Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire) Mass Market Paperback – July 29, 2014

I had been getting bored /w the Temeraire series to the point that I didn't even realize this book had come out until I saw it in the bookstore. The book flap let me know it was the penultimate novel (next to last - i had to look it up :D) and figured it'd be nice to finish the series.The book is broken up into 'sections' so it reads more like a couple short books smashed together. The transitions were okay. My biggest issue was remembering who all the characters and dragons were along with all their backgrounds and relationships since Laurence is way too 'proper' to outright say what's going on half the time, but after 'researching' the internet, I re-gathered enough to not be constantly confused.There are a couple of twists in the book, which were ok. Some were obvious and others (towards the end) I did not see coming and kept me on my toes...until the realization that it was the setup for the inevitable cliffhanger b/f the final novel.One part I did not like is that I don't really feel like any of the characters are developing. There are some new developments, but they all feel like plot developments designed to 'end' the series, which I'm okay with.I do greatly enjoy this series and like how it ties together dragons and historic fiction. I feel like the writing style greatly captures the era (at least in my mind's eye) and I greatly enjoy reading how different cultures exist/co-exist and interact with dragons. The part I'm not wild about is how it becomes increasingly more obvious how horrible the 'good guys' are and I just can't root for them. Then again, I guess this all about the shades of grey.

The latest installment of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series does exactly what such a volume should: it takes us from the surprising developments of the previous book and carries us through to another crucial cliffhanger with no small measure of adventure, humor, and more fascinating glimpse's of the author's world along the way.It is now the year 1812, and that fact alone should give some hint as to where the action will take us. The first two-thirds of the novel, however, concern the ways and means Captain William Laurence and his dragon Temeraire eventually come to face a certain Corsican in a certain large, cold, winter-ravaged country. The first obstacle to be overcome, however, is the Laurence's shipwreck-induced amnesia that leaves him lost and alone in Japan with the past 8 years of his memory gone. Amnesia is such a tired cliche, a tool of soap opera writers who have run out of ideas, that I found Novik's resort to it initially disappointing. However, it actually may prove a handy device for a reader new to the series to slowly glean details of what has gone before along with Laurence.As always, my favorite parts are those that describe the social and political systems in the various nations and how the existence of sentient dragons and their integration into human society has resulted in differences great and small from the world and history we know. While Britain is no different from the country Jane Austen knew and Russia treats its dragons about as humanely as its human serfs, dragons in China and Japan rule estates and command armies. We get hints in this episode that things may be similar in North America, and as the only inhabited continent as yet unvisited by our protagonists we may see more of the US in the future.After a few slow and uneven early chapters, Blood of Tyrants eventually and inevitably captured and captivated my imagination like its predecessors and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

This being the penultimate book of the series made for it being a bittersweet read. As with the rest of the Temeraire series I greatly enjoyed the book. The anthropomorphism of the dragons is hands down my favorite part of the books. Novik also does a great job of integrating the aerial corps into the Napoleonic era. In this book you run into some friends and enemies that you haven't seen in a while, you also get to meet some new characters. As per usual when you reach the end you're left at a spot where you really want to be able to pick up the next book and continue Laurence and Temeraire's adventures, but in this case as much as I want that book to come I kind of dread it too, because from my understanding it's to be the last of the series. I'm going to hate to see these characters go.The thing for all the Temeraire fans out there to hope for is that Peter Jackson makes good on his option and makes a film series. He's getting some good practice with Smaug and I could just see Maximus being somewhere in that neighborhood.

Brilliant series ... Hornblower meets Game of ThronesNaomi Novik has put together an excellent series of books. It's got a great set of characters, especially Lawrence and Temeraire, it moves around the globe to lots of interesting locations.I usually read a series of books interleaved with my other books ... not so with Temeraire. It's that good I read all nine of them back to back

I had to smile when I read another review, in which the reader felt the memory-loss of the human hero was not convincing. Since I can accept the concept of talking dragons fighting on different sides in the Napoleonic wars, the memory-loss was not a big hurdle for me! I loved this one as much as the previous seven books (just slightly peeved that i hadn't noticed it was out sooner!). I would suggest anyone coming new to the series should start at the beginning, although I was impressed with the way Naomi Norvik refers to previous events in a subtle way, without pages of boring repetitious information which could spoil the narrative. The story flows along as usual, I couldn't put it down and read long into the night in order to finish it! Then wished I hadn't as there was nothing to look forward to!

The only temeraire series books I didn't like as much were book 4 and 6 but I enjoyed this one; I love how she goes to so many different countries and describes the practices and cultures of dragons in each one. I loved hearing about Japan and Russia, and we finally got back to more Napoleon battles which is what the series is about. My only complaint is I would love to hear more from Lien in person, but it does add to her mystery I grant you. Eagerly awaiting the last book next year after this one!

I bought it because it’s the 8th book in Temeraire series and since I have previous seven I needed this one also. I'm very sorry to say I didn't enjoy it as the previous ones, the whole amnesia plot feels very soap opera like. And when I finished the book my conclusion was that I see no reason why it was necessary, my only guess is that otherwise we wouldn't hear about Japanese dragons.So, if you are a fan read the book. If you are looking at this as a standalone book skip it.

Seller recommended. Good read