Naomi Novik's Temeraire series

[diamondlil]

I really enjoy this series by Naomi Novik. She has taken the history from the Napoleonic wars and added a twist - all the countries have an air corps, made up of dragons and their crews!

The books in order are:

His Majesty's Dragon (published as Temeraire in some countries)
Throne of Jade
Black Powder War
Empire of Ivory
Victory of Eagles

[whitelady3]

I just bought the first volume, although I already had the second and third volumes. I can't wait to finally start it!

[Telynor]

This is a series that I have been really happy with, and looking forward to seeing what Ms. Novik will come up with next.

[Kailana]

I have only read the first two books in this series, but I own them all... Just haven't got around to the others! I was not super impressed with the move to hardcover. I really hate when they do that partway through a series!

[Virgulina]

I thought the idea was truly original but what really kept me going through the first volume was Temeraire, I so wanted a dragon like him. ;)

The author lost me in the battle descriptions though, I couldn't for the life of me follow all the aerial manoeuvres, I think she overdid it a bit and forgot to build an interesting plot otherwise, I got to the end thinking what the point of the story was. I don't think I'm interested enough to pick up the next volume!

Ana

[Ludmilla]

I was not super impressed with the move to hardcover. I really hate when they do that partway through a series!

I hate it when they do that, too! I've been waiting to read the fifth one until it comes out in paperback (looks like May-09). These aren't great novels, but I find them fun escapist reads. Like sucking on a popsicle on a hot summer day.

[Carla]

I've only read the first one, and enjoyed it. I agree with Virgulina that Temeraire was charming (although I can't say I wanted one as a pet.....). I got on OK with the battle scenes, but I remember being irritated that the existence of dragons and female war heroes (since one of the highly effective dragon breeds will only tolerate a female handler) had apparently not altered Jane Austen's world one iota. I kept thinking, now come on, surely there'd have been some effect on the social structure, not to mention the economy would have had to be different to produce enough livestock to support such enormous carnivores. Yes, I daresay this is missing the point :-)

If I can find my old review I'll cross-post it here in case anyone's interested.

[diamondlil]

Has anyone heard if there is going to be any more Temeraire books??

[Ludmilla]

It was my understanding that at least six were planned, so we should be getting at least one more. Her website and LiveJournal probably have more about works-in-process, but I haven't been over there in a long time.

[diamondlil]

There hasn't really been any mention for a while.

[Ludmilla]

Amazon and Fantastic Fiction both show the next book, In His Majesty's Service, coming out in October 2009, but it looks like an omnibus, not a new book in the series. (Is it me, or does that title sound too much like the first American title, and also too James Bondish?) The only other info I found is reported on Wikipedia:

At a book signing on July 11, 2008 at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Novik divulged that the series has a definite end that would ideally be reached by the ninth book, but that no decision has been reached.


So, if things continue to be successful, there will be at last nine books. I'm probably not as informed as those who check publisher websites on a regular basis and chase after ARCs. I'm lucky if I get to a book within the first year that it's been released, and my towering TBR is a daily admonishment for not reading what I already own before buying more!

[diamondlil]

Nine books works for me! The first books US title was His Majesty's Dragon I think, so yes it is similar. I suspect that if the movie does end up going ahead then there may well be omnibus editions and rereleases and the like.

I am reading the fifth book in the series and it seems to me that there has been a fundamental change in this book because previously Novik was able to use known battles against Napoleon in various places in Europe and just tweak them somewhat to include the dragons, but in this book she has had to make up all new battles that didn't happen!

[juleswatson]

Speaking of dragons, has anyone read Shana Abé's books on the shapeshifting dragons? I have not, but my friend raves about them. They are set in 18th century UK, I believe, and are historical fantasy romances (or possibly more tags can be added!!) She also did one about mermaids, set in three time periods in Scotland - starting with 500 AD-ish. Sounds interesting. And Diamond Lil, regarding Novik, is that the movie that Peter Jackson is supposedly directing???

