From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

A Natural History of Dragons (The Memoirs of Lady Trent, #1)

Marie Brennan

Start date: December 1, 2013

Finish date: December 31, 2013

Discussion: 2013 Reads

Why we're reading this: The main selection for this month.
[close] The main selection for this month.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 297 topics — 6,650 comments total

2013 Reads

ANHoD: Looking to buy Within the Sanctuary of Wings in Paperback
By Tracey · 6 posts · 42 views

last updated Aug 24, 2018 05:13PM

OMW: BrainPals
By Hershel · 89 posts · 543 views

last updated Apr 07, 2018 02:35PM

showing 10 of 32 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Dec 05, 2013 Veronica Belmont rated it it was amazing

Shelves: alternate-history, sword-and-laser, fantasy

**SPOILERS**

A Natural History of Dragons is the story of Isabella (or Lady Trent, who functions as the story's narrator in her later years). A curious and tomboyish girl who grows up to be fascinated by the Dragon species. This book is different from most traditional takes on the dragon theme, since it's really more like an alternate history story that just happens to feature dragons in it, as opposed to something more high fantasy.

I read a few complaints in the S&L forums that since the narrat ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

May 21, 2014 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dragons, fantasy, 2015, audio

4.5 Stars

A Natural History of Dragons is a faux memoir set in a Victorian like era where women are meant to be wed, not galavanting after dragons in the wild.

Lady Trent is an intrepid young woman who has a scientific curiosity in dragonkind, and eventually learns to push boundaries to follow her heart as much as possible. I loved that this book was written as a memoir because we get a real since of voice for Isabella, and come to know her as an intelligent and strong willed woman capable of get ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2018 Melani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-earth

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan is what happens when you take a curious minded scientific woman in a time when women weren’t supposed to be scientific or curious, like Marie Curie for example, and drop her in a world where dragons exist. It’s awesome. Set in a faux Victorian England this is the autobiography of the world famous dragon expert Lady Isabella Trent, or it’s the first part of her autobiography. I loved every second of this book.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 13, 2016 Justin rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, dragons

I got everything I wanted out of this book: a Regency-ish tale of manners mashed up with fantasy in a way that actually feels seamless and compelling (in contrast to the ham-handed repurposed classics from a few years back). Lady Trent is a strong protagonist, and Brennan draws a wonderful distinction between the witty curmudgeon narrating the book and the headstrong, naive younger self she describes. The dragons themselves are bit players rather than stars, but that worked for me; there was eno ...more

Like · see review