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    Throne of Jade
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    Throne of Jade
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    Throne of Jade
    Audiobook11 hours

    Throne of Jade

    Written by Naomi Novik

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4/5

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    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Naomi Novik’s stunning series of novels follow the adventures of Captain William Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire as they are thrown together to fight for Britain during the turbulent time of the Napoleonic Wars.

    History takes flight in this deliciously addictive novel, which captures the Napoleonic period perfectly and skilfully layers history with imagination by adding a Dragon Air Force to the battle for England.

    Temeraire is a Celestial dragon, the most highly-prized of all draconic breeds; famed for their intelligence, agility and most of all for the Divine Wind – their terrible roar capable of shattering the heavy timbers of war ships and devastating woodland. Captured by the British, Temeraire was meant to be the companion of the Emperor Napoleon and not captained by a mere officer in the British Air Corps. The Chinese have demanded his return and the British government cannot afford to provoke the Asian super-power into allying with the French – even if it costs them the most powerful weapon in their arsenal, and forces Laurence and Temeraire apart.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateJan 3, 2019
    ISBN9780008338886
    Unavailable
    Throne of Jade
    Author

    Naomi Novik

    Naomi Novik was born in New York in 1973, a first-generation American, and raised on Polish fairy tales, Baba Yaga, and Tolkien. She studied English Literature at Brown University and Computer Science at Columbia University before leaving to work in the games industry. She soon realized she preferred the writing to the programming, and decided to try her hand at novels. Temeraire was her first.Naomi lives in New York City with her husband and six computers.

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    Reviews for Throne of Jade

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Tremaire visits china and his relatives and finds dragons are treated quite differently in China than England. A fun bridging novel and an interesting look further at a life with dragons.This series is just great and I look forward to the next one.
    • 4/5
      No sophomore slump for Naomi Novik! "Throne of Jade" manages to further develop the characters of Laurence and Temeraire while also presenting them with new challenges as the scope of their world widens to include international relations outside of the war with France. She also avoids merely repeating the basic themes from the first book, instead exploring issues of loyalty, jealousy, and injustice within the world they inhabit. I admit that I was concerned when I realized that a good third of the book was to take place onboard the ship bearing Temeraire to China. However, Novik is not at all hampered by the monotony of locale and characters. She also deftly weaves in more narrative threads than the simple fear of separation between our two bonded-for-life protagonists, and the resulting novel is just as gripping as the first.
    • 3/5
      another good audio
    • 4/5
      Actually liked this a bit better than the first book. Same stock characters, same clunky exposition, but this time the dragons going to China worked as a plot device to keep me turning the pages more than the Jane Austen as dragon rider in the first book.
    • 4/5
      I love this series. However the high anxiety factor of this particular book made me give it 4 instead of 5 stars. Granted there could only be one result but it still made me anxious. I will put it on a favorite shelf though.
    • 3/5
      I liked it, but it felt a little slow. The political meanderings and the voyage on the ship was good, but it felt like it dragged. The end picked up the pace, but it felt a little rushed. I kind of wish more time was spent with some action and Laurence and Temeraire actually in China. Overall, not bad, and I will continue the series, but this wasn't the greatest sequel.
    • 4/5
      The series continues to be strong, I liked how different this one felt. Novik did an incredible job creating a new adventure, but building upon the foundations of the many brilliant ideas from the first novel. A little bit of everything that I like in here, perhaps the boat voyage to China was a bit too long, but I was never bored. I love how Novik has given the dragons some behaviors that would reflect a cat or dog, but also allowing them to speak gives great gravitas and endearment to their characters.
    • 4/5
      liked it less than previous, since we moved to long stretches of traveling/descriptions/suspence with short bursts of action, but it's still lovely and low-key angsty, and main relationship continues to steadily evolve. and i keep _really_ liking laurence; i love low-key, duty-bound heroes with effortless and quiet dignity.
    • 4/5
      "This book picks up shortly after the other one left off. Laurence and Tameraire are being sent to China in order to work out the details. They had tried to convince Tameraire to take another ""more suitable"" captain from China but he refused. So they begin their long and perilous journey. Along the way they go under attack Tameraire gets his first cold and first really bad injury go under attack again arrive in China get attacked again and finally come to a sort of agreement. This book had its moments of obvious action even though there wasn't a war to fight. However the biggest feat would be the development of Temeraire and I am not so certain I really liked all of it. I love that Tameraire's character is set up to be an individual rather than a pet but his lack of understanding and actions should have more consequence than letting them slide by out of fear of losing him.

