Temeraire
by Naomi Novik
Published in 2006
Xiao Cheng
House: Ravenclaw
Temeraire is strange in that I wanted to read it because I first read some very good fanfiction on it. The author said that it was a good book and so I searched on the internet about the plot (even though that’s probably not a very good idea, I just love spoilers). Fantasy is my favourite genre, and fantasy with accurate historical information is even better. The premise of the story grabbed me from the start: what would happen, if at the time of Napoleon, both sides had an air force? Not just any air force, but an air force of dragons? Planes that could breath fire or spit acid and has sharp teethes and sharper claws, planes that spoke and liked music and placed the safety of their aviator above all else, even the law and their country? It was my favourite type of story. Details of the world of dragons and ships seeped through the words and slowly built a realistic world with the extra element of dragons fit snugly in place. Laurence’s is dutiful and Temeraire is fun. Their strong bond to each other, the occasional clash between human and dragon views and their quest to help what they believe in is realistic and captivating.
Hero
Will Laurence is the hero in Temeraire.
Plot Summary
Will Laurence is a captain in the English Navy in the time of Napoleon. His ship captured a French ship, and with it, the precious dragon it was transporting. The dragon hatched before long, and Laurence, bound by duty to his country to ‘harness’ a dragon they badly need, has no choice but to give up his post as a naval officer and become an aviator. Back home, the dragon, named Temeraire after a captured French ship, was determined to be a rare Chinese breed ‘Imperial’. The Chinese are the best dragon breeders in the known world and they guard their secrets and eggs jealously. It’s found out that Temeraire had been meant as a gift from the Chinese to Napoleon. The aviators are a group separate from society at large; being almost totally devoted to dragons from around seven years of age to the day they die. After some effort, Laurence and Temeraire begin to be accepted into the tight-knit society. Laurence and Temeraire were rushed through training to provide relief for the outnumbered British dragons. Temeraire turned the tide of an important battle with the ‘divine wind’ and effectively stopped Napoleon’s plan to invade Britain. But it was then discovered Temeraire was not an Imperial as first thought, but a Celestial dragon, highly respected in China and thought to be fit for only the Emperor and his immediate family. It’s feared that the Chinese may raise up trouble because they think Laurence is beneath a Celestial.
Departure
~Call to Adventure
The dragon egg hatching is the beginning, but the dragon Temeraire peering interestedly into his face and choosing Laurence as his handler is the call to adventure.
~Refusal of the Call
Laurence could not, would not and did not refuse this call out of his strong sense of duty, so even though there were thoughts of unhappiness and dread at having this duty forced on him, there’s no actual refusal of the call
~Supernatural Aid
I don’t think there is a supernatural aid, unless the nobleman who gave Laurence information on his dragon could be counted.
~Crossing of the First Threshold
Laurence’s first meeting with aviators is the crossing of the first threshold, it first gave him some idea of the wholly different world of dragons and aviators.
~Belly of the Whale
Belly of the whale is when Laurence and Temeraire arrived at the dragon convet where they are to be trained. There Laurence is completely immersed into the world of aviators and finds that many rules taken for granted in the general society are bent or not present here.