Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire)

This series has me waiting for the next book!
When will book nine of this series be out ?
I enjoy the character development of the dragons.
The cliff hanger the middle of a battle is thought provoking.
Where are we going from here?
I personally am all about mythical dragons give me more!

The story pieces were interesting, but the story didn't seem to progress very far. Definitely not as exciting as some of the other in the series, and it certainly traced less events than the other books.

Blood of Tyrants brought me right back to all of the reasons that His Majesty's Dragon first captured my delighted attention. It has been a wonderful journey, watching these characters and this story develop. I am anxiously awaiting the last book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. Listening to the series on audiobooks is a delight, with Simon Vance bringing the characters, the times and the adventure to glorious life.

I loved this book! It is right up there with all the other Temeraire books. If you like to read about dragons, this one will be especially appealing because of the uniqueness--intelligent dragons who talk and fly and read literature!! I look forward to every new book about Temeraire and his friends. The historical settings make fascinating reading. I find it hard to wait for the next book!

Slowly but surely the rise of the novel that follows the adventures of Lawrence and Temeraire continues through more continents of the world. This adventure ending with what can only be the lead up for our final adventure...

Novik just continues to deliver. This series makes you wish you lived in another time or place. Great escape from our world with a tiny window into the times and customs when Napoleon thought he ruled the world. Highly recommended.

... I really hated getting to the "end" here only to discover that it abruptly leaves off in the middle of the action. It's more than a cliff-hanger ending: this appears to be volume one of a two-part book. I can only hope that volume two will be published VERY soon!

The book that started it all. My first purchase for pure pleasure. I ordered, it came, I read. Later when time for Christmas shopping came, I remembered the great experience I had with this book. And I started ordering.

I've got about one thirds left to go but I can already say that this is one of the better Temeraire books. There's just so much stuff happening and the plot keeps going at a steady pace. Almost a total opposite compared to the dreadful slog that was the sixth book int the series.

I bought this book thinking it was the end of a very good series but found out it isn't. That is perfectly fine with me as Novik's writing just seems to get better and better with each book! She took an interesting route with Lawrence and Temeraire and their relationship but made it work very well. Now I can't wait for the next one!

If you know your history of this era, and you Naomi Novik's work, this is setting up a huge conclusion, and in the book you go from sneaking through Japan, to political warfare in China, up to Russia where the war is coming to a climax!

The interesting blending of the British, and Napolianic era with dragons is marvelous, I would recommend it too all who's mind seek an escape to imagine yourselves riding with the wind in your face through the clouds.

I've always been a huge fan of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. It was especially surprising when I learned the new chapter was published and I wasn't even aware until I saw someone mention artwork of in in a forum. It was a extremely pleasant surprise!

A perfunctory, mechanical continuation of the series whose sole purpose seems to be to set up the final novel. If you've read the preceding volumes in the series, you'll read this to reassure yourself you're not missing anything. If this is your intro to Temeraire, you won't want any more of him ever.

This story line is starting to show its age, or the effects of its popularity.

If you miss Temeraire, go ahead and make your self feel better and give it a read.

Laurence's amnesia is a very difficult plot machination to deal with as a reader.
Please Ms. Novik, could we see some character growth in Temeraire?

This story line is starting to show its age, or the effects of its popularity.

If you miss Temeraire, go ahead and make your self feel better and give it a read.

Laurence's amnesia is a very difficult plot machination to deal with as a reader.
Please Ms. Novik, could we see some character growth in Temeraire?

The main story line continues to develop to the finale we all anticipate. While the human characters we have come to know endure it is the new dragons that grab your attention and carry the story forward. It would be hard on new readers to the story to start with this book.

Although the love of the characters was easy enough to continue, the events were hard to imagine and follow. The ending was more of a set-up than the conclusion of a story and left me feeling disappointed for having spent the time reading it.

I purchased the mp3 version of the audio book.
In the middle of the chapter 9 mp3 the file repeats about a page and a half of chapter 5.
So a page and a half of text is missing from chapter 9.
There may be more problems but this is the first I noticed.

I like all of the Temeraire books but this volume is not as enjoyable as the previous ones. The warfare in Russia seems interminable (as I'm sure it did in real life). Also the ending seemed to have been cut short.

I like the way this one started out - with Lawrence losing his memory and Temeraire doing everything possible to find him and help him remember. But for some reason I didn't get the sense of joy and resolution I was hoping for when he was found and regained his memory. He and Temeraire have a bond that is too close for how that concluded. Dragged a bit in the latter half of the book, but I am still anxious for the next book to come out, and very hopeful that Peter Jackson decided to exercise his option!

Miss Novik has lost her way. Except for a couple of highlights that echoed her earlier novels, Blood of Tyrants continues a slide that began with Tongues of Serpents. Plodding, altogether boring plots that are so dry that only the writing style convinced me that it was written by the same author. Please, bring back the excitement of the earlier works!

I do love the series...have to love Temeraire, do really like Laurence, in all his stiff British self (keep imagining him facing off against Mel Gibson in "The Patriot"). But I really do prefer fantasy to alternate history--and the history keeps interfering--for me---with the fantasy. Also--after raising a teenager (and surviving!) don't really want to relive the process with a something-ton dragon. But, nonetheless, will continue to read until the end--always got "A's" in history anyway! Lol!

This I hands down the worst of the series. Even worse than the maudlin crap in some of the earlier books. It's clear the editor didn't require a plot for this mouldering string of morphenes and phonemes wrapped garrote tight around the drumbeat of what must be the writer's worldview.

There is zero here worth anyone's money.

There are several events mostly delivered with a an emotional flatness one would expect from the heavily drugged, some of which purport to be related, but no that does not a plot make.

All of the books have been an enjoyable read & this iteration is better than the last few. However, I'm fed up with the neverending cliff-hanger endings with no story arc end in sight. Naomi can milk this cash cow as long as she wants but I'm no longer drinking.

Amnesia blah blah. I guess his amnesia also removed his ability to distinguish between men and women? Constantly he is surprised to find out "that slender young man" is actually a woman!!! She seems desperate to convey that woman are just as capable as men and without big boobs, long hair, and a skirt nobody could ever tell the difference. Or Roland is really ugly and asians all look the same.

Eighth in the Temeraire military science fiction series set in an alternate history revolving around the Napoleonic Wars and dragons. The focus is on Captain Will Laurence and Temeraire, a black Celestial dragon.

My Take
Novik is expanding her series arc to include yet more of the world and another enemy. It's an intriguing complication with the dishonored Junichiro, and I'm looking forward to how his part in the series proceeds. Novik further complicates it with the Japanese claim that a Yuan emperor stole the last egg of the Divine Wind line.

The xenophobia of the Japan of that time is well-written, which makes that escape of Laurence's remind me of that Highlander episode in which Duncan is rescued by a samurai. Of course, the results of kanpai with the dragon, lol, are not something I'd want to experience.

The British thought Temeraire was a pain before. Wait'll he gets home after all his travels and his exposure to so many different dragon lifestyles. Oh, yeah, baby! Temeraire is such a sweet conflict of caring for his captain, wanting to understand him, to care for him versus his draconic desire for jewels and ostentation.

