His Majesty’s Dragon

His Majesty’s Dragon (2006) Naomi Novik (Temeraire)

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons.

Michael has been listening to the Aubrey–Maturin series, and I wasn’t quite up for that, but decide that a revisiting of Temeraire would fit the bill.

Captain Will Laurence of the HMS Reliant does not expect his life to be completely changed when they capture a French frigate, but when the dragon selects Laurence rather than the young office who drew the shortest straw, he has no choice but to accept his new life.

(H)is mind somehow linked dragon and ship, and he blurted out, “Temeraire,” thinking of the noble dreadnought which he had seen launched, many years before: that same elegant gliding motion.

One of the things I particularly like about the story is that it’s truly a love story between Laurence and Temeraire (but not in a creepy way).

“I am afraid I am not rich enough a partner for you; I will not be able to give you a heap of gold to sleep on.”

“I should rather have you than a heap of gold, even if it were very comfortable to sleep on,”

It really is lovely.

He had been in many actions, no less deadly or dangerous, but this one had differed in the crucial respect: when the enemy took aim at his charge, they were threatening not his ship, but his dragon, already the dearest creature to him in the world.

It had been ages since I read this series, I’m glad to be enjoying it as much as I did the first time, since this was a series Grandmom also enjoyed

Publisher: Del Rey
Rating: 8.5/10

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