Book recommendations, part one
Sep 10th, 2007 by Lynne
Currently Playing on iTunes: Orestes, by A Perfect Circle
While I was away from blogging, I managed to break my months-long reading slump with Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series. I took a trip to Vancouver in late July and bought the first of the series, His Majesty’s Dragon, in a little seaside shop in Gibson’s Landing. I so enjoyed the first book that I made a beeline to a mall bookstore in downtown Vancouver and bought the second one, Throne of Jade. I gobbled it up in part of an evening and the next day’s ferry ride to Nanaimo, and not wanting to wait until I returned to the U.S. to find out what happened next, I visited the most excellent Munro’s in downtown Victoria and bought the third book. I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Empire of Ivory, due out September 25th.
So what are these books about and why did I enjoy them so much? Imagine the best of Horatio Hornblower — but with dragons. I don’t consider myself an expert on the Napoleonic era, but I’ve read enough fiction from and about that period (plus untold gobs of nonfiction) that I’m not exactly uninformed, either. I was able to immerse myself in these books without rolling my eyes at historical glitches or being jarred by a too-modern voice. And speaking of her voice, I’d venture a guess that there’s nothing else like it currently on the market. It has the feel of fiction from a much earlier age, but she keeps things moving.
If NYC is buying books like this, perhaps there’s hope for the fiction market, after all. :-)
Lynne, I love Naomi Novik’s books! They’re densely written, and I usually like more white space, but she pulls me right into the story.
I hope this comment shows. My last one welcoming you back didn’t. I don’t want to try again, in case it’s there (even though I did refresh and still didn’t see it.)
Anyway, I’m glad you’re back. :)
Her last one came out just this week, as a matter of fact. John bought it for me a couple of days ago, and if I can ever rip myself away from this house-hunting frenzy, I might actually read it!