Grey Lotus

Review

Rating: 8

First, let’s get out what this book isn’t. It isn’t a high fantasy of dragons that happens to be during the Napoleonic Wars. In fact, I’d hesitate to call this fantasy at all. As of Book 1, the only fantastical element in this setting is the presence of dragons. Dragons aren’t even magical creatures, they’re ill-understood intelligent animals. They aren’t explained well, but even in-world the characters view them as amazing yet mundane creatures. There’s nothing magical about it.

Second, don’t expect Tolkienesque detail of the world. It’s set in the historical Napoleonic wars period, but you won’t get large tales of historical sites and battles… in fact, I don’t recall reading that the year was ever mentioned, though I may have simply missed it or forgotten. Nor will you find detailed descriptions of how ships(or dragons, in this case) are rigged, or anything beyond the most basic explanations of tactics and formations.

These aren’t flaws in the book, they’re simply what some may have thought when hearing about it. Details like that are lacking because this isn’t a book about the Napoleonic Wars and Dragons… it’s a book about a man and his dragon, during the Napoleonic Wars. With Dragons. Novik isn’t interested in the finer details of English and French warfare, and though politics and nobility are touched upon, they aren’t really expanded upon either.

So what does this book have going for it? It’s a good read, that’s what. It’s entertaining, fairly easy to follow, and at its heard it’s just about a man coming to grips with a huge change in his life. There aren’t a great number of deep, though-provoking themes here, it’s just a good story… with just enough depth to it to keep it from being a shallow tale. Laurence’s transition from stalwart Navy captain to reluctant aviator and beyond is the focus of the story, despite the dragon in the title being an important character. It’s also rather refreshing to read about a hero who is a good, honorable, upright fellow as opposed to the constant antiheroes that are common today. He’s also competent within his field… but for most of the novel he’s out of his element, so he’s challenged enough to make it engaging.

This is the first of a series, and supposedly one of the best in said series. It’s definitely a tough act to follow, so I can see why. It was a thoroughly engaging read that, while perhaps not a good example of period fiction, is an excellent example of an entertaining novel that keeps the reader wanting more. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece of modern fiction, but it’s certainly one of the better choices on the shelf, and thus I give it an 8 out of 10.