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Black Powder War (Temeraire #3)

by Naomi Novik (Goodreads Author)

3.84 · rating details · 5,318 ratings · 384 reviews

“A splendid series.”
–Anne McCaffrey

“Naomi Novik has done for the Napoleonic Wars what Anne McCaffrey did for science fiction: constructed an alternate reality in which dragons are real in a saga that is impressively original, fully developed, and peopled with characters you care about.”
–David Weber, author of the Honor Harrington series

After their fateful adventure in Chin...more

Mass Market Paperback, 365 pages

Published May 30th 2006 by Del Rey

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Aug 03, 2011

Tracey rated it

Shelves: re-read, audiobook, libraryread-idm

Last read Feb 2008 - listening to audiobook Jul 2011

The third in the series - Temeraire, Laurenec and crew are sent on a mission to retrieve 2 dragon eggs from Istanbul, and must cross the width of Eurasia to do so. Along the way they endure privations, clash cultures with Middle Easterners, meet a band of feral dragons and (once they reach Europe again) become involved in military engagements.

I would have liked to have seen more of how the Arab culture dealt with dragons;...more

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Feb 02, 2008

Kevan rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This was another foray into the foreign culture and politics of the Napoleonic era, this time exploring first Istanbul and the Turkish people and then moving north to the crushing military defeat suffered by the Prussians at Napoleon's hands.

I'm sorry to say I think the author fell prey to her own fascination with the military history of the time and lost sight of what the reader's personal interests might be. The second part of the book, the Prussian campaign, dragged considerably....more

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Oct 11, 2007

Alex rated it

This book is a little more meandering than the other two, but she hasn't dried out her well of interesting ideas. There are several interesting new characters and the plot actually does move forward.

The dragons are again brilliant characters, who bring a unique perspective that differs not just from our own, but also in interesting ways from the point of view of the human characters. These conflicts form the moral center of this novel and are what really elevate it to a four, instead...more

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May 28, 2011

Suna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, maritime, dragon-fiction, alternate-history

Alright, I'm furious. I've read this one before. See my review for Temeraire, which I now realize was this book, complete with the wrong cover, the wrong title etc.
How can a publisher make a gargantuan mistake like that?

Cover: Temeraire.
Inside content: Black Powder War.

Also I now realize I have never read the actual first book before and have to go back and find a proper copy of it.

All the references of Laurence being made an aviator from naval cap...more

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Mar 26, 2009

Logan rated it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

A fine continuation of the series. Temeraire and Lawrence, after spending all of the previous book journeying to China, must now make haste to Turkey to retrieve some dragon eggs that Turkey has recently sold to the British Air Corps. There follows a fantastic trip down the spice roads that two centuries previously had led Marc Polo to Asia, easily the best part of the book. Sandstorms, camel thieves and feral dragons make for some interesting alternative history.

The story stagg...more

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Aug 02, 2010

Dennis D. rated it

· review of another edition

This is the third book of the 'Temeraire' series, the first of which was published here in the U.S. under the title His Majesty’s Dragon. The series so far is an alternate history of the Napoleonic War era that supposes Great Britain and France each have an "air force" consisting of sentient dragons. While not critical, knowing the both the dragon lore and the primary characters from the first two books in the series was helpful.

Capt. Will Laurence, the dragon Temeraire an...moreThis is the third book of the 'Temeraire' series, the first of which was published here in the U.S. under the title His Majesty’s Dragon. The series so far is an alternate history of the Napoleonic War era that supposes Great Britain and France each have an "air force" consisting of sentient dragons. While not critical, knowing the both the dragon lore and the primary characters from the first two books in the series was helpful.

Capt. Will Laurence, the dragon Temeraire and what's left of their crew are still in China, where they wound up at the conclusion of the second book, Throne of Jade. Here they receive orders to depart immediately for Istanbul to pick up three dragon eggs purchased from the Sultan, and return with the eggs to England. This isn’t as easy as it should be, however, as the carrier ship that is supposed to take them home is in a Chinese dry dock for several months' worth of repairs. As a result, Capt. Laurence instead hires the mysterious Tharkay as a guide to lead Temeraire and the crew overland, where they battle the desert, feral dragons and treachery in the mountains of the Ottoman Empire, only to find Napoleon, his Grand Armée and a new archrival, Lien, the albino celestial dragon introduced last time around, standing between them and England.

