The Tropic of Serpents

The Memoirs of Lady Trent #2

by Marie Brennan

The thrilling adventure of Lady Trent continues in Marie Brennan's The Tropic of Serpents . . .

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Historical

331 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2014

About the author

Marie Brennan a.k.a. M.A. Carrick

Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for material. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of M.A. Carrick, she is also the author of The Mask of Mirrors, first in the Rook and Rose trilogy. For more information, visit swantower.com, Twitter @swan_tower, or her Patreon.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy provided by the author's agent—Zeno Literary Agency—in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

The Tropic of Serpents precisely portrayed why I hate jungles.

“There is no faster way to harden my determination than to assume I will fail at something.”

I felt lukewarm about A Natural History of Dragons. The first book in Memoirs of Lady Trent had a memorable first half but somehow faltered in quality for the remaining half. I heard from many readers and fans of the series that The Memoirs Lady Trent is a series that keeps getting better and better with each book. And although not by much, I do concur that The Tropic of Serpents, the second book in The Memoirs of Lady Trent, is indeed a superior volume. It is consistently readable with a few moments of boredom.

“Science is not separate from politics. As much as I would like it to be a pure thing, existing only in some intellectual realm unsullied by human struggle, it will always be entangled with the world we live in.”

You know the drill here. If you have read the first book of the series, you’d know what to expect when it comes to the matter of narration. Despite my mixed feelings about A Natural History of Dragons, I did mention that I had a wonderful time reading Brennan’s prose. Lady Trent’s memoir, or narration, is so distinct. And the consistency of quality in that is improved further in The Tropic of Serpent. In this book, three years have passed since the end of A Natural History of Dragons. The next stage of Isabella’s journey takes her on an expedition to the war-torn continent of Eriga, where exotic draconian species such as the grass-dwelling snakes of the savannah, arboreal tree snakes, and, most elusive of all, the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics exists. The expedition, as you can predict, 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 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.

“Would that I were a man… Except that I do not wish I were a man. I only wish that being a woman did not limit me so.”

As I said at the beginning of this review, I am not a fan of the jungles. The jungle is one of my least favorite settings in books. In real life, it is one of the locations in our world that I feel most reluctant to visit. Isabella’s journey proved this notion further, and I am not even talking about the terrifying existence of dragons. But the unbearable heat, the insects, the unfriendly environment, and everything about adventuring in a jungle feel deadly and uninteresting to me. However, please do not assume my dislike of the jungle led to decreased reading enjoyment. I have read many epic fantasy books with the characters venturing through a jungle or forest, and those alone are not influential enough to impact my rating of the novel. One of the two critics I have, or preference, on The Tropic of Serpents is the lack of dragons in a supposedly dragon-centric series.

“Give me dragons any day; I understand their ways far better than those of my fellow human beings. We make our world much too complicated”

I totally understand that dragons in this world are relatively rare and difficult to find. But for a series focused on dissecting and analyzing dragons, their appearances are very few in between. It has been two books in the series, and it seems like they are just background figures for Isabella to develop as a character. To pursue her dream. The benefit from this, though... Isabella develops well as a character when she is forced to admit personal guilt and what she wants as an individual in The Tropic of Serpents. I truly enjoyed that. The second issue I had with the series is that I wish there was more tension in the series. At least in the climax sequence! It is true this is not an epic fantasy series, but the first two books did not succeed at sparking in me a sense of urgency or danger in the characters or situation. The Memoirs of Lady Trent felt like a cozy or comfortable fantasy to read. And when I reached the last page of The Tropic of Serpent, it felt like the book ended with no satisfying closure. If you approached this series expecting a shred of sense of danger in Isabella’s adventure, you might be disappointed.

“One does not cease to treasure a gem simply because one owns another that is larger.”

So yes. At the end of the day, I still feel mixed about The Memoirs of Lady Trent. But overall, The Tropic of Serpents was a slight improvement over A Natural History of Dragons. Despite my grievances with the series about the lack of dragons and palpable danger, Brennan’s writing and Isabella’s voice felt distinct and incredibly enjoyable to read. Lastly, it goes without saying the beautiful cover art and ten interior illustrations from Todd Lockwood helped amplify the compelling factor of the narrative for me. Will I continue to the third book? Maybe. But I must say, it is not urgent for now. I am, however, intrigued to read the Rook and Rose trilogy that Brennan co-wrote with Alyc Helms as M.A. Carrick. It is highly possible that Rook and Rose trilogy, based on what I heard, would be more suitable to my reading taste. So, who knows? I will see what my reading mood decides.

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[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted only to study dragons, but first I had to get past the humans...

Three years ago, Lady Trent was finally granted the ability to study dragons in the field.

She had a wonderful set of adventures with her husband in Vystranna and made many discoveries to push the bounds of knowledge regarding dragons.

Just as her adventures came to a close, she loses her husband and gains a child.

Three years later, Lady Trent now feels well enough to resume her studies...but unfortunately, high society thinks differently.

Few question the widower's decision, but everyone questions the widow's

Heedless of everyone's warnings, she sets off to the tropics - to study the draconian world - and what she finds will shock her to her very core.

Whew, book two of this series and I'm ecstatic.

I absolutely LOVE this premise - the way the world is built so much like our own (except for the addition of dragons) and I love Lady Trent (picture Jane Goodall but with fire-breathing beasts).

I do wish these books focused more on the dragons, and less on the politics.

But I think I feel like that purely because whenever I see "dragons" I get obsessed and just tune out everything else.

This book has a wonderfully fleshed out world - complete with cultures, countries and more - and I did have a bit of trouble remembering all of the languages, names and places when reading the book.

Though, when I listened to the audiobook, I found that most of those troubles went away (whew!).

I cannot wait for the next one!!

