Even if it’s hard, even if it’s dangerous. I don’t care. I need to see where my wings can carry me.
A Natural History of Dragons
by Marie Brennan
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy
About: Isabella has always been fascinated with dragons. Or any creature really that can fly. And not in a dreamy, wistful way, but in a needing-to-study-the-anatomy-and-understand-the-how-and-why kind of way. Which is to say, not in a ladylike way. But she's been lucky with her choice of husband and when a chance comes by to go on a research expedition specially to study dragons, he doesn't leave her behind.
Thoughts
This seems like a niche read, being both cosy fantasy and historical fiction, but actually I think it would suit a lot of readers. I'm not quite one of them. But the characters are endearing, the world fully realised and the writing is truly great. It's at times humorous, heart-felt and dedicated to pulling you into this remarkable life with the sheer detail and commitment you get to characters' lives and the overall setting.
It's a very impressive and unique book. I just didn't love it. So although I could appreciate the writing style, it was ultimately a bit too rambling and slow paced for my preference. It felt like a real person talking about real experiences they had, but Isabella has that type of personality that says a thousand words when ten will do. I listened to this as an audiobook and I could often switch my focus without losing anything of what was going on.
It was also sold to me as Jane Austen with dragons and it really is not that vibe. Isabella isn't like any Austen heroine, the romance is sweet but certainly not centre stage, and there isn't that same dry wit. The book has fun moments, but it isn't a satire or study of human nature. It leans more heavily into historical fiction than anything else.
Overall, I would really love to see a TV or movie version of this as I think that would work really well, but as a read it was drawn out a bit too long for me.
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