His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

I'm not a very trusting person when it comes to reading suggestions (maybe because my own suggestions vary wildly in quality), so when Kelly suggested His Majesty's Dragon to me when I was visiting her, I was reluctant to try it at first. Also, I tend to judge books by their covers and I'm not a huge fan of this design:

But I read the first-ish chapter while on vacation and was HOOKED. The book, along with its series-mates, ended up on my Christmas list, and I finally read it all today!

I am satisfied with Novik's world, magical premises (of which there really aren't many) and plot development, but I was MOST impressed with her character creation and growth. The back cover says Time reviewed this book as:

Enthralling reading--like Jane Austen playing Dungeons & Dragons with Eragon's Christopher Paolini.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Actually, I would add in that it reminds me a bit of Tamora Pierce's Tortall books, but with a bit more maturity and grounding in the real world. Basically, if you like the idea of having a special bond with a dragon and if you can stand reading yet ANOTHER historical fiction/fantasy novel about the Napoleonic Wars, this is a GREAT book for you. A solid, fun read.

~8/10~