Empire of Ivory

Empire of Ivory  - Naomi Novik If you're new to the Temeraire books, you shouldn't start here but with His Majesty's Dragon, then Throne of Jade and Black Powder War. This particular book is rather in the same vein as the second and third books. Just as the second book took us to China and the third to Turkey and Austria, this one takes us now to Africa. All the things that made the first three books so engrossing are on display here. I loved this look at an alternate history Napoleonic War with dragons, and it was interesting to look at African dragons and yet another variation on dragon/human relations and how it (and aerial combat) changes the historical dynamic. As with the other books, Laurence and his dragon Temeraire, and the relationship between them is a standout. The ending packs a wallop, I remember just sitting stunned at that last line; it will send you scurrying to the next book in the series to find out what happens next.