Book Stats:  

Series:  Gold Seer Trilogy #3

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Leah Westfall’s journey has been one of ever-present peril, hidden magic, harsh realities, loss, life, determination, and love. She has searched for a place to belong and a place to call home, and people who can accept a girl with magical powers that prove to be both blessing and curse.
Rae Carson has been lauded as one of YA’s best writers of fantasy, and fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Westworld will be riveted by the conclusion of this remarkable historical fantasy trilogy.
Leah is poised to have everything she ever dreamed of on the long, dangerous journey to California’s gold fields—wealth, love, the truest friends, and a home. Thanks to her magical ability to sense precious gold, Leah, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have claimed rich land in California Territory. But their fortune makes them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Leah and her friends must fight back with all of their power and talents.
Leah’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter California’s history forever.
With a distinctive heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure.

I never want Rae Carson's books to end, and this was no exception! Having made a deal with a deceptively smooth councilman for their town charter and needing to retrieve Becky Joyner's confiscated house, Leah Westfall and her band of pioneers journey out of their newly minted town of Glory, California to the big, high-stakes city of San Francisco to secure their future. When they arrive in San Francisco, they stumble into a much bigger extortion scheme and make an ambitious plan to fight for justice.

Most of this book is centered on San Francisco of 1849/1850 before California becomes a state. It brings to life a number of famously historical circumstances including the practice of sinking or grounding ships to establish or build real estate (SF Gate article). In fact, only within the last few years has it been more covered in the media that there are still actual ships buried under the streets of San Francisco (National Geographic article). I found this coverage of history, and my subsequent research, absolutely fascinating! I've been to San Francisco in the last few years, and now I'm kicking myself that I didn't visit the Maritime Museum. Anyway, one of the grounded ships is the vessel that brought Becky Joyner's house to San Francisco, and Leah decides to buy and turn into a sort of home since renting and living in San Francisco depletes their gold funds rapidly. The book illustrates the different uses many of the abandoned gold rush ships served -- as storage, hotels, homes, a jail, etc. -- which were all true in history.

Another of the book's history gems is bringing up the law of coverture (Wikipedia). When Becky Joyner goes to claim her house---and remember her husband is dead, the bank will not let her claim the property because, as they say, "a wife has no legal standing. All her rights are covered by, and thus represented by, the rights of her husband" which was known as the law of coverture. Since Becky's husband is dead and their son is not yet of age, the only one legally allowed to claim her house would be Becky's father-in-law back in Tennessee. This situation describes a very real and widespread problem for women and one of the driving forces behind the fight for women's right to vote as the majority of women couldn't hold property and therefore couldn't vote. It brings the law to life to view it through such strong female characters as Leah and Becky Joyner and hear their feminist voices discuss the ramifications.

Lastly, I love the character arc we've seen in Leah. She rises from scared runaway girl to wagon train leader to establishing a town to partially leading a civil rights rebellion and in this last novel, she certainly doesn't back down from greater heights. She and her fellows start a revolution in San Francisco against corruption and greed. She's also been practicing with her magic too, and manages several amazing feats. I'm not going to spoil any of these exciting plot developments here though. That's something you'll definitely want to read yourself!

The ONE question I still really wanted answered out of this series was just what happened with her mom? This question has been danced and danced around and we get closer here, but I just never felt true closure with this question. Alas, that's exactly how life is too!

We do see a few old friends (and enemies) surface. Relationships are built and furthered including that of Leah and Jefferson, though this is, as always, not the driving motivations in the book but rather a pleasant side-plot. I would love to see this series become a movie or tv show. It would be really cool to watch all of the history really come alive, especially that of San Francisco and the "Oregon Trail" west. I think this series might appeal to readers who loved Ruta Sepetys's Between Shades of Grey and Salt to the Sea and might be looking for something lighter but just as rich. It gives gold rush history a little bit of Leah's gold dust sense.

Book Stats:  

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Here is a thing everyone wants:

A miracle.


