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    Empire of Ivory: Temeraire, Book 4
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    Empire of Ivory: Temeraire, Book 4
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    Empire of Ivory: Temeraire, Book 4
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    Empire of Ivory: Temeraire, Book 4

    Written by Naomi Novik

    Narrated by David Thorn

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Tragedy has struck His Majesty's Aerial Corps, whose magnificent fleet of fighting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England's shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons' ranks—forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected-and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France's ever bolder sorties.

    Bonaparte's dragons are already harrowing Britain's ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 25, 2007
    ISBN9780739354209
    Unavailable
    Empire of Ivory: Temeraire, Book 4
    Author

    Naomi Novik

    Naomi Novik is the acclaimed author of the Temeraire series and standalone fairytale fantasy Uprooted. She has been nominated for the Hugo Award and has won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, as well as the Locus Award for Best New Writer and the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel. She is also the author of the graphic novel Will Supervillains Be on the Final? Fascinated with both history and legends, Novik is a first-generation American raised on Polish fairy tales and stories of Baba Yaga. Her own adventures include pillaging degrees in English literature and computer science from various ivory towers, designing computer games, and helping to build the Archive of Our Own for fanfiction and other fanworks. Novik is a co-founder of the Organization for Transformative Works. She lives in New York City with husband and Hard Case Crime founder Charles Ardai and their daughter, Evidence, surrounded by an excessive number of purring computers.

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    Reviews for Empire of Ivory

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    • 5/5
      This fourth instalment shares the Temeraire traits of episodic adventures, a slow-building plot and a rush of blood at the climax, but is back to the levels of emotional engagement that made Throne of Jade such a joy for me – albeit with even fewer quiet moments for feelings to recover. It beat me to an emotional pulp and ended on a cliffhanger (be warned: you will not want to be left without book 5 to hand when you finish).Excellent stuff - between the emotional rollercoaster and the unflinching side-eye at colonialism, slavery, politics and the agency of women in this alternate history, this is probably my favourite Temeraire to date.Full review.
    • 5/5
      Temeraire and Laurence return to England to find disturbing news: the entire aerial corps has been affected with a disease. Dragons are sick and some have died - for the rest, it's only a matter of time. The feral dragons, Izkierka, and Temeraire are set to patrol duty until they realize that they know the cure, and set out to Africa to find it.The alternate world in which Napoleonic wars occur with dragons expands even further and now we get a sense of the slave trade. The story takes a few twists and turns that I don't want to give away. Seeing the intricacies of this world and its players unfold is the fun in this book. There isn't as much banter - things are getting much more serious - and Temeraire's questioning and black-and-white view of the world tests Laurence's logic and his understanding of duty.
    • 4/5
      The further in to Naomi Novik's Temeraire series I have gone, the more I have enjoyed it. This is the fourth in the series of alternate history fantasy series set during the Napoleonic wars where dragons are employed in the wars, crewed by aerial corpsmen much like warships. What stands out is how well Novik uses the historical setting, blending historical and fantastical world-building to create a wonderful sense of time and place.
    • 4/5
      Another ripping yarn. I liked this better than number 3: there is more stuff happening here. I just don't like cliffhanger endings - now I have to order from Amazon again
    • 4/5
      Travelling the world with dragons. This installment sends our team to Africa, and their colonialist attitude gets them in very hot water with the natives - the dragon natives that is.
    • 4/5
      This review contains spoilers for this book and earlier books in the Temeraire series.After finally making their way home from China, Laurence and Temeraire find that the cold which was said to be spreading among the British dragons during Throne of Jade has turned out to be a full scale (and fatal) epidemic. After it is discovered that Temeraire is immune, it is guessed that he was cured by something he encountered off the coast of Africa in the early stages of the disease. Laurence, Temeraire, and several sick dragons with their crews set off for in search of the cure.This is the book which has convinced me not to be disappointed in the way Novik has gone with this series. I have wondered what more typical operations for the aviators at war would be like (after all, Laurence and Temeraire were really only involved in normal affairs of the corps briefly during His Majesty's Dragon), but I have decided that I am happy with what I have been given instead.I do wonder how Laurence's fortunes can possibly be restored in Victory of Eagles (and isn't that a depressing title). I can't help but think of Jack Aubrey, kicked out of the navy for several books, but his criminal sentence was lighter, and he was innocent, so that an impressive action as a privateer was enough to get his rank restored. Laurence's situation at the end of this book is far worse. Will there be a general uprising of the dragons unless he's put back in his former position? I can't imagine what else could help him.
    • 5/5
      These are by far my favorite books I've read this year!
    • 3/5
      Again, half of this book is spent explaining either sea voyage or living in africa, it got me extremelly upset when the slave trade could keep going when the african empire had dragons to defend themselves, it was rather nice see them revolting.

