“Readers with a penchant for both Patrick O’Brian and Anne McCaffrey may have found their perfect match. Naomi Novik beautifully renders an 1800s Europe in which naval buffs and dragon lovers will be keen to immerse themselves.”—Alan Dean Foster, author of the Pip & Flinx series When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo—an unhatched dragon’ s egg—Capt. Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain’s Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte’s invading forces. Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands—and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East—a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.
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"I find this series fascinting, it's an alternate history in which dragons are incorporated into the world, and the military force that the British are using to fight off Napoleon. In this particular book takes place in China where dragons are integrated into every aspect of society. It's a fun, what if."
— Nicole (4 out of 5 stars)
“A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel. Is it hard to imagine a cross between Susanna Clarke, of Norrell and Strange fame, and the late Patrick O’Brian? Not if you’ve read this wonderful, arresting novel.”
— Stephen King“Delightful… A story rich with international, interpersonal, and internal struggles.”
— Publishers Weekly“Throne of Jade, the second novel in the Temeraire series, is certainly Novik’s best yet. Every thrilling turn will keep readers under Temeraire’s spell. Each close shave with betrayal will have them jumping out of their seats with suspense.”
— VOYA“Novik won me over with her first novel. The combination of history, sympathetic characters, and an engaging style makes this series great, intelligent fun.”
— The Times (London)“Plenty of intrigue, swordplay, exotic locations, plausible invention. In short a treat”
— The Telegraph" Good progress even if it was little bit passive comparison to first book. "
— Kristy, 2/13/2014" Faster paced than its predecessor and less caught up in relatively inaccessible naval jargon. More engaging overall. Well done. "
— your, 1/31/2014" A very slow read. Not one of my fav's in this set. "
— Joanne, 1/16/2014" I also loved this one of the series( I pretty much loved all the ones I've read so far). "
— Dominic, 1/14/2014" Not as good as first. Slow start, finished well if not abruptly. "
— James, 1/11/2014" I think I'd rather give this one 3.5 stars because it had some annoying little plot gaps. Since I still enjoyed it and still want to read the next book in the series, I'll err on the side of 4 stars rather than 3. "
— Knitography, 1/6/2014" Not just a bilingual dragon - a TRIlingual dragon who is also literate - and an enjoyable continuation of Book One as well. "
— Debbie, 12/27/2013" Not nearly as good as the first one. Boring in many parts. "
— Paul, 12/18/2013" The world continues unfolding as Lawrence travels to China with Tremeraire. Not only is he surprised by Chinese human customs, he is also confronted by the different treatment of dragons. His own assumptions about dragons continue to be tested as he strives to do the best for Tremeraire and Britain. "
— Pancha, 12/16/2013" Book 2 of the Temeraire series. I want a dragon. "
— Misty, 12/1/2013" I really enjoy the massive attention to detail in this series, both historical and fantasy. Dragons haven't seemed this real since I first read Anne McCaffrey and longed for a firelizard of my own. "
— Jody, 11/25/2013Naomi Novik is the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, the Temeraire series, and the award-winning novels Uprooted and Spinning Silver. She is a founder of the Organization for Transformative Works and the Archive of Our Own.
David Thorn spent his childhood in the Channel Islands off the coast of France, was schooled in England, and then immigrated to the United States at the age of twenty-three. He is retired from international commerce and currently resides in California.