Here is a thing everyone fears:

What it takes to get one.


Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado, is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of watchful desert stars.

At the heart of this place you will find the Soria family, who all have the ability to perform unusual miracles. And at the heart of this family are three cousins longing to change its future: Beatriz, the girl without feelings, who wants only to be free to examine her thoughts; Daniel, the Saint of Bicho Raro, who performs miracles for everyone but himself; and Joaquin, who spends his nights running a renegade radio station under the name Diablo Diablo.

They are all looking for a miracle. But the miracles of Bicho Raro are never quite what you expect.

If you all didn't know, I'm a big Stiefvater fan. I think she writes such descriptive, lyrical fantasy and unforgettable characters. Two months ago, I was so thrilled to be able to go see Maggie when she came to YALLFest in Charleston, SC.

[This is obviously not a great picture. Sorry! I had to super hurry because she had tons of people in line and a very limited time to sign, so we were all trying to be quick and accommodating so as many of her fans could see her as possible (and I met the nicest two people in line that day, Bonnie and Kirsten!).]

This is Maggie Stiefvater's second standalone novel, after The Scorpio Races, and is a very odd little book. It has more world-building at the start than most of her books, and is just so niche, and yet positively wonderful. It's rather a redemption story and more magical realism than fantasy. If this is the first book of hers you pick up, you might be caught off guard, especially new teen readers, as it unfolds much more slowly. It contains a lot of characters and presents a number of facts the reader must keep straight to appreciate fully the scope and beauty of the novel. The reader is told of what each character wants and fears, but also of exceedingly strange impossibilities that strain credibility and threaten to make you break the suspension of disbelief barrier.

However, if you're able to get past this, you'll discover it's actually a gem. No, it doesn't beat my favorite of her novels, The Scorpio Races, nor is it quite as beloved as the Raven Boys series. Still, it's a story about a Latin American family, the Sorias, who have a particular set of gifts; they're saints and can perform miracles if they choose. Pilgrims have journeyed from all over to get a miracle out of desperation, and when their darkness is revealed into some manifestation, they must somehow conquer it to be fully healed. However, the sainted Sorias also have fatal flaws: if they interfere with the miracles they grant, their own darkness is revealed and can destroy any number of them. Therefore, the Sorias perform the miracles and then adhere to strict guidelines to stay away from the pilgrims desperate to find their second miracle and be fully healed. The pilgrims meanwhile are growing in number and must live with their particular affliction, like Jennie who can only speak by repeating back what people say to her. What you don't expect is that all the Sorias are pilgrims themselves, even if they don't realize it, and throughout the book, both pilgrims and Sorias have some lessons to learn about letting miracles come to fruition. It exposes a unique truth about being human -- that we all have flaws, big and little; some of us try to improve them, but you can still find the beauty in imperfections and courage in the effort of conquering them.

As far as the representation of Latinx culture, I can't really speak with any authority on that, but it didn't feel offensive to me. It felt rather like it brought out some truths that could be out there and happen to apply to this family. I enjoyed that this had a different perspective of culture and setting.  [I think we're all pretty tired of reading only about white people, and honestly, writing about only yourself (which you can't change) is boring and unimaginative and kind of selfish. How much better to write about different people and bring them to life in a unique way?] I loved having such a close range of family. I felt that was true to culture and the way I've seen it represented in people I know. Especially enjoyed that there is such a close sibling-like relationship between the cousins.

I wish we got to see more of Pete and the inside of Joaquin are the only two complaints I can give. I loved the bits with the rooster, also Francisco's roses, and I'm reminded how I'm always struck by the animals in Stiefvater's novels. I don't think she'll ever write a book without a significant animal.

The imagery is particularly memorable (see quotes below) and Marisita's tale of her past still comes to life vividly. Two other things I enjoyed were that 1) the owls, who seemed to congregate around the miracles, seemed rather like winged hope and that 2) Beatriz, who is descibed as la chica sin sentimientos or "the girl without feelings," who really discovered she had feelings but perhaps didn't know how to express them. Contrast her with Marisita who literally wore her feelings as falling sorrows of rain, and that just really makes me happy to have both of them. Can you tell they were my favorite?

