From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1)

Naomi Novik

Start date: December 1, 2013

Finish date: December 31, 2013

Discussion: 2013 Reads

Why we're reading this: The ALT pick for December.
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2013 Reads

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What Members Thought

Jul 07, 2010 Sandi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, e-books

Call me crazy, but I like fantasy novels to be plausible. I like magic as long as it has an explanation or usage that seems "realistic" within its own fictional world. Mythological creatures need to make some sort of sense.

When Barnes & Noble offered the first book of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series as one of its Free Fridays books, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to read it for free. It has received so much praise from people who know their fantasy. I just have to say that it was okay, but it Call me crazy, but I like fantasy novels to be plausible. I like magic as long as it has an explanation or usage that seems "realistic" within its own fictional world. Mythological creatures need to make some sort of sense.

When Barnes & Noble offered the first book of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series as one of its Free Fridays books, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to read it for free. It has received so much praise from people who know their fantasy. I just have to say that it was okay, but it didn't wow me. The first part was really good, but it started dragging enough in the middle and the end that I started questioning the world Novik created and it started seeming really implausible.

The first thing that got me was the way dragons are hatched with a full command of the English language or whatever language they are exposed to in the egg. They not only know human language, they speak it. I'm pretty sure dragon physiology would not allow them to speak any human language. Novik doesn't even use the telepathic communication angle that other writers have used to work around this.

The second thing that got me was the feeding of dragons. They seemed to subsist on very little given their size and there were always plenty of cows and sheep around to keep them fed. Given the number of dragons in captivity, it seems like it would take an awful lot of resources to keep those dragons fed. I'm sure the environmental impact wouldn't be pretty.

I also wasn't convinced by the battle scenes. It just seems like it was impossibly difficult to fight a war from the back of a dragon, especially with all the harnesses.

There was a lot more that didn't convince me, but I won't go into it. However, I will say that Novik's formal prose was perfectly suited to the period of His Majesty's Dragon. She got the language right and never slipped into modern usage.

If you love dragons, you might love this take on them. I'm not a big fan though. This book was okay, but not great. I don't think I'll be reading the rest. ...more

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Sep 24, 2017 mina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I am never really fond of stories about dragons. Maybe because of previous disappointment in those stories, or maybe because I am afraid the dragon will be dead at the end or something. I hate sad stories.

Anyway, this is just a random book I picked from my Kindle apps library. Suddenly I already read 25% of it in one sitting. It was so engaging. I feel so involved and really want the main characters to be safe. The chemistry between Temeraire and Laurence is so strong and adorable. Not to mentio ...more

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Jun 14, 2009 Daniel rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

An enjoyable book, with a unique take on dragons as intelligent beasts who bond with their handlers to serve as beasts of war. It may sound familiar, but details and method of execution in the story make it something quite new in my experience of reading fantasy. The twist of setting the story within an ongoing war between forces of Britain and the French army as led by Napoleon is a lot of fun.

This is a fun read, and focused very tightly on the development of the relationship between the protag ...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Tanvir Muntasim rated it liked it

I had low expectations of this book, I mean, come on, an alternative history/fantasy about Napoleonic wars when both sides have dragons? Strange premise, but Novik pulls it off brilliantly. Her command of British mannerisms is uncanny and reminded me of some of the top Victorian fiction. I also never thought I would find a dragon adorable, but Temeriaire really is, and much more than Laurence, the human protagonist. Light and quick read, and I am looking forward to the next books in the series.

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Dec 14, 2012 Alec rated it really liked it

While getting me to enjoy a book about dragons, manners, and the age of sail is obviously a bit of a low hanging fruit, this was a seriously entertaining book.

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Oct 22, 2008 Brenda rated it really liked it

I really liked this book. The style of writing was a bit different than what I'm used to with fantasy. It felt like it was written during the time the book was set in, which was kind of cool. The dragons were different than anything I've read, and were very interesting. I'm planning to read the rest of the series, even though I've heard they get worse from here. ...more

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