Throne of Jade [Apr 25, 2019]

[Jenna, I'd be free if not for Temper & Edgewalker]

Throne of Jade - Naomi Novik

April 25, 2019.

[Elizabeth]

Starting it today.

[Siobhan]

Starting in the morning :)

[Terry]

I should be able to start tomorrow as well.

[Dustin]

Started yesterday.

Temeraire is terrifying and adorable in these first few chapters.

Also, love these audiobooks.

For those who are just reading and haven't been tainted by Vance, I'm curious whose voices you imagine for the main dragons and humans as you progress.

[Jessica]

Planning on starting this one tomorrow

[Terry]

Dustin wrote: "Started yesterday.

Temeraire is terrifying and adorable in these first few chapters.

Also, love these audiobooks.

For those who are just reading and haven't been tainted by Vance, I'm curious wh..."

Good question on the voices. I guess I hear Sean Connery's voice for all the male dragons...😁

[Siobhan]

Dustin wrote: "Started yesterday.

Temeraire is terrifying and adorable in these first few chapters.

Also, love these audiobooks.

For those who are just reading and haven't been tainted by Vance, I'm curious wh..."

I had such a distinct voice in my head for Temeraire, and I'm losing it now that I'm listening to the audio on reread! So annoyed with myself. I HATE the narrator's voice for him. But his Laurence is spot on haha (for me).

[Siobhan]

Chapter 1 - (view spoiler)[I love how black and white things are to Temeraire. At the end of the chapter he's all "if he tries to arrest you again I will kill him", so casual like XD
He's so cute! I love him colluding with Max and Lily, knowing they'll help him if needs be.
Anyway, as if Temeraire would just go back with the Chinese without Laurence. Pfft. Idiots. (hide spoiler)]

[Terry]

Siobhan wrote: "Dustin wrote: "Started yesterday.

Temeraire is terrifying and adorable in these first few chapters.

Also, love these audiobooks.

For those who are just reading and haven't been tainted by Vance,..."

Despite my joke earlier about the dragon voices ( which was a reference to the movie Dragonheart), I totally agree Siobhan! The narrator’s voice does not match the voice in my head from the first book.

[Terry]

Siobhan wrote: "Chapter 1 - ..."

They are so straightforward. (view spoiler)[ Almost, but not quite, like children who don’t understand... although, it’s not really like that. The intelligence is there.
And I like the idiots reference - too true! (hide spoiler)]

[Siobhan]

Terry wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "Dustin wrote: "Started yesterday.

Temeraire is terrifying and adorable in these first few chapters.

Also, love these audiobooks.

For those who are just reading and haven't been t..."

Haha sorry I totally missed your joke! I'm not familiar with that movie. 😅

[Siobhan]

Terry wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "Chapter 1 - ..."

They are so straightforward. Almost.."

I know what you mean. (view spoiler)[They are so intelligent but don't understand the seemingly arbitrary restraints of society. Things like proprietary and honour which Laurence is always so concerned with. I think it makes for excellent reading! Makes you question things as well. (hide spoiler)]

[Terry]

Siobhan wrote: "Terry wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "Chapter 1 - ..."

They are so straightforward. Almost.."

I know what you mean. [spoilers removed]"

I agree about excellent reading. (view spoiler)[ I think it makes their relationships seem more genuine too. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Just started this one today and totally agree with you guys so far. Loving the dynamic between Laurence and Temeraire!

[Dustin]

Terry wrote: " I guess I hear Sean Connery's voice for all the male dragons...😁"

I got the reference. I was actually considering him for Temeraire's instructor in the first book.

I recently asked this question for all dragon books and someone said something like:

"Sean Connery for all the male dragons and whoever played Saphira for the female dragons."

I don't know if that's a commentary on how few talking dragons we have in movies or not.

-------------

For those starting the audiobook with book 2, Vance actually started with a voice I liked more, but changed it as Temeraire aged.

But after reading these books a few times, I've wondered if Temeriaire wouldn't sound completely silly with a more dragon-y voice. His dialogue is often very childish. I imagine some of his lines with Smaug's (movie) voice and laugh. So I wonder if Vance changed the voice after realizing how Tem would talk.

There a brief sample of Temeraire's first voice at the end of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq1Af...

[Elizabeth]

I'm still on chapter one, haven't had any time to read lately.

[Bea]

Am I allowed to sneak in even though I already read it in advance?

Dustin wrote: "Started yesterday.

Temeraire is terrifying and adorable in these first few chapters.

Also, love these audiobooks.

For those who are just reading and haven't been tainted by Vance, I'm curious wh..."

Interesting question. I actually don't have a specific voice for the dragons in my head. I never really paid attention to this, but I never give mental voices to characters in general. I just use my own 'mind voice' to subvocally recite what they're saying 😅

[Jessica]

Elizabeth wrote: "I'm still on chapter one, haven't had any time to read lately."

No worries! Me too. Hoping to read more this weekend.

[Jessica]

Bea wrote: "Am I allowed to sneak in even though I already read it in advance?
... I just use my own 'mind voice' to subvocally recite what they're saying 😅"

lol lol that's usually how my reading works too.

[Terry]

I’m about 1/3 of the way through now, in ch5. I haven’t been as excited about this one so far. It’s a good story, just a little slow to this point it seems. Not bad, though.

[Siobhan]

Terry wrote: "I’m about 1/3 of the way through now, in ch5. I haven’t been as excited about this one so far. It’s a good story, just a little slow to this point it seems. Not bad, though."

