Often, the writing of early naturalists is a nice mix of travel diary and science. A Natural History of Dragons; A memoir by Lady Trent is reminiscient of these early naturalists. Posessed with a keen sense of scientific curiosity, Lady Trent’s story of how she became one of the most respected dragon experts in the world is a fascinating one.
“Microscopes are fiddly things; it took endless minute adjustments of the knobs before I had a clear image.”
The realism of the character and the world she inhabits (reminiscent of Edwardian era England) is such that you might almost forget it is fiction… except for the dragons.
Why is this on our bookshelf?
Although dragons are a staple of geeky culture, taking dragons and setting them in a realistic scenario and pairing them with biology and scientific thought is even geekier. Down to reminding readers of the fundamentals of scientific thought, this adventure is a perfectly geeky one.
Rating (5 stars)
As soon as I finished A Natural History of Dragons, I remember being irritated and dissatisfied. I was ready to dock it one star when I realized I was only upset with it because I wanted more. I want more!
From the very beginning I was enthralled with the realism and detail and entranced with the narrating character, Lady Trent. Adventure, love, danger, and sorrow– this book has it all.
Read this book:
to learn the real person behind world-reknowned dragon specialist Lady Trent.
Don't Read this book:
If you were looking for a biology textbook-style overview of dragon physiology.
Once you're done, do this:
Dream of a sequel.
