and couldn't put it down, but this book really captured my imagination. Novik sets her tale in the near past layering a fantastic story on actual history in a unique way. You become enthralled not just by the characters but how the existance of dragons might have changed the world. Novik is a fantastic new voice and I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy. You won't be disappointed!

I have been in a rut for a while finding a good new series to try. I bought "His Majesty's Dragon" off the shelf on a whim. I was not only surprised, but absolutely thrilled about the content of this first novel. The story was definitely unique and believable. Naomi Novik has a an exceptional talent. She's got a strong voice, great style, and she certainly writes her characters with emotion. The bond between captain Laurence and his dragon Temeraire is made of a mutual love and respect. The story never became monotonous, and the events and adventures transitioned flawlessly. Each character was interesting and unique, especially the dragons. This is definitely a wonderful debut that exceeded my expectations. I have run out and bought the other two novels available in this series, and am looking very forward to future installments.

I won't say much, as the top reviews reflect my sentiments well enough, but this is an excellent read. I feel like believability makes or breaks this type of fantasy, and his majesty's dragon absolutely succeeds in this respect. I never once found myself having to suspend disbelief at the mechanics of the world the author's crafted, which is as much as I could ask for. That matter aside, the usual literary elements (The personalities, plot, etc) weren't lacking, though I don't know if they'd have been enough to hold up a novel alone.

Three of us read this book over vacation, and all of us loved it. (I'll let my son write his own review.) I was a huge fan of Pern throughout college, Hornblower before, and Patrick O'Brian more recently. Ms. Novik does a lovely job of combining elements from each with a modern, personal touch. As a 14-year wife of a Navy pilot as well, I also loved her accurate portrayal of the differences between the surface and air Navy, and close comraderie of the pilots. Thank goodness for Harry Potter and the boost it has given to new authors in different genres. Don't miss this one. We've already pre-ordered books 2 and 3 - Hurry!

The book kept my attention from the first page to the last. The ideas were very well brought forth. I could have definately used for some more action however. I have high hopes that the rest of the series details less of the reading of books to the dragon and centers more on some serious action. When you are caught turning page after page to get to dragons in aerial combat with gunners and bellman and bombs; it would be nice to have more than 5 pages at a time with that action. The fantastic story is built, the characters are brilliant and I will be at the book store today when the second book comes out. Can't wait for the third, and we all hope the author reads these reviews and takes her audience into perspective for what we hope are the fourth and many more to come, after all her dragons live for more than two hundred years.

Temeraire was a beautiful read and an awesome book I was sad when it was over I just wanted to read more and more. This book is written very well and has some very interesting content and place taking place mainly in London England. I give it a 5 star rating because I really enjoyed the book and it made me want to read more and more I read this book in one day. I love how descriptive the book is.

I read this book in England under the title "Temeraire" a word that I spotted across the library, being a huge British naval buff. I was excited to read a fantasy book set in this time period, but I was disappointed by the path the author chose to take. Too much of this book is taken up with Temeraire's training, and the battles of Nelson's navy are little more than footnotes. (I was not surprised to learn that an American wrote this book: I failed to detect that pangyric tone and rabid historical accuracy that is characteristic of so many British naval books!) I thought surely the dragons would be the icing on the cake for the battle of Trafalgar, but, alas...I have not read the rest of the series, as this book was not enough to make me keep reading. I have to say though that the author's imagining of how a crew might "fly" a dragon was particularly well thought out and the relationship between Temeraire and Laurence is good. If this is a setup for the rest of the series, I hope they get better, but as a standalone book it was kinda disappointing.

I feel in love with Temeraire from the moment he appeared on the page. I loved the premise of the novel and all the detailed information about the different kinds of dragons. I'll be reading the next book in the series.

I picked this book up on a recommendation, and it was great. The characters seem real and well developed; the main character, Laurence, has a very strong sense of fairness and of duty. He makes mistakes with people early on, and I could really relate to those - he is an outsider at first, and picks the wrong people, led in part by prejudice. I can easily see myself doing something similar if I were in those circumstances. But he learns, takes steps to rectify his mistakes, and eventually earns everyone's respect. This is truly a character-driven novel, with a dragons vowen into well-researched past history in a sensible way. The historical detail feels authentic, if clearly altered at times, and the action is fast and exciting - I read the book in one day, could not put it down, and run out to get the next one in series.

