Napoleon has invaded England. Using tactics recommended by his dragon-advisor, and providing dragons with far more rights than those enjoyed by English dragons, Napoleon demoralizes the English army, outmarches and outfights them, and forces them to flee to Scotland. Meanwhile, one of England's top officers has been condemned to death for treason for his part in bringing a cure to the disease that threatened to wipe out Europe's dragon population (and at the same time eliminate the threat of Napoleon's invasion). Without Captain Laurence, and his dragon Temeraire, England seems to have no hope.

Inspired by the example of Chinese dragons, Temeraire intends to have dragons recognized as people, with rights to pay, freedom, votes, and to make their own decisions. Napoleon's invasion gives Temeraire far more bargaining power than he'd held before--his corps of wild dragons and dragons retired to stud just might be strong enough to hold Napoleon's invading hordes off. Still, England dare never admit it made a mistake in condemning Laurence--indeed, by their own standards, they acted properly, although Laurence couldn't have made any other decision.

Author Naomi Novik continues her look at the Napoleonic Wars from viewpoint of a world with dragons. With Temeraire's help, the English do their best to turn England into a smaller, but still deadly version of Napoleon's long march back from Moscow, in the face of growing resistance and bitter cold. English control of the seas means that Napoleon cannot bring in food for his growing armies, and Temeraire's irregulars manage to make life miserable (and short) for Napoleon's foraging parties.

Novik manages to make Napoleon look pretty good. He's quick to adapt new tactics, even if these are suggested by others, he's open to granting dragons the kind of rights Temeraire has no hope of achieving through the English government, and he's honorable to his opponents. In contrast, the English attempt to introduce a plague that would largely destroy a continent's worth of sapient creatures, including those owned by her own allies, demand that Laurence save their cause with no thought that his doing so might commute his sentence, and continue to think of dragons as a kind of beast rather than as intelligent beings--ignoring all evidence to the contrary. Temeraire and Laurence are the protagonists, but I find myself pulling for Napoleon.

I thought the book continued the excellent pace, and turned some ideas on its head, making England more like Russia for Napoleon. As for the rest of the spoilers, you'll have to read it yourself.

I've enjoyed all of Novik's Temeraire novels, but I think she's fallen int a trap of her own making. By creating a period piece set in a fantasy universe version of the Penninsular War, she's inviting comparison to books like Cornwell's Sharpe series, Forester's Hornblower, and O'Brian's Aubrey, among others.

These books take real, historical situations and inject fictional characters and events. They also tell fairly action-oriented stories that, while self-contained, lead us through the history of the time.

Novik's trap is that she isn't willing to tell a self-contained story. Oh, each book, including War of Eagles, does tell a story, but she appears to be posing more questions for future books than answering them within this one. I found Victory of Eagles enjoyable, but ultimately unsatisfying. I want to find out more about the characters of Novik's world, and what's going on there, and I want to anticipate enjoying the next book in the series BECAUSE of these characters and situations, not because the author has left me hanging.

Yes, I would recommend this book, and the entire series, to anyone who asks, but I would like to see Novik more confidently tell stories knowing she doesn't have to hold back to keep her audience for the next novel.

VERY ENJOYABLE BOOK AS ALL THE ONES BEFORE IT HAS PROVEN. ARRIVED PROMPTLY
AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK HIGHLY TO EVERYONE THAT ENJOYS SCIENCE FICTION. D.SHERRILL

The first few books in the series were great, and volume four seemed to be a peak. This fifth installment is perhaps not as good, but still enjoyable and interesting. The war finally hits England, and Lawrence and Temeraire struggle through their own difficulties during the melee. We see a lot of the dragons here as Temeraire makes some headway with fighting for dragon rights, and the over-all story of the series moves on as the Napoleonic war swings right across Britain and back again.

Some of the reviews on Amazon are very negative, and I wish I could disagree with most of what they are saying. The story is not as strong as some of the other volumes, leaving it feeling a bit like an "inbetweener" novel. Fans of books 1-4 will still enjoy it, and it's a worthwhile read.

The entire series is excellent. Very engrossing. I cant wait for each new book to come out. Naomi Novic cant write fast enough for me.

I love this series, and I love this addition to it.

But somehow, for me, this book felt quite disjointed in comparison to the last ones - I won't go into details about the plot (which itself was everything I could have hoped), and regardless, it was the execution that bothered me.

From odd changes in perspective to the myriad of spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors (I have never seen so many in a published work previously), I have to wonder whether Ms Novik or the publisher fired their copyeditor. The errors just served to jar me out of an otherwise gripping story.

I hope this is corrected in the paperback version, but as it stands, the print quality of the UK hardback is appalling.

