An absolute delight from start to finish, as a huge fan of both the diaries of Victorian explorers and fantasy, A Natural History of Dragons felt perfectly tailored for me and I adored it so much I’ve already gone ahead and bought a bunch more of the series.
Lady Trent has always been fascinated by dragons, but in her day a lady’s place is most definitely meant to be sitting prettily in a drawing room, making sure to not tax her thoughts with anything more strenuous than what to wear to parties and how to snag a husband.
A fortuitous marriage to a man happy for her to exercise her intellectual curiosity sees her put into the orbit of a rich gentleman who just so happens to be about to embark on an expedition to Vystrana to study the rock wyrms that are native to the region. Except when they get there, their local guide is missing and – worse still – the local rock wyrms have been making meals of the locals.
I loved the world building in this book, and I loved the character of Lady Trent even more. Spirited and capable – but not so written that she’d stand out like a sore thumb if actually transported to our Victorian era – it was an absolute pleasure to read of her investigations and discoveries as well as her changing relationships with the Vystrana villagers.
I tore through this book in a day, which is what I used to do pre-pandemic but haven’t managed in 6 months, and I already can’t wait to read more about Lady Trent’s illustrious career.
