Empire of Ivory
Author: Naomi Novik
Pages: 416
Year Published: 2007
The fourth novel in the Temeraire series, Empire of Ivory begins right where Black Powder War left off, with Temeraire and Captain Will Laurence finally making it back to England. However, their accomplishment is short lived when they are sent to the Cape Colony (known to us today as South Africa), in order to find a cure for an illness that has taken hold of England’s dragons.
And there we begin another novel of cultural and societal commentary, much like Throne of Jade (where Temeraire and Laurence went to China). A lot of this novel is spent exploring the differences between native African societies and how they treat their dragons, as compared to the European nations. Along the way, because it was historically relevant at the time I suppose, Novik gives us an overview of the evils of slavery – a practice still going on during the Napoleonic Wars.
What emerges is a novel that’s a bit too polemic and lacking in focus, not to mention action. What was originally an interesting idea featuring dragons and an alternate timeline, seem to becoming a cultural expose. Even the core of the plot seems nothing more than an excuse to bring forth whole conversations peppered with social commentary.
In short, if the series continues with this formula, it’s going to lose this reader. It’s s shame too, because I don’t necessarily disagree with the points being made. The African slave trade was bad. I get it. I don’t need to be reminded of it for a hundred pages. I sincerely hope Novik moves her story along and tightens it back up. After all, there is a war on. Plenty to explore there too.
-K