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#84: A Natural History of Dragons - Marie Brennan

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.


  • Series: Natural History of Dragons (Book 1)
  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Tor Books; F First Edition edition (February 5, 2013)
  • ISBN: 9780765331960
  • AMAZON US   |   AMAZON CA


Author Bio:
Marie Brennan is an anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for material. She most recently misapplied her professors' hard work to the Onyx Court historical fantasy series (Midnight Never Come, In Ashes Lie, A Star Shall Fall, and With Fate Conspire). She is also the author of the doppelanger duology of Warrior and Witch, the urban fantasy Lies and Prophecy, the upcoming adventure A Natural History of Dragons, and more than forty short stories.

When she's not obsessing over historical details too minute for anybody but her to care about, she practices shorin-ryu karate and pretends to be other people in role-playing games (which sometimes find their way into her writing).


REVIEW:
This is one of those books, that when you open it up you have to let your imagination run wild. You cannot be close-minded at all.
Now, imagine for one minute that dragons exist.
They would need to be studied, much like everything else in the world, to be understood. As we study things, we are better able to coexist.
If dragons were real, this would be one-hell-of-an account from a female historian. It would be as close to an animal expedition as one could get.
Though I am not convinced this book is for everyone. Fantasy and Sci-fi fans will enjoy it I think, possibly even historical fans, just not die-hard romantics. There is nothing romantic about this story in the least.


3/5

Comments

  1. yay! dragons. actually picked this up for my daughter awhile ago due to its awesome cover.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like fun! Would go well with Dragonology:
    http://guiltlessreading.blogspot.ca/2012/02/book-tour-dragonology-by-ernest-drake.html

    ReplyDelete

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