book review: Empire of Ivory
Empire of Ivory
by: Naomi Novik
Another good read that I just tore through, but I’m starting to see a pattern… Maybe it’s just the (now somewhat) practiced writer in me – but her plot shapes are showing. I suspect this is probably how all books read, more or less – but – I’m really noticing how the action bunches up at the end. “But this is the climax!?” you say. I suppose it is, still it seems to rush up so suddenly at the end…
Also, there’s generally a moment of sudden sadness about 2/3 of the way through each book, often a quick and unexpected death, rendered poignant for one reason or another.
This book continues our tour (often by really slow boat, which bugs me but I’m sure is historically sound or some junk :P) around Novik’s world – this time we’re spending more time in Africa, where the slave trade vs. status of dragons in English metaphor continues to grow.
This book ends in a pretty serious cliffhanger too. I mean, we know the MC won’t actually be executed but, you know, hell of a depressing way to end a book. There is a general aura of malaise over the whole society – made even more evident from our “modern” perspective where we are much more aware of equality and injustice – and I hope it’s something Novik shifts at some point. Everything doesn’t need to be depressing, does it?
The continued hints at unexpected qualities of dragons (the way they communicate with eggs, the way they control their mating cycle (?), etc.) and the MCs continued idiotic “proper” behavior which prevents him from asking questions to which we know that Temeraire has answers… THAT needs to end with a quickness. I’ve always hated that kind of thing – where someone knows the answer, and the answer would save everyone, but the other person just never asks (for some idiotic reason) while the audience is forced to stew in that? HATE IT. Not that it’s that dire here… but I can see how it could get there. Please don’t go there Ms. Novik!
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