Novik’s writing seems to improve with each book, and many of the characters here are much more thoroughly realized than in previous entries. She does a good job portraying Will's struggles with decision-making, in what is still his relatively short-lived command. Tharkay is somewhat of a cipher, but I'd allow that that is probably by design. Novik also devises some clever uses for dragons during wartime, especially by the French, that are more elaborate than just sending them crashing into enemy lines.

My only knock is that like the previous book, I felt this one dragged a little bit in the middle. It seemed like after a fast and promising start, too many pages in the middle were spent on Will, Temeraire and crew just waiting around for the events which would propel them into the final action. Also, although this book and its predecessors were originally marketed as three parts of a trilogy, Black Powder War wasn’t as conclusive as I’d expect the final chapter or a trilogy to be. It wrapped up in a hurry, and was definitely open-ended enough to leave no doubt as to whether or not there would be further adventures. This is a minor quibble with an otherwise entertaining book.
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Nov 09, 2011

Jessica rated it

Here we pick up with Laurence and Temeraire who are still in China. They have been granted permission to stay together as captain and dragon. Shortly though they receive word that they must go immediately to get 3 dragon eggs. This book follows their progress through the wilderness with a guide that seems to be coming and going and likely betraying them. They meet up with some feral dragons who Temeraire talks into coming with them. They lose some gain the eggs and leave quickly since they had t...more

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Oct 25, 2011

El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 04-eltemplo, criticas-literarias

"Para quien no la conozca, contaremos que la saga de Temerario tiene un planteamiendo muy original: una versión de nuestro mundo en la cual los dragones existen, como una especie más, igual que existen los perros, los caballos o los delfines. Y, naturalmente, en la Europa de principios del siglo XIX, en plena guerra contra Napoleón, los dragones de la Fuerza Aérea británica son un arma poderosa. En el primer volumen, El dragón de Su Majestad, el capitán de barco Will Laurence interceptaba u...more

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Dec 22, 2008

Angela rated it

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Black Powder War has a definite "middle of a series" flavor about it--not unlike trying to read one of the Aubrey-Maturins. It reads a lot more like a series of unrelated episodes than one big plot. But as with Patrick O'Brian, if you think about it as one big ongoing story, that makes it less jarring! Plus, there's lots more goodness here with Novik's dragons, interesting glimpses into how more cultures besides Britain treat their dragons, and some new and entertaining characters both...more

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Apr 18, 2011

Nuranar rated it

Shelves: adventure, alternate-universe, historical, war

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This third entry in the Temaeraire series began promisingly. Still in the Far East, our protagonists received an urgent summons to return to England by way of Turkey. Since they elected to return overland, the opening of the book was rife with possibilities of both adventure and intrigue - in a phrase, the "spy stuff" that I still adore. The prologue, in addition, introduced a deadly antagonist, and I kept reading in great anticipation of the conflict and eventual victory at the end of...moreThis third entry in the Temaeraire series began promisingly. Still in the Far East, our protagonists received an urgent summons to return to England by way of Turkey. Since they elected to return overland, the opening of the book was rife with possibilities of both adventure and intrigue - in a phrase, the "spy stuff" that I still adore. The prologue, in addition, introduced a deadly antagonist, and I kept reading in great anticipation of the conflict and eventual victory at the end of the book.

The overland journey was surprisingly brief, in retrospect. It was interesting, and there were adventures along the way, but nothing particularly notable. I was vaguely disappointed when they arrived in Istanbul after only a few chapters.

The time in Istanbul did not involve spy stuff so much as the worst kind of criminal activity, permitted by bureaucracy and timid diplomacy. The Gordian knot was cut, but the final adventure came with a shock that at least for me left a nasty flavor. I did not enjoy the sequence. Nor did the protagonists, of course; but surely it could have been written or plotted better. The time in China was worse for the protagonists, but while I felt for them just as much, I wasn't dragged down by it. Somehow she kept my interest up more. This part of the book lacked suspense, and without suspense, it was simply frustration.

The last half of the book I did not enjoy at all. Novik chose to enmesh her protagonists in the Prussian army shortly before their disastrous defeat by Napoleon at Jena, and to keep them in the long retreat and failure for the rest of the book. I have only the vaguest ideas of the progress of the Napoleonic Wars, but I had an inkling shortly after they arrived in Prussia, and knew for certain when the village of Jena was first mentioned. After that it was just a question of time - how long would they be stuck in this long defeat? More unforgivably, the protagonists do so little. They are little more than observers of Prussia's defeat. Their particular antagonist's work goes completely unopposed.

