His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire Series #1) [NOOK Book]

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Overview

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. 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 ...
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More About This Book

Overview

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. 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.

From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
In her debut novel, Naomi Novik constructs a panoramic fantasy in which the British attack Napoleon's armies from the backs of flying dragons. With its convincing battle scenes and its arresting aerial heroes, His Majesty's Dragon bodes well for this budding novelist.
Rachel Hartigan Shea
… all hail Naomi Novik for seizing on an entirely different set of literary conventions for her fantasy debut -- the dashing Brits-on-ships genre perfected by Patrick O'Brian. In His Majesty's Dragon , Novik plunks her scaly beasts into the Napoleonic Wars, as members of the Aerial Corps, air cover for the beleaguered Royal Navy as it fends off a French invasion.
— The Washington Post
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
From The Critics
In this delightful first novel, the opening salvo of a trilogy, Novik seamlessly blends fantasy into the history of the Napoleonic wars. Here be dragons, beasts that can speak and reason, bred for strength and speed and used for aerial support in battle. Each nation has its own breeds, but none are so jealously guarded as the mysterious dragons of China. Veteran Capt. Will Laurence of the British Navy is therefore taken aback after his crew captures an egg from a French ship and it hatches a Chinese dragon, which Laurence names Temeraire. When Temeraire bonds with the captain, the two leave the navy to sign on with His Majesty's sadly understaffed Aerial Corps, which takes on the French in sprawling, detailed battles that Novik renders with admirable attention to 19th-century military tactics. Though the dragons they encounter are often more fully fleshed-out than the stereotypical human characters, the author's palpable love for her subject and a story rich with international, interpersonal and internal struggles more than compensate. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345490728
  • Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 3/28/2006
  • Sold by: Random House
  • Format: eBook
  • Sales rank: 22,251
  • Series: Temeraire Series, #1
  • File size: 598 KB
  • Items ship to U.S, APO/FPO and U.S. Protectorate addresses.

Meet the Author

Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik

An avid reader of fantasy literature since age six, when she first made her way through The Lord of the Rings, Naomi Novik is also a history buff with a particular interest in the Napoleonic era and a fondness for the work of Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen. She studied English literature at Brown University, and did graduate work in computer science at Columbia University before leaving to participate in the design and development of the computer game Neverwinter Nights: Shadow of Undrentide.

Read an Excerpt

The deck of the French ship was slippery with blood, heaving in the choppy sea; a stroke might as easily bring down the man making it as the intended target. Laurence did not have time in the heat of the battle to be surprised at the degree of resistance, but even through the numbing haze of battle-fever and the confusion of swords and pistol-smoke, he marked the extreme look of anguish on the French captain’s face as the man shouted encouragement to his men.

It was still there shortly thereafter, when they met on the deck, and the man surrendered his sword, very reluctantly: at the last moment his hand half-closed about the blade, as if he meant to draw it back. Laurence looked up to make certain the colors had been struck, then accepted the sword with a mute bow; he did not speak French himself, and a more formal exchange would have to wait for the presence of his third lieutenant, that young man being presently engaged belowdecks in securing the French guns. With the cessation of hostilities, the remaining Frenchmen were all virtually dropping where they stood; Laurence noticed that there were fewer of them than he would have expected for a frigate of thirty-six guns, and that they looked ill and hollow-cheeked.

Many of them lay dead or dying upon the deck; he shook his head at the waste and eyed the French captain with disapproval: the man should never have offered battle. Aside from the plain fact that the Reliant would have had the Amitié slightly outgunned and outmanned under the best of circumstances, the crew had obviously been reduced by disease or hunger. To boot, the sails above them were in a sad tangle, and that no result of the battle, but of the storm which had passed but this morning; they had barely managed to bring off a single broadside before the Reliant had closed and boarded. The captain was obviously deeply overset by the defeat, but he was not a young man to be carried away by his spirits: he ought to have done better by his men than to bring them into so hopeless an action.