Interesting quotes or other excerpts:

The beginning of Pete and the desert...

[Tony speaking] "You always this pedantic? Why don't you turn on the radio?"

There was no knob. Pete said, "I can't. The dial's missing."

With satisfaction, Tony replied, "Damn right it is, because I threw it out the window in Ohio. I didn't want to listen to its whining and I don't want to listen to yours, either. Why don't you just point those lost-puppy eyes of yours right out the window and stare at God's country for a while."

.     .     . 

 Pete fell deeply in love with it. 

This strange cold desert does not care if you live or die in it, but he fell for it anyway. He had not known before then that a place could feel so raw and so close to the surface. His weak heart felt the danger but could not resist. 

 He fell in love so fiercely that the desert itself noticed.

Owls, Saints, and Witches

Marisita had come from Texas to Bicho Raro, and on the border where she lived, owls were considered with distrust. The problem lay not with the owls themselves but rather with the lechuzas, witches who could transform themselves into owls with human faces. Even though Marisita trusted the intentions of the Sorias, there was no pretending that they didn't have otherworldly abilities. And although she did not believe the Church had been correct to drive them from Abejones, it was not difficult for her to see how she, as one of the Sorias' troubled pilgrims, also did not belong in a church.
It was just that Marisita was not sure that saints and witches were very different in the end.

Just for kicks - There were some horrifying things to note if you are a parent, especially a mom. Here's one example.

George Wyatt was a man of action. George Wyatt had been supposed to die in the womb, as his umbilical cord had been wrapped around his neck, but he'd decided that death was not for him and had chewed himself free. He'd been born two weeks early, his baby hands still clutching the ragged stump of his umbilical cord, his baby mouth already full of teeth. 

My favorite quote:

Read an excerpt.

Watch the brief trailer.

Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik

Book Stats:  

Series:  Temeraire, #7

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Former Aerial Corps captain Will Laurence and his faithful dragon, Temeraire, have been put out to pasture in Australia—and it seems their part in the war has ended just when they are needed most. The French have invaded Spain, forged an alliance with Africa’s powerful Tswana empire, and brought revolution to Brazil. With Britain’s last desperate hope of defeating Napoleon in peril, the government that sidelined Laurence swiftly offers to reinstate him, convinced that he’s the best man to enter the fray and negotiate peace. So the pair embark for Brazil, only to meet with a string of unmitigated disasters that forces them to make an unexpected landing in the hostile territory of the Incan empire. With the success of the mission balanced on a razor’s edge, an old enemy appears and threatens to tip the scales toward ruin. Yet even in the midst of disaster, opportunity may lurk—for one bold enough to grasp it.

Our heroes are out of the Land Down Under! Because the Tswana have invaded Brazil intent on reclaiming their people kidnapped into slavery, Laurence and Temeraire and their very depleted crew have been reinstated into the Aerial Corps, and now, joined by Iskierka and Kulingile and their crews, they travel on a diplomatic mission to Brazil on the Allegiance, accompanied by their old friends Captain Riley and Arthur Hammond, the former ambassador to the Chinese. On the way, they meet a storm and disaster, leading to a close brush with death and capture by the French who are on their way to the Incan Empire. Iskierka befriends an Incan dragon, and the French feel threatened enough to abandon them on an island in the Pacific. When they finally reach the Incan Empire, they discover the Incan customs about dragons challenge all of their previously held beliefs. Here, Incan dragons are, like the Tswana dragons, caretakers of their people, but other dragons steal people too, hoarding them like men frequently do with Incan gold. Temeraire, Iskierka and Kulingile, since they are carrying men from the Allegiance, are met with high status. Iskierka's impulsiveness lands her in a battle over a man she's stolen and this eventually leads them to the Incan ruler. Through Iskierka's wiles, she proposes an alliance and an absurd marriage.

