imaginedlandscapes's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
underthepaperbridge's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
jsmith3's review against another edition
2.0
His Majesty's Dragon is the first novel in the Temeraire Series and is an alternate history, historical fantasy about dragons, valiant warriors, and battle set during the Napoleonic Wars, which Stephen King called “A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel." It sadly did not deliver on the "terrifically entertaining" part.
On paper, His Majesty's Dragon sounds like it'd be right up my alley. A historical fantasy with talking dragons and lots of battle? Sign me up.
Sadly, I had to DNF at the 56% waypoint. Reading this book became a chore where I often found my mind wandering elsewhere to other books I'd rather be reading. I eventually decided to read it each night before bed to help me fall asleep, a quasi-melatonin if you will, hoping that I could finish it this way, albeit slowly. Even as a bookish melatonin, each night I found myself averting my gaze from His Majesty's Dragon sitting dejectedly on my bedside table and settled on pretending it wasn't there. Lying to myself each night that I would try and pick it up the following night or the next night or the night after that.
Finally, the night after that came, and I picked it up one last time. Lo and behold I finally got to a scene that piqued my interest, but in all the wrong ways.
The scene started out typically enough with our human protagonist, Captain Will Laurence, writing letters to family and friends while our dragon protagonist, Temeraire, cheerily contributes his own additions to the letter. It's all very sweet. Until Temeraire starts questioning why their human crewmates are so interested in a nearby town. Captain Laurence tries to evade the question by saying these men seek drink and "low company" (i.e. sex workers) at which point Temeraire comes to the realization about what "low company" means and animatedly chirps that they're seeking "whores." Temeraire even proceeds to ask if Captain Laurence would like to visit and explains to our human protagonist how desirable such entertainments are for single men.
Yeah, no, I can't do this anymore. I have no problem with the mention of sex work, but to have this dragon that I've seen compared to by reviewers as an adorable talking dog and is almost childlike in his curiosity start talking about "whores" and trying to "hopefully" persuade our human protagonist to visit them is too much.
I feel so disappointed, because His Majesty's Dragon started out right in the middle of a bloody battle scene where Captain Laurence captures a French frigate that contains an unhatched dragon egg. We then get adorable scenes between Captain Laurence and Temeraire and it's just so damn cute. But then nothing really eventful occurs and while Captain Laurence and Temeraire have an adorable relationship, neither character feels fully fledged out. I just feel really disappointed.
On paper, His Majesty's Dragon sounds like it'd be right up my alley. A historical fantasy with talking dragons and lots of battle? Sign me up.
Sadly, I had to DNF at the 56% waypoint. Reading this book became a chore where I often found my mind wandering elsewhere to other books I'd rather be reading. I eventually decided to read it each night before bed to help me fall asleep, a quasi-melatonin if you will, hoping that I could finish it this way, albeit slowly. Even as a bookish melatonin, each night I found myself averting my gaze from His Majesty's Dragon sitting dejectedly on my bedside table and settled on pretending it wasn't there. Lying to myself each night that I would try and pick it up the following night or the next night or the night after that.
Finally, the night after that came, and I picked it up one last time. Lo and behold I finally got to a scene that piqued my interest, but in all the wrong ways.
The scene started out typically enough with our human protagonist, Captain Will Laurence, writing letters to family and friends while our dragon protagonist, Temeraire, cheerily contributes his own additions to the letter. It's all very sweet. Until Temeraire starts questioning why their human crewmates are so interested in a nearby town. Captain Laurence tries to evade the question by saying these men seek drink and "low company" (i.e. sex workers) at which point Temeraire comes to the realization about what "low company" means and animatedly chirps that they're seeking "whores." Temeraire even proceeds to ask if Captain Laurence would like to visit and explains to our human protagonist how desirable such entertainments are for single men.
"Oh, you mean whores," Temeraire said... "But you have never gone; are you sure you would not like to?" he added, almost hopefully.