The overall theme digs at government, all governments, and uses Laurence's sense of honor as the poker, poking away at politicians whose choices are based on their own desires without care for the people (or dragons) they're supposed to represent or care for. And the opium issue goes two ways. That Hammond…for all that he wants to be taken seriously, to be believed, certainly is a politician.

It's also an exploration of equality and not just between man and dragon, but between females and males.

There's quite the emotional component in Blood of Tyrants, as Laurence has no idea that he's been with Temeraire for the past eight years. He is unaware of his treasonous act in saving the world's dragons. Of his time in Australia. Of the mutual love he and Temeraire have for each other. It's a blossoming all over again through Novik's use of third-person subjective point-of-view.

Dang, the Chinese are very impressive in how quickly (and how many) an army of dragons can be gathered…and the quality and quantity of their supplies.

Then there are the Russians. Oh. Boy. It's hardly surprising their dragons react as they do. As for their training… oh, lord. Nor is it surprising how the Russians (and English ambassador!) react to Laurence's news of his Chinese allies, not after the broken promises in Black Powder War , 3.

Those French are so smarmy. Napoleon baits Alexander with that icon, "pleading" with him to halt this horrible slaughter. Murat declaims against how the Russians treat their dragons and their need for freedom, but Laurence gets his point across too. Two-faced liars is what those Frenchmen are.

Temeraire gets an education in how to lead…and he does not like it. General Chu got really snarky, and I couldn't help but laugh at all the suggestions Chu made about what Temeraire could do.

The Story
Laurence has lost his memory. The last eight years of it, and he's back on the bridge of HMS Reliant.

It's awkward for everyone, as they have been charged with telling Laurence nothing about his past.

The politics only get worse when Laurence and his allies arrive in Russia, as they are disorganized and don't have enough even for their own.

The Characters
Captain Will Laurence…yes, he's been reinstated…awakes in the xenophobic Japan. In China, he is known as Prince Lao-ren-tse and is the adopted son of the Emperor. His partner, the black Celestial dragon, Temeraire, is known as Lung Tien Xiang.

Lung Qin Mei, a great scholar, is Temeraire's lady friend, an Imperial dragon. Qian is Temeraire's mother.

HMS Potentate is…
…the dragon transport commanded by Captain Blaise and that is supposed to be going to China. Mr. Ness and Mr. Pettiforth, the ship's surgeon, are part of the crew.

The dragons still aboard include a captain-less Temeraire with his crew: Emily Roland, Ferris, O'Dea is a transported lawyer, Sipho is Demane's very literate brother, the orphaned Gerry, and Baggy who will be paired up with Junichiro. The widowed Mrs. Alice Pemberton is the chaperon they hired in Australia ( Crucible of Gold , 7).

Captain Berkley and Maximus has Gaiters as his surgeon and Horrocks as his assistant. Captain Harcourt and Lily and their crew: First Lieutenant Richards and Larring as the ground-crew master. Captain Warren and Nitidus, Demane and Kulingile (he's begun sprouting horns; Tongues of Serpents , 6), Captain Granby and the "all-important" Iskierka who is pregnant with Temeraire's egg, Captain Sutton is the oldest of them with much seniority and Messoria, Dulcia, Captain Augustine Little with Immortalis along with his crew, including Lieutenant Totenham who has finished reading a tatty novel.

Churki, the Incan dragon, is still with Arthur Hammond, who is clinging to hopes of his ambassadorship to China. Gong Su is the representative for Mianning (he had been the cook for Temeraire!).

Arkady is a feral Turkish dragon accompanied by Tharkay, a half-Nepalese/half-British independent who has been incredibly useful since Black Powder War , 3. Arkady is wondering how his and Iskierka's egg, Caeser, is doing. And he's perfectly situated with that rat Captain Jeremy Rankin ( Tongues of Serpents , 6).
China
Crown Prince Mianning is the heir to the Celestial Throne and has a pro-Western stance. His dragon is/was Lung Tien Chuan. Huang Li is the minister who will oversee the egg's protection and nurturing. Minister Ruan Yuan will inspect foreign ships in Guangzhou. Lord Bayan prefers the old ways as does General Fela who is suppressing the White Lotus rebellion. Ran Tian Yuan was the White Lotus chief. Ten years ago.

The Emperor's dragon is General Lung Shao Chu, Temeraire's uncle, who is also the minister of the breeding office and the overseer for the program. Lung Shen Shi is a common blue dragon and brilliant in handling supply. Guan Fei is one of Shen Shi's human lieutenants. Their divisions, etc., are measured in niru and jalan . Lung Yu Fei and Lung Zhao Yang are some of Chu's soldiers. Shao Ri leads one jalan; Colonel Zhao Lien leads the third.
Japan
Chikuzen Province
Junichiro is a ronin student to Kaneko Hiromasa who made a promise to Jizo, he who guards travelers. His overlord is Lady Arikawa, a gray dragon. Matsudaira is a magistrate who cannot think outside the lines. Lord Jinai is the river dragon our dragons encounter when they try to acquire levers. Lady Kiyomizu "Kiyo" is the dragon who helps them.

Nagasaki Harbor
Wen Shen is a Chinese dragon physician. Mr. Doeff is the commissioner. John Wampanoag is a merchant dragon from Salem, Massachusetts, who owns the Lacewing. He's in business as Devereux, Pickman, and Wampanoag. He's also in communication with the Federalist president of the U.S., Tecumseh.

The dragons of Japan are Sui-Riu, water-spouting dragons. Think extremely powerful fire hose! I think the bakufu is the law of Japan. Three years ago HMS Phaeton took hostages and fired on Nagasaki. The ship was sunk with all hands.
Russia
Alexander is tsar. General Barclay de Tolly only knows how to run; the placid General Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov replaces him. Colonel Toll and Vasya are some of his idiot aides. Colonel Ogevin. Brigadier General Tzvilenev's wife has had her baby. Kapodistrias is a Greek diplomat. Bagration is to hold at Borodino. Generals Bennigsen and Docturov are furious. Generals Chichagov and Tormassov must unite their forces. General Wittgenstein may try to re-take St. Petersburg. General Raevsky.

Captain Ivan Rozhkov of the Twenty-sixth Regiment is partnered with Vosyem, a gigantic dragon who would rather lie upon her great pile of treasure. These Russian dragons are nasty, as are their captains! Captain Vasya promised General Tutchkov he would get the news back. Grig is a duplicitous little dragon who works as a servant to the bigger dragons.

Captain Dyhern escaped although Eroica did not ( Black Powder War ) and will join Laurence. Baron Sarkovsky is a cousin of Dyhern's father. Countess Andreyevna will soon experience a greater horror. Placet is a Winchester and courier for the British embassy partnered with Captain Terrance. Josiah and Linden are American dragons employed by Calvin Jefferson, a merchant.
England
Perscitia prefers love not war, and she's overseeing the building of pavilions for the dragons, although it seems the Brits aren't following through on their promises. I sure hope they take heed of the Russian dragons' actions! Admiral Jane Roland of the British Aerial Corps is Emily's mother and partnered with Excidium.

