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Temeraire (series)
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Temeraire is a series of novels by Naomi Novik, comprising His Majesty's Dragon (released as Temeraire in the United Kingdom), Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, Empire of Ivory, and Victory of Eagles. The novels are works of both fantasy and alternate history: they are "a reimagining of the epic events of the Napoleonic Wars with an air force — an air force of dragons, manned by crews of aviators".
At a book signing on July 11, 2008 at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Novik divulged that the series has a definite end that would ideally be reached by the ninth book, but that no decision has been reached.
series of books revolves around the primary characters Temeraire and Captain William Laurence.
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Temeraire is a series of novels by Naomi Novik, comprising His Majesty's Dragon (released as Temeraire in the United Kingdom), Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, Empire of Ivory, and Victory of Eagles. The novels are works of both fantasy and alternate history: they are "a reimagining of the epic events of the Napoleonic Wars with an air force — an air force of dragons, manned by crews of aviators".
Novels
At a book signing on July 11, 2008 at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Novik divulged that the series has a definite end that would ideally be reached by the ninth book, but that no decision has been reached.
Setting
The series of books revolves around the primary characters Temeraire and Captain William Laurence. Captain Laurence is a member of the British Royal Navy, serving in combat against Napoleon's navy when he recovers a dragon egg unlike any other known to the British. The egg soon hatches, and Temeraire (a Chinese dragon), is born. Temeraire immediately imprints upon Laurence, akin to a hatchling imprinting upon its parent. This forces a life change for the sailor, drawing him from the prestigious Royal Navy to the less desirable Royal Aerial Corps. The subsequent novels in the original trilogy follow the adventures of Laurence and Temeraire as they deal with the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte as well as Temeraire's heritage and the diplomatic fallout of his adoption by the British captain. The fourth novel deals with Laurence and Temeraire seeking a cure for a draconic illness, introduced by a North American dragon, spreading throughout the British dragons while Napoleon seeks to press his advantage. The fifth novel is the account of Napoleon's invasion of England, forcing a British retreat to Scotland, while Laurence deals with the consequences of his treason in taking the cure for the illness to the French.
List of characters
The dragons
Dragons in this world are similar to dragons in many world mythologies, although here they are divided into different "breeds" with differences in coloration, size, skeletal structure, etc. All (with the exception of "sea serpent" dragons, which might be classified a different species in any case) have wings and the ability to fly, even those that can mass up to 50 tons. (This is partly due to their bodies' compartments of lighter-than-air gas; "weight" figures listed here represent overall size and mass, although a 50-ton dragon might show a mere 10 tons on a scale.)
Dragons are intelligent and sapient, although the degree of their intelligence varies from those that can understand only a few words to those that have been known to compose epic poetry. Dragons are typically born with the ability to speak. They learn languages while still in the shell, and any language they are sufficiently exposed to during that time, they can speak fluently from birth. In the wild, dragons seem to have their own languages.
Domesticated dragons "bond" with a human on hatching. This is not some kind of psychic connection, but more of a strong bond similar to filial imprinting seen in species of birds, which in some cases is also reminiscent of an owner-pet relationship and in others, a friend-friend relationship. Dragons will do anything to prevent their aviators from coming to harm — in battle, dragons can be "captured" if their aviators are held at gunpoint or in some other way threatened. Because of their long lives, dragons tend to outlive their human partners. In this case, they may be tempted to bond to another (possibly a descendant or family member of their lost partner) or they may become too listless to do much of anything. Some dragons may be acquisitive hoarders as in many mythologies, and this trait may also lead them to become very jealous of the attentions of their human partner.
Like conventionally-imagined Western dragons, some dragon breeds can breathe fire or "spit" acidic venom (vitriol), two traits that are prized in countries where dragons are used primarily for military pursuits. Dragon breeds can have other unique traits, such as wings that allow them to hover or make sharp turns, the ability to ingest and spew large quantities of water, or night vision.
Dragon classification by size
Heavyweight
Dragons in this category are enormous, although size varies greatly between heavyweights of different breeds (20–50 ton weight range). The largest British heavyweight, the Regal Copper, weighs a maximum of 50 tons, can be up to 120 feet long (40 m) and have a wingspan of 180 feet (60 m). The smallest known heavyweights are the Chinese Celestial/Imperials and the French Chanson-de-Guerre, both of which weigh in around 20 tons at a minimum. The Turkish Kazilik is the only known fire-breathing heavyweight. Heavyweight eggs are extremely valuable, often said to be more valuable than gold per pound (a Regal Copper egg is said to be worth 56,000 pounds, an enormous amount of money in the early 1800s). Kazilik eggs command incredible value, with the British paying the Ottoman Empire half a million pounds for three eggs (most of which was allocated for the Kazilik).
Middleweight
Much more common than heavyweights, these dragons make up the bulk of any country's aerial forces. Middleweights range in weight from 10 tons to 20 tons. Yellow Reapers can weigh as little as 10 tons (with a maximum weight of 17 tons), making them one of the smallest middleweights. British Parnassians are said to be large middleweights, weighing around 18 tons on average, very close to the minimum weight of a heavyweight dragon. Middleweights are much more likely to show special offensive capabilities, such as spitting acidic venom (Longwings), or breathing fire (Flamme-de-Gloire) than heavyweights. Middleweights tend to be faster and more agile than heavyweights, although if lacking special abilities, they are unlikely to be able to match any heavyweight in a fight.