“Mr. Riley,” Laurence said, catching his second lieutenant’s attention, “have our men carry the wounded below.” He hooked the captain’s sword on his belt; he did not think the man deserved the compliment of having it returned to him, though ordinarily he would have done so. “And pass the word for Mr. Wells.”

“Very good, sir,” Riley said, turning to issue the necessary orders. Laurence stepped to the railing to look down and see what damage the hull had taken. She looked reasonably intact, and he had ordered his own men to avoid shots below the waterline; he thought with satisfaction that there would be no difficulty in bringing her into port.

His hair had slipped out of his short queue, and now fell into his eyes as he looked over. He impatiently pushed it out of the way as he turned back, leaving streaks of blood upon his forehead and the sun-bleached hair; this, with his broad shoulders and his severe look, gave him an unconsciously savage appearance as he surveyed his prize, very unlike his usual thoughtful expression.

Wells climbed up from below in response to the summons and came to his side. “Sir,” he said, without waiting to be addressed, “begging your pardon, but Lieutenant Gibbs says there is something queer in the hold.”

“Oh? I will go and look,” Laurence said. “Pray tell this gentleman,” he indicated the French captain, “that he must give me his parole, for himself and his men, or they must be confined.”

The French captain did not immediately respond; he looked at his men with a miserable expression. They would of course do much better if they could be kept spread out through the lower deck, and any recapture was a practical impossibility under the circumstances; still he hesitated, drooped, and finally husked, “Je me rends,” with a look still more wretched.

Laurence gave a short nod. “He may go to his cabin,” he told Wells, and turned to step down into the hold. “Tom, will you come along? Very good.”

He descended with Riley on his heels, and found his first lieutenant waiting for him. Gibbs’s round face was still shining with sweat and emotion; he would be taking the prize into port, and as she was a frigate, he almost certainly would be made post, a captain himself. Laurence was only mildly pleased; though Gibbs had done his duty reasonably, the man had been imposed on him by the Admiralty and they had not become intimates. He had wanted Riley in the first lieutenant’s place, and if he had been given his way, Riley would now be the one getting his step. That was the nature of the service, and he did not begrudge Gibbs the good fortune; still, he did not rejoice quite so wholeheartedly as he would have to see Tom get his own ship.

“Very well; what’s all this, then?” Laurence said now; the hands were clustered about an oddly placed bulkhead towards the stern area of the hold, neglecting the work of cataloguing the captured ship’s stores.

“Sir, if you will step this way,” Gibbs said. “Make way there,” he ordered, and the hands backed away from what Laurence now saw was a doorway set inside a wall that had been built across the back of the hold; recently, for the lumber was markedly lighter than the surrounding planks.

Ducking through the low door, he found himself in a small chamber with a strange appearance. The walls had been reinforced with actual metal, which must have added a great deal of unnecessary weight to the ship, and the floor was padded with old sailcloth; in addition, there was a small coal-stove in the corner, though this was not presently in use. The only object stored within the room was a large crate, roughly the height of a man’s waist and as wide, and this was made fast to the floor and walls by means of thick hawsers attached to metal rings.

Laurence could not help feeling the liveliest curiosity, and after a moment’s struggle he yielded to it. “Mr. Gibbs, I think we shall have a look inside,” he said, stepping out of the way. The top of the crate was thoroughly nailed down, but eventually yielded to the many willing hands; they pried it off and lifted out the top layer of packing, and many heads craned forward at the same time to see.

No one spoke, and in silence Laurence stared at the shining curve of eggshell rising out of the heaped straw; it was scarcely possible to believe. “Pass the word for Mr. Pollitt,” he said at last; his voice sounded only a little strained. “Mr. Riley, pray be sure those lashings are quite secure.”

Riley did not immediately answer, too busy staring; then he jerked to attention and said, hastily, “Yes, sir,” and bent to check the bindings.

Laurence stepped closer and gazed down at the egg. There could hardly be any doubt as to its nature, though he could not say for sure from his own experience. The first amazement passing, he tentatively reached out and touched the surface, very cautiously: it was smooth and hard to the touch. He withdrew almost at once, not wanting to risk doing it some harm.