[diamondlil]

I have the first one here, but I haven't read it yet. I didn't realise it was set in the 18th century though.

And Jules, yes, Peter Jackson is meant to be directing the movie. I believe it is in development at the moment.

[diamondlil]

I so want to read the next book in this series having just finished Victory of Eagles. It looks like the next one will be set in Australia.

[diamondlil]

The mention in the What are we reading thread about the first book in this series prompted me to wonder what is happening with the next book because it has been a while since Victory of Eagles came out.

In the last update (http://www.suvudu.com/2009/05/the-temeraire-series-looking-forward-to-book-6.html) which was in May, it appears as though the next book is slated to be released in summer 2010. Still a fair way away but I am looking forward to it, especially seeing as it is going to be set in Australia.

[Anna Elliott]

Speaking of, I just noticed that Naomi Novik's His Majesty's Dragon (http://www.amazon.com/His-Majestys-Dragon-ebook/dp/B000GCFBQA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1250105700&sr=1-6) is a Kindle freebie on amazon just now!

[Nefret]

I thought there was a new one coming out this year. :confused:

[Ludmilla]

Well, summer is upon us and it looks like the new one comes out in July in the US and in September in the UK. I'm already seeing ARC reviews.

[traveldog]

For anyone who is enjoying the dragons, try Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, beginning with Dragonflight. Fantasy (although one could consider it Future History......). Even if you've never read fantasy before (I hadn't), just suspend belief for a little bit, long enough to get into the story, and then you'll have no problem believing! It reads like good historical fiction ...... just of a world that didn't (won't?) exist.

I know there are a lot of fantasy and sci fi series out there, but this one is truly exceptional. And you'll probably wind up wanting your own dragon ...

[Nagoo]

For anyone who is enjoying the dragons, try Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, beginning with Dragonflight. Fantasy (although one could consider it Future History......). Even if you've never read fantasy before (I hadn't), just suspend belief for a little bit, long enough to get into the story, and then you'll have no problem believing! It reads like good historical fiction ...... just of a world that didn't (won't?) exist.

I know there are a lot of fantasy and sci fi series out there, but this one is truly exceptional. And you'll probably wind up wanting your own dragon ...

I think McCaffrey originated the modern idea of riding dragons. At least Paolini seems to have been inspired, as well as seemingly Novik.

[Doug]

Has anyone read the new Temeraire book? I love the series and just finished the latest one. Sadly, I think she may be losing a little steam on these; this book seemed to drag a bit, and there was a lot of book for how little the plot got advanced. I still enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as the earlier ones in the series.

And though I haven't read them in years, I loved the Pern books when I was younger. Plus they had great Michael Whelan dragon covers. They were the complete package!

Doug

[Ludmilla]

It does have a middle book in the series feel to it, and I think also the characters are entering a transitional period in their development. I didn't mind the journey across the Australian outback, though, as I often like travelogues and journeys (and didn't mind them in the other books). I'm also finally seeing signs of Temeraire maturing in this series, and I think there is much to credit in the way of character development in this. It will be interesting to see where the author goes with the political situation and the dark horse, China, shaking things up.

[gyrehead]

For me the last two books, while quick and enjoyable overall, have rather suffered the open-ended series syndrome. Where the readers, publisher and author come together and create the perfect storm of sustainability mixed with the inertia of sustainability :). I've seen this in other genre works where there is a profitable audience and a relatively broad stage to keep playing it out on.

And one of the main problems is that you get a sort of repetitive overall meme going on that just gets plain tiresome. Simply because the author and/or editor wants to make sure that resolution doesn't get in the way of a strong continuing franchise. Another problem tends to be the lather-wash-rinse repeat cycles of character growth. But Novik seems to do a good job of avoiding that.

