An Equal to Anne McCaffrey? (There be dragons ahead)
A pretty little (big) dragon to illustrate
I recently read Temeraire by Naomi Novik, a chance find from the charity shop. I thought from the cover it would be too stereotypical fantasy for me but I was proved wrong, and quick too. I would recommend this for any lover of dragons, fantasy and especially Anne McCaffrey.
Temeraire is a dragon picked up by the British navy and impressed upon the ship’s captain. The captain then must join the “aviators” (the replacement for the RAF) – a troupe of dragon riders.
The action is tense and the battle looks like it cannot be won. It is the stuff of epics, with not a few allied quarrels along the way. After all, all emergency and battle groups have a bit of friction between them.
All the major characters have grit and appear real – they do not know everything and yet they are driven to find answers for solid reasons. They also get injured, and some die – all normal in close combat. There is also a chance at romance but this fizzles and for good reason: in reality, it wouldn’t have worked out.
This is what the novel is in simple terms: brilliantly executed magical realism with a fantasy adventure theme.
Pages blurred into a vision of the ocean and leather harnesses as I read and I’m not sorry for the time the book took up – not one bit. I finished and wanted the next one (this is part of the “Temeraire Series”).
I can see why this author has received such good feedback for her writing and I look forward to reading more from her, and this series. Here’s hoping a cheap version winds up in a charity shop near me soon because I’m skint!
I award this book: 5/5.
I’m not sure if this means I’m getting better at finding books I like, or the right books are finding me, but I have awarded a lot of high ratings recently. Not that that’s bad – there’s never enough amazing writers out there to keep me entertained. High five, Novik. Keep up the good work.
Holly Ice - The Unknown and Me 