It was wonderful to find a new novel by this very accomplished and imaginative new author. I love this era and absolutely hate authors who don't bother to do their homework. Ms. Novik's alternate world was intriguing and convincing. The dialogue and characters POV seem accurate. It was a treat to find this book and I am eagerly anticipating getting my hands on the next two!

I couldn't put it down and devoured it in a day of nail biting reading. It was absolutely wonderful. Excellent character depiction & depth. Excellent descriptions. You feel you are there. I fell asleep finally at 5am and had to go to work at 7. I devoured the last few pages on the train. Just like tasty lamb (BURP!) ;-)
I can't wait to read the rest!

What I liked best about this book was the deep bond between the sea captain and his dragon. The love of Romeo and Juliet seems a transparent and friable thing next to that of Laurence and Temeraire.

Also impressive were the historical research and nuance that went into the interactions between the highly proper Laurence and the officers of the royal navy and airborne division.

Finished reading this and it's a good Horatio Hornblower on a Dragon read. As far as what if stories go, the Aerial Corps are fleshed out well and have their own service traditions, they aren't just a flying Army or Navy.

The story line was ok- I was able to accept the 'reality of Dragons , although it was a leap that the Dragon spoke English as soon as it hatched. I was creeped out by Lawrence calling Temeraire "My Darling" or " my dear". That just was weirdly disturbing. Not sure that I will continue reading additional books by Novik.

The booked hooked me right away with how the dragon egg was won in battle, hatched, and paired with his master, Laurence (the main character), and the dragon's innocence, and ensuing bold inquisitiveness. I also enjoyed how the dragons were commonplace in the setting of the story during the Napeolonic wars, and the variety of dragons bred for aerial combat. However, I thought book was held together dialogue that consisted of a series of misunderstandings between Laurence and a variety of detractors who were more experienced with their dragons. This resulted in Laurence's oft hurt feelings based on rules of proper gentlemenlike behaviour and his verbal retaliations that followed. In such situations, one would think that Laurence would encounter more than just such numerous verbal confrontations. The story also had many repetitive situations where the reader would get some description of what the dragon ate every meal, which was interesting in the beginning, however, got in the way of the progression of the plot. I do think that the world created by Ms. Novak has a lot to offer so perhaps I will pick up the next in the series...

This was a spectacular book that somehow manages to be inspiring creative, not an easy task--or so it would seem--when writing about dragons. I really enjoyed the historical perspective, and the almost historical crispness of English literature in the language. Definitely one of the best fantasy books written recently, and one that wholly transcends the current literary state of the genre. I'm quite taken aback by the fact that so few people have heard of it, hopefully that will change soon as Peter Jackson moves ahead with the movies.

The first chapter or so came across as pretentious and stilted, and it seemed as though no character had emotions beyond neutrality and fury. Once Novik hit their stride, however, the book flowed nicely. Their writing style only slowed rhythmically, and while occasionally verbose; I never felt as though it was self-servingly excessive.

The story was engaging and the relationships natural and endearing. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in fantasy and alternative history.

It is very seldom that I come across a book that can suck me in like this one did. Novik's characters are people and dragons that you really care about, and you just can't stop turning that next page. Buy this book and read it immediately.
Whether you're a fantasy fan, or a fan of war, or neither of these, this book truly has something to offer everyone. Honestly I can say that this is the best book I've read in 2007.

I picked this up as it looked intriguing, I am always ready for a good dragon tale.... This caught my attention form the first pages. Novik does a splendid job with her characters. History has always interested me, but I know very little about Nelson, Trafalgar or Napoleon. I have only read this one book, but plan on getting the rest. I am hooked!

This is the kind of book you hope you will be lucky enough to find while browsing the book store. It is amazingly charming, exciting, and truly one of the best books I have read in a very long time.

Being a fan of fantasy most of my life, I am used to looking far and wide and waiting a long time in between for an exceptional new author to appear with a captivating book. In Naomi Novik, I have found one of the best.