In the past, we've seen dragons owned as property, dragons as weapons, dragons as independent "people", and dragons as ancestors reborn, but a new attitude is one of dragons as herdsmen -- literally, herding men and whole families. This has intriguing consequences and spurs more philosophical talk amongst Temeraire and Laurence.

To the stoic sensibilities of the British, Iskierka's proposal of a marriage to Granby is preposterous. She even doesn't consider Granby's own wishes, which normally the dragons act with great care to their human partners. However, it is not as if Iskierka has ever behaved with sensibility and empathy towards her much chagrined captain. . . She frequently runs right over whatever advice he gives and stubbornly does what she wants, his will or no. But not this time. Granby finally asserts some authority and it's refreshing to finally see Iskierka getting a dose of humility and consideration. Though she is a wonderful dragon, her attitude can be insufferable!

Another conflict pops up as Iskierka attracts attention from a high-placed Incan dragon and there's talk of romance and eggs. Temeraire, consequently with Iskierka being allowed to be their representation to the Inca, gets a healthy helping of jealousy and confronts his irritation and feelings towards Iskierka, who has always wanted to have an egg with Temeraire. We will have to see if anything plays out in this thread in the next novel. (!!)

Speaking of romance, Demane and Emily Roland's affection has been noticed, and Laurence feels a sort of fatherly guilt at letting Emily, who without being the heir to Excidium, should possess a chaperone and proper gentlewoman etiquette. He pays for a chaperone to accompany them, and this is a sort of side farce in itself, as naturally, Roland wants nothing to do with feminine frippery and formalities. (I just love Roland.)

Lastly, the real reason they're in South America -- to stop/negotiate with the Tswana -- doesn't happen until the last quarter of the book. Most of the action is at sea, on an island, and through the Incan territory. I will say, this last bit is resolved with ingenuity though it feels rushed. There is also another former character spotting as the former Mrs. Erasmus pops up when they meet the Tswana.

Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik

Book Stats:  

Series:  Temeraire, #6

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon’s invasion of England, Temeraire and Capt. Will Laurence have been transported to a prison colony in distant Australia—and into a hornet’s nest of fresh complications. The colony is in turmoil after the overthrow of military governor William Bligh—aka Captain Bligh, late of HMS Bounty. And when Bligh tries to enlist them in his bid to regain office, the dragon and his captain are caught in the middle of a political power struggle. Their only chance to escape the fray is accepting a mission to blaze a route through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia. But the theft of a precious dragon egg turns their expedition into a desperate recovery operation—leading to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new complication in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.

Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik

Book Stats:  

Series:  Temeraire #5

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

For Britain, conditions are grim: Napoleon’s resurgent forces have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon’s prime objective is the occupation of London. Unfortunately, the dragon Temeraire has been removed from military service–and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon’s forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war. If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain’s scattered resistance forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before–for king and country, and for their own liberty.

In the last novel, the British had contaminated Napoleon's dragons with the wasting disease, and Temeraire and Laurence recognized that this would spread to other countries and all dragons would die. Temeraire and Laurence made a choice to bring the cure to France's dragons though all of Britain would see this as betrayal and Laurence would lose everything and be branded as a traitor. Upon their return to Britain, Laurence and Temeraire were separated and have been sent to their respective fates: Temeraire to the breeding grounds and Laurence captive in a ship's brig to await his hanging.

Things do seem the lowest of the low for our two heroes. Still, with a war on, Temeraire is the most valuable dragon in their arsenal, and things don't quite pan out to the expectation. This book is where Temeraire begins to shine separate of Laurence. When he believes Laurence is dead, he wins the allegiance of the dragons at the breeding grounds and takes them to war against Napoleon, who has launched a campaign on British soil. However, the dragons are also acting without military orders. Laurence, who has only been called to duty since the war needs Temeraire, must act as Temeraire's representative (once reunited) for the canny dragon has made himself a commander, with dragons and militia under his orders. Temeraire begins to grasp the chain of command and the hurdles resulting while also confronting the outcomes, bringing a better understanding of what Laurence has done for him in choosing treason to make the moral choice. Finally, with Temeraire's military rise, he uses this newfound power to command respect from the men and bargain for dragon rights, though we have not yet fully seen how this will play out.

