His Majesty's Dragon

By Naomi Novik,

Book cover of His Majesty's Dragon

Book description

Naomi Novik's stunning series of novels follow the adventures of Captain William Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire as they are thrown together to fight for Britain during the turbulent time of the Napoleonic Wars.

As Napoleon's tenacious infantry rampages across Europe and his armada lies in wait for Nelson'sā€¦

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Why read it?

12 authors picked His Majesty's Dragon as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I like history and dragons, so I was immediately grabbed by a book offering an alternative history with dragons! The story is set during the Napoleonic Wars. Dragons are a major part of the war effort. A dragon chooses his or her captain, and the larger dragons are like warplanes or warships in the air, carrying the captain and a crew, including a medic.

The main human character, naval captain Will Laurence, is picked by a newly hatched dragon, which takes him into Britainā€™s Aerial Corps. I enjoyed reading how Laurence comes to love Temeraire, and that the dragon isā€¦

From Chrys' list on great dragon characters.

This is the ultimate mix of historical fiction and fantasy: the Napoleonic Wars with dragons. What I love most about Temeraire is his voice. When this dragon has an opinion or his feelings are hurt, itā€™s unique and unmistakable. He and his chosen companion, Lawrence, will show Napoleon what the Royal Aerial Corps can do.

I relish Novikā€™s inventive battles redesigned for draconic warfare, the rich variety of the dragons, and how individual their personalities are. But donā€™t tell the British public that dragons command in the Corps. That would never do! I chuckle at the British governmentā€™s pigheadedness. Butā€¦

From Elizabeth's list on featuring characters you fall in love with.

Have you ever wished you knew what your pet was thinking? That you could communicate with them with words or even with the power of your mind? I know I have.

This book is basically a chronicle of the Napoleonic Warsā€¦but with dragons! When British naval Captain Will Laurence forms a bond with the dragon Temeraire, it changes both of their lives. The two are pressed into service, fighting against Napoleonā€™s own squad of dragon-riders.

The air battle scenes are thrilling, but the real heart of the book is the bond between Will and Temeraire. It is a daring adventureā€¦

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Book cover of The Warlock's Curse

The Warlock's Curse by C.B. Oresky,

Clara and Angelica Grace have never met ghosts. Theyā€™ve never sailed on a tall ship, ridden wild unicorns, or fought with magical weapons. Instead, the teenage twins have a wretched existence, ignored by their troubled parents in a rundown home and tormented by the townā€™s snobs.

Everything turns topsy-turvy allā€¦

Though I donā€™t ordinarily read military-focused fantasy, the alternate history concept and the unfolding relationship between the dragon Temeraire and his rider Laurence drew me into this tale.

The growing bond between dragon and rider and the exploration of what rights sentient creatures like dragons might be entitled to, along with the complexities of their interactions with humans, made for an intriguing read. Though itā€™s been years since I read the book, it still remains vivid in my mind!

Tolstoy gave us a saga of love and parties in the shadow of the Napoleonic Wars, but did he think to give people pet dragons, that come in different colors, each of which have different capabilities and temperaments?

That alters how wars are fought and the delicate balance of the Great Powers in this alternate version of history? No. No, he did not. Go get it. Pure indulgence.

From Austin's list on set in alternate histories.

His Magestyā€™s Dragon is a rare treat. You wonā€™t find mechsuits in this maelstrom. But Napoleonic Wars and Dragons? Yes, yes, yes! and more. Alternate history meets memorable arial duals, razor-sharp claws and prose, and wickedly smart dragons. The characters fly off the page, fight for King and country, and make boredom fade. And, if you like to binge, there are eight more after it. Enjoy! 

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Book cover of A Voracious Grief

A Voracious Grief by Lindsey Lamh,

My book is fantastical historical fiction about two characters who're wrestling with the monstrosity of their grief.

It takes you into London high society, where Ambrose tries to forget about how much he misses Bennett and how much he dreads becoming as cold as their Grandfather. It takes you toā€¦

Temeraire is one of my most favorite and most memorable dragons. Naomi Novik does such an excellent job in bringing his character alive, and I often see glimpses of His Majestyā€™s Dragon shine through in the character of my own creation: Galirras. They both possess tremendous curiosity and wonder of the world, and both have command over the wind (though in very different ways). Temeraireā€™s absolute loyalty (and protectiveness) toward his human, Captain William Laurence, is one of the repeating drives throughout the seriesā€™ storyline and their debates on the rights of dragons gives one stuff to think about onā€¦

Another take on the Napoleonic wars, Naomi Novikā€™s Temeraire series (named for the dragon first hatched in His Majestyā€™s Dragon) imagines how history might have unfolded if the fabled, talking creatures known as dragons had been realā€”and enlisted to fight for the nations at war. While Clarkeā€™s fantastic insertion of magic into this period of history is perhaps more subtle, Ms. Novikā€™s is more thought through. The reader becomes familiar with a whole new department of the English armed forces, complete with its own uniforms, culture, and mores. I found that the level of detail Ms. Novik investedā€”coupled withā€¦

I first met the dragon Temeraire in audiobook form. I was a busy stay-at-home mother wrangling two non-neurotypical children with conflicting needs. It was not the world I had prepared for, and I had my hands too full to do much readingā€”but I could still listen. Temeraire was living in his own alternate-history world. While still in his egg, he had been sent as a gift from China to Emperor Napoleon, but his ship was captured en route. When he hatched, he found himself bonded to an Englishman and placed in service in the British Aerial Corps during the Napoleonicā€¦

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Book cover of The Devils' Crucible

The Devils' Crucible by Jacqueline Fellows,

"Broken, shattered, empty husks driven by a whirlwind. The clans shall be riven from their heart and cast into the furnace. And this before the snows return."

Three hundred years ago, the human race would have died out if not for a few who created and swore to abide byā€¦

I think that like most fans of fantasy, dragons remain one of the quintessential elements of that genre and the idea of a version of Earth where they were naturally integrated into society was too good of an idea to resist. The world that Naomi creates, and how just having dragons there has changed it from the world that is written in our history books, was fascinating. I loved seeing the path that she laid out from cultures that we are familiar with in the current day, to ones that had long since disappeared.

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Book cover of The Warlock's Curse

The Warlock's Curse by C.B. Oresky,

Clara and Angelica Grace have never met ghosts. Theyā€™ve never sailed on a tall ship, ridden wild unicorns, or fought with magical weapons. Instead, the teenage twins have a wretched existence, ignored by their troubled parents in a rundown home and tormented by the townā€™s snobs.

Everything turns topsy-turvy allā€¦

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