Temeraire (Temeraire series book 1) Book

Naomi Novik's stunning series of novels follow the global 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. As Napoleon's infantry rampages across Europe and his armada lies in wait for Nelson's smaller fleet the war does not rage on land and water alone. Squadrons of aviators swarm the skies. Raining fire and acid upon their enemies they engage in a swift violent combat with flying tooth and claw!The Dragon Air Corps. Captain Laurence has a respectable commission aboard the ship Reliant a pretty but ambitious fiancee and his life all planned out. But months before the Battle of Trafalgar on patrol in the Atlantic the Reliant captures a small French frigate storm-damaged and possessing a fierce crew unwilling to surrender as easily as they should. On board Laurence finds a dragon egg. Having spent months on a slow journey from Asia the egg hatches. Hatchling dragons must be put in a harness immediately otherwise the dragon-young become hard to control -- fit only for the breeding colonies.The person chosen to first harness the beast must be an aviator for the dragon will accept no other. The life of an aviator is not a desirable one; reviled by fashionable society they live hard lonely lives bound to duty and they frequently die young. Ignoring the young midshipman Laurence had assigned to the task the dragon picks Laurence himself and now his life will be changed forever.Read More