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isylyaeleni's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
dreaming_ace's review against another edition
5.0
A fun aduvture. Also I have to say I love Temeraire the story loving, big hearted, sweetheart Dragon.
veraann's review against another edition
2.0
Temeraire #1
This was difficult for me to get into. It was very slow and I felt the characters were pretty bland. I felt like it was a lot of building for not much to happen and for something that is a simple world. This could all be chalked up to a first in a sizable fantasy series. I will continue to see where it goes and if it gets better. The concepts are interesting.
If you are really into history and alternate aspects histories then this will probably pull you in better than it did for me right from the start of series.
This was difficult for me to get into. It was very slow and I felt the characters were pretty bland. I felt like it was a lot of building for not much to happen and for something that is a simple world. This could all be chalked up to a first in a sizable fantasy series. I will continue to see where it goes and if it gets better. The concepts are interesting.
If you are really into history and alternate aspects histories then this will probably pull you in better than it did for me right from the start of series.
rheaney's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sueread2030's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Well, Well, Well
if someone told me that I would be enjoying a book that is merely showing how a bond between a dragon and his rider forms, no romance, no trials, no riddles....I'd call them delusional
but here we are
I absolutely loved reading this book.
I must confess, this would be enjoyed when read for a specific purpose
Novik has a way of writing that combines between the refined classics and the heart of romanticism.
I loved Temeraire
if he were a human, this would be "insta-love", "fated mates"
his sudden take with Laurance, his possessiveness and attachment is quite endearing
but most important
Aside from the original Dragon books, Dragon Riders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, this is the basis for all following dragon books that discuss the bond between a rider and his/her dragon
I even detect the influence it has on animation movies such as "How to Train Your Dragon" 😅😅
I was quite surprised to read that, in a book influenced by true historical events of the Napoleonic war, female aviators (dragon riders) were a natural fact.
In short, this book is the foundation on how a Dragon's bond with his/her rider is forged and strengthened.
if someone told me that I would be enjoying a book that is merely showing how a bond between a dragon and his rider forms, no romance, no trials, no riddles....I'd call them delusional
but here we are
I absolutely loved reading this book.
I must confess, this would be enjoyed when read for a specific purpose
Novik has a way of writing that combines between the refined classics and the heart of romanticism.
I loved Temeraire
if he were a human, this would be "insta-love", "fated mates"
his sudden take with Laurance, his possessiveness and attachment is quite endearing
but most important
Aside from the original Dragon books, Dragon Riders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, this is the basis for all following dragon books that discuss the bond between a rider and his/her dragon
I even detect the influence it has on animation movies such as "How to Train Your Dragon" 😅😅
I was quite surprised to read that, in a book influenced by true historical events of the Napoleonic war, female aviators (dragon riders) were a natural fact.
In short, this book is the foundation on how a Dragon's bond with his/her rider is forged and strengthened.
brisingr's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, okay, okay okay. This is what I'm talking about.
The life of the captain Will Laurence of the Royal Marine changes the moment he finds at the board of a french ship a dragon egg. Suddenly becoming the captain of Temeraire, the smart dragon coming out of this surprising egg, Laurence has to change his way of living, now bonded to the skies rather than the seas.
Terry Brooks of the New York Times says: Just as you thought you've seen every existing type of dragon stories, Naomi Novik proves you wrong". And oh, this is so true!! In this book, we follow the napoleonic wars in a world where dragons have lived from the longest time. In China, dragons have been cherished long before the romans even managed to form any kind of bond with them; Hell is seen as dragons burning the world to the ground and everything is carefully constructed around this simple notion: trying to co-exist with dragons since the beggining of the human race. And it's fascinating, because everything makes sense and proves to be an awesome alternative to the history we know from school. Also, the mechanisms around fighting dragons are all also very interesting and it makes an incredible picture. The dragons are all very different and portrayed so lovingly that my adoration towards this fantastic race could only bloom after reading this book.
Temeraire, as the dragon, is a joy to read about! He's my favorite character and I adore his personality so, so much! He is so smart and so interested and so liberal in his views, but also caring and he makes such a loveable character, that it's probably hard to have many come close to him. Basically, I need Temeraire as my best friend!!
Unfortunately, this title goes to Laurence, who is also a really nice character, easy to get and easy to love, I adored his rightness and how much care he put in each of his tasks and words. His bond with Temeraire is so, so great and actually, each of the captains' bond with their dragons proves enjoyable to read about, seeing all the different type of treatment, but the same love and mutual respect blooming between most of them. I feel like somehow, in this book, the notion of soul mates is touched exactly in the relationships between humans and dragons, it's such a raw and fragile thing, but so nurturing and important to both sides. It's a friendship taken to the limits, between species and against the passing time and all the harsh and pitiful words.
What I also really like is that, no matter the screen time, all characters prove themselves to be both bad and good, both wrong and right, and even if they did take questionable decisions, they're all great in the fact that they're molded after our everyday encounters; you find out in the pages of this book the same type of people you find out while being out in the world, and THIS is always a very big plus on my list.
I liked the writing style, it really captivated me, there are some really great fighting/war scenes and a lot of breath taking or heart breaking moments, and Naomi Novik manages to say what's important in simple words and she captures the heart of the reader in such way that the pages just fly by and to be honest, all I could think about is where the next adventure will take my favorite human-dragon duo (*collective gasp* yes i did call them my favorite after only the first book).