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[Chantal Lyons · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels like a betrayal to give this book so low a rating, when I loved the first one so much - but rate low I must.

The main problem is, there is not enough about dragons. Instead, there is A LOT about foreign politics, and A LOT of names. And, quite frankly, I didn't give a damn about any of it. Sure, it felt realistically crafted, but I don't see why the author couldn't have guided Isabella away it much earlier than she did. On something like page 190, Wilker says "I think we ought to get to the dragons now" - as if the characters themselves were aware of the tedium!

I rarely find books 'boring'. I may find them badly written, or annoying, but barely boring. Yet I found this one so for the majority of its length. There are some lovely moments spent with the dragons, but far too few. A few chapters of brilliance couldn't make up for the morass of tedium they were surrounded by. Even the end wasn't particularly good; there was no real sense of urgency, for Isabella recounted much of it in summary.

I will still buy the next book, because I hope that the author will not want to repeat herself by focusing again on foreign politics, but I feel rather cheated to have waited a year for something so disappointing.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

As someone who loves the natural sciences and is fascinated with the study of animal behavior, I remember being thrilled to discover the exquisiteness of Marie Brennan's A Natural History of Dragons. I'd been skeptical when I first picked it up, though. Written in the form of a memoir by the protagonist Lady Trent, I still recall wondering to myself how interesting could this book possibly be if it's just going to be nothing more than a fictional old lady waxing nostalgic about a life of studying and research? But hey, dragons!

Needless to say, the book took me by surprise. By the last page, I was completely in love with the character of Isabella Camherst before she became the venerable Lady Trent. The unique and convincing narrative style added so much to the story, and I could feel her passion for dragons in every single word. I practically did a dance when I found out that a second novel was in the works, called The Tropic of Serpents which would chronicle the next chapter of Isabella's pursuit of draconic knowledge by focusing on her time in the swampy jungles of war-torn Eriga.

"I set to work making a place for myself in Society, even if it was not the place Society intended for me." ~pg. 328

Like the first book, The Tropic of Serpents is a tale of adventure, but it also explores the role of women in a society where the world of academia is still almost exclusively male. Isabella bucks social conventions to pursue her dream of studying dragons, while dealing with criticism as well as her own guilt for putting her research ahead of her family. There is a fine balance of emotional gravity to go along with the action and adventure in these books, something I relished. The narration also has an honest quality to it that's really grown on me, suggestive of a "bare all" attitude from someone who knows she has contributed much to the field and is too old now in any case to give a crap about what anyone might think of her. Very refreshing!

Despite their similarities, there are a lot of differences between the two novels as well. Given that they are written in the form of a memoir, the many changes that occur over the course of this book lend a great deal of realism to Isabella's character. After all, the aspects of one's life do not remain static over time. Accordingly, we see growth in the character in terms of her personality, but also in her relationships with her companions and even in her scientific knowledge.

Which probably makes this a good time for me to bring up that I feel these books are about more than just dragons. The story is about Isabella's life. It's about her love of dragons and science. It's also about the world she lives in, including its peoples, cultures, and politics. To tell the truth, the sequel is conspicuously light when it comes to any dragon action. There's quite a bit of set up leading to Isabella's expedition into the jungle known as the Green Hell, and once there, the record of the time she spends among the native Moulish people made sections of this novel read more like an ethnography. Of course, I was an Anthropology major so I ate this all up, but I also have to echo the thoughts of many others and agree that the first book featured a greater emphasis on dragons, while this one dabbled more in the history and politics of the setting.

Nevertheless, I am having a lot of fun with this series. There are details hinting at so much more to come in Lady Trent's long and accomplished life and I hope to read about all her adventures. Anyone who has a deep passion or commitment to a calling will find a kindred spirit in the main character; it's truly wonderful to find a strong female protagonist with such powerful conviction and presence.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The continuation of the Lady Naturalist by way of her memoir progresses as one might expect: a brief, lightning-fast 3-year recovery back at home and then the announcement of another trip to study DRAGONS.

This time, in the jungle. The tropics.

For the most part, I enjoyed the tale on the same level I usually enjoy popcorn fiction of any ilk. It's never very difficult, it's full of sensationalist elements, and it focuses on adventure.

Indeed, it's the adventure, including all the illnesses, broken bones, and getting tied up and needing to escape one or another band of locals that takes up most of the tale. Add in a little political intrigue, a smattering of dragons, and what we've really got here is a tale of character building and culture clash.

It's lite fare, but there's nothing wrong with that. I did appreciate the focus on HELPING the natives rather than EXPLOITING them. ;)

[Diamond Cowboy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book about the study of dragons. I enjoyed reading it.

[Sanaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

[5 Stars] I'm in love with this series, so in love. I can hardly contain my excitement for the third book which comes out later this year. I will begin this review by saying I loved this volume just as much as the last and that this book series is not for everyone. I repeat this book series is not for everyone. That being said let's move on to my thoughts.

I think the main problem most people have with this series is that it is too boring and that it doesn't have enough dragons in it. I admit, this book had less dragons in the writing than the first one (though more dragons in the general story if that makes any sense) and it was more focused on politics, cultural anthropology, adventure, and colonialism. If those things don't interest you, then you will probably find this book a little boring. Being intrigued by anthropology myself, I was fascinated by the different people Lady Trent meets, the different cultures she lives in, the politics she gets thrust into, and the dragons she wishes to learn more about. It is evident that Marie Brennan has really done her research and this fantasy alternate history is extremely well written and rich with depth. I also really loved the adventuring and trekking these characters do and the overall sense of wonder Lady Trent's travels invoke in me.

