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I’m not sure how this book and I had never met before this year. I ended up reading it in the span of a single day, and enjoyed nearly every minute of it. All thanks to my husband and the season of gift giving.
Dragons, I’ve always loved and been fascinated by them. I’m not certain where my favorite idea of them comes from now. It may well be Tamora Pierce’s Wild Magic series. I remember a scene of getting the sense of a dragon's mind and it being neat and tidy rows of books on shelves. I always imagined them as spellbooks, given that intelligent and magical dragons have often been a favorite.
The dragons in this book may not be intelligent in the way of humans, or magical, but they are just as fascinating.
The protagonist is writing her memoirs, this first book is the first adventure she was ever on and what went on to kick start her entire career as a Natural Historian of Dragons. The wit and hilarity of the commentary of an older and wiser woman alongside the story of her youth are simply delightful.
As a woman I greatly appreciated the strength and determination of the protagonist in a world where women were considered soft, delicate things, and most decidedly not cut out to study dragons in their natural habitat. It’s not done, but they hadn’t met her. Or they had, and underestimated her.
It wasn’t until I was nearly finished that I thought to check for more in a series. I was nearly convinced it was a one-off. But I was relieved and overjoyed to see that there were not one but five more books in the series.
Solid five stars for me…but those that may follow my ratings might notice that I often give 4-5 stars. I’m trying to be a bit more choosy about my rating and reviews these days, though.
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
by Marie Brennan