| Tongues of Serpents | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Naomi Novik |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Temeraire |
| Genre(s) | Alternate history novel |
| Publisher | Voyager Books |
| Publication date | July 2010 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) e-Book (Kindle, nook) Audio book |
| Pages | 288[1] |
| ISBN | ISBN 9780345496898 |
Tongues of Serpents is the sixth novel in the Temeraire alternate history/fantasy series by American author Naomi Novik. This installment follows William Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire's adventures in Australia.
Tongues of Serpents was released in hardcover and e-Book formats in North America and the United Kingdom on July 13, 2010.[2][3]
The story begins in New South Wales, where Laurence, Tharkay, Granby, Riley, and Rankin arrive to find that the military governor, William Bligh has been deposed in a military coup. Bligh wishes that Laurence restore him to the governorship, whereas John Macarthur, architect of the rebellion, wishes them to stay on the sidelines, awaiting a decision from London. Macarthur enlists Laurence on an expedition to find a pass from Sydney through the Blue Mountains, which the aviators readily undertake to stay out of the political fray. However, one of the dragon eggs is stolen in the night, and so begins a frantic pursuit across the continent to recover the lost egg. The unforgiving Australian desert, the unpredictable weather, and the fauna take a dire toll on the crew, and the search is complicated by the thieves' familiarity with the territory. They finally catch sight of the thieves, Aborigines, near Uluru, and chase them northwards to the northern coast. Upon the conclusion of the chase, they discover that the Chinese have established a trading port, using trained sea serpents to ferry cargo from China. The trade threatens to undercut the East India Company, and not long after they arrive, a British naval vessel arrives with orders to destroy the port, on the grounds of England's claim to the entire continent stemming from Cook's circumnavigation. However, the bombardment is completely thwarted by the Chinese, and returning to Sydney, they discover that the new governor, Lachlan Macquarie, is intent on fighting the Chinese, which leads to another rebellion, deposing Macquarie and installing Macarthur as First Minister of Australia, but who still claim the colony's loyalty to the King. Macarthur attempts to entice Laurence into taking a position with the nascent Australian government, but Laurence refuses, merely seeking a quiet retirement with Temeraire in the Australian countryside.
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