This fifth adventure of Temeraire and Laurence continues very well, and indeed there's a sort-of resolution at the end, though not a very satisfactory one nor one that promises an early end to the series. As it begins, Laurence has been condemned to death, and Temeraire to the breeding pens, although in order to keep Temeraire under control Laurence's sentence has been postponed indefinitely and he's been confined to a warship participating in the blockade of the Continent. Then the ship Laurence was on is sunk; he's one of the survivors, but Temeraire is informed that there were none, so he feels released from any obligation to follow orders. And so he organizes the dragons in the breeding pens into a force of riderless dragons to fight the French, who have broken the blockade and landed an army of 50,000 or so in Britain. Laurence, meanwhile, is reprieved if he'll go get Temeraire and return him to active fighting under the Admiralty (they don't know of his breakout with the other breeding dragons). After some jumping around missing connections they manage to join up, and do some useful stuff for the Brits, although some of what they do is contrary to what Laurence (and most British officers) consider to be the laws of war. Eventually Napoleon is defeated, although he escapes back to France, and Laurence and Temeraire are condemned to transportation to Australia and its penal colony. Laurence is too noble to be really believable, but that's the way the series has been set up and I guess I have to accept it. Temeraire is a lot more practical. There's another new dragon character I quite like--a mid-sized dragon who's also something of a mathematical genius (she's worked out things like the Pythagorean Theorem and the nature of e without ever having heard of them) named Perscitia. And Arthur Wellesley plays a prominent role, though the copyreaders did miss one place where he's referred to as "Wellington" before he got his Dukedom. Also, Novik (and her copyreaders) don't seem to realize that the English Channel starts at the Straits of Dover on its eastern end; she several times refers to "the Channel" when speaking of the waters off the ports of Shoeburyness and Sheerness, which are quite a ways north and east of Dover. The boundaries between parts of the ocean are somewhat arbitrary, so I don't know if both ports are on the Thames Estuary, both on the North Sea, or one on one and one the other (they're more or less opposite each other more or less where the estuary opens out into the wider sea). But, I suppose, let it pass. It's still an excellent story.

The latest in Naomi Novik's series starting with His Majesty's Dragon continues the troubles of Captain Laurence and his Celestial dragon, Temeraire. I won't give away the plot, but the fifth book in the series picks up almost immediately from the end of the preceding novel, as our two heroes fight Napoleon in the second French invasion of England.

What's interesting is how certain points made in book 1 must be taken up, and Ms. Novik has the courage of her convictions to have her characters have the courage of their convictions. The issue of how British high society, the Admiralty and the Parliament should treat dragons is, in a fair way, a substitute for the abolition argument that raged in that time, and Novik uses that as a starting point for presenting whether dragons should have rights as sentient creatures -- and if not, whyever they should feel 'patriotic' for a society that mistreats them. Clever, clever, and filtered (mostly but not completely successfully) through 19th century minds. This adds to previous novels that looked at the treatment of women (e.g., Jane Rowland) who fight for the country but are denied recognition.

One other reviewer questions why we shouldn't root for Napoleon. That's precisely the point: Napoleon, brutish as he might be in conquering other countries, displays an enlightened attitude (or a ruthlessly mercenary one, take your pick, and Novik lets you) in the relationship of man to dragon. Struggle with that one as you read Temeraire's exploits, and you begin the see the cleverness in this series -- it's not about dragons, it's about how we humans see the world.

One star off: the middle-third of the books sags some. Novik could do with some time off before her next book, as much as I'd like to read it.

Overall, a very solid continuation of the series. Novik is an excellent writer, and she's created a world that is at once familiar and alien. That's a neat trick for a sci-fi/alternative history/fantasy writer.

Even though the preceding volume in this ongoing series ended on a cliffhanger, with Napoleon about to invade Britain, the real story here has to do with the developing relationship between Laurence and Temeraire. That's what's holding me to the story, and will keep me anticipating each new volume. The Temeraire series is light reading, but is more than merely a guilty pleasure.

Novik does a marvelous job describing the ongoing battles and intrigues -- and obviously has done a great deal of research. Little details stand out in the midst of elaborate descriptions -- I was struck by her description of a cannon ball that had been fired on the ship where Laurence was imprisoned. It was moving at a pace where the guard thought he might stop it with his foot -- but it had built up enough momentum that it ripped cleanly through his foot and a wall before ceasing to roll.

