Naomi Novik

Empire of Ivory begins right after the conclusion of Black Powder War, with Temeraire and his crew making it back to Britain and finding out why Britain's dragons did not come to the aid of Europe as Napoleon's forces overran the continent: a deadly sickness has spread among the dragons, incapacitating most of them.

Without giving too much away, it turns out that Temeraire is immune to the sickness, probably as a result of something that happened to him in Africa on his long sea voyage from Britain to China in Throne of Jade. Thus, reluctantly, Will Laurence, Temeraire, and a group of sick dragons must set out for Cape Town to see if they can recover and reproduce whatever it was that made Temeraire immune.

Unfortunately, though there are lots of good moments of characterization and worldbuilding throughout the book, what results was to my mind the dullest of the Temeraire books thus far. I had a grad school professor who use to talk about the "paradox of tedium": how did you communicate the tediousness of work in your novel without the book itself becoming tedious? But if you didn't make the book itself tedious, then you failed to capture the emotional experience your book was supposedly about. I don't know if that quite applies to Empire of Ivory, but too much of the book is spent in a state of stasis, waiting to see if something works again and again and again, without much to pull the reader along. We do eventually get some more interest and complexity, and the book ends up delving into the role of dragons in (an) African society. There's some good stuff here, though the book doesn't go into as much depth as Throne of Jade did with China, and more tantalizes than spells out. It ends up feeling like a sideshow from the main plot rather than central to it.

That said, the last couple chapters were brilliant. As I am coming to realize is often the case with Novik's work, all the pieces have been carefully put into position to create a climax, and even when the positioning isn't intrinsically interesting, the climax is still highly effective. I may have found Empire of Ivory a weaker book (which isn't to say it's a bad one), but it still left me eagerly anticipating the next installment. How are they going to get out of this one?… (more)

Naomi Novik has written enormously entertaining books in a wide range of genres for entirely different audiences, but it isn’t always noticeable if you haven’t sampled all of her work. This collection of stories allows you to do just that, and it is a delight. Fans will be amazed once again that the author of the Temeraire series is the same as the author of the Scholomance books, or of Spinning Silver. Her knowledge, sense of humor, skill with characterization, rich imagination, and ability to create memorable and endearing characters comes across in story after story, and will have you wanting more. Some themes that recur include the value of individual agency, especially for women; the importance of acting on one’s moral convictions and maintaining integrity in the face of adversity; and the role that individual courage can play in changing your destiny. If you are unfamiliar with Novik’s work, this collection is a great way to get to know her. I am betting you will then want to read all of her books, and I envy anyone just starting out on the journey!… (more)

It's a fantasy about magicians battling an insidious and ancient evil, with fairy tale influences. After being disappointed with her Temeraire books I read this one because of all the praise it was getting, and I enjoyed it a lot, with some reservations.

Novik's characters rub me the wrong way. I find it difficult to put my finger on it, but they are all just a little too precious, if that makes any sense. However, this was not as bad here as in Temeraire. Also I found the ending a bit anticlimactic, too easy and tidy after all the buildup.

Apart from that, however, the magic content, which is most of the book, is intense and outstanding, and the story is compelling and easy to enjoy.… (more)