Tongues of Serpents, Naomi Novik
Tongues of Serpents, Naomi Novik
List: $22.00 | Sale: $15.40
Club: $11.00

Tongues of Serpents
Book Six of Temeraire

Author: Naomi Novik

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 10 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/27/2025

Categories: Fiction, Fantasy, Sea Stories

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education comes the sixth volume of the Temeraire series, as Will Laurence and Temeraire are exiled to Australia in the ever expanding war between Napoleon and Britain.

“Temeraire and his fellow dragons are surely Novik’s finest accomplishment.”—BookPage

Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon’s invasion of England, Temeraire and Captain Will Laurence have been transported to a prison colony in distant Australia—and into a hornet’s nest of fresh complications. The colony is in turmoil after the overthrow of military governor William Bligh—aka Captain Bligh, late of HMS Bounty. And when Bligh tries to enlist them in his bid to regain office, the dragon and his captain are caught in the middle of a political power struggle. Their only chance to escape the fray is accepting a mission to blaze a route through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia.

But the theft of a precious dragon egg turns their expedition into a desperate recovery operation—leading to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new complication in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.

Don’t miss any of Naomi Novik’s magical Temeraire series
HIS MAJESTY’S DRAGON • THRONE OF JADE • BLACK POWDER WAR • EMPIRE OF IVORY • VICTORY OF EAGLES • TONGUES OF SERPENTS • CRUCIBLE OF GOLD • BLOOD OF TYRANTS • LEAGUE OF DRAGONS

About Naomi Novik

Naomi Novik, an American author, grew up in Roslyn Heights on Long Island, and is a writer in the science fiction/fantasy genre. Her works include Temeraire in a series of nine novels, His Majesty's Dragon, Uprooted, and Will Supervillains Be On The Final. Her books have all been released in audio form. She also participated in the design and development of the computer game, Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undentride.

Novik attended Brown University and Columbia University. She lives with her husband Charles Ardai, and their child, Evidence Novik Ardai in Manhattan.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Niki Hawkes on January 30, 2019

[3.5/5 stars] I’m not sure yet how I feel about the series as a whole, but I’ve found myself picking up these novels for a very specific Temeraire “fix,” if that makes sense. The books are all fairly similar but the highlight continues to be the dragons. This novel had them exploring the Australian......more

Goodreads review by Bradley on May 21, 2018

I have been a pretty good fan of this series, but unfortunately, I've grown tired of it by now. This isn't dragons against Napoleon anymore. This isn't an intrigue in China. This is exile to Australia. Long treks, dragon eggs, and filler await us. Maybe it's because I took almost a decade to return t......more

Goodreads review by Kyle on January 31, 2013

I have said previously that Naomi Novik hasn't hit a sour note, nor made a wrong step throughout her Temeraire series. I guess this is what I get for speaking too soon. Naomi Novik is still an extremely consistent writer, and whenever I've picked up a Temeraire book I've had a remarkably accurate id......more

Goodreads review by John on August 08, 2022

Tongues of Serpents sees the pace of the previous books slowed right down. Not much in the way of incident occurs in this volume as our protagonists travel across Australia. A fact that may put some readers off. However , Naomi Noviks writing is still excellent with her ability to create a sense of......more

Goodreads review by Ana on April 09, 2025

Well... meh... This book added absolutely nothing to Laurence and Temeraire's story. One whole book full of almost nothing. Since I like Laurence and Temeraire so much, I'll give the series another chance. If the next book is any similar to this one, it will be my last one. Let's see.......more

Quotes

Praise for His Majesty’s Dragon and the Temeraire series

“These are beautifully written novels—not only fresh, original, and fast paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart. [The Temeraire series] is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love—fantasy and historical epic.”—Peter Jackson
 
“A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel . . . Is it hard to imagine a cross between Susanna Clarke, of Norrell and Strange fame, and the late Patrick O’Brian? Not if you’ve read this wonderful, arresting novel.”—Stephen King
 
“A splendid series . . . Not only is it a new way to utilize dragons, it’s a very clever one and fits neatly into the historical niche this author has used.”—Anne McCaffrey
 
“Just when you think you’ve seen every variation possible on the dragon story, along comes Naomi Novik. Her wonderful Temeraire is a dragon for the ages.”—Terry Brooks
 
“Enthralling reading—it’s like Jane Austen playing Dungeons & Dragons with Eragon’s Christopher Paolini.”—Time
 
“A completely authentic tale, brimming with all the detail and richness one looks for . . . as well as the impossible wonder of gilded fantasy.”—Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice, Grade: A)
 
“Novik has accomplished something singular with her Temeraire series. . . . At its heart, it’s a story about friendship that transcends not only time and class, but species.”—NPR

“[Naomi Novik] is soaring on the wings of a dragon.”—The New York Times
 
“A thrilling fantasy . . . All hail Naomi Novik.”—The Washington Post Book World
 
“An amazing performance . . . [I] was immediately hooked by the writing, the research and the sheer courage of the whole enterprise.”—Chicago Tribune
 
“Novik’s influences run the gamut from Jane Austen to Patrick O’Brian, with a side trip through Anne McCaffrey. Her books are completely involving and probably addictive, their central conceit explored in clever detail with a great deal of wit and historical insight.”—San Francisco Chronicle
 
“Something new and quite wonderful . . . The Temeraire trilogy could well be this year’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.”—BookPage

“A superbly written, character-driven series . . . What keeps one turning the pages is the urge to find out what happens next to Captain Laurence and Temeraire, characters who win one’s heart from the beginning. Bravo!”—Booklist (starred review)

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