His Majesty's Dragon (Naomi Novik) / Dragon Rider Series (Anne McCaffrey)
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1PghDragonMan
I am finishing the first book in the series beginning with His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. It is almost natural to compare and contrast this series to the multiple series of books created by Anne McCaffrey dealing with dragons.
I'm still a dragon lover, but the newer McCaffery books just have not held my interest they way they used to. Novik's work is an amalgam of historical fiction and fantasy with an almost steampunk flavor to it. While there are no steam powered mechanical devices, at least that I've encountered so far, I thought the use of signal flags, manned by personnel on a dragon's flight team, an interesting solution to the problem of communicating with other dragons and riders while in flight. This is the type of thing that I felt gave Novik's book the steampunk flavor: providing a low tech solution to a high tech problem.
In both sets of stories, the dragon selects the rider, although in Novik's creations, this bond is not permanent nor exclusive. We learn that dragons may accept another rider, although perhaps not willingly. Novik blends a lot of equine traits with classical draconic tendencies in her dragons. In many ways, I find Novik's dragons more real because of this blending. Combined with the historical fiction of her story, at least for the one I'm reading, I find myslef much more involved.
Do any other dragon lovers have any opinions about these two series?
I'm still a dragon lover, but the newer McCaffery books just have not held my interest they way they used to. Novik's work is an amalgam of historical fiction and fantasy with an almost steampunk flavor to it. While there are no steam powered mechanical devices, at least that I've encountered so far, I thought the use of signal flags, manned by personnel on a dragon's flight team, an interesting solution to the problem of communicating with other dragons and riders while in flight. This is the type of thing that I felt gave Novik's book the steampunk flavor: providing a low tech solution to a high tech problem.
In both sets of stories, the dragon selects the rider, although in Novik's creations, this bond is not permanent nor exclusive. We learn that dragons may accept another rider, although perhaps not willingly. Novik blends a lot of equine traits with classical draconic tendencies in her dragons. In many ways, I find Novik's dragons more real because of this blending. Combined with the historical fiction of her story, at least for the one I'm reading, I find myslef much more involved.
Do any other dragon lovers have any opinions about these two series?
2margad
I haven't read these, but am intrigued by the idea of blending historical viction, fantasy and steampunk (a fun word, even if I don't know what it means!)
I thought I would add some touchstones for people who want to explore further: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik and various books by Anne McCaffrey. I'm not sure the author touchstones are working, but we'll see.
I thought I would add some touchstones for people who want to explore further: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik and various books by Anne McCaffrey. I'm not sure the author touchstones are working, but we'll see.
3elbakerone
I read some of Anne McCaffery's books in high school. I think it was Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums. I never got into the other Dragonrider books by McCaffery but the three I mentioned are their own trilogy and I remember liking them a lot.
One of the strengths of McCaffery's writing is her worldbuilding. I know she's written a lot of novels taking place in her setting of Pern - I always think it's admirable when I writer can tell mulitple stories from a single place and develop their own history and legends within their works.
I've been told by multiple people that I should read His Majesty's Dragon so it's already added to my TBR list but I can't comment on it yet. If I can throw in some other Dragon titles though, how would you compare the ones you read to Christopher Paolini's Eragon or The Dragonlance Chronicles by Weis and Hickman (my personal favorite)?
One of the strengths of McCaffery's writing is her worldbuilding. I know she's written a lot of novels taking place in her setting of Pern - I always think it's admirable when I writer can tell mulitple stories from a single place and develop their own history and legends within their works.
I've been told by multiple people that I should read His Majesty's Dragon so it's already added to my TBR list but I can't comment on it yet. If I can throw in some other Dragon titles though, how would you compare the ones you read to Christopher Paolini's Eragon or The Dragonlance Chronicles by Weis and Hickman (my personal favorite)?
