Throne of Jade [Apr 22, 2021]

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

Throne of Jade - Naomi Novik

April 22, 2021.
Requested by Shaitarn.

[Tawallah]

I will join in for this one. I am eager to continue this series.

[Rlygirl]

Oooo. More dragons. I'm in.

[Shaitarn]

Marking my spot.

[Rob]

I"m in as well!

[S.M.]

Me too!

[Rob]

Starting a wee bit early since I have another Buddyread starting the 25th.

[Hailee]

Due to an unexpected boss battle in my Avengers year long challenge I needed to start this yesterday.

I'm at the end of chapter 8.

It's only reading this for a second time that I appreciate how many seemingly insignificant events are actually clues to what will become important events in later books. So much fun to read this with the benefit of hindsight.

[Rob]

Hailee wrote: "Due to an unexpected boss battle in my Avengers year long challenge I needed to start this yesterday.

I'm at the end of chapter 8.

It's only reading this for a second time that I appreciate how m..."
Avengers Challenge? What's that?
I'm up to Chapter 3in this. (view spoiler)[Far from shocking that Laurenes and Temeraire complaining that they would end up just both going with the Chinese. Now just have to see what happens from here! (hide spoiler)]

[Hailee]

Its a year long reading challenge. You have to complete books to fulfil the challenges on each Avengers bingo board and when it is complete you add that Avenger to your team and can then use their special ability to help you complete other boards. Each month new bingo boards are announced.

There are monthly group books that gain you special items and are the only books that you can use on multiple boards.

And there are monthly boss battles that gain you rewards.

I need to update it a bit but here is my thread for the challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Hailee]

I finished this a few hours ago.

So much set up in this book for how the series progresses and I loved it.

(view spoiler)[I'm glad the prince got what he deserved. Temeraire's reaction to Laurence getting stabbed was well depicted I think. (hide spoiler)]

I didn't write down many spoilers since I needed to rush to read it within 36 hours but as people read it I'll haunt the thread and discuss it.

[S.M.]

Started a day early.

Pretty straight forward first chapter, but I did like what seems to be the main conflict of the book.

(view spoiler)[Tem snatching Laurence and then up, up, and away is definitely one way to solve yet complicate the problem. There is a grimdark version of this that solves and complicates with claws and divine wind -- but this works just fine :) (hide spoiler)]

[Shaitarn]

I'm going to be a bit late as I'm behind on my reads at the moment.

[Rlygirl]

Chapter 1 & 2 were awesome. Temeraire is behaving like a little spit fire but I can't help chuckling at his actions so far and understand how he's feeling! And btw, Cpt. Jane Roland is a bad a**. If she were a real person, I would love to have her as a friend.

[Rob]

I finished but will comment as you all go along..

I keep picturing Laurence as looking like Ross Poldark (well Aidan Turner)

[Rlygirl]

I don't know if Novik mentioned it in the first book or not but my mind firmly imagines Laurence with blonde hair pulled back into a queue. :D

[Rlygirl]

So might be a silly question... I don't see this book in the "currently reading" page of our FBR group... can I safely assume the End Date is 3 weeks from April 22nd?

[S.M.]

I’m well ahead of this point now but.. this line made me laugh:

“I am sorry they did not all fall in,” Temeraire muttered, quietly for a twenty-ton dragon; which was to say, not very.”

[Rlygirl]

Lol. Yes, Temeraire is not very successful at whispering at all. I actually finished the book today too, so I'm ahead of schedule. Biggest take-away: for a book that was 80% about a long trip sailing to China, Novik did a phenomenal job of keeping the plot moving and keeping events aboard the ship interesting enough so that the trip didn't feel too monotonous. I tend to fall asleep reading about sailing, and I didn't in this book.

[Rob]

Yes, definitely getting a sense that each book is definitely its own "self-contained", short time focused adventure. So 80% on a boat is accurate :)

Rlygirl - stay away from Patrick O'Brian and the Master and Commander then. I once took the plunge on those around the time the movie came out and definitely nodded off enough not to continue though I'm always tempted to try again.

[Rlygirl]

Rob wrote: "Yes, definitely getting a sense that each book is definitely its own "self-contained", short time focused adventure. So 80% on a boat is accurate :)

Rlygirl - stay away from Patrick O'Brian and th..."

Lol, good to know!

[Shaitarn]

I started this late after being in a bit of a reading slump and should finish this weekend. I'm enjoying it so far. I can't believe for a second that Temeraire is going to abandon Laurence, no matter how many honours the Chinese lavish on him, and Laurence would never abandon his country, so him staying with Teneraire in China is out (even if the Chinese wanted him there, which they don't).

Looking forward to see how all is resolved.