Skip to content

His Majesty's Dragon

His Majesty's Dragon

FantasyHistorical Fiction
Pages
336
Published
2006
Language
English

Synopsis

Captain Will Laurence's life aboard a British naval ship is turned upside down when he captures a dragon egg. Suddenly thrust into the world of dragon riders, he must learn aerial combat and bond with his new dragon, Temeraire. As Napoleon's forces threaten Britain with their own dragons, Laurence and Temeraire face their first fiery battle together.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

AdventurousInspiringTenseAtmospheric
Fish Out of WaterReluctant Hero

Genres

Fantasy Historical Fiction Military Alternate History

About the author

N
Naomi Novik

Naomi Novik is an American author of fantasy and alternate history, best known for the nine-book Temeraire series — an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars fought with dragons — the Scholomance trilogy (A Deadly Education, The Last Graduate, The Golden Enclaves), and the award-winning standalone novels Uprooted and Spinning Silver. She holds a degree in English literature from Brown University and a master's in computer science from Columbia University, and co-founded the Organization for Tr...

Characters

Will LaurenceProtagonist
TemeraireProtagonist
John GranbySupporting

Laurence's second-in-command in the Aerial Corps; initially hostile due to Laurence's naval background, later comes to respect him.

Jane RolandSupporting

Captain of the dragon Excidium; a senior aviator who becomes involved with Laurence.

Jeremy RankinSupporting

A captain of noble family who treats his dragon Levitas with neglect and abuse.

All characters in His Majesty's Dragon

Frequently asked questions

  • What breed of dragon is Temeraire?

    Temeraire is a Celestial, an exceptionally rare Chinese Imperial dragon breed — the egg Laurence's ship captures from a French vessel turns out to be far more valuable than the British initially realize.

  • Did His Majesty's Dragon win any awards?

    It won the 2007 Compton Crook Award for best science fiction/fantasy debut novel, was part of the Temeraire trilogy that won the 2007 Locus Award for Best First Novel, and was a finalist for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

  • Is His Majesty's Dragon based on real history?

    It's set during an alternate-history version of the Napoleonic Wars in which dragons have always existed alongside humans and serve as a staple of aerial warfare for Britain, France, and other nations — the historical war is real, the dragons are the fantasy element layered onto it.

Read all 2 reviews