Now, let's talk about the dragons. Yes, this series doesn't have dragons in every chapter. No, you will not be finding characters commanding dragons, riding dragons, battling dragons, speaking to dragons, no, no, no. That is simply not the kind of book this is. If you think of how field study works for primatologists for example, they observe primates without interfering with them. Lady Trent is rather like a primatologist but for dragons rather than primates, and because of such you have to understand there is not much actual interaction between the dragons and Lady Trent. Also, dragons are often larger predators, and it would make sense that you would not encounter one in the wild every five minutes. It is for these reasons that I love the way dragons are handled in this book. Marie Brennan really comes at things with a scientific perspective which is just fabulous.

That being said. I adored this book. It is a little drier than the first one and perhaps doesn't really get going until about a quarter of the way through, but I absolutely adore it. If you found what I mentioned above even remotely interesting, then I implore you to pick up this series. I absolutely love it!

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into the first book in this series, so I was a little hesitant going into this one. And it did take me a chapter or so to get back into the world. But after that, I sped through this.

This is essentially a historical fiction series with added dragons where all the place names and cultural names have been changed. The main character, Isabella, is basically a Definitely Not Victorian Era lady explorer. She's fiercely independent and fascinated by dragons. In this installment, she goes to Definitely Not Africa in search of swamp-wyrms.

Isabella is a great character. I love the reflective nature of the story - the series is basically written by Old Lady Isabella looking back on her adventures over the years. I love how frank she is about periods, about the weird shit she had to eat, about the dangers she experienced, about what she learns about the various cultures she encounters, about her fears regarding motherhood.

The occasional illustrations are GORGEOUS, and I loved that Isabella's assistant, Natalie, is asexual (though obviously she doesn't have the words to say it).

Essentially? If you like dragons and historical fiction? Get on this series. Because they're less than $5 each on Kindle. SCORE.

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers for the first book, A Natural History of Dragons.

“Words, I fear, will again fail me as I attempt to describe the environment into which we now entered. But words are what I have, along with my humble
line drawings, and so I must employ my tools as best I can. For it is important that you have a clear sense in your mind of the world I inhabited for the better part of the next seven months, and keep it always in your thoughts as you read of the events that transpired there.”

The Tropic of Serpents is the second volume in the Memoirs of Lady Trent series by Marie Brennan and this instalment made me fall even further in love with Isabella and her adventures.

Vystrana may have been an expedition full of danger and deep sorrow but the tragedy that occurred there has not dampened Isabella Camherst’s passion for studying dragons. This time Isabella along with her companion, Natalie and fellow researcher Mr Wilker head to war-torn Eriga where swamp wyrms reside. She once again defies social conventions, faces scandalous rumours and shows the world that women too can make great achievements. Though this is not the biggest hardship Isabella encounters, that was only the beginning of her journey. Once in Eriga Isabella truly realises what an unforgiving place they have entered, one which has much political strife and an even more dangerous and hostile environment within its forbidden territory known as, the Green Hell. Throughout, Isabella is put to the test and shows just how far she’ll go to satisfy her curiosity.

There are many feminist themes explored throughout this novel and one of the main ones is motherhood. Isabella Camherst’s forthcoming departure for Eriga delves into the ever challenging relationship she has with her mother. Her and her mother have never quite seen eye to eye, and the very notion of her widowed daughter leaving her son, Jacob, behind to head into treacherous territory is more than her mother can stand. Isabella often recounts how her feelings for her son are complicated. She’s not the nurturing sort, she’s not filled with a deep attachment but she does love him dearly. Brennan shows how complex motherhood can be and there is not a necessarily right way to be a mother. For Isabella, being restricted because of her son could do more harm to their relationship than her leaving for a time. It is not that Isabella is heartless, or does not worry about Jacob should she perish, in fact she leaves him in good hands, it is that she doesn’t want to be defined as only a mother, she has ambitions and means to see them fulfilled. Just as Natalie, Isabella’s friend and Lord Hilford’s granddaughter, doesn't want to be defined or forced into marriage by her father. These two women together defy the expectations placed upon them and follow their dreams, which is inspiring to all women out there who feel confined.

“I wanted only to study dragons, but first I had to get past the humans, and I feared they might be a greater danger to me than all the fevers of the tropics combined.”

I’m suitably impressed with Brennan for making menstruation a plot point in this novel. In Bayembe, which is one of the destinations our characters stay in during their expedition in Eriga, women who are on their periods have to stay in an ‘agban’ away from the others until they are ‘clean’. (Yes in many cultures periods are viewed as unclean, even today!) Though Isabella feels this an absurdity and inconvenience to her plans, she complies and uses this time to her advantage and learns the ways of the Yembe people, particularly of the royal line. Here is what I love about Isabella in this book, this is the growth I had wanted to see. In A Natural History of Dragons, Isabella had been quite ignorant of the way of life, the language and superstition of the people native to Vystrana, and was rather put-out when she was expected to follow their customs. In Bayembe Isabella is equipped with basic knowledge of their various languages, their climate and their culture, more importantly though she’s much more willing to learn and be respectful, even if she doesn’t agree.

There is rather a lot of political strife in this book, of which I didn’t mind because it was fascinating to see play out in certain scenes. Though Isabella, Natalie and Mr Wilker try to avoid the war, they inevitably become entangled. We soon discover that Bayembe is made up of various races and they are in conflict with Ikwunde warriors, and although Scirling soldiers are present and offer somewhat aid they are mainly there for their own goals. The politics here does get rather complicated, mostly because a lot of names are thrown at the reader, but it is also an important aspect because when entering a foreign country, even just to observe their nature, it is unavoidable to become aware or even involved in their affairs. We see this more as the group travel into Mouleen known as the Green Hell where the dragons they are here to study largely inhabit.