      this book is ok
    • 4/5
      Felt very different from the other books, I suppose in a 9 book series it's going to go in some different directions. I will admit this is my least favorite in the series so far - I was a bit confused about how they figured out a few things and maybe I just drifted on a few sections and didn't feel the action was as good. The story is still very interesting and the last 40 pages or so really threw me for a loop, a great spin and I'm dying to read book 5 because of it.
    • 5/5
      One of the more intense books in this series.
    • 4/5
      This review contains spoilers for this book and earlier books in the Temeraire series.After finally making their way home from China, Laurence and Temeraire find that the cold which was said to be spreading among the British dragons during Throne of Jade has turned out to be a full scale (and fatal) epidemic. After it is discovered that Temeraire is immune, it is guessed that he was cured by something he encountered off the coast of Africa in the early stages of the disease. Laurence, Temeraire, and several sick dragons with their crews set off for in search of the cure.This is the book which has convinced me not to be disappointed in the way Novik has gone with this series. I have wondered what more typical operations for the aviators at war would be like (after all, Laurence and Temeraire were really only involved in normal affairs of the corps briefly during His Majesty's Dragon), but I have decided that I am happy with what I have been given instead.I do wonder how Laurence's fortunes can possibly be restored in Victory of Eagles (and isn't that a depressing title). I can't help but think of Jack Aubrey, kicked out of the navy for several books, but his criminal sentence was lighter, and he was innocent, so that an impressive action as a privateer was enough to get his rank restored. Laurence's situation at the end of this book is far worse. Will there be a general uprising of the dragons unless he's put back in his former position? I can't imagine what else could help him.
    • 3/5
      Continuing on in the Temeraire series, with this relatively long-winded instalment. It has a very slow build, with so much pompous speech that cannot help but be a little gobsmacked when suddenly, about halfway through, the well-laid plans of Laurence and his company suddenly and violently goes to hell. However, after that brief flurry of excitement, we are thrown once more into tedious political manouverings and overblown speeches. I ended up skim-reading the end bit, because it seemed to promise more of the same. Novik has a nice writing style, that is relevant to the era (Napoleonic era) but sometimes the language is over-convoluted and frustratingly slow to get to the point.

      Another thing I will note is the astounding amount of typos - random speechmarks at the end of sentences they shouldn't be, or missing from places they should. Lost periods. Words that were around the wrong way or missing altogether. I have never seen such a poorly editted professionally published novel, which makes me wonder if I somehow managed to obtain an advance proof or something - although nothing on the cover indicates that is so.