HMS Tonnant was part of the action at the Nile that Laurence remembers.
The French
Napoleon is assembling Le Grande Armée. His marriage to Anahuarque, the the Sapa Inca, has resulted in a "premature" baby: Roi de Cusco, a.k.a., Joseph Pachacuti Yupanqui. Cardinal Fesch christened him. Jerome Bonaparte is one of Napoleon's brothers. His marshals include Louis-Nicholas Davout who is harsh about discipline; the snarky Joachim Murat (he's also the king of Naples; Caroline is his wife) is partnered with Liberté, a heavy-weight Papillon Noir; Marmont; Oudinot; Saint-Cyr is in St.Petersburg; and, Eugène de Beauharnais. Berthier is Napoleon's chief of staff.

The Cover and Title
Eeek! That cover is scary at first glance, for it's an extreme close-up of a menacing blue-eyed Temeraire, his black wings hunched forward and encapsulating the iconic pocket watch frame with St. Basil's Cathedral pictured within and his muzzle appearing to bite into it. The author's name is in gold at the top while the title is the red of blood at the bottom. The series information is in black at the very bottom.

The title covers so many possibilities, for the Blood of Tyrants can be interpreted so widely.

The book begins with what feels a bit like a filler plot, with Laurence suffering from amnesia and separated from the rest of the cast. Each side has a few adventures before being reunited in China, where Laurence is told his past in bits and pieces, everyone dancing around his various disgraces, until, of course, they're uncovered. It feels unnecessary, but I think the point was that Novik needed Temeraire in China to attempt a Celestia breeding.

The final third of the book is the important bit. We finally get to Napoleon's war with Russia. Historically ending in his biggest defeat and his eventual ousting, the battles seen here are...quite a bit more interesting. I'm not too familiar with the details of the war with Russia, but Novik focuses on the Russian treatment of peasants and non-fighting dragons. It's actually some of the most disturbing imagery of the series, which is impressive, given that there's been several acid burns and so on in other battles.

While I'm not anxious for the final book...I do have an advanced copy, and will be reading it as fast as I can, to get out an advanced review. :D

I groaned a bit when I saw, almost immediately, that at least the initial portion of the plot dealt with that overused trope, amnesia. I'm still not entirely sure why [author:Naomi Novik|8730] went that direction, although she did make interesting use of the idea. Rewinding Laurence to his pre-Temeraire memories is almost like adding a second layer of alternate history within her alternate history: what would that earlier Laurence have thought of where his bond with Temeraire ended up leading him? Novik's skill as a storyteller also gives this theme more interest and freshness than one might expect from a lesser author.

We see, once again, the series theme of military and other governmental shortsightedness, this time with some appropriately karmic repercussions.

I have been remiss in not noting earlier how well (as far as I, no student of military tactics, can judge) Novik imagines the uses that Napoleon, as a brilliant general, would make of his own dragons and how he would defend against those of other nations.

Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire, #8)
Novik, Naomi
My uncle got me into this writer, i have purchased all the previous books.
part 1
Goes through the trying and difficult conclusion to the adventure fatal voyage. Separated again Temeraire and Laurance have many burdens and cultural impediments that seem insurmountable. stands up to the dynamic legacy of the series.

part 2
Laurance has the dynamic novel implement of memory loss before the completion of his obligatory diplomatic visit to his adoptive father, the emperor of China. He finds that his body i used to and practiced where his mind finds it completely unrecognizable to the situation. He finds that there is something amiss in the interactions between the Chinese government and the British convey when he protects the crown prince from an attempted assassination, and find that there is roomers of war and political strife with the British traders.

Part 3
Laurance and Temeraire are faced with the Napoleon invasion of Russia, news came by messenger who had been captured in the ill fated plot against the negotiations with the British. They rushed an impressive fleet of dragons and men to the Russian retreating front lines, only to not be believed that they brought reinforcements. Finding the Russian dragons were more feral and treasure hungry then any dragons so far in the series. Can they repel Napoleons weapons and dragons, cement relations with the Russians, and quail the dictators ambitions?

This entry into the series is rather sprawling. Sprawling across multiple continents and plot lines in the longest of the Temeraire novels.

Maybe my greatest disappointed with the book was the amnesia of Capt. Will Laurence. This is soap opera territory and as a plot device I don't see how it really added much to the series. Maybe it will be important in the later story arc. The only reason I can think of for it's introduction was for Capt. Laurence to not fully reveal himself while in Japan. As a honorable man he would not have withheld his identity and this would be perilous indeed considering his connection with the Chinese. You can certainly see just the beginnings in how Japan is going to enter in regarding further novels. There were some what I thought obvious plot developments that did not turn out as I expected. Still I also did enjoy the isolationist Japan portrayed in its introduction into the story.

Most of the novel was typical of the series as the Captain and Temeraire navigate political intrigue while staying true to themselves. While I am still enjoying the series and this entry I would have liked to have seen the plot a bit more tightly focused and a return to more of the formation dragon fighting as in the earlier novels. There is a bit of a loss of the group dynamic so integral previously in the series.

I enjoy the Temeraire series even though I'm no specialist in
the Napoleonic Wars, and generally dislike military
history. I'd love a section at the end of commentary on the
relationship of the alternate history in this book to the
historical wars. It becomes pretty obscure as we travel to
Asia.

The book is divided roughly into thirds, with the first in
Japan, with amnesiac Laurence trying to get to Nagasaki to find help
in returning to the British fleet while Temeraire struggles to find
him. We return to China for the second part, with lots of political
skullduggery. Then we fly to Russia and participate in the War of
1812. These three disjointed parts are held together by the
redevelopment of the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire. The
dragon seems to become less superficial and headstrong, and more
perceptive and thoughtful, as the book develops.

The book moved quickly and easily compared to some of the earlier ones.
I really wish they'd make a Temeraire movie.

No doubt lots of folks enjoy Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" novels for lots of different reasons. Depending on your particular reason, you're likely to have found the novels better or worse as they've gone on. As someone who reads the stories because I enjoy the idea of the Napoleonic War with dragons, as well as Novik's creativity at presenting dragon culture, I found "Blood of Tyrants" the best in a long while.

Here again are the characters we've come to love. Moreover, the series not only returns to the war in Europe (which was why I began reading in the first place), but makes a stop off in China. Novik's treatment of China - where dragons fully participate in society - always stood out for me as one of the most creative aspects of her work (contrasted against other areas, such as European religion, where Christianity seems totally unaffected by the existence of intelligent, possibly "ensouled" non-humans). I especially liked the way Novik introduced the issue of opium smuggling into this work.

If anything, my main complaint here was how Novik gave Napoleon's invasion of Russia rather short shrift at only a third of the book. I enjoyed certain aspects of this section, such as the way Russian dragons mirror Russian society with a slender aristocracy lording over long suffering masses. Still, the potential is vast and largely unmined. Napoleon's invasion was one of the epochs of the 19th century. Certainly it deserves more attention than it receives here.

Now for the bad news. This novel opens with Laurence having fallen overboard and washed up in Japan. With amnesia. Yes, amnesia. One wonders what editor allowed that to slip by without slitting their wrists. What can come next? Laurence gets married and discovers that his wife is really his sister? Just as bad, that shipwreck then consumes an entire third of the novel, with Temeraire sure that Laurence is alive and begging to search, his crew sure he's dead, and Laurence wandering about Japan. It is enough to make a reader weep (though I did like the introduction of a Boston dragon of the "Yankee Trader" mold).

Over all, "Blood of Tyrants" remains far from the quality of Novik's first few novels. Nonetheless, it stands out for taking a long step back towards what made those novels great.

