Crucible of Gold

 

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After the dip in excitement and action that was the last book, I was worried that the Temerarie series had gone the way of so many others – after a few books the series just loses its flair and continuing to read it becomes a mildly satisfying chore rather than an enjoyable pastime. This happened with Skullduggery Pleasant and Artemis Fowl for me, so I don’t mind admitting that I was rather scared when I cracked the cover of Crucible of Gold.

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 7^th 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.