Where the book really shines, though, is in its attention to the evolution in Laurence's attitudes and response to situations -- his commitment to a sense of honor and dignity in the face of the indignities he suffers -- and in its tracing of an evolution in Temeraire's understanding of himself and of the world. Temeraire was born intelligent and able to speak -- a situation quite different from that of human beings who have to grow into reason, and for whom habituation and norms come prior to elaborate self reflection. He can't understand Laurence's peculiar sense of pride and dignity in the service of duty -- and why he would be willing to be executed for treason when he did what was obviously the just thing. What I found most intriguing in this book were the ways he tried to make sense of Laurence's values -- even as his experiences began to call for some of the same skills as Laurence.

Apart from its alternative history, the series is clearly moving in a direction where Temeraire will begin to develop an independence and autonomy from Laurence -- that is essential to his development. One of the primary reasons offered in the series why the dragons -- while sentient and intelligent -- are not free is the fact that humans have exploited the fact that they imprint so strongly to a master. If Temeraire is to live up to his promise to be a leader among dragons, he will have to find a degree of autonomy and independence in spite of this.

The series looks as though it could go on for a while -- and that's not a bad thing. I look forward to the future exploits and adventures and growth of both Laurence and Temeraire.

I think that naomi has done a very good job on this book in the series and I can only wait for the next installation of the series.

Novik gets better with each book. Her characters show more depth, her plots are well developed, and it becomes easier to suspend disbelief so necessary for fantasy fiction to work. She deserves to be published in hard copy now, having made the transition from paperback.

First, and out of kindness to Ms. Novik, I am a great fan of this series, in particular books one and two. She has successfully married "Master and Commander" to "Dragonriders of Pern", an act that must have taken considerable courage. And in the main has produced an enjoyable read.

Unfortunately, that read is not to be found in this fifth installment in the series. After settling in comfortably with Captain Laurence and his dear Temeraire, it dawned on me that nothing, nothing at all, was really happening in this book. Laurence broods throughout the novel, embracing his identity as a convicted traitor doomed to hang. Temeraire begins sowing socialist, or are those capitalist?, notions amongst his fellow exiles on the dragon breeding grounds. And then Napoleon invades England, requiring the nation to reunite our two heroes and unleash their considerable military prowess.

Novik is kind enough to reintroduce many of our favourite characters, but with the exception of Laurence's mother, Lady Allendale, they fail to rise above cookie-cutterdom. I became downright annoyed at her portrait of the testy and impatient Duke of Wellington, whose constant sneering made me wonder....how could this man ever have inspired a nation?

With the thinnest of plots, a minimum of character development, and a large quotient of deus ex machina thundering in the background, it strikes me that Ms. Novik is rushing her deadlines and coasting on her laurels, perhaps indulged by her publishers and the moonstruck fan quotient as well. The book chugs along comfortably enjoying its own formula. Not good enough, Naomi, not good enough by half.

As we move to Book 6, and its very interesting locale, I hope the author slows down and makes a sincere attempt to give her characters and plotlines some well deserved depth and richness. There is so much to work with here, and such wonderful personalities to explore and explicate, things most writers would sell their souls for. I wonder if Ms. Novik's history in, and enthusiasm for, fan-fic is blinding her to the possibilities, and responsibilities, that present themselves in an original work.

As Temeraire would say, "Don't drop the egg."

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." --Arthur Ashe

EMPIRE OF IVORY was a grand exploration adventure to a strange civilization on a mysterious continent. I missed seeing Lawrence and Temeraire within the milieu of the armed services battling against Napoleon, however. This book returns them to all that with a vengeance.

We last saw our heroes finding a cure for the dragon plague, but then having to choose to do what should be the right thing over Lawrence's oath to his service and his country. Lawrence insists on returning to face dishonor and death --or a postponed death while he's held hostage for Temeraire's good behavior, since the country still wishes to keep the rare Celestial dragon.

Temeraire is relegated to the very boring, for him, breeding grounds in Wales. Lawrence is kept prisoner aboard ship, where he is able to see when Napoleon launches his invasion of England. This disaster overshadows, at least a bit, the crime of Lawrence and Temeraire. He is still a condemned traitor (at a time when hanging, drawing and quartering was still technically in effect for that capital crime), a disgrace to his family and friends and all he served with, and drummed from the service, but now there is some more immediate need for Temeraire. Lawrence is ordered to go and retrieve Temeraire for active service.

This is not a happy time for Lawrence. He's for all intents and purposes a broken man, save for his desire to keep Temeraire alive and, if not happy, at least not grieving for him before it becomes impossible to avoid. Lawrence has to deal with the fact that doing the right thing can have dark consequences. For Temeraire, it is all so much simpler (or relatively so. Temeraire is complex for a dragon, as most just want to be kept fed. Temeraire wants rights for dragons. And he wants Lawrence back, no matter what. Lawrence, however glad he is to be back with Temeraire, carries a load of guilt for what he has done, right or not. Napoleon would not have been able to invade but for his actions.

