Reviews

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

jonisbookquest's review against another edition

3.0

3,5*

sophiedingley's review against another edition

adventurous informative lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

fionajackson's review against another edition

5.0

A new favourite for me. Isabella is enthralling as a character and I can't wait to read about her other adventures.

emilythestrange's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

meakey's review

adventurous emotional lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

fantasy_witch's review

adventurous informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

larra's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kel5190's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

mal_eficent's review

adventurous emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this for two major reasons: first, the audiobook narration is fantastic, and I'd really recommend picking it up that way, and second it 100% embraces being an in universe document. 

These are a famous woman's memoirs, so there's random asides about publications and information you'll never get a full explanation of. This does mean that it assumes you already have some information about the dragons in the text and doesn't go into all the detail you might want, so be warned. Instead, expect a 19th century style adventure/travel/exploration story that's more character driven than detail orientated. 

If you enjoy books with fully realised world building, that don't info dump and expect you to make assumptions and fill in the blanks yourself from genre convention/historical comparisons, you'll love this! If you did enjoy this, I'd probably recommend the Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood – while not a comparable narrative, it has a similar tone and vibe.

rebecca_simard's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

oddly enough, had very few dragons. That aside, the main character is engaging, if a bit clueless at times but I assume this is meant to show her growth as a scientist throughout the series. The plot was good but rushed at times. Loved the illustrations and the feeling of the world. Could have used more time to connect with the central plot (and more dragons). Might pick up the sequels if I find myself thinking about the series, might let this be a standalone.