League of Dragons by Naomi Novik
Mar. 12th, 2019 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaI found this book a bit difficult to get into, not really that surprising considering how long it's been since I read the last book but by the end I was enjoying it. That said I'm glad that this is the last book of this series because while I think I'd be happy to read short stories in this universe I'm not overly interested in reading another full novel.
+ I found the ending pretty satisfying. Laurence retiring is actually pretty perfect (and I liked that he made Admiral however grudgingly this book) because dealing with orders has caused so much grief in his life. But he also loves England so much that I think making a home there is what would make him most happy. Him and Temeraire retiring to Tharkay's estate and Temeraire becoming a dragon Representative to the government was great. That is the perfect end for Temeraire. I like to think that some day he becomes Prime Minister.
+ Laurence being so honour-bound is absolutely an integral aspect of his character but at the same time I keep having a hard time with him clinging to Britain as honourable in any way. Between the slavery and empire building, the way they treat dragons, and the cure situation there is not a lot of honour to be found, imo. So a part of me when reading these books always wants Laurence to turn his loyalty elsewhere.
+ I loved Laurence's (and Temeraire's) towering rage when the poisoning of the ferals was brought up, and loved Laurence making the inner choice that if the plan was acted upon he would turn his back on Britain/the Coalition and accept Napoleon's offer to join him. I love how resolute Laurence was in his decision, and how Temeraire had already begun making plans to how best to protect the ferals across Europe. I really want to see how this timeline would have played out.
+ I enjoyed all of Temeraire's scheming and politicking - the dinner for the Russian dragons, the plan to free the Prussian dragons, the dragon dinner in England where they drafted the Dragon Right Act.
+ Laurence and Napoleon were amazing. Everything I could have wanted, and more than I expected. Napoleon greeting Laurence as the beloved frienemy in his defeat, the ease at which they talked with each other, the greatness of Laurence's disgust and anger at the truth of how Napoleon was defeated.
"Do you suppose I would ever reproach you, of all my foes? I am sorry only to have faced you across the field, when you ought to have been by my side." ♥ Yesssss.
"But I think few of the Emperor's friends regret him as much as do you, his enemy." Delightful.
Also great - Napoleon's greeting to Laurence after he captured him and the fact that Laurence saved his son during his escape from the palace. I loved that scene.
+ I love that Laurence used his standing with Napoleon, and the debt with the cure, to save Tharkay's life with a pardon. Tharkay returning at the end to offer Laurence his home as residence was great too.
+ Loved the twist of Anahuarque betraying Napoleon at the end. "But it was my husband's duty to hazard everything for victory - mine, to rescue our empire from defeat." I love it. I love her explanation to Laurence, and him conceding that she chose as Napoleon would have chosen. I love how she managed to snatch victory for herself form the surety of defeat. She was, and is, Empress of the Inca. Of course she wouldn't be sitting in a palace in the background doing nothing.
+ I appreciate how Novik made both Napoleon and Anahuarque rather sympathetic or at least understandable. When we realise that Napoleon was betrayed and he touches that letter, and his behaviour afterwards, I felt really bad for him. I wish she'd managed to make Lien more sympathetic/understandable.
+ I enjoyed Ning's cunning and thoughtfully conniving nature but as a character I'm not much interested in her.
+ That short passage where Temeraire is confused about aging in humans and thinks that "he did not like to think too much about the way time passed for people" was achingly sad. He is not going to deal well with Laurence's passing and it definitely feels like afterwards Temeraire will never take a captain again.
+ I'm pleased that Roland forgave Laurence and in that he got some of the absolution that he desperately needed, and that in getting it a part of him that had been deadened to desire after his cure treason was awoken. But I also like that they didn't get back together and that it was left completely open - perhaps they kept up a long-distance relationship, or were friends with benefits, or simply friends.
+ "I have never known you to ingratiate yourself with anyone whose influence would be really useful to your career, when you could make yourself as inconvenient to them as possible instead." - Roland. LOL. That is basically Laurence in a nutshell.
+ I liked the little we saw of post-war England and the changes already begun in human/dragon relations especially Laurence's nephews playing war on and around Temeraire.
+ The lack of Lien was a little disappointing. She had no real role in this book. And yet for a good chunk of the series she's been this looming threat and it's felt like the series has been building to a confrontation between her and Temeraire only for there to be nothing. Not even a discussion between them as he stood guard over her at the end.
+ Loved Laurence bringing Yu Li into the mansion (and meeting) with him, because she was cold. I liked how she casually changed the map and acted as an equal. I really loved that when Laurence lost his temper over the poison idea she immediately sidled over to flank him even though she had no idea of what he was saying. "she had sidled over to take up position flanking him to the left with her forelegs held high - apparently at rest, but the muscles of her legs were gathered as though to launch her with all their considerable force, if necessary. He felt entirely capable of violence himself." Loved everything about that. I like to think post series several Chinese dragons move to live with Temeraire and Yu Li is one of them.
+ Regardless of what Laurence thought of it I thought his plan to bribe the dragons to follow his orders over their captains was pretty brilliant, and it ended up paying off in a huge way. I loved Laurence pushing aside Poole's sword as if it didn't matter at all.
+ The whole interlude and fight over Gabija Merkelyte was rather weird especially as it didn't really come to anything. Why was so much time spent arguing over her fate? Why throw in her mutual crush on Ferris and then have her marry Dyhern? And then never really mention any of it again even though two chapters were spent on it? I would really rather it had ended in Laurence agreeing to take Gabija on as crew with the eventual future of her joining the Corps. That would have been so great! It would have been a decisive showing of how greatly Laurence's views/opinions on women, especially women being in the service, had changed. It would have tied in to the whole plotline of dragons wanting to be free and respected as thinking being to women also making that move. Missed opportunity there!
