Naomi Novik is the author who asked one of the most delightful questions in alternate history fiction: what if the Napoleonic Wars were fought with dragons? The answer, across nine novels of the Temeraire series, made her one of the most beloved names in fantasy and alternate history. Her work combines rigorous historical research with imaginative speculation, producing books that feel as grounded in real history as they do in wonder.
Novik is a New York Times bestselling author whose career spans alternate history, fairy tale retellings, and dark fantasy. She has won the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, the Mythopoeic Award, the British Fantasy Award, and several others, and her books have been translated into more than thirty languages. Whatever genre she turns to, she brings the same quality: a vivid sense of place, morally complex characters, and a deep love of the historical and folkloric traditions she draws from.
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About Naomi
Early Life and Background
Naomi Novik was born on April 30, 1973, in New York City and grew up in Roslyn Heights on Long Island. She is a first-generation American: her father’s family were Lithuanian Jews and her mother’s family were Polish Catholics, and that dual heritage of Eastern European culture and folklore would later shape her standalone novels deeply.
She was a precocious reader. By age six she had finished The Lord of the Rings and gone back to reread it. She developed a love for Jane Austen not long afterward, a combination that explains a great deal about her later fiction, which balances epic scope with sharp social observation. That early mix of grand fantasy and precise social comedy became the hallmark of her voice.
Novik studied English literature at Brown University, then pursued a master’s degree in computer science at Columbia University. After graduating, she worked in game development, contributing to the design of Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide. During a winter stint in Edmonton working on the game, she realised she preferred writing to programming and returned to New York to write novels.
Writing Career
Novik’s debut novel, His Majesty’s Dragon, was published in 2006 and launched the Temeraire series. The book won the Compton Crook Award in 2007 and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel, an extraordinary debut. The first three books in the series were published in the same year, establishing Novik immediately as a major new voice in alternate history fiction.
The Temeraire series ran for nine novels, concluding with League of Dragons in 2016. During this period, Novik also began writing outside the series. Her standalone novel Uprooted (2015) drew on Polish folklore and won the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Spinning Silver (2018), a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the Alex Award, and the Audie Award for Fantasy.
In 2020, she launched the Scholomance trilogy with A Deadly Education, followed by The Last Graduate (2021) and The Golden Enclaves (2022). The trilogy follows Galadriel “El” Higgins through a deadly magical school where survival is the primary curriculum. Universal Pictures optioned the film rights in advance. Her most recent work includes The Summer War (2025) and the short story collection Buried Deep and Other Stories (2024).
Alongside her fiction career, Novik is a founding board member of the Organisation for Transformative Works and helped create the Archive of Our Own (AO3), one of the largest fan fiction archives on the internet. Her deep involvement in fan culture reflects a commitment to the idea that readers and fan communities matter.
Writing Style and Approach
Novik’s writing is defined by its warmth and its moral seriousness. She takes the speculative premise seriously, thinking through the full consequences of her central “what if” rather than using it as mere decoration. In the Temeraire series, dragons are not simply tools of war but people with their own politics, opinions, and rights, and much of the series is concerned with how the humans around them grapple with that uncomfortable truth.
Her prose is accessible and propulsive without being superficial. She has a gift for making historical settings feel inhabited rather than reconstructed. Readers who come to Temeraire expecting pure adventure will find it, but they will also find genuine ethical weight: questions about empire, slavery, loyalty, and what constitutes justice. These themes are woven into the plot rather than bolted on.
Her fairy tale novels (Uprooted, Spinning Silver) show a different side of her range. Here the prose becomes more lyrical, the atmosphere closer to myth, though the same concern for female agency and moral complexity runs through both. The Scholomance trilogy is sharper and funnier, with a first-person narrator whose sardonic voice drives the books.
Naomi Novik Series in Reading Order
The Temeraire Series
Setting: Napoleonic Wars era (roughly 1805-1815), with alternate history divergence — every continent has its own dragon culture, and dragons serve as aerial corps in every major military
Number of Books: 9 novels (complete)
Main Characters: Captain William Laurence, a Royal Navy officer; Temeraire, a Chinese Celestial dragon of rare intelligence and strong opinions
The Temeraire series reimagines the Napoleonic Wars with an air force of dragons. What sets it apart from other dragon fiction is the philosophical seriousness with which Novik treats her premise. Temeraire is not just a weapon — he is a person, and his growing awareness of the injustice of how dragons are treated in Britain forms one of the series’ central threads. Laurence, a man of honour bound by duty and loyalty, is repeatedly confronted with the gap between British ideals and British practice.
The series spans the globe: Britain, China, the Ottoman Empire, Africa, Australia, South America, Japan, and Russia. Each new setting brings its own dragon culture and its own challenge to the assumptions Laurence and Temeraire have grown up with.
Reading Order:
- His Majesty’s Dragon (2006) — Published in the UK as Temeraire. Captain William Laurence captures a French frigate and discovers a dragon egg in the hold. When the egg hatches and the dragon bonds with Laurence, he is pulled from the prestigious Royal Navy into the disreputable Aerial Corps. Introduces the central duo and the world of dragon-assisted warfare as Napoleon prepares to invade Britain.
- Throne of Jade (2006) — The Chinese government demands the return of Temeraire, a rare Celestial dragon meant for the Emperor, not a mere British captain. Laurence and Temeraire make the long sea voyage to China, navigating court politics and assassination attempts. The book broadens the world considerably and introduces a very different model of how dragons and humans can relate.
- Black Powder War (2006) — Recalled urgently overland from China, Laurence and Temeraire trek through the Ottoman Empire toward Prussia. The journey tests their resources and they arrive to find Napoleon’s forces advancing rapidly. A grim book with a devastating ending.
- Empire of Ivory (2007) — A plague is killing Britain’s dragons, leaving the country nearly defenceless. Laurence and Temeraire travel to southern Africa in search of a cure, uncovering something that will have catastrophic consequences for Laurence’s career and their standing in Britain.
- Victory of Eagles (2008) — Napoleon invades Britain. Laurence and Temeraire, condemned for treason, must fight a desperate rearguard action to defend their country — even a country that has betrayed them. One of the strongest entries in the series.
- Tongues of Serpents (2010) — Convicted and transported to the penal colony of New South Wales, Laurence and Temeraire are given a mission to open a route through the Blue Mountains. A quieter, slower-paced book that has divided readers, but develops important elements of the later series.
- Crucible of Gold (2012) — Restored to service, Laurence and Temeraire are sent to South America to prevent France from winning the Inca Empire as an ally. They navigate complex politics among the Inca, the Tswana, and the Portuguese court in exile.
- Blood of Tyrants (2013) — A shipwreck leaves Laurence with no memory of Temeraire or his years in the Aerial Corps. As Temeraire pushes on through feudal Japan and Imperial China, Laurence must rebuild himself. The book builds toward the French invasion of Russia.
- League of Dragons (2016) — The final volume. The Russian campaign has broken Napoleon’s power, but he refuses to concede. Laurence and Temeraire pursue the retreating French army, racing to prevent Napoleon from building a new coalition and to recover a stolen egg. A satisfying conclusion to the series that honours every thread Novik has been building since book one.
→ Complete Temeraire Series Reading Order Guide
Standalone Novels
Uprooted (2015) — Set in a fantasy kingdom inspired by Poland, this novel follows Agnieszka, a village girl claimed by the cold wizard known as the Dragon to serve him for ten years. The corrupted Wood that threatens her valley turns out to be only the beginning of what she must face. Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the British Fantasy Award, the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award.
