Empire of Ivory

About Empire of Ivory

Empire of Ivory is the fourth volume in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series and arguably the entry that most directly engages with the moral weight of British imperialism. Temeraire and the British Aerial Corps have returned from the Prussian campaign to find England's dragon forces decimated by a mysterious plague. The only hope for a cure lies in Africa—specifically in the interior of the continent, where Temeraire once encountered wild dragons apparently immune to the disease. Will Laurence and Temeraire must journey to Africa to find the remedy before the entire British dragon corps is lost. What elevates Empire of Ivory above adventure narrative is what Novik does with Africa and the moral crisis it precipitates. The British dragons in Africa are not isolated from the politics of their empire; they are embedded in it, and the discovery of what has actually caused the plague—and who stands to benefit from its cure—puts Laurence in a position where every choice is morally contaminated. The coming-of-age arc here is Laurence's: a man in his thirties who must finally acknowledge the costs of the system he serves. The political intrigue threading through London's diplomatic calculations about Africa and the war effort intersects with the personal stakes of individual dragons fighting for survival. Temeraire's growing political consciousness—his continued advocacy for dragon rights—is given sharp context by his exposure to dragons who have never lived under European dominance. The ending of Empire of Ivory is one of the most consequential in the series: a moral choice with world-scale ramifications that redefines what kind of story Novik is telling. It is a serious, admirably committed book, and the best entry point for readers who want to understand what the Temeraire series is actually doing beneath its exciting surface.

Tropes & Themes