Blood of Tyrants, by Naomi Novik

Separated from his dragon and his colleagues by a shipwreck, Captain William Laurence has washed ashore in hostile Japan. His injuries include amnesia – he has lost most of the past eight years, including all memory of Temeraire and their service with the Air Corps. Rejoining his colleagues and continuing their mission to China puts into question the bond between aviator and dragon, which must be slowly rebuilt as Laurence’s memories gradually return. The pair eventually find themselves in Russia, once again fighting Napoleon and his grand ambition. Novik skilfully weaves her fighting dragons in and around real historical events and battles. The politics and social world of Russian dragons is similar to that of serfs and nobles, with similar consequences. This penultimate book of the series ends rather abruptly, with our heroes once again under threat. One can only assume they will finish up back in England to end the saga in the final book.