General Information
===================
 Title:                  His Majesty's Dragon
 Author:                 Naomi Novik
 Read By:                Simon Vance
 Copyright:              2006
 Audiobook Copyright:    2007
 Genre:                  Fantasy
 Publisher:              Books on Tape
 Series Name:            Temeraire
 Position in Series:     01
 Abridged:               No

Original Media Information
==========================
 ISBN:                   9781415940167
 Media:                  Library Download
 Number:                 9

Book Description
================
Description

The first volume in the critically acclaimed Temeraire series.

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars 
as valiant warriors rise to Britain's defense by taking to the skies 
atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons. When HMS Reliant captures 
a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an un-hatched dragon 
egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an 
uncertain future - and an unexpected kinship with an extraordinary creature. 
Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the 
dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics 
of airborne battle. For as France's own dragon-borne forces rally to 
breach British soil in Bonaparte's boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire 
must soar into their own baptism of fire.

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars 
as valiant warriors take to the skies atop the mighty backs of fighting 
dragons.


Excerpts

From the book
...
The deck of the French ship was slippery with blood, heaving in the 
choppy sea; a stroke might as easily bring down the man making it as 
the intended target. Laurence did not have time in the heat of the battle 
to be surprised at the degree of resistance, but even through the numbing 
haze of battle-fever and the confusion of swords and pistol-smoke, he 
marked the extreme look of anguish on the French captain's face as the 
man shouted encouragement to his men.

It was still there shortly thereafter, when they met on the deck, and 
the man surrendered his sword, very reluctantly: at the last moment 
his hand half-closed about the blade, as if he meant to draw it back. 
Laurence looked up to make certain the colors had been struck, then 
accepted the sword with a mute bow; he did not speak French himself, 
and a more formal exchange would have to wait for the presence of his 
third lieutenant, that young man being presently engaged belowdecks 
in securing the French guns. With the cessation of hostilities, the 
remaining Frenchmen were all virtually dropping where they stood; Laurence 
noticed that there were fewer of them than he would have expected for 
a frigate of thirty-six guns, and that they looked ill and hollow-cheeked.-

Many of them lay dead or dying upon the deck; he shook his head at the 
waste and eyed the French captain with disapproval: the man should never 
have offered battle. Aside from the plain fact that the Reliant would 
have had the Amitié slightly outgunned and outmanned under the best 
of circumstances, the crew had obviously been reduced by disease or 
hunger. To boot, the sails above them were in a sad tangle, and that 
no result of the battle, but of the storm which had passed but this 
morning; they had barely managed to bring off a single broadside before 
the Reliant had closed and boarded. The captain was obviously deeply 
overset by the defeat, but he was not a young man to be carried away 
by his spirits: he ought to have done better by his men than to bring 
them into so hopeless an action.

"Mr. Riley," Laurence said, catching his second lieutenant's attention, 
"have our men carry the wounded below." He hooked the captain's sword 
on his belt; he did not think the man deserved the compliment of having 
it returned to him, though ordinarily he would have done so. "And pass 
the word for Mr. Wells."

"Very good, sir," Riley said, turning to issue the necessary orders. 
Laurence stepped to the railing to look down and see what damage the 
hull had taken. She looked reasonably intact, and he had ordered his 
own men to avoid shots below the waterline; he thought with satisfaction 
that there would be no difficulty in bringing her into port.

His hair had slipped out of his short queue, and now fell into his eyes 
as he looked over. He impatiently pushed it out of the way as he turned 
back, leaving streaks of blood upon his forehead and the sun-bleached 
hair; this, with his broad shoulders and his severe look, gave him an 
unconsciously savage appearance as he surveyed his prize, very unlike 
his usual thoughtful expression.

Wells climbed up from below in response to the summons and came to his 
side. "Sir," he said, without waiting to be addressed, "begging your 
pardon, but Lieutenant Gibbs says there is something queer in the hold."-

"Oh? I will go and look," Laurence said. "Pray tell this gentleman," 
he indicated the French captain, "that he must give me his parole, for 
himself and his men, or they must be confined."

The...
 
Reviews
AudioFile Magazine...
In a world that combines fantasy and history, humans and dragons have 
lived side by side for thousands of years. Now it is the early 1800s, 
and the powers are feuding. Captain Will Laurence's impressive career 
on the high seas comes to an end when a dragon hatchling bonds to him. 
He must be trained as a dragon-rider to fight for England against an 
aggressive Napoleonic France. Simon Vance executes Laurence's stern 
yet compassionate personality flawlessly. Vance keeps a steady rhythm 
in delivering the narrative while also executing various vocal shifts 
for different characters. Additionally, he incorporates the story's 
action when performing voices so that Laurence's voice, for example, 
turns into a deliberate shout when he rides his dragon, Temeraire. L.E. 
(c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
 
Stephen King...
"Terrifically entertaining."