+ I found the ending pretty satisfying. Laurence retiring is actually pretty perfect (and I liked that he made Admiral however grudgingly this book) because dealing with orders has caused so much grief in his life. But he also loves England so much that I think making a home there is what would make him most happy. Him and Temeraire retiring to Tharkay's estate and Temeraire becoming a dragon Representative to the government was great. That is the perfect end for Temeraire. I like to think that some day he becomes Prime Minister.
+ Laurence being so honour-bound is absolutely an integral aspect of his character but at the same time I keep having a hard time with him clinging to Britain as honourable in any way. Between the slavery and empire building, the way they treat dragons, and the cure situation there is not a lot of honour to be found, imo. So a part of me when reading these books always wants Laurence to turn his loyalty elsewhere.
+ I loved Laurence's (and Temeraire's) towering rage when the poisoning of the ferals was brought up, and loved Laurence making the inner choice that if the plan was acted upon he would turn his back on Britain/the Coalition and accept Napoleon's offer to join him. I love how resolute Laurence was in his decision, and how Temeraire had already begun making plans to how best to protect the ferals across Europe. I really want to see how this timeline would have played out.
+ I enjoyed all of Temeraire's scheming and politicking - the dinner for the Russian dragons, the plan to free the Prussian dragons, the dragon dinner in England where they drafted the Dragon Right Act.
+ Laurence and Napoleon were amazing. Everything I could have wanted, and more than I expected. Napoleon greeting Laurence as the beloved frienemy in his defeat, the ease at which they talked with each other, the greatness of Laurence's disgust and anger at the truth of how Napoleon was defeated.
"Do you suppose I would ever reproach you, of all my foes? I am sorry only to have faced you across the field, when you ought to have been by my side." ♥ Yesssss.
"But I think few of the Emperor's friends regret him as much as do you, his enemy." Delightful.
Also great - Napoleon's greeting to Laurence after he captured him and the fact that Laurence saved his son during his escape from the palace. I loved that scene.
+ I love that Laurence used his standing with Napoleon, and the debt with the cure, to save Tharkay's life with a pardon. Tharkay returning at the end to offer Laurence his home as residence was great too.
+ Loved the twist of Anahuarque betraying Napoleon at the end. "But it was my husband's duty to hazard everything for victory - mine, to rescue our empire from defeat." I love it. I love her explanation to Laurence, and him conceding that she chose as Napoleon would have chosen. I love how she managed to snatch victory for herself form the surety of defeat. She was, and is, Empress of the Inca. Of course she wouldn't be sitting in a palace in the background doing nothing.
+ I appreciate how Novik made both Napoleon and Anahuarque rather sympathetic or at least understandable. When we realise that Napoleon was betrayed and he touches that letter, and his behaviour afterwards, I felt really bad for him. I wish she'd managed to make Lien more sympathetic/understandable.
+ I enjoyed Ning's cunning and thoughtfully conniving nature but as a character I'm not much interested in her.
+ That short passage where Temeraire is confused about aging in humans and thinks that "he did not like to think too much about the way time passed for people" was achingly sad. He is not going to deal well with Laurence's passing and it definitely feels like afterwards Temeraire will never take a captain again.
+ I'm pleased that Roland forgave Laurence and in that he got some of the absolution that he desperately needed, and that in getting it a part of him that had been deadened to desire after his cure treason was awoken. But I also like that they didn't get back together and that it was left completely open - perhaps they kept up a long-distance relationship, or were friends with benefits, or simply friends.
+ "I have never known you to ingratiate yourself with anyone whose influence would be really useful to your career, when you could make yourself as inconvenient to them as possible instead." - Roland. LOL. That is basically Laurence in a nutshell.
+ I liked the little we saw of post-war England and the changes already begun in human/dragon relations especially Laurence's nephews playing war on and around Temeraire.
+ The lack of Lien was a little disappointing. She had no real role in this book. And yet for a good chunk of the series she's been this looming threat and it's felt like the series has been building to a confrontation between her and Temeraire only for there to be nothing. Not even a discussion between them as he stood guard over her at the end.
+ Loved Laurence bringing Yu Li into the mansion (and meeting) with him, because she was cold. I liked how she casually changed the map and acted as an equal. I really loved that when Laurence lost his temper over the poison idea she immediately sidled over to flank him even though she had no idea of what he was saying. "she had sidled over to take up position flanking him to the left with her forelegs held high - apparently at rest, but the muscles of her legs were gathered as though to launch her with all their considerable force, if necessary. He felt entirely capable of violence himself." Loved everything about that. I like to think post series several Chinese dragons move to live with Temeraire and Yu Li is one of them.
+ Regardless of what Laurence thought of it I thought his plan to bribe the dragons to follow his orders over their captains was pretty brilliant, and it ended up paying off in a huge way. I loved Laurence pushing aside Poole's sword as if it didn't matter at all.
+ The whole interlude and fight over Gabija Merkelyte was rather weird especially as it didn't really come to anything. Why was so much time spent arguing over her fate? Why throw in her mutual crush on Ferris and then have her marry Dyhern? And then never really mention any of it again even though two chapters were spent on it? I would really rather it had ended in Laurence agreeing to take Gabija on as crew with the eventual future of her joining the Corps. That would have been so great! It would have been a decisive showing of how greatly Laurence's views/opinions on women, especially women being in the service, had changed. It would have tied in to the whole plotline of dragons wanting to be free and respected as thinking being to women also making that move. Missed opportunity there!
