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Laurence and Temeraire are set to accept their new lives in
the penal colony of New South Whales when news reaches them that Napoleon has not
only invaded Spain but also forged an alliance with the Africa’s Tswana Empire
and brought revolution to Brazil. The government has turned to Laurence,
convinced that he is the best man to negotiate a treaty. And so, reinstated,
Laurence and Temeraire embark for Brazil but their mission is thrown into
disarray when they are forced to land in the hostile territory of the Incan Empire
where an old enemy appears to tip the scales further towards disaster.
At this stage of the series the plot tactics to allow
Laurence and Temeraire to continue their wartime adventures seem to be becoming
a little bit hand-wavey, but we won’t let that get in the way of a good story. While
still massively disheveled and fallen from their former stature, our heroes
are nonetheless back to travelling the world and having grand and dramatic
adventures surrounded by new and excessive hardships.
In Crucible of Gold, we are introduced to the unique
dragons of the Incan Empire and the book very largely in part becomes an
anthropological culture study of the relationship between humans and dragons in
this part of the world. While these parts of the story are fascinating on a
novel level, they are also helping to shape the larger story arc – as Temeraire
and his draconic friends are exposed to these different ways of thinking, they
begin to question their relationship with humans in their own country. This
brings a lovely tingling of anticipation into the series, as we have to wonder
if the British dragons will grow to resent their country’s attitudes towards
them and rebel.
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The type of action and excitement that colour the earlier books is back with more dramas, more character development, and more fascinating environments, making Crucible of Gold is a compelling read that catapults the series out of its slump from the sixth book. I can’t wait to crack the cover of the next one!
Author: Naomi Novik, 2012
Published: First published in Great Britain by Ballatine
Books, 2012. Pictured edition published by HarperVoyager, an imprint of
HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, 2014.
Crucible of Gold is the 7th book in
Novik’s Temeraire series. Its follows Temeraire, Throne of Jade, Black
Powder War, Empire of Ivory, Victory of Eagles, and Tongues of Serpents.
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