Laurence, too, has his own inner battle, finding he readily accepts martial consequences of his actions for himself but not for many others it has affected. This is a subtle conflict, and Laurence chooses safeguards to prevent this from occurring again under his command by withholding their true orders from the other captains and crew. This obedience to orders to save his companions further complicates matters, though, as their orders goes against his moral code. And after everything Laurence has suffered, we finally see this take a noticeable toll on him through Temeraire's observation.

 Despite the separation and chaos of this novel, I really enjoyed the character development and the opportunities for Temeraire to both lead and learn, mostly without Laurence's guidance or influence. I still like Laurence, and with him so miserable, it would be nice to see him afforded a bit of happiness soon. I don't see how this is likely with them headed to Australia, but I guess I will have to keep reading!

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

Book Stats:  

Series:  Temeraire #4

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Tragedy has struck His Majesty’s Aerial Corps, whose magnificent fleet of fighting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England’s shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons’ ranks–forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected–and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France’s ever bolder sorties.
Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line.

This is possibly the most anxiety-ridden book so far in the series as all of Britain's dragons except Temeraire are in danger of being wiped out by an aggressive epidemic. With the war still ongoing, the only defense keeping Napoleon out without the dragons is the Navy, and even then, with Napoleon's and Lien's ingenious tactics, war could soon come onto British shores. Leaving the willful Iskierka and Arkady's band of ferals (with the translation help of Tharkay and Granby) to defend all of Britain from Napoleon by air, Temeraire and his cohort must travel back to Africa in hopes of finding a cure for the draconian disease.

Book 2, Throne of Jade actually introduces quite a bit that surfaces in this novel. Quick recap: on route to China, Temeraire took suddenly ill, but with the help of the Chinese cooks who were unafraid to use whatever means to feed him as possible, they managed to find something that cured his illness. That same illness spread to Britain and amplified (Temeraire not having the illness long enough to observe the full scope and devastation of the disease), and now all the British dragons face wasting decay and death. The cure, thought to be an odd, smelly mushroom, is virtually unknown and thus, their search is made 1,000x harder by the language barrier, unknown name and unknown description over all the continent of Africa. Having traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, Temeraire's and Laurence's job is to find that cure and test it on their friends, Lily, Maximus etc. (his wingmates from previous novels) before sending it back to Britain.

Laurence and his fellows bring with them two former slaves: Joseph Erasmus, an African missionary and his wife Hannah, and their two young daughters. Since they are onboard the Allegiance with Captain Riley again, this brings up another key theme/conflict from Throne of Jade: slavery and human rights/dragon rights. Though slavery is condemned by Laurence (and Temeraire), it still exists in Britain and other countries and upheld in British law though there has been a movement for some time to abolish it. Riley's family are slave owners, and this creates tension between the naval officers and Laurence and some of his airmen. Slavers have been increasing their raids of African villages from the coast and moving inward. While they are in pursuit of the mushrooms and harvesting a large cache, Laurence and some other captains and crew, including the newly pregnant Catherine Harcourt and former slave Hannah Erasmus, are captured by African natives. Here they directly see the effects slavery has had on the African villages and their dragons, and though Laurence is against it, they still must pay the price for being associated. It forces everyone, human and dragon alike, to confront their perceptions of slavery, and even Britain suffers the devastating consequences in the end. Will our heroes make it out of Africa alive? I couldn't predict any part of the way this ended (!), and I'm sure the mind-blowing outcome will come into play in a later novel.

This one made me laugh, cry, and bite my nails with anxiety since there are a plethora of awful possibilities just waiting to happen... Onward to more reading!

