Essentially this is Temeraire fan fiction, except it’s by the author, so it’s naturally very good and possibly even canon. I suppose you can read it without having read the Temeraire series, but you’ll likely just get confused without the background. There are several stories of varying lengths, followed by a bunch of drabbles (100-word pieces) at the end, each inspired by a piece of fanart. As with any collection, some are better than others. I loved “Dawn of Battle,” the origin story for young Jane Roland and one which gave insight into the choices faced by young female captains; “Succession,” told by Temeraire’s mother as she broods over her eggs, was also poignant. The star of the collection though was definitely “Dragons and Decorum,” a touching and hilarious take on Pride and Prejudice in which Elizabeth Bennett is the captain for her dragon Wollstonecraft. Worth it just for that one alone.