      Still even if I didn't personally like the character development completely it is a great read. It is written well and fluid. The descriptions of not only another culture but the vibrant colors and cities involved are easy to imagine through the words. I can't wait to be on to the next in this series and see where it takes me next."
    • 1/5
      Ok, I said something nice about the first one because it was a neat idea. Neat ideas aren't enough, we need characters. It's hard to keep track of who is who because they are all so vaguely written, similarly, so are a number of otherwise interesting details. the motivations and rationale that drive her characters totally baffles me. In absence of characters, she relies on plot to drive her work (not unexpectedly, this is how comic books are written). The drawback is that plot-driven stories often need to continue to top the preceding one. I am positive that this will make an excellent franchise for her to sell out to fan fiction.
    • 3/5
      There was nothing in it for me that equaled charm of meeting the dragons in the first book. Overall it was still enjoyable, but only just.
    • 3/5
      A fun read, but not quite as captivating as the first book. We got an interesting look at shipboard life as they travel for a long time, which made the book drag a bit, but not too much. The story had some twists & turns, some quite unexpected. From the long build up, it seemed to end quickly & completely, much to my surprise. A bit too abruptly & neatly, perhaps. I look forward to reading the next book, which I have, but I won't be reading it next. I don't feel I HAVE to read the next book.
    • 4/5
      In this second in the Temeraire series, which is even better than the first., Laurence and Temeraire travel to China. During the sea journey there, Temeraire encounters the slave trade in Africa. That experience plus the freedom dragons in China enjoy cause Temeraire to question the lot of British dragons. Adding to this "human" rights issue attempts on Laurence's life, dragon romance and Novik's capable writing, Throne of Jade was a book I could not put down.
    • 4/5
      A Chinese envoy arrives in England to demand that Temeraire (who, you may recall, was revealed to be a super-special Chinese Celestial breed) be returned to his rightful country. They claim that the British are treating him poorly by making him work, and that he is too special to be ridden by anyone but royalty. Skip ahead a few dozen pages and Temeraire and Laurence are, of course, on a ship bound for the Orient, and seeing much of the world along the way. Exactly as delightful as I expected it to be, plus the addition of interesting commentaries on socialism, imperialism, and slavery. Temeraire provides a unique perspective on early 1800s politics, since he a) is seeing the world with unbiased eyes, and b) can say whatever the hell he wants without worrying about his position in society. I also enjoyed learning about the other dragons in different parts of the world. Perfection, really. I hope I get to the next book sooner.
    • 3/5
      Not as much fun as His Majesty's Dragon, although the vision of dragon society in China is extremely interesting.
    • 4/5
      The second book in the Temeraire series finds Will and the dragon Temeraire on a long sea voyage to China. The Emperor of China, who originally sent Temeraire's egg as a present to Napoleon, has learned that it was captured by the British and now wants it back. The British Government is concerned with trade and insists that Will comply, at least partly. Besides the exigencies of the voyage, at least one of which is not to be found in Patrick O'Brian, there are espionage, palace intrigue, and hand-to-hand combat in store for Will and Temeraire. In addition, the differing attitude toward dragons that they find in China gives both Will and Temeraire a lot to think about. A very satisfying book that nevertheless leaves the reader wanting more; highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      The Chinese Emperor objects to having their precious dragon fighting in England's aerial corps, so Temeraire and Cpt. Laurence are ordered to China to resolve the issue. The various envoys keep trying to split them up, and the dangers of the open sea and of the coasts that they follow on their four month journey come close to ending the trip before anything's resolved. Temeraire is also getting notions into his head about dragon liberty, as he sees how dragons live in other countries. This one wasn't quite as good as the first, but I still really enjoyed it, especially for the descriptions of travel by sea. I really got a sense of how dangerous life was in the early 1800's and how it moved at a slower pace, even with dragons.
    • 4/5
      Lawrence and Temeraire head off to China after the Chinese dispute their right to "own" Temeraire. The journey at sea gets to be a little long, but overall another wonderful adventure.
    • 4/5
      I frankly loved the China part of the book. I was fascinated with the chinese dragon society and really really wished we'd gotten more of it, especially how lower caste dragons live. I really felt the books were historically accurate in their portrayals. I do agree the pacing is somewhat different, but it definitely picks back up in the next book too. I've been delighted with this series and will continue to read.
    • 3/5
      Slower-paced, but by no means is it less on the action. This book takes Laurence and Temeraire to China after a diplomatic near-disaster. The first two acts take place on the sea and while they do have their moments, I really had to slog through them. The book shines when they finally arrive in China in the third act and from there it's all good. Too bad the China bit is short.
    • 3/5
      I was very enthousiastic about the first book in this series. This second one could charm me a bit less. The story is slow, and the characters take a while to develop. Still good enough to finish, still Patrick O'Brian with dragons. But a bit less of a ripping yarn than number one. And I would not give every O'Brian book 4 stars either :-)
    • 2/5
      This book is a lot more readable than the previous one. It passed a lot quicker, even if still, it's not as enjoyable, as fun, as many other books of this type.The book is also nicely weighing more with the allusions to dragons' rights and slavedom, even before it is said so outright.
    • 4/5
      In the second book of the Temeraire Series you find the Chinese wants Temeraire back after learning that he was a Celestrial. But they want only Temeraire, and not Laurence. After some strong arguements, they agree to let Laurence take the eight month trip back to China, but with no gaurantees whatsoever that Laurence will stay with Temeraire.The voyage they take will be insanely long and very trecherous. And what's waiting for them in China will shock them and may forever change them.
    • 4/5
      I'm kind of bewildered by the fact that I had so little interest in the first book in this series, because I picked up Throne of Jade on a whim and devoured it in the space of an evening. I think I called the writing in His Majesty's Dragon dull and flat, but Throne of Jade is the opposite, assured and wonderfully descriptive.