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

Book Stats:  

Series:  Temeraire #3

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

After their fateful adventure in China, Capt. Will Laurence of His Majesty’s Aerial Corps and his extraordinary dragon, Temeraire, are waylaid by a mysterious envoy bearing urgent new orders from Britain. Three valuable dragon eggs have been purchased from the Ottoman Empire, and Laurence and Temeraire must detour to Istanbul to escort the precious cargo back to England. Time is of the essence if the eggs are to be borne home before hatching.

Yet disaster threatens the mission at every turn–thanks to the diabolical machinations of the Chinese dragon Lien, who blames Temeraire for her master’s death and vows to ally herself with Napoleon and take vengeance. Then, faced with shattering betrayal in an unexpected place, Laurence, Temeraire, and their squad must launch a daring offensive. But what chance do they have against the massed forces of Bonaparte’s implacable army?

This third novel is very much an epic as it is mostly journeying across Asia and Europe (more so than most of the other novels so far). They've managed to appease China in having Laurence adopted as the Emperor's son and sealed good relations with England in the process, and now they must return as England calls for Laurence and Temeraire to escort three dragon eggs from Istanbul home. Temeraire and his crew, along with a slippery guide named Tharkay, travel across deserts and rice paddies of inland China through unknown territories to Turkestan, facing starvation, attacks, and finally betrayal.

At the forefront of this novel is the idea of dragon rights and better conditions for what most other countries see as beasts or property. When Temeraire decides to return to England, he is filled with righteous fire and determined to bring better conditions to his dragon friends. Having seen some of the luxuries in China, they bring back cooks and other Chinese ideas like his decorative dragon claw sheaths, pavilion plans, and sand tables for writing. On their journey though, they must trust their safety to Tharkay, which is in some ways problematic as he keeps disappearing and after the secrets in China, Laurence is wary of more danger. They also encounter a large band of feral dragons, led by Arkady, who wish to see the Sultan of Istanbul and have great battles and stories such as Temeraire tells. When they arrive in Istanbul, they face a mess as their allies have conflicting stories than their instructions. Here they discover that Lien has preceded them across Asia to align herself with Napoleon and turn the Sultan against them. Desperate to return to England and help in the war after having learned of other defeats, Laurence and Temeraire must decide to do things their own way without guidance. Here their bond grows even stronger as they have only themselves and their crew to rely on with the communications silent. Here their honor, choices, and unorthodox kindness to their allies are key game changers in their long journey home, especially in a war that dragon intelligence has altered drastically.

I loved the new characters and setting in this novel, though it does seem like it's a wonder that any of Laurence's crew survives. There is one super heartbreaking moment in this novel that made me cry, but there are lots of great moments too, like finally getting to see Granby having more opportunities. The brush with historical characters is exciting, though I had to do a bit of research about Napoleon and the Prussian royalty. Like always, there is quite a big cliffhanger that drives you on to the next novel. Review coming soon!

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

Book Stats:  

Series:  Temeraire #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

When Britain intercepted a French ship and its precious cargo–an unhatched dragon’s egg–Capt. 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 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. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–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.

In this second Temeraire novel, things start off with quite a bit of conflict as a delegation of the Chinese has come to claim Temeraire back. The dragon nor Laurence will have any of it, but some British military leaders persist until Temeraire gets upset and instead attempts to kidnap Laurence to protect him.

After some discussion Laurence and Temeraire are sent together with an English naval ship and the Chinese delegation to return to China to salvage the diplomatic situation, especially before the Chinese decide to support Napoleon, believing the English have insulted them and stolen apurpose the egg housing Temeraire. While on the ship, strange things keep happening, and Laurence suspects the Chinese prince Yongxing will try everything in his power to get Laurence out of the way and keep Temeraire. Why? Because only royalty is supposed to be allowed as companions to Celestials, which they've discovered Temeraire is, and Laurence is absolutely deemed unworthy of the greatest dragon breed in existence. There is a lot of murky diplomacy and politics, action and death, and the tension between the naval officers and airmen doesn't help matters, especially when no one trusts the Chinese. Still, overtures are made to the Chinese to encourage an alliance and goodwill, though these seem to create more issues than help matters.

