Black Powder War

electronic resource

English language

Published Nov. 25, 2009 by HarperCollins.

ISBN:
9780007318568

View on OpenLibrary

5 stars (1 review)

Naomi Novik's stunning series of novels follow the global 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.British flyer Will Laurence and his extraordinary Celestial dragon, Temeraire, gratefully anticipate their voyage home from China. But before they set sail, they are waylaid by urgent new orders. The British Government, having purchased three valuable dragon eggs from the Ottoman Empire – one of a rare fire-breathing Kazilik dragon, one of the most deadly breeds in existence – now require Laurence and Temeraire to make a more perilous overland journey instead, stopping off in Istanbul to collect and escort the precious cargo back to England.And time is of the essence if the eggs are to hatch upon British shores.A cross-continental expedition is a daunting prospect, fraught with countless dangers. The small party must be …

1 edition

Another improvement to a strong series

5 stars

The sense of movement in the plot is greatly aided by the vast range of landscapes through which the characters pass in the third Temeraire novel. We finally get some major land combat, and the story further highlights the differences between how the various cultures treat their dragon populations (it's no surprise that China continues to come out ahead). We also get our first true taste of the French, which is nice as they've been a relatively distant foe thus far. While this story is heavily action-focused, it maintains a powerful consideration of social norms, power dynamics, and the inhernet stupidity of human beings.