And in the meantime, Napoleon is heading for London, his troops and his dragons strong and organized. The British government and its military are in shock and disarray, the countryside is raided for the supply of the French: very dark and desperate times, indeed.

The action is intense and fast-paced, between small skirmishes and full-scale battles. The suspense and tension is unrelenting, with physical danger threatening as well as the uncertain fate of Lawrence and Temeraire. The focus is concentrated on Lawrence and Temeraire and the invasion of England. The quiet despair of Lawrence, who keeps fighting because of his love of country and Temeraire, is poignant and evocative. His struggle with his conscious and the consequences of his action is deeply moving and thought-provoking.

I was touched by Lawrence's sacrifices in the very first book in this series, in order to be with Temeraire and do his duty to his country; and also caught up in Temeraire's unconditional love for Lawrence. These characters and their relationship and Lawrence's sense of honor and duty, are the essence of this series. All these things and more are brought back to the forefront once more in this book, and I adored it. I am more a fan of this series than ever.

Novik, in author's notes, states that she is a fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books, from which the movie "Master and Commander" was derived. O'Brian's series stands as one of the great works of 20th century literature, so even mentioning the series shows ambition. Fortunately, Novik delivers. She does a splendid job of creating a very believable alternate universe, in which intelligent dragons coexist with Napoleon, Wellington, Nelson, and other historical figures. While the series ("Victory" is the fifth volume) is not an explicit imitation of O'Brian's work, you can generally ascribe the role of Maturin to Temeraire, the Celestial dragon that is the main focus of the series, and Aubrey's role is taken up by Laurence, a Royal Navy captain who accidentally becomes Temeraire's captain. As this novel starts, Laurence is in prison, Temeraire is in exile, and Napoleon is invading. As you might expect, things get interesting quickly, and you'll have to read the novel to discover the rest. I recommend you start with the first novel and work your way forward. While "Victory of Eagles" can stand on its own, sequence does help.

This is one of the best series involving dragons that I have ever read! The way Novik tells a story is not only excellent, but also believable. I highly recommend this to anyone who has ever liked Mercedes Lackey, Anne McAffrey, Alan Dean Foster and/or Piers Anthony!

I was so excited about this book, I rushed out to buy it the day it came out. Sure, Empire of Ivory wasn't the best in the series, but it was still fun and interesting and best of all, hard to put down so I was 100% sure this would be the same.

WRONG! I almost quit reading when every other page had Laurence feeling guilty over his part in saving the dragons of the world from germ warfare by the British Government.

Laurence moped around like a geisha with big feet feeling sorry for himself pretty much the entire book, ugh. I'm not sure if this can be fixed in the next book. I will give the next one a try, but frankly my hopes aren't high.

I really enjoyed this book, as I have enjoyed every book in this series. I was pleased that the book did not dwell on Lawrence's public humiliation (although clearly showing us his remorse and better understanding of all the ramifications of his actions - Temeraire, although evolving, still lacks a good understanding of the diffused and devastating effect one action can trigger). The invasion of England was also interestin alternate history, and the evolution of the dragon militia fascinating. Can't wait to see where the series goes from here; I wish Novik wrote faster!

Victory of Eagles was everything that I would want in this series. Nonstop action, daring rescues, political bluster, and a sad, though necessary conclusion. I thought it was better than any in the series except for the first. Instead of long adventures to far overseas places with copious world-building, we are in merry old, familiar Britain which is threatened by Napoleon's tyranny. A wonderful read, hopefully not the end to this terrific series.

Sigh. After the rip-roaring ending to the last novel in the series, this one comes as a severe disappointment. (Minor spoilers follow.)

If you, like me, were expecting this book to start with some excruciating emotional torture (while watching Laurence being manhandled, locked up, and condemned to death for treason, etc. etc.), you'll know you're in trouble from the first paragraph. The most compelling part of what-happens-next was simply left out, and into this emotional vacuum strides a rather limp and depressed Laurence, along with a preoccupied Temeraire. Neither of them does anything compelling thereafter.

Yes, Laurence has reason to be depressed. He also has reason to be incandescently angry: his country wants to murder him for having prevented the near annihilation of a sentient species. I expected more in the way of spine from him, I suppose, not the total capitulation we get at the end of act two. His character has lost his spirit, the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire has settled into a rut, and I was so uninterested in the whole thing by the end of the book that I only finished reading it out of habit.

I hope the next one's better.

I wanted to like this book so much. I loved the first three (and most of four); I read the advance chapter and I just about hung over the reserve librarian until my copy showed up.

