![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaTitle: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
Author: Marie Brennan /![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
swan_tower
Illustrator: Todd Lockwood
Published: New York: Tor, 2013
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 334
Total Page Count: 131,918
Text Number: 386
Read Because: fan of the author, borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: In Scirland and beyond, Isabella, Lady Trent, is the preeminent dragon naturalist. In her own words, she recounts the beginning of her adventures, from her unconventional adolescent obsession with natural science to her first perilous study of dragons. Isabella is a superb protagonist with a distinctive voice; she is also a product of her parallel Victorian-era England setting: a woman with scientific ambitions unseemly for her gender, in a time when both science and gender conventions are beginning revolutionary change. A Natural History of Dragons has hallmarks of steampunk, except that dragons replace fantastical technology and Brennan consciously avoids many of the genre's pitfalls: she doesn't sacrifice content for style; nor does she overlook the racism and classism, as well as sexism, inseparable from Victorian ingenuity.
This isn't to say that A Natural History of Dragons is a dense socio-political text; indeed, the best descriptor for it may be delightful. It's imminently readable, due largely to Isabella's narrative, which finds the perfect balance between self-disparaging humor and emotional resonance. This is a solid four-star book because what Brennan does well shines off the page: strong cast, engaging narrative, creative setting, and of course the scientific dragons—brought to life in indispensable illustrations. But the plot is lackluster, too small and too human in scale, and this is obviously the first in a series and suffers for it: rather than an underwhelming and overdrawn single episode and the promise of a sequel, I'd prefer an entire storied lifetime in a single volume. I enjoyed, admired, and recommend A Natural History of Dragons, but it could have been more.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Marie Brennan /
swan_towerIllustrator: Todd Lockwood
Published: New York: Tor, 2013
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 334
Total Page Count: 131,918
Text Number: 386
Read Because: fan of the author, borrowed from the Multnomah County Library
Review: In Scirland and beyond, Isabella, Lady Trent, is the preeminent dragon naturalist. In her own words, she recounts the beginning of her adventures, from her unconventional adolescent obsession with natural science to her first perilous study of dragons. Isabella is a superb protagonist with a distinctive voice; she is also a product of her parallel Victorian-era England setting: a woman with scientific ambitions unseemly for her gender, in a time when both science and gender conventions are beginning revolutionary change. A Natural History of Dragons has hallmarks of steampunk, except that dragons replace fantastical technology and Brennan consciously avoids many of the genre's pitfalls: she doesn't sacrifice content for style; nor does she overlook the racism and classism, as well as sexism, inseparable from Victorian ingenuity.
This isn't to say that A Natural History of Dragons is a dense socio-political text; indeed, the best descriptor for it may be delightful. It's imminently readable, due largely to Isabella's narrative, which finds the perfect balance between self-disparaging humor and emotional resonance. This is a solid four-star book because what Brennan does well shines off the page: strong cast, engaging narrative, creative setting, and of course the scientific dragons—brought to life in indispensable illustrations. But the plot is lackluster, too small and too human in scale, and this is obviously the first in a series and suffers for it: rather than an underwhelming and overdrawn single episode and the promise of a sequel, I'd prefer an entire storied lifetime in a single volume. I enjoyed, admired, and recommend A Natural History of Dragons, but it could have been more.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
