Tongues of Serpents - (Temeraire) by Naomi Novik (Paperback)

About the Book

Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon's invasion of England, Temeraire and Laurence - stripped of rank and standing - have been transported to the prison colony at New South Wales in distant Australia, where, it is hoped, they cannot further corrupt the British Aerial Corps with their dangerous notions of liberty for dragons. Temeraire and Laurence carry with them three dragon eggs intended to help establish a covert in the colony and destined to be handed over to such second-rate, undesirable officers as have been willing to accept so remote an assignment - including one former acquaintance, Captain Rankin, whose cruelty once cost a dragon its life. Eager to escape this political quagmire, Laurence and Temeraire take on a mission to find a way through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia. But when one of the dragon eggs is stolen from Temeraire, the surveying expedition becomes a desperate race to recover it in time - a race that leads to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new obstacle in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education comes the sixth volume of the Temeraire series, as Will Laurence and Temeraire are exiled to Australia in the ever expanding war between Napoleon and Britain.

"Temeraire and his fellow dragons are surely Novik's finest accomplishment."--BookPage

Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon's invasion of England, Temeraire and Captain Will Laurence have been transported to a prison colony in distant Australia--and into a hornet's nest of fresh complications. The colony is in turmoil after the overthrow of military governor William Bligh--aka Captain Bligh, late of HMS Bounty. And when Bligh tries to enlist them in his bid to regain office, the dragon and his captain are caught in the middle of a political power struggle. Their only chance to escape the fray is accepting a mission to blaze a route through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia.

But the theft of a precious dragon egg turns their expedition into a desperate recovery operation--leading to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new complication in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.

Don't miss any of Naomi Novik's magical Temeraire series
HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON - THRONE OF JADE - BLACK POWDER WAR - EMPIRE OF IVORY - VICTORY OF EAGLES - TONGUES OF SERPENTS - CRUCIBLE OF GOLD - BLOOD OF TYRANTS - LEAGUE OF DRAGONS

Review Quotes

Praise for His Majesty's Dragon and the Temeraire series

"These are beautifully written novels--not only fresh, original, and fast paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart. [The Temeraire series] is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love--fantasy and historical epic."--Peter Jackson

"A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel . . . Is it hard to imagine a cross between Susanna Clarke, of Norrell and Strange fame, and the late Patrick O'Brian? Not if you've read this wonderful, arresting novel."--Stephen King

"A splendid series . . . Not only is it a new way to utilize dragons, it's a very clever one and fits neatly into the historical niche this author has used."--Anne McCaffrey

"Just when you think you've seen every variation possible on the dragon story, along comes Naomi Novik. Her wonderful Temeraire is a dragon for the ages."--Terry Brooks

"Enthralling reading--it's like Jane Austen playing Dungeons & Dragons with Eragon's Christopher Paolini."--Time

"A completely authentic tale, brimming with all the detail and richness one looks for . . . as well as the impossible wonder of gilded fantasy."--Entertainment Weekly (Editor's Choice, Grade: A)

"Novik has accomplished something singular with her Temeraire series. . . . At its heart, it's a story about friendship that transcends not only time and class, but species."--NPR

"[Naomi Novik] is soaring on the wings of a dragon."--The New York Times

"A thrilling fantasy . . . All hail Naomi Novik."--The Washington Post Book World

"An amazing performance . . . [I] was immediately hooked by the writing, the research and the sheer courage of the whole enterprise."--Chicago Tribune

"Novik's influences run the gamut from Jane Austen to Patrick O'Brian, with a side trip through Anne McCaffrey. Her books are completely involving and probably addictive, their central conceit explored in clever detail with a great deal of wit and historical insight."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Something new and quite wonderful . . . The Temeraire trilogy could well be this year's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell."--BookPage

"A superbly written, character-driven series . . . What keeps one turning the pages is the urge to find out what happens next to Captain Laurence and Temeraire, characters who win one's heart from the beginning. Bravo!"--Booklist (starred review)

About the Author

Naomi Novik is the New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education, The Last Graduate, and The Golden Enclaves, the award-winning novels Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and the Temeraire series. She is a founder of the Organization for Transformative Works and the Archive of Our Own. She lives in New York City with her family and six computers.