I’m enjoying my re-read of the Temeraire series, as I work to get caught up to the most recent volumes. It’s interesting to see how my opinions have changed since my first reading. As with the previous book, Throne of Jade, I have reduced my rating for Black Powder War. Maybe I’ve grown harsher in my old age. Maybe I was just caught up in enthusiasm for dragons the first time I read this book. Whatever the reason, this time around, I’m not ready to give Black Powder War four stars. It is another good instalment in Temeraire and Laurence’s adventures, but it is not an impressive book by itself.Naomi Novik continues to deliver exciting new settings and adventures in each book. Throne of Jade relocates Laurence and Temeraire to China, where we learn a great deal about Temeraire’s origins and nature as a Celestial. In this book, Laurence and Temeraire are preparing to return to England but must divert through Istanbul to pick up a couple of eggs the government has purchased from the Ottoman Empire. Shenanigans ensue, of course, and eventually they find themselves stuck in Prussia while Napoleon and his forces beat the Prussian troops soundly at every turn.This is definitely the kind of series for people who want a little fantasy but mostly history in their historical fantasy. Aside from dragons, there is very little difference between our world and Laurence’s. Though it’s different in China, in most of Europe, dragons are essentially war machines—that is, their existence has not changed much about society or technology beyond how countries wage war. And while Napoleon might have dragons, so too do the other countries, so the presence of dragons has not significantly shifted the course of the Napoleonic wars all that much. Even dragons are not presented as explicitly magical—it’s all science.Black Powder War continues to develop the nascent thread of abolitionism and liberated ideals that Temeraire seizes upon in Throne of Jade. Having seen how dragons co-exist more congenially with humans in China, he is anxious to spread such reforms to the rest of dragonkind. Novik works this element of his character into the background for the rest of the plot: at various times, we hear about how Temeraire has been “spreading dissent” and deviant ideas to dragons from other countries’ armies. Poor Laurence, who believes human slavery is wrong, is gradually coming to the same understanding about dragons—but an entire lifetime of being raised to view dragons as useful beasts, albeit beasts who talk, is difficult to overturn. In this way, Novik captures a sliver of what it might have been like to be a supporter of slavery in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries: to many people, it was not actually a moral question; it was just the way things were. Laurence, far more cognizant of the challenges Temeraire would face in obtaining dragon civil rights, is just having trouble conceptualizing how to get from where they are now to where Temeraire envisions they could be—just as many people were convinced that slavery, while wrong, was an economic necessity, and that society would collapse without it.We also get to see Laurence’s independent and critical faculties develop further. He is far away from any source of authority in Her Majesty’s Government. In China he was technically at the service of the diplomats there. Yet in both Istanbul and, later, Prussia, he finds a dearth of superiors to whom he can report. Laurence has to make his own decisions about how to proceed based on the limited information he has. At the same time, it becomes clear that the British government, with so many (figurative) eggs in so many baskets, is making tactical decisions that might, potentially involve hanging Prussia out to dry to protect its own interests. This is something that Laurence understands as a tactician but abhors as a man of honour, and those two parts of him have to reconcile somehow.There is a little less character development of the supporting cast in this book. A few get killed off. We get a few humorous moments in which Laurence once again feels awkward that Roland is a girl, soon to be a young woman. Granby figures more prominently, because as the senior officer under Laurence, it would be his dubious privilege to try to harness the dragon egg should it hatch before they return to England. All in all, though, this is very much a book about two things: Temeraire’s growing concern with rights, and a massive trek across eastern Asia into Europe.This series would probably do fine as an HBO, Game of Thrones–style miniseries—though I shudder to think how HBO would put in the gratuitous nudity. The first two books would have exciting naval battles and the exotic locale of China. This one would contribute montages of breathtaking mountain vistas: snow-covered alpine passages, daring escapes from avalanches, and the tortuous trip through the scorching deserts of western Asia into Turkey. Novik makes it all look so easy, and consequently, it is easy to forget that this book spans two continents and several different biomes, finally ending in the bitter night of the North Sea.You should definitely read this series. You should definitely start at book 1. This book is another great instalment in the series—not a great book by itself, but just enough of a fix for fans to keep you hooked and reading. And really, that’s what I want from a series. It has some interesting subtext, a very meticulously-researched and depicted historical setting, and characters I like. Novik has a good thing going here, and I’ll keep reading.My reviews of the Temeraire series:← Throne of Jade | Empire of Ivory →
