His Majesty's Dragon

Diamond

Banned
Just picked this up at Borders. A new AH by first time author Naomi Novik. I haven't read it yet, but the premise is pretty cool - England, France, China, and presumably other nations have their own dragons. The story is set during the Napoleonic Wars, with Nappy set to invade England with a fleet of dragons. Hornblower meets Pern, and almost uniformly good reviews everywhere I've seen.
 
Diamond said:
Just picked this up at Borders. A new AH by first time author Naomi Novik. I haven't read it yet, but the premise is pretty cool - England, France, China, and presumably other nations have their own dragons. The story is set during the Napoleonic Wars, with Nappy set to invade England with a fleet of dragons. Hornblower meets Pern, and almost uniformly good reviews everywhere I've seen.
The review of the sequel "Throne of Jade" is at http://www.emcit.com/emcit128.php?a=7
 
Never heard of this...Sounds rather cool despite the sillyness (convergant AH is the worst thing in the genre)
 

Thande

Donor
Has just been released in the UK under the name "Temeraire". Just read it - very interesting, nice work and quite authentic sounding to say it's an American author.

Some of the reviewers have pointed out that it's similar to Susannah Clarke's "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell", in that it consists of a fantastical element participating in the Napoleonic Wars without actually affecting the outcome. Although [spoilers] Nelson does not die at Trafalgar, merely being seriously wounded and having all his medals welded to his flesh from being melted by dragonfire.

And the end, in which the French attempt a sort of Operation Sealion by air (which, of course, fails thanks to the Few, sort of) was very nice. I hope there's a follow up, or at least similar work by the same author.

My only real issues with it was that in parts it was kind of reminiscent of the Anne McCaffrey female wankfest thing with dragons, almost as bad as unicorns...although at least in this case the dragons were bloodthirsty by nature, more realistically.
 

Diamond

Banned
Apparently it's the first book of a trilogy; looks like the other will be released fairly rapidly - this year IIRC.
 
Thande said:
female wankfest

Isn't that rather a contradiction in terms? :p

That being said, I think I'll take a look at it. I just bought the book version of "Final Countdown"... research for the definitive alt-version I'm working on.
 

Diamond

Banned
Amerigo Vespucci said:
I just bought the book version of "Final Countdown"... research for the definitive alt-version I'm working on.
There's a book version of The Final Countdown? The one with Kirk Douglas? :eek:
 
Amerigo Vespucci said:
Isn't that rather a contradiction in terms? :p

That being said, I think I'll take a look at it. I just bought the book version of "Final Countdown"... research for the definitive alt-version I'm working on.

wanking is a solely male term?
 

Thande

Donor
fortyseven said:
wanking is a solely male term?
Usually. But I was using it in a less literal sense so I presumed I could get away with it. You know, because books full of military technology and crammed with statistics thereof are described as [male] wankfests, and I think the same about books involving (benevolent, friendly etc) dragons or unicorns and women...
 
Mike Resnick published a novel this past October dealing with Dragons in the American Revolution and how Washington with help of Daniel Boone uses them in the ARW.I am wondering if this is a coincidence:Dragons in 1776 war and dragons in Napoleonic war?Haven't heard Resnick complain.Has anyone else read the Resnick book?
 
Just read the first book. Rather fun read- she's not a particularly skilled writer but she's a good storyteller and the world is fleshed out nicely.

As Thande says there were some touches of feminine wankery, but overall a stirring romp.

I'm having trouble visualising how the dragons are actually rigged out though.
 
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