temeraire series: book 4

it looks like book 4 of the Temeraire series would be titled Empire of Ivory after all. judging from the way naomi novik's fantasy series has been steadily gaining a global fanbase these past few years, it looks like Temeraire (a Celestial dragon) will soon be popular fantasy trademark as well.

in fact, i'm kind of surprised why pinoys seem to be rather late in joining the bandwagon. it's a highly entertaining series (really), and ms novik has an insidious way of engaging your attention. i mean, who else would have thought of using dragons as a vital part of organized warfare — in this series, they are used like fighters, bombers, recon planes and couriers — during the Napoleonic period, when "aerial forces" were virtually unheard of.

and temeraire? well, i suppose one might classify him as a lethal fighter-bomber because of his unique capabilities. he's a potent bomber because of his capacity to "hover" and his destructive roar ("divine wind"), which only Celestials are capable of. as a fighter he's also peerless because of his speed, intelligence and maneuverability. the bond between Temeraire and his handler, Capt. William Laurance, is strong and palpable, and their partnership strengthens them both. the interplay between dragons as well as their human crews can be touching and funny, and the battle scenes (naval and aerial) are enjoyable and easy to follow.

oh, and there are female dragon handlers (equivalent to present-day pilots), too; they're as tough and as capable as the men. this series is set somewhere around 1790s to early 1800s, so the speech patterns and prevailing conventions need some getting used to.

Empire of Victory is expected on to focus mainly on the exploits of Temeraire and Capt. Laurence in Africa as they race to find the cure that will save England's few surviving dragons from a deadly flu epidemic.