But after reading VoE, I spent the rest of the weekend in a sizeable depression. Lawrence can't forgive himself, and I halfway felt he didn't forgive Temeraire for talking him into his treason. They're on their way to Australia on a convict ship (although carrying dragon eggs) and I can't imagine where Ms. Novik is going to take this series and keep up what she had done so well in the earlier books. Not to mention both Lawrence and Temeraire being cut by former crew and friends and Lawrence enduring another death that cuts quite close to home.

The good news is insight into dragon relations, Temeraire's joy at getting his Lawrence back (and organizing a dragon militia in the process). Missing are Volly and James and not much insight into Harcourt, Tom, Lily and only small parts for Maximus and Berkley.

All in all, this was not what I had been hoping for. Let's see what happens next.

p.s. Why is anyone surprised that Temeraire hasn't gotten an egg yet? I don't have a copy of "Throne of Jade" handy, but didn't they say that Celestials can't be bred?

I wanted to like this book so much. I loved the first three (and most of four); I read the advance chapter and I just about hung over the reserve librarian until my copy showed up.

But after reading VoE, I spent the rest of the weekend in a sizeable depression. Lawrence can't forgive himself, and I halfway felt he didn't forgive Temeraire for talking him into his treason. They're on their way to Australia on a convict ship (although carrying dragon eggs) and I can't imagine where Ms. Novik is going to take this series and keep up what she had done so well in the earlier books. Not to mention both Lawrence and Temeraire being cut by former crew and friends and Lawrence enduring another death that cuts quite close to home.

The good news is insight into dragon relations, Temeraire's joy at getting his Lawrence back (and organizing a dragon militia in the process). Missing are Volly and James and not much insight into Harcourt, Tom, Lily and only small parts for Maximus and Berkley.

All in all, this was not what I had been hoping for. Let's see what happens next.

I was disappointed in the predecessor to this book (Empire of Ivory), so I was wary when I began this book. Not to worry. Novik has regained her stride in telling Temeraire's story.

The engaging characters are still there, with the intriguing backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars in an alternate history. Both Temeraire and Laurence develop and change in this book (I liked that), and Novik introduces more new characters, mostly draconic, for readers to meet, like, and love. For readers who want action, there's lots of it, as Temeraire and Laurence resist Napoleon's latest incursion on England and encounter the day-to-day challenges of war.

As with the previous books, Novik shows a solid grasp of history, and the book has undercurrents about the morality of war and its costs, and the right to justice and freedom for all citizens. Not heavy-duty, but the themes are there if you care to examine them. Novik lightens these hard questions with a sly humor as Temeraire rises in the world of men-- a welcome touch.

Overall, an enjoyable, good read, and a thought-provoking one as well. Along with the first Temeraire book, one of my favorite books in the series.

The war rages on between England and France, but Napoleon's forces have landed on English soil. At the same Will Laurence knows he did the right moral thing when he betrayed his country but also feels anguish for doing so (see EMPIRE OF IVORY) as he realizes Napoleon is bringing the atrocities of war to his people thanks in part to his seditious act. Already convicted of treason, he believes he deserves to die even if he still feels he acted ethically as slavery is an abomination.

Meanwhile his dragon Temeraire is bored and grieving as he assumes Will is dead and cannot stand the haggling hags who he shares the Pen Y Fan breeding pen with in Wales as a guest of the state. However, having enough with their jealousies and constant bickering, Temeraire quickly turns them into a dragon force led by him.

When the ship bringing prisoner Laurence to England for his execution goes down in the Channel, he survives. He is given a stay if he reunites with Temeraire to bring the Divine Wind against Bonaparte, who controls London.

The fifth tale in this alternate historical fantasy is a superb entry even as Will and Temeraire stay home unlike the world traveling of the previous novels (see THRONE OF JADE, HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON, and BLACK POWDER WAR). The story line is fast-paced from the onset while once gain insuring dragons at war seem genuine. However it is Laurence's conflicting anguish between knowing he did right vs. betraying his country and Temeraire's doubts as to how to help him move past his angst make this a strong military fantasy. Fans of the Naomi Novik saga will appreciate this excellent entry even if Temeraire's miraculous conversion of the cackling dragons into a precise aerial military unit in Guinness Book of Records time seems implausible as the heroes debate my country right or wrong.

Harriet Klausner

[...]
It was a great, fast read. As others have said, well paced. It only picks up the ball directly from the return of Laurence and Tremaire to England, nothing about the more significant geopolitical events from Empire of Ivory is more than tangentially mentioned. I suspect this is at the point in which world-building gets to be much more of a challenge for Naomi Novik, but we aren't *that* far through the Napoleonic conflicts so the series itself is not going to be running out of steam soon.

First of all,
spoiler alert--
T*h*I*S*I*s*n*a*P*o*L*e*O*n*E*g*Y*p*T*A*d*v*E*n*T*U*r*e*i*N*E*N*g*L*A*N*d
/spoiler alert--

It was a great, fast read. As others have said, well paced. It only picks up the ball directly from the return of Laurence and Tremaire to England, nothing about the more significant geopolitical events from Empire of Ivory is more than tangentially mentioned. I suspect this is at the point in which world-building gets to be much more of a challenge for Naomi Novik, but we aren't *that* far through the Napoleonic conflicts so the series itself is not going to be running out of steam soon.

One of the best historical fantasy series to show up in recent years has been Naomi Novik's Temeraire. Full of historical details in a world that is very close to our own, set in a world where dragons are quite real, and captained by crews of humans, serve as part of aerial corps, fighting in wars.

The setting is unusual as well -- the Napoleonic Wars, and with the fifth novel and its ominous title, Victory of Eagles things are not looking too good for the British. In an appalling display of stupidity by the Admiralty, Temeraire and Laurence, his captain, have been separated after the events of the previous novel. Laurence is aboard a ship, locked up in a brig, and the threat of execution follows him everywhere. He knows that if he cooperates, that Temeraire will not be harmed, and so does his best.

And his beloved Temeraire? The Celestial dragon is off in the remote mountains of Wales, condemned to the breeding grounds while a perfectly good war is raging on. Instead he's stuck in a remote valley, with nothing but a pokey cave to live in, no books, and even though there's plenty to eat, all that there is to do is sleep and ahem, make an egg with a willing dragon.

Needless to say, Temeraire is less than pleased about the situation. And his new neighbors are not that interesting either, especially a Regal Copper that has decided that Temeraire's cave would make a very nice home for himself. And there's Gentius an ancient Longwing who is pleased to talk to Temeraire. Most of all, there are Temeraire's own thoughts, and a chance to look at the world through the dragon's eyes.

When word comes that Laurence's ship has been sunk by the French, Temeraire decides that the time has come to break free of all of the stuffy rules. After all, the British have broken their word, and he feels that there's nothing to hold him back. So in a daring maneuver, he rounds up the dragons in the breeding ground, and he will lead them into battle against Napoleon.

And Napoleon? The French emperor is on the march again, this time crossing the Channel and setting his sights on capturing London...

I won't reveal much more here, as so not to reveal any spoilers, except that there are several new characters here, as well as quite a few of the earlier ones make a return. Most interesting is the Iron Duke himself, Wellington, and even a glimpse of poor King George III. Iskierka and Granby have a prominent role, and we see the rather harried Jane Roland having to cope with military men who have not a clue about how dragons can be used in battle. The action is breakneck, along with the pacing -- very rarely does the story slow down.

One aspect that I have enjoyed very much is watching Temeraire?s evolution in the series, as he matures and grows in his abilities to both deal with people, and his own sense of justice and morality. There are times when you can feel his frustration with dealing with humans, or the confusion of why don?t they get it? It?s one aspect of Novik?s creation that she is able to breathe in new life to the rather hackneyed use of dragons. Here they are personalities, and sentient beings, with ambitions, thoughts, and emotions of their own, and sometimes they don?t always mesh neatly with those of humans.

As with the previous novels, this is definitely part of a series. For someone who wants to start reading here, I recommend that you don't -- there is so much in here that relies on the earlier novels, that it would be nearly impossible to understand the current story without going back and reading the first four books.

One thing that I wish the series had was some kind of directory to keep all of the various types of dragons straight. While the first book had some drawings and a few details, there's very little here to help visualize many of the creatures, and create a mental picture of the action and details. It's one oversight that I hope will be taken care of either in a separate volume or in future books. This is the only real disgruntlement that I've had with the series so far.

A warning however -- don't try to read this one late at night. The odds will be that you'll be up still at dawn turning pages and eagerly seeing what happens next. The ending, as with before, is a bit of a cliffhanger, and I hope is a sign that there will be more to come.

Four and a half stars, rounded up to five. Recommended.

On this site there is no choice for ordering for the Kindle, yet directly from my Kindle, I can order this - FOR TWENTY DOLLARS. That seems steep for something with no paper, and well above the usual 9.99 price. What's up Amazon?
(PS i haven't read it but I can't post this without doing so. I liked number 1 and number 4 in the series at about 4 stars.)

