His Majesty's Dragon

Naomi Novik

Infusing fresh blood into the alternate history fantasy field, Novik begins the first book in her debut trilogy during the Napoleanic wars. Novik rewrites the era replete with naval battles and aerial corps of fighting dragons. With nods to both Anne McCaffrey the grand-dame of dragons and Patrick O'Brian the grandmaster of maritime fiction she has freshened up and combined the genres.

When veteran Captain Will Laurence of HMS Reliant finally captures the French frigate he has been battling he has cause to wonder why they fought so hard not to surrender, even though it is obvious that the crew is in poor shape. A quick inspection of the hold reveals an almost hardened dragon's egg, which on examination is discovered to be dangerously close to hatching.

Panicked and knowing next to nothing about dragon care, straws are drawn and preparations hurriedly made and just in the nick of time. Unfortunately, nobody explained the plans to the dragon. Finding himself bonding with the beast Capt. Laurence realizes that his naval career is over, to be replaced with service in the aerial corps. Naming his dragon Temeraire after a dreadnought battleship, Capt. Laurence soon finds himself in the closest relationship of his life.

He discovers to his delight that Temeraire is affectionate, intelligent and a superb companion. After a fortuitous meeting with “the” dragon expert Sir Edward Howe, Laurence is surprised when it is revealed that Temeraire is a rare Chinese dragon, as the oriental breeds are almost unknown on the British isles. Even more surprising is what he discovers when sent to the dragon training grounds at Loch Laggan, an isolated base in Scotland.

Novik believably integrates a dragon-based aerial fighting force into the late-eighteenth-century military. She has also written an incredibly character driven novel, which keeps the pages turning not just for the action, but so the reader can find out what happens next to Temeraire and his captain. Included at the end of the book is an excerpt from the second book in the trilogy, Throne of Jade, and this only whets the appetite for more.