#marie brennan

[godzilla-reads]

Lady Trent definitely has a way with words. I can relate to her and her enthusiasm over dragons so much that I’m starting to see myself in this story. Oops.

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Nick Bell/Seth Gray- The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune  

Ballister Blackheart/Ambrosius Goldenloin- Nimona by N.D. Stevenson

Fu Shen/Yan Xiaohan- Golden Stage/Golden Terrace by Cang Wu Bin Bai

Isabella Camherst(“Lady Trent”)/Liluakame- Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan 

[maddiesbookshelves]

A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan

The memoirs of Lady Trent narrate the life and research of Isabella Trent, world-renowned naturalist now an old woman, whose wit and humor are merciless towards imbeciles. In the first tome, Isabella, first as a young girl and then a young woman, challenges class and period conventions to satisfy her scientific curiosity and accompany her husband on an expedition in search for dragons in Vystrana...

I was scared that the memoirs format was going to be boring to read, but it was actually the best way to tell the life story of a woman who has lived so many adventures, I really liked it. The good thing about memoirs is that it allowed Isabella's personality to shine, especially her humor, and to have some hindsight on what happened. The teases about future events that she reveals later in the series really make you want to read what's next

Volume 1 introduces themes and ideas that I thought were fleshed out better later in the series, and what I considered as small flaws (a lot of things were repeated so many times I started thinking "yeah, okay, I get it") are way less prominent

As for Brennan's worldbuilding, it's deceptively simple at first glance (Victorian era but make it fantasy), but actually had so many details that make it extremely rich. Everything is inspired by countries/cultures from the real world, but Brennan mixed a lot of them and I thought it was really well executed. And the further along you get in the series, the more details sprinkled in the first 3 books come together to form the final picture. When I got to the end of book 4, I wanted to scream because of how delightful and well put together the reveals were

French version under the cut

Les mémoires de lady Trent racontent la vie et les recherches d'Isabelle Trent, naturaliste mondialement connue et désormais vieille dame, dont l'esprit et le style empreints d'humour s'avèrent sans pitié pour les imbéciles. Dans le premier volume, Isabelle, petite fille puis jeune femme, brave les conventions de sa classe et de son temps pour satisfaire sa curiosité scientifique et accompagner son mari lors d'une expédition à la recherche des dragons de Vystranie...

J'avais peur que le format des mémoires soit un peu ennuyant à lire, mais en fait c'était la meilleure façon de raconter la vie d’une femme qui a vécu autant d’aventures, j’ai beaucoup apprécié. L'avantage des mémoires c'est que ça permettait au personnage d'Isabelle de nous dévoiler sa personnalité, notamment son humour, et d'avoir du recul sur certains évènements. Les références à des évènements qu'elle nous dévoile plus tard dans la série donnait vraiment envie de lire la suite

Le tome 1 introduit des thèmes et des idées que j’ai trouvées mieux développées dans les tomes suivants, et ce que je considérais comme de petits défauts (pas mal de choses sont répétées de nombreuses fois donc au bout d’un moment je me disais "oui, c’est bon, j’ai compris") sont beaucoup moins présents

En ce qui concerne le monde créé par Brennan, il paraît relativement simple au premier abord (époque victorienne mais version fantasy), mais en réalité, énormément de détails le rendent extrêmement riche. Tout est inspiré de pays/cultures du monde réel, mais mélange pas mal de trucs et j’ai trouvé que c’était très bien fait. Et au plus on avance dans la série, au plus les détails disséminés dans les ~3 premiers tomes s'emboîtent et le tableau final se précise. Quand je suis arrivée à la fin du tome 4 j'avais envie de hurler tellement les révélations étaient croustillantes et bien amenées

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

If you liked A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan, try Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill

they both include:

lady scientists struggling in a patriarchal system

in-depth explorations of life as a scientist in a pre-Industrial world

chronically ill characters in Victorian-esque settings

[judgeitbyitscover]

The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

Cover illustrations by Todd Lockwood

A Natural History of Dragons (2013)

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.

