Steampunking at A Slice of Orange

I wrote a fairly long post on steampunk for A Slice of Orange. Check it out if you get a chance.

Linda

Book Review Club: His Majesty's Dragon

HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON
by Naomi Novik

This fascinating book is a combination of fantasy, alternative history (set during the Regency) and military adventure which I just learned from the Steampunk Timeline is called Flintlock Fantasy.

The hero, Will Laurence, is a naval captain would finds an unhatched dragon egg in a French ship he captures. When the dragon hatches, Will is the only he'll let put a harness on him. In one moment, Will's life takes a turn to the weird. He now has to give up his naval career for a lifetime in the dragon Aerial Corps, a rather unconventional rag-tag group without the prestige of the Royal Navy. Will is a perfect Regency hero: brave, honorable and heroic, if a little starchy. The Aerial Corps takes care of that last trait pretty quickly though.

I never thought I'd fall in love with a dragon, but Temeraire is a delight: intelligent, sensitive and utterly charming. In a sense this is a love story between a man and his dragon. Will refers to Temeraire as "my dear" and Temeraire gets very upset when someone tries to separate him from Will. And you really don't want to get Temeraire upset. Trust me on that.

His Majesty's Dragon is the first of a six-book series. I've already read the second book, Throne of Jade, and hope to get to the rest next year. Novik's website has a wiki section where you can find information on The World of Temeraire including information on the Aerial Corps and the various breeds of dragons found in the books.

If you're looking for a fun read, you can't go wrong with this series.

Linda

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@Barrie Summy

Book Review Club: And Tango Makes Three

This year, for Banned Books week, I read a controversial children's picture book.

And Tango Makes Three
by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell,
illus. by Henry Cole
NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, c. 2005

Summary:
At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

This is a very sweet book based on the true story of Roy and Silo, two male penguins at New York's Central Park zoo, who acted like a couple, built a nest and tried to hatch a rock. When one of the female penguins laid two eggs, a zookeeper took one of the eggs and put it in Roy and Silo's nest. (Previously, the female and her partner had never been able to raise more than one egg at a time.) But Roy and Silo were up to the job. They took turns sitting on the nest to keep the egg warm, and when it hatched, they took care of Tango, feeding her and teaching her to swim. The book ends with the three of them as a happy family.

After the book was published, one of the male penguins dumped the other for a female, so I guess he was really bi. Who knows? They're penguins!

Believe it or not, the ALA lists this book as the most challenged book of 2006, 2007 & 2008 and the most banned book of 2009, because of the gay penguin theme. Frankly, I think both sides of the debate are reading a little too much into it. It seems to me that penguins come from a very harsh ecosystem, and obviously both male and female penguins are hard-wired to protect and nurture their young to ensure survival of the species.

In any case, it's a sweet, heartwarming story, with delightful artwork. And honestly, what is cuter than a penguin?

Linda

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@Barrie Summy