      I also described the protagonist, Laurence, as being so painfully noble that there wasn't much room left for an actual personality, and that's still true enough. He's just a skin-sack full of virtue and goodness and bravery. He's open minded and a good leader and a skilled warrior and a faithful friend and...pick something admirable, and Laurence is it.

      But this time I didn't find him boring. The plot of Throne of Jade is pretty great, actually, and Novik manages to write complex political intrigue in a clear, thrilling way. Turns out Laurence's dragon, Temeraire, is a rare Celestial breed and the Chinese don't approve of how he's been treated in England. They send an embassy to England to demand Temeraire's return. The English, already embroiled in a costly war, are eager to appease the Chinese. Only Temeraire's objections stand in the way of Chinese plans to separate Laurence and his dragon.

      So the Chinese come up with a new plan: they invite Laurence to accompany Temeraire to China, hoping that when Temeraire has a taste of the good life, he'll ditch Laurence. Because dragons, and especially Celestials, have a pretty sweet life in China. They're educated, they can take professions, they eat gourmet prepared food and can travel freely through villages and towns, welcomed rather than feared by the local populace.

      Laurence, being Laurence, only wants what's best for Temeraire - and he's painfully aware that the best thing might be to leave Temeraire in China. That being said, the seven-month long sea voyage takes up the bulk of the book's pages. There are naval battles, squabbles among the sailors, and international politics to deal with before Temeraire can wallow in the lap of luxury at the Imperial palace.

