A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan Published by Macmillan on February 5, 2013
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781429956314Marie Brennan begins a thrilling new fantasy series in A Natural History of Dragons, combining adventure with the inquisitive spirit of the Victorian Age.
You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .
All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.
Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.
It’s not a gross exaggeration to say I loved every bit of this book! From learning about Isabella as a young girl to her debut to society to the adventure to Vystrana, every page was delightful and at times even funny.
I was definitely expecting to come in to a book about a fake/real person. The information presented being completely made up but acting as if it was real. The subtitle (series title) “The Memoirs of Lady Trent” truly give that away. But what I wasn’t expecting was a well-written captivating novel, reminiscent of Victorian memoirs, or the long 19th century novels.
Brennan did a great job of showing us how Isabella grew up, especially when it came to her marriage prospects. I surprisingly cried when I reading the scene between Isabella and her father about the men he contacted that would allow her permission to read what she wanted and in particular, had a copy of A Natural History of Dragons. I’m not going to lie and say I don’t love a good historical romance of a woman adamantly not wanting to marry, but it’s also nice to read a book where even though the woman understands she has to marry, her father takes care to arrange things in her favor. As history shows, this wouldn’t have been the case for a lot of women.
Isabella and Jacob’s relationship was too precious for words. The scenes of Jacob talking with her and saying that he doesn’t want to stifle her spirit or make her unhappy were just perfect. Even though I was prepared for the ending (her name on the book is Lady Trent, remember this), I still was bawling!
One last point that I want to make on this absolute gem of a novel is the fact that throughout the novel Lady Trent as an older woman looking back on her younger self (she’s 19 in the events that take place in the novel) doesn’t shy away or cover up her mistakes. I’m not just talking about big mistakes of following after an unknown man who’s later revealed to be a smuggler, but small ones, like not understanding/respecting the Vystrana and/or Drustanev’s culture and religion. It shows not only how young she is but an understanding of how she’s learned since then.
We’re discussing this book club tonight, and I’ll definitely have to buy the next installment of Lady Trent’s memoirs The Tropic of Serpents!
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