      All in all, the whole Napoleonic War with dragons concept was an awesome idea, but has been drawn out to the point where it has lost its originality and has shifted into tedium.
    • 4/5
      Much more interesting and exciting than the preceding couple of books, with a mission into Africa to boot. I've always liked how this series takes the reader to faraway places and this time Lawrence and Temeraire are off to find a cure for a dragon disease that's ravaging across the country and crippling the forces of the Aerial Corps.I'm reading these books now more for the adventures rather than for the dragon battle scenes or the growing friendship between Lawrence and Temeraire, though those factors continue to feature strongly in the stories. I also like how the aviators have a different culture than the rest of the military, especially in how they view women in the service and in how they throw a lot of social norms to the wind. As a relative newcomer to that world, Lawrence is still in the process of learning all of this and it's often funny to read about his awkwardness and confusion.The book ends in a cliffhanger of sorts. The bond between Lawrence and Temeraire has not been tested like this before, and I'm looking forward to see how all that pans out in the next book.
    • 4/5
      Very solid addition to the Temeraire series, in which Novik broadens her canvas and shows us her alternate history version of early 19th century Africa. This lends itself to probably the thematically heaviest book so far, paralleling the horrors of the slave trade with the treatment of the dragons, and leads to a particularly powerful ending (warning - cliffhanger!). While the book suffers from somewhat uneven pacing at times, it's still a cracking good read (and it can be wickedly funny, to boot).
    • 4/5
      Since I hadn't read the first 3 books of the series, I was a bit at a loss in the first few chapters as to why I should care if the Prussians were being killed by French. However, the relationship between Laurence and Temraire was delightful, as was the playing out of this alternate history. Laurence was quite the honourable gentleman, and the ending respects his choices.
    • 4/5
      In this book Temeraire and Lawrence visit Africa. So now they have covered Europe, Asia and Africa can a voyage to North and or South America be far behind? That is if Lawrence manages to extricate himself from the problem he faces at the end of the book.Read no further if you do not want to read spoilers.Britain's dragons have come down with a virulent illness but Temeraire seems to be immune. It seems like he may have had the illness on the voyage to China but something he was exposed to in South Africa seems to have cured him. So a voyage back to Africa with some of the sickest (and most important) dragons is planned. It is a voyage fraught with personal differences especially between Lawrence and the ship's captain. Lawrence and Temeraire actually leave the ship before it reaches port in Cape Town because of the difficulties. In Cape Town numerous remedies are tried but none seem to be effective until some small boys manage to find a few very odiferous mushrooms. These are the magic bullet but they are very scarce around Cape Town. The recovered dragons and their crews look for more farther inland but run into more than they bargained for. Natives and their dragons have cultivated the mushrooms and do not want them taken by the interlopers. Lawrence and the rest of the humans are taken captive but Lily and Temeraire find them and release them. Then they make a mad flight back to Cape Town where they find the place overrun with rebellious natives who object to the slave trade. The dragons and their crews and a number of settlers sail back to England. Although many dragons died the cure is effective and the mushrooms will be cultivated in England for future need. When Lawrence and Temeraire discover that the French dragons have been deliberately infected they take mushrooms to France. Lawrence knew he would face treason charges back in England but at the end of the book he is about to return.Another delightful book from this author/narrator combination.
    • 4/5
      This is the fourth book in a set of nine novels in a series set during the English/French Napoleonic Wars, with each side mustering aerial forces made up of dragons and their navigational teams.The saga is centered on the dragon Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence.In this book, Laurence and Temeraire find out that the dragons back home are all dying of a terrible and mysterious epidemic. Only Temeraire seems to be immune, but he did get ill in a similar way while in Africa. They conclude his past recovery and present immunity must be related to some of the odd things to eat he had there, and they set off on a desperate mission to find the anodyne and save the other dragons.In the process, they manage to offend the natives, and are captured. After some perilous adventures, they escape back to England, only to discover that they are faced with the worst moral dilemma they have known; how they resolve it will change their lives forever.
    • 4/5
      Huh -- though this alt-history (Napoleonic Wars, with dragons!) series started from essentially a no-changes baseline, things are diverging more and more. (Spoilers follow.)

      ...

      The slave trade is ended early, and with more apparent finality, when dragons raze the Slave Coast (along with Johannesburg), and a buildup of forces described at the end of this book point to Napoleon invading England very soon, having already conquered the rest of Europe (including Russia). The title of the next book, Victory of Eagles, suggests that they'll be successful, too. A pleasant surprise, though not too pleasant for the heroes of the stories.
    • 4/5
      The stakes are always high in Naomi Novik's Temeraire books, but they rarely seem more critical than in the fourth installment, Empire of Ivory. While in Austria, Temeraire and Laurence had been puzzled and disappointed by the failure of the twenty promised dragons from the British Aerial Corps. Arriving home in England, they learn the reason: a terrible sickness has spread among the dragons, and it has already killed many. There is no known cure, and the aviators must watch helplessly as their beloved dragons slowly succumb. And the international consequences will be dire, once the rest of the world learns that Britain is practically defenseless aerially. Somehow Temeraire seems immune to the disease; most likely because of something he ate while abroad. So he and several of the sickest dragons sail with their crews to Africa, where they hope to find the cure. But it proves elusive, and the interior of Africa is a dangerous place for a small British crew. But the "savages" there are hardly as savage as the British government, as Laurence and Temeraire discover on their return, and they must make a decision that will change not only their own lives but the course of nations. This story ends on a serious cliffhanger, a real turning-point in the unfolding of the tale, but oddly enough, I've been disinclined to pick up the next book. Perhaps it is the extent of the immersion I'm putting off—these books really do interfere with one's priorities—or perhaps I am spinning them out to make them last longer. In any case, I will be starting Victory of Eagles soon, and I hope Novik doesn't end that one on a cliffhanger too!
    • 4/5
      I think this might be my favorite book in the series, with perhaps exception for the first book. I loved that they ended up in Africa and saw that there was a whole different world there with a slew of dragons themselves. I felt it broadened the story considerably. The formal language is still a constant although listening to the language instead of reading it in this book’s case was a little interesting at first. It’s not like any of the other books have lacked the quest storyline, but here in particular I appreciated the quest much more than previous books. Perhaps because it was centered on the dragons themselves whom I’ve been missing. The British dragons weren’t in the previous two books at all. Also, Laurence actually meets Bonaparte in this book. This book ends on a semi-cliffhanger, so I am very curious to get my hands on the next one.
    • 4/5
      I was reluctant to read this one, having skimmed the back page and seen the word "execution". If you can't get your hands on the next book immediately, like me, it is a cruel, cruel cliffhanger.