Spinning Silver (2018) — A retelling of Rumpelstiltskin set in a wintry kingdom drawn from Eastern European folklore. Three young women with very different kinds of power must navigate danger, debt, and a cold supernatural threat. Winner of the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the Alex Award, and the Audie Award for Fantasy. Widely considered one of the finest fantasy novels of its decade.
The Summer War (2025) — Novik’s most recent novel, a fairy tale set in a war-torn land where a young woman named Celia discovers her words have become real magic when she curses her beloved older brother. A story of unbreaking a curse and unravelling a centuries-old war.
The Scholomance Trilogy
Setting: A deadly magical school suspended in the Void, where students must survive to graduation
Number of Books: 3 novels (complete)
Main Character: Galadriel “El” Higgins, a half-Welsh, half-Indian sorceress whose magical talent is for mass destruction
The Scholomance trilogy is Novik’s darkest and funniest work. El’s mordant first-person voice carries the books through a school where the teachers are absent, the curriculum is lethal, and survival depends on alliances formed across lines of class and privilege. The series works as a sharp examination of inequality in magical society, wrapped in the pleasure of a very clever school story.
Reading Order:
- A Deadly Education (2020) — El has survived the Scholomance so far through sheer competence and refusal to be likeable. When Orion Lake, golden boy of the school, keeps saving her life, she finds it more irritating than reassuring. Introduces the world and the major relationships.
- The Last Graduate (2021) — El and her classmates face their final year and the ritual of graduation, which kills roughly half of those who attempt it. El begins to see a way to change the rules entirely.
- The Golden Enclaves (2022) — After the shocking events of graduation, El discovers that saving one class has not fixed the wizarding world. The final volume confronts the structural injustice that made the Scholomance necessary in the first place.
Short Story Collections
Golden Age and Other Stories (2017) — Temeraire short fiction, including stories inspired by fan art of the series. Spans multiple points in the Temeraire timeline.
Buried Deep and Other Stories (2024) — A broader collection spanning Novik’s worlds, from the Temeraire series to the Scholomance to fairy tale settings. Includes new stories and previously published pieces.
Where to Start with Naomi Novik
Best First Book
Recommendation: His Majesty’s Dragon
This is the natural starting point. It is Novik at her most immediately accessible, with a compelling central relationship, a vivid world, and enough momentum to carry readers straight into the rest of the series. The alternate history conceit is clear from page one, and the book earns its reputation as one of the best fantasy debuts of the 2000s.
If You Want…
Dragons and history: Start with His Majesty’s Dragon, then read the Temeraire series in publication order.
Award-winning standalone fantasy: Start with Uprooted. It requires no prior knowledge of Novik’s work and is the most standalone of her novels.
A fairy tale retelling: Start with Spinning Silver, which many readers consider her finest single book.
Dark academic fantasy: Start with A Deadly Education, the beginning of the Scholomance trilogy.
Short fiction: Buried Deep and Other Stories offers the widest survey of her work across all genres.
Books by Time Period
Napoleonic Wars (1805-1815)
- Temeraire series (all nine novels) — alternate history set across Britain, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas during the Napoleonic Wars
Explore more books about the Napoleonic Wars and this era
Fairy Tale / Folk History Settings
- Uprooted — Poland-inspired fantasy kingdom
- Spinning Silver — Eastern European winter kingdom
- The Summer War — war-torn fairy tale land
Popular Naomi Novik Series
The Temeraire Series
The Temeraire series remains Novik’s defining achievement in alternate history. The premise is irresistible: the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons serving as aerial corps in every major military. But the books earn their place beyond the premise through the relationship at their centre. Laurence and Temeraire are one of the great partnerships in modern fantasy fiction, two very different beings bound by loyalty and genuine affection, each changing the other across nine volumes.
What elevates the series is Novik’s refusal to let the historical backdrop become mere decoration. The Napoleonic Wars were a genuinely world-shaking conflict, and Novik takes that seriously. The series covers the full scope of the wars: the threat of French invasion, the campaigns through Europe, the disaster in Russia. Every historical event she includes is researched, and the divergences she introduces (how would dragons change naval warfare? what happens to empire if dragons are intelligent people?) are thought through with real care.