Naomi Novik has come up with one of the most interesting ideas in Alt-Hist fantasy. We are introduced to a British naval Captain during the Napoleonic wars- who has just found himself the possessor of a rare & unique dragon egg. And what Dragons! Much like those of Pern these are large dragons, who bond to one Captain, and can be ridden. But many are larger than far that even the largest dragon from that world, these have crews of dozens of men who fire guns and drop bombs from the rigging. A wonderful imaginative idea. And the dragons have unique characteristics- both highly intelligent and childish. Greedy of course, but also seeking knowledge as much as gold.

This is the seventh book in a eight book series, and the series was great for about the first five books or so, then three things happened:
It got quite depressing and dark-
The action and pacing slowed to a glacial crawl-

And the author fell in love with Napoleon, and decided that this tyrant was actually the Good guy, who is progressive and enlightened in the way he treats dragons. Which means of course that the British must be the bad guys, which leads us back to depressing and dark.

And yes, the first third of this book is depressing, dark, slow and lacking in that wonderful dragon combat we all loved.

Ah, but good news for fans- the book gets back on track again, leading us to better times and news for Capt. Laurence and his dragon- Temeraire. Not to mention some of the largest and exciting battle scenes in the series.

A Must-read for fans!

Set at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, Captain William Laurence of His Majesty's Navy one day takes a prize of a French vessel. On board they find a dragon egg, ready to hatch, and in quite short order Captain Laurence of His Majesty's Navy finds himself captain to a dragon named Temeraire instead of a ship!

I first met Temeraire, a highly loveable, extremely intelligent dragon whose favorite book is Principa Mathematica, when I found the first book in the series, His Majesty's Dragon, on my bedside table while visiting my daughter in the UK late last fall. Naomi Novik's highly imaginative alternative "history" is a fantasy fan's delight. In this latest addition to the series, Blood of Tyrants, Temeraire finds himself in feudal Japan searching for Laurence, who had been swept overboard. Finally found and rescued, Laurence has lost his memory . . a much appreciated trope that allows Novik to introduce enough material from previous books that those who perhaps haven't read them won't find themselves utterly lost.

Grandma's $0.02 - The Temeraire series is rollicking great fun! Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire) kept Grandma up turning pages all night, something very few books can do. Fantasy fans and history buffs alike will find the Temeraire series hugely entertaining.

Highly recommended for ages Teen & up.

Well, looks like the story got back on track. We are back to fighting the Napoleonic Wars (in Russia, no less) and the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire was more robust than the last two books in the series. I really think that is what drives (and should be center, or close to center) the overall arc of the series.

There was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of the book. I don't recall that happening in the other books, and it was a bit of a sting (especially since the next book isn't published yet). I had gotten used to being able to just pick up the next one and absorb it!

I enjoyed the different culture contrasts in this novel. We had Russian, Chinese, British and a smattering of French. It mostly related to how they viewed Dragons (and their handling of them), but it left me thinking that the Dragons are just an example of the society overall. Is their relationship with Dragons open, restrictive, dismissive? And, depending upon which it is, could it not reflect the society's opinions of slavery, peasantry, military, etc? I like novels that make me think, and this one did.

Good job Naomi, and am eager for the next!

The latest Temeraire story by Naomi Novik continues the Napoleonic Wars from where she left off in Crucible of Gold. Captain Will Lawrence and his dragon Temeraire return to Asia from their adventures in the Incan Empire, and we get a chance to see how humans and dragons interact in two more cultures (Japanese and Russian).

Unfortunately, much of the first half of the book is Lawrence repeating the same character development that we already saw in His Majesty's Dragon. It also brings into relief the tension that Novik has had between paralleling the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons, and maintaining an original story. Both Lawrence and Temeraire (especially Lawrence) have been reacting to events rather than driving the story since Empire of Ivory, and it feels like Blood of Tyrants sets up for the conclusion of Napoleon's story rather than Lawrence and Temeraire's.

While much stronger than Victory of Eagles, Tongues of Serpents, or Crucible of Gold, Blood of Tyrants still hasn't recaptured the strength of the first three books of the series.

Minor spoilers below:
The book opens with Lawrence suffering from trauma-induced amnesia as he washes up on Japanese shores, and much of the first third of the book is devoted to his travels across Japan as Temeraire and the rest of the British dragons and people try to reunite with him.

The book hits its stride in the second act when the group returns to China and Lawrence and Temeraire are forced to prove their worth to the Emperor in exchange for support against Napoleon's Grand Army. When Lawrence is shoved into a position of greater authority, he has to rise to the challenge rather than dithering.

The final third of the book reveals how Russians treat their dragons (unsurprisingly, much more poorly than the Chinese or Japanese) and sets up for the final battle in the next book. I am somewhat curious to see how the remaining story becomes a full-length novel, given that this book ends with the start of the Russian winter.

I am a huge fan of the Temeraire series and am sad to see it ending. Blood of Tyrants is the second to last book, and it is neither among the best nor the worst titles in the series. I enjoyed it a great deal and had trouble putting it down but also wanted to savor every chapter.

That said, it is not without flaws. The book opens with Temeraire's captain, William Laurence, washed up on a beach with amnesia. Amnesia is a tired and rarely believable plot twist and I was surprised to see Novik resort to it. Temeraire's fear and anxiety over the missing Laurence does not seem as heartfelt as in previous books. The scenes in which Laurence was alone were a bit draggy for me, and his continued shock and dismay as facts about his recent life were revealed were a bit tiresome.

The relationships between the dragons and their captains are my favorite thing about this series, and there wasn't as much of that as I would have liked (there never is). My favorite pair are Maximus and Berkley (I named my house after Maximus), and while we got a bit of Maximus there wasn't enough Berkley. I most enjoy the interplay between the members of Temeraire's cohort, and at least they were all present and active for a significant portion of the book. My other favorite dragon is Perscitia, who sadly did not make an appearance.

I enjoyed learning about new dragons, and the condition of the Russian dragons was an unexpected twist. I quite enjoyed meeting the American dragon John Wampanoag. For some readers, the battles are probably the highlights of these books rather than the relationships, but to me the battles are the parts I hurry through. I am not a scholar of the Napoleonic era and sometimes feel lost in the details. I love the old-fashioned language that Novik uses and the manners her characters display. ("`Ma'am, I am honored by your condescension,' Laurence said, bowing" and "it is too much to be borne!" from Temeraire.)

In summary, while this is not one of the best titles in the series, it is still a must for Temeraire fans, and I still highly recommend the series as a whole. I eagerly await the final book.

I love this series, in big fannish ways most of the time. The author seems to have done a lot of meticulous research to create a plausible and fantastic alt-history of the Napoleonic war.

This one was enjoyable, fun to read and exciting. I've loved watching Temeraire mature and grow, and the way he inspires other dragons to think more as he's learning to reason things through. The character development in this book was mostly about his journey and his feelings around the challenges facing Laurence.

The setting was well described and intricate, the research paid off as the author found a good place to fit dragons as a matter of fact into the cultures of the time in a way that felt real.

