A review by sevensableyes
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

adventurous inspiring mysterious slow-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? Yes

5.0

Love, love, love.

I knew when I first heard the premise of this series, that I would adore it. And I do. Isabella is fast becoming one of my favourite protagonists, along side Keladry (Protector of the Small series). This book made me feel very nostalgic for my dragon/dinosaurs phase. Isabella's passion is infectious.

The worldbuilding feels very natural, and is fairly easy to keep up with. I think it's because the world will slowly unravel throughout the books, following Isabella's adventures into different parts of the world. I really like how there is no magic system; it's just dragons. It makes them feel like real and vulnerable animals. I'm looking forward to seeing more species.

I loved all of the characters. I liked that
Jacob was a good husband; it would have been very easy to write him as dismissive of Isabella's passions, but he was truly lovely
. I'm fairly certain
Isabella and Mr Wilker will become closer in the future (not romantically)
.

This book ticked all the boxes for me, and hopefully the rest of the series does too.

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