The series also confronts the uglier aspects of the era with unusual directness. Britain’s treatment of dragons, the Atlantic slave trade seen through Temeraire’s eyes, the realities of colonial rule in Australia — Novik does not flinch from these. The result is alternate history fiction that takes its ethical responsibilities seriously.
Perfect for readers who love: Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series, military historical fiction, companion-animal narratives, alternate history with genuine consequences, globe-spanning adventures.
→ Complete Temeraire Reading Order Guide
Awards and Recognition
- Nebula Award for Best Novel — Uprooted (2016)
- British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel — Uprooted (2016)
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel — Uprooted (2016); Spinning Silver (2019)
- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award — Uprooted (2016)
- Alex Award — Spinning Silver (2019)
- Audie Award for Fantasy — Spinning Silver (2019)
- Compton Crook Award — His Majesty’s Dragon (2007)
- Locus Award for Best First Novel — Temeraire: In the Service of the King omnibus (2007)
- John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer — 2007
- Hugo Award nominee: Best Novel (His Majesty’s Dragon, Uprooted); Best Series (Temeraire, 2017)
- New York Times bestselling author across multiple series
- Books translated into more than thirty languages
Writing Schedule and Upcoming Books
Latest Release
The Summer War (2025) — A standalone fairy tale novel about a young woman named Celia who accidentally curses her brother and must find a way to undo it against the backdrop of a centuries-old war. Novik’s most recent book continues her pattern of standalone fairy tale fiction between larger series projects.
Buried Deep and Other Stories (2024) — A short story collection spanning her worlds, from Temeraire to the Scholomance to new settings. A good entry point for readers who want to sample her range.
Upcoming Releases
Novik has not announced her next project as of early 2026. Given her pattern of alternating between series and standalone work, another novel is expected but unconfirmed. Her official website and social media are the best places to follow for announcements.
Similar Authors You’ll Enjoy
If you enjoy Naomi Novik’s work, you might also like:
- Harry Turtledove — The master of long-form alternate history. Where Novik uses alternate history as the frame for character-driven adventures, Turtledove explores entire alternate timelines in rigorous political and social detail. His Southern Victory series is a good starting point.
- Patrick O’Brian — Novik has cited O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series as a key influence on the Temeraire series. The two share the Napoleonic Wars setting, a focus on partnership, and a commitment to period-accurate detail. If you love Laurence and Temeraire, you will love Jack and Stephen.
- Diana Gabaldon — Gabaldon’s Outlander series shares Novik’s blend of historical detail and speculative premise, her globe-spanning ambition, and her focus on a central relationship tested across many volumes.
- Robin Hobb — For readers drawn to the depth of the Laurence-Temeraire bond, Hobb’s Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies offer similarly profound examinations of loyalty, identity, and what we owe those we love.
- Ken Follett — For readers who want large-scale historical fiction with a strong sense of period and consequence. Follett’s Century Trilogy covers the twentieth century with the same breadth that Novik brings to the Napoleonic era.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Naomi Novik’s best book?
For alternate history readers, His Majesty’s Dragon is the essential starting point and still one of the finest things she has written. For those interested in her standalone work, Uprooted won the Nebula Award and is considered by many critics to be her masterpiece. Spinning Silver is a close second and has its passionate advocates. It depends on whether you prefer your Novik with dragons or with fairy tales.
In what order should I read the Temeraire series?
Publication order is strongly recommended. The Temeraire series follows a continuous storyline across all nine books, with character development, ongoing plot threads, and consequences that build from book to book. Starting anywhere other than His Majesty’s Dragon will mean significant spoilers for earlier volumes.
Is Naomi Novik historically accurate?
