Introduction

If you haven't read the Temeraire-series by Naomi Novik, an introduction might be useful. If you know the books, you might want to skip this section and go straight to chapter one: Ladies and Gentlemen.

The books...
Novik wrote three of them, with one on the way. His Majesty’s Dragon, Throne of Jade and Black Powder War are already released and Empire of Ivory is due out September 2007 in the US and November 2007 in the UK.

The movie...
As if that’s not enough goodness Peter Jackson bought the rights to the series last year. So – hopefully – within a year or three, we can enjoy Temeraire: The Movie.

The introduction...
About the actual introduction below: it does not contain spoilers, but it does hold lots of general information about Novik’s setting and characters revealed in His Majesty’s Dragon. Therefore I truly recommend reading the book(s) instead of this introduction, simply because it’s a lot more fun!

However, if you do not have the time/energy/willpower to do so, use the text below as a prep for At the Break of Dawn.

After that, go buy the books :)

Temeraire

1) The Temeraire-series by Naomi Novik takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, around 1805, and is part of a genre called alternate history. (Much like a historical novel, but different because of the fantasy elements.)

2) The first book of the Temeraire-series tells the story of William Laurence, a captain in the Royal Navy who captures a French frigate which has aboard a very special and valuable prize: a dragon egg meant for Napoleon himself. After the egg hatches the dragonet (young dragon) takes a liking towards Laurence and chooses him to be his captain. Laurence calls the dragon Temeraire. (Pronounced Tem-eh-RARE.)

3) Dragons exist all over the world. They are used by humans for all kinds of tasks, ranging from delivering messages to fighting in battle. British dragons and their riders are part of the Aerial Corps, an isolated part of the British forces.

4) Because of the strong bond between a dragon and its rider (Aviators), members of the Aerial Corps are often seen as outsiders. They are considered to be rude and antisocial, and are therefore looked down upon by the public. Needless to say for a man like Laurence, who spend his whole life socializing with the upper-class, life as an aviator seems like a lonely one. But he finds a dear friend in Temeraire, and soon cannot imagine a life without him.

5) Dragons in the Corps are equipped with a harness, unto which the dragon’s crew can strap on. This way, a dragon is able to transport a great number of people, both in travelling and fighting situations.

6) The bond between a dragon and its captain is – in the west – established immediately after hatching. When a dragonet hatches it will choose a captain; the captain will then harness the dragonet as a symbol of its obedience. It is never certain who a dragonet will choose as its captain, though the decision can be influenced by putting the most suitable candidate in front of the dragonet when it is born.

7) When dragons are not harnessed immediately after hatching, it is believed they will go wild. Wild dragons in Britain, along with dragons that for example have lost their captains in battle and refuse to take on a new one, will be sent to the breeding grounds. Britain does not have many dragons, so producing or acquiring eggs is very important.

8) There are different types of dragons. Some can breathe fire, others spit acid. Some are small and fast, others large and strong. Each dragon in the Aerial Corps is assigned to a certain position in a dragon formation, in order to optimize their powers.

9) Some dragons are smarter than others, but they are all much smarter than many realise. For example, dragons are already aware of the world around them long before they hatch. This is how they are able to speak from the moment they are born; Temeraire could speak Chinese, French and English at the time of his hatching.

10) Temeraire is a very rare type of dragon, a Celestial, of which there are only eight left in the world. His origins lie in China; his egg was a gift from the Chinese to Napoleon. Celestials are known for their intelligence: Temeraire loves reading and has very strong opinions, especially about the rights of dragons in the human world.

11) Even though Temeraire is very large, he is not as heavy as you might expect and can even “hover” in midair. He also enjoys swimming and can produce the Divine Wind: an extremely loud roar that can demolish everything in its path.

12) Because some dragons only accept female captains, the Corps is the only part of British forces that allows women to join. Laurence is at first very shocked by this discovery, especially because the women dress like men. When he first meets Captain Jane Roland, an experienced and fierce looking woman with a scar on her face, he is taken aback by her forwardness. It all works out though when they become a bit more than just friends...

13) Jane has a daughter, but was never married to the (unknown) father. Emily Roland is about eleven years old and a runner on Laurence’s crew. She is expected to take her mother’s place after Jane dies and is therefore to become captain to dragon Excidius.

14) John Granby is Laurence’s first lieutenant. Though they started off on the wrong foot, Granby proves to be a trustworthy and brave companion, who has put himself on the line for Laurence several times.

15) Keynes is the surgeon of Temeraire’s crew, Admiral Powys is admiral in the Aerial Corps. Tom Riley was Laurence’s first lieutenant aboard Laurence’s ship, the HMS Reliant. Now, partly thanks to Laurence, Riley is captain of the dragon transport the Allegiance.

16) A dragon transport is a ship that - as the name might already suggest… - can transport dragons. This comes in handy during long journeys over sea.

At the Break of Dawn

17) At the Break of Dawn takes place in the Caribbean; at the British Virgin Islands to be more precise.

18) Apart from the setting, background and characters created by Naomi Novik, the story stands on its own; in Novik’s books the main characters never even come near the Caribbean.

19) Also, things happen in the books that have major consequences for the main characters, but are not mentioned at all in At the Break of Dawn ; the story takes place somewhere between book one and two, conveniently ignoring anything from the books that might get in the way of the story’s plot.

20) At the Break of Dawn is an adventure story that can hopefully be read even if you haven’t read the books.

I hope you'll enjoy the story. Don't be afraid to leave a message when you're done!

(Check out TemeraireWiki for more general info)