As it turns out, Naomi Novik also published a short collection of short stories set in the Temeraire world. Most of them are rather short, unfortunately, because I definitely enjoyed the opportunity to see the world from a perspective that wasn’t Temeraire or Laurence’s view. All the stories involve characters already introduced, and some also have quick appearances from Temeraire. The three longest stories focus on Jane Roland’s first big mission as captain after taking over from her mother, a woman who truly wasn’t meant […]
Napoleon’s Last Gambit
The concluding volume of the Temeraire series starts where the previous novel ended, with the Russians and their allies in pursuit of Napoleon as he and his armies withdraw back to the safety of France. While certainly weakened, Napoleon is not done, and still has the ability to wreak havoc, especially by using dragons and politics against his enemies. The whole series has demonstrated the vast differences in the status of dragons in countries, and focused on the inequality of their status in Europe compared […]
From the East to the West
While the novels are all divided into three parts, in some the breaking points between the parts are much more obvious than others – for example, His Majesty’s Dragon basically divided as the initial time between Laurence and Temeraire, their military training, and their time on active combat duty. For others, it was less clear and the stories bled over between parts a lot. This novel almost feels like three novellas united in one book, but in a good way. After the mostly successful mission […]
In a land down under
With the French pushed back in the last novel, it is now time for Laurence to face the consequences of his treason. After Temeraire and Laurence are crucial to the British victory, rather than continued confinement, the government chooses to deport them to the penal colony of New South Wales, or Australia. After all, Temeraire refuses to go back to the breeding grounds, and the government feels more comfortable sending a rebellious and politically minded dragon to a far away corner of the globe where […]