The Temeraire series is built on accurate historical research. The Napoleonic Wars events, dates, battles, and political figures are handled faithfully, with the dragons as the speculative addition. Novik then thinks through how dragons would change each element of the period. Her standalone novels are set in fantasy worlds inspired by history rather than being set in historical periods themselves, so the question is less applicable there.
What time periods does Naomi Novik write about?
The Temeraire series is set during the Napoleonic Wars, roughly 1805 to 1815. The standalone novels (Uprooted, Spinning Silver, The Summer War) are set in fantasy worlds with a medieval or early modern feel, inspired by Eastern European history and folklore. The Scholomance trilogy is contemporary fantasy rather than historical.
Is the Temeraire series appropriate for all ages?
The Temeraire series is generally suitable for older teenagers and adults. There is significant battle violence, some of it graphic, and the series addresses difficult topics including war, empire, slavery, and colonial violence. The content is not gratuitous, but parents of younger readers should be aware. The Scholomance trilogy is more explicitly aimed at adults despite its school setting.
Has Naomi Novik’s work been adapted for TV or film?
Peter Jackson optioned the Temeraire series in 2006 for a film adaptation, generating significant excitement among fans. However, the rights reverted to Novik after the project stalled. As of early 2026, there is no active adaptation in production. Universal Pictures optioned the Scholomance series in advance of publication with Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman attached to produce, but no further updates have been announced. Uprooted had film rights purchased by Warner Bros. with Ellen DeGeneres and Jeff Kleeman as producers, but again no production has proceeded.
Does Naomi Novik write romance?
Novik’s books include romantic relationships, but she is not primarily a romance author. The Temeraire series has limited romance, as the central emotional relationship is between Laurence and his dragon. Uprooted and Spinning Silver both include romantic elements that are integral to the plot. The Scholomance trilogy has a significant romantic subplot. Readers should expect romance as one thread among many rather than the central driver of the narrative.
What makes the Temeraire series different from other dragon fiction?
Most dragon fiction treats dragons as animals or weapons. Novik makes them people, with their own political views, desires, and sense of justice. Temeraire himself becomes increasingly aware that British dragons are treated unjustly compared to dragons in China and elsewhere, and he is not shy about saying so. The series is as much about dragon rights as it is about the Napoleonic Wars. This gives it an ethical dimension most dragon fiction lacks.
Are Naomi Novik’s books part of the same universe?
No. The Temeraire series, the standalone novels (Uprooted, Spinning Silver, The Summer War), and the Scholomance trilogy are separate universes with no connection to each other. The Buried Deep story collection includes stories set in several of these worlds.
Where can I follow Naomi Novik for news about upcoming books?
Novik is active on social media and her official website (naominovik.com) carries news about new releases. She is particularly engaged with fan communities, reflecting her long involvement in fan culture through the Organisation for Transformative Works.
Conclusion
Naomi Novik occupies a distinctive position in contemporary fantasy and alternate history fiction. She is one of the few authors whose work spans multiple sub-genres — alternate history, fairy tale retelling, dark academic fantasy — and succeeds at a high level in each. The Temeraire series remains the best place to start, particularly for readers who arrive at Historical Shelf interested in the alternate history side of her work, but her standalone novels represent a significant achievement in their own right.
What unites her work across genres is a commitment to taking her premises seriously. The dragons in Temeraire are people. The folklore in Uprooted has genuine menace. The school in the Scholomance is genuinely dangerous. This seriousness of purpose, combined with warmth and wit, makes her books unusually rewarding on reread.
For readers who love historical fiction, the Temeraire series offers something rare: the full sweep of one of history’s great turning points, seen through the eyes of characters who must navigate it while also confronting questions of loyalty, justice, and what it means to be a person in a world that does not recognise your humanity. That combination has earned Novik her devoted readership, and it shows no signs of fading.
Ready to begin? Start with His Majesty’s Dragon and follow the complete Temeraire Series Reading Order as you go.
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