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Loading... Crucible of Gold (2012)by Naomi Novik
   None. No current Talk conversations about this book. Following up my re-read round of the first six books in this series, I enjoyed this one more than I did book six originally (it improved on the re-read, but is still not a favourite): it's further travel, this time to and in South America. I think I enjoyed this one more than the book six because it was something of a return to more predominant preoccupation with the Napoleonic wars and to the Navy vs. Aviators culture clash. (  ) queen_ypolita | Mar 30, 2016 |  Look, this is European history (of the Napoleonic era) reimagined with dragons woven into the fabric of battle and diplomacy. It is 100 times better than it sounds. And the dragons are some of my favorite non-human characters in any books, right up there with Hobbits. ( ) BraveNewBks | Mar 10, 2016 | Needs more character-driven plot, less jumping around like a Dirt Pitt novel. And I hate books with no ending! YUCK. (  ) fbswss | Mar 1, 2016 | After repeatedly doing what they thought was moral, rather than following their orders, Laurence and Temeraire had finally broken free of the British Empire and began living a peaceful life in Australia. But alas, Laurence's dutiful nature cannot be overcome forever, and he and his draconic bff are convinced to rejoin the Aerial Service. They ship off to South America, in hopes of gaining new allies or at least, not losing their current ones. At this point I kinda don't know why I shouldn't be rooting for Napoleon? I mean, I've always read the Napoleonic Wars from the viewpoint of the British, so I'm predisposed to hope Napoleon loses, purely so the protagonists can win. And in real history, he ordered various atrocities--poisoning the ill to keep from holding up the baggage train, that sort of thing. But in Novik's alternate history, it is the British who use germ warfare, defend their allies' practices of slavery, and refuse to treat women, dragons, or non-white people well. Napoleon, meanwhile, seems perfectly willing to treat women, non-white people, and dragons as equal to white men. He makes treaties with African nations to help them get their enslaved fellows back. He sees no problem relying upon the brains of his female dragon, or marrying an Incan woman. I'm sure it's all part of one of his self-serving schemes, but--his allies are perfectly aware that he's using him, and they're using him back. Would it really be that bad if this alternate Napoleon won? ( ) wealhtheowwylfing | Feb 29, 2016 | "" (  ) b00kworm72 | Sep 1, 2015 | no reviews | add a review
No descriptions found. "Naomi Novik's beloved series returns, with Capt. Will Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire once again taking to the air against the broadsides of Napoleon's forces and the friendly--and sometimes not-so-friendly--fire of British soldiers and politicians who continue to suspect them of divided loyalties, if not outright treason. For Laurence and Temeraire, put out to pasture in Australia, it seems their part in the war has come to an end just when they are needed most. Newly allied with the powerful African empire of the Tswana, the French have occupied Spain and brought revolution and bloodshed to Brazil, threatening Britain's last desperate hope to defeat Napoleon. So the British government dispatches Arthur Hammond from China to enlist Laurence and Temeraire to negotiate a peace with the angry Tswana, who have besieged the Portuguese royal family in Rio--and as bait, Hammond bears an offer to reinstate Laurence to his former rank and seniority as a captain in the Aerial Corps. Temeraire is delighted by this sudden reversal of fortune, but Laurence is by no means sanguine, knowing from experience that personal honor and duty to one's country do not always run on parallel tracks. Laurence and Temeraire--joined by the egotistical fire-breather Iskierka and the still-growing Kulingile, who has already surpassed Temeraire in size--embark for Brazil, only to meet with a string of unmitigated disasters that leave the dragons and their human friends forced to make an unexpected landing in the hostile territory of the Inca empire, where they face new unanticipated dangers. Now with the success of the mission balanced on a razor's edge, and failure looking more likely by the minute, the unexpected arrival of an old enemy will tip the scales toward ruin. Yet even in the midst of disaster, opportunity may lurk--for one bold enough to grasp it"--… (more) |
LibraryThing AuthorNaomi Novik is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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