Victory of Eagles
by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, ISBN 978-0-345-49688-1)
Victorious fifth novel
Review by Lawrence I. Charters, August 2, 2008
Naomi Novik, in author’s notes, states that she is a fan of Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin books, from which the movie Master and Commander was derived. O’Brian’s series stands as one of the great works of 20th century literature, so even mentioning the series shows ambition. Fortunately, Novik delivers.
Novik does a splendid job of creating a very believable alternate universe, in which intelligent dragons coexist with Napoleon, Wellington, Nelson, and other historical figures. While the series (Victory is the fifth volume) is not an explicit imitation of O’Brian’s work, you can generally ascribe the role of Maturin to Temeraire, the Celestial dragon that is the main focus of the series, and Aubrey’s role is taken up by Laurence, a Royal Navy captain who accidentally becomes Temeraire’s captain. As this novel starts, Laurence is in prison, Temeraire is in exile, and Napoleon is invading England. As you might expect, things get interesting quickly, and you’ll have to read the novel to discover the rest. I recommend you start with the first novel and work your way forward. While Victory of Eagles can stand on its own, sequence does help.
The novels, in order, are:
- His Majesty’s Dragon (2006)
- Throne of Jade (2006)
- Black Powder War (2006)
- Empire of Ivory (2007)
- Victory of Eagles (2008)
Update:
Since this was written, more novels in the series have followed. Collect and read them all.
- Tongues of Serpents (2010)
- Crucible of Gold (2012)
- Blood of Tyrants (2013)
- League of Dragons (2016)