Now I wouldn’t last two seconds inside the Green Hell with its oppressive humidity, its treacherous bridges, its insect and deadly wildlife, its deadly waters, and yet it was a location I wanted to visit! Mostly because I wanted to see those swamp dragons in all their glory and I’m sure you cannot blame me for loving all kinds of dragons as Isabella herself does. Though the dragons could have featured more, then again I’ll always say that, I loved every moment Isabella observed them. There was a spectacular scene where Isabella goes off gliding to a sacred Moulish location where she stumbles upon a secret of the dragon’s kind, which made me as excited and curious as she was! I also have to note Isabella’s anger and distataste for trophy hunting which a certain M. Velloin partakes in was something I was glad to see included. Isabella may have leniency towards a dragon dying for scientific research to better understand and perhaps help their various breeds but to kill one for sport was something that disgusted her. Which once again echoed my own thoughts too.

“To kill a creature simply to decorate one's study is repellent to me, and I cannot help but be repelled by those who engage in such activity. And that abhorrence is redoubled when the hunter's target is a dragon, for I, as all the world knows, am partisan to their kind.”

The Tropic of Serpents had a little bit of everything from dragons to adventures, hostile environments to complex politics, but at the forefront is one woman’s mission to live out her dream. What’s not to love? This was truly amazing. I’m so excited to see where Brennan will lead Isabella next.

Review copy gifted by Kabriya at Titan Books—thank you for the copy! The entire Memoirs of Lady Trent series is available here:

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been ages since I read A Natural History of Dragons, which meant I was playing catch-up a little with the characters and the situation. I wouldn’t suggest reading it without reading the first book, since it’s an almost continuous narrative — but if it’s just been a while, well, you’ll probably be okay. I got there pretty quickly, once I remembered who all the characters were and how they all related to each other.

As with the first book, it’s fascinating to read this version of our own history, with a female natural historian front and centre. Given the trouble the likes of Mary Anning had, I understand the context a lot better now, though I do find myself thinking that, if anything, it’s a little too easy for Isabella to get where she wants to go. Still, I already criticised the first book for being a little slow, and there are plenty such drawbacks here as well. There’s another interesting meeting with different cultures, and some of the ways that that limits Isabella — but also one surprising way it gives her more opportunities.

I read this much quicker than I read the first book. It’s not exactly “unputdownable”, because you know that Isabella must survive to be writing the memoir, but it is compelling. I especially enjoyed the strengthening of Isabella’s relationship with Tom Wilker, and the way their characters clashed and meshed through the book. Natalie is a fun addition, too: a woman who, like Isabella, wants more than society (and her family) want to give, a woman who is in fact an engineer of some skill.

I’m having a hard time picturing Isabella’s adventures coming to an end after Voyage of the Basilisk, so I’m hoping that I’m misremembering that this is a trilogy… All in all, I’ve gotta say that these books have definitely won my heart now. I might have been doubtful about the first one, but I thoroughly enjoyed the second.

Originally posted here.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot of dragons, but then that was kind of the case with book 1 in this series, too. That's okay since I'm really enjoying Isabella's collisions and bumblings with other cultures. She is sincere, though, in her desire to learn, totally unlike her fellow countrymen, who generally come off like the upper class boors they are, save for Tom and Hilford. This time, Isabella, Tom and a new face, Natalie (engineer in desires) descend into the "Green Hell" in search of swamp worms. Isabella blunders at times in her interactions with others, scandalizing her countrymen back home in Scaerling (sp? I listened to this book so have no idea how many of the names are spelled.) Her earnest bumbling also forges friendships with the Mouline (??) and the King of the nation bordering the Green Hell. It doesn't earn her respect back home, but then, unless it concerns dragons, Isabella doesn't seem all that perturbed by the reactions. Between consorting with Tom, a chemist and a man of a lower class (and clearly worth more than at least 10-20 members of the gentry), and aiding and abetting Natalie's plans to remain unmarried and to work, Isabella continues to pursue her dreams of learning more about dragons.
The author again points out the inequality of the time, in terms of the restrictions on women's comportment. There's a nice outburst from Isabella partway through the book, crying out about how society wants her to behave now that she has a son, versus what she passionately wants to do, which is, of course, to continue to learn more about dragons. Not that much has changed for modern women who want fulfillment in multiple areas of their lives.
While not dragon-heavy, this was a fun listen during many walks in the cold.

[Auntie Terror · Rating 4 out of 5]

still amazing :-) [prtf]

[Samantha (ladybug.books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Didn’t like this one as much as book one but still excited to continue the series.

[Aleshanee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich bin mir sicher, das manche nicht so viel mit den Memoiren dieser unkonventionellen Lady anfangen können, mich hat sie jedoch dieses Mal komplett in den Bann ziehen können! Während beim ersten Band noch eine gewisse Distanz zwischen mir und der Geschichte spürbar war, wusste ich jetzt ganz genau, worauf ich mich einlasse - und so konnte ich es auch vollauf genießen.

Die Handlung spielt ja in einer fiktiven Welt, die von der Zeit her an unser 19. Jahrhundert erinnert. Auch die Gesellschaftsschichten und verschiedene Staaten und Völker sind an unsere angelehnt und ich konnte mich jetzt besser damit auseinandersetzen.

Isabellas Reise führt sie hier auf einen anderen Kontinent und neben traditionellen Unterschieden, denen sie sich wohl oder übel unterordnen muss, hat sie auch mit den Kriegswirren zu kämpfen, die sich in Eriga anbahnen. Ich hatte anfangs etwas Schwierigkeiten, weil viele Namen von Ländern und Völkern erwähnt werden, mit denen ich nichts anfangen konnte, was sich aber im Lauf der Handlung aufgeklärt hat.
Natürlich geht es hauptsächlich wieder um Isabellas Ambitionen als Forscherin und ihren Wissensdrang, alles über die hiesigen Drachenarten zu erfahren. Und sie tut wirklich alles dafür, ob es um unbequeme Kompromisse oder Entbehrungen geht und vor allem ihre Zeit in der "grünen Hölle" hat mich sehr beeindruckt! Der Stil wie sie erzählt ist wirklich gewöhnungsbedürftig, aber wenn man sich damit angefreundet hat, ist es sehr fesselnd und vor allem äußerst anschaulich und lebensecht beschrieben. Sie zögert nie, um ihren Willen durchzusetzen und stellt sich jedem Problem und jeder Angst mit purer Entschlossenheit entgegen.