His Majesty's Dragon is full of fascinating characters, not all of them human. The depiction of intelligent dragons and their relationships with their human counterparts promises to be possibly the best I've ever read. The era of history is fascinating and represented in a very knowledgeable tone. This book is a must read. If there were a way to rate higher than five stars, I would.

My only complaint is that it apparently will only be a trilogy. Say it isn't so! MORE! MORE!

The first book was a free download with my Ipod. I thought I'd give it a try. I am so glad I did. It is a thoroughly enjoyable, quick read. It is a page turner whether or not you are interested in dragons and fantasy. The real life situations she blends in keeps it from being too far out there and thus alienating a larger audience. It's interesting how she creates an alternate history. I am NOT a Harry Potter fan, no offense to those who are. So, don't let the "fantasy" genre scare you off.

Read this book. If it doesn't catch your attention in the first chapter, it's not for you. But, I doubt that would be true for very many people. I have just started the second book and hope to not be disappointed!

Excellent! Good plot, strong main characters and a solid alternate universe where dragons provide air support during the Napoleonic wars. Naomi Novik's book draws an amazingly real picture of English thoughts and attitudes of the time then throws in not only dragons, but an unique dragon, who challenges our honorable naval officer to rethink how he views his world.

I look forward to the continuing adventures and challenges of Temeraire and Captain Will Laurence.

I am not a person to buy hype created by reviews-even if the blurbs are written by some of the best masters of the genre that around today.

This book, however, is worth every superlative, and more! Tremeraire is a great character, his friendship with Capt. Laurence came off as very real to me. The cast of supporting characters is great and the story moves along really quick. It's a great blend of historical fiction and fantasy that just works out brillantly. I can't wait til the next volume comes out!

Finshed first two books, now reading the third.

These are good books for kids.

Based on Napoleon's era, but combine's dragons and ships.

(The ships portion is similar to many of the hornblower series by C s forester.)

The first book is excellent, the second slighly drags with all the intrigue in China, but the third picks up the pace again.

I bought the first book on a whim and have not regretted it since opening to the first page! The main characters are thoughtfully written and pleasant to read about. I am excited to find there are more books to continue Temeraire's and Lawrence's adventures.

"I understand you're a huge fan of Patrick O'Brian's books about the British Navy, and that you're desperately looking for something to replace them," said the shrewd, well-meaning editor who sent me an advance copy of Naomi Novik's first novel. "Give this one a few pages: I was instantly hooked, even though I've never been a reader of fantasy."

Neither have I - at least since I was 16 and discovered the dangers and delights of mysteries and thrillers. But this gent does put out some fine crime stuff, so I put "His Majesty's Dragon" on my to-be-read shelf. And guess what: I too was immediately hooked by the writing, the research and the sheer courage of the whole enterprise.

First of all, fantasy isn't the right category for this - although I can understand the publisher's desire to use that to tap into the Harry Potter explosion. Alternative history is better: I remember vividly Harry Turtledove's "The Guns of the South" about what might have happened at Gettysburg if the Confederate Army had automatic rifles. Novik's imagination is wider and deeper: she has added to Nelson's Navy a squad of dragons who can attack from above and bring down fire and poison on Napoleon's fleet as it tries to conquer England.

It's not just a mechanical gimmick, either: the dragons are intelligent creatures, loyal to their human trainers, vastly touching in their desires to prove themselves and be approved of by people and fellow dragons. When a young British sea captain, Will Laurence of the Reliant, captures a French frigate carrying a dragon's egg about to hatch a few months before the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, he makes a friend for life in the form of a startlingly beautiful and highly intelligent jet black creature he names Temeraire after a ship captured from the French. Only gradually do we realize how unusual Temeraire is: bred by China's best as a gift for the Emperor Bonaparte, he could be the key to Napoleon's success or failure.

Laurence also changes the course of his own life in a way O'Brian's Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin could understand: Laurence's family is shattered by his giving up the Navy for the Aerial Corps, a largely secretive world where smart young women like Catherine Harcourt are in charge of female dragons, and jealousy rankles on every level. Along the way, we learn about training dragons and aviators; keeping the creatures' huge appetites sated and treating their battle wounds; how communications are achieved with high winds blowing words away.

