''Temeraire'' is a series of nine alternate history

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

novels written by American author

Naomi Novik Naomi Novik (born April 30, 1973) is an American author of speculative fiction. She is known for the ''Temeraire'' series (2006–2016), an alternate history of the Napoleonic Wars involving dragons, and her ''Scholomance'' fantasy series (2020 ...

. The novels follow the adventures of Captain William Laurence and his dragon, the eponymous Temeraire, and reimagine events of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

with "an

air force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

of dragons, manned by crews of aviators". ''

His Majesty's Dragon ''His Majesty's Dragon'', published in the UK as ''Temeraire'', is the first novel in the '' Temeraire'' alternate history/fantasy series by American author Naomi Novik. The story is set during an alternate-history version of the Napoleonic Wars ...

'', the first entry in the series, won the Compton Crook Award in 2007 and was nominated for the

Hugo Award for Best Novel The Hugo Award for Best Novel is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published in, or translated to, English during the previous calendar year. The novel award is available for works of fiction of 40,000 ...

the same year. ''Temeraire: In the Service of the King'', an omnibus volume collecting the first three novels, won the

Locus Award for Best First Novel The Locus Award for Best First Novel is one of the annual Locus Awards presented by the science fiction and fantasy magazine '' Locus''. Awards presented in a given year are for works published in the previous calendar year. The award for Best Fi ...

in 2007. ''Temeraire'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Series in 2017.

Novels

* ''

'' (2006) / ''Temeraire'' (UK) * '' Throne of Jade'' (2006) * '' Black Powder War'' (2006) * '' Empire of Ivory'' (2007) * ''

Victory of Eagles ''Victory of Eagles'' is the fifth novel in the '' Temeraire'' alternate history/fantasy series by American author Naomi Novik. The series follows the actions of William Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire. The book was released in hardcover in ...

'' (2008) * '' Tongues of Serpents'' (2010) * '' Crucible of Gold'' (2012) * '' Blood of Tyrants'' (2013) * '' League of Dragons'' (2016) Additionally, Novik published two omnibus volumes collecting the first three novels of the series in ''Temeraire: In the Service of the King'' (2006) and the next three in ''In His Majesty's Service: Three Novels of Temeraire'' (2009). The second omnibus volume also includes the ''Temeraire'' short story "In Autumn, A White Dragon Looks Over the Wide River". In 2017, Novik published ''Golden Age and Other Stories'', an anthology of ''Temeraire'' short stories inspired by

fanart Fan art or fanart is artwork created by fans of a work of fiction and derived from a series character or other aspect of that work. They are usually done by amateur artists, semi-professionals or professionals. As fan labor, fan art refers t ...

of the series.

Plot overview

The series revolves around William Laurence and his dragon Temeraire. Laurence is a Captain in the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

, serving in combat against

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

when he recovers a dragon egg unlike any other known to the British. The egg soon hatches, and Temeraire, a

Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon, also known as ''loong'', ''long'' or ''lung'', is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are most ...

, is born. Under the impression that an "unharnessed" dragon will become feral and unmanageable, Laurence becomes Temeraire's companion. Despite the difficulties this causes, Laurence begins to think of the dragon as his dearest friend. This forces a change in the officer's life, drawing him from the prestigious Royal Navy to the less desirable Royal Aerial Corps. The remainder of the original trilogy follows the adventures of Laurence and Temeraire as they do battle with the forces of Imperial France and the diplomatic fallout caused by Captain Laurence's adoption by the

Emperor of China ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heav ...

. The fourth novel, ''Empire of Ivory'', deals with Laurence and Temeraire seeking a cure for a contagious disease introduced by a North American dragon, which spreads throughout the British dragons while Napoleon seeks to press his advantage. The fifth novel, ''Victory of Eagles'', is the account of

Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom at the start of the War of the Third Coalition, although never carried out, was a major influence on British naval strategy and the fortification of the coast of southeast England. French attempt ...

, forcing a British retreat to

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, while Laurence faces the consequences of their treason in taking the cure for the illness to the French. The sixth novel begins within the penal colony of Australia (Laurence's death sentence for treason commuted to transport to the colony), and a chase across the continent to a sudden discovery that has far-reaching consequences. The seventh book has Laurence returned to service and sent to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

in an attempt to secure an alliance with the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...

(which still exists, though reduced, in the series timeline), then to Asia again. In the eighth book, Laurence is partially amnesiac due to injury as Temeraire and the crew deal with new intrigues in

feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when new inve ...

and Imperial China before flying to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

in time to be involved in the French invasion of Russia.

Characters

Humans

*Admiral/Captain William Laurence: Former captain of HMS ''Reliant'' while in the

