Throne of Jade

I eagerly grabbed a good condition paperback copy of Throne Of Jade when I spotted it in a village book exchange cabinet last week. I knew nothing about the Temeraire series, but simply remembered how much I had previously enjoyed reading Uprooted and was keen to experience more of her work. As it turned out, it didn't matter to me that Throne Of Jade is the second Temeraire novel because I was easily able to pick up the premise and loved how Novik has imagined a flying dragon corps into British history. Despite this obviously incongruity, the novel did feel like light historical fiction and I had no trouble in completely believing in dragons' existence within the world she created. The relationship between Temeraire and his captain, Laurence, is convincingly portrayed. I particularly appreciated the time given over to showing the depth of their emotional bond which allowed me to really feel their angst at potential separation in China.

The story is written from a British viewpoint so I was disappointed that the Chinese contingent didn't get the same detailed characterisation as their Western counterparts. I even noticed a stereotypical 'inscrutable' at one point, but that aside I thoroughly enjoyed the hours I spent immersed in this beautifully built world. Novik includes lots of vivid detail, some historical and some fantasy, and I was impressed by how well the two aspects melded together. I have now added book one of the series to my wishlist so I can go back and find out what had already happened to Temeraire and Laurence.

Naomi Novik’s Throne of Jade is a wonderful addition to her alternate history fantasy series. This novel, the second entry in the series, sees Laurence and Temeraire traveling to China on a sensitive mission. The Chinese want Temeraire back, and—of course—the dragon will have none of being separated from Laurence. But where this really shines is how Novik uses the backdrop of her alternative history to explore issues that are incredibly relevant to our world today.

One place where Novik excels in this novel, and I think it’s a very subtle thing, is in realistically imagining her world. She skillfully crafts a believable version of what the world would have been like in 1806 if dragons were well known throughout the world. I thought this was particularly true in the juxtaposition between the way dragons are treated and how they integrate into society in China versus how they do so in Europe. Having read Throne of Jade I can only say, “Yes. That is exactly how it would have gone down.” It’s not only the realism of the setting that sets this novel apart, but also the characterization and particularly the interaction between Laurence and Temeraire. This novel is much more a character story than the first novel in the series, and as such the action comes a bit inconsistently throughout the novel. You don’t notice this as much as you might, however, because what the novel is really about is how the trust and friendship that Laurence and Temeraire have built up is tested in new and interesting ways. This connects into the world building because dragons occupy such a different role in society in China compared to England, where Laurence hails from and where Temeraire has so far been raised. Not only does Novik craft a world that is itself believable, but her characters react to and interact with events in this world in consistent and believable ways. There are still some tense battles, especially in the first half of the novel, so those who enjoyed that aspect of the first novel won’t find it completely absent from the sequel.

As I mentioned above, there were moments when the action took a backseat in this novel. That isn’t a problem for me, because this is so clearly a character story. On the other hand, there were a couple times when it felt like the narrative became just a little too verbose and might have benefited from being a little more tightly written. Since the story focused even more in on the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire, it also felt like the side characters continued to suffer in comparison. Not that they are bad, but that in comparison to the detail we receive regarding Laurence and Temeraire they don’t quite measure up. I even have a hard time calling this an actual weakness, since this really is a story about Laurence and Temeraire.

Throne of Jade is an excellent character story with moments of intense action. It was very fun to read. If you enjoy character stories set in very believable alternative versions of earth, then this is for you. Even if alternate history fantasy isn’t normally your thing, you should give this one a try. It has dragons! More importantly, it’s an entirely worthy sequel to His Majesty’s Dragon.

8.5/10

4.25/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing