A review by lactomar
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

4.0

Kind of an odd book, but I found it to be nice palate cleanser and refreshing take on dragons/fantasy. Felt kind of like I was reading a slightly altered Aubrey/Maturin book (I think I've read 2-3 of them...), the historical period is obviously a fascinating time for naval tactics and Anglo-French conflict and this book fits nicely into it. Cool world building, loved the dragons and how they fit in with things, rich spectrum of various breeds and dragon characteristics. However, it almost felt like I was reading a primer and the whole thing was exposition and I can't figure out why. It just never felt like it fully developed, and the last act felt rushed. The main character was also frustratingly stiff, I get that he was written that way, and maybe that's based on historical accuracy but it made it hard to empathize with him. Regardless, I'll probably give the 2nd book a try and see how things go from there. Maybe it's like a first season of a show and the characters just need some time to settle in and develop.