Thursday, April 16, 2015

Book Review: Tongues Of Serpents (Temeraire, Book 6), by Naomi Novik

Genre: Historical fantasy
Date Published: July 13, 2010
Publisher: Del Rey
Length: 274 pages, or 9 hours and 47 minutes on audiobook
Source: Audible

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible

Sypnopsis: A dazzling blend of military history, high-flying fantasy, and edge-of-your-seat adventure, Naomi Novik’s Temeraire novels, set in an alternate Napoleonic era in which intelligent dragons have been harnessed as weapons of war, are more than just perennial bestsellers—they are a worldwide phenomenon. Now, in Tongues of Serpents, Naomi Novik is back, along with the dragon Temeraire and his rider and friend, Capt. Will Laurence.
Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon’s invasion of England, Temeraire and Laurence—stripped of rank and standing—have been transported to the prison colony at New South Wales in distant Australia, where, it is hoped, they cannot further corrupt the British Aerial Corps with their dangerous notions of liberty for dragons. Temeraire and Laurence carry with them three dragon eggs intended to help establish a covert in the colony and destined to be handed over to such second-rate, undesirable officers as have been willing to accept so remote an assignment—including one former acquaintance, Captain Rankin, whose cruelty once cost a dragon its life.
Nor is this the greatest difficulty that confronts the exiled dragon and rider: Instead of leaving behind all the political entanglements and corruptions of the war, Laurence and Temeraire have instead sailed into a hornet’s nest of fresh complications. For the colony at New South Wales has been thrown into turmoil after the overthrow of the military governor, one William Bligh—better known as Captain Bligh, late of HMS Bounty. Bligh wastes no time in attempting to enlist Temeraire and Laurence to restore him to office, while the upstart masters of the colony are equally determined that the new arrivals should not upset a balance of power precariously tipped in their favor.
Eager to escape this political quagmire, Laurence and Temeraire take on a mission to find a way through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia. But when one of the dragon eggs is stolen from Temeraire, the surveying expedition becomes a desperate race to recover it in time—a race that leads to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new obstacle in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.



My Rating:

★★★

Monday, April 13, 2015

It's Monday And It's Spring! Time For A Weekly Recap.

It's Monday!  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and it's finally warm!  There's still some stubborn patches of snow left on the ground, but they're all that's left of the huge mountains of snow we had this winter.
*hee hee*  I feel evil :)

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Book Review: Victory Of Eagles (Temeraire, Book 5), by Naomi Novik

Title: Victory Of Eagles
Author: Naomi Novik
Date Published: July 8th 2008
Publisher: Del Rey
Source: Audible
Length: 332 pages, or 10 hours and 29 minutes on audiobooks
Genre: Historical Fantasy

Shelfari | Goodreads | Audible
Synopsis: Naomi Novik's triumphant debut, His Majesty's Dragon, introduced a dynamic new pair of heroes to the annals of fantasy fiction: the noble fighting dragon Temeraire and his master and commander, Capt. Will Laurence. Now in the latest novel, they soar to new heights of breathtaking action and brilliant imagination. It is a grim time for the dragon Temeraire. On the heels of his mission to Africa, seeking the cure for a deadly contagion, he has been removed from military service - and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. For Britain, conditions are grimmer still: Napoleon's resurgent forces have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon's prime objective: the occupation of London. Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon's forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war and to aid the resistance against the invasion before Napoleon's foothold on England's shores can become a stranglehold. If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain's scattered forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before - for king and country, and for their own liberty. But can the French aggressors be well and truly routed, or will a treacherous alliance deliver Britain into the hands of her would-be conquerors?
My Rating: 
★★★★

In A Sentence: 
A very good installment to an entertaining series.


