Victory of Eagles

Starred review from May 19, 2008
In the thrilling fifth installment (the first in hardcover, following 2007's Empire of Ivory
) of the bestselling Temeraire series, Novik returns to familiar themes of love, duty and liberty against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. When Napoleon's forces attack England, Temeraire, believing Laurence dead, decides to lead other uncaptained dragons to battle. When the two reunite, Temeraire uses his commander status to gain a voice in war counsels, demanding freedom and pay for dragons. Though the battles are impressive and the politics unsubtle but intriguing, the pièce de résistance is the quiet moment when Laurence faces the mad king he betrayed. This accessible vision of an English Regency with an air force raises the stakes without straining credibility. Followers of Temeraire's travels will be richly rewarded by the satisfying conclusion of his return to home ground, but may wonder where Novik can go from here.

September 29, 2008
Naomi Novik continues her alternate history of the Napoleonic wars in this fifth adventure featuring British Capt. William Laurence and his faithful celestial dragon, Temeraire. Picking up after Empire of Ivory
, a disgraced Laurence has been convicted of treason, sentenced to a prison ship and is only one step away from the hangman's noose. Temeraire is relegated to a breeding area in Wales along with other dragons viewed as past their prime. When Bonaparte invades England, Laurence and Temeraire are soon free to fly and fight for king and country. Vance fully inhabits Novik's vividly realized fantasy world. His battle scenes are exciting as he describes all the intricate fighting tactics without sacrificing the thrills. With keen vocal characterizations, he portrays a wide variety of individuals, both human and nonhuman, with the dialogue between Temeraire and some snobbish, older dragons singularly entertaining. A Del Rey hardcover (Reviews, May 19).

From the very beginning of Simon Vance's narration, the listener is totally captivated. Not a single bit of enthusiasm has been lost from the moment Vance narrated the first sentence in the first book of this series, HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON, to now--five books and many hours of hard work later. Temeraire is the same dragon as when he hatched, but Vance is also clever enough to add wisdom and experience to the dragon's character. Vance provides fun, too. For example, he deftly mispronounces the French phrase "trés gentile" when a not-too-intelligent British dragon is speaking to Temeraire. Once again, Vance demonstrates that he is the definitive narrator of this wonderful series. One can only hope he'll continue to bring Novik's imaginary world to life for as long as she has adventures to tell. R.N. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine