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Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, Book 4) | 
 enlarge | Author: Naomi Novik
Publisher: Del Rey
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $3.98
You Save: $4.01 (50%)
New (46) Used (29) from $3.36
Avg. Customer Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 9187
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 0345496876
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780345496874
ASIN: 0345496876
Publication Date: September 25, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
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Product Description
“A new writer is soaring on the wings of a dragon.”
–The New York Times
“Enthralling reading–it’s like Jane Austen playing Dungeons & Dragons with Eragon’s Christopher Paolini.”
–Time, on His Majesty’s Dragon
Tragedy has struck His Majesty’s Aerial Corps, whose magnificent fleet of fighting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England’s shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons’ ranks–forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected–and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France’s ever bolder sorties.
Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line.
“A gripping adventure full of rich detail and the impossible wonder of gilded fantasy.”
–Entertainment Weekly, on His Majesty’s Dragon
“A thrilling fantasy . . . All hail Naomi Novik.”
–The Washington Post Book World, on His Majesty’s Dragon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 44 more reviews...
 Captivating book July 29, 2008
This book (and the 3 before that) is just great.
I was getting tired of fantasy, and then I bought the first 3 of the series. I couldn't stop reading !
The books are very interesting because they mix dragons with history. It's a very realistic world with dragons (probably because it is ours... with dragons). Characters are great (especially dragons), storyline is captivating... One of the finest series I read recently !
Beware, though... There are 5 books now in the Temeraire Series. I'm still in the fifth when I write this, so I don't know for sure there won't be a sixth. And you can't really read only part of them. Unless you like to stop reading in the middle of the storyline...
Great book! July 25, 2008
Great Book...I have been reading through Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. I find them very interesting from a historical view and a fantasy view...She blends them seamlessly...Great read for all. Empire of Ivory was probably my favorite except for the first.
 Saved only by the strong ending July 16, 2008
"Empire of Ivory" is an alternate history novel, set in Europe and Asia at the time of the Napoleanic war. This novel continues where "Black Powder War" left off with the (untrue) promise that this novel would focus on T--'s attempts to reform Brittish law concerning dragons. Instead, this novel follows L-- and T-- as they meander through a series of loosely related adventures from England, down to Africa, and back. All of the dragons in England are deathly ill, and only L-- and T-- can save them.
I found "Empire of Ivory" to be a bit dull. Instead of the interesting plotline promised at the end of the previous novel, we are presented with yet another series of mini-adventures -- and after two novels chocked full of meandering mini-adventures, I am ready for something else. On top of that, the plot relies FAR too heavy on the "unjust world" theme. For myself, I'd have condensed the entirity of this book into a short story.
That said, the book is saved by the last three chapters. These go off on a tangent, and by rights should have been placed at the start of the next book. While the urgency is absurd and the melodrama over the top, this is quite forgivable. These chapters set up a wonderful little tragic dilema for L-- and T--, who have hithertofore simply followed orders. I'd have given "Empire of Ivory" 2-stars except for the last three chapters.
Until that point, the overall feel of this novel is "the continuing adventures of L-- and T-- as they meander through a forgettable series of adventures, brightened occasionally by encounters with favorite characters from previous novels." It will likely appeal to anyone who enjoyed Black Powder War (Temeraire, Book 3) (Temeraire) or The Hero Strikes Back or Forged Without Fire: A Champion for Catlover or The Truthsayer's Apprentice (The Loregiver Series, Book 1).
An all-new direction June 26, 2008
While each of the Temeraire books deal with the adventures of Temeraire and Capt.
Laurence as they travel across the globe, I think this is the first time author
Naomi Novik has had free reign to develope an entire civilization.
In the previous books, Novik presents Europe and China from a historical perspective,
imagining what differences would occur from the inclusion of dragons in culture
and society. She had some fairly well established societies to start with.
In this book, Novik gets to create an entire civilization (one unknown to readers)
in the heart of deepest, darkest Africa. And in doing so, she creates a significantly
more dangerous threat than "the devils you know" from the first books.
While letting her imagination completely loose for the first time, Novik has set
up the saga to go in directions unrestrained by the flow of actual history, into
a realm all her own.
Bravo.
A great addition to an excellent series! June 24, 2008
In this 4th book in the Temeraire series, Novik has introduced us to an entirely new civilization, further expanding the Temeraire universe. And she still has lots of room to expand even more. Not only that, but I could easilly see her writing another series from the perspective of this newly discovered civilization. And to give us incentive to read the next book in the Temeraire series, she made sure to end this one with a cliffhanger.
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