. Served aboard HMS ''Belize'', HMS ''Orient'', and others prior to receiving his post on the ''Reliant''. Now Captain in the Aerial Corps and captain to Temeraire. Primary figure in the series. He comes from a wealthy family distantly related to the king. Although he serves in the Aerial Corps (the least respected military branch of England), he is a gentleman and the son of Lord Allendale. While remaining a captain for most of the series, in the final book of the series, he receives a promotion to admiral. There are a few descriptions of his physique in the later books. He is mentioned to be tall, blue eye, blond and broad shouldered. *Arthur Hammond: British diplomat attending Laurence's mission to China whose primary goal is to preserve or to improve British standing with the Chinese Empire, even if it comes at the expense of giving Temeraire to the Chinese. He is generally disliked by the crew of the ''Allegiance'' and Temeraire's crew. He was adopted by Churki, and he has become the object of her affections, though he has no desire whatsoever to belong to a dragon. *Admiral Jane Roland: Captain to Excidium. Mother of Emily Roland, a member of Laurence's crew. Becomes intimate with Laurence after he breaks off his engagement. Later promoted to Admiral. *Admiral Lenton: Admiral in charge of the covert at Dover. Obversaria was his dragon, until the third book in the series. *Captain Berkley: Stationed at Dover. Captain to the Regal Copper, Maximus. *Captain Catherine Harcourt: Stationed at Dover. First female dragon-captain Laurence meets. Twenty years old when promoted to Captain. Captain to the Longwing Lily. Captain Harcourt has a brief liaison with Captain Thomas Riley which leads to pregnancy. Catherine is later pressured to marry him for legal and social reasons as Captain Riley's estate is entailed and his mother and female relations will have no source of income if he dies before producing a son. *Captain Langford James: Courier. Captain to Volatilus. First dragon-captain to meet Laurence. Gives him a basic introduction to how the Aerial Corps works. *Captain Rankin: Abusive Captain to Levitas. Becomes Captain to Caesar in Tongues of Serpents. *Captain Thomas Riley: Lieutenant under Captain Laurence on HMS ''Reliant'' in ''

''. In '' Throne of Jade'' is promoted to captain of HMS ''Allegiance'', a dragon-transport. Family owns slaves in the Caribbean. Is married to, and has a son with, Captain Catherine Harcourt. *Demane: A native of the Xhosa tribe (along with his brother Sipho), he leads Laurence to the cure for the draconic flu. He was later assigned to fly with Arkady and his feral dragons as he was fluent in both English and Durzagh languages (in addition to his native Xhosa). He later becomes the unofficial captain of Kulingile, a very large heavyweight dragon. *Emily Roland: A member of Captain William Laurence's crew, she was in the first book mistaken for a boy. Daughter of Captain Jane Roland. *Hannah Erasmus: Wife of Reverend Erasmus. A former slave, she is a member of the Tswana tribe and returns to Africa with her husband and children. After her husband is slain in an encounter with her native tribe, she is recognized and freed and ultimately elects to stay in Africa. *Lieutenant John Granby: Laurence's second-in-command. Served under Captain Portland on Laetificat. Becomes Iskierka's Captain. *Prince Yongxing: Son to the

Jiaqing Emperor The Jiaqing Emperor (13 November 1760 – 2 September 1820), also known by his temple name Emperor Renzong of Qing, born Yongyan, was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from ...

of China. Anti-Western and seeks to bring Temeraire back to China. Schemes to ultimately supplant his younger brother's claim to the Imperial Throne. Companion to the white (albino) dragon Celestial Lien. *Reverend Josia Erasmus: A former slave in Jamaica. Joins Temeraire and Laurence in their expedition to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

to find a cure for the draconic flu. *Tenzing Tharkay: A guide hired by a banker in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

to bring Captain Laurence and his crew to the Turkish capital. While duplicitous in appearance, this is an air cultivated purposefully by Tharkay due to his mixed heritage.

Dragons

*Temeraire: A Chinese Celestial dragon (mistaken for an Imperial dragon in the first book) and the titular character of the series. Named after ''Téméraire'', a French vessel captured during the Napoleonic wars, his name means "reckless". His Chinese name is ''Lung Tien Xiang''. Captain William Laurence is his companion. Possesses an extremely practical, inquisitive, and sometimes too blunt personality, although he sometimes can be overly sensitive about the differences between his appearance and that of western dragons. He is also quite possessive and protective of Laurence. *Lien: A Chinese Celestial dragon partnered with Prince Yongxing until his death. As a white (albino) dragon, she is regarded as bad luck in the Chinese culture. She is an enemy of Temeraire and Laurence, holding them responsible for the death of Yongxing. She joins the Napoleonic forces and is the primary subject of the short story "In Autumn, A White Dragon Looks Over The Wide River". *Maximus: a male Regal Copper heavy-weight dragon also in Temeraire's formation; suffers badly during the dragon plague. Handled by Captain Berkeley. *Lily: a female Longwing heavy-weight dragon, nominally the leader of Temeraire's formation; also suffers during the dragon plague. Handled by Captain Harcourt—a female captain, since Longwings only take female captains (though this is not widely known outside the Aerial Corps). *Iskierka: a female Kazilik (fire-breathing) dragon, native to Turkey but bought by the British during the Napoleonic Wars; prone to fighting and insubordination. Handled by Captain John Granby, formerly of Temeraire's crew.

Cancelled film adaptation

In 2006, ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'' announced that Peter Jackson, best known for directing the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, had

optioned In the film industry, an option is a contractual agreement pertaining to film rights between a potential film producer (such as a movie studio, a production company, or an individual) and the author of source material, such as a book, play, or s ...

the rights to the ''Temeraire'' series. Jackson stated that ''Temeraire'' "is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love—fantasy and historical epic. I can't wait to see Napoleonic battles fought with a squadron of dragons. That's what I go to the movies for." On July 24, 2009, in an interview with IGN, Jackson said he had considered making a television mini-series instead; he was worried that if the first movie flopped at the box office, it would put the story at a full-stop and leave it incomplete. On February 24, 2016, during Naomi Novik's Ask Me Anything (AMA) on

Reddit Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, imag ...

, Novik said the film rights had reverted to her once again, and there is no plan for any ''Temeraire'' film adaptation.

References

External links

The ''Temeraire'' series on Novik's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Temeraire (Series) Book series introduced in 2006 Dragons in popular culture Fantasy novel series Alternate history book series American alternate history novels Novels set during the Napoleonic Wars