In addition, political machinations on the part of the British, French, and Chinese are discovered that threaten the position of Britain in the East, as well as the stability of the Chinese throne. During the voyage, attempts are made on the life of Laurence in order to remove him from Temeraire.

As the land routes are deemed unsafe, the Navy has a dragon transport, HMS Allegiance, captained by Laurence's former second officer Tom Riley, ferry the Celestial and his crew to China. This raises consternation within Government, as a Napoleon allied with China-the most powerful nation in the world, isolationist and able to keep other countries at bay through their superior draconic husbandry-would be impossible to oppose.Īfter several failed attempts to convince Laurence and the Royal Aerial Corps to return Temeraire to China, the Chinese and the British agree to have Temeraire and his flight crew - including Laurence - accompany the Imperial envoys back to China. According to Chinese law, Celestials are only allowed to accompany royalty Temeraire was intended for Napoleon, Emperor of the French, while Laurence, a mere commoner, is deemed unworthy.

The Chinese are eager to recover their rare Celestial dragon from the British.

The first book of the series centered on how Laurence, formerly a captain in the Royal Navy, becomes Temeraire's handler, and their early training in preparation for battles against Napoleon's aerial fleet.Īfter defeating Napoleon's forces at the battle of Dover, Laurence and Temeraire are confronted by envoys from Imperial China, including Prince Yongxing, brother of the Jiaqing Emperor. The series centers on events involving Temeraire (the titular dragon) and his handler, William Laurence. The dragons are portrayed as sapient and intelligent, capable of logical thought and human speech. The story is set during an alternate history version of the Napoleonic Wars, in which dragons not only exist but are used as a staple of aerial warfare in Asia and Europe. It was published by Del Rey first in the United States on April 25, 2006, and was published in the United Kingdom in August 2007 by Voyager. Throne of Jade is the second novel in the Temeraire alternate history/ fantasy series written by American author Naomi Novik.

Temeraire books in order