This book does feel like it's just the beggining, of course, it ends with a lot to still be explained and it leaves open the space to build an epic adventure featuring a dragon from the greatest species in the world. It is promising, I can't wait to read the next volumes (oups, gotta have them first!) and I am definitely adding Naomi Novik's fantastic imaginary worlds to things to look out for.
This book held me at the edge of my seat all the way and it only took it 10 pages to earn my heart, so if you love fantasy (and dragons, especially), God, please try this series!
The life of the captain Will Laurence of the Royal Marine changes the moment he finds at the board of a french ship a dragon egg. Suddenly becoming the captain of Temeraire, the smart dragon coming out of this surprising egg, Laurence has to change his way of living, now bonded to the skies rather than the seas.
Terry Brooks of the New York Times says: Just as you thought you've seen every existing type of dragon stories, Naomi Novik proves you wrong". And oh, this is so true!! In this book, we follow the napoleonic wars in a world where dragons have lived from the longest time. In China, dragons have been cherished long before the romans even managed to form any kind of bond with them; Hell is seen as dragons burning the world to the ground and everything is carefully constructed around this simple notion: trying to co-exist with dragons since the beggining of the human race. And it's fascinating, because everything makes sense and proves to be an awesome alternative to the history we know from school. Also, the mechanisms around fighting dragons are all also very interesting and it makes an incredible picture. The dragons are all very different and portrayed so lovingly that my adoration towards this fantastic race could only bloom after reading this book.
Temeraire, as the dragon, is a joy to read about! He's my favorite character and I adore his personality so, so much! He is so smart and so interested and so liberal in his views, but also caring and he makes such a loveable character, that it's probably hard to have many come close to him. Basically, I need Temeraire as my best friend!!
Unfortunately, this title goes to Laurence, who is also a really nice character, easy to get and easy to love, I adored his rightness and how much care he put in each of his tasks and words. His bond with Temeraire is so, so great and actually, each of the captains' bond with their dragons proves enjoyable to read about, seeing all the different type of treatment, but the same love and mutual respect blooming between most of them. I feel like somehow, in this book, the notion of soul mates is touched exactly in the relationships between humans and dragons, it's such a raw and fragile thing, but so nurturing and important to both sides. It's a friendship taken to the limits, between species and against the passing time and all the harsh and pitiful words.
What I also really like is that, no matter the screen time, all characters prove themselves to be both bad and good, both wrong and right, and even if they did take questionable decisions, they're all great in the fact that they're molded after our everyday encounters; you find out in the pages of this book the same type of people you find out while being out in the world, and THIS is always a very big plus on my list.
I liked the writing style, it really captivated me, there are some really great fighting/war scenes and a lot of breath taking or heart breaking moments, and Naomi Novik manages to say what's important in simple words and she captures the heart of the reader in such way that the pages just fly by and to be honest, all I could think about is where the next adventure will take my favorite human-dragon duo (*collective gasp* yes i did call them my favorite after only the first book).
This book does feel like it's just the beggining, of course, it ends with a lot to still be explained and it leaves open the space to build an epic adventure featuring a dragon from the greatest species in the world. It is promising, I can't wait to read the next volumes (oups, gotta have them first!) and I am definitely adding Naomi Novik's fantastic imaginary worlds to things to look out for.
This book held me at the edge of my seat all the way and it only took it 10 pages to earn my heart, so if you love fantasy (and dragons, especially), God, please try this series!
bookwyrm76's review against another edition
4.0
I have friends who claim to not be fantasy readers, but continually end up loving and choosing a fantasy book as their favorite of the year. I always tell them that they should just get over themselves and admit to being a fantasy reader. Well, I'm kind of finding myself in that situation with military fiction and historic fiction fantasy. I pretty much loath historical fiction, though I love history. I, also, never thought of myself as a military fiction fan, but the last few I've read for work I have really enjoyed. Why this applied to His Majesty's Dragon? Well it fits in both catagories.
Set during the Napolianic Wars in a version of our world where the the British Royal Navy has the help of an airforce who ride dragons. Novik created interesting characters, both human and dragon, and maintained a nice balance between historic details and plot. One of the weaknesses I generally find in historic fiction is digressions on period details which intrupt the story. The parallel problem in fantasy is digressions on world building or mechanics of how the world works. Novak does a great job of giving enough detail through action, character attitude, and necessary dialog between characters to allow the reader to understand and feel the setting of the novel without bogging down the plot.
I finished this novel and promptply went to add book two, three, etc on my Nook wishlist. I was lucky enough to get book two on NY ComicCon! It's still in my to-read pile because of work obligations, but I'm still looking forward into reading more of this series.
Set during the Napolianic Wars in a version of our world where the the British Royal Navy has the help of an airforce who ride dragons. Novik created interesting characters, both human and dragon, and maintained a nice balance between historic details and plot. One of the weaknesses I generally find in historic fiction is digressions on period details which intrupt the story. The parallel problem in fantasy is digressions on world building or mechanics of how the world works. Novak does a great job of giving enough detail through action, character attitude, and necessary dialog between characters to allow the reader to understand and feel the setting of the novel without bogging down the plot.
I finished this novel and promptply went to add book two, three, etc on my Nook wishlist. I was lucky enough to get book two on NY ComicCon! It's still in my to-read pile because of work obligations, but I'm still looking forward into reading more of this series.
jennkei's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure about the style of writing which is specific to this time period but dragons! With squads! 3.5 stars.
kewwy's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0