Still, I reserved judgment until the end. I've read many books that I did not particularly enjoy until the end, when the climax makes it all worth it and adds far more meaning. Instead, this climax felt rather flat. As a climax, it wasn't much; there was some tension, but the protagonists plotted almost too well. For the type of book I knew they wouldn't outright fail; but I do expect some serious in-spite-of-myself doubt. And in context of the book as a whole, it did not bring to closure anything but the protagonists' time in Europe. Unlike the previous two books, I did not put it down with a happy and wistful sigh.

I think the major flaw is the overall lack of suspense. The overland journey begins with a lot of suspense, but I found it failed to deliver much. Istanbul was more frustrating than exciting. Again, this is striking compared to Novik's plotting in Throne of Jade. The settings are similar - mewed up in royal/imperial quarters, denied their objectives by polite double-talking obstructionism - but although the China sequence went on much longer, I read the entire time looking forward to what would happen next. That didn't happen in Istanbul. And the last half felt like a blow-by-blow account of Valley Forge or something. (Not quite that bad - at least they were moving!) But it was just as depressing and ultimately seems pointless.

I am somewhat holding out hope that this book is (somewhat unexpectedly) going to function as a bridge. The first two were really well plotted: the first by setting up a fascinating situation within a fascinating world; and the second by taking a pivotal factor from the first and developing - and resolving - it masterfully. The antagonist introduced in this book comes from the second, and could have unified the plot; instead, the antagonist is a mostly-impersonal factor in a more nebulous plot that really isn't resolved. It left me with the feeling that Novik found her characters at loose ends, and tried to get up steam again by dragging them into the mainstream of the war. I am hoping, however, that she does have a greater plot in mind, and that Black Powder War turns out to be a building block in that plot.(less)

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Sep 15, 2010

Benjamin Thomas rated it

Shelves: fantasy

During my lunch break today, I finished up Black Powder War, the third in Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" series. This is a solid entry in the series and, fortunately, a bit more balanced than the previous book. This novel takes the main characters from China to Turkey where they have orders to obtain 3 dragon eggs and transport them back to England. These aren't just any eggs, but a particular breed of fire breathing dragons which would ultimately give England a strategic leg up on Napolean...moreDuring my lunch break today, I finished up Black Powder War, the third in Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" series. This is a solid entry in the series and, fortunately, a bit more balanced than the previous book. This novel takes the main characters from China to Turkey where they have orders to obtain 3 dragon eggs and transport them back to England. These aren't just any eggs, but a particular breed of fire breathing dragons which would ultimately give England a strategic leg up on Napolean's forces. Of course nothing is ever that easy and sure enough, multiple adventures ensue. They end up in German lands in time for the battle of Jena.

It is nice to see this series incorporating real historical events in an authentic way. Ms Novik continues to excel at building an extremely believable fantasy landscape. This is the real historical record, with the added addition of dragons. Normally, that would be pretty difficult to pull off but her dragons are so well thought out that they seemlessly interface with the "normal" society. More importantly, the story continues to excel with compelling, sympathetic characters. She shows the brutal reality of war with corresponding loss of life (and yes, some characters we know from the past do not survive this battle) and yet the novel is not at all a "war" novel. The characters, especially Lawrence and Temeraire continue to grow and mature in their thinking, and themes that began in the last book continue here. For example, the nature of how dragons are treated by different cultures, whether they should be servants or equals, is examined further.

These first three books of the series, according to Ms Novik's own blog, were held by the publisher until all were ready for publication as a way of launching the series. Consequently, many people believed them to be a trilogy. This third novel though, does little to wrap up anything but does spur interest in the next book. I am thankful for that as these books should be coming out at around one per year for quite a while to come. Already there are a total of 5 published volumes with more planned.(less)

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May 28, 2010

April rated it

Shelves: action, dragons, female-author, male-pov, history-rewritten, series, world-5-stars

My least favorite of the three books. Half of it is put to getting the eggs. Most of the danger didn't even come from the trip, which they had said was so dangerous. Of course they had a great guide. There wasn't as much action in this one, which was expressed more in the part where there even was war, to Temeraire's great sadness. Laurence doesn't have any contact with the Aerial Corps, adding questions. I guess that to put the war with Napoleon and the French in England would give so much more...more

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Jun 25, 2009

Gordon rated it

Well, it may have taken me a month to read this with everything else going on (Whistler biking trip, work, house prep) but it was worth it.