Yeah, no, I can't do this anymore. I have no problem with the mention of sex work, but to have this dragon that I've seen compared to by reviewers as an adorable talking dog and is almost childlike in his curiosity start talking about "whores" and trying to "hopefully" persuade our human protagonist to visit them is too much.
I feel so disappointed, because His Majesty's Dragon started out right in the middle of a bloody battle scene where Captain Laurence captures a French frigate that contains an unhatched dragon egg. We then get adorable scenes between Captain Laurence and Temeraire and it's just so damn cute. But then nothing really eventful occurs and while Captain Laurence and Temeraire have an adorable relationship, neither character feels fully fledged out. I just feel really disappointed.
emilyredwood's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
ace0in0space's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bethany_t's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
emilyalbertelli's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
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? No
3.75
righteousridel's review against another edition
3.0
His Majesty's Dragon is an imaginative alt-history fantasy world, set during the Age of Sail with the culture and society of fellow novels like Hornblower or Aubrey-Maturin. The key draw is the introduction of dragons into this version of Earth, and it's both imaginatively done and executed in a realistic manner. Politics, warfare, society, it mostly resembles that of the Age of Sail except for hints here and there of how wild dragons would have changed history.
For all that the world-building is a success, and the cleverness in which Naomi Novik focuses on her alternative history, His Majesty's Dragon is little more than a prologue to the entire series. It spends a great deal of time introducing the reader to this new world, and that is done brilliantly by through Captain Lawrence's fish out of water experience. The introduction of Temeraire followed by the Aerial Corps forms the first two acts and well over 80% of the book's page count, which results in a rather disappointing and rushed final act.
The publisher must have been very confident in this series, given that the first novel doesn't really satisfy my appetite. I will pick up the second novel in this series, but my rating for the novel reflects that this is just an introduction, and no matter how great an introduction, it leaves me wanting.
Recommended with reservations (upon finishing the second novel).
I think my complaints of the third act is succinct enough, but it was quite clear that (after the time skip) we would get some sort of battle scene. We get that in a sudden ambush, and then introduction of such minor characters that by the time the 'treachery' occurs, I barely even recalled the character involved! There was the foreshadowing of an attack, but then this is forestalled by the historical Battle of Trafalgar, along with Nelson's historic victory.
Perhaps in a book with another climax, that revelation would have been more satisfying, but instead it felt like the novel failed to deliver. Maybe the third act was too rushed and more pages were needed to build up the various new characters introduced... regardless, I felt no attachment to the sequence and usually everyone hates traitors.
On to book 2.
For all that the world-building is a success, and the cleverness in which Naomi Novik focuses on her alternative history, His Majesty's Dragon is little more than a prologue to the entire series. It spends a great deal of time introducing the reader to this new world, and that is done brilliantly by through Captain Lawrence's fish out of water experience. The introduction of Temeraire followed by the Aerial Corps forms the first two acts and well over 80% of the book's page count, which results in a rather disappointing and rushed final act.
The publisher must have been very confident in this series, given that the first novel doesn't really satisfy my appetite. I will pick up the second novel in this series, but my rating for the novel reflects that this is just an introduction, and no matter how great an introduction, it leaves me wanting.
Recommended with reservations (upon finishing the second novel).
Spoiler
The following is in spoiler tags, and I say so since some Goodreads clients may not respect it. You've been warned:I think my complaints of the third act is succinct enough, but it was quite clear that (after the time skip) we would get some sort of battle scene. We get that in a sudden ambush, and then introduction of such minor characters that by the time the 'treachery' occurs, I barely even recalled the character involved! There was the foreshadowing of an attack, but then this is forestalled by the historical Battle of Trafalgar, along with Nelson's historic victory.
Perhaps in a book with another climax, that revelation would have been more satisfying, but instead it felt like the novel failed to deliver. Maybe the third act was too rushed and more pages were needed to build up the various new characters introduced... regardless, I felt no attachment to the sequence and usually everyone hates traitors.
On to book 2.
allisoncc's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
sohva's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Interesting premise, but I couldn't really get into the story. The characters felt too one-dimensional for me and the world didn't feel fantastical enough. Still a nice enough light read.