A Tropic of Serpents (2014)

Attentive readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoir, A Natural History of Dragons, are already familiar with how a bookish and determined young woman named Isabella first set out on the historic course that would one day lead her to becoming the world’s premier dragon naturalist. Now, in this remarkably candid second volume, Lady Trent looks back at the next stage of her illustrious (and occasionally scandalous) career. Three years after her fateful journeys through the forbidding mountains of Vystrana, Mrs. Camherst defies family and convention to embark on an expedition to the war-torn continent of Eriga, home of such exotic draconian species as the grass-dwelling snakes of the savannah, arboreal tree snakes, and, most elusive of all, the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics. The expedition is not an easy one. Accompanied by both an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave oppressive heat, merciless fevers, palace intrigues, gossip, and other hazards in order to satisfy her boundless fascination with all things draconian, even if it means venturing deep into the forbidden jungle known as the Green Hell . . . where her courage, resourcefulness, and scientific curiosity will be tested as never before.

The Voyage of the Basilisk (2015)

Devoted readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoirs, A Natural History of Dragons and The Tropic of Serpents, may believe themselves already acquainted with the particulars of her historic voyage aboard the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk, but the true story of that illuminating, harrowing, and scandalous journey has never been revealed—until now. Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found. From feathered serpents sunning themselves in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics, these creatures are a source of both endless fascination and frequent peril. Accompanying her is not only her young son, Jake, but a chivalrous foreign archaeologist whose interests converge with Isabella’s in ways both professional and personal. Science is, of course, the primary objective of the voyage, but Isabella’s life is rarely so simple. She must cope with storms, shipwrecks, intrigue, and warfare, even as she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons.

In the Labyrinth of Drakes (2016)

Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent's expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries. As is so often the case in the career of this illustrious woman, the public story is far from complete. In this, the fourth volume of her memoirs, Lady Trent relates how she acquired her position with the Royal Scirling Army; how foreign saboteurs imperiled both her work and her well-being; and how her determined pursuit of knowledge took her into the deepest reaches of the Labyrinth of Drakes, where the chance action of a dragon set the stage for her greatest achievement yet.

Within the Sanctuary of Wings (2017)

After her adventure in the mountains of Vystrana, and her exploits in the depths of Eriga, to the high seas aboard The Basilisk, and then to the deserts of Akhia, the Lady Trent has captivated hearts along with fierce minds. This concluding volume will finally reveal the truths behind her most notorious adventure - scaling the tallest peak in the world, behind the territory of Scirland's enemies - and what she discovered there, within the Sanctuary of Wings.

[bookishfae]

i understand isabella camherst bc i too would marry a man who had a library and shared my hyperfixation

[brothermouse-skeleton]

Finally gonna finish reading a series that's best described as "autistic woman (who's special interest is dragons) lives in a world that has dragons. She makes a career of studying dragons, but goddamn global politics and sexism keep getting in her way."

It's great because she's, like, one of five people in the world who's actually stoked about dragons and she'll do anything to study them from hang gliding to getting gay married to a stranger.

[sunlitsorrows]

“One benefit of being an old woman now, and moreover one who has been called a "national treasure," is that there are very few who can tell me what I may and may not write.”

oh no i love this lady

“Be warned, then: the collected volumes of this series will contain frozen mountains, foetid swamps, hostile foreigners, hostile fellow countrymen, the occasional hostile family member, bad decisions, misadventures in orienteering, diseases of an unromantic sort, and a plenitude of mud.”

oh no i love this lady

“If you do not understand what my husband has called my deranged practicality very little of my life will make the slightest bit of sense.”

oh no i love this lady

[elliepassmore]

Turning Darkness Into Light review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: dragons, linguistics, light/dark academia, multimedia narrative

