Book love.

[owlmoose]

So I just finished His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (recommended by bottle_of_shine and others). It's not often that I put down a book and immediately run over to post about it, but it's also not often that I am so immediately and thoroughly engaged by one. From the first page, and I had a hard time putting it down. Highly recommended, even if you don't usually read fantasy.

The story is set during the Napoleonic Wars in an alternate universe where dragons exist. Novik's dragons are wonderful, fully realized characters every bit as interesting and believable as the humans. I can't say much more without spoilers, but if anyone wants to chatter about it I am more than willing.

It's a series, of course. Does anyone write engaging one-shot fantasy novels anymore, besides Guy Gavriel Kay? But at least Novik managed to pull off the trick of making this story feel complete while leaving it wide open for the next story. So far, there are two more books published, with a fourth coming out in September. I think a trip to the bookstore may be in my near future.

Comments

[helianthemum.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I read the Novik books a few months ago and loved them! The dragons are such great characters. You may have heard that Peter Jackson bought the movie rights?... No idea if anything will come of that, of course, but it could be a really fun movie if done well. (Hmm, now I'm imagining Norrington from Pirates as the main character...)

As for one-shot fantasy writers, I think Robin McKinley is still in this category, though she hasn't published anything in a while. And if I may recommend some other series, if you haven't read them already, I've been enjoying books by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, both their separate works and their joint efforts (starting with Sorcery and Cecelia).

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think I'm caught up on Robin McKinley (whom I also love). I keep meaning to read Caroline Stevermer, because I hear she's good and because she went to Bryn Mawr! Thanks for the recs. :)

tnx

[(Anonymous)]

nice :)
;))

[squirrel0.livejournal.com]

Finished the first one in the series (borrowed from you :-)). Really, really good. Dragonriders of Pern meets Master and Commander, which is a combination I would never have imagined, and very engagingly written.

[squirrel0.livejournal.com]

And the author has a LJ (naominovik), and it includes a "deleted scene" from between books 3 and 4.