My Thoughts: 
I'm definitely having fun with this series, and this book most certainly contributed to it. Temeraire is proving time and again that dragons are intelligent and should be treated as equals, in ways that are both perfectly sound, and highly amusing. I love how the military leaders get continuously flabbergasted by Temeraire and his ideas. I keep laughing and cheering every time. It was nice (although a little confusing) to hear the narration from Temeraire's point of view this time, even if it only was for part of the story. Naomi Novik really did an excellent job with this series; I just want to keep reading, if only to see if Temeraire will eventually succeed and become a recognized hero.

What's holding me back from 5 stars is the fact that I don't currently feel the inclination to re-read the books. I really am enjoying them, but there are good portions of the plot that I felt reading once was enough. And I don't really get Laurence. When it comes to debating issues, I tend to side more with Temeraire than I do with Laurence, so perhaps the reason I can't love the series is because I can't fully empathize with one of the main protagonists. I do, however, really love Temeraire, and I'll definitely continue with the series for his sake.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Book Review: Empire Of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4), by Naomi Novik

Title: Empire Of Ivory (Temeraire Book 4)
Author: Naomi Novik

Date Published: January, 2007
Publisher: Del Rey
Source: Audible
Length: 404 pages, or 11 hours and 6 minutes on audiobook
Genre: Fantasy, alternate reality

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible
Synopsis: Tragedy has struck His Majesty’s Aerial Corps, whose magnificent fleet of fighting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England’s shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons’ ranks–forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected–and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France’s ever bolder sorties.
Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Wednesday's Rantings: Do I Stay Or Do I Go?

It's Wednesday!  I haven't done this in a few weeks (I'll just blame March), but it's time for me to chit chat and rant a little about the random things I think about on a daily basis.

This week's topic:
To Stay On Blogger, Or To Move On

I started on Blogger back in July of last year.  It was perfect for me, since I had absolutely no previous experience with creating any type of website.  The setup was simple, beginner-friendly, and I learned a lot!

After creating this book blog, I caught the bug and wanted to make a dance website, one my dance students could use.  But because I was still new and shy to the whole thing, so I ended up making a dance blog, not a dance website.

The more comfortable I got with Blogger, the more restrictive I began to find it.  I know a little code now, but only enough to make small changes and add little gadgets and the like.  I have no clue how to completely change a template, such as how to create drop-down menus, or how to design a page and make it look exactly the way I want it.  I felt like I either had to teach myself all the codes, which I don't have time for, or find a new website builder that allowed me to get a little more creative.  I decided to do the latter and experiment a little.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Book Review: Black Powder War (Temeraire, Book 3), by Naomi Novik

Title: Black Powder War
Author: Naomi Novik
Date Published: May 30, 2006
Publisher: Del Rey
Source: Audible
Length: 365 pages, or 10 hours and 22 minutes on audiobook
Genre: Fantasy, alternate reality

Shelfari | Goodreads | Audible

Synopsis: After their fateful adventure in China, Capt. Will Laurence of His Majesty’s Aerial Corps and his extraordinary dragon, Temeraire, are waylaid by a mysterious envoy bearing urgent new orders from Britain. Three valuable dragon eggs have been purchased from the Ottoman Empire, and Laurence and Temeraire must detour to Istanbul to escort the precious cargo back to England. Time is of the essence if the eggs are to be borne home before hatching. Yet disaster threatens the mission at every turn–thanks to the diabolical machinations of the Chinese dragon Lien, who blames Temeraire for her master’s death and vows to ally herself with Napoleon and take vengeance. Then, faced with shattering betrayal in an unexpected place, Laurence, Temeraire, and their squad must launch a daring offensive. But what chance do they have against the massed forces of Bonaparte’s implacable army? 



My Rating: 
★★★★


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Book Review: Throne Of Jade (Temeraire, Book 2), by Naomi Novik

Title: Throne Of Jade
Author: Naomi Novik
Date Published: April 25th, 2006
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Source: Audible
Length: 398 pages, or 11 hours and 43 minutes on audiobook
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate Reality

Goodreads | Shelfari | Audible 
When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo–an unhatched dragon’s egg–Capt. Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain’s Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Bonaparte’s invading forces. Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands–and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.
My Rating:
★★★ 1/2