      This book has much fewer battle scenes than the previous book, and isn't focused as much around the war, although several important events happen to do with the war. Temeraire and Laurence return home in triumph only to find that a contagion has swept through the dragons in Britain. It was referred to in the previous book, and some things about the previous book are explained by it, which I thought was pretty good, although Novik isn't bad at continuity anyway and this is obvious stuff. Rather than be hailed as heroes and relax for a bit, they have to go in search of a cure for the other dragons.

      I was glad that the women return to having a more prominent place in this book, particularly Catherine Harcourt. I was somewhat less pleased with the fact that she does cave and get married, when she gets pregnant, which isn't really in line with what the Corps think of it. I was glad, though, that Laurence's qualms about unmarried women having children remained. Such values are an important part of his upbringing and the era, so that makes sense.

      The themes of the slave trade continued, too. It was good to see repercussions of it in their relations with other countries.

      I'm of mixed feelings about the end. Of course I'm glad that Laurence and Temeraire do the honourable thing, both in going to France and returning, but I'm sad that they have to and I wonder what will come of it.
    • 4/5
      I think this is the best in the series since the first one. The plot of this one was much more involving--more personal and less political, you could say.
      I loved the dragons in Africa. I want to know more about them.
      Also, the ending had a really great cliffhanger. I thought what Laurence did was completely in character, and it sets up an interesting conflict for the next volume.
    • 5/5
      I suppose that is the only way Laurence would commit any kind of treason at all. Oh, my dear.
    • 5/5
      Simon Vance's superb narration make the Temeraire series even more enjoyable than reading the novels. The series is highly entertaining and just plain fun to listen to as audiobooks.
    • 4/5
      In this volume Temeraire and Laurence are going to Africa to find the cure for a terrible disease ddecimating the dragons of England. Lacks the originality and excitement of the first books but still OK....
    • 4/5
      The stakes are always high in Naomi Novik's Temeraire books, but they rarely seem more critical than in the fourth installment, Empire of Ivory. While in Austria, Temeraire and Laurence had been puzzled and disappointed by the failure of the twenty promised dragons from the British Aerial Corps. Arriving home in England, they learn the reason: a terrible sickness has spread among the dragons, and it has already killed many. There is no known cure, and the aviators must watch helplessly as their beloved dragons slowly succumb. And the international consequences will be dire, once the rest of the world learns that Britain is practically defenseless aerially. Somehow Temeraire seems immune to the disease; most likely because of something he ate while abroad. So he and several of the sickest dragons sail with their crews to Africa, where they hope to find the cure. But it proves elusive, and the interior of Africa is a dangerous place for a small British crew. But the "savages" there are hardly as savage as the British government, as Laurence and Temeraire discover on their return, and they must make a decision that will change not only their own lives but the course of nations. This story ends on a serious cliffhanger, a real turning-point in the unfolding of the tale, but oddly enough, I've been disinclined to pick up the next book. Perhaps it is the extent of the immersion I'm putting off—these books really do interfere with one's priorities—or perhaps I am spinning them out to make them last longer. In any case, I will be starting Victory of Eagles soon, and I hope Novik doesn't end that one on a cliffhanger too!
    • 4/5
      Novik's series picks back up in this fourth volume as Temeraire and Captain Laurence travel to Africa, seeking a cure for a deadly dragon plague. The new locale provides another intriguing version of dragon-integrated society, with details of cohabitation and hierarchy that catch the reader's interest. Africa in the 1800s also gives Novik an opportunity to amp up her social and political commentary, as Temeraire tries to negotiate the world of colonialism. Temeraire's perspective is consistently well-drawn in its alien naivete; it serves as an effective foil to the historical detail of the novel, as Temeraire questions the actions and attitudes of imperial Britain and its citizens. In this book, Laurence more often finds himself in agreement with the dragon's sense of honor and moral right, so we see an interesting shift in their relationship as well, which culminates in the dramatic events toward the end of the novel (which I shan't give away, but which have serious repercussions for the remainder of the series). Fantasy, especially in the alternate history mode, often has the luxury of historical wish fulfillment. The culmination of the African adventure here, while