Napoleonic dragons?! (Temeraire - Naomi Novik)

Member Name: Trix1212

Product:	Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Date:	25/01/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A well written and truly original novel

Disadvantages: It does sound like a silly idea but give it a go!

The 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar was followed by the publication of several books set in the Napoleonic Wars. Among these Naomi Novik's debut novel stands out for its striking originality, as well as for being a captivating and thoroughly enjoyable novel.

Fans of historical fiction should be warned though, this is not quite your average Napoleonic novel. It is what I would call historical fantasy because (and please don't be put off by this!) it features dragons. I know, it sounds awful, but bear with me - it really is a well written and very entertaining read...

Laurence, Captain of the British ship, the 'Reliant', is surprised at the ferocity of the resistance his crew meets when they engage in battle with the heavily outmatched French frigate 'Amite'. An easy victory leaves them in possession of the vessel and exploration of the captured ship soon reveals what the French crew were defending so fiercely - a rare and precious dragon egg.

The British aviation force is weak and a dragon is a rare prize for to Laurence to carry home. But he is now faced with a difficult choice. The egg is close to hatching and in order to tame the dragonet one of the crew will be required to sacrifice everything he has ever worked towards, in the line of duty.

A compelling and original historical fantasy adventure, all I can say is, give it a try - it really is very enjoyable stuff!

(This review has also been posted on Waterstones.com, where I also post occasionally)

Summary: Historical fantasy at its best...