I really loved this book.

Right from the beginning of the story I connected to the main character and was invested in what happened to him. His bond with his dragon was delightful to read and I adore Temeraire he has such a great personality. 

I love the worldbuilding, this is historical fantasy but in a well crafted alternate universe. The military aspects interested me just as much as learning about the different types of dragons. There are shades of Pern here (there are a couple of scenes which felt right out of Anne McCaffrey's novels) but there is also much which feels refreshingly original. 

I did wish that the final chapters had been stronger. I have no particular criticism of them, they're decent, I just feel that with a few tweaks to the ending this could have been the five star read it felt like early on. It is however the first in a series and I am so keen to continue.