But where I'd happily give 5 stars for most of the books in the series, this one was just enjoyable for me. If the whole series had been like this book, with the focus on one character's coming of age, I wouldn't have recommended it as strongly to my husband and friends. I enjoy watching Temeraire learn, and seeing him become more noble and caring of other's fates. He's becoming a leader among dragons for more than his size, but also for how he inspires other dragons to become a community. However, Laurence's own experiences felt more wooden, simpler and less interesting. Since he's the character I like best in the series, that was a disappointment. I liked the earlier books where it was about two very different characters and the partnership they formed and the love they have for each other. Laurence's sacrifices and his own deep honor seemed not to matter as much in this book.

Yes, I do recommend it, because it's part of a great series and I have faith in the author that this story was the bridge to a fantastic ending to an amazing series. But I recommend it as part of the series. I can not recommend it completely on it's own merits.

This book begins with Laurence and Temeraire having separate adventures in Japan. This is because prior to the beginning of this book, Laurence has been shipwrecked and separated from his friends. After some misadventures, Laurence and Temeraire finally rediscover one another; however, Laurence has lost his memory of his time as an aviator and does not know who Temeraire is. This memory loss causes Laurence to learn about all of his difficulties over the years all at one and then to have a conversation with Temeraire about his role in these misdeeds.

This book was like a breath of fresh air into the Temeraire series. Unlike most of the previous books that had dragon culture be at the forefront of each book and adventure/Napoleonic Wars just kind of happened, the adventure and Napoleonic Wars were the focus of the book. Although I find how difference cultures view dragons, this series is about the Napoleonic Wars, so I was excited for Temeraire and company to fight the French.

I must admit that I really like the interactions between Laurence with no memory with the other characters. I especially liked seeing how Laurence felt about all of his misadventures over the last several years without the influence of Temeraire's opinions (I feel like Laurence indulged Temeraire a bit much at times). I also enjoyed watching Laurence squirm when he thought a certain midshipman was related to him.

My one critique of the book was regarding how the book was put together. At times the book felt a bit choppy and seemed to jump quickly from one scene to another. I read an ARC; however, so this may have been cleaned up in the final edition. Also, the last 1/3-1/4 of the book felt like it should have been a separate book altogether. The book didn't end with its typical big battle scene and Laurence and the gang take off for a completely different locale. I wonder if Novik was told to finish up the series, and therefore was forced to condense an entire book into 100 pages.

Overall, this was a fun book. I cannot wait for the final installment of the Temeraire series.

I received this item for free in exchange for an honest review.

I was entirely up and down about how I felt about this book almost the whole way through. Its starting point had me confused and adrift, much the same as our main (human) character, Lawrence. He is shipwrecked (by himself) on Japan, with no memory of ever being an aviator or anything else that happened during his years with Temeraire. And that was my major issue with the first part of the book--I hated that he couldn't remember Temeraire. It was convenient for the story's sake, and allowed us to revisit the Lawrence of the earlier books, where he is coming to terms with a clashing of duties and values, but dagnabit, it was annoying! I just wanted him to hurry up and remember. And stop freaking out Temeraire so much.

But it got better after Japan--we return to China, and from there to Russia. Which, if you know your European history, marks the beginning of the end for Napoleon. That does make it a little harder to get interested in the battle scenes, since I know the ultimate outcome, but the Russian way of handling dragons is rather fascinating (and scary!). It makes for an interesting dynamic to add to the fight.

For most of the book I was unsure why we'd even bothered visiting Japan, unless it was just for Lawrence to say that was another place he'd been to, but I think the set-up for the final book becomes more clear at the end of this one. It's a long and early setup, but I'm hoping it turns out to be fairly important.

All in all, I did enjoy this book. It was a return to some of the things people love best about Temeraire--Lawrence struggling with his new duty, battles, conflicting morals, and sidestepping politicians. Lawrence and Temeraire are back in the center of things, and the set-up is for them to see the war right to its end.

This digital copy of Blood of Tyrants was given to me by NetGalley & Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

While I admit I have not read all of the books in the Temeraire series, I have read enough to initially admonish myself for not having kept up with the series. I found "Blood of Tyrants" to be a disappointment in that it seemed to be more of what I, and some others, see as a lead-in to the final book in the series, which will probably be coming up in the next year or two. Robbing Laurence of his memory and parting him from Temeraire is not the fresh approach that I would have expected from Naomi Novik -- didn't we see that once or twice on "Days of Our Lives," minus the dragon, of course? A real struggle to finish this book, because I did think it would end just as it did. However, I would not give this book less than a three star review because as usual Novik is a very good writer in terms of her style -- she is more literary than many who write in this genre. I think my plan will be to go back to the beginning of the series and re-read, and read some of the later books for the first time, in anticipation of the final book. Good effort but not up to the usual standard.

I hadn't read any previous books in the Temeraire series, though I will be going back to catch up after reading this one. In some ways, if you, like me, haven't read the previous books this is a good one to start with. Laurence has washed upon shore without his memory, after a storm at sea. As he is introduced to the characters and some of his past is explained to him, I can catch up also.

The dragons are smart, there are several kinds, and it's enjoyable to read a book in which two intelligent species interact and care for each other. The words can be a bit stilted, as the book is written in the time period of the Napoleonic Wars, but it adds to the period feel of the books- Horatio Hornblower with dragons, Drake, with Dragons, etc.

The plot line is good, taking place mostly in and around an Asian setting. The idea behind the books is very good and if a latter book, like this one, is still interesting and energetic and hasn't suffered from sequel-itis, I can't wait to read the earlier books.

For anyone new to this series, Temeraire is a highly intelligent dragon who talks, thinks, and can follow orders if he thinks they make sense. His rider and companion is Captain William Laurence. They are involved in the Napoleonic wars as reimagined by the author Naomi Novik. Blood of Tyrants is the eighth book in this popular series, and I believe only one more is planned.

In this new tale Captain Laurence is shipwrecked and finds himself in Japan. The trouble is that he has no memory of Temeraire or his own background as a British aviator. He ends up in a number of predicaments that threaten his own life as well as England's plans in the Far East.

Ms Novik's stories are always fun to read, and this one is no exception. I recommend it highly. One last point. For those of you who are just now beginning this series, you might want to start with the first book, His Majesty's Dragon.

The latest entry in the Temeraire series is a worthy one, as Captain Laurence and Temeraire travel from Japan, back to China, and finally to the battlefields of Russia. While not the strongest book in the series, this novel is still excellent, and does a good job gearing up for the series finale.

This book approaches Temeraire's relationship with Laurence in a new way, as in the opening pages Laurence washes up on the coast of Japan with no recollection of the past seven odd years of his life. Much of the book revolves around this dynamic, and in the process we are introduced to the civilizations of Japan and Russia. Perhaps my only complaint is that I would have liked to know more about Japan, and see how that nation begins to interact with the rest of the world. This small gripe aside Blood of Tyrants is an excellent read.

This next-to-last in the Temeraire series starts with the reader almost as confused as Laurence. At the end of Crucible of Gold (Temeraire), the crew was headed back to China, but this book begins with Laurence shipwrecked, alone and amnesiac in Japan where he believes he is still a naval captain and has lost all memory of Temeraire and his time as an aviator.

