Temeraire reading order

A plan for the whole series

9 volumes, 3,497 pages, about 65 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 3 months.

• From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 3, “Black Powder War” (by 27%). Plan your break after volume 2, before the series plans it for you.
• Readers scored volume 2, “Throne of Jade”, below its predecessor (7.7 after 8.0). If you slow down there, that is on the book, not on you. From volume 5 the form returns.

Stages

5 stages, with 4 short books from outside the series between them. You finish around February 13, 2027, about 3 weeks later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 114 h18 daysby November 16, 2026

   • 1. His Majesty's Dragon2006 · 356 pages · 7 h
   • 2. Throne of Jade2006 · 400 pages · 7 h
2. BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.05 h, by November 26, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 214 h19 daysby December 14, 2026

   • 3. Black Powder War2006 · 365 pages · 7 h
   • 4. Empire of Ivory2007 · 394 pages · 7 h
4. Short breakThe Fire Next Time · James Baldwin · 120 pp. · score 8.82 h, by December 18, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
5. 3
   Stage 314 h18 daysby January 5, 2027

   • 5. Victory of Eagles2008 · 384 pages · 7 h
   • 6. Tongues of Serpents2010 · 364 pages · 7 h
6. Short breakOn Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century · Timothy Snyder · 128 pp. · score 8.42 h, by January 10, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
7. 4
   Stage 415 h20 daysby January 30, 2027

   • 7. Crucible of Gold2012 · 372 pages · 7 h
   • 8. Blood of Tyrants2013 · 448 pages · 8 h
8. Short breakAnimal Farm · George Orwell · 128 pp. · score 8.32 h, by February 3, 2027. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
9. 5
   Stage 58 h10 daysby February 13, 2027

   • 9. League of Dragons2016 · 414 pages · 8 h
10. The end of the series

    February 13, 2027

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

Does the series hold up

Shape of the series: uneven. Scores jump by 0.6 points with no clear direction.

Best volume: His Majesty's Dragon (8.0, 619 ratings). Weakest: Tongues of Serpents (7.5). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 2 and 3: 27%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.0) scores close to the series average or above it.