Bu the first problem is the one I see and find a drag in reading what is otherwise a flowing fast paced prose and plot. Specifically it is Laurence's endless round of woe. I get how honorable and noble he is. But at some point, not sure when, I went from empathy to downright weariness and impatience. Poor poor Laurence. Despite his best efforts everything goes against him. I like the character but Novik needs to let the man breathe a bit. He just now comes off as a victim and seems almost weak as he bows to the winds of torment. At this point, six books in I want more of a spine. More of a survival instinct. More of a guy who looks at what he has already accomplished and realizes he doesn't have to swallow and shift and humble himself over and over again.

Yes I get the whole social class thing. And the military aspect. But you can have a character dance to those tunes so many times to absolute boors fools and idiots before he just comes off as weak and wishy-washy. I'm not expecting Novik to have him be unrealistic for the milieu she has him set in. But I do want to see a little more proactive growth. She does have some rather sweeping changes in terms of social awareness going on elsewhere. She could make Laurence less of a constant martyred victim and a bit more of a dynamic character who doesn't want until the waters are over his head to start swimming simply because it would be rude (and always despite the fact that all his adversaries and problems are embodied in the height of stupid willful rudeness).

I do know that there are now a finite number of books to the series. Three I think. Though fantasy is notorious for bringing out yet another. And another. And another. Still if Novik has a mind for how she wants to wrap things up, maybe Laurence will emerge as a force to be reckoned with and not just someone who suffers and endless pile-on of minor stifling grief.

[annis]

I agree totally about fantasy series which lengthen out and out to mine an initial popularity. They always lead to reader burn-out, just like TV series that pick up a good idea and drive it past extinction. Talk about "the road goes ever on!" You get to the point when you see yet another Terry Goodkind or Robert Jordan title on the shelves and think, "So?" Keep it to the trilogy, I say :)

[gyrehead]

I actually have no problem with long series. What I think weakens Novik's efforts is that she tries to have both a series and a serial adventure set a la Hornblower. The problem lying in either her or her publisher's decision to have a self-contained book set on a grand stage but with a deliberate hook for the next book. To-be-continued's can only sustain my attention if I feel that the author delivers a strong set of resolved issues in each book. Novik's ability to do so sadly has weakened for me in the last couple of efforts. To the point where I feel they were nothing but a single step toward the next book instead of intent on delivering a story for that book. If that makes sense.

I think that had she done more towards putting out well-written fun fast-paced self contained novels with an overall chronological cohesiveness it could have gone on for some time. The Napoleonic period is rife with possible influences and events.

And to be fair, for the most part Novik does seem to have tried to do this for the most part. But one of the things I found lacking and perhaps in exchange for the buildup and then subsequent resolution of these cliffhangers is the dropping of the expansion of the main character as a true character. Which a true series would allow for instead of turning out each new book as some kind of travelogue -- as if Novik can't sustain in her writing, plotting story-telling, whatever; the growth and development of her lead without plunking them down in yet another new exotic locale and basically hit re-boot every time.

It seems like a slight cheat in the storytelling area if the author seems overly dependent on using and re-using the "arrive in new unknown land; face localized adversity or rivalry among already arrived fellow Brits; face uncertainty with local population-fauna-flora-climate, conflict; resolution (somewhat); arise of new problem and To be Continued.

Considering how the latest ends and that Novik talks about the series ending gives me hope that Laurence will have some growth and even have a little manning-up when someone sneers and sniffs and does something incredibly stupid that risks his life and his beloved dragon's.

[Ashley]

I've read the first three of these, and have the second set of three. I tried to start Empire of Ivory and was bored :( but that sometimes happens in the beginning with her things. I've also heard the same thing happens with the Steig Larsen books, so we'll see.

I love the idea of Temeraire, but they can drag in regards to Laurence. I'd like him to get a romance or something! Glad to read what everyone else thinks here too.

[Ludmilla]

I didn't realize until today, but the new Temeraire book comes out next month (March 6th here in the US): Crucible of Gold (http://www.amazon.com/Crucible-of-Gold-ebook/dp/B0055PGWAW/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1328624690&sr=8-4).