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I didn't intentionally read two novels of alternate history focusing on the UK this week, but that's what happened. If you ever need an illustration in the difference between honor and reputation*, do Empire of Ivory and Ha'Penny as paired reads.

*The Bujold definitions, with honor being what you know about yourself, and reputation being what others know about you.

I'm a lot more worried about Carmichael's ultimate fate than I am about Laurence's, but that's what having a dragon who's smarter than you will do for your luck roll.

Current Mood: stunned

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

toraks.livejournal.com

I liked Empire of Ivory better than the previous one (that one really bored me). But the universe/writing has really palled. The first two were great. But now she seems to be into a very Patrick Obrian type random book series. And the end? Left it right in the middle, didn't she?

I've been reading the Patrick Obrian books for the first time along with the Temeraire, and it's quite easy to switch between the two without much adjustment. For both it's quite a lot of sailing and stopping in similar places, etc. Same time periods, alternate universes.

I do wish I was as excited about the Temeraire books as I was when I read the first two! I don't find myself caring that much what happens nor really interested in what happens. I wouldn't have read the fourth already except the friend that got me the first for my birthday last year got me the 4th for my birthday this year. I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't like them anymore. However, I really loved the other book she got me -- a Janet Evanovich early romance reissue. Yummy yummy book! :-)

From:

ase.livejournal.com

In a fun reversal, I liked the second and fourth books most. Also, I'll forgive the third book lots of things for Iskierka, and the Lien-Napoleon scene on the hill. I'm really enjoying the worldbuilding and things like Hannah Erasmus showing up Laurence's cultural assumptions. (Someday Laurence must, must go to South America. Before the Tswana and Incans ally to trash Europe and jolly old England.) Novik's strength is breaking her world and following through with the "but what if there were dragons?" premise; her weakness is secondary characters, particularly the ones without wings, which is a problem in a long series. I thought her plotting was weak in the first book, and it's still not brilliant, but it's workmanlike. I think the last book was a little better at handling the secondary characters, but she's got a ways to go.

I think Novik's riffing off Patrick O'Brian fairly deliberately, which is why her books have a similar feel. The cliffhanger fails to bother me as much as it should, because I'm pretty sure Laurence and Temeraire aren't going to die. Get exiled or accidentally incite revolt, sure, but they're not living to hang.

If it had been an O'Brian novel, however, he probably would have hastily wrapped the "treason" plot with a letter from the Admiralty and someone saying "we must catch the tide; there is not a moment to be lost." Glad you've got an Evanovich to keep you amused. :-)

From:

toraks.livejournal.com

Hunh, well, at least we both liked the second!

Iskierka is quite fun. I just didn't like all the battle/blood/the travel book aspect of book 3. I have a problem with travel books in general. I like people to get where they're going already and am completely unsatisfied if that's the end of the book. Who's Hannah Erasmus again? I do like her handling of females in the dragon corps. Nice way to sneak in some female empowerment. ;-p

What do you mean by "Novik's strength is breaking her world"? I agree with the secondary characters issue. I'm fond of the dragons and not so interested in anyone else. Laurence even. Boring, ho hum. I never thought of it that way though (characters without wings, I like it!).

The cliffhanger bothers me little as a cliffhanger, I don't care enough and I also know that Laurence and Temeraire will get out of it unscathed. Mostly I just think it's mean and nasty. I wasn't too enthralled with the whole Africa deal, though it was more interesting than the slog through the war in Europe. I found the first fascinating as a new concept book and Laurence adjusting to and finding out about Temeraire and that he turned out to be a very cool dragon. I loved the whole Chinese take on dragons and finding out about them and getting out of there unscathed with Temeraire in tow.

Europe and the warring was boring, though the ferals were cool. And Iskierka. But the African take on the dragons was less so. Though I do like that the whole colonization and empire thing is much less likely to take place in this world. Let the Europeans stick to their own shores. ;-p

(though I actually read these books a while ago and I'm way past the Evanovich into other reading by now. I was just surprisingly impressed and really enjoyed the Evanovich. I tried to get into her most famous Stephanie Plum books with the first on audio book years ago, and just couldn't be interested. Tried it again a year ago and did enjoy it somewhat. Possibly read another as well with the intention of reading them all (haven yet). Not so bad. But the romance I got -- reprint of an old one -- was AMAZINGLY fun and had everything I look for in the best of the genre. A light read, but just great. I definitely want to read some more of those old ones.)

From:

ase.livejournal.com

Re: world breaking: bad way of putting it. Novik's doing a brilliant job of creating a world that looks, on first blush, very familiar, but taking her initial premise - "with dragons!" - and letting it affect her worldbuilding. There are secondary effects! These secondary effects have big impacts on how the world works! (If only the dragons made evolutionary sense - anyway.) I'm rocking the worldbuilding, which is why I like the second book (China, with dragons!) and the fourth (Africa, with dragons!) so much. I was okay with the first book as a concept book, but I'm enjoying seeing the concept followed on and evolved in sequels.

Hannah Erasmus was the abolitionist missionary's wife, the one who elected to stay in Africa with her daughters during the Capetown evacuation.

I'm glad you liked the Evanovitch. What are you reading at the moment?

From:

toraks.livejournal.com

I do like the secondary effects. Especially, as I mentioned, the inability to colonize. :-)

Ah, right, Hannah didn't sound like any of the dragon people's names. She was cool.

Hmmmm...rereading Nora Roberts at the moment. And hunting through my Bujolds for bioscience bits.

I did reread the Orson Scott Card Ender's Game books (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind) before going to Nora Roberts. But they were a bit too disturbing/absorbing. I actually spent 2 hours at lunch one day when I really didn't plan on it. I figured it'd be about an hour and when I saw the clock, I freaked! I was recovering from a stomach bug at the time, but still. I really need to buy a new watch.

I read a couple more Patrick O'Brian books before that and 2 Pratchetts too. Oh, and I was rereading the L'Engles but got stalled because I want to buy some more before doing te rest of the rereads. I did enjoy reading the couple of series in order that I did get through. I'll have to buy some more when I get a spare second. Not very soon though!