It's a totally amazing performance - the first of three books to be published one a month through June, already a huge hit in hardcover in England where Novik is starting a new cycle. May her prodigious energy and imagination hold up. I know of one ghostly literary presence looking down with a hopeful smile.

The booked hooked me right away with how the dragon egg was won in battle, hatched, and paired with his master, Laurence (the main character), and the dragon's innocence, and ensuing bold inquisitiveness. I also enjoyed how the dragons were commonplace in the setting of the story during the Napeolonic wars, and the variety of dragons bred for aerial combat. However, I thought book was held together dialogue that consisted of a series of misunderstandings between Laurence and a variety of detractors who were more experienced with their dragons. This resulted in Laurence's oft hurt feelings based on rules of proper gentlemenlike behaviour and his verbal retaliations that followed. In such situations, one would think that Laurence would encounter more than just such numerous verbal confrontations. The story also had many repetitive situations where the reader would get some description of what the dragon ate every meal, which was interesting in the beginning, however, got in the way of the progression of the plot. I do think that the world created by Ms. Novak has a lot to offer so perhaps I will pick up the next in the series...

This was a spectacular book that somehow manages to be inspiring creative, not an easy task--or so it would seem--when writing about dragons. I really enjoyed the historical perspective, and the almost historical crispness of English literature in the language. Definitely one of the best fantasy books written recently, and one that wholly transcends the current literary state of the genre. I'm quite taken aback by the fact that so few people have heard of it, hopefully that will change soon as Peter Jackson moves ahead with the movies.

The first chapter or so came across as pretentious and stilted, and it seemed as though no character had emotions beyond neutrality and fury. Once Novik hit their stride, however, the book flowed nicely. Their writing style only slowed rhythmically, and while occasionally verbose; I never felt as though it was self-servingly excessive.

The story was engaging and the relationships natural and endearing. I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in fantasy and alternative history.

It is very seldom that I come across a book that can suck me in like this one did. Novik's characters are people and dragons that you really care about, and you just can't stop turning that next page. Buy this book and read it immediately.
Whether you're a fantasy fan, or a fan of war, or neither of these, this book truly has something to offer everyone. Honestly I can say that this is the best book I've read in 2007.

I picked this up as it looked intriguing, I am always ready for a good dragon tale.... This caught my attention form the first pages. Novik does a splendid job with her characters. History has always interested me, but I know very little about Nelson, Trafalgar or Napoleon. I have only read this one book, but plan on getting the rest. I am hooked!

This is the kind of book you hope you will be lucky enough to find while browsing the book store. It is amazingly charming, exciting, and truly one of the best books I have read in a very long time.

Being a fan of fantasy most of my life, I am used to looking far and wide and waiting a long time in between for an exceptional new author to appear with a captivating book. In Naomi Novik, I have found one of the best.

His Majesty's Dragon is full of fascinating characters, not all of them human. The depiction of intelligent dragons and their relationships with their human counterparts promises to be possibly the best I've ever read. The era of history is fascinating and represented in a very knowledgeable tone. This book is a must read. If there were a way to rate higher than five stars, I would.

My only complaint is that it apparently will only be a trilogy. Say it isn't so! MORE! MORE!

The first book was a free download with my Ipod. I thought I'd give it a try. I am so glad I did. It is a thoroughly enjoyable, quick read. It is a page turner whether or not you are interested in dragons and fantasy. The real life situations she blends in keeps it from being too far out there and thus alienating a larger audience. It's interesting how she creates an alternate history. I am NOT a Harry Potter fan, no offense to those who are. So, don't let the "fantasy" genre scare you off.

Read this book. If it doesn't catch your attention in the first chapter, it's not for you. But, I doubt that would be true for very many people. I have just started the second book and hope to not be disappointed!

Excellent! Good plot, strong main characters and a solid alternate universe where dragons provide air support during the Napoleonic wars. Naomi Novik's book draws an amazingly real picture of English thoughts and attitudes of the time then throws in not only dragons, but an unique dragon, who challenges our honorable naval officer to rethink how he views his world.

