Tongues of Serpents
core novel 2010 Temeraire
Record
| First published | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.77 (24,680 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| Page count | 274 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780345496898 |
| Internal chronology | 6 |
Synopsis
Tongues of Serpents continues the Temeraire series after Victory of Eagles, transporting Laurence to New South Wales, Australia, as punishment for his treasonous actions in the previous novel, tasked with helping to found a local Aerial Corps. He is joined by Captain Granby and his fire-breathing dragon Iskierka, the guide Tenzing Tharkay, and Captain Riley of the HMS Allegiance, and quickly finds himself caught between competing local interests, including the deposed governor William Bligh's hopes of reclaiming power and Colonel Macarthur's wish to keep the newcomers out of colonial politics. When Aboriginal Australians make off with one of three dragon eggs meant for the fledgling colony, Laurence, Temeraire and their companions set off on a pursuit across the harsh Australian interior that uncovers a smuggling network run jointly by Chinese traders and the Larrakia people, dragging the group into deeper diplomatic complications and unrest back in Sydney.
Where it sits
- Universe: Temeraire
- Series: Temeraire core; position 6 of 9 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Naomi Novik
Notes
- From the series record (Temeraire): 9-novel completed historical-fantasy sequence (2006-2016): the Napoleonic Wars in a world where an intelligent-dragon aerial corps supplements every nation's military. One continuous linear narrative; publication order equals in-story order. Unusual debut cadence: the first three novels were all published in 2006 (Del Rey rapid-succession launch).
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Temeraire: position 6 of 9: previous Victory of Eagles (2008) · next Crucible of Gold (2012)
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temeraire_(series)
- https://www.sfadb.com/Naomi_Novik
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongues_of_Serpents
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