It is confusing enough for someone who has read the entire series -- I do not recommend that anyone read this book without having read earlier books in the series. As part of the process of Laurence recovering his memories, the author gives more recaps of what has happened in earlier books than in any previous book, but even so this is not a good first book to read in the series. (Though for readers as impatient as I am who hate to go back to the beginning of a series when there is a brand new book right in front of you -- there are good wikipedia entries on this series that will let you know what has happened.}

As this is the penultimate book in this alternate history series based on the Napoleonic Wars, one would expect Temeraire and Laurence to end up facing the French army in Russia. However, they do so by way of China. The political wranglings involving the Chinese royal dynasty have been my least favorite parts of the series and that takes up a large part of this book. But they also involve a lot of the flying, aerial fighting and action portions so that makes up for it. Because Laurence doesn't remember Temeraire at the beginning, the reader gets to see their relationship develop again. (Another reason to read the early books in the series before this is that Temeraire dreads Laurence learning that he was convicted of treason and that Temeraire was largely responsible. If you haven't read the earlier books you won't know what happened.)

The wonderful writing in this series is the big draw of the series for me. I enjoy the dragons a lot, especially how the author works the idea of dragon warfare into the historical context of the Napoleonic Wars, but it is the writing that keeps me reading.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys alternate history or dragons or simply very well written books. I await the final installment with mixed emotions. I'm assuming Temeraire and Laurence will be deeply involved in the last part of the war and not gallivanting around Africa, South America, Australia or Asia so the action should be really interesting. But it will mean the end of the series and no more books to anticipate.

Without any spoilers, this book is similar to others in the series. The characters explore new countries, meet new types of cultures and dragons, create conflict and resolve it. I sometimes just wish Temeraire wouldn't be so surprised that people/dragons in other countries are rude/different. You might think after traveling the world that it wouldn't be such a shock!

Overall I thought the 3 main storylines/sections in the book were well paced. There were a few new characters and enough of old familiar faces to be enjoyable. I enjoyed the new dragons introduced and parts of their culture we got a glimpse of.

Were all the loose ends tied up from the previous novels? Not really, but I'm going along for the ride assuming that everything is being put into place for the final book.

Blood of Tyrants is witty, grim, exciting, and sadly a bit boorish all at the same time. The story has a serious case of bipolar disorder in how it's written; I don't know if it was intentional or not, but it certainly does make it unique. I personally found it just aggravating enough to knock of a star of what otherwise would have been a perfect 5-star review for a potentially excellent reading experience. While I was still able to enjoy the character development and progression of the story, I found myself having to take frequent breaks to clear my head before continuing on with it. I know the written review sounds worse than the 4-star rating, but it really isn't. It's a great read for patient readers.

I came into this book prepared to dislike it; I had heard of the Japanese-stranding angle and the amnesia, both of which I considered cheesy and of scant interest to me. (I deliberately skipped the popular craze for "things Japanese" and anime that swept my peers years back). But I was brought back to loving the work, loving the characters, loving Novik's sense of narrative and of course, Novik herself.

Diversity in Novik novels among the dragon aviators is simply considered a matter of course: nobody in the aviator profession seems to remark much about having women aviators, two black aviators, and a gay male couple amongst them: everyone (at least the more enlightened characters, anyway) seems to just brush it aside as the aviators being diverse because the world is diverse. I LOVE THIS. In this particular installment of the series, the minor characters shine with an unexpected brilliancy and wit. I especially love the transformation of the prudish, tut-tutting character Mrs. Pemberton into an able swordswoman under the tutelage of her ostensible ward, Emily Roland: eventually Mrs. Pemberton grows to admire the fearless spirit of Emily and other aviator women. I loved this too: it's like a Dickens character getting to learn valuable lessons from an empowered modern woman. And there are deliciously excellent jokes and satires about homosexuality in the English royal navy, which manage to be revealing and hilarious without being offensive: I'll not go into details here.

As a former, nay, lifelong English major and a dragon buff, those two qualities have long drawn me to the series and continue to: Novik manages to create a convincing 19th-century world, simply with the addition of dragons. Her grasp on British and world history adds a compellingly epic sweep to the novel, and she is able to paint even the worst villains of the novel as merely people being people, or people being manipulated by others.

There is much of interest among the dragon characters, too: the ethical debate surrounding integration of dragons of human society and the elevated status they enjoy in Napoleon's France versus Tsarist Russia or even George IV's England. The dragons' character development proceeds in a good fashion too; Iskierka's jealousy over Temeraire, Temeraire's feelings of guilt over Laurence, their genuine confusion over the status of the dragons they encounter, and the unexpected assistance they get from China. Kulingile's further development was also interesting to note: what kind of recessive strains has he got in his background?

I didn't find the Japan sections very interesting at all: nor did I think I would, but you can't expect a novelist to be perfect or a novel to have everything. Junechiro (sp?) seemed to be like a stereotype of every Japanese: descriptions of Japanese politics and culture, even Japanese dragons, were profoundly boring to me. And Junechiro's perceptions of the political situation and his role in it seemed woefully inaccurate and obsessively based on Japanese concepts of honor.

Some characters, like Junechiro, were over-explained, while I was left to marvel at the motivations of others without really understanding why. Why was Hammond being such a weasel? Why did "man of mystery" Tharkay get imprisoned? Couldn't he have just snuck out? Obviously you can see I am highly invested in this series.. LOL.

Remarkably enough, I was brought around to the actual merit of using the amnesia as a plot device. It forced Laurence and Temeraire to re-assess their bond, which otherwise would never have happened, and forced Laurence to harmonize between his pre-dragon and post-dragon identities, a key tension in early books. The book closes on a suspenseful note, with many of Novik's marvelous turns of phrase: overall a great read and I can't wait to see what happens next.

The Temeraire series should be absolutely ridiculous - the Napoleonic Wars, fought with dragons! But thanks to Ms. Novik's sense of history, of character, and of realism (yes, realism in novels about dragons), her series is one of the most enjoyable entries into epic fantasy one is likely to find. Indeed, if it weren't for George R. R. Martin eating up all the oxygen with "A Song of Ice and Fire" and Peter Jackson's Tolkien films, I suspect that Temeraire would be a defining pop culture juggernaut. (There's still hope - Jackson allegedly has the movie rights to this series as well - fingers crossed!)

Novik has announced that "Blood of Tyrants" will be the penultimate novel in the series, and she has not wasted the opportunity. In opening chapters that are strongly reminiscent of James Clavell's "Shogun," Laurence washes ashore by himself in Japan, shipwrecked . . . and suffering from amnesia. Indeed, he's forgotten everything about his relationship with Temeraire and adventures as an aviator - he still imagines that he's a captain in the navy. Temeraire and the crew are marooned on a reef just offshore, and Temeraire is beside himself to find Laurence, as one can imagine.

The plot is just too dense to summarize without giving the game away, but suffice it to say that the action sweeps from Japan to China to Moscow, where Laurence and Temeraire go head to head with Napoleon and Murat in a conflict that can safely be described as one of the most pivotal in modern history. Through it all, Novik keeps her bearings by focusing on her characters and having them react completely appropriately to the bizarre and precarious positions they keep finding themselves in. Novik takes great pains to show how different cultures treat dragons - one of the biggest conflicts in the series is that Laurence and Temeraire are sworn enemies of Napoleon, but they recognize that Napoleon is as progressive and enlightened as they come in terms of human-dragon relations. In Novik's skilled hands, Napoleon uses this to terrible military effect and you find yourself thinking seriously about how you would treat dragons in these circumstances . . . only to remember that it's been a long time since you've actually seen one.