I think this is the first Novik/Temeraire worth 4 stars (although I am harsh and reserve the right to reduce to 3). (Of course, after writing this I realize I've already given all three of the Novik books 4 stars now, so I must be thinking of bfp stars, which are one star harsher. So b*gger it, I'm giving this one 5).

The only negativ...more

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May 05, 2009

Stefan rated it

Shelves: fantasy, library-loan

The first book of this series, His Majesty's Dragon, is an enjoyable alternate history fantasy in which the Napoleonic Wars are changed by the addition of an air force, comprised of domesticated dragons. It's an enjoyable and tightly written book, well researched and written in (what appears to my layman's eye) a historically accurate style. I enjoyed the story of Laurence, a naval captain who accidentally captures a rare dragon's egg and becomes Temeraire's - the dragon's - captain and compan...more

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Sep 19, 2011

Jen Moore rated it

This series is just irreversibly awesome. After spending a whole book in China exploring cultural attitudes and expectations (and turning Temeraire into a raving revolutionary), we now crawl all the way back across the continent, with a brief stopover in Istanbul, just in time for the disastrous Prussian campaign of 1806. Disastrous for Prussia, that is. Bonaparte was kicking ass and taking names, and Novik does a great job of portraying the situation - you can really understand why everyone wa...more This series is just irreversibly awesome. After spending a whole book in China exploring cultural attitudes and expectations (and turning Temeraire into a raving revolutionary), we now crawl all the way back across the continent, with a brief stopover in Istanbul, just in time for the disastrous Prussian campaign of 1806. Disastrous for Prussia, that is. Bonaparte was kicking ass and taking names, and Novik does a great job of portraying the situation - you can really understand why everyone was so convinced that Bonaparte was going to take over the world. (But now we come to the problem with historical fantasy: these battles are going to stick in my head, despite the fact that I know perfectly well that Bonaparte did not really have a Chinese dragon assisting him with his aerial strategy. Although if one had been available, I'm sure he would have happily taken her advice.)

There's some more lovely character development in Black Powder War as well, as Granby gets to take more of a central role and Laurence grows more sympathetic to Temeraire's cause (and even without reading the summaries for later books, I could tell you that is going to get him in trouble one of these days). We're also introduced to Tharkay, the half-English/half-Nepalese guide who leads Temeraire and crew back across the Himalayas and into Turkey; Arkady, the leader of a pack of feral dragons; and my favorite, Iskierka, the newly-hatched fire-breather. (I love the baby dragons; they're so enthusiastic.)

This series reminds me very strongly of both the Sharpe and the Aubrey/Maturin series (and what greater praise I could give it I don't know), not only in setting but in the episodic way the stories are told. There are definitely character arcs holding them all together, but the different situations the characters find themselves in means that the tone can shift quite rapidly - from, for instance, the explorer-adventure feel of the Himalayan crossing to the awful depressing repetition of the Prussian war, all in one (relatively short) book. It makes them a little hard to review, but tremendous fun to read.(less)

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Aug 08, 2007

Julie rated it

Shelves: read-in-2007, read-since-august-2006, fantasy-sf

I finally finished this book after having lost it for a goodly number of months. This is as strong as previous books in the series, but sadder, grimmer. I like how Novik is tackling the problem of enslaved dragons (after I read the first book, I said "that's all well and good, but these dragons are enslaved." The friend who gave me the books assured me that the subject would come up later, and he was right), and Temeraire continues to be a strong, delightful character.

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Sep 18, 2011

Kate Millin rated it

· review of another edition

I like the way in which Temeraire's character and personality are developing in these books. It is also interesting to see how his relationship with Will is developing.
The book is starting to develop some interesting themes about freedom and civil rights - in this case for dragons not races. It is an interesting way of tackling some difficult subjects.
This does not take away from the readability and interest in the novel, but adds extra levels
After their fateful adventure in C...more

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Aug 01, 2010

Erin rated it

Shelves: fantasy, historical, adult, fiction

While I enjoy this series quite a bit, I found this one more difficult to get into than the previous two. Set still in China, the beginning seems a little awkward, likely to get Captain Lawrence and Temeraire away from sea travel for some inland adventures. Unfortunately, the crossing of the desert is nice but not as good as the bits about serving with the Prussian army. The desert parts are a little plodding, although not greatly so, and the wild dragons for some reason, perhaps an intention...more

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Dec 28, 2011

Justin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fall-2011

Yeah.. I'm glad I've been taking my time reading this series. The plots change but the plot layout is exactly the same. Always worst case scenarios and M. Night Shamylan plot twists. They're fun to read but getting steadily more predictable and with that, bit by bit more dull and unappealing.

