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epsilonecho's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
dekaj's review against another edition
5.0
This was really, really good. 4.5*
I was a bit lukewarm on this series, but now I'm hooked!
Some heavy themes are broached: slavery, colonialism, "white saviors," the rights of sentient beings, war, war crimes, honor vs. duty, and more.
But it is done in a very fine way. The characters act in ways that are quite time-appropriate, which helps to highlight the absurd cruelty—and naivety—of their actions. Even when trying to do right, all actions have consequences, and that is very prominent in this book.
There are still heartfelt moments and some humor, and despite the seriousness of the book, I breezed through it.
They were soon in such fine form as might be expected from two men both in the habit of command, and of full voice, whose former acquaintance made it no difficulty to touch upon such subjects as might provoke the most dramatic reaction.
Oh, and that ending... Do yourself a favor and have book 5 ready the moment you finish this one.
I was a bit lukewarm on this series, but now I'm hooked!
Some heavy themes are broached: slavery, colonialism, "white saviors," the rights of sentient beings, war, war crimes, honor vs. duty, and more.
But it is done in a very fine way. The characters act in ways that are quite time-appropriate, which helps to highlight the absurd cruelty—and naivety—of their actions. Even when trying to do right, all actions have consequences, and that is very prominent in this book.
There are still heartfelt moments and some humor, and despite the seriousness of the book, I breezed through it.
They were soon in such fine form as might be expected from two men both in the habit of command, and of full voice, whose former acquaintance made it no difficulty to touch upon such subjects as might provoke the most dramatic reaction.
Oh, and that ending... Do yourself a favor and have book 5 ready the moment you finish this one.
hegoodrich's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lizziestudieshistory's review against another edition
3.0
This is a 3.5 star book. I enjoyed the last quarter a lot more than the rest of the novel, which pulled it up from a 2.5 rating.
A lot of what saves this series from repetitive dullness is the relationships between the aviators and their dragons - most notably Laurence and Temeraire, but also others such as Granby and Iskierka and Catherine and Lily. The characters are far more alive and make up for the rather vague world building. Laurence and Temeraire are the besting heart of this series and their relationship is what has held my attention throughout this series.
Personally I felt the plot of this book was slow to get off the ground, particularly when this series is plot and character heavy for a fantasy series. However, THAT CLIFFHANGER has me itching to pick up the fifth installment.
I am getting increasingly annoyed with the amount of poor spelling and punctuation in these books - the mistakes are EVERYWHERE and this was by far the worse I've read. The series is in desperate need of a good editor to catch these mistakes (simple things like missing full stops and commas!)
However, I did enjoy Empire of Ivory. I read the Temeraire series for fun, as it's a (relatively for fantasy) lighthearted romp with Laurence and Temeraire. These are always a fun read and are a wonderful comfort read. I don't expect wonders of originality from Novik or great new developments for the fantasy genre. Nevertheless, I'm eager to see what happens next, particularly with that cliffhanger!
A lot of what saves this series from repetitive dullness is the relationships between the aviators and their dragons - most notably Laurence and Temeraire, but also others such as Granby and Iskierka and Catherine and Lily. The characters are far more alive and make up for the rather vague world building. Laurence and Temeraire are the besting heart of this series and their relationship is what has held my attention throughout this series.
Personally I felt the plot of this book was slow to get off the ground, particularly when this series is plot and character heavy for a fantasy series. However, THAT CLIFFHANGER has me itching to pick up the fifth installment.
I am getting increasingly annoyed with the amount of poor spelling and punctuation in these books - the mistakes are EVERYWHERE and this was by far the worse I've read. The series is in desperate need of a good editor to catch these mistakes (simple things like missing full stops and commas!)
However, I did enjoy Empire of Ivory. I read the Temeraire series for fun, as it's a (relatively for fantasy) lighthearted romp with Laurence and Temeraire. These are always a fun read and are a wonderful comfort read. I don't expect wonders of originality from Novik or great new developments for the fantasy genre. Nevertheless, I'm eager to see what happens next, particularly with that cliffhanger!
megsmarchant's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lunaliz's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jordans_bias's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kinseyritzu's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
triplebriiii's review against another edition
4.25
This was an excellent addition to the series. I was gonna take a break after this one and read another book but goodness that cliffhanger has me anxious.