EMPIRE OF IVORY

Simon Vance is a terrific choice to narrate this series, in which Naomi Novik takes a piece of history (Europe in the era of Napoleon) and adds dragons, creating an interesting mix of epic fantasy and historical fiction. Besides giving effective voice to the sometimes petulant dragon Temeraire, Vance is superior in his portrayal of the honorable Captain William Laurence of Britain. This is the fourth book in this series, and it finds dragon and rider traveling the world looking for a solution to a problem facing many of the dragons in Britain. Even though this novel does not stand alone, fans will enjoy this book as a lead-in to the next. S.D.D. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2008]