Crucible of Gold (Temeraire, #7) by Naomi Novik

I'm ashamed to say I've been extremly unfair to this book, to Ms. Novik and to my dear Temeraire for a long time.

I had this book on my to read list since it was published, and I hadn't read it because I didn't quite enjoy the previous book in the series, for me the plot quality had a very sour taste, compared to the begining of the series.

But after reading this extraordinary piece of written art, I've learned my lesson, I shall never again judge a book by it's predecesor, every book in a series (no matter how long) deserves a chance to stand on it's own, and earn it's stars.

Actually the whole Temeraire series taught me that any plot properly written and carried out with mastery can be outstanding, and proof of this is finding such quality and superiority in books about the Napoleonics wars plus dragons.

For me, Crucible of Gold should have more than 5 stars! I'm amazed at it's greatness, I was not expecting it at all. I'm extremly glad to say it surpass every expectation or hope I had.

Temeraire as always is intriguing, smart, real, and above all a source of "food for thought", without question one of the best characters I have ever read about. He is perfect in every way, and this book is full of it, of his innocence, his sense of fairness, justice, loyalty, love, and honor.

In each book of this series we get to see the world trough the eyes of someone so alien to society, but still a part of it.

Always between a rock and a hard place: duty and justice, war for an unclear cause, blurry lines of what is right and what is better, and the courage to do things differently, always trying to accomplish what is right despite of ones peril. It is a wonder, a gift, a good read.

This book is full of new dragons, each unique, with views of the world that have broadened my own perspectives about slavery, property, and the very unreal sense of freedom.

It's a gush of fresh air to experience a rewritten history of the world in such an accurate way. I believe that each of Ms. Novik's views about the event's developments (regarding Africa and South America specially) would have been exactly in the fashion she described if dragons had been involved. It is an interesting and very new plausible reality (probably in another dimension it's happening right now!)

Also you get enough adventure, danger, unexpected twists of events, intriguing plot, and interesting characters to last you a life time! The perfect excitement created by every battle and flight warmly reminded me of another author who wrote stories about a boy with a thunderbolt scar.

With this book (if you dare to read it) you will have the pleasure to meet or reconnect with each spectacular character(all of them are always front and central), to go back in time and change history (probably for the better), see the world as it was, learn about what really matters in life, about how freedom is a very pretty word as real as dragons to most people, and to grow as a human to a better version of yourself, if you are wise enough to learn from a dragon.