While I enjoyed the first volume of the Temeraire series, "His Majesty's Dragon", I thought the subsequent novels really dropped in quality. It got to the point that after the last novel, "Empire of Ivory", I considered dropping the series since I was discouraged about how events were progressing. After the first novel, I wanted to further read about Napoleon's attempts to invade Great Britain, as that was the most gripping conflict in the novel. Instead in "Throne of Jade", "Black Powder War" and "Empire of Ivory", Temeraire and Laurence are traveling the world, engaging more in events I would consider to be subplots than furthering the main conflict: the Napoleonic War between Britain and France. That's not to say, there hasn't been plot points essential to the story in the travelogue trilogy that renders these books unnecessary. There just isn't enough movement in the main conflict in these books.

Now in "Victory of Eagles", Naomi Novik has shifted the setting back wholly to Britain and Scotland. And to make this even better: Napoleon finally invades. This immensely helps the storyline, making "Victory of Eagles" the best Temeraire novel since "His Majesty's Dragon". Unfortunately, the ending of "Victory of Eagles" suggests to me that the series may go on indefinitely. An immediate resolution of the Napoleonic War does not appear to be at hand. I'd like to see Novik wrap the series up, but I'm not holding out much hope. Still, she has captured the best elements in the series here, while expanding the emotional depth displayed by Laurence and Temeraire.

At the end of "Empire of Ivory", Laurence and Temeraire had committed a treasonous act when they supplied Napoleon with a cure for the sickness plaguing his dragons. Now, Laurence finds himself locked away in a British naval vessel's brig, so his location will remain a secret from Temeraire. Not surprisingly, he's been convicted of treason and sentenced to hang, though not imminently as the British are keeping him alive in order to keep Temeraire in check. Meanwhile, Temeraire is at the breeding grounds, suffering from depression and loneliness about his situation.

Soon Napoleon invades and gains a foothold in Britain, shattering Temeraire's bout of self-pity. But bad news follows as Temeraire mistakenly believes that Laurence has been tragically killed during the course of the invasion. With a burning desire to now fight the French, Temeraire organizes the unharnessed dragons of the breeding ground into an army, and strikes out after the invaders. Much to both their delights, Laurence and Temeraire are soon reunited and quickly enlisted to help defend against Napoleon's march on London. But after a crushing defeat by the French, Temeraire and Laurence must flee to Scotland with the remainder of the English army. There they hatch a plan to win the country back from the French and capture Napoleon in the process.

Novik has delivered a peach of a novel, returning to the form that made "His Majesty's Dragon" so enjoyable. The intense battles are great and immersive, while the guerrilla warfare with dragons is a very interesting idea. Interestingly, the characters have become much more introspective in "Victory of Eagles"; Laurence in particular must learn to live under the huge stigma of being a traitor. He finds himself essentially dispossessed of his career, reputation and wealth, leaving him alone with only his conscience. Eventually, he even battles for that before realizing that it is his last and most valuable possession and should not be so easily given away. "Victory of Eagles" explores the sometimes bitter consequences of making a hard moral decision, and this elevates the novel in my estimation. Novik doesn't let her characters get off easy, and that makes the consequences even more realistic and intriguing.

Last Word:
"Victory of Eagles" is a successful return to the charm and magic of the first book. But it is also a more mature work in which the characters confront deeper and darker emotional and moral issues. Coupled with the overall awesomeness of Napoleon fighting a pitched campaign on British soil, "Victory of Eagles" really pulls out all the stops in providing a rip-roaring adventure that has substance.

I warn again: 'WARE SPOILERS!!

Reading Naomi Novik's Temeraire series is like eating a big Thanksgiving feast: no matter how slowly you try to take it, you can't help but gulp it all down in one go, and then all you want to do is lay very still and absorb.

I've been a fan of the series since a customer recommended them to me a couple summers ago. I think the ideas are wonderfully fresh, the writing captivating, and the story rich. I enjoyed this book more than I've enjoyed almost any other in a long time.

That being said, I did not like this one as much as the others.

But! Complements first!

I really enjoyed getting into Temeraire's head and also starting to understand how the dragons think. We get to see so much more of their thoughts in this one; it's fascinating. What's also interesting is how different a dragon's idea of the world is from a human's.

Making the emotions of the characters tangible to the reader is one of Novik's strongest skills. Laurence's depression is also comes through so clearly that I had to put the book down at the end of the second part and walk away for an hour. The feeling that there is no resolution, no way to repair what's been done, is almost too much much to take; I don't know how Laurence managed it. And when Temeraire thought Laurence was dead, I wanted to cry, his pain came through so clearly (see especially page 76).

As always, the battle scenes were so intense I held my breath for most of them (a mistake, since holding one's breath for twenty some pages makes it difficult to continue reading after a while). The sheer brutality of this war - death, destruction, loss, dishonorable tactics - comes through more clearly in this book than in the others.