If you're a fan of the series, you'll recognize the subtle humor, the greed of dragons for treasure, the dragons' different but completely reasonable conclusions when faced with choices both mundane and epic, and Laurence's eminently respectable sense of honor and tradition. Yes, this is a series about dragons and war, but it's ultimately about terrific characters doing great things, and the series is elevated by this entry. Highly recommended.

This book caught my imagination and has delivered excellent entertainment over the series. The author is creative and skilled in developing her story line, characters and twists. There were times when I laughed out loud at dialogue or one-liners, and have looked forward in anticipation of the next book in the series. This is the type of story you don't want to end--I have enjoyed it immensely.

Laurence losing his memory was a great plot twist in that it shook up the story in an unexpected way and let some lurking background issues between Laurence and Temeraire be resolved. Returning to the East was nice, too, since he'd been to China early in the series in order to be able to keep Temeraire and hasn't been back since. Going back East and coming full circle seems to have changed his luck. Although, of course, there are the ups and downs in store for Laurence, it was a pleasant change that the ups seemed to outnumber the downs.

This was the best book of the series since the first book. It ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, but it did manage to resolve some things --- and knowing that this is the next to last book, I can see where it would be possible for things to work out well in the last book for Laurence, Temeraire, and his friends.

Naomi Novik began this series with a stunning one-book-a-month release of the first three books, from Del Rey, during the reign of noted and splendid editor, Betsy Mitchell. Ms Mitchell saw something special in this series and she was right. Ship's Captain Laurence acquires a dragon's egg as a prize in a sea battle. The egg hatches into a most amazing dragon, to be named Temeraire. Laurence and Temeraire leave the ship and go off to have adventures during an alternate world period analogous to the Napoleonic Wars. Think England battles Napoleon with dragons. There are dragons of all sizes and colors. There are small dragon couriers and dragons large enough to carry crews of sailors and cannons. The treatment of dragons often serves as an illustration of the horrors of enslaving any intelligent creature.
As the series progresses, the friendship...no friendship is too weak a word...the bond between Captain Laurence and Temeraire grows. Temeraire is enormous and hugely intelligent. The story line moves around the world: Africa, Australia, China, South America, and the war continues. This is one of the weaker of the series. Laurence is struck with amnesia, not remembering Temeraire or anything occurring since they met. This is a sort of weak way to recap the previous books.
Temeraire and Laurence travel, in this book, to China, Russian, and Japan. For fans of the this series, there is enough here to entertain. As a new reader, begin at the beginning and work your way here.

Blood of Tyrants is an improvement on Crucible of Gold (the South American sidetrip), though Novik inexplicably and unnecessarily throws in that hoary old chestnut: protagonist has temporary partial amnesia for first half of book, presumably so she could do a prolonged info dump to bring new readers up to speed on the previous books and the protag's various angsts. Unnecessary and beneath her skills. Here, we get back to one of the main land theaters of the Napoleonic Wars, the 1812 French invasion of Russia. Because of the dragons, some of the details change, and we end before the historical disastrous retreat from Moscow in the Russian winter, so it will be interesting to see how Novik handles this in the next (and reportedly final) book; she's going to have to cram if she's going to take the series to Waterloo in the final book. The main characters, William Laurence and Temeraire, don't change or grow much in this installment: Laurence is still a competent commander and still a bit stiffnecked and prudish; Temeraire is beginning to mature. The other characters (human and dragon) are sketchier than they were in earlier books, possibly because there's so much action to fit in. In general, a 3.5 star book, rounded up because it's better than the previous installment, is generally good story telling, and has familiar and likeable characters. I read a library copy; waiting for the Kindle price to come down to mmpb rate; yes, I will buy it for rereading.

The last couple books in this series have been a lot of filler and so is this one. The first third of this book take place in Japan after Laurence is washed ashore during a huge storm and has forgotten the last 8 years, so hacky. Then we waste a lot of time as Laurence makes his way to the only port foreigners are allowed in to try and find his ship and Temeraire who has spent this whole time whining. Nothing that actually matters happens during this adventure unless it shows up in the next book. The amnesia thing also adds absolutely nothing to the story. Everything would have been exactly the same if he didn't have it. It served no purpose other than annoying me. The whole amnesia thing just seemed like a crappy way to rehash things that happened in previous books which would have been better served with a summery at the start.

Once they get the China the story gets a bit better but there is still a lot of political filler that really doesn't add anything to the story. Then when finally get to Russia and it starts to feel like one of the earlier books and then it ends on a cliff hanger lol.

If you are like me you have read all the rest and you are going to read this one and the next no matter what the reviews say. I've invested too much time at this point not to see how it ends. Just wish she would quit dragging things out and do it.

Naomi Novik is winding down her series on Temeraire the dragon and William Laurence, her very 18th century British officer/rider, but sadly, “winding down” applies to “Blood of Tyrants” (Del Rey, $26, 448 pages) as well.

Novik has to resort to giving Laurence a very convenient case of amnesia that prevents him from remembering only his interactions with Temeraire while retaining all the skills he needs to advance the narrative, which starts in Japan and, as is often the case in this series, covers a lot of territory. In fact, there’s a lot that’s often the case in this series in this installment, and rather than sprinting to the finish, Novik seems to be running out of gas. Hopefully, though, she has a bang-up finale in store, with Temeraire, Laurence and the good guys going head-to-head with Napoleon in this somewhat historically accurate fantasy.

The Temeraire stories are all great reads and I can hardly wait for the final book in the series. The writing is clever, intelligent, and witty, with some of the same insights about human (and dragon) emotions that make Patrick O'Brian stories so engaging. I love Temeraire's combination of innocence, loyalty, and thought-provoking analyses of human institutions that we take for granted. The geographic scope of the series keeps things lively and the difference in the treatment of dragons in various societies is a fascinating sociological construct. I am reminded of the "big picture" questions raised in Battlestar Galactica about how to resolve difficult societal issues with equity and justice. I am keeping my fingers crossed that Peter Jackson exercises his option on the books and comes up with a marvelous movie. Novik's imaginative use of traditional folklore about dragons in Japan, China, and elsewhere lends a kind of "authenticity" to her descriptions, and creates a stunning mental image of each breed's individualized coloring and attributes. Love you, Big Guy!

This was a most difficult book for me. Three different storylines were going and with practicaally no description of the characters (If it weren't for the odd names, I couldn't figure out which ones were dragons and which weren'tt) keeping up with what was going on was a major chore. I still struggled through, but this very definitely is not a stand alone novel. The writing skill here is insufficient to make me interested in reading previous ones in the series.

I am often a fan of Del Rey books,, but this one totally failed me.

It has an interesting turn of events in the beginning of the book, and by the end it finally goes into the major conflict of the series. However, in my opinion, it's missing the palpable affections been Lawrence and Temeriare and some of the quirkiness of the dragons that I have come to expect.

It's still not up to the same standard as the first few books, but it's far better than the last two novels. Another reviewer mentioned that Novik announced this to be the second to last book. While I hate to say goodbye to Temeraire, I think perhaps it's for the best that the series is almost over. Novik stumbled in her writing of the previous two novels. While she seems to have come back to her senses for this book, there's no telling what'll happen in the finale.