A Natural History of Dragons review

Tropic of Serpents review

Voyage of the Basilisk review

In the Labyrinth of Drakes review

Within the Sanctuary of Wings review

This book stands as a companion/sequel to the rest of the Lady Trent memoirs. It takes place while Isabella is publishing her memoirs and focuses on her granddaughter, Audrey, who is a linguist specializing in Draconean. While I do think you could read this book without having read the rest of the series (stuff is explained as it comes up and for the most part the two focus on separate things), it does 100% spoil Within the Sanctuary of Wings and the series' 'big reveal,' so bear that in mind. I will also note that there are no dragons in this book, it's all focused on the Draconean stuff.

I was super excited to see a book focusing on linguistics since it played such a big role in the later Lady Trent books. Suhail makes a lot of really big discoveries alongside Isabella and so we got to read about those, but it only whet my appetite for more Draconean linguistics. That being said, I wish we got more of the nitty gritty aspects of linguistics and translating ancient languages. I know getting too into it would probably make it boring for readers not interested in that field, but as a linguist I so desperately wanted all the 'boring' details. I did find it interesting and fun that Brennan decided to model ancient Draconean orthography more on Akkadian and Sumerian than Egyptian, despite the rest of the ancient Draconean culture + the Cataract Stone being modeled on the latter. Akkadian/Sumerian is notoriously difficult to read and translate, especially if you're not an expert, and it doesn't really change anything else, so it makes sense to use that as the basis for Audrey and Kudshayn's work here.

At this point in time, Draconeans were discovered ~40 years prior, giving people enough time to form opinions and biases about them. The desire for ancient Draconean artifacts hasn't died down, and with the upcoming Falchester Conference to determine the fate of the Sanctuary of Wings and Draconeans as a whole, there's a new boom for them. Despite that, there are some people who are neutral, some who support the Draconeans, and some who dislike them. The latter group can be split into different fields of thought: Calderites who think Draconeans are lesser than humans and should stay in the Sanctuary, and Hadamists who think Draconeans mean the end of human civilization and want them dead. Both Draconean supporters and haters are out in full force with the upcoming conference, and some are eager to see what the translated tablets have to say, if only to use them against the other side.

The book is told in a multimedia style, with snippets from Audrey, Kudshayn, and Cora's diaries; newspaper articles; translated tablets; and letters. I really liked this method of telling the story since it allows us to get a much fuller look at everything going on during the course of the story. It's also interesting because it provides us with a number of different narrative styles, and I enjoyed how this storytelling technique nods to the topic of the book. I also liked that Brennan included the translations as Audrey and Kudshayn made them since we got to see the story unfold alongside them and we got to see some of their notes about the translation, some of which come back later on as plot points.

Audrey is clearly very passionate about linguistics and Draconean rights (obviously), and it's clear she's got the Trent/Camherst passion in her. At the same time, she has to juggle with the knowledge that she's being compared against her other illustrious family members -- from Isabella and Suhail to her father and mother -- and wants to achieve her own greatness. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but neither did Isabell, and I enjoyed seeing the dynamic of her trying to pursue her passions, live up to her family name, and 'do what grandmama would do.'

Kudshayn is a Draconean whose mother purposefully laid her clutch in a different environment in order to experiment with Draconean developmental lability with the hopes of ensuring Draconeans can live among humans and not just in the Sanctuary of Wings. Kudshayn, being a male Draconean, is a scholar and a priest, thus the translation is important to him as well as to Audrey. Kudshayn has a lot to grapple with in the book, from the upcoming vote about whether the Sanctuary should be recognized as independent and Draconeans free to roam, to the new religious insights found in the tablet, to the rocky history of human-Draconean relations. He's fairly quiet and sensible, but he also understands a lot about people and is forgiving when something is a genuine mistake vs. malicious intent.