Sehr interessant fand ich auch, die Sitten und Gebräuche dieser fremden Länder kennenzulernen, vor allem die Lebensphilosophie der Moulish, die sich völlig der Natur angepasst haben und als Nomaden leben. Ihre Art fasziniert mich total und man kann sich da auch einiges für sich selbst herausziehen, wenn man die vielen kleinen Untertöne zu hören bereit ist.

"Hexerei wird vom Bösen im Herzen der Menschen verursacht.
Sie bringt die Welt aus dem Gleichgewicht und macht allen Probleme.
Was auch immer an Bösem in deinem Herzen ist,
du musst es loslassen." S. 237

Lady Trents Ambitionen sind ja vor allem wissenschaftlich geprägt, aber dadurch liegt ihr auch das Überleben der Drachen sehr am Herzen. Die Trophäenjagd auf diese außergewöhnlichen Tiere sind ihr zuwider und natürlich möchte sie auch verhindern, dass das Geheimnis ihrer wirtschaftlichen Nutzung nicht entdeckt wird. Ein Diebstahl von wichtigen Dokumenten zu Beginn des Buches spielt dabei eine große Rolle, der aber während ihrer Reise in den Hintergrund rückt. Ich bin mir aber sicher, dass der noch größere Konsequenzen nach sich trägt und bin gespannt, wie es im dritten Teil weitergeht!

Übrigens sind im ganzen Buch wieder wunderschöne Zeichnungen verschiedener Szenen aufgeführt, die die Eindrücke nochmal umso deutlicher machen. Die gefallen mir sehr gut! Ebenfalls die Karte vorne im Buch, mit der man sich über die örtlichen Begebenheiten orientieren kann.

© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer

Lady Trents Memoiren

1 - Die Naturgeschichte der Drachen
2 - Der Wendekreis der Schlangen
3 - Die Reise der Basilik (ET Juli 2018)
4 - In the Labyrinth of Drakes (Original)
5 - Within the Sanctuary of Wings (Original)

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to admit, mostly because I was so throughly enchanted with A Natural History of Dragons, but I found Marie Brennan's The Tropic of Serpents boring. This is no offense to Brennan's writing. She knows how to use anthropology, archealogy, and history to her advantage. Brennan had me believing that dragons could be biologically possible.

However, Tropic of Serpents is a sophomore slump. It takes place three years after the first one and starts off with a break-in. Someone has broken into the house of the scientist, who Lady Isabella Trent has hired to expand on the dragonbone preservation formula, and stolen his research on the subject. Who did it? I don't know because the book references it again towards the end and it's vague and unsatisfying.

The real story is Isabella's adventure to Eriga to study rare dragons like sea sepents and swamp-wyrms. However, that's not it at because the rare dragons are rarely in the book. The majority of Tropic of Serpents is spent on political matters. Very boring political matters. With very confusing names. Aye.

There were good parts. I did like when, Isabella has to go through a purification process to get rid of her "curse," she is completely honest with herself about her standing in society, her husband's death, and her role in her son's life. It was very good character development.

I liked that she was still in mourning and Brennan didn't feel the need to give her a love interest. I liked the feel of Isabella's world even though I didn't feel that everything in it was particularly intriguing. As always, I loved the illustrations especially the one of the fangfish.

I do hope the third book is better.

[Elwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich liebe die Mischung aus klassischem Entdeckerroman und dem Hauch Fantasy mit Drachen. Obwohl diese hier eher wie seltene Tiere und weniger als mystische Wesen dargestellt werden, bleibt die Faszination. Und die Begeisterung der Hauptfigur ist ansteckend., Ihre Liebe zu Drachen und die Abenteuer, die sie auf der Suche nach Ihnen durchlebt, lassen die Seiten nur so verfliegen. Die politischen Entwicklungen, die mit ihren Reisen manchmal einhergehen, finde ich hingegen nicht so spannend. Dazu werden zu viele unbekannte Länder/Völker zusammengeworfen, über die man zu wenig weiß als dass es einen interessiert. Geht zumindest mir so, aber es nimmt nicht überhand und bleibt angenehm nebensächlich. Die fantastischen Zeichnungen waren jedoch wieder eine wunderbare Ergänzung und geben dem Buch das gewisse Etwas.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweat alongside Isabella as we journey to the jungles.

“Our home will eat you.”

Three years after her last harrowing expedition, Isabella defies both family and convention to embark on her next expedition to the war-torn, jungle continent of Eriga, home to grass-dwelling snakes, tree snakes, and legendary swamp-wyrms.

Accompanied by both an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave oppressive heat, merciless fevers, palace intrigues, gossip, and other dangers.

Whilst others seemed to have found this a huge improvement on the first, I actually thought this was slightly more boring and lack-lustre.

Notably, there is a noticeable lack of dragons in this addition. For a series supposedly focused on dissecting and analysing dragons, their appearances seem allusive. Although I know they are rare, I find they tend to be placeholders for Isabella to pursue her ambitions and independence rather than a scientific exploration.

Like book one, societal expectations seem to take up a lot of this book. As a widow, as a mother, as a potential alliance, as a young woman with her future ahead of her.