Mr. Pollitt came down into the hold in his awkward way, clinging to the ladder edges with both hands and leaving bloody prints upon it; he was no kind of a sailor, having become a naval surgeon only at the late age of thirty, after some unspecified disappointments on land. He was nevertheless a genial man, well liked by the crew, even if his hand was not always the steadiest at the operating table. “Yes, sir?” he said, then saw the egg. “Good Lord above.”

“It is a dragon egg, then?” Laurence said. It required an effort to restrain the triumph in his voice.

“Oh, yes indeed, Captain, the size alone shows that.” Mr. Pollitt had wiped his hands on his apron and was already brushing more straw away from the top, trying to see the extent. “My, it is quite hardened already; I wonder what they can have been thinking, so far from land.”

This did not sound very promising. “Hardened?” Laurence said sharply. “What does that mean?”

“Why, that it will hatch soon. I will have to consult my books to be certain, but I believe that Badke’s Bestiary states with authority that when the shell has fully hardened, hatching will occur within a week. What a splendid specimen, I must get my measuring cords.”

He bustled away, and Laurence exchanged a glance with Gibbs and Riley, moving closer so they might speak without being overheard by the lingering gawkers. “At least three weeks from Madeira with a fair wind, would you say?” Laurence said quietly.

“At best, sir,” Gibbs said, nodding.

“I cannot imagine how they came to be here with it,” Riley said. “What do you mean to do, sir?”

His initial satisfaction turning gradually into dismay as he realized the very difficult situation, Laurence stared at the egg blankly. Even in the dim lantern light, it shone with the warm luster of marble. “Oh, I am damned if I know, Tom. But I suppose I will go and return the French captain his sword; it is no wonder he fought so furiously after all.”



Except of course he did know; there was only one possible solution, unpleasant as it might be to contemplate. Laurence watched broodingly while the egg was transferred, still in its crate, over to the Reliant: the only grim man, except for the French officers. He had granted them the liberty of the quarterdeck, and they watched the slow process glumly from the rail. All around them, smiles wreathed every sailor’s face, private, gloating smiles, and there was a great deal of jostling among the idle hands, with many unnecessary cautions and pieces of advice called out to the sweating group of men engaged in the actual business of the transfer.

The egg being safely deposited on the deck of the Reliant, Laurence took his own leave of Gibbs. “I will leave the prisoners with you; there is no sense in giving them a motive for some desperate attempt to recapture the egg,” he said. “Keep in company, as well as you can. However, if we are separated, we will rendezvous at Madeira. You have my most hearty congratulations, Captain,” he added, shaking Gibbs’s hand.

“Thank you, sir, and may I say, I am most sensible—very grateful—” But here Gibbs’s eloquence, never in great supply, failed him; he gave up and merely stood beaming widely on Laurence and all the world, full of great goodwill.

The ships had been brought abreast for the transfer of the crate; Laurence did not have to take a boat, but only sprang across on the up-roll of the swell. Riley and the rest of his officers had already crossed back. He gave the order to make sail, and went directly below, to wrestle with the problem in privacy.

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews
Average Rating 4
( 1162 )

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  • Posted June 1, 2010

    Dragons, who cares about dragons right?

    I was never a dragon person, whenever saw a dragon book I would dismiss it without a scone thought. I had read dragon and had never honestly liked it so I thought ok one last try... And holy temeraire was blown away, just a perfect mix of true history with that enveloping fantasy of dragons just seemed to carry me away on a journey. before I knew it I had read "In His Majesty's Service" cover to cover in 4 hours just pondering wether or not I should go drive and get the next one right away or eat lunch first. Amzing novel, fantastically wrote, thank you Naomi for such a fantastic book. I will have to look forward to keeping track with all your books to come!

