Review: His Majesty's Dragon

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



His Majesty’s Dragon is a historical fantasy set during the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s. There isn’t really any magic in this alternate history, and there is really only one difference, which is - obviously - the existence of dragons. I love the way that Novik interweaves dragons with what really happened, giving them a place in history as it played out. It’s such a subtle change, really. Humans use dragons in war. They have entire units of them to supplement naval battles. They are not a rarity that gives one side a huge advantage over the other, so the war is pretty much the same, just with dragons as an added factor.

Captain Laurence is a naval officer who finds himself attached to a dragon and having to give up his naval life for a life in the dragon corps. A lot of time in this first book is spent on him and Temeraire training together and learning about aerial maneuvers and battle strategy. They do get to see some real action later in the book, but it takes a while to build up to. Some people might find it slow-moving, but I really enjoyed the pace and getting to know the culture of the dragon corps in training mode.

The dragons are used in much the same way as ships, with rigging and harnesses that host an entire crew for shooting at other dragons. I really felt like I was reading about naval battles, just in the air and with a ship that can think and act for itself.

One thing I should mention is that although this is a Regency era novel, there are not many women at all. It is not a Jane Austen-esque novel, but focuses more on the men (and yes, a couple of non-typical women) in the military and their concerns. There is the typical era stuffiness about manners and etiquette - who can talk first at the dinner table, etc - but without the courtship aspect that many Regency readers are familiar with and may be wishing for. Captain Laurence is one of these stiff, very correct and honorable men, but unlike with his naval experience, his new aerial unit does not “stand on ceremony” and he has to learn that ceremony is ridiculous sometimes. I like this angle that critiques the culture of the time, showing how over-politeness can be a hindrance to sincerity and truth.

The women that do exist in the book are not at all the genteel types that Laurence is used to, which also challenges his concept of what is acceptable. I love that the story takes a typical Regency captain out of his element and gives him a unique view of his own society that he can’t help but begin to criticize. He begins to realize there’s a difference between affecting manners and true honor. As he questions the norms, he brings the parts that do make sense with him into the dragon corps and sparks changes there.

The main thrust of the story plot-wise is the friendship that develops between Laurence and Temeraire as they train for active service. Dragons occupy a low place in this society, and are not respected as sentient beings. They’re treated more as animals - like a horse that needs to be trained and cared for, but never gets brushed down or has its saddle removed. But as the captain gets to know his dragon, he begins to question that aspect of his own society as well. The dragons have wonderful personalities, some of them very intelligent, and the way the humans treat them ends up making them look like animals instead.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this. I love books set in this time period, though, and am partial to Comedy of Manners as well as Fantasy genres. The combination of the two here is a definite win for me, especially with the satirical critiques of the society. I found the lack of domestic concerns a refreshing change from the usual novels of the period, and didn't even mind the lack of magic, which is usually a 'must' for me in Fantasy.

The 9th and final book in the series is due in 2015, and I’ll be slowly making my way there whenever I get a hankering for this very particular flavor.



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