Dragons

While it's always a bit sad to have a series come to an end, Naomi Novik's League of Dragons (Temeraire)  is a satisfying conclusion to a great series.  And while the subtitle is" The Last Temeraire novel", I believe she  has left the door open for novellas or short stories involving these characters.  If you like history or fantasy, then I recommend this series.

If you haven't read any of this series, a few lines of background.  With the exception of one element, this series could easily have been characterized as historical fiction.  Novik has created a world that we would recognize, with the additional element of dragons. These aren't your traditional fire breathing beasts so common in many stories.  Think, rather enormous horses that can talk and reason.   All the societies of the world have incorporated dragons in to one extent or another.  In China and South America, the dragons are seen as equals to humans (or benevolent guardians of humans).  On the other hand, in Europe, they are simply beasts of burden used by the military..

League of Dragons finds our heroes Laurence, a former British naval officer and Temeraire, his dragon traveling west across Europe finishing the fight against Napoleon.   The place of dragons in European society gets challenged by Napoleon's machinations and is an important side plot.  I only wish I knew more history to judge the accuracy of her story.  For example, did part of the armistice to get Napoleon off the throne involve putting his son on it?  It does in this story.

If you're looking for a new series to start on, like history or dragons, then pick this one up.