History takes flight in the second book of Naomi Novik's deliciously addictive series which captures the Napoleonic period perfectly & skillfully layers the timeline with imagination by adding a Dragon Air Force to the battle for England Captain William Laurence of the British Air Corps & his dragon Temeraire begin their slow voyage to China fearful that upon landing they will be forced to part by Imperial decree Temeraire is a Celestial dragon the most highly-prized of all draconic breeds; famed for their intelligence agility & most of all for the Divine Wind
- their terrible roar capable of shattering the heavy timbers of war ships shattering woodland & destroying other dragons mid-flight Temeraire's egg was captured & claimed by the British at sea but he was meant to be the companion of the Emperor Napoleon & not captained by a mere officer in the British Air Corps The Chinese have demanded his return & the British cannot refuse them
- they cannot afford to provoke the asian super-power into allying themselves with the French
- even if it costs them the most powerful weapon in their arsenal & inflicts the most unimaginable pain upon Laurence & his dragon