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40x40

David McK (3425 KP) rated Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower #10) in Books

Aug 19, 2023  
Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower #10)
Hornblower in the West Indies (Hornblower #10)
C.S. Forester | 1957
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Really a collection of five short(ish) stories rather than a novel in its own right, this is chronologically the last in the Hornblower series, published the 10th of 11.

The Napoleonic wars are now over, with Hornblower dispatched to - you guessed it! - the West Indies in charge of a much reduced squadron, where he finds himself embroiled (yet again) in various and sundry adventures, all 'topped off' by his survival of a Hurricane after his appointment is over.

I'd read elsewhere that this could be described as a coda to the main Hornblower saga, and that seems a fair enough comparison to me: basically, an extra piece added on to the end of a tale!
  
40x40

Mekkin B. (122 KP) rated His Majesty's Dragon in Books

Sep 14, 2017  
His Majesty's Dragon
His Majesty's Dragon
Naomi Novik | 2006 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Set during the Napoleonic War, British officer and gentleman Captain William Laurence has his life turned upside down after seizing a rare dragon egg from a captured French vessel. Led by an unwavering sense of duty and a growing affection for his new dragonet, Temeraire, he must leave behind everything he knows to join the mysterious and disreputable Aerial Corps.

Naomi Novik knows her stuff. This book is chock full of amazing worldbuilding. Her mastery of naval maneuvers, English society, and the history of the Napoleonic wars is immersive in its completeness. She wastes no time coddling the reader with infodumps or explanations, although the drawback is that it is occasionally so detailed and alien to me that my eyes would glaze over and slide completely past a paragraph filled with information about where Napoleon's forces were and what they were doing.


Laurence himself gets flack as a character for being stiff and "unprogressive", but I feel this is somewhat unwarranted. He's compelling precisely because he exhibits a mindset that would be entirely normal for a man of his station in his time, and slowly has to adjust everything he thinks about class, gender, and duty. His stiffness and reserve can seem alien at times, but we empathize completely with his love of the bright and lovely Temeraire.


This book does have some pacing problems. It is slow in places, particularly during their training and Loch Laggan, and in others cuts chapters far too early, leaving one feeling a bit of whiplash as the next chapter starts up.


Still, the premise is amazing, the dragons are glorious, and I spent an entire night reading this book cover to cover. If you like Bloody Jack, or wondered what How To Train Your Dragon would look like if it were set during the Napoleonic war, you'll definitely enjoy this one.