Book Log 23/2011 - Naomi Novik: Temeraire

Naomi Novik: Temeraire – Temeraire #1

Somewhere halfway between Hornblower and Pern this is an alternate history which give us the Napoleonic wars with dragons. Set in the late 1790s RN Captain Laurence commands a ship that takes a French merchantmen carrying a dragon's egg that's about to hatch. Dragons are vital to the war effort and France has way more than England, so the capture and safe delivery of the egg is paramount. When Laurence realises that there's no way they can get the egg to land in time, he has his officers draw lots as to who will attempt to harness the dragon and therefore be its lifelong 'captain'. Despite not drawing the short straw himself, Laurence ends up imprinting himself on the hatchling rather than allow such a valuable creature to go feral and therefore be useless. In naval tradition he names the dragon after a fighting vessel – Temeraire – and the beast proves intelligent and trustworthy, if a little naïve at times (but it's young, yet). Dragons are captained by their rider, but carry a crew of several men with their own specific jobs (gunners, bombers, signalmen etc) and a ground crew (harness makers and cadets to see to the dragon's bodily needs).

This is obviously the set up for the series. There's the dragon's training and Laurence's integration into the corps plus their first engagement with the enemy and a decisive battle. It's a linear book with no great highs and lows, but an interesting premise. Some things worked for me, some things didn't. What I found difficult to believe was the idea that aviators were considered unfit for polite society. Laurence's father practically disowns him and his not-quite-fiancée quickly backs out of any understanding they might have had. Yet the dragons are every bit as necessary to the war effort as naval captains are, possibly more so. Novik never makes me feel the snubs. Laurence is a stiff Hornblower type, a younger son of a wealthy aristocratic family, but once he's imprinted on Temeraire he accepts his lot a bit too easily. There's a bit of window dressing. He takes his formality to the corps with him, but that shows more in his careful crease-free packing of his uniform and his occasional reprimand of subordinates for lack of proper politeness and respect than in any major clashes with his fellow captains or difficulty with authority. It's all a bit too easy. Laurence is a bit too dutiful (yet kind). Temeraire is a bit too noble to be true.

One of the real shocks should be when Laurence discovers that some of the aviators are female (some dragons will only imprint upon females). They wear men's clothing and work as (shock!) equals, sharing danger with the men, yet hidebound stiff-upper-lip Laurence accepts this like a modern man – again a bit too easily. He seems happy to embrace the idea and not even scandalised when one of them instigates a physical relationship – which unfortunately seems devoid of romance or passion or any real emotion at all.

Conclusion? Glad I read it. Good in parts. Nicely written and the action sequences are good. Worth a look, but not sending me kicking and screaming to get the follow-up.

Book Log 23/2011 - Naomi Novik: Temeraire

Naomi Novik: Temeraire – Temeraire #1

Somewhere halfway between Hornblower and Pern this is an alternate history which give us the Napoleonic wars with dragons. Set in the late 1790s RN Captain Laurence commands a ship that takes a French merchantmen carrying a dragon's egg that's about to hatch. Dragons are vital to the war effort and France has way more than England, so the capture and safe delivery of the egg is paramount. When Laurence realises that there's no way they can get the egg to land in time, he has his officers draw lots as to who will attempt to harness the dragon and therefore be its lifelong 'captain'. Despite not drawing the short straw himself, Laurence ends up imprinting himself on the hatchling rather than allow such a valuable creature to go feral and therefore be useless. In naval tradition he names the dragon after a fighting vessel – Temeraire – and the beast proves intelligent and trustworthy, if a little naïve at times (but it's young, yet). Dragons are captained by their rider, but carry a crew of several men with their own specific jobs (gunners, bombers, signalmen etc) and a ground crew (harness makers and cadets to see to the dragon's bodily needs).

This is obviously the set up for the series. There's the dragon's training and Laurence's integration into the corps plus their first engagement with the enemy and a decisive battle. It's a linear book with no great highs and lows, but an interesting premise. Some things worked for me, some things didn't. What I found difficult to believe was the idea that aviators were considered unfit for polite society. Laurence's father practically disowns him and his not-quite-fiancée quickly backs out of any understanding they might have had. Yet the dragons are every bit as necessary to the war effort as naval captains are, possibly more so. Novik never makes me feel the snubs. Laurence is a stiff Hornblower type, a younger son of a wealthy aristocratic family, but once he's imprinted on Temeraire he accepts his lot a bit too easily. There's a bit of window dressing. He takes his formality to the corps with him, but that shows more in his careful crease-free packing of his uniform and his occasional reprimand of subordinates for lack of proper politeness and respect than in any major clashes with his fellow captains or difficulty with authority. It's all a bit too easy. Laurence is a bit too dutiful (yet kind). Temeraire is a bit too noble to be true.

One of the real shocks should be when Laurence discovers that some of the aviators are female (some dragons will only imprint upon females). They wear men's clothing and work as (shock!) equals, sharing danger with the men, yet hidebound stiff-upper-lip Laurence accepts this like a modern man – again a bit too easily. He seems happy to embrace the idea and not even scandalised when one of them instigates a physical relationship – which unfortunately seems devoid of romance or passion or any real emotion at all.

Conclusion? Glad I read it. Good in parts. Nicely written and the action sequences are good. Worth a look, but not sending me kicking and screaming to get the follow-up.