A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent (The Lady Trent Memoirs, 1)

Honestly this was one of the most breathtaking books I've read in a long time. The author is amazing at pulling you into the story and holding you within the action and storytelling. I'm not sure if it's the perfect pacing, the detailed descriptions, or whatever else this author uses, but they pull you into the world super effectively! Every time I picked up this book again I was drawn deep enough into the world I felt I could've actually seen it. Speaking about the world, the way dragons were set up and integrated throughout the story was super well done! I am a biology nerd, I always have been. And I LOVE this book's attention to detail about the taxonomy and biology of dragons! I always found it kind of ridiculous when fantasy worlds would have one or two large species of dragon, and then nothing else. No close taxonomic relatives, no nearly-dragons, no ancient relatives, most of the time not even with workable biology or other 6-limbed creatures! I loved how this book both worked into the story why they have so little information on ancient dragons, since they decay almost entirely within just a day or two, and the current different taxonomic branches the dragons have under their tree. Of course you have the large 6-limbed dragons you're used to, but they also added in half-drakes like the Wolfdrake that only have vestigial wings and can't fly, and wyverns which evolved no need for their front legs. I loved those a lot more than I probably should've. I also really liked that the dragons were just being treated like animals in this novel. As amazing and beautiful as they are, they are still animals at the end of the day. The biology itself was a huge draw for the book, and I wasn't disappointed! The book emphasizes small details like how the digits in the wing fit together and move, how the scales are textured, in things like the Wolfdrake what parts are vestigial and what the dragon actively uses to survive, and even things as simple as how the scale-shape helps the dragon fly! So much detail was put into making the dragons have realistic biology and I loved it so much! Another thing I loved, as I'm sure I've said before, is the writing style. It's written in such an enthralling way I was always drawn into the book from the moment I picked it up to the moment I set it back down. The pacing was perfect! It never felt like a scene dragged on for too long, I was never bored at any point in the story, and no scene was moved through too quickly for me. I do wish more of the book was dedicated to researching the dragons, but the smaller portions of the book that were dedicated to the dragons were good enough I didn't mind the additional mystery plot being added in. Speaking of the additional plot, this book is also making me consider picking up a mystery book at some point. Although there were some... questionable things put into the book. Thankfully they were exclusively within the beginning of the book, but having the characters think about how their language is "more sophisticated" than the native languages of the region was a very questionable choice. Thankfully it was just 2-3 offhand lines here or there, but it was still something that really should've been edited out.

I enjoyed reading this book and found the writing style and story to be engaging and pleasant. The characters are likeable, and the world is interesting and seemed to tread some new ground. I was impressed by the broadness of the world. The author does a good job of convincing the reader that the world is deep and multifaceted by dropping in details liberally and sometimes without explanation, giving the impression that any references I didn't follow are the result of my own ignorance of common knowledge as opposed to her lack of explanation (this is actually done to excess in the sequel). I read this at a very busy time in my life, and I appreciated the lightness of the narrative. It had enough plot twists to keep me guessing, but it didn't require too much mental attention or deep thought when I only had a few minutes to sit down and read. I read a few reviews before ordering the book and found that many people gave warnings that the story is very Victorian and that buyers should beware if they're hoping for a good dragon-focused tale like Eragon. Those warnings were a selling point for me since I am an avid fan of both the fantasy genre and the Victorian era of literature. What could be better than combining Charlotte Bronte and dragons? In my opinion, however, the story falls solidly in the alternate history category and doesn't really feel Victorian at all. While the author worked hard to avoid triteness in her plot, she fell into the common modern habit of presenting a female character who is too strong for her time and doesn't fit into her oppressive culture. Yes, that can make for a good novel (and has in many instances), it doesn't make a novel that feels Victorian. The glory of Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre is that they were startlingly witty, strong, and intelligent in the context of their own cultures. Lady Trent's blunt tone and jarring social errors grow her into the character the author intended, but they rob the whole novel of any true feeling of a Victorian context. Perhaps I'm the only person who would find that departure disappointing, but I would warn buyers not to have too high expectations for the promise of a Victorian novel.

Look, it's simple: I loved this book. I haven't read a book this fast in recent times nor have I found myself longing to keep reading like I have with A Natural History of Dragons. It had its weaknesses, like any book, but it was charming and refreshing and it had a great voice! A rec from me

Esperava que o livro fosse maior, mas mesmo sendo menor do que estou acostumada ele é muito bonito

Jag har inte läst boken eftersom den var en present. Men den var bara nedstoppad i ett kuvert (visserligen kraftigt) tillsammans med två hårda plastförpackningar med häftklamrar. Fanns inte tid för retur så jag fick försöka släta till skyddsomslaget. Har tidigare ombeställt en annan bok tre gånger innan jag gav upp, låg också i ett kuvert och var riktigt skadad varje gång.

De lo mejor que he leido en mucho tiempo. La protagonista es maravillosa, la trama absorbente, y la prosa simplemente sublime. No puedo dejar de recomendar toda la saga.

I’ve become a huge fan of this incredible lady & her works. I don’t doubt future super-stardom for Marie B. ANHoD was a totally random happening. I was in a book shop, saw the Dragon style cover, picked it up & started reading it over a coffee. I was hooked immediately. The whole style, tone & ambiance was truly excellent. I started to buy other work by the author & she has been busy; Marie B has written a LOT of stuff for a younger author & I like all of it. I really hope there’s a lot of awards for this lady in the years to come, & therefore, lot’s of excellent reading material. Be advised: this is a top quality author & her works are awesome. Take a look, too at ‘M.A. Carrick’, a project the author is involved in that is quite simply sublime. M, I look forward to your next release, your superb writing, ideas and worlds have helped me to relax, calm down & have a great time reading. Long may you continue to do so - awesome. Thank you.