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Temeraire
I've been meaning to read Naomi Novik's Temeraire novels for a while, since I love all her writing so much, but I was waiting until the third to come out since I suspected that otherwise I would be too impatient. That was a good call, since I read the first one Thursday night and ended up taking the day off work yesterday to read the next two. And then I stayed up until 6 a.m. reading every single post on the two livejournal communities dedicated to Temeraire.
So I guess I'm hooked! And I have to say, before I read these novels I would have said my interest in dragon stories was very low and my interest in historical fiction about the Napoleanic wars was zero. Apparently I was very wrong on both counts.
Spoilers for His Majesty's Dragon , Throne of Jade and Black Powder War behind the cut.
I'm so in love with this whole world I can't even be coherent about it. The best thing about reading all the books at once, I guess, is that a lot of the questions I saw on the comms in response to the first book or two were answered for me at once: how different British and Chinese cultural attitudes toward dragons were; whether or not dragons had their own language; how dragons can speak immediately after they are hatched; why the Chinese would send such a valuable egg to the French if they didn't consider the French allies, etc.
I also really like how it becomes increasingly clear throughout the novels that Laurence's POV isn't entirely reliable, but that his view of the world is thoroughly shaped by his upper-class British cultural lenses. I'm happy that Novik has made him a sympathetic character but still given him period attitudes about gender, loyalty, the superiority of British culture, etc. that aren't anachronistic, and I especially enjoy how his relationship with Temeraire is really shaking the foundations of his own worldview.
I'm in love with Temeraire, of course. I always enjoy coming-of-age stories, and his is a fascinating one to watch, especially in book 2 when he comes face-to-face with the social problems of human society (slavery, the class system, the differential treatment of dragons in Britain) and tries to make sense of it all.
And he is so damn funny--especially when his natural curiosity about sex is played off against Laurence's reluctance to talk about such matters. Has anyone yet made the icon that says "my fandom has masturbating dragons?" That scene in book 3 made me laugh out loud.
I admire his loyalty and impulsiveness in book 2--I was cheering when he rescued Laurence from being arrested, even though with Laurence I realized this was not a wise choice in the long-term--but I also like the fact that his impulsiveness has consequences. Lien's enmity, for example, which may fundamentally reshape the whole course of the war and therefore the geography of Europe, is largely a consequence of Temeraire's duel. (It's possible, of course, that had Yongxing's treachery been exposed without the duel, Lien might have still blamed the Brits and sought vengeance, but the duel certainly made it more personal for her).
And I love Lien as an enemy. She has a wonderful grasp of strategy, and I really loved both the scene where she threatened Temeraire in Istanbul (that sent chills down my spine) and her scene with Napolean. The third book really upped the stakes, didn't it? (And wah!!! Now I have to wait a whole year for the next one!!!)
Has anyone written any Temeraire/Lien? (I do love enemy sex, and I bet since she is so much older she knows precisely how to push all the buttons of a young male) Or Laurence/Tharkay slash?
So now I'm waiting for the SV/Temeraire AU crossover in which Clark is a dragon and Lex is an aviator. Maybe Lex discovered Clark's egg in the field after the meteor shower. Dragons are already "super" in the flying/strength/firebreathing abilities, so clearly what would be different about Kryptonian dragons is that they can shapeshift into human form, thus making human/dragon romance a little easier.
I don't suppose anyone has actually written this?
So I guess I'm hooked! And I have to say, before I read these novels I would have said my interest in dragon stories was very low and my interest in historical fiction about the Napoleanic wars was zero. Apparently I was very wrong on both counts.
Spoilers for His Majesty's Dragon , Throne of Jade and Black Powder War behind the cut.
I'm so in love with this whole world I can't even be coherent about it. The best thing about reading all the books at once, I guess, is that a lot of the questions I saw on the comms in response to the first book or two were answered for me at once: how different British and Chinese cultural attitudes toward dragons were; whether or not dragons had their own language; how dragons can speak immediately after they are hatched; why the Chinese would send such a valuable egg to the French if they didn't consider the French allies, etc.
I also really like how it becomes increasingly clear throughout the novels that Laurence's POV isn't entirely reliable, but that his view of the world is thoroughly shaped by his upper-class British cultural lenses. I'm happy that Novik has made him a sympathetic character but still given him period attitudes about gender, loyalty, the superiority of British culture, etc. that aren't anachronistic, and I especially enjoy how his relationship with Temeraire is really shaking the foundations of his own worldview.
I'm in love with Temeraire, of course. I always enjoy coming-of-age stories, and his is a fascinating one to watch, especially in book 2 when he comes face-to-face with the social problems of human society (slavery, the class system, the differential treatment of dragons in Britain) and tries to make sense of it all.
And he is so damn funny--especially when his natural curiosity about sex is played off against Laurence's reluctance to talk about such matters. Has anyone yet made the icon that says "my fandom has masturbating dragons?" That scene in book 3 made me laugh out loud.
I admire his loyalty and impulsiveness in book 2--I was cheering when he rescued Laurence from being arrested, even though with Laurence I realized this was not a wise choice in the long-term--but I also like the fact that his impulsiveness has consequences. Lien's enmity, for example, which may fundamentally reshape the whole course of the war and therefore the geography of Europe, is largely a consequence of Temeraire's duel. (It's possible, of course, that had Yongxing's treachery been exposed without the duel, Lien might have still blamed the Brits and sought vengeance, but the duel certainly made it more personal for her).
And I love Lien as an enemy. She has a wonderful grasp of strategy, and I really loved both the scene where she threatened Temeraire in Istanbul (that sent chills down my spine) and her scene with Napolean. The third book really upped the stakes, didn't it? (And wah!!! Now I have to wait a whole year for the next one!!!)
Has anyone written any Temeraire/Lien? (I do love enemy sex, and I bet since she is so much older she knows precisely how to push all the buttons of a young male) Or Laurence/Tharkay slash?
So now I'm waiting for the SV/Temeraire AU crossover in which Clark is a dragon and Lex is an aviator. Maybe Lex discovered Clark's egg in the field after the meteor shower. Dragons are already "super" in the flying/strength/firebreathing abilities, so clearly what would be different about Kryptonian dragons is that they can shapeshift into human form, thus making human/dragon romance a little easier.
I don't suppose anyone has actually written this?