I look forward to the continuing adventures and challenges of Temeraire and Captain Will Laurence.

I am not a person to buy hype created by reviews-even if the blurbs are written by some of the best masters of the genre that around today.

This book, however, is worth every superlative, and more! Tremeraire is a great character, his friendship with Capt. Laurence came off as very real to me. The cast of supporting characters is great and the story moves along really quick. It's a great blend of historical fiction and fantasy that just works out brillantly. I can't wait til the next volume comes out!

Finshed first two books, now reading the third.

These are good books for kids.

Based on Napoleon's era, but combine's dragons and ships.

(The ships portion is similar to many of the hornblower series by C s forester.)

The first book is excellent, the second slighly drags with all the intrigue in China, but the third picks up the pace again.

I bought the first book on a whim and have not regretted it since opening to the first page! The main characters are thoughtfully written and pleasant to read about. I am excited to find there are more books to continue Temeraire's and Lawrence's adventures.

"I understand you're a huge fan of Patrick O'Brian's books about the British Navy, and that you're desperately looking for something to replace them," said the shrewd, well-meaning editor who sent me an advance copy of Naomi Novik's first novel. "Give this one a few pages: I was instantly hooked, even though I've never been a reader of fantasy."

Neither have I - at least since I was 16 and discovered the dangers and delights of mysteries and thrillers. But this gent does put out some fine crime stuff, so I put "His Majesty's Dragon" on my to-be-read shelf. And guess what: I too was immediately hooked by the writing, the research and the sheer courage of the whole enterprise.

First of all, fantasy isn't the right category for this - although I can understand the publisher's desire to use that to tap into the Harry Potter explosion. Alternative history is better: I remember vividly Harry Turtledove's "The Guns of the South" about what might have happened at Gettysburg if the Confederate Army had automatic rifles. Novik's imagination is wider and deeper: she has added to Nelson's Navy a squad of dragons who can attack from above and bring down fire and poison on Napoleon's fleet as it tries to conquer England.

It's not just a mechanical gimmick, either: the dragons are intelligent creatures, loyal to their human trainers, vastly touching in their desires to prove themselves and be approved of by people and fellow dragons. When a young British sea captain, Will Laurence of the Reliant, captures a French frigate carrying a dragon's egg about to hatch a few months before the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, he makes a friend for life in the form of a startlingly beautiful and highly intelligent jet black creature he names Temeraire after a ship captured from the French. Only gradually do we realize how unusual Temeraire is: bred by China's best as a gift for the Emperor Bonaparte, he could be the key to Napoleon's success or failure.

Laurence also changes the course of his own life in a way O'Brian's Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin could understand: Laurence's family is shattered by his giving up the Navy for the Aerial Corps, a largely secretive world where smart young women like Catherine Harcourt are in charge of female dragons, and jealousy rankles on every level. Along the way, we learn about training dragons and aviators; keeping the creatures' huge appetites sated and treating their battle wounds; how communications are achieved with high winds blowing words away.

It's a totally amazing performance - the first of three books to be published one a month through June, already a huge hit in hardcover in England where Novik is starting a new cycle. May her prodigious energy and imagination hold up. I know of one ghostly literary presence looking down with a hopeful smile.

i had no idea what this book was about but after ignoring it for years i started it just to get it off my to read list. i didnt put it back down until the end. great story. original and well told. i'm off to get the 2nd book in the series. i definetly recommend this book

I love most science fiction/fantasy books on dragons and this will be a collection I plan on reading. I thoroughly enjoy immersing myself into reading books such as these as they take me along in the adventures. I shall never tire of these stories.
Good work! Now onto book 3!

I didn't know anything about this book but wanted to try it out on my iTouch Kindle software. At first I thought, "This is going to be silly"... but the more I read, the more I enjoyed the story. Well written, well researched, and just a great all around effort. You won't be sorry to take the time to read this excellent tale and I look forward to reading the rest!