    9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted April 11, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Awesomness

    This was my first encounter with Dragons. I intended to begin with the Pern series, but a friend of mine talked me into this one. I'm glad she did as I fell in love with Temeraire--his inquisitive and intelligent mind. I can foresee his coming philosophical ideals and challanges. I fell in love with Laurence's constant struggle between what is good, proper and expected and what is wholly life. Temeraire opens Laurence's heart and mind, with his "innocence of a child" questions and comments. All the dragons are so loveable. Historic events are included in this story that are accurate and make the story that much more real. Reading this book, we could all wish for dragons! There are characters you could love to hate, and character you would hate to love. There is potential for the rest of the series. I am looking forward to more. I must continue...

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted July 20, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Wonderful

    I got this book as a Free Friday book. While I am not one for the fantasy genre outside of Tolkein, I was hooked on this book from the first page. I am now on book two and intend on reading the entire series. Naomi Novik takes the familiar "a boy and his dog" story and creates a "British naval captain and his dragon" theme that works flawlessly to answer the question, "What if the Napoleanic wars were fought with the use of dragons. There is something here for everyone. From heartwarming (how can you not love Levitas?) to intense action.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 3, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Phenomenally Fantastic, LOVE IT!

    I was given this book a couple of weeks ago at the C2E2 convention in Chicago, IL and thought what the heck - funny thing is I couldn't put it down! I generally read romance fantasy fiction and when I asked if there was a romance I almost put it aside - I'm SOOO Glad I didn't and would recommend this series to anyone who loves dragons or just a phenomial epic drama that includes masterful characterization juxtiposed against the napolianic war era. Temeraire is my favorite dragon ever, and his captian of course. The arial combat scenes and naval battle scenes I swear I could actually feel the thunder and heat . . . I was enthralled, simply terrific!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 13, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    A Unique and Refreshing Look at Dragons

    Naomi Novik has done an enjoyable job of blending a scifi enthusiastists view of dragons with a historians view of Napolean's life time. The view of dragons stays close to many of the legends and myths associated with dragons but Ms. Novik brings those into a balanced view that is acurate to history. She tells a story that moves along easily and that keeps the reader engaged. Her knowledge of the British Navy brings a reality to the story that makes it almost plausible. Her development of her characters is well done with characters who stand out from the pages of the book. The relationship between the dragons and the humans in the story is very effectively developed. Because of the setting of the story, those who might not be scifi enthusiasts will find much to recommend this story. A most enjoyable alternate history that pulls together the strengths of history and the imagination of scifi literature.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted September 29, 2010

    Definitely recommend!

    I did not expect this book to be very good as it is not the type I typically read but I found it gripping and very well written. I will begin the next one in the series with great enthusiasm.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted July 28, 2010

    AWESOME!

    I love this book! I was skeptical about downloading this book because I'm not usually big into dragons, but it was recommended by other reviews and I'm so grateful! This book was wonderful, and I loved every page of it! I love the way the dragons are explained and the great visual that you get from the author. The main character, Laurence, is developed well and I really enjoyed his turmoils and changes in character from the beginning of the book to the end. My only complaint would have been that I wanted to read more, but I know that all books must end somewhere. :) Definitely would recommend to anyone that likes fantasy fiction type of books- awesome read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 9, 2012

    Ice

    Ok then the last one is a white she cat with black spots. Mintkit maybe? And my name would be Icemoon or Icefeather. Which one do you think

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  • Anonymous

    Posted February 9, 2012

    Flame

    How many wat color and gender. I say three, two females, one called bluekit, a blue gray girl. The boy called firekit,a tiny replica of me. You name the last one. Then name our entire family. We also need warrior names. Mine is FlamePelt.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 29, 2011

    Very good

    Got it for free & was pleasantly surprised.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 19, 2011

    Really great read

    Can't wait to read the resr of the series

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  • Posted August 23, 2011

    Six Stars

    This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading for its own sake, is tired of books which, four pages in, have already revealed the destined love interest, most of the plot, and the ending. The Temeraire series is unspeakably excellent and should be read by everyone. The writing is good, the writer herself is amazing. I have read her blog, and I wish more of my favorite authors were as interactive as her. Honestly, just buy this one book. You will not regret it, I swear, and may find yourself buying all the rest of the series soon after.