Cora is Lord Gleinheigh's niece, tasked with being Audrey's assistant and with spying on her. Cora is autistic coded, though considering the time period, no one comes out and says it. Poor Cora is stuck between somewhat of a rock and a hard place -- she feels indebted to her uncle and so she spies on Audrey + Kudshayn, but at the same time she becomes friends with them and doesn't necessarily want to do it. Cora is quite clever and while she can't translate Draconean as well as the other two, she actually makes some decent headway and is able to pick some of it up quickly. I did enjoy her frustration with the more confusing or intricate aspect of ancient Draconean orthography. Cora comes into herself in this book and becomes quite the little advocate for herself. I really liked seeing her friendship with the other two (and a little hint in The Long Fall of how the three are still connected.)

Overall I enjoyed this book and think it's a great companion to the Lady Trent memoirs. I liked Audrey as a character and enjoyed following her journey in this book. I also really loved the linguistic aspect of things and am glad that we got a book focused on Draconean translations and linguistics.

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

TOP CHARACTER OF ALL TIME (bigcats-birds-and-books edition)

hi yes hello @asexualbookbird tagged me to do the TOP FAVE CHARACTERS thing. in the name of Gender Balance (with a pivot point of "N/A"), i have gone with seven (7) options for you all to vote on. choose wisely.

(no non-option option, if you don't know any of these people but still want to push a button, show laverne some love, i think she'll need it most and she's a fucking delight)(and then go check out NOTHING BUT THE RAIN, because it's SO GOOD)

i tag: @sixofravens-reads, @emoclone, @e-b-reads, and @pyr0clast, if you wanna play!! no pressure, as always

[godzilla-reads]

After finishing Brass Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham, I’m still on a dragon kick (what’s new?) so I started reading A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. I really enjoy the writing so far.

[ice-connoisseur]

I need more people to read the Memoirs of Lady Trent

So that I can flail about them. They have EVERYTHING; pseudo-Victorian society, natural history as a developing science, dragons, the barriers imposed by class and sex to pursue a life in that world and the sacrifices necessary to do so, queer characters (there's a self-described asexual character with a big role in the second book and a genderqueer character in the third), more dragons - different species of dragons, dragons as their own evolutionary taxonomy - women building their own networks to support other women, lady engineers, one of the most important relationships in the series is a deep and abiding male/female platonic friendship, but there is also an achingly beautiful slow-build romance story that I really want to shout about more but I can't because spoilers. There are maps in every book, and examples of Lady Trent's sketches, and the cover art alone makes them books work having on a shelf. Not to mention the dragons. And also the invention of paragliding. The importance of the paragliding cannot be understated.

They are wonderful, and underrated, and not at all like the Queen's Thief and yet I get such Queen's Thief vibes reading them...Basically, if you need something good to read this summer, I have a suggestion.

[terapsina]

#2 for the book worm ask game!

(ask game)

2. Favorite fantasy book(s).

(Eeeeexcellent, I do love fantasy books. Though how I'm gonna narrow it to only a few I've got no idea. Okay. I'm going to remove the very obvious choices like Lord of the Rings (though it is one of my faves)).

---

Monstrous Regiment. I love the entire Discworld series (especially The Witches) but I've also got a huge soft spot in my heart for Terry Pratchett's take on 'a girl dresses like a boy to go to war' (and thinks of everything except some spare socks in- erm... the right place). Along with Polly, the squad consists of a vampire, a troll, an Igor, a religious fanatic and two very, very close "friends" (and yes, the official summary put the friends in quotes too). And everyone has their own secret.

I love basically everything about this book and I can't tell you guys any of it because it would spoil all the fun.

The Goblin Emperor. This one's a story filled with light. Maia the half goblin son of the elven Emperor was never supposed to take the throne (or to ever even be at court. because racism). And then everyone ahead of him dies in a single "accident" and suddenly he's the new Emperor. Maia is a good person, and a kind one, and despite everything that gets thrown at him he keeps hold of that understanding of right and wrong and refuses to bend.