I had to read Black Powder War very fast, as it was due back to the library today and I only finished the previous book in the series yesterday. It wasn't a chore, though. The pacing was better than the second book in any case, and it's very easy to just sink into it and enjoy the world. There was one stretch where it did drag a little, and I took a break, but considering I read it in three stretches of about 100 pages each, that's not saying much. That part was a bit too concerned with the military side of it, which I don't enjoy as much, prioritising that over the characters. For the most part, though, I loved it.I like that Novik doesn't rest on her laurels at any point: having introduced a new theme, she keeps with it, and throughout this book Temeraire continually brings up the idea of dragons having freedom, even though there can be no real resolution to this right away. And new things are always introduced, with Laurence and crew having to transport the dragon eggs. I was very pleased to see Granby rising in the world a little, although I shared Temeraire's qualms about it all of a sudden. I hope we don't end up seeing less of him now that he's risen in the world somewhat.I also enjoyed the introduction of Tharkay and the feral dragons, and I certainly hope we see more of them. We didn't learn that much about Tharkay, and it'd be a shame to waste such an enigmatic, useful character. I don't know precisely what Novik can do with him from here, but I hope it's something! Arkady and the rest of the feral dragons were fun characters, and I hope they weren't simply dei ex machinis. It doesn't seem like Novik's style, but we'll see.One thing I did feel the lack of in this book was strong female characters. With Captain Harcourt and Jane Roland, the first book had some strong females, and they were present at the beginning of the second book at least, but in this third book, I don't think there was any real female intervention. Emily Roland isn't mentioned much, if at all! Of course, there's the woman who brings British gold from the treasury to show the British, but she has barely more than a token appearance: strong actions as a woman, especially considering the context, but still not much of it. I hope there are more female characters again in the next book.Something I enjoy about the story as a whole is the focus on realism. Which is really odd, given that it's speculative fiction, but I enjoy the worries over the harness, the worries over the crew, the fighting conditions, the little things that make it that bit more real. And things like dragons being longer-lived than humans, and the captainship being hereditary. It's also interesting that dragons need crews much like ships. I don't think I've ever read a book where dragons had more than one rider. Another good thought, considering the supposed size of them, which shows this is more than just "yay dragons!" and actually a book that's had a lot of thought put into it.I also enjoy the alternate history angle, and I get the sense it's been well thought out, although of course, I know very little about Napoleon and the problems of those wars. What I do know comes from War and Peace and/or Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell! Not something I really have much factual knowledge about, though War and Peace isn't to be sniffed at, with all the references it made to the war part of it and this treaty and that battle... It'd take a better history scholar than me to tell you about the accuracy of the elements that are similar, but it feels right to me -- aside from the dragons, of course.
What do You think about Black Powder War (2006)?
Bottom line: I loved this book. I'm a huge fan of the series, and this was surely not a letdown.Pros: I loved the action. Naomi's writing skills are always a pro to me, but that's a given, and she surely didn't let down in this book. The action sequences were intense and believable, especially with the deaths (however heartbreaking they may be... *ahem* Digby *ahem*) of many well-known characters. Tharkay was a huge hit with me, possibly because I am drawn inexplicably to mystery and complexity, two characteristics plentiful with him. He was the best new character for me, and I loved how beautifully his personality was written. I was so glad that a dragon hatched for Granby! He's my favorite character, and he deserved that promotion. Iskierka is sure to keep him on his toes ;) I loved that Laurence finally let go a lot, especially with the eggs, which was fantastic to see. I didn't like how he had such a strong sense of duty that it required him to act a specific way, even when the situation called for a much different reaction.Cons: I can't really think of any cons at this point. :)
—Stephanie Fischer
Yes, I wish school weren't starting for another couple of weeks so I could finish them now :( but I have a feeling that class reading may keep it from happening until Christmas.
—Jack Harrison
Another Solid Novel in a Strong SeriesNovik takes the reader to yet another venue in this series set in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars. From England, to China and now from China through the Middle-East and Ottoman Empire the story line begun is expanded to plant more strongly the seeds of the social debate of that era over slavery, an illustration of the diplomatic relationships between England and it's natural allies in Europe who were faced with walking the fine line of contributing to the difficulties of France without attracting the attention of France and its armies.Continued as well is a deepening of relationship between the main protagonists which highlights the biases and prejudices of one of them, which absent this foundation some of the future conflicts would not be as believable and illustrative of the dilemmas portrayed.Novik demonstrates again why she is so effective in this genre. In a completely fictional fantasy setting, Novik draws the reader in to begin to see the themes and issues that were part of the actual human experience of that day and age. Never mind that the human experience is personified in a dragon!This is yet another highly entertaining and readable offering that will not disappoint.5 stars.Bart Breen
—Bart Breen
