Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
another great book - but not as good as Temeraire 1, 1 Mar 2008
Another great novel in the Temeraire series, Throne of Jade is however, not as good as its predessesor.
Naomi Novik crafts great characters and the prose is easy and readable, but where this particular installment falls a bit short is in the narrative structure itself - the book is very easily split into 3 sections, England, the ship, and China. The problem is that the ship voyage is seriously dull and the longest part of the novel, taking well over half the pages - i found this a real downer, hard to slog through the relative nothing that was happening.
it further affects the ending because only 100 or so pages are left to experience china, its customs and dragon practices and conclude the story, leaving me feeling rather disatisfied and cheated.
that said the story that is there, though stretched for no good reason, is enjoyable and interesting, but not a patch on the first book. there isnt the emotion or outrage or even the same level of interest.
overall, an enjoyable second novel, i still love the characters and will continue the series - it is good - it just isn't what the first one was. a shame.
7/10
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intoxicating draconic drama, 16 Jun 2008
I found this second story, `Throne of Jade' in the continuing series just as engrossing and fluid as the impressive first book, `Temeraire'. Indeed, all of the story elements familiar to Novik are here in abundance e.g. political wrangling between warring nations punctuated with immensely vivid and barbaric battle sequences, while the on-going development of the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire adds some much needed human drama to the well-plotted whole.
Despite some terrific set-pieces throughout however, I'd agree with a previous reviewer who has mentioned that the main bulk of the novel (that covers the journey to China by Laurence, Temeraire and their fellows) will undoubtedly cause some readers to grow restive, as the journey meanders along pleasingly, but is lacking in dramatic complication and revelation in story. Important clues as to the eventual outcome of the novel are provided along the way, but this section does nonetheless feel of unnecessary duration. But that really is only a minor criticism, because even then I was still just as hooked as ever and so that shouldn't deter anyone from picking up and enjoying this book with as much pleasure as the first.
The ending might be a little abrupt and the page-count still considerably less in comparison to other examples of the genre, but for me that's another part of the immense charm to these stories. I'd only deduct one star for the few instances in which character development is disappointingly sacrificed for no apparent reason- Novik will often conclude a chapter in dramatic fashion with a surprising revelation, but will then gloss-over these significant developments that I would really have been interested in knowing more about. But you can't have everything and when I read these books I'm more than appreciative of the unique characters, plots and heady historical atmosphere, so I can easily overlook some small imperfections.
|
|
|
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, 25 Nov 2007
Part of the best series of dragon-related Napoleonic war fantasy-historical epics i've ever read! If you get this one, you'd be mad to stop there. Black Powder war is even better, and Empire of Ivory is, 200 pages in, turning out to be just as cracking. Apparently Napoleon invades Britain in the 5th book.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Naomi Novik
by Naomi Novik
![Temeraire (Temeraire 1) [a.k.a. His Majesty's Dragon]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ebbzMq5tL._SL500_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-big,TopRight,35,-73_OU02_SS90_.jpg){kind=icon}
by Naomi Novik
by Naomi Novik
by Joe Abercrombie
![Temeraire (Temeraire 1) [a.k.a. His Majesty's Dragon]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ebbzMq5tL._SL75_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-st,TopRight,8,-14_OU02_SS50_.jpg){kind=icon}
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). 
Amazon Home