Temeraire (or His Majesty's Dragon outside the UK) is basically a lot of fun. I read it very quickly, and while it reminded me of other books about dragons (McCaffrey came to mind, obviously) it made a world of its own. The exclusion from society in coverts reminded me of the weyrs in McCaffrey's books, as did the importance of the hatching, but the dragons themselves are different. There are different breeds, much like dogs, and they speak aloud, not telepathically. The dragons are as much characters in themselves as their human partners. It's interesting that it's alternate history, and not pure fantasy. I have to wonder what made Naomi Novik think of that.

It's a world you can very easily get absorbed in, anyway. The characters are interesting, and I was quite pleased that there are actually strong female characters despite the setting. It's a nice touch that certain dragons will only accept female handlers.

I liked that the main character was pretty sure of himself and grown up by the time he came to bond with Temeraire. That makes it less 'a boy and a dragon against the world', and while Laurence obviously grows throughout the book, it's mostly Temeraire. It makes it a little different, really.

All in all, I'm pretty eager to get onto the next one.