Book review: Temeraire
I read Temeraire by Naomi Novik in Dutch (English title is His Majesty's Dragon) mainly in the train going to and from me and Pat's parents during Christmas. It made all the traveling a breeze and at one point I was annoyed that we were able to catch an earlier train, since this would mean 15 minutes less reading time. Clearly, this is a good sign.
The plot of the book is often summarized thusly: it is the war against Napaleon, but with Dragons!
However, I feel this does not do the book justice. It sounds like typically geeks, who just want to throw dragons into everything they see as if that automatically makes it perfect.
Instead, the book is more complex than that and nicely thinks of the consequences of adding dragons to history with some surprising results.
The main character of the book is the British naval captain William Laurance, who accidentally becomes in charge of a dragon. This means he will have to join the airforce in the fight against France and he has to learn how to live with a dragon. Both points are easier said than done.
The book is an easy read. The writing is fast-paced, the plot does not linger, which makes you keep flipping the pages.
I also think this book is enjoyable to people, who enjoy historical novels, such as the many BBC adaptations of old romantic novels. This sounds a bit weird, since there is little romance in the book, but themes are similar, such as honour, doing what is correct in society, reputation, the formal customs, etc. This in particularly comes forward, because while the Navy follows etiquette quite fearsomely, the airforce is more loose and even considered somewhat 'savage'. Clearly, this takes some adjusting for Laurance when he makes the switch, which is quite fun to read.
Naturally, the book is also enjoyable for people who like dragons. They are basically big cats with wings, who can talk. They have their own mind of doing things and are hugely interested in food. However, they are also incredibly loyal to their human companions.
The book may not give you any mindblowing insights into human existence, but that is the only possible 'bad' thing I can think of. I only feel bad about the fact it was in my book cabinet for so long, before I started reading it. It's a great read if you want some somewhat light entertainment. I give it a 9.
The plot of the book is often summarized thusly: it is the war against Napaleon, but with Dragons!
However, I feel this does not do the book justice. It sounds like typically geeks, who just want to throw dragons into everything they see as if that automatically makes it perfect.
Instead, the book is more complex than that and nicely thinks of the consequences of adding dragons to history with some surprising results.
The main character of the book is the British naval captain William Laurance, who accidentally becomes in charge of a dragon. This means he will have to join the airforce in the fight against France and he has to learn how to live with a dragon. Both points are easier said than done.
The book is an easy read. The writing is fast-paced, the plot does not linger, which makes you keep flipping the pages.
I also think this book is enjoyable to people, who enjoy historical novels, such as the many BBC adaptations of old romantic novels. This sounds a bit weird, since there is little romance in the book, but themes are similar, such as honour, doing what is correct in society, reputation, the formal customs, etc. This in particularly comes forward, because while the Navy follows etiquette quite fearsomely, the airforce is more loose and even considered somewhat 'savage'. Clearly, this takes some adjusting for Laurance when he makes the switch, which is quite fun to read.
Naturally, the book is also enjoyable for people who like dragons. They are basically big cats with wings, who can talk. They have their own mind of doing things and are hugely interested in food. However, they are also incredibly loyal to their human companions.
The book may not give you any mindblowing insights into human existence, but that is the only possible 'bad' thing I can think of. I only feel bad about the fact it was in my book cabinet for so long, before I started reading it. It's a great read if you want some somewhat light entertainment. I give it a 9.