I enjoyed seeing some of Temeraire's original crew, too. I quite miss having Granby around and Hollin was a great character. Tharkay plays a surprisingly significant role, which was exciting in its own way - not that this fast-paced book needs any more excitement!

Now, for a little, tiny bit of criticism...

Some of the things I so enjoy about this book are also among the reasons I don't like it as well as the others.

For one, the tone of the story is so grim at parts that it becomes painful to read. It seems Temeraire and Laurence might never be completely happy again; and that's a hard feeling to transfer to the reader.

As enjoyable as it is to gain insight on Temeraire's way of thinking, it also makes the story hard to follow in places. I understand why she wrote it that way, since he and Laurence are separated for the beginning of the book, but I prefer the story more focused around Laurence.

I feel she added too many new dragon characters. While some are interesting and give some life to the dragons beyond those we already know, it also becomes hard to keep track of who is who. And we get to see less of our old favorites, Maximus, Lily, Volly, and Celeritas, to name a few.

I also disliked the ending. There really seems to be no resolution for Laurence. He's not going to forgive himself for his treason, and his country isn't either. His relationship with Jane appears to be over, many of his crew won't even look at him, and he's dishonored his family. Now he's headed for Australia. How is he going to make it right? (And, more importantly, how is Novik going to make it right?)

But I really did enjoy the book, despite it's faults. I have high hopes for the next. I don't know what's in Australia, but Novik does. And I'd like to know a few things: why hasn't Temeraire sired an egg? What's happening in Australia? Will Temeraire and Lien EVER have a final showdown?

And how is Britain getting rid of Napoleon?

Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, Book 5)

While this book is a great page turner that I read in a few hours, I did not feel it was nearly as good as the first couple of books. As the series has gone on, I find that Ms. Novik's alternate history and the motivations of the characters become less and less believable. Fredtownward's review of Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4) covers my thoughts very well.

I also find myself caring a lot less about the characters. You get some interesting insights into Temeraire's thoughts, and the scenes of dragons discussing things among themselves are very enjoyable. However, there are too many new and minor characters and not enough time is spent on characters introduced in earlier books.

Finally, unlike the noble Britain of Patrick O'Brian's or Bernard Cornwall's worlds standing against the tyrant Napoleon, the British in Temeraire's world don't seem worthy of devotion or loyalty. I am having a hard time understanding why the main characters - particularly the dragons - would feel such patriotism. It is very interesting that Ms. Novik has added enough complexity to her world that you often wonder while reading, "would it really be so bad if Napoleon won?" But, in the last couple of books I've actually been rooting for him.

I'll give this series one more book to get out of it's slump, but then I'm done.

First, i'd like to say that i read this book cover to cover this morning, in one sitting. It's not terribly short, but it is a fairly easy read, and with the pacing so fast i just couldn't justify a break.

I noticed around page 150, though, that despite the constant action and constant motion, not much was happening. In fact, the only real plot movement took place in the last 50 pages or so. That's part of why i docked a star from this latest installment in a series i love dearly.

The rest of the star comes from the fact that Ms. Novik hasn't quite recovered the strength of voice she had in the first few books. Sure, Laurence is less of a stiff British naval officer than he used to be, but at times he's become so much like the other aviators that one forgets he ever was anything else. And at times Temeraire sounds like all of the other dragons. It's better than the mush from book 3, but still lacks the crispness of books 1 and 2.

Last, i suspected at the end (though 'sudden stopping point' would be a better description) of Empire of Ivory how Victory of Eagles would conclude, and was sorely disappointed to be right.


Despite all of these complaints, it's a great book in a fantastic series and i highly recommend anyone go pick up His Majesty's Dragon and get started.

Well needless to say I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I've been a huge fan of this series ever since I picked up His Majesty's Dragon. I settled down to read this book yesterday (distractions be damned!) and read straight through in one go. My overall impression of the book was good-excellent action sequences, good emotional development for the characters, great plot. While it was quite satisfying, I do think that it could have been a bit longer. At times the pacing and the jumps from event to event felt rushed and almost unfinished. Of course I am a sucker for good, long books, since I read very quickly, and hence months of anticipating a book will lead to about 3 hours worth of reading time for me. I love how we got to get more into Temeraire's head this time around-his character is so lovable and interesting that at times it was almost an annoyance to jump back to the other character's viewpoints! Laurence's emotional turmoil throughout was quite wrenching and lent a lot of feeling to the story. I am impatiently waiting for Temeraire and Lien's big showdown (so close, only to be foiled again! I feel your pain, Temeraire) and am left hanging about several other things as well. Why hasn't Temey had any eggs yet? What will happen in Wales? What is Napolean's next move?

Rest assured I will be first in line for the next book, here's hoping it's a couple of hundred pages longer!