bring three dragon eggs to give the colony some aerial forces. The novel ends as he and Temeraire, accompanied by the irrepressible Iskierka, who demands an egg from Temeraire, are on board the Alliegance, sailing to their new fate. Historical context Due to the capability of aerial transport, Napoleon is able to successfully invade and occupy England. (The first book references the Earl of St. Vincent's quote "I do not say the French cannot come, I only say they cannot come by sea.") The occupation lasts for months. Arthur Wellesley is created Duke of Wellington as a result of the events in this novel, which is set in 1808; five years previous to the historical Wellesley. His character is depicted as stern and pragmatic, finding it practical to accept dragons and a female admiral but also to violate conventions of war to fight the French. The death of Horatio Nelson is altered, due to his survival of the Battle of Trafalgar in the books. Instead, he is killed in the mass sinking of the British fleet. Although the circumstances are different, the novel still depicts the national grief that took place. His historical anti-abolition views are referenced, as the character Laurence is a staunch abolitionist. References Reviews Review by Thomas M. Wagner at SF Reviews.net Dragons in popular culture 2008 American novels 2008 fantasy novels Novels set in the 1800s Fiction set in 1808 American alternate history novels Temeraire books American fantasy novels Cultural depictions of George III Cultural depictions of Horatio Nelson Cultural depictions of Napoleon Cultural depictions of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Novels set during the Napoleonic Wars Novels by Naomi Novik Voyager Books books