Back of the book summary for Tongues of Serpents!

[ar]

As seen on Amazon.com:

A dazzling blend of military history, high-flying fantasy, and edge-of-your-seat adventure, Naomi Novik’s Temeraire novels, set in an alternate Napoleonic era in which intelligent dragons have been harnessed as weapons of war, are more than just perennial bestsellers—they are a worldwide phenomenon. Now, in Tongues of Serpents, Naomi Novik is back, along with the dragon Temeraire and his rider and friend, Capt. Will Laurence.

Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon’s invasion of England, Temeraire and Laurence—stripped of rank and standing—have been transported to the prison colony at New South Wales in distant Australia, where, it is hoped, they cannot further corrupt the British Aerial Corps with their dangerous notions of liberty for dragons. Temeraire and Laurence carry with them three dragon eggs intended to help establish a covert in the colony and destined to be handed over to such second-rate, undesirable officers as have been willing to accept so remote an assignment—including one former acquaintance, Captain Rankin, whose cruelty once cost a dragon its life.

Nor is this the greatest difficulty that confronts the exiled dragon and rider: Instead of leaving behind all the political entanglements and corruptions of the war, Laurence and Temeraire have instead sailed into a hornet’s nest of fresh complications. For the colony at New South Wales has been thrown into turmoil after the overthrow of the military governor, one William Bligh—better known as Captain Bligh, late of HMS Bounty. Bligh wastes no time in attempting to enlist Temeraire and Laurence to restore him to office, while the upstart masters of the colony are equally determined that the new arrivals should not upset a balance of power precariously tipped in their favor.

Eager to escape this political quagmire, Laurence and Temeraire take on a mission to find a way through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia. But when one of the dragon eggs is stolen from Temeraire, the surveying expedition becomes a desperate race to recover it in time—a race that leads to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new obstacle in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.

My own feelings:

1. Rankin's return is something that could either be handled really well or really poorly. I'm hoping for "really well." :/

2. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY OH YEAH. I am so excited, so so excited for references to that.

3. The wondering is on: What if Tharkay gets a dragon? Also, shocking discoveries and stuff, but I have no idea what those would be, so, uh. Any ideas, kids?

Or, to sum up: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Can it be July already? :D :D :D

Comments

[kespionage]

Wow, Rankin. Last time Laurence saw him he had a lap full of dying Levitas, right? And then got his next posting (i.e. dragon) snaked out from him on Laurence's word? That one's gonna be... interesting, to say the least. Temeraire is older and wiser now--wonder what that perspective is going to do for him, meeting this old nightmare of a captain?

I actually kind of hope Tharkay doesn't get a dragon; he's very particular about independence and self-sufficiency and when you're looking after a dragon, at some point one is going to have to make some apologies for transgressions against livestock. Also Temeraire would be very distractingly jealous that his captain's had another boyfriend traveling buddy yanked into a strange dragon's crew.

Personally, I'm hoping for a little more Demane and Sipho. Those guys have had a really odd time of it so far, yet we haven't heard hardly anything of them since they first came on board.

[ar]

The answer to that seems to be in chapter 3 of ToS, and it's pretty bamf. :D

I wasn't sold on Tharkay getting a dragon, and then the possibility of it being better for him and Laurence's theoretical relaaaaaaaationship (insofar as they'd both be invariably second in each other's affections and therefore on more equal footing) was such good logic that I wanted it. But it would probably mean losing his bird, because what dragon would want to share their captain with a bird? And that would be sad. D:

jfdlafadhf, yes. I love Sipho and Demane and think Emily/Demane would be adooooorables, and it'd be really great to have some more attention paid their way!

[kespionage]

*reads like a reading fiend*

OH. SHIT. fdksl'jgfdklsjgkdsl thank you for BLOWING MY MIND.

I get the feeling the little monster in question is going to be like the BEST WORST WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT EVER for Rankin. And JANE, and PERSCITIA--! My favorite ladies are all rocking like rocking things. (My theory that Perscitia is a wizard: LOCKED.) This is gonna be AWESOME. *so super overexcited*

I dunno, with Laurence, realistically anyone he'd ever, ah, liason with is gonna come in third place--first priority being reserved for Temeraire, and second for the Crown. Whereas Tharkay's focus is always going to be on Number One, with the possible exception of someone he cares for very, VERY much sometimes on special occasions.

Mmmm, and it would also interfere with Tharkay's ability to smooth-talk anything living into his good graces. (Theory that Tharkay is a wizard: gaining ground fast.) He's in a weird gray area, society-wise, and his consolation prize for being unaccepted pretty much everywhere is his freedom of movement. Giving that up... I don't think it would suit him.

I am SO ON BOARD THE EMILY/DEMANE TRAIN, YOU HAVE NO IDEA. They would be invincible together. I bet they'd have super epic fights, though. (I know this from extrapolating on Emily's very thorough and meaningful character development--i.e., my own idle daydreams of the obedient students I knew who would work quietly all day and then in their off-hours bloom into their vocal opinionated real selves.) Really catty sniping that would escalate into knock-down drag-out brawls until their crews and dragons--because Demane is totally a future dragon-captain, you cannot tell me that boy would not make the most fiercely glorious captain ever--finally yanked them apart. And Sipho, so long-suffering, would just sigh and resolve to apologize to Emily later for his brother being a pigheaded idiot again.