I agree this one's a little slow. I remember the ending being worth it though. :)

[Dustin]

Siobhan wrote: "I agree this one's a little slow. I remember the ending being worth it though. :) "

In retrospect, I feel like the first was abnormally fast paced for the series. Which is probably why people tend to fall off this series. They think the paced has lost it's steam, but in reality, she probably spent far more time tightening up book one and the rest are just normal speed.

[Siobhan]

I adore this series on the whole and I'm glad I didn't let the pace put me off. I thought it worked well generally. :)

[Terry]

I finished. The ending was was worth it, Siobhan! Overall, I did enjoy it and went with 3.5 stars. I think for me, it’s not so much that the pacing was slower, (view spoiler)[ I just want more of the dragons! (Like everyone else, I’m sure 😊) There really was never any doubt, though, that Temeriare and Lawrence would win out in the end. (hide spoiler)]

I look forward to continuing on with the story. I did notice that the covers of the books seem to get better as we get into the later books. I’m excited about that, too! 🤓 (I couldn’t find a dragon nerd emoji...)

[Niki Hawkes, I made it past GOTM... barely]

Omg they sooo need a dragon nerd emoji. It would be my fav lol

[Jessica]

I'm almost finished. The pacing has been a bit slow, but I've been having fun watching Temeraire grow as a character though so the slowness hasn't bothered me much.

Hoping to finish the whole thing today. I really love this series so far and I'm curious to see how this one ends.

[Terry]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Omg they sooo need a dragon nerd emoji. It would be my fav lol"

Haha, I thought there might be a lot of us who would need one of those!

[Terry]

Jessica wrote: "I'm almost finished. The pacing has been a bit slow, but I've been having fun watching Temeraire grow as a character though so the slowness hasn't bothered me much.

Hoping to finish the whole thi..."

Me, too, Jessica.

[Jessica]

Just finished! Really enjoyed it, though (like others said) not as much as the first one.

(view spoiler)[But I am extra excited for the next book after that ending! Can't wait to see what kind of changes they try to make in Britain when they come back. Better, more fulfilling lives for dragons! (hide spoiler)]

[Terry]

Awesome, Jessica! I am wondering the same thing for the next one.

[Siobhan]

Chapter 10 - (view spoiler)[Temeraire is a little radical and I love it! I can't blame him for comparing dragons to slaves. Poor Laurence trying to explain the difference when Temeraire has got him thoroughly beat!
It was sad after he killed the sea serpent. Agree with him it is totally ignorant of humans to say it had no intelligence just because it didn't speak their language. Temeraire is so clever ❤️ (hide spoiler)]

[Siobhan]

Jessica wrote: "Just finished! Really enjoyed it, though (like others said) not as much as the first one.

[spoilers removed]"

I loved the ending too! It's exciting!

[Siobhan]

Finished! I enjoyed this just as much second time round :D

[Terry]

Excellent, Siobhan! These characters are so likable, it’s easy to enjoy.

[Jessica]

Glad you enjoyed it just as much on the re-read Siobhan!

[Dustin]

General overview (view spoiler)[ I never really noticed that the Chinese dragons are pretty much non-existent from our perspective. Lien has no dialogue and few scenes, Mei is equally evasive to us, Temeraire's...brother? has only one scene and never does anything. Tem's mother is the only exception and she only spends one scene with Laurence.

Laurence just isn't interested in interacting with dragons, which is fine, but it kind of hurts a dragon series, if the MC isn't interested in interacting with dragons and spends all of his non-Temeraire time interacting with humans.

But at the same time, it shows Tem is his own character because he has interactions and relationships that mean nothing to Laurence or us. He isn't just sitting around, waiting for an opportunity to be adorable. (hide spoiler)]

[Dustin]

End Spoilers:

(view spoiler)[And did anyone else think Mei was working for the baddies? (hide spoiler)]

[Terry]

Dustin wrote: "General overview ....."

All good points, Dustin. I hadn’t thought of those, but that all fits. On your end spoiler, (view spoiler)[ Mei’s role was so short, I didn’t really think much about him. Just my initial reaction, I would say I don’t think so. (hide spoiler)]

[Anni]

I finished yesterday :)

I was a little quiet throughout the whole read, but actually I think the story is relatively straightforward and there's not much to discuss.

I really enjoyed the book, Temeraire and Laurence are just adorable together! Still I agree with what most of you said, that the pacing was off... The first 3/4 of the book was rather slow and then everything happened all at once. Funnily the rushed ending bothered me more than the slow beginning :D

(view spoiler)[ And now Laurence is a Prince of China? Seriously? I'm not really sure I like that solution.

Also really good points Dustin, I think it would have been great to see more of the foreign dragons! (hide spoiler)]

Looking forward to see what will happen next with Temeraire trying to change things.

[Siobhan]

Sir Anni wrote: "I finished yesterday :)

I was a little quiet throughout the whole read, but actually I think the story is relatively straightforward and there's not much to discuss.

I really enjoyed the book, T..."

It's the solution to out solve all solutions!! 😂

[Terry]

Siobhan wrote: "Sir Anni wrote: "I finished yesterday :)

I was a little quiet throughout the whole read, but actually I think the story is relatively straightforward and there's not much to discuss.

I really en..."

Made it easy to satisfy everyone. I didn’t see it coming either.

[lorii (Loriidae)]

Finally making a start. I am almost through Chapter three. I read the first almost a year ago. It is an easy read and I am remembering details from the previous book fairly easily as they are mentioned in this one which is always a good thing.