Acknowledgments

I OWE THANKS FIRST and foremost to the group of beta readers who saw His Majesty’s Dragon through to completion, from the very first chapter to the last, and who gave me not only an enthusiastic audience to write for but enormous quantities of excellent advice: Holly Benton, Dana Dupont, Doris Egan, Diana Fox, Laura Kanis, Shelley Mitchell, L. Salom, Micole Sudberg, and Rebecca Tushnet; and to Francesca Coppa, for telling me to do it in the first place. Thanks also to Sara Rosenbaum and everyone else on livejournal who contributed title suggestions.

I’ve been lucky enough to have the help of a wonderful agent, Cynthia Manson, who is also a friend; and the advice of not one but two terrific editors, Betsy Mitchell at Del Rey and Jane Johnson at HarperCollins UK. Many other friends and readers gave me encouragement and advice along the way, and helped with everything from title suggestions to catching out-of-period words; I wish I could list them all but will settle for saying a general and heartfelt thank-you. I’d also like to thank several people who went out of their way to help with my research: Susan Palmer at the Soane Museum in London, Fiona Murray and the volunteer staff at the Georgian House in Edinburgh, and Helen Roche at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin.

To my mother and father and Sonia, much love and gratitude; and last and most important: this book is dedicated to my husband, Charles, who has given me so many gifts that I can’t even begin to mention them all, the first and best of which is joy.

Praise for His Majesty’s Dragon

“A splendid novel. Not only is it a new way to utilize dragons, it’s a very clever one and fits neatly into the historical niche this author has used. The plot was excellent, extraordinary in that the reader has no idea where it’s leading—which is always fun. Let’s hope this is the first of many from Naomi Novik. She’ll be one to watch.”

—ANNE MCCAFFREY

“One of the best books I’ve read in years—a truly new approach. Lots of fun and cleverly thought out ideas. His Majesty’s Dragon brings the Napoleonic era back to life with a delightful new twist.”

—DAVID FEINTUCH, author of Midshipman’s Hope and the Nicholas Seafort series

“Wow! His Majesty’s Dragon is a wonderful book, stylish, witty, engaging, thoughtful. The changes in social structure to accommodate dragons and aviators make good sense; the conflict Laurence has with his family and his onetime fiancée as a result adds a great deal to the depth of the story. There’s a reasonable approach to aerial tactics within dragon limitations, as well. As for Temeraire himself . . . the most engaging fictional dragon since MacAvoy’s Tea with the Black Dragon.”

—ELIZABETH MOON, author of Marque and Reprisal

“Readers with a penchant for Patrick O’Brian and Anne McCaffrey may have found their perfect match with His Majesty’s Dragon. Naomi Novik beautifully renders an eighteenth-century Europe in which both naval buffs and dragon lovers will be keen to immerse themselves.”

—ALAN DEAN FOSTER, author of the Pip & Flinx series

“[A] refreshingly original fantasy adventure. It has tense action, strong characters, and an intriguing new world for the reader to explore. I can’t wait to read the other books in the series.”

—MARTHA WELLS, author of The Wizard Hunters