"Too much action" isn't a common complaint when I'm reading an adventure novel. But when the action leads nowhere, or goes in circles, I'll complain. Laurence and Temeraire and their friends and foes are all over the map here, literally. They don't stay in one place long enough for the complicated plot to make any sense.

Further, Novik introduces some potentially interesting characters in Kaneko and Junichiro, but never makes us understand their motivations. Kaneko is pledged to help a stranded traveler but then he has to kill himself or fight a duel with him? What's that all about?

And the amnesia? Puh-leeze. Amnesia -- especially such selective amnesia as what Laurence had -- it's a crutch and like a crutch, it should be used just for a short time. This went on too long.

I loved the first four books, was okay with the next three, but this one was a disappointment. Three stars though, for short passages that reminded me why I love the series -- it's all about the bromance between Temeraire and Laurence.

There are some series of books in which each individual book can stand on its own. I don't believe this series is that. Starting with this book I was confused about who and what the characters were, how they related, etc.

I like the author's writing - she's lyrical and descriptive, but almost too much so. The beautiful writing seemed not to propel the story, but to illustrate her vocabulary and skill with imagery.

About 100 pages into the book I decided to stop reading until I'd read the previous books - there was just too much missing for me.
That may invalidate this review for many. And the reason I gave it 4 stars though I didn't finish it? It's well written, the story imaginative, and I think when I read the previous books I can enjoy this one as well. It isn't cast aside, merely postponed.

I have been a faithful reader of Naomi Novik and the Temeraire series since the first book came out. Maybe I am just get tired of the series (I am looking forward to her next book that starts a new series), but I just didn't enjoy reading this book as much. Although the amnesia was an interesting twist, Temeraire didn't seem to have developed as a character (same old, same old as in the previous several books), and I thought the plot was rather slow and drawn out in places.

... Horatio Hornblower collides full-on with Anne McCaffrey in an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars, in which our heroes are aided by intelligent dragons and a British ship of the line is ordered rather like a sail-powered aircraft/dragon carrier? In this alternate universe the Napoleonic Wars are more than just a Eurocentric ruckus - this is world-wide war, involving the Americas, China and Japan. And for no discernible reason our hero is cast adrift in Japan (glancing sideways off James Clavell's Shogun, I think) and afflicted with a case of amnesia which seems to serve no other purpose but to recapitulate elements of the story. It's a brilliant and eccentric romp, throwing the early 19th century every which way, and the author is to be commended on command of tone and narration. There are some writers who have a gift for putting on another 'voice' than the late 20th century one we are all accustomed to, and she is one of them. On the down-side for me, this is very plainly one in a series, not a completely free-standing story; the whole purpose of it appears to be setting up the final conflict and setting out all the characters in precise places on the chessboard. Still, for those fans of the complete cycle, it is an essential link.

The word smithing was good, and the style was mostly consistent. I didn't like how narrative jumped about. This happened in the storyline as well as in each sub story. Characters dropped in suddenly for no reason I could see. The worst part was the author didn't keep track of what character was supposed to be in the narrative. She would start dialogues with people long missing, or with people who were inappropriate for the storyline. There was a blatant cliff hanger to develop a character in two tiny sections, for a character that was previously shuffled out of the storyline.
I was disappointed in this book and will probably not continue with the series.

The latest volume of Temeraire series, a kind of McCaffry meets Hornblower, has Captain Laurence attempted to persuade China's dragons to join the fight with Napoleon, thus further changing the history in which dragons exist from out own. While the novelty of the concept is starting the where a little thin, the book is still an exciting adventure and well worth a read.

I really like this series, but this book is a rather poor showing. There are a lot of disjointed sections where you learn about actions after you have just read about the effects of those actions (or reactions to the actions)... in other words, time discontinuity and/or missing sections. Sometimes there are only a few paragraphs separating the two and it's easy to make things out, but in other cases the action is never quite clear... for example, what comment is Lawrence referring to when reflecting on Granby and Little? Another distinct flaw is the introduction a named characters out of the blue for no apparent reason... why do we Gerry or Baggy? I hope Ms. Novik finds time to rewrite the book and that Del Rey is willing to release a revised authors edition.

I have liked this series since the beginning, but as other followers can attest, it's just getting more and more bogged down. It seems some passages can go on interminably, and others feel like the author just skipped ahead with little warning. I too did not enjoy the amnesia storyline, but my main complaint is the sense of slogging through it more and more. Where is the editor? I do think some of the dialogue is quite clever, I love the spots of humor, but at this point I am looking forward to it ending as I am having reader fatigue. What a shame, as the universe created is quite lovely.

This book as well as the whole Temeraire series are a wonderful example of historical fiction.While there obviously were no dragons involved in the Napoleanic wars, you get a good feeling of the climate of the world during that time. Wonderful examples of civic pride and honor as well as friendship and loyalty.

The first third of the book, Japan and the resultant amnesia plotline, seemed completely unnecessary. Beyond that, while worldbuilding can be fun, Japan is just kind of there. It's choppy story, the first section is related to the rest of the book due to the amnesia, but honestly barely affects anything in what seems to be the real book. As for the amnesia itself, I don't see any later plot elements changing much if it's eliminated; outside actors wouldn't be affected, and Laurence's actions didn't exactly change. It just fills the Laurence/Temeraire will-they-be-separated-oh-no-they-won't quota every book in this series seems to require.

That said, I liked the rest of the book. China does feed into Russia, and there does seem to be some plot development regarding Napoleon's conquest.

Another solid chapter in this great series. Novik clearly is moving the story to the end of the war with this book. I would expect a big finish and I very much look forward to it. If you haven't read any of these books, don't start here. Go back to the beginning. If you are an established fan, you obviously need to read this book.

I've read all the novels and looked forward to new additions. However, the author has been infected with political correctness and the story suffers GREATLY! I'm sick of seeing European as the bad guys. The French have begun treating their dragons properly, but they're supposed to be the villains. If you think Western Civilization is the root of all evil you'll enjoy the last several books. I haven't.

In fact, in a move I've rarely done, I didn't finish this one.

I had previously only read the first of the books in the series, so the "amnesia" plot device actually worked for me since I didn't know most of the things the hero had forgotten either!

Other than that, it's dragons, so how much more do you need to know before buying? :)

G.

Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire)
By: Naomi Novik
I think this just was a bit out of my normal expectation of passionate fighting so I can only give this a "ok" review. It simply could not hold my attention.

I've got about one thirds left to go but I can already say that this is one of the better Temeraire books. There's just so much stuff happening and the plot keeps going at a steady pace. Almost a total opposite compared to the dreadful slog that was the sixth book int the series.

When you read the book it is missing pages and would change from one part of the story. To the next I would ask for my money back but I had this book for two weeks before could read it.
This how bad I feel about this book. Yet I couldn't wait for the next one.

Finally with great force of Chinese dragons Laurence and Temeraire fight Napoleon with the Russian in Russia to defend Russia. I can't wait for the next book. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have.

This book as well as the whole Temeraire series are a wonderful example of historical fiction.While there obviously were no dragons involved in the Napoleanic wars, you get a good feeling of the climate of the world during that time. Wonderful examples of civic pride and honor as well as friendship and loyalty.