A review by samwescott
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I didn't love this one quite as much as the first, mostly because I didn't find the setting (on the boat or in China) quite as compelling as the first (on the front lines with friends). It was sad to see Temeraire so isolated for a lot of the book, even if it was mended eventually with some very interesting knowledge about other Imperials and Celestials.
I'll admit, I was also a little flinchy about the depiction of the Chinese, since they are so othered in the Napoleonic setting and because so much of the plot is about clashing cultures. But I think the depictions were specific and personable enough to keep from the book making any sweeping generalizations or relying on stereotypes.
And I still adore the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire. It's so intimate and loving, but I like that this book was able to reveal some points of tension and strain. I thought the eventual solution to the Chinese objection was a little... easy. It felt a bit silly. But if that fixes the problem ad lets the story move on, I'm into it and I am SO stoked for our little Jacobin Temeraire to start getting fussy about dragon rights in England. That potential storyline is like catnip to me and I can't wait to get there!
I'll admit, I was also a little flinchy about the depiction of the Chinese, since they are so othered in the Napoleonic setting and because so much of the plot is about clashing cultures. But I think the depictions were specific and personable enough to keep from the book making any sweeping generalizations or relying on stereotypes.
And I still adore the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire. It's so intimate and loving, but I like that this book was able to reveal some points of tension and strain. I thought the eventual solution to the Chinese objection was a little... easy. It felt a bit silly. But if that fixes the problem ad lets the story move on, I'm into it and I am SO stoked for our little Jacobin Temeraire to start getting fussy about dragon rights in England. That potential storyline is like catnip to me and I can't wait to get there!