(I have to mention that the language of the writing is kinda hard to get into in the beginning, and the characters's have very complicated and long names, but once you get into it it really did enhance the story for me).

Good Omens. An Angel and a Demon try to stop the apocalypse and instead lose the Antichrist. I've loved that book for like a decade now and if I don't put it on a list of my faves that list would be a lie.

The King of Attolia. Third in The Queen's Thief series and my favorite one out of all of them. I've always enjoyed Outsider POV in fics. And here is a book that just... proves why. We've got Eugenides and Irene, the Thief and the Queen, and we know them from the two previous books. And adore them. But the story isn't from their POV, it's from the POV of Costis, a Queen's guard who's suddenly gotten assigned to the King. The useless, weak, undeserving king that as far as Costis is concerned doesn't deserve to even kiss the Queen's boots. And it's hilarious to read the story from the eyes of someone who knows so much less than us. And so satisfying, as he begins to understand.

(I recommend the whole series and am personally glad to have read them in the published order but Megan Whalen Turner has stated that she wrote them in a way that allows you to jump in at any point you want).

The Raven Tower. The story is from the viewpoint of a sentient, omniscient rock whose name is Strength and Patience of the Hill and it is the GREATEST THING EVER. The gods are real and must be very careful with their words, because if they speak a lie the reality will alter to make that lie the truth but if the lie is bigger than the power of the god... well. Inspired by Hamlet.

(the book also has a trans man as the main character; the other main character? The sentient rock is the narrator but the largest part of the story focuses on Eolo).

A Natural History of Dragons. The first book from The Memoirs of Lady Trent (and honestly it would probably be more honest to say that every single book from this series fits the category of fave but I'm putting up the first here because this isn't a series where you should skip ahead). The book focuses on the life of Isabella as narrated by her older self. This is the story how a Scirland lady bucked all tradition and became a world renowned expert on the Natural History of Dragons.

(this series has a piece of my heart and always will).

---

(and finally, here's some more of my favorite fantasy books that I also adore and would totally ramble about but I got tired of typing).

[alderdixon]

Book Report: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

I adored this book! I'm always such a sucker for an in-fiction non-fiction book, and this fictional memoir is just wonderful in how it handles its voice. The dragon naturalism is so well-realised, and there are just enough references to the fictional present day that it kept me in that reality without it being intrusive. I loved the unfolding mystery and the characters. Can't wait to read the next volumes!

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

People in the Lady Trent Memoirs fandom: please may I have some help? I am currently reading Tropic of Serpents (really enjoying it!) but I think I’ve got some timeline stuff mixed up in my head.

Do we know how old Isabella is by time of writing? And do we know what the social scene in Scirland has developed to look like by that stage?

Because based on the descriptions of Scirland (mostly in the first book) I’ve been assuming that in the time she grew up in it was similar to England in the late 19th Century, and therefore that the time she lives in as she writes is more similar to that of the early to mid 20th Century. This seems to line up with some details, such as the implication that the society she lives in now is more progressive but there’s still a social taboo around subjects like periods or female sexual pleasure, but there are some details like Isabella’s assurance to the reader that although she always wore trousers on her expeditions she would never wear them at home, except one occasion when she was very drunk, that make me doubt the accuracy of that assumption.

Am I mistakenly being too rigid in applying my own country’s progression to a fantasy world? (I do feel like that’s easy to do in a world set up with such distinct cultural similarities to my own, especially with specific details like Isabella quoting “would that I were a man” and attributing to a fantastical source for the purpose of the novel) Or, equally possible, is my lack of history knowledge to blame?

Anyway if anyone has any thoughts they’d be appreciated, but no spoilers please! I’m about 80% of the way through book 2. Love to y’all <3

[logictoinsanity]

Isabella Camherst is the most autistic, aro ace bitch I've ever heard of, and while I will not be accepting questions at this time, I am only on the second book, so im open to growth and fluidity. she's 100% autistic and queer though, I'll fight u on that