(no subject)

[raincitygirl]

I am tearing through Naomi Novik's Temeraire series at top speed. I gobbled up the first three books compulsively, just downloaded the fourth (Empire of Ivory), and got stuck a few chapters in. Is this the beginning of an inevitable decline as the series wends its way on, or just a blip?

Comments

[madripoor_rose]

In my humble opinion, yeah. The first three books are great, and then it kind of sinks into telling the same story set in different countries. Laurence wants to do the Right Thing! The Right Thing turns out to be contrary to orders/the way things are. Dragon rights! and so on and on.

[raincitygirl]

Ah. Well, it's probably a good thing. I was having trouble combining racing through the book with working and attempting to have a life.

[tevere]

Unfortunately, probably the former. Although I thought the decline started a little earlier, and I stopped reading after Empire of Ivory. (I think; they've started to blur in my memory.) It's a shame, as I usually love her writing and have read pretty much everything she's ever put out.

[raincitygirl]

Oh well. I had been warned previously that the books went downhill.

Wait, so this means Naomi Novik has written other books besides the Temeraire series? INTERESTING!

[tevere]

Oh, no-- not published books, just her fanfiction! I don't think she has any other pro writing other than Temeraire.

[wanderer]

On and off? Some of the later books are as awesome as ever, some of them are... long. Very long. I enjoyed the characters and the whole series-arc well enough to keep reading, but only a few are anything near the same level as the first three.

[wanderer]

(Although Empire of Ivory is the 5th book, I'm fairly certain. Also one of the worst. Black Powder War is the fourth, and I enjoyed that more.)

[raincitygirl]

Damn. Oh well. I couldn't have sustained reading the entire series at that pace, anyway. Not while simultaneously working and attempting to have a life, as well as reading the books.