Victory of Eagles

Temeraire, Book 5

By: Naomi Novik

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Naomi Novik's triumphant debut, His Majesty's Dragon, introduced a dynamic new pair of heroes to the annals of fantasy fiction: the noble fighting dragon Temeraire and his master and commander, Capt. Will Laurence. Now in the latest novel, they soar to new heights of breathtaking action and brilliant imagination.

It is a grim time for the dragon Temeraire. On the heels of his mission to Africa, seeking the cure for a deadly contagion, he has been removed from military service - and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. For Britain, conditions are grimmer still: Napoleon's resurgent forces have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon's prime objective: the occupation of London.

Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon's forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war and to aid the resistance against the invasion before Napoleon's foothold on England's shores can become a stranglehold.

If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain's scattered forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before - for king and country, and for their own liberty. But can the French aggressors be well and truly routed, or will a treacherous alliance deliver Britain into the hands of her would-be conquerors?

Dragon tales: don't miss the rest of the Temeraire series.©2008 Naomi Novik (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

A good book, but difficult in some ways

Would you listen to Victory of Eagles again? Why?

Yes. If I listen to the series again, I don't skip books.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Temeraire. This book lets us into his head, and Naomi Novik does an incredible job of making his thought process notably not human. He's almost childlike at points, but never unintelligent.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book can be difficult. Lawrence is punished for doing the right thing, and he spends this entire book suffering the consequences. While realistic, it can be unsettling to see this, especially when there's no indication that this burden will ever be removed from him.

Great read!

Loved it! Her books are always great, but this is my favorite Temeraire so far!

Loved this book!

I have read the books as well as listened to the audio several times. I enjoyed them just as much each time.

Good action, but the formula is starting to show

This book, the fifth of the series, marks an improvement over the rather confused action of the last novel. The story returns to Britain, and to a Napoleonic invasion that must be fought off with the help of the disgraced main character. Where it retains the "Patrick O'Brien meets Jane Austin meets Tolkein" style, this is a more conventional narrative focused much more on warfare, with only brief (and not too convincing) diversions on the politics of England and the nature of honor. Fortunately, the battle scenes are fascinating, and occasionally wrenching, and there is plenty of action to go around.

But even as the action swells, the main drivers of the series, the characters of Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, become less dynamic. Will, especially, spends much of the book moping over his "treason" of the previous novel, and generally being cut off from friends and compatriots that have driven the relationships in previous novels.

If you liked the previous novels, this one is also a good read. But, in the end, this book continues the strangely unsatisfying approach the author has adopted - it ends on a cliffhanger, with few of the major issues resolved, and the series promising that the next novel will again take us to another, seemingly randomly decided-upon, far away land in the alternate universe of Temeraire, and thus further from whatever resolution Ms. Novik eventually hopes to achieve.

Great Story.

I love this series! I enjoyed the conflicted main character and his companion. It causes one to wonder about his/her own character and integrity in the same situations. Lots of action!

Such bamf!

Very good

Much joy etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc and so on

Nice Temeraire development!

I enjoyed every one of the books in the series, but I must admit that temeraire's development (sans Lawrence in his life) made me giddy with excitement at moments. This had a slightly different feel and perspective than the other books and I really loved some of the dragons introduced in this book. Not a thing negative from my end to report about the reader. He continues to impress.

My favorite

My favorite in the series. Naomi begins to shift point-of-view to Temeraire occasionally, and that is delightful. His mind is clearly a dragon's and works slightly differently, yet easy to understand and identify and sympathise with. The battles and strategies are great, some of the best I've read and I'm pretty picky about such things. I really don't have anything bad to say.... Yeah, no, I really don't. If you haven't started Temeraire's series yet, start it now, it's worth it.

"Colonel Temeraire, reporting for duty, sir"

Fabulous narration by Simon Vance. I've heard the whole series. Was worried this book would be too depressing. Not so. Liked it more than expected. Profound at times, as Laurence deals with ostracism from folks he'd once called friend — or family. But despite the deep injustice and sadness, I often felt good while reading this one. It's heartwarming and mildly amusing in several scenes, offset by desperate bloody battle.

"Colonel Temeraire" of the 81st division steals the show, along with Perscitia the brainiac beast (a mathematically inclined female dragon who plans transportation and battle strategies, despite her personal aversion to warfare). Loved the idea of all these dragons — considered useless — leaving the breeding grounds (old folks home) to serve under Temeraire's command.

I liked the scenes with Lady Allendale and was pleased to see Gong Su again. The fat Lords of the Admiralty were as obtuse and hateful as ever, especially Mulgrave. Wellesley / Wellington seemed fairly realistic. Admiral Jane Roland was in high form throughout the book, too. Her teenage daughter Emily -- always a favorite of mine -- did not disappoint, nor did young Demane and Sipho. Granby and his fire-breathing dragon Iskierka play key roles, as does Tenzin Tharkay. Hoorah for Tharkay!

There are a few battle scenes, most notably the final confrontation with Napoleon, who managed to invade England (a departure from history). The battle formations (squares) felt authentic, despite the surprise (!) in the center, and Wellington's precise timing did not fail. Admiral Lord Nelson plays a key role in the battle, too.

I could have done without the chapter involving Edith and her husband.

The ending is poignant, set during the voyage to New South Wales. Laurence finds peace of mind about his just act of treason and feels nearly overcome with emotion in finding himself surrounded by a few true-blue friends.

This book reminds me of Lord Thomas Cochrane, the historic figure in naval history. The whole series does, in fact.

Now, we wait for the final book. Book 9. League of Dragons, or bust!

Thrilling Adventure

This entire series has kept me on the edge of my seat with every wing beat of the incredible characters within.