Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4)
by Naomi Novik
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Book Reviews of Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4)
Book Review: Social Commentary Good, Cliffhanger Endings Bad
Summary: 2 Stars
The issue of equality for all members of society (including dragons), first raised in the third book, becomes a welcome significant factor in this fourth volume, potentially taking the series into interesting territory outside of the usual purview of military-themed fantasy. However after venturing into that territory it then fails to deliver on the promise by skirting around the parallels between dragon indenture and colonial slavery, and the political and social clashes when cultures with two very different takes on those isues meet.
All of that said, much of the book was engrossing, if only for the lengthy action sequences and the intricate relationships imposed by the social mores of the time.
Unfortunately after keeping us interested and entertained for 400 pages, rather than wrapping up the current plot threads (which could easily have been done in 10-20 pages) the author chooses to leave us hanging with a cliffhanger ending involving the potential death of one of the main characters. A cheap and very unwelcome stunt, that brought my 3-4 star rating down to 2 stars. If a book is good, I don't need a cliffhanger ending to get me to buy a sequel.
Book Review: Temeraire: Empire of Ivory
Summary: 4 Stars
"Temeraire: Empire of Ivory"
It's wonderful to see that even after three novels the author is still on form as the series progresses. This fourth book shows us a little more of the world that Novik has created, including the depths of the dark continent of Africa and their practices concerning dragons, as well as a glimpse of other areas of England and Scotland. The writing is concise and beautiful, bordering at times on poetry, and the dialogue is some of the best I've ever read.
Novik has managed to keep the story ongoing and compelling without merely writing "the adventures of...", ensuring that each novel expands upon the continuity without simply throwing in new situations or characters. The characters themselves here are wonderfully written, and although there has been less of the interaction between the dragon Temeraire and his captain Laurence during the last few instalments, we see a reinstatement of their close blond and the promise of further development.
With a great storyline and a killer ending, this is definitely worth picking up if you've read the first three novels.
8.5/10
Book Review: Three hits, but not a fourth...
Summary: 2 Stars
I think this book isn't as good as the last three in the series--it should have been edited more. The first three books have great dialog and an engaging plot--they feel like a cross between Patrick O'Brien and Anne MacCaffery.
His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1)
Throne of Jade (Temeraire, Book 2)
Black Powder War (Temeraire, Book 3)
However, in this book, the British dialog is stilted and emtionally distant, the narrative wanders (there are paragraphs that only describe the landscape without furthering the story), and I'm sorry, the whole mushroom thing just doesn't make for a classic heroic tale.
Getting rid of many previous characters I've enjoyed didn't work in this book--it felt like they were replaced with new ones that are not as colorful as "Air Corps" crew.
Book Review: Just The Right Note
Summary: 5 Stars
Novik hit just the right note for me in this fourth journey into her alternative history world. The war rages on as does Tremaire and Laurence's agonizing personal struggles with what is right and what is wrong. Touchy issues such as slavery and bio-terrorism are hit on in this book. More lives are lost and this time it's the dragons as well as the humans who are dying. The search for the cure carries our hero pair to the Ivory Coast of Africa.
I have to admit that I bought this book "just because". Just because it was the next in the series and I wanted to learn what happened. I didn't have high hopes for it simply because I feared no author could keep up the level of engaging story telling that Novik had in the first three books.
I was happily mistaken. Novik actually surpassed my expectations easily. She ends relationships and begins new ones that promise to continue to feed this story line. I can not wait to see the fifth book since this one was ended on a cliffhanger that I would put on a par with the ending of Tolkein's "Fellowship of the Rings".
Book Review: If Only the Series Ended Here!
Summary: 4 Stars
It took me a little while to warm up to this series (my initial reaction was: great premise, but wooden characters and stilted dialogue), but somewhere in the middle of the first book, I succumbed. It's a fascinating mix of history and fantasy, and Empire of Ivory takes us out of Europe to widen the scope even further.
When I first read the series, only four books were out. I thought that the 4th book represented the series' end, and I was impressed and flabbergasted by the "finale." Honestly, while I'm sure the remaining books will be great, I think it would have been a stroke of GENIUS for the series to end with the 4th book -- a startlingly somber ending, and an incredible commentary on the inevitable price of nobility in a modern world.
Alas, as it turns out, the 5th book just hadn't been published. I haven't read the 5th installment yet, but I'm sure our heroes will free themselves from their predicament (I'm trying to be vague here) and continue to fight the good fight. I'll enjoy reading this, but damn, what could have been. . . .