I like this installment in the Temeraire series because more dragons were introduced, if only for a short part of the novel. Not so much the fact that the crew's trek across the desert read almos...more

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Sep 12, 2011

Stephanie Fischer rated it

Bottom line: I loved this book. I'm a huge fan of the series, and this was surely not a letdown.
Pros: I loved the action. Naomi's writing skills are always a pro to me, but that's a given, and she surely didn't let down in this book. The action sequences were intense and believable, especially with the deaths (however heartbreaking they may be... *ahem* Digby *ahem*) of many well-known characters. Tharkay was a huge hit with me, possibly because I am drawn inexplicably to mystery and comple...more

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Sep 05, 2010

Vanessa Christenson rated it

Shelves: fantasy

Sequel to Throne of Jade, Laurence and Temeraire are finally able to leave China and return home, but before they can do just that, they receive orders to retrieve three eggs from Turkey. Laurence doesn't understand why the orders come to them when England is not only closer, but the English leaders couldn't know that the Chinese would allow Temeraire to leave. A series of events unfold, including traveling through China and the middle east, arriving in Turkey to find an unexpected enemy, and fi...moreSequel to Throne of Jade, Laurence and Temeraire are finally able to leave China and return home, but before they can do just that, they receive orders to retrieve three eggs from Turkey. Laurence doesn't understand why the orders come to them when England is not only closer, but the English leaders couldn't know that the Chinese would allow Temeraire to leave. A series of events unfold, including traveling through China and the middle east, arriving in Turkey to find an unexpected enemy, and fighting the French in Germany.

The albino Celestial dragon, Lien, was the companion of the Chinese prince who was killed--the same prince who tried to have Laurence murdered so Temeraire would no longer be attached to a non-royal companion. She is certain it's Temeraire's fault that the prince died, and in her thirst for revenge, Lien travels ahead of Temeraire to find a way to make his life miserable. Determined to destroy everything that is important to Temeraire including England and his friends there, she joins Napoleon's army, becoming a trusted advisor.

So much traveling and the multitude of little things that happen along the way make the book feel more disjointed than the first two. This also makes the setting, while interesting, without depth as there's not a lot of consistency in locations. There is the main goal--to get back to England with the Turkish eggs--but so much happens in between that long before the end I was ready for the story to finally resolve.

In Black Powder War we meet feral dragons for the first time, even though they are mentioned (with disdain) in the previous books. The appendix selection in this book mention ferals as completely mindless creatures, but of course we learn otherwise in the story. Novik portrays the prejudice against dragons heavy-handedly at times, but it's very applicable to the time period, when white men were so assured of their self-importance that they were unable to see that others were capable of equal intelligence and aptitude. Temeraire continues his campaign for the freedom of dragons, and the Turkish dragons seem open, but the Prussian dragons write him off as a nut job and he doesn't understand why they don't seem to care. Eventually he comes to understand that timing and patience is everything, and being a young dragon this is disappointing and difficult for him.

As in previous books the most fascinating characters are Temeraire and Laurence, but other characters come to the fore, including the mysterious bi-racial (English/Chinese) Tharkay, their guide through China and into Turkey; and the loyal Granby, Laurence's first lieutenant, whose complex emotions about their situation are interesting to watch unfold.

A large part of the last third of the book involves Napoleon's war with the Prussians. Temeraire, Laurence, and their crew are commandeered for duty when twenty promised dragons from England never arrive. Napoleon's new ally, Lien, provides new tactics the Corsican general uses to his advantage against the straight-laced, but formidable Prussian army. As history tells us, the entire campaign is a disaster for the Prussians; Temeraire and Laurence are caught up by the ineptness of the Prussian leadership, and are trapped as they try to leave the continent. But it turns out they still have a few aces up their sleeves and use unconventional means to save themselves and their precious cargo.
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Dec 20, 2010

Caleb rated it

Shelves: historical-fiction, steampunk, z-2010-read

This is the third book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire Novels.

Another great addition to the series. This book picks up right where the last one left off. Plenty of action and intrigue to keep you guessing and a dollop of real world events to keep the mood & flavor of the era. In short a good all-around book.