“Would that I were a man,’” I said, quoting Sarpalyce’s legend. “Except that I do not wish I were a man. I only wish that being a woman did not limit me so.

Of course, Isabella’s voice remains distinct, particularly aided by the audiobook narration.
Her confidence is more apparent and she is more assertive in her remarks to others and relationships.

In essence, I was just bored. I kept waiting for it to get better as I had been promised… I have continued on, so we will see.
Low three stars.

Bookstagram

[Paperback Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't even remember what happened. Pretty boring compared to book 1.

[Christine PNW · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the third time I’ve read this book, and each time I like it a little bit more. I reread it in preparation for the third book, The Voyage of the Basilisk, because for some reason, I haven’t kept current on this series, in spite of the fact that it is one of my favorites on the strength of the first two books. Books 3 & 4 have been released, and the final book in the series, Within the Sanctuary of Wings, is scheduled for release on April 25.

In terms of the the plot, if you plan to read this series, and you haven’t finished book 1, it’s really impossible to discuss this book without spoiling two significant changes in Isabella’s life. When we left her at the end of book 1, she had just returned from Vystrana, after undertaking her first voyage of discovery as a “naturalist.” She returns, not as a wife, but as a widow, Brennan having conveniently disposed of Jacob, her husband. She also returns pregnant. The Tropic of Serpents picks up three years later, after Isabella’s son is born, as she begins to hunger for dragon-based adventures and discovery once again.

This series is actually more about women in science and in public life than it is about dragons. Dragons are the fiction around which Brennan builds her society, which is modeled on our own, late 19th century, world. Isabella’s scientific aptitude, her ambitious, intrepid nature and her unwillingness to be relegated to a traditional female role is the true north of the series. Everything else is an exploration of this – from her unfeminine interest in dragons (as opposed to more socially acceptable interests like horses or dogs) to her lack of interest in maternal things (which is acceptable in ladies only when their interest is diverted by frivolities, like dresses and gossip). Isabella is a deeply substantive woman, in a culture that doesn’t really know what to do with substantive women. And, aside from Lord Hilford, who manages to see her as a fully-realized human being and more than simply a walking womb, the men who surround her really have no idea what to do with her. She is changing the men she encounters as much as she is changing herself.

Reading that Mike Pence refuses to consume a meal alone with a woman peer immediately after reading this book is a disheartening reminder that, while we’ve come a long way baby, we apparently haven’t come far enough, and that there are still plenty of 21st century men who seem to be unable to view women as anything other than an ambulatory, speech-capable vagina.

On this outing, Isabella heads to the fictional Eriga, which seems to be somewhere in Africa, and gets involved in local politics. She manages to muddle about, immerse herself in the local (native) culture, and accomplish a feat of great environmental conservation all the while coping with a culture that is just as skeptical of women who act like men as her own. She plunges headlong into the swamp known as the Green Hell, and learns to fly, both literally and figuratively. We also meet Natalie, another young woman who is entirely disinterested in a typical female life, and I hope to learn more about Natalie in later books.

I am very excited for the Voyage of the Basilisks, as it sounds very much like the trip that Charles Darwin took on the The Beagle, a voyage that has captured my imagination since the moment I heard about it.

[Allison Hurd · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books make me happy. Petition to have these be the next Bridgerton.

I love that these books cover the parts of the adventure we so often overlook--menstrual cycles, known illnesses that you just have to try to treat, getting cultures wrong but not in a "suddenly there's war" kinda way...

It's just very thoughtful without stopping the flow of the story to harp about anything.

I liked that this one got more into dragon biology and that we met two peoples completely different to the other two cultures we've met! Obviously heavily inspired by travelogues of the time, but highly successful in its mimicry.

CONTENT WARNING: misogyny, kidnapping, torture, lots of bugs, leeches, and snakes, fear of (but no actual) rape, racism (explored)

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5 stars] In case you missed my review of A Natural History of Dragons, I should start out by explaining my love/hate relationship with it. The first half was SO AMAZING that I was certain it was going to be one of my new all-time favorites. However, the longer the story progressed, the more disappointed I became with how things were going. There were two main issues: 1) somewhere along the way, the focus shifted from the dragons and 2) the main character started making harebrained decisions that were way beyond what I would call realistic behavior. To sum it up, I valued the first half at a solid 5 stars and the second half at 1.5 stars. That’s a pretty wide spectrum for a single book.

However, I’m happy to report that The Tropic of Serpents was an even-keel 3 stars the whole way through.

I’ll admit, the end of the first book let me down so much that I was afraid to pick up the sequel. I finally decided to because the author did manage to completely dazzle me for that first half and I had high hopes that she could do it again (and that the second half was just a fluke). Although The Tropic of Serpents started out a bit slow, it eventually grew into the kind of dragon-centric adventure I’d been hoping for!

In Tropic of Serpents, the Lady Trent’s adventures took her to the marshlands where her and her team tried to unravel the mysteries of the swamp dragon (the specific name of which escapes me right now, but you get the gist). It was an awesome adventure and I loved the immersive setting, infusion of local culture, and great interspersal of biology to illustrate how swamp dragons live. I devoured every minute of it. This book went a long way towards reinvigorating my passion for the series and I can honestly say I’m eager to read on.

As for character, Lady Trent did make a few decisions that I would call questionable, but at least this time around they were more plausible. At the basis of it, I genuinely like her character – she’s incredibly passionate about her pursuit of knowledge, she’s brave enough to stand up against societal norms to chase her dreams, she strong enough to stand on her own accomplishments, and she loves dragons (we could totally be besties because of that alone). So when this incredibly intelligent and resourceful woman started making stupid decisions (in the first book), I got hostile. It was incredibly frustrating to try to live vicariously through her when she did that, you know? Like I said though, things were much better in The Tropic of Serpents and I’m extremely hopeful for the next few books.

