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Black Powder War (Temeraire 3) (Paperback)

by Naomi Novik (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Price For All Three: £17.97

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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Voyager (6 Aug 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007219172
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007219179
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13,961 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review
'These are beautifully written novels, not only fresh, original and fast-paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart' Peter Jackson 'Novik won me over with her first novel. the combination of history, sympathetic characters, and an engaging style makes this series great, intelligent fun.' The Times 'Plenty of intrigue, swordplay, exotic locations, plausible invention. In short a treat' The Telegraph 'Novik has stirred the passions with a genre-busting historical fantasy of the first order' Sunday Sport

Product Description
Naomi Novik's stunning series of novels follow the global adventures of Captain William Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire as they are thrown together to fight for Britain during the turbulent time of the Napoleonic Wars. Before Captain Will Laurence can prepare his crew for the slow voyage home from China, new orders arrive for him and his dragon, Temeraire: they must fly home immediately, stopping only in Istanbul to collect three priceless dragon eggs, purchased by the British government from the Ottoman Empire. But the cross-continental journey is fraught with danger; not only will they have to scale mountains and traverse vast hostile deserts, but a Machiavellian herald precedes them, spreading political menace in her wake. Holding Temeraire responsible for the death of her princely companion, Lien has absconded from China consumed by vengeance. If she can, she will destroy everything and everyone Temeraire loves.

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Black Powder War (Temeraire 3)
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Makes You Want Part Four, 6 Mar 2007
By C. Green "happily low brow" (Faringdon, Oxon, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
This review is from: Temeraire: Black Powder War (Temeraire 3) (Hardcover)
Black Powder War is the third novel in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik, following the adventures of the eponymous dragon and his 'Captain', Lawrence, during the Napoleonic Wars of an alternative 19th Century where dragons are real and live, mostly, in harmony with mankind.

Along with the two books that proceed it, Temeraire (aka His Majesty's Dragon) and Throne of Jade, Black Powder War is the latest episode of an ongoing story. As such it is not the place for uninitiated readers to start. Go read Temeraire and Throne of Jade. Both are wonderful, evocative and exciting adventure novels bursting with great ideas.

For those already familiar with Temeraire and his adventures to date the question will be 'is Black Powder War as good as the books that proceeded it?'. The answer is....not quite.

Don't misunderstand me; this is still a wonderfully enjoyable book and deserving of four stars. What it doesn't do however, is quite measure up to its predecessors and this is due, mostly to issues of plotting.

With both previous Temeraire novels there was a sense of self-containment, even if they were just episodes in an onging saga. With Black Powder War by contrast, the episodic feeling is definitely to the fore and the book feels more like a transitionary tale rather than a self contained story. Mostly this is down to the story being split into very distinct halves; the first covering Temeraire's journey overland through Asia from China and the second his involvement with Napoleon's Eastern Campaign against the Prussians. Whilst both halves are related it is only loosely and they feel like two separate episodes rather than parts of a uniform whole.

The episodic feel continues through the narrative of the second half of the book, which is far busier this time, with multiple 'real life' battles & other events to contend with. Consequently it jumps around in an effort to keep events moving on at a pace. The transitionary nature of the book is then reinforced by an ending which, although unexpected and interesting, is very much open-ended.

All this results in a book that is less satisfying that either of Temeraire's earlier adventures. Its flaws aren't great enough however, to detract greatly from its strengths. As with the two previous books pimary amongst these is characterisation, with all of the principles from Temeraire, to Lawrence and on to the other members of his crew developing further as interesting individuals. Even the supporting cast, from Prussian Officers to members of the Turkish Sultan's Court to a bunch of fantastic feral mountain dragons are provided with depth so that they don't merely become dramatic devices there to service the plot.

A plot that as mentioned previously is far more complex than the previous efforts, especially in the latter half. Whilst the early stages dealing with the land crossing from China and an enforced stay in Turkey are relatively simple, linear affairs, once Temeraire and his crew cross into Austria and then head north towards Prussia things become far more complicated. Drawn back into the Napoleonic War, both Dragon and author must navigate the constantly shifting fortunes of war. For Temeraire and his crew this is difficult enough so far from home. For Novik it is a larger challenge. Whereas in previous novels she was free to invent her own narrative here she must craft fiction around real military events whilst keeping the reader's attention and understanding. That she does a credible job of both is a testament to her talent as a writer.

That she also manages to include new details of the world she has created amongst the constantly shifting narrative is also a great acheivement. This is another of the series strengths and she doesn't forget it, introducing new concepts such as feral dragons whilst making them seem utterly normal and conceiving further differences in cultural attitudes towards dragons for the Prussians and the Ottomans. It is such incidental details that gives all three books such a feeling of depth and grounds the reality that Novik has created.

It is also one of the many reasons why I am looking forward to the next episode of Temeraire and Lawrence's adventures. Whilst Black Powder War might feel like a bridging episode, moving the story along but not reaching any specific turning point, it hasn't lessened my enjoyment of the series as a whole. Whilst not as satisfying by itself as either of the earlier stories it has however, served its purpose by starting new interesting plot strands and further expanding the Draconian world. Roll on Autumn 07 when Temeraire will fly again.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Complete Fantasy! Packed Full Of It!, 8 Jan 2007
By S. Darling "theladysadie" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Temeraire: Black Powder War (Temeraire 3) (Hardcover)
Oh my word...

When an author takes on history, it tends to be a battle of wills from the first.
A battle between the yearning for what could have been and the solid truths of what actually happened.
With a wealth of historical facts at Novik's fingertips, the author produces a richly developed character soup full of reason, treason, gunpowder plots and wings.

The rich tapestry of the Napoleonic Wars and it's possible intrigues are laid out before us with the inclusion of DRAGONS!

I feel if I had been able to read Novik's books during my cramming for history exams, that I may have found more interest in history and achieved a somewhat higher grade!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Missingthepoint, 3 Jan 2007
This review is from: Temeraire: Black Powder War (Temeraire 3) (Hardcover)
Unlike the above poster, I don't think that the series was intended to be read as an alternative to our current history, but simply as a fantasy story of an alternative world, which happens to share our own history and have dragons.

Given that, I have found the series very enjoyable, and would reccomend to other fantasy/sci-fi fans. Despite being set in 'our' world, it still brings the same feeling of a different world to be immersed in, unlike some stories set in our world.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars An insubstantial interlude
From the very outset of this third book in the saga of Temeraire the dragon, I found myself distinctly unengaged by the material and far less engrossed by this story in comparison... Read more
Published 8 months ago by J

4.0 out of 5 stars Black Powder War
The third in the "Temeraire" series gives Captain Lawrence and Temeraire an uncertain new mission. In order to accomplish this they must travel from the orient into the deadly... Read more
Published 15 months ago by David Brookes

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy is NOT Alternative History (and vice versa ?)
I think the previous reviewer misses one salient point - almost by definition the "Temeraire" series is "Fantasy" but is not "Alternative History". How can this be ? Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2007 by Mr. G. H. Kearton

5.0 out of 5 stars dragons and yo ho ho
I have read the us version and it continues an interestingly different alt. history of the napoleonic period. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2006 by A. G. L. Williams

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