That being said, I wonder where the series is headed. This book ended on a bit of a down note. Those of you history buff out there already know how our history played out duri...more

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Jan 05, 2011

Natalie rated it

Shelves: science-fiction-and-fantasy

The third book in the Temeraire Series is not bad, but not as good as the first. As you can tell from the title, the book mostly concerns a war and we return to Europe and Napoleon. It once again introduces a large number of new characters while retaining several old ones. I feel that Laurence is best appreciated against other British people, where their humor is best illuminated. Temeraire is also most likeable with other dragons.
Temeraire develops an increasingly radical political consci...more

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Jun 22, 2011

Bjoernlars rated it

Shelves: fantasy

So far in the entire series I would have to say that this book is my favorite so far. The key point we be that the author is able to keep a nice steady pace of interest throughout the entire book. In the previous two books, the beginning and the end of the book contained the exciting parts, while the middle was development that had a hard time keeping my interest.

The entire arc of this story is of Laurence and Temeraire traveling across land from China back home to England and all th...more

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Apr 28, 2011

Michael rated it

Shelves: alternate-history, fantasy

Captain Will Laurence of His Majesty's Aerial Corps and his exceedingly clever partner dragon Temeraire are fresh from the harrowing climax of their adventure in Imperial China when an urgent communications from Britain calls them on a desperate new mission. To accomplish this task, they must brave a treacherous overland trek across Asia, solve a political mystery in Istanbul, and get caught up in Emperor Napoleon's invasion of Prussia.

The epic tale of Captain Laurence and Temeraire co...more

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Nov 24, 2009

Donna rated it

Shelves: fantasy, historical, library, –read-in-2009

As Laurence and Temeraire prepare to leave China, they receive urgent orders that lead them to head back west by the faster but more dangerous land route. On their return to Europe, they have a pair of adventures that involve dragon eggs, broken agreements, and surprising allies.

This is the second book in a row that doesn't include much from the side characters introduced in the first novel. There are several new characters, both human and dragon, and one of them quickly became a fav...more

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May 30, 2009

Keegan rated it

Shelves: fantasy

So I thought I was only reading this books because my husband was excited about them, but while we were reading this one I realized that I'm actually enjoying them too. The thing that bugs me on this book is discovered by reading it aloud though. The first two books we listened to while traveling, but we couldn't get this one on CD while we could get it in paperback at the library. My husband doesn't love to read aloud and I don't mind it, except I did with this book. What was the deal with the ...more

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Apr 02, 2009

Saga rated it

This is one of those few series that has kept me entertained volume after volume. This is probably due to the non-stereotypical setting, the main cast being adults and therefore rather more interesting than than some sociopathic orphan farmboys, and the likability of the dragons. I'm constantly reminded of Inheritance while reading this, and the stellarly striking difference in the relationship between the dragons and their riders. Frankly, I kept avoiding dragon-related books after the torturou...more

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Jun 06, 2009

Thermalsatsuma rated it

Shelves: book-a-week-2009

More hot dragon action in the Napoleonic era, and very much a book of two halves. The first section involves a lengthy overland journey from China where Captain Laurence and his dragon Temeraire finished up at the end of the previous volume before getting involved in a convoluted conspiracy in Istanbul where they had been ordered to collect some dragon eggs.

This plotline sort of fizzles out and doesn't really get explained, but the end of the book really picks up the action with the ...more

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Apr 27, 2009

Evan rated it

A good third chapter to this series. We see Temeraire and Laurence called to Turkey to retrieve dragon eggs promised to the British Empire, but things aren't going as planned. And after a daring adventure to claim the eggs for Britain, they find themselves right at the frontlines of a battle between Prussia and Napoleon's forces. The introduction of several new characters, both human and dragon, plus the solidification of Lien from the previous book as the series primary villain (aside from N...more

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About Naomi Novik

An avid reader of fantasy literature since age six, when she first made her way through The Lord of the Rings, Naomi Novik is also a history buff with a particular interest in the Napoleonic era and a fondness for the work of Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen. She studied English literature at Brown University, and did graduate work in computer science at Columbia University before leaving to partic...more

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Trivia About Black Powder War

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Quotes from Black Powder War

“It is quite uninteresting; that is why one comes out."
— Temeraire, on being inside an egg” — 35 people liked it

“I will see you bereft of all that you have, of home and happiness and beautiful things. I will see your nation cast down and your allies drawn away. I will see you as alone and friendless and wretched as am I; and then you may live as long as you like, in some dark and lonely corner of the earth, and I shall call myself content.

-Lien, Albino Celestial (Dragon) ” — 17 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91989.Black_Powder_War?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320466792m/91989.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91989.Black_Powder_War?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Black Powder War by Naomi Novik[/url]

Black Powder War (Temeraire #3)

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