Throne of Jade

By: Naomi Novik

Narrated by: David Thorn

In the second novel of the New York Times bestselling Temeraire series, the Napoleonic Wars take Captain Will Laurence and his dragon to China on a perilous mission.

“Full of wonderful characters with real heart.”—Peter Jackson

When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo—an unhatched dragon's egg—Captain Will Laurence of HMS Reliant unexpectedly became master and commander of the noble dragon he named Temeraire. As new recruits in Britain’s Aerial Corps, man and dragon soon proved their mettle in daring combat against Napoleon Bonaparte’s invading forces.

Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands—and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. A reluctant Laurence has no choice but to take Temeraire back to China—a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.

“Readers with a penchant for both Patrick O’Brian and Anne McCaffrey may have found their perfect match. Naomi Novik beautifully renders an 1800s Europe in which naval buffs and dragon lovers will be keen to immerse themselves.”—Alan Dean Foster, author of the Pip & Flinx series

Don’t miss the magic of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series:

HIS MAJESTY’S DRAGON • THRONE OF JADE • BLACK POWDER WAR • EMPIRE OF IVORY • VICTORY OF EAGLES • TONGUES OF SERPENTS • CRUCIBLE OF GOLD • BLOOD OF TYRANTS • LEAGUE OF DRAGONS©2006 Naomi Novik; (P)2007 Random House Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for His Majesty’s Dragon and the Temeraire series

“These are beautifully written novels—not only fresh, original, and fast paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart. [The Temeraire series] is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love—fantasy and historical epic.”—Peter Jackson

“A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel . . . Is it hard to imagine a cross between Susanna Clarke, of Norrell and Strange fame, and the late Patrick O’Brian? Not if you’ve read this wonderful, arresting novel.”—Stephen King

“A splendid series . . . Not only is it a new way to utilize dragons, it’s a very clever one and fits neatly into the historical niche this author has used.”—Anne McCaffrey

“Just when you think you’ve seen every variation possible on the dragon story, along comes Naomi Novik. Her wonderful Temeraire is a dragon for the ages.”—Terry Brooks

“Enthralling reading—it’s like Jane Austen playing Dungeons & Dragons with Eragon’s Christopher Paolini.”—Time

“A completely authentic tale, brimming with all the detail and richness one looks for . . . as well as the impossible wonder of gilded fantasy.”—Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice, Grade: A)

“Novik has accomplished something singular with her Temeraire series. . . . At its heart, it’s a story about friendship that transcends not only time and class, but species.”—NPR

“[Naomi Novik] is soaring on the wings of a dragon.”—The New York Times

“A thrilling fantasy . . . All hail Naomi Novik.”—The Washington Post Book World

“An amazing performance . . . [I] was immediately hooked by the writing, the research and the sheer courage of the whole enterprise.”—Chicago Tribune

“Novik’s influences run the gamut from Jane Austen to Patrick O’Brian, with a side trip through Anne McCaffrey. Her books are completely involving and probably addictive, their central conceit explored in clever detail with a great deal of wit and historical insight.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Something new and quite wonderful . . . The Temeraire trilogy could well be this year’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.”—BookPage

“A superbly written, character-driven series . . . What keeps one turning the pages is the urge to find out what happens next to Captain Laurence and Temeraire, characters who win one’s heart from the beginning. Bravo!”—Booklist (starred review)

Interesting and Entertaining Series

If you could sum up Throne of Jade in three words, what would they be?

Very Entertaining book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Temeraire is the most interesting character. A dragon that can talk and learn...c'mon - no brainer.

What does David Thorn bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His accent and timing really bring the story alive. At first I found his voice dull, but I later realized the story would not be nearly as interesting if someone else read it. I hope he is reading the remaining books, as well.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

No idea...but I would watch it. :)

Fascinating Read

This book is just as fascinating as the first one. They go to China and explore Temeraire’s roots. The Chinese have a whole culture based on dragons. There are some interesting Chinese court politics and plots are exposed by Temeraire and Laurence.

GLORIOUS

this is the second book in and I am completely enthralled! well recommended! the performance by David Thorn is magnificent and the writing superb!

Wonderful story

I am so in love with this series, the writing and the action and the heart of the characters is impeccable!

Wait for the UNABRIDGED version!

I love the Temeraire series. From the first page of the first book I was hooked. That said, I do not recommend getting this audio! Abridged audiobooks somewhat annoy me, but I bought it because an unabridged version wasn't available.

In this case, if you listen to this version you will have no clue as to what's going on in the forthcoming Book 4, since the dragon illness mentioned in this book is completely excised from the audio version - and is a focus of Book 4, according to the author herself.

I was overjoyed to see Book 3 was recently released in an unabridged version. Now, if only the first two will be... it can't happen too soon! Buy another audio, get the book instead, but wait to purchase this one in the unabridged format, whenever it is released here at Audible.