      I'm glad to have rediscovered this series.
    • 4/5
      Did I enjoy Throne of Jade as much as its predecessor, Temeraire? If anything, I enjoyed it more. I loved it so much that yesterday I made my ever patient boyfriend drive me to a city nearly two hours away so I could purchase the next two books for twice the price than if I got them from Book Depository, because I want to read them right now, not in 7-15 days!Reviews of those two will be forthcoming, I'm sure, but for now let's talk Throne of Jade. (Probably you should read Temeraire before you read this). The plot is basically this: China wants Temeraire back, preferably sans Laurence. So it's off to China with Laurence and Temeraire, where they hope to convince the emperor to let Britain keep Temeraire.Let me first point out a two ways in which I think this book could have easily faltered. First, the depiction of the Chinese and their culture was of course going to be tricky, especially considering that our POV man, Laurence, it not favourably disposed to the Chinese AT ALL. (The are trying to remove him from Temeraire's company, after all). But Novik does a good job of contrasting China to Britain and highlighting how strange everything is to the Western characters without ever sinking into, 'gosh, look how silly these Chinese people are!' Some of the Chinese characters are portrayed negatively, but its never because they are Chinese. The insertion of Dragons into Chinese culture also felt very authentic, and far more natural than the British dragons in book one.The second trap that I am glad Novik avoided is a common trope in books like this. Almost every character in this book is devoted to separating Laurence and Temeraire. How easy it would have been, and how predictable, to have a miss-communication or misunderstanding that does indeed separate the two, until they triumphantly overcome the obstacle. Yawn yawn yawn. The relationship between Temeraire and Laurence in this book is deeper than that trope (which I hate, without exception). There is a moment where it could have come into play; Temeraire is inexplicably absent when Laurence desperately needs him. But, but, wait for it, Laurence gives Temeraire a chance to explain and, oh my god, get this, Temeraire explains! Wow!It was very gratifying to see Laurence and Temeraire's relationship develop. In the first book there was definitely a feeling that Temeraire was a child and Laurence an adult, but as Throne of Jade plays out we see the two slowly become equals. Temeraire starts to establish who he is outside of Laurence and, instead of seeing this as some kind of abandonment, Laurence is supportive. What I'm saying is that one of the most realistic and healthy adult relationships I have ever encountered in fiction is here, between a man and his dragon.The plot, while I may have made it sound simple, is very exciting. Storms, sea serpents and murder attempts abound, and unlike in the previous book there is quite a few character deaths. There was also a fight between two dragons, which played out very differently to the multi dragon battles we’ve already seen and was a thrill to read.Ultimately I felt that this book nimbly sidestepped the potential pitfalls that faced it, and has left even more eager to continue reading the adventures of Laurence and Temeraire.
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars. Despite having more action and scenes of battle within its pages, I didn't think Throne of Jade was as engaging as the first book. In this second installment, Temeraire and Laurence are mired in political troubles with China after discovering that Temeraire is a Celestial dragon, a prized breed reserved only for the Imperial family.I loved how the friendship between Laurence and Temeraire was forged in the first book, and here the relationship continues to develop. I enjoyed how the main conflict put that relationship to the test and the resulting new dynamics, but it just didn't captivate me the same way.The bulk of the novel also focuses on our main characters and their crew's journey to China. Despite being plagued by a multitude of obstacles, I just didn't find their long voyage by ship all that interesting. Things picked up once they arrived at the Chinese capital, but in my opinion the excitement towards the end didn't really make up for the long slog through the first three quarters of the book.
    • 4/5
      This second novel in the Temeraire series is a strong follow up to 'His Majesty's Dragon' and, in my opinion, equally enjoyable. Part of the joy here is in the new setting -- Temeraire and Laurence travel to China -- so while we do not have all of our old friends to connect with, that emotional absence is made up for by a sense of wonderful discovery as the reader learns of new dragon breeds and dragon-related species. We are also on a ship for a good portion of this book, which allows Novik to lay out more of that nautical knowledge along with vivid descriptions of harrowing storms and other ocean challenges. Once again, I was impressed by the integration of dragons into this world. Novik follows that idea out to its far conclusion in China, where the novel showcases a truly integrated society and all of the logical accommodations that would follow. Nowhere does the novel fall back on "it's just magic" or "it just happens that way" -- in fact, were it not for the dragons, this would not be fantasy at all (yeah, it's funny to say that), since it presents the species and its connected ideas in a naturalistic way.This is the best kind of escapism, in my opinion. While the novel is not going to win its author the Nobel, its imagination and heart can engage the reader in both the fun of the narrative and the political ideas that still resonate in the real world. In this installment, Temeraire discovers slavery and inequality as concepts with which he must reconcile his own experience; his naive perspective offers the reader a fresh reminder of historical circumstance as well as the importance of self-awareness. These deeper ideas, while not the point of the story, fill out the escape with depth and relevance, in addition to connecting even more strongly to the realistic historical tone. In other words, this is like beach reading with the brains left in.If you are in the mood for adventure, derring-do, buckling of swashes, and/or tea in the garden with a very large dragon, this is the perfect series for you. Even if you aren't in the mood, read it anyway, because it will get you there. :)
    • 5/5
      I listened to this book read by the inestimable Simon Vance. I now understand why everyone I know who listens to audiobooks raves about him as a narrator. He is masterful at expressing the different voices and conveying the emotions.My sister gave me the first book in this series, His Majesty's Dragon. I remember being a little unsure whether I would like a book that seemed more on the fantasy end of the spectrum than I usually read. However, I really liked it and I was delighted when I found the audiobook available as a free download from my library. I'll be looking for more.In this installment Temeraire and Captain Laurence are sent to China with a Chinese delegation who want Temeraire returned to China. The bond between Temeraire and Captain Laurence is strong and Temeraire refuses to leave England without him. On the long sea voyage not only do they have to face boredom and unfriendly boardings but one of the Chinese is trying to kill Captain Laurence. Even when they get to China it seems clear that Laurence's death would be one solution to the vexing problem of how to get Temeraire back. But, of course, that's not what happens. Read or listen to find out how this thorny issue is resolved.
    • 4/5
      This is the second book in the Temeraire series and was a much weaker book than the first book in this series. I still really enjoyed the relationship between Temeraire and Lawrence. However, I felt like nothing really happened in this book and that things were really drawn out.I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done. Vance is a joy to listen to and does a great job with differentiating character voices and portraying emotion.The whole story is about Laurence and Temeraire journeying to China and then trying to make sure they aren't separated. China thinks Temeraire should be back in China, but Laurence and Temeraire do not want that to happen.In general this made for a slow and boring read. Lots of time is spent sailing and is spent with Laurence and Temeraire cooling their heels in the Chinese court. I enjoyed watching Temeraire meet other dragons of his type. There was also a battle with a sea dragon that was entertaining.Overall this was still a very well written book and I enjoyed Temeraire immensely but I don't think I will be continuing with this series. The stories have been very military in nature (something I don’t enjoy), very "day in the life of" and I don't understand the where this series is going plot-wise.
    • 3/5
      Throne of Jade follows the first book closely, throwing Captain Laurence and Temeraire into a political dilemma as the Son of Heaven commands the two to go to the East.

