Victory of Eagles

Overall score:

At the end of book 4, Empire of Ivory, Temeraire and Laurance have saved not only the English dragons from disease and death, but at the risk of being named traitors, delivered the cure to the French. Despite it being Temeraire's plan, Laurence is the one who suffers imprisonment and the loss of his aeral corp rank. But when Napleon invades the shores of England, Temeraire and Laurance must join the fight because England needs every dragon it has to battle Napoleon's new scemes.

Novik diverges quite a bit in this book from the real history of the Napoleonic wars, but to great effect. Napoleon's invasion of England is interesting in its details and strategy, and she makes it feel real--from Napoleon's actions to the response of the English citizens. And, of course, there's an exciting battle at the end of the book well worth reading.

Temerarie, despite spending the first part of the book seperated from Laurance, continues to be frustrated with the prejudice that England's men and women have for dragons--that they're dumb animals only worth using in combat. Temeraire, despite all this, feels a sort of patriotism for England and takes the initative to help his country. I really enjoyed watching the interaction between the dragons, which was much more common than in previous books; Temeraire's natural leadership ability really shines. Novik's characterizations of the dragons and their roles in war and within their own little dragon culture really makes this story interesting.

Poor Laurance, however, is still branded a traitor among his peers and suffers for it despite the risks he makes for them. This reality affects his choices and attitudes throughout the story, and his struggle feels real. He knows that the hanging due for a traitor is only a matter of time, and as a result goes about his tasks with grim determination. He worries most about Temeraire and what his death would mean for his dragon, and about how it will affect his family; you can't help but pity the guy, who spends his time worrying about others more than himself.

As usual, Novik's swift pacing and engaging prose carries you along the story. If you liked the style of her first books, she continues on very consistently here. The voice is easy reading and pulls you into the era nicely. Events take turns you don't expect, and by the end you feel satisfied that Laurance and Temeraire have done everything they could to save England. And, of course, by the very end you know they have a new adventure right around the corner.

Written by Nessa on September 15th, 2008