Tongues of Serpents: A Novel of Temeraire by Naomi NovikMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've noticed this book has received a lot of bad reviews, so I feel like something I should point out is that I think, based on my reading at least, that it is being reviewed in comparison to the other books. Well of course, you might say, but considering how amazing I thought the first books were, this book just had an unfortunately high standard to live up to.
And it's not that the book was badly written (although I had a little more trouble with the formal dialogue than I had before; Laurence tends to become slightly incoherent when he's angry), it's just that this book's adventures aren't as fast-paced as some of the other books, and the cultures not explored as thoroughly. I understand why so much time was spent on the journey through Australia since a lot of the group dynamics changed. But if this book was less adventure-focused, I would have liked to see the native culture explored a little more, the way it was when Temeraire was in China. When the book was done, I still had a lot of unanswered questions, and it seemed like it just sort of stuttered to a halt; there was no sense of satisfaction at a storyline being completed.
It is still a good book, especially in its focus on Laurence's struggle with being exiled for treason and how this affects Temeraire and Laurence's relationship. I think that's one of the things this book did excellently; it really went even deeper into their characters, morals, and values. The drawback is that it just doesn't have the same feel as the other books. However, if you're a Temeraire fan, I still say it's a must read, and you'll probably still enjoy reading it, even if its\'s not quite as exciting as the other books in the series.
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