Lightweight
This group is divided between courier and light-combat dragons. Couriers are the lightest of dragons, and usually carry mail, important military messages, and royalty/VIPs. They range in weight from a mere 2 tons (Winchester), to around 5 tons (Greyling). Couriers also do work as scout dragons doing reconnaissance over enemy territory. Light-combat dragons are little larger, and act as skirmishers and flank attackers against enemy formations. They range in weight from around 6 to 9 tons, with the French Pascal's Blue being a prime example of such a breed. Lightweights exhibit more excitable behavior than do other dragons of heavier weights. The Spanish possess a fire-breathing lightweight, the Flecha-del-Fuego ("Fire Arrow"), which is the rare lightweight breed that is a prime combat dragon.
Dragons in society
The societies of this world tend to view dragons differently. So far only two cultures have been described in depth, but some clues have been given about the state of dragon–human relations in the rest of the world.
The treatment of dragons in Britain seems to be indicative of the treatment they have received in the rest of Europe and the Middle East, although this may not be the case. Draconic domestication in Britain began with the arrival of the Romans, continued in a disorderly manner with the influx of Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, and continued to the present of the series.
In Britain, it was held that dragons could very easily turn feral and therefore useless (to humans). To prevent this, properly trained aviator candidates needed to be present at the hatching of every egg. A newly hatched dragon would speak to the nearest person suitable for bonding. The human would then give it a name (in Britain, the names are typically chosen by school boys fond of grandiose Greek and Latin names). Newborn dragons would be very hungry, but it was said they would fly away immediately after feeding unless they willingly accepted a harness. If the aviator could not convince the dragon to accept the harness, it would never be "useful" to people, except possibly as broodstock.
The ceremony of bestowing a name and harnessing a dragon seems to be more of a superstitious ritual than rooted in necessity. Some dragons have been known to name themselves and still accept harness, while "feral" dragons can be induced to help humans. The elaborate naming ritual probably stems from an innate European fear of dragons. In Britain, dragons are housed in "coverts," secluded spots away from most human habitation. The general populace is terrified of dragons, whether they are feral, friendly, or part of a foreign military. In fact, many people in Britain can live their entire lives without meeting a dragon close up. Because of the exclusion of the covert, aviators are looked upon as being inferior to the other branches of the military (especially because the special relation between aviator and dragon may preclude raising a family). Dragons deemed not useful under harness (i.e. feral, depressed from death of partner, captured from another nation, etc) are forcibly detained in secluded breeding grounds and used for broodstock.
In China, Shen-lung (divine dragons) are treated very differently than their European counterparts. Instead of being treated as intelligent animals, they are venerated as beings of generally equal or occasionally higher standing than humans. Chinese dragons are not harnessed at birth. Instead, they are raised by other dragons and are treated similarly to the children of noble families. They attend school and can take the Confucian exams that may lead to positions in the civil service. After completing their schooling, they are considered able to choose a name and companion for themselves. They can then enter the military, messenger services, bureaucracy, etc. depending on their personal abilities and the tendencies of their breed. These dragons are then paid from the Imperial treasury, can own property, and employ servants.
At large, the citizens of China seem used to the large population of dragons that inhabit their land. Dragons are used as a kind of mass transit, streets and other infrastructure are built large enough to accommodate them, and many vendors cater to their needs. While some dragons, like humans, may live in relative poverty, the majority enjoy a higher degree of autonomy and self-determination to those in Europe.
While not as fully covered as Chinese and British society in draconic relations, from observations made by Laurence and Temeraire, the dragons were originally treated similarly to the way they are treated in Britain. In the fourth book, it is mentioned that French society, especially in terms of the military, is beginning to treat dragons along the pattern of Chinese society.
Until the fourth novel, it was presented that dragons living in Africa were believed to be primarily feral (at least by European standards). Many European courier dragons disappeared just from trying to find shelter on African shores. In Empire of Ivory, it is revealed that some sub-Saharan tribes such as the Sotho and Tswana practice a form of ancestor-worship wherein notable ancestors may be "reincarnated" in draconic form. Unlike Buddhism or Hinduism which believe in literal reincarnation, the practice in Africa consists of ritual and song praising the ancestor's deeds and life. Performing these rituals around an incubating egg imprints these traits on the dragon, identifying the dragon's personality with that of the ancestor. The Tswana tribe is led by one such dragon-king. Dragons also protect and work with the tribe members (their "children"), performing military actions and tasks that would often be associated with technology in other cultures, such as deep mining.
In other parts of the world
So far, only a few clues have been released about this topic. These tidbits are included below.
- Americas: The Incas seem to live with dragons, but little has been revealed of their society. Likewise, the natives of the North American Great Plains have dragons that are always accompanied by a single rider rather than a whole crew as in Europe.
- Europe: Seems to have followed lines of development very close to those in Britain. Recently, France has begun to adopt the Chinese norm.
- Ottoman Empire: As in Europe, dragons are used primarily for military purposes, although in the lax nature of the late Ottoman Empire, many of these are inclined to obesity. Dragons do seem to be more in evidence in the city of Istanbul, and guard the palace of the Sultan.
- Russia It is implied that Dragons are treated much worse in Russia than in other European nations though specifics are not gone into.
Feral dragon society
Although many human authors in this world seem unaware of the fact, dragons in the wild seem to have their own unique society. They have languages unique to their species; one such language, spoken in Central Asia, is called Durzagh. Feral dragons may band together in small groups or live in a solitary manner depending on their inclination. They also may have their own oral tradition, consisting of story-telling accompanied by elaborate pantomime.
Film version
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Peter Jackson, who is best known for directing the The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong, has optioned the rights to the series. Jackson added that Temeraire "is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love — fantasy and historical epic. I can't wait to see Napoleonic battles fought with a squadron of dragons. That's what I go to the movies for."
External links
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