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  • Posted June 21, 2011

    Huh?

    Is this book a good one for a fourteen yearold? Will i be able to understand it? Will it hold my attention? Helpppppp pleasseeee. Reply to hp7

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  • Posted June 15, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Something new & quite enjoyable

    In a genre where it's easy to stick to convention and imitate the success of others, Novik pulls off something rare-a take on things new enough to be refreshing, but not so genre-busting as to be off-putting. In some ways, this is more alternate history than fantasy. The dragons are treated as natural, rather than magical, creatures. The setting in the Napoleonic era makes this an intriguing blend. Gladly, history and military battles don't predominate. They truly are used as the setting for interesting characters and relationships. If I have any quibble, it is that the climax and denouement come to what felt, to me, like an abrupt ending. But I guess that's one way to keep readers coming back for more in a series, which I certainly will be.

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  • Posted May 12, 2011

    Recommended

    I went into this book with the expectation that I would hate it. I had never been on mythical creatures, but I do like historical fiction. With that in mind, one of my very good friends forced me to read this book. I had trusted her opinion on books for three years, but I was very iffy about this. As a result, the book lay underneath a stack of paper for about a week. I grabbed it out of desperation for a very long six hour bus trip, and decided that there wasn't anything for me to lose if I read it. So I did. Twice. The characters were brilliant and lifelike, and I enjoyed the historical aspect of the story. Temeraire was lovely and acted incredibly... childlike, which instantly won me over. All the main characters were incredibly well-rounded, even providing insight into the minor characters without being boring.

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  • Posted May 11, 2011

    Awesome

    This was my first encounter with Dragons. I intended to begin with the Pern series, but a friend of mine talked me into this one. I'm glad she did as I fell in love with Temeraire--his inquisitive and intelligent mind. I can foresee his coming philosophical ideals and challanges. I fell in love with Laurence's constant struggle between what is good, proper and expected and what is wholly life. Temeraire opens Laurence's heart and mind, with his "innocence of a child" questions and comments. All the dragons are so loveable. Historic events are included in this story that are accurate and make the story that much more real. Reading this book, we could all wish for dragons! There are characters you could love to hate, and character you would hate to love. There is potential for the rest of the series. I am looking forward to more. I must continue...

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  • Posted November 29, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Great read, the best of the series

    This is the first book of the Temeraire Series. It is set in Napoleonic England from the point of view of a Naval Captain. In this world, Dragons exist and are used for air power. They are quite large, not the single rider style you might be familiar with due to the Pern novels. I loved this book and it is best of the series. Later the series bogs down and you start getting annoyed about the continued adversity the main characters face. But the first book and the second book are delightful and you fall in love with the protagonists.

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  • Posted November 16, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    Highest Marks

    Having read The Hobbit at age ten in 1968, I've been mad for dragons ever since. Yes, I'm now 52 and a grandmother but I still love dragons. I've read every book with a dragon in it that I can find. I've not read a really good NEW presentation of dragons in years. Naomi Novik has done that with the Temeraire Series!!! Engaging and so original. I could not put it down and now have to get all the other books in her series. I understand Peter Jackson, Producer of The Lord of the Rings, will begin producing a movie from her books as soon as he is finished with The Hobbit. Wonderful news. This series would be a great gift for any dragon lovers you may know. Good for teenagers & up since there is some sexual content but very mild.

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  • Posted October 31, 2010

    Unexpected Combination

    I wasn't sure if I would like the book, but I really enjoyed it. I loved the combination of dragons and the Napoleonic wars! The world and the dragons were quite intriguing.

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  • Posted October 20, 2010

    Fresh and innovative, a fun adventure from start to finish!

    You won't be able to put this book down. It's fresh and innovative.
    It catches your imagination and lever lets go.
    This is a must read. Would make a great movie.

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