      The strengths and weakness of this book are similar to the first book. It's a good book with strong writing, and I am very pleased to note that the quality had not gone down, as most sequels tend to do.

      However, the plot is very non-existent. It is more of a slice-of-life, develop characters and the world sort of book. I was very frustrated with the revelation of the villain and the assassination plots. It was very unimaginative and seemed too easy to resolve.

      I also got progressively more frustrated with the depictions of the dragons. They do not have their own distinctive voice. They are like human infants, completely intelligent and think almost identically to the average human, but with no concept of politics or law. Which is a little strange because they are intelligent enough to understand. So.... they are mentally like humans, just with a dragon body? I don't mind them being just as intelligent, obviously, but I just think there should be some sort of fundamental difference in instincts and behavior or speech patterns between humans and dragons.
      It cannot possibly be completely equal because there is even a breeding system in all countries. It's strange because they are more than pets and intelligent beasts, but the things humans do to them/deal with them are still very similar to a pet or animal companion. Perhaps a familiar like a witch's cat is more of the proper term. It's still very odd.

      And the battle and fighting seem to be one of the weaker points in the books. I find all of the battle scenes rather lackluster and boring, not to mention fundamentally difficult to imagine because there is a lot of hopping and diving around with dragons that are more than 20 tons, but still easily can get on and off a boat. Meh, realistic fiction that break Newton's laws.

      But there were many strengths, like I said before. I found the clash of cultures brilliantly written. Both sides were narrow-minded, pride keeps communication rocky, and nobody understands anything. The anger at the kowtowing, the importance of lineage, the chopsticks, etc. I found myself frustrated at both sides and ah so well written.

      And finally, to see dragons treated more like an intelligent species! I liked the depiction of China and how Laurence slowly had to realize certain truths. That slow progression is certainly one of Novik's strengths.

      There are some loose ends though... the revelation of Roland as a girl never got resolved. The slave trade conflict also never was settled. I don't actually know why that was brought up, unless it's going to be used in the future.

      But I suppose that is the nature of the book. It sort of winds it's way around slowly. For goodness sakes, we spent more than half of the book on the freaking boat. There were so many details and none of them plot pushing. But I do consider this a character/world building book instead of plot-driven, so I wasn't too bothered.

      Overall, a solid read. Three stars. I don't know if I can give it more than that. I think I enjoyed the first book so much more because it was fresh and different. But now being accustomed to the world, the writing and story and characters become a little more average. Still, a very good book.
      Recommended for those who have read the first book, obviously. I don't think you can start at book two.