One of the new debates in this novel is the rights of dragons--are they animals/property or are they individuals? In China, dragons are treated much differently than in the Western European powers that we've been introduced to so far like Britain and France. Especially Celestials like Temeraire, dragons are treated with respect and occasionally like royalty. They can choose their own companions, find a trade, read, write, walk freely about the city and pay their own debts. In seeing China, Temeraire and Laurence confront much of their preconceived notions, and must decide what they believe. Temeraire also finds out about his family, and how much he stands to gain in staying in China. Furthermore, it remains to be seen how the Chinese will even allow Laurence to be with Temeraire, especially when it seems like there is a plot to either be rid of Laurence or instate a prince as his companion. It is a test of their bond, especially since Laurence faces unknown dangers and risks and must return to England to fight in the war, with or without his dragon. I am loving this series, and am reading it as fast as I can borrow the ebook...

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

Book Stats:  

Series:  Temeraire, #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

I've been recommended to read this book by a few sources as it's been on quite a few "Best of..." fantasy lists for series. I also read Uprooted by the author a few years ago and absolutely loved it. It obviously is somewhat of an older title, but I'm happy to have discovered it. I knew if this book was being compared as Jane Austen plus dragons, I had to read immediately! I am glad I did. I can't wait to read the second (and I'm just waiting for my hold to come in before starting it too).

While some readers might be expecting similarities to other novels about dragons, the closest I can see that bears resemblance is in Harry Potter as each region has a few different types of dragons that are native to the area. This is where the comparisons cease, however. Temeraire himself is a very unique dragon. Dragons are bonded to their handler at hatching, and if not harnessed by this handler, they have a risk to become feral. When Temeraire hatches, instead of allowing his handler to be chosen for him, he sort of chooses himself, walking right up to our hero Will Laurence and talking to him, thereby making it Laurence's immediate task to be his handler and harness him. Temeraire also has excellent speech and reasoning capabilities, popping out of the egg like some small professor-ish dragon, a Doogie Howser dragon. This is exceedingly rare, as most dragons known at that time either require lengthy effort to have such reasoning skills (learned with age) or simply are not capable of the quick thinking that Temeraire displays. Laurence and Temeraire's relationship is comparatively more like two gentleman smoking cigars around a fire discussing politics and mathematics and other logic games than a mentor/mentee or parent/child relationship even while the dragon is relatively young.

Another bit that bears some getting used to is the language in the book. It really does read more stiffly and with genteel decorum much like Austen's novels rather than include more contemporary language. Since it has this boundary, there are some slight crossovers in the world that have to be addressed from Austen's regency period to cover some modern ideas. For instance, Laurence has to explain about whores to Temeraire and dress down some young boys for their actions. There are also women avaitors flying dragons who wear men's clothing and for all manner of purpose are addressed as men rather than 'lady' or 'miss' so-and-so like they would have been in proper society. All in all, it's very entertaining, and I'm quite keen to read the next, Throne of Jade.

Book Stats:  

Series:  Gold Seer Trilogy, #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

After her harrowing journey west to California, Lee Westfall has finally found a new home—one rich in gold, thanks to her magical power, a power that seems to be changing every day. But this home is rich in other ways, too: with friends who are searching for a place to be themselves, just as she is, and with love. Jefferson—her longtime best friend—hasn’t stopped trying to win her heart. And Lee is more and more tempted to say yes.
But her uncle Hiram hasn’t given up his quest to get Lee and her power under his control. When she’s kidnapped and taken to him, Lee sees firsthand the depths of her uncle’s villainy. Yet Lee’s magic is growing. Gold no longer simply sings to her, it listens. It obeys her call. Is it enough to destroy her uncle once and for all?

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Book Stats:  

Series:  Gold Seer Trilogy #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend--who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California--where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

"Genius or madness-- it all depends on who's telling the story."