I‘d already read the first book, but borrowed this three-book volume for efficiency and the extra short story. Frankly, it‘s that story that saves this from being a so-so. The second and third Temeraire novels are very unevenly paced, swinging wildly from exciting, deadly peril to waiting boredom… realistic, I suppose, but not that satisfying to read! A lot of threads were just dropped. After the short story, I‘m rooting for Lien and Napoleon.