Victory of Eagles

The best book in the series since His Majesty's Dragon. It finally focused back on characters and action, instead of the world building that went on in the middle three books.

This book focuses on the aftermath of Temeraire and Laurence's decision to give the cure to the French and therefore commit treason. It does get a bit depressing watching Laurence deal with the effects of this, but Temeraire's child-like naïveté helps provide a lighter side to the situation.

I really like that the other dragons are starting to get personalities of their own. Naomi seems to have finally figured out how to make each and every dragon a unique character and not just a foil for Temeraire or their captain.

Through the book you also see Temeraire start to “grow-up”. He's not just the self-centered petulant child you have seen in the earlier books, but he is starting to learn what it is to be a leader. He doesn't have to be the smartest and the strongest and the bravest all the time. (Although he certainly exhibits those traits at different points in the book.) He allows the other dragons do what they do best. He also starts to learn the hard lesson of consequences that a leader has to shoulder.

I love this series but I had stepped away quite a while with so much else I wanted to read. I got started back with Victory of Eagles and I have to say it was a very good one to start back with.

The way Temeraire evolves so much in this book is great to see. Already wanting to get started on the next one.