Overall, Tropic of serpents goes a long way towards reinstating my faith in the series and its overall recommendability. There are certain elements to this series so far that I LOVED… however, it is a bit of a dry read (it didn’t bother me, but I could see how it might other readers). I would definitely recommend it to any fellow geek out there who has ever thought it would be cool to study dragons.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as I expected I would.. but unfortunately not as much as I expected I would. Damn those pesky expectations.

Don't get me wrong though, the story of The Tropic of Serpents was still entertaining but I cannot help but feel a little disappointed with this second installment too. The book definitely had a slow start, which in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case the slow start continued on in a so-so entertaining middle part. As fascinating as the exploration of foreign cultures may be, until two-thirds in I couldn't help but feel that there wasn't all that much interesting happening. Therefore, for me, the last third of the book was definitely its best part as there both plot and action picked up and the ending had a very satisfying conclusion.

I particularly liked that the author didn't forget to pay some attention to Isabella in other respects than as a scientific researcher. It was very interesting to get to know other sides of her; see how her relationship with her family developed post-Jacob and to read about her true feelings towards her child. Furthermore, I was decidedly relieved that the change in her relationship with Tom Wilker didn't take a turn for the roses and candle-lit dinners. It would've been such a cliché given how their acquaintance had started (i.e. detesting each other) and even though I like Tom Wilker as a character, he would've been all wrong for Isabella in that sense I believe.
Except for this installment being a bit on the tedious side in certain places, I also felt more spotlight could have been put on the friendship between Isabella and Nathalie.

So, all in all, an entertaining 3.5 star read but I decided to round down to 3 stars because I rounded the previous book up and this way, both ratings display the contrast of how I experienced both books rather well.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie Brennan is fast becoming one of my favourite writers because she's just so good. This series is completely addictive and as soon as I finish one book I instantly end up going out and buying the next one!

This story takes place a few years after the ending of book #1 which has allowed some of our character the time to gather more funds and set up a new expedition to another land. This time they want to go study in Eriga where there is rumoured to be a war brewing, but there's also some dragon species which need researching. Isabella, our main character (aka. Lady Trent) is a resourceful and artistic young lady who is desperate to contribute to the research and this time she has a new companion called Natalie too. Together they are about to traverse unknown lands and discover new things about the species that dwell there, both draconian and the other animals and humans.

I have to say I seem to just get more enamoured with this series with each one I read. I definitely love the character of Lady Trent and the way she narrates her travels is expert. I also admire Brennan for crafting such believable dragon species and anatomy and also being able to make me imagine these beasts as Isabella tells us about them.

I will say that this is not the series to read if you're not into natural history and paleontology becuase this isn't a 'dragon' book per se. This is much more about Lady Trent's battle to prove herself (a woman) as a natural historian and in the field of dragon research. I love seeing the way she deals with people's stereotypes and misconceptions, and she's got a spark of life and ingenuity for all situations :) 5*s again, highly recommended :)

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great thing about these books is that because they all take place in different locations, I find it much easier to remember what happened in each book, and the actual movement of the plot even months later, not something that is common for me anymore. Aging is so fun. I'm glad because this is the last book I read in April and I'm only now getting around to reviewing this.

This book follows Lady Trent's first expedition as a scholar and a naturalist rather than as a wife of a scholar. Due to travel time and the nature of the work itself, she expects to be away from home for almost two years, and knows she might not come back at all. This time around they're headed into the swamps of Eriga, and she has her colleague Tom with her, and a young woman named Natalie who is essentially a runaway. (She is ace and she doesn't want to get married.)

This book is so far my least favorite in the series for how much it leans into the political/diplomatic side of things rather than the adventure and science parts, but it was still really interesting, and the character growth we see in Lady Trent was really satisfying, as she has some hang-ups that are specifically related to the expectations that are placed on her gender and on her as a mother that conflict directly with what she wants most, which is to study dragons. Her relationship with Tom is actually a pretty big focus here, as he grows to respect her and they develop a true friendship.

The dragons aka swamp-wyrms were pretty great, too.

[3.5 stars, rounded up]

[Aylin Kuhls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keine Ahnung, was hier los war, aber nach dem ich den ersten Band dieser Reihe geliebt habe, hat mich Teil zwei etwas gelangweilt und unbefriedigt zurückgelassen.

Insgesamt gibt es viel zu viele politische Themen, zu viele Namen und Machtbeziehungen, die umständlich erklärt werden und dann nur am Rande relevant sind. Und obwohl die Erzählerin immer wieder selbst betont, dass ihr Fokus ja eigentlich auf der Biologie und der Naturwissenschaft liegt, bekommt dieser Fachbreich kaum Raum in der Geschichte, weil alles andere ausladene Erklärungen und Beschreibungen bedarf.

Zudem wird das Dschungel-Setting mit zunehmender Handlung immer unglaubwürdiger. Die wirklichen Gefahren werden in Nebensätzen abgetan, die Protagonistin erwähnt immer wieder, dass sie fremd in der Umgebung ist und meistert trotzdem jedes Problem, jede Krankheit und jede Gefahr. Gleichzeitig verschwimmen die zeitlichen und geografischen Abläufe. Teilweise ist die Reisegruppe wochenlang unterwegs, um dann andere Strecken wieder in wenigen Stunden zurückzulegen. Das hat sich mir nicht so ganz erschlossen. Und letztendlcih mündet das ganze in einem unspäktakulrären Ende, das sich irgendwie unvollständig und nichtssagend anfühlt.

Das alles hat die Lektüre für mich etwas zäh gemacht.

