His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik is a wonderful fantasy/alternate history. Dragons exist and are used in combat. The book is set during the Napoleonic wars. A Dragon egg is captured from a French naval vessel. When it hatches it imprints on the ship captain Will Laurence. Because of this he is transferred out of the Navy and is sent for training with the Dragon. Much of the story is the interaction between the Dragon Temeraire and Laurence. Laurence must also grow accustomed to the different culture of the aviators. This is a superbly written book with wonderful characters. The combat is much like a combination of fighter and bomber aircraft. Some of the battle sequences are a little difficult to follow. One criticism is that the !aviator's culture seems to me to be too modern. This is a minor criticism that doesn't take away from the story. I've already ordered the next several books in the series.

Highly recommended!

Is available through Abebooks.




For more Science Fiction and Fantasy book reviews take a look at My Science Fiction and Fantasy bookshelf.