brutal, presents an interesting extrapolation of conflict raised to the next level by the availability of force, in this case dragons. I like that Novik does not fall back on wholecloth stereotypes in presenting African tribal life in contrast to European colonial structures, showcasing some of the complexity of the situation even while the novel obviously condemns the imperial mindset. For the reader, immersed in the perspective of actual history, the novel takes on a tone of righteousness during the resolution that alleviates the sense of brutality and emphasizes the justice of the imagined situation. Obviously I'm leaving out the details here, so as not to spoil anything, so this explanation might not make much sense, but I think it is a really interesting way for a fantasy writer to usefully condemn a particularly shameful part of European history even though most of her characters are immersed in the European imperial perspective.If the previous paragraph bored you, fear not -- the novel won't. There is plenty of action and adventure to be had. Temeraire sees, and fights, new and wonderfully described species of dragons; traverses jungles to save Laurence; and discovers that elephants make mighty good eating. The emotional range of the novel takes us from heartbreak to joy to horror to shock and round about again. It also restores the more focused narrative that the previous novel had lost, so it feels swift in pace and solid in plot. You can't go wrong with a "quest for the cure" model, really, and Novik puts the structure to good use. Overall, a very satisfying contribution to the series, that will feel to many readers like the whole is back on track.
    • 4/5
      Fourth book, and stil flying high. Empire of Ivory sees Laurence and Temeraire off to Africa, where they must find a cure for a dreadful disease wreaking havoc on England's dragons. Once again Naomi Novik treats us to a story that is both a rollicking good adventure while also examining key issues of the day: here, slavery and colonialism come to the fore.There were whole sections of this book that made me laugh out loud: I'm greatly enjoying the antics of the new dragons introduced in the last volume, and Temeraire's own wittiness continues to amuse. I also quite like the way Novik's brought in different cultures and allowed us to view how differently each group treats the dragons among them.While the series of long treks seems unlikely to hold up for much longer, what happens at the end of this volume gives a good opportunity for something different in any event ... I can't imagine I'll be able to wait very long before I pick up the next volume.
    • 4/5
      With the fourth Temeraire book, Empire of Ivory, Ms Novik one again picks up the pace and elevates the book to a higher level than the previous installment. Empire of Ivory has a more meat to it than the previous offering. The colonial mindset of the 19th Century British Army is subject of much wrath here as is the slave trade. Just in case the reader missed the subtlety of the subplot, Temeraire makes quite a point of comparing European Dragons’ plight to the Africans being taken into slavery by the slave traders.Integral to the plot, Ms Novik introduces a culture previously unknown to these Europeans, a nation of Africans that are ruled by a Dragon and who regard the Dragons as their ancestors. A very nice flight of fantasy that brings out the best of the author’s writing, even though the recounting this nation is very dismal as Captain Laurence and his crew have been captured by these people and he is without Temeraire.A new Dragon has been introduced, a hatchling, that for now serves as a very nice comic relief. Unless I miss my guess, however, I think this Dragon will be growing in importance as the full series progresses. There are also several other plot twists introduced in this story that leaves me wanting the next in the series.Dragon lovers will appreciate the antics of the newer Dragons and feel the loss of the Dragons that succumb to the illness spreading through their ranks. Alternate history fans will appreciate the way Napoleon is portrayed and military uses Dragons are put to. Fantasy readers will enjoy the details of the Dragon Village life. Altogether, this adds up to a very enjoyable four star read.
    • 5/5
      Naomi Novik's fourth outing into the world of Temeraire may very well surpass all three previous novels in humor, dramatic stakes, scale, and the flat-out "whiz bang" of it all.Something is sickening and killing the dragons of the British Corps, and the British must scramble to a)hide this fact from Napolean, and b)find a cure before the entire corps is decimated.Novik once again ties together threads dealing with Temeraire's crusade against injustice, as well as increasing evidence that Temeraire is not the lone dragon with intellectual capabilities. She also tackles the English slave trade and concurrent abolitionist movement. Weighty stuff, indeed. Coupled with the toughest cliff-hanger yet (perhaps of any book I've ever read), this book is both a giddy joy-ride and a suckerpunch rolled into one.I'm actually MORE hooked than I was, so I can only count this book as a success.