Being a fan of the Dragonriders of Pern series, I had yet to find a book that equalled the joy I found reading Anne MacCaffrey's works until I opened His Majesty's Dragon. Naomi Novik has found just the right tone and style. It doesn't take long to fall in love with the characters, especially Temeraire himself. The battle scenes are well-written, with vibrant descriptions of the action. Check it out for yourself and enjoy!

"His Majesty's Dragon" is an exciting tale set in the era of Napoleon. While this is a period of time that has been written about by numerous authors, Naomi Novik has emerged from this setting with a very unique and entertaining story.

The story surrounds events and circumstances of Captain Will Laurence, after he wins a dragon's egg in a naval battle with a French frigate. Capt Laurence's life is drastically changed when the egg hatches and the dragon almost immediately bonds to him. The growing relationship between the dragon, Tremeraire, and Capt Laurence is the backbone of the story.

"His Majesty's Dragon" is a very interesting and fascinating read. It has been a while since I have encountered a story as original as this. Anyone interested in an original and entertaining story should pick up "His Majesty's Dragon" right away.

I stumbled upon this book and had never heard about it before, and because it was a freebie I decided to give it a try. I loved it!

Now there is nothing left to do but buy the rest of the series...

Thanks for this amazing freebie. I would have never given this series a chance otherwise!

This is one of those books that I might not have picked out on my own. Since it was free on kindle I though, what the heck, and downloaded it. I am so glad I did! It so captivated my imagination that I've bought 3 more in the series and have thoroughly enjoyed each one!I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys talking dragons, british history, and high adventure!

Not since Anne McCaffrey's Pern series have I had so many longing daydreams about falling asleep and waking up in an author's world. Laurence is wonderfully formal and balances nicely with Temeraire's straightforward, practical, dragonish mind. Though I think my favorite character was Levitas ... oh, Levitas ...

After the first chapter, I didn't think I would like the stodgy lead character, or give a poop about the story... But i found myself caring desparately about Louis and Temeraire. Novik has great character development and spins a very engaging tale.

I don't normally read books of this genre, but after reading the first book I waited with anticipation for Throne of Jade and am going to buy the 3rd this weekend. The 1st two books have been great, and I love the characters, and the storyline is easy to follow. I enjoy the small details that are added in to make the story more real :)

This book was excellent and I highly recommend it. I agree with some other reviewers that it may very well be categorized as `alternate history' with a big emphasis on `alternate'. This book was smartly written and you do not have to be a fan of fantasy or history to enjoy it. In fact, I think this is one of those rare books that would be enjoyed by most if given a chance regardless of the fact that the story revolves around dragons.

I love it when a book truly surprises me and makes me think about it long after I've read it. This is one of those books and I look forward to reading the next installments.

I bought the book out of desperation - I needed something to read. Within the first few pages I became caught up in the story and found myself enjoying the characters as they developed. Decent book, I was pleasantly surprised.

I loved Tooth and claw by Jo Walton Tooth and Clawand I have been waiting for another book that takes draconian society and meshes it human history, I kept passing this book by because once they start using guns in wars, I usually stop liking historical fiction/war novels. 72 hours ago I picked up this first book on a whim to read on the plane ten minutes ago I finished book 3. She reeled me in hook line and sinker. This book puts dragons in historical fiction genera the way Mccaffrey embeds them in science fiction. Really my only qualm is her penchant for cliffhanger endings; it is a very long time until 2008.

The book was okay. But one factor made me unable to take it seriously, even as fantasy: the dragons fly too slowly. Dragons the size of the ones in the novel would have a stall speed somewhere above 75 knots (a 737 stalls at 130 knots, but then again, doesn't flap its wings), and probably cruise at 100-120 knots. But as far as I can tell, their maximum speed in the novel is more like 30 or 35 knots. That's REALLY slow. If you saw one flying at altitude, it would seem more like a drifting balloon.

Seeing super slow dragons drifting in my mind's eye proved too much for my imagination to bear.

I enjoyed this book exremely, to the point where I recommended it to everyone I knew. Novik is a very talented writer with a very fertile mind for action and a tendancy to ensnare readers on the very first page. Her book, His Majesty's dragon, was creative and fun with excellently crafted and witty scenes. As for Temeraire, he is perfectly kind and has one of the best-constructed personalities that an author could hope for.