Trotz allem gab es aber einige schöne Lady Trent Momente, die mich bei der Stange gehalten haben und die mich auf eine bessere Geschichte in Band 3 hoffen lassen.
Ich mag die reflektierten Gedanken und den leichten Sarkasmus der Protagonistin sehr gerne und finde ihren Weg der Emanzipation nach wie vor sehr interessant und unterhaltsam. Und trotz einiger Unstimmigkeiten gefällt mir auch die viktoroanische Fantasy-Welt sehr gut.

[Derpa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 stars.

With these books I'm feeling more and more like dragons are really just the backdrop and it's not good at all.

Isabella finally goes on another expedition after her first, disastrous one. So this time she packs her things, grabs Mr. Wilker, Lord Hilford's granddaughter Natalie and they leave for fantasy Africa, where a local chief of one country sends them into the jungle to bring him dragon eggs, which is not really ideal. But at least they can hang out with the tribes there and do stuff.

Which is exactly what happens. They get to kinda-Africa, different countries have conflicts, it's all told to us, but I personally couldn't be bothered when it was all just "these people hate those and the leader thinks they can beat them, but this caste in society is like this, while this is how they inherit things". Fantasy words on top of fantasy words. Of course it's a memoir, but that's exactly why it should feel like a personal, approachable story, instead of the cheat sheet you write for a history test based on your 1000 pages long textbook. It made me skim. Not gonna lie. For a story so short the societal context was a bit much and in places overly complicated.
Especially so when the cover has a damn dragon. I want more, I want to see people interact with them, while the story is mostly just the characters hanging out with the jungle tribe and such. We even get introduced to a sinister hunter and... it comes to nothing. Nothing pays off. This is my big complaints about the series; it all feel like nothing. Like nothing matter, like we are being told tiny things (like how in this place Isabella is sent to a menstruation house with other women, where they chat and she meets this suuuuper interesting woman... who doesn't really play any role in the rest of the story). Like seriously, we have a scene where people ritually talk things out.

My other little observation is how the characterisation of Isabella really has its ups and downs. Sometimes she is genuinely empathetic towards Mr. Wilker, a low class man and understands that his status causes him immense hardships in getting ahead in life. Then she goes into "being a woman means constant victimhood" mindset. She claims women are the only ones judged and such.
Which is especially interesting, as she literally does whatever she wants. Some people dislike it, sure, but at the same time nothing ever really happens. Oh, she shouldn't go to a scientist meeting place? She did, everyone liked her. She shouldn't publish a scientific book? She did and it's a success. She is not supposed to go on expeditions? She does, everyone is crazy about her AND she lives off of her work. Oh, some people are starting rumours? Excuse me, she will become LADY TRENT, so not even a reputation will stop her from an immense step up when it goes to status.
So here we have a woman who did a bunch of stuff as a kid without any real repercussions, who married a man she truly loved, who went on expeditions and did scientific work, who could even leave her kid behind as she went to chase what she loved... She would be considered an exceptionally lucky woman and yes, person even today.

It's all sad as... the dragons are really cool! They are all different, with interesting characteristics. It's creative like that, but the ideas are not realised to their full power.

I'm not sure if I want to read the rest of the series, definitely not now. There is just so much stuff that is more rewarding and that utilises its best ideas more.

Good night and show me, don't just tell!

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I “had” to reread this in preparation for the new book, but it was (of course) absolutely no hardship. I got into it right away, this time; before, it’d been a while since I read the first book, and I had to adjust a bit and remind myself of who everyone was. This time, it was all fresh enough to plunge right in, and it doesn’t disappoint. Brennan handles Isabella so well: we get to see all aspects of her life, like her relationship with her son (realistically painful, given the death of his father before he was born), her feelings about the religious/social stuff she has to bow to, her relationship with her family, and her attempts to make headway in the world of scholarship.

I was surprised when Marie Brennan mentioned that Tom Wilker was an incidental character who she didn’t expect to spend so much time with. For me, the books would be very different without Tom sharing Isabella’s dangers and trials. I have to confess that at one point I rather hoped he would be Lord Trent, though actually I do enjoy the intellectual friendship between them, and their support of each other without ever (well, almost ever) letting the fact that she’s a woman and he’s a man get in the way. People seem to find male-female friendship hard enough to grasp in today’s world, let alone a pseudo-Victorian one.

Also, yay for casual representation: Natalie Oscott does not, of course, have the words for it, but she’s asexual (not sex-averse, just it doesn’t drive her).

If you don’t love Isabella, I don’t know what to do with you. She’s resourceful, clever, but flawed as well, and her “deranged practicality” is exactly that, and if you weren’t reading her memoirs you’d be sure that she’d get herself killed that way. (Unless, of course, they do, and someone is reconstructing her memoirs from her notebooks, using her voice… It seems unlikely, but I’m suspicious-minded.)

One thing I would love to know: does Marie Brennan see Tom Wilker’s Niddey origins as having a direct analogue in our world? I’ve been picturing him as Welsh since, on one occasion when it said his accent was pronounced, he used a rather Welsh phrasing.

Originally posted here.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

More adventure, less mystery. This is more along the lines of what I was expecting from the first one. It was a light and fun book, and a great way to put my mind in neutral and just enjoy myself.

I forgot to mention the audio - It makes her sound much more snobby than the way I was reading it. I recommend sticking with print in this one.

[Boston · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler Free Series Review: https://youtu.be/XtkCzb-8rJA

Actual Rating: 4.5/5

It was with this book that I first switched to audiobooks and it was the best decision. I enjoyed physically reading the first book but hearing Lady Trent come to life with Kate Reading's narration was such a treat! Also this one had a plot I enjoyed more than the first one but still followed a cozy formula that I have come to enjoy with this series. The main star is Lady Trent and the voice she uses to write her memoirs. I was always engaged and wanted to know more, which is probably why I finished this book in just over a day.