The Most Complex of Love Stories in His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik | Book Review

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

Temeraire #1
First Published: 2006
Kindle Version
Adult, Alternate History
Rating:

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature.
Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

Last year, I read Novik's Uprooted and absolutely adored it, so when this came up bargain price on kindle, I didn't even blink before one-clicking it. Finding myself soon after in the mood for a fantasy, I started this story... and got sucked in in mere seconds.

I have always been a fan of stories that take our history in a slightly different, more fantastical direction (such as the Parasol Protectorate series). There is just something so charming about making our own dry history something that everything and anything can happen in.

And His Majesty's Dragon is no exception. In fact, it's one of the best examples for an alternate history done right. In this world, Dragons have always existed, and are both rare and important beings and the most advanced and unique of weapons - because they have brains and thoughts and are intelligent and intellectual creatures.

They are the army's best resource, especially now as America is fighting against Napoleon. I admit I'm pretty rustic on the Napoleonic Wars (wasn't a subject we covered in school, in all honesty), but everything had such an authentic feel to it, and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the battles I read of were real - only changed slightly to confine with the reality of dragons.

Which is something I really appreciate - because it makes you feel that if Dragons were real, this is how our history would've went. I feel so strongly about the setting to this story that had the actual plot and characters not been phenomenal I would've still recommended it. However, it was, so there  was no such trouble.

At the core of things, His Majesty's Dragon is a love story... between one man and his dragon.

Captain Will Laurence is a navy officer, and proud of it. While he works his crew hard, everybody respects him for his fair treatment and how he expects from them exactly what he expects from himself. His determination and fairness helps him win over many people he encounters along the way. Honestly, I'm half way in love with the Captain. He's such a great person, above everything, and if I wasn't sure I would lose to Temeraire in a contest for his heart, I would've tried something already.

But who is Temeraire? He is the super intelligent, solid black dragon Captain Laurence finds, and despite being ten times the size of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, he shall forever be the talking version of Toothless in my head and you can do nothing to change that.

It has to be the fact Temeraire is so adorable and sweet and cute that makes it impossible not to see Toothless in my head. So if you liked Toothless, you will fall head over heels in love with Temeraire! 

And if you liked the relationship between Toothless and Hiccup, you will adore the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire, as both are very similar at their level of devotion, though His Majesty's Dragon takes it even a step farther as Temaraire can talk and converse, making an even deeper bond emerge between the two.

I'm curious to see if Laurence could even get into a committed romantic relationship at this point, as Tem is in a way both his soulmate, his pet and his child, and that leaves very little place for anything else. But I didn't mind it at all.

If I had to find a word to describe their relationship, both in progression and content, I'll probably say "gorgeous".

So if you like complex love stories that are not necessarily "romantic"and set in an intricate world that provides for the occasional heart pounding battle... 

Book Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Favorites Extravaganza: Day #11)

2015 Favorites Extravaganza: Day #11

Uprooted  by Naomi Novik
N/A
First Published: 2015
Hardcover
Mature YA, High-Fantasy
Rating:

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood's powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows - everyone knows - that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia - all the things Agnieszka isn't - and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But no one can predict how or why the Dragon chooses a girl. And when he comes, it is not Kasia he will take with him.
From the author of the Temeraire series comes this hugely imaginative, engrossing and vivid fantasy novel, inspired by folk and fairy tales. It is perfect reading for fans of Robin Hobb and Trudi Canavan.

Initially, Uprooted caught my eyes when pictures of its beautiful cover surfaced tumblr (with very favorable reviews). So just like that, it was bumped to the top of my list. Sometimes, this method of book-chosing yields unfortunate results. And sometimes, it doesn't. Sometimes, it turns out to be the best of choices.

I wasn't even two pages in when I knew I would adore this book. I was absolutely correct. 

Every ten years, a 17 years old girl is chosen to live with the valley's wizard, the Dragon. And when her 10 years end, she leaves - never to come back. Agnieszka, our protagonist, is such a girl. But neither she nor her family are really worried, because the Dragon always takes the most beautiful and talented girl, and Agnieszka's best friend Kasia is the sure choice.

So everyone are shocked when she is chosen. Now she has to deal with being uprooted (see what I did there??) and worse -- living with a surly, neat-freak, perfectionist wizard who won't even try to make the transition somewhat bearable. 

From that point on, things get real interesting.

First of all, let me say this - the bromance (is there a female term for bromance??) between Nieshka and Kasia is life. I was worried that Uprooted will follow in Cruel Beauty's steps with more hate than friendship, but it totally didn't. Nieshka and Kasia are real, honest to god, best friends. They're practically sisters. It was beautiful, seriously. 

Then there is the Dragon. I was shipping him and Nieshka from pretty much the first time they met. They just clashed so beautifully - she with her spontaneous, outdoorsy, clumsy manner and him with his straight laced, dignified order. It made for some hilarious interactions, and you could see from the get-go that those interaction rattled both of them. In the best way possible.

I mean, it's sort of a hate to love relationship, and it is executed perfectly. You fall in love together with these two characters, and the best part is that neither of them need to voice their feelings to know they are there. 

Oh, and they are hot. Sometimes in an explicit sort of way. However, don't expect a NA level of things. The mature content in Uprooted is very tasteful and doesn't go overboard, staying true to the mood, story and characters. Novik isn't afraid to go past PG-13, because it's right for her story. And not for any other reason. 

Now lets talk a little about the world because it was beautiful and horrifying and magical. Novik did a wonderful job flashing out the world without info-dumping it on you, letting you learn the ins and outs through the characters and their experiences. In this world, some rare people have magic. And the biggest threat to all the kingdom's people is not the war always brewing on the horizon, it is the Wood.

Yes. When was the last time you read a book where a Wood was the main antagonist? And not just any antagonist - a manipulative, cruel, mind controlling one who will do anything in his power to devour all the land and kill everyone in it. 

What, you're scared now? You should be. 

Alongside Nieshka, Dragon and Kasia, there are many side characters, such as the other magicians, the (kind of hateful) prince, the king, and the villagers. They were all, even when they were kind of awful, charming in their own ways. Mostly because no one in this book is really evil. 

Oh, and you should know - this book doesn't pull any punches. There are deaths. From a certain point there is a death almost every page. And some of it is hella gory. But even so, it's still so damn charming.

GAh, I don't know. This book does stuff to me. 

Uprooted is everything. I just want more of this world and characters so damned much that I can't deal with this being the end!