Blood of Tyrants

The Temeraire Series, Book 8

By: Naomi Novik

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Naomi Novik’s beloved Temeraire series, a brilliant combination of fantasy and history that reimagines the Napoleonic wars as fought with the aid of intelligent dragons, is a twenty-first-century classic.

Shipwrecked and cast ashore in Japan with no memory of Temeraire or his own experiences as an English aviator, Laurence finds himself tangled in deadly political intrigues that threaten not only his own life but England’s already precarious position in the Far East. Age-old enmities and suspicions have turned the entire region into a powder keg ready to erupt at the slightest spark – a spark that Laurence and Temeraire may unwittingly provide, leaving Britain faced with new enemies just when they most desperately need allies instead.

For to the west, another, wider conflagration looms. Napoleon has turned on his former ally, the emperor Alexander of Russia, and is even now leading the largest army the world has ever seen to add that country to his list of conquests. It is there, outside the gates of Moscow, that a reunited Laurence and Temeraire – along with some unexpected allies and old friends – will face their ultimate challenge . . . and learn whether or not there are stronger ties than memory.

©2019 Naomi Novik (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"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 military history, sympathetic characters, and engaging style makes this series great, intelligent fun." (The Times)

"Plenty of intrigue, swordplay, exotic locations, plausible invention. In short a treat." (The Telegraph)

Generally good, but the accents are a bit wonky

I enjoy this entry in the series - it's delightfully tropey at the start and then we get all the business of logistics of supplying a war in Russia with winter coming on. It's fun.

That said, while Simon Vance is generally a good narrator, he has One Faux-Oriental Voice for everybody from China, Japan, or Nepal, regardless of what the character's personality is like. There are a lot of characters from these regions. It was starting to drive me mad.