It is, as said, perfectly readable, and I did enjoy reading it. The idea was quite fascinating. It just... well, when you start to think about these things... you kind of go... O_o
Have to agree with you on all points there. I think the author approached the story with the attitude of "Dragons! In the Napoleanic Wars! Nifty!" and didn't think too hard about the consequences of mixing the ideas together.
It does feel like that. And it is, apparently, her first novel. But still... you do need to think things a bit more through than "Dragons! In the Napoleanic Wars! Nifty!"
I've read it (UK edition, simply called Temeraire) and liked it. The one problem I had was basically: dragons have been around for at least three thousand years (tamed in China a thousand years before the Romans did it), but there's still a Napoleon and a Nelson and a Victory and a Temeraire? I think, perhaps, not. It's pretty low odds that there's even a France.
However, as to your main problem with it: I think the principle is that dragons are and always have been rare in Europe. The UK has, what, a couple of dozen? France maybe 40? Not enough for a society of their own. Er... spoiler for Jade Throne, the sequel, below. Highlight to read, just in case anyone does want to read 2.
In China, the dragons pretty much do have their own society alongside the human one. So it almost has to be down to the numbers.
Other than that, there are a few flaws, mostly what you mentioned (Laurence's quick change and his being better than everyone else, although much of the latter does come from the unusual situation of their beginning), but I
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Well, there's a lot of issues with the whole fundamental basis, I think. For instance, if they are sentient, can you really call them tame? Society or not, if they are intelligent enough then it's more of a mutual agreement and not a matter of domestication at all. (Admittedly, they aren't human, which is always a drawback with the general population understanding the distinction there but... still.)
But then, that's probably just one of my personal misgivings regarding the whole 'Magical-Creature-Rider' theme and I imagine it's not a big issue with most people.
You know, what could work is if the dragon's mental development was directly dependant on how much stimulus they receive while growing up. So by careful training they could end up with dragons that are cunning, devoted and battlewise, but are otherwise stupid as stumps when it comes to things outside very tightly defined spheres.
Then along comes the new guy, who [i]reads[/i] to his dragon, introduces it to concepts and ideas and [i]thinking[/i]... THAT would be an advantage and a solid reason for being 'better' than anyone else.
And a potential (if slightly obvious) plot thread when the new dragon decides to enlighten his kin...
I've read it (UK edition, simply called Temeraire) and liked it. The one problem I had was basically: dragons have been around for at least three thousand years (tamed in China a thousand years before the Romans did it), but there's still a Napoleon and a Nelson and a Victory and a Temeraire? I think, perhaps, not. It's pretty low odds that there's even a France.
I forgot about that. Heh.
However, as to your main problem with it: I think the principle is that dragons are and always have been rare in Europe. The UK has, what, a couple of dozen? France maybe 40? Not enough for a society of their own.
If they only have a couple of dozen then how are they having different kinds of species? There's too much diversity within the small space for there to be so few dragons. Logically and biologically speaking there needs to be more dragons than just a half a dozen. Plus they're talking about breeding dragons and wild dragons.
I did enjoy the book as well, and I may pick up the second... I dunno.
I think you really hit one of the big problems with the books: dragons are human smart or better yet are happy to be treated like warhorses or fighterjets. In a way this is just a magnification of the problem of the magician's familiar, in that the familiar has to be smart enough to supply good banter for the magician to responde to and also to allow the author to info dump without being obvious yet at the same time the familar rarely has any society/culture of its own even though it has to come from somewhere else. Off the top of my head the only really good familiar I've seen deal with this problem was Mercedes Lackey's wolf-like familiar from her Oathbreakers and Outbound books because the familiar did have a defined culture that had a place for its members who wanted to go off and be familiars.
I think you really hit one of the big problems with the books: dragons are human smart or better yet are happy to be treated like warhorses or fighterjets.
Yes. Exactly. He never once asks "Why do I need to wear this harness?
I hear Steven Burst's Jehrg books are also good with familars.
I think that's the thing though, he's never given reason to. He seems to accept it in a childish, trusting way at first, and besides, he's more focussed on food at first... and maybe as he grows, he does see it as a necessity for Laurence in riding, which he does enjoy.
As for the rest of the dragons, I don't think they've ever known anything better or different. They're raised to it, and when people are raised to a certain way of thinking that they come to see as 'normal', it's very hard for them to discard that, if they never find a 'better'.
Really, it's the attitude of the aviators that seems more at fault, not the dragons themselves. Look at Volly, look at Levitas. One raised for speed over brains, the other neglected badly... and yet only Laurence pays it any real mind. Is that because the writing is similarly neglectful, or is it just a depiction of human nature?
Aaaaand a little further in, I find that Levitas is somewhat of an exception, but still, the fact that nobody interferes? There does seem to be a general attitude of the dragons being little better than fighterjets.
The difference, to me, is that the writer doesn't treat them that way... like Paolini.
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However, as to your main problem with it: I think the principle is that dragons are and always have been rare in Europe. The UK has, what, a couple of dozen? France maybe 40? Not enough for a society of their own. Er... spoiler for Jade Throne, the sequel, below. Highlight to read, just in case anyone does want to read 2.
In China, the dragons pretty much do have their own society alongside the human one. So it almost has to be down to the numbers.
Other than that, there are a few flaws, mostly what you mentioned (Laurence's quick change and his being better than everyone else, although much of the latter does come from the unusual situation of their beginning), but I ( ... )
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But then, that's probably just one of my personal misgivings regarding the whole 'Magical-Creature-Rider' theme and I imagine it's not a big issue with most people.
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Then along comes the new guy, who [i]reads[/i] to his dragon, introduces it to concepts and ideas and [i]thinking[/i]... THAT would be an advantage and a solid reason for being 'better' than anyone else.
And a potential (if slightly obvious) plot thread when the new dragon decides to enlighten his kin...
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I forgot about that. Heh.
However, as to your main problem with it: I think the principle is that dragons are and always have been rare in Europe. The UK has, what, a couple of dozen? France maybe 40? Not enough for a society of their own.
If they only have a couple of dozen then how are they having different kinds of species? There's too much diversity within the small space for there to be so few dragons. Logically and biologically speaking there needs to be more dragons than just a half a dozen. Plus they're talking about breeding dragons and wild dragons.
I did enjoy the book as well, and I may pick up the second... I dunno.
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Yes. Exactly. He never once asks "Why do I need to wear this harness?
I hear Steven Burst's Jehrg books are also good with familars.
Reply
As for the rest of the dragons, I don't think they've ever known anything better or different. They're raised to it, and when people are raised to a certain way of thinking that they come to see as 'normal', it's very hard for them to discard that, if they never find a 'better'.
Really, it's the attitude of the aviators that seems more at fault, not the dragons themselves. Look at Volly, look at Levitas. One raised for speed over brains, the other neglected badly... and yet only Laurence pays it any real mind. Is that because the writing is similarly neglectful, or is it just a depiction of human nature?
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The difference, to me, is that the writer doesn't treat them that way... like Paolini.
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