In the ninth and final volume of the Temeraire series, Naomi Novik (Blood of Tyrants) gives a satisfactory sendoff to one of the most thrilling and immersive fantasy series on today's shelves.
Honorable Captain Will Lawrence of the British Aerial Corps and his Celestial dragon Temeraire have come to the end of a long road. After their defeat of Napoleon in Russia, both the French and Allied forces suffered grave losses in the bitter winter. Both sides scramble for a weapon or alliance that could end the war once and for all. Temeraire and Lawrence learn Napoleon has stolen a priceless object from their friend, the Crown Prince of China--an egg that holds the offspring of Temeraire and the fire-breather Izkierka. However, the heroes will find rescuing an egg from French clutches child's play compared to facing a young dragon with shifting loyalties, other British aviators' continued hatred for them after their noble but treasonous actions in Empire of Ivory, and Napoleon's most dangerous gambit yet, a concord that could change the face of the dragon/human power balance across Europe.
Novik packs in plenty of what made this series a hit in the first place, particularly acutely imagined battle scenes, high-stakes decisions and snappy dialogue from those delightful dragons, who have as much or more intelligence as humans, coupled with the innocent self-interest of the average cat. Newcomers should begin with His Majesty's Dragon, while fans will take the slightly open ending of League of Dragons as hope Temeraire may fly again someday. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads