Tropic of Serpents

Memoir by Lady Trent, Book 2

By: Marie Brennan

Narrated by: Kate Reading

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

Attentive listeners 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.

©2014 Bryn Neuenschwander (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“This, the second of Isabella's retrospective memoirs, is as uncompromisingly honest and forthright as the first, narrated in Brennan's usual crisp, vivid style, with a heroine at once admirable, formidable and captivating. Reader, lose no time in making Isabella's acquaintance.” —Kirkus, starred review

A+ Personality

This book (this whole series) is a masterpiece in narrative voice and a study in the art of narrative pacing. I've never seen a finer example of the latter, and would have to reach back to giants like Mark Twain for an example of a more vivid character voice (though I am not entirely convinced it is executed any better by Twain, only more iconically).
Hard subjects like sickness, grief, recklessness, and whether or when to submit to society's standards (and why!) are not shied away from, but are handled with respect and tact.
Suggested reading level, late high school or college. There are no scenes or dialogue to prevent younger readers enjoying this story, but its first-person format from the perspective of an adult inclines it toward a more mature audience.

Awesome

LOVE this series!! Smart, funny and Dragons from a naturalists perspective. Well read and worth the credit.

Great sequel

A great expansion to the first book with a stronger beginning and end. Looking forward to reading number 3!

Second book committed me to the series

I ended up liking the first book, but I wasn't fully engaged, and (obviously) didn't know how the series would evolve. For the sake of transparency, I'm writing this with the benefit of hindsight, after having read the entire series.

I personally found the second book to be much better than the first. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but I didn't feel I could consistently connect with the character in the first book. It's like there was almost an air of dispassion - but maybe that was the intent. Anyway, the character continues to grow, as tends to happen with time and good authors, and I'm happy I stuck with it.

If you don't like the second book, I'd be shocked if you ended up enjoying the series. That said, there's more adventure and a wiser main character, so who knows.

Fictional science at best with even more feminism

If you have any interest in science and in dragons, this is meant for you. Or at least, I felt it was nade for me, and I am almost finishing a PhD.

This volume is centered around an expedition to a tropical country/colony and the study of the dragons therein. As before, little by little we learn about these dragons. And the continuity from book I is pretty nice. Supposing you read it, this book is when she lost the knife she mentioned losing in swamps in the previous book.

Also, the value placed on gender gap issues certainly makes a plus for it. Very worth it!

More Dragons, More Danger, More Amazing writing

What made the experience of listening to Tropic of Serpents the most enjoyable?

Excellent narration, is really what it comes down to. Kate Reading's voice acting was fantastic and gave each character a voice and life of it's own.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

As a history buff the touches of the Victorian in the book made me chuckle quite a few times as 'Victorian Modesty' ran smack into the practical side of jungle adventuring.

Even better than the first book

What made the experience of listening to Tropic of Serpents the most enjoyable?

The story in this book is better than the first. The main character is almost completely independent and thriving on it. Overall the characters are more interesting and better developed, and the main character is more respected by those around her in this book, which makes it a little easier to read as someone who sympathizes with her character! In addition you learn more about the main character's friend Natalie, who is of the same mindset about breaking traditions. Her character is more of an engineer.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tropic of Serpents?

I would be giving away some surprises if I answered that.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Again, Kate Reading is not the best narrator. She lacks a good deal of variety in her characters, and she always tends to end her sentences with the same tones of voice. If you weren't focusing on the words, you would just hear the same musical phrase, over and over and over. But yes, her pace was good.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

These questions are silly.

Any additional comments?

This is a charming book series! I recommend it to any girl or woman who doesn't want the traditional life style of raising children, cooking meals for the family, cleaning the house, etc., or even those who want to branch into a more male-dominated career field. The main character breaks all social boundaries of how women should act in (I'm assuming) the Victorian era. Just because there are dragons in the book does not mean this is futuristic. I believe the author had the Victorian era in mind when women had few rights, and she just reinvented our natural world a little. The story has less to do about dragons and more to do about adventure, mystery, scientific discovery, and following your dreams. However, this book has significantly more interaction with dragons than the first book, and that made it more exciting to read.

Great narration and voice.

I love how the story is both fantastic and realistic all at once. Love the elaborate world building.

im in love with this series

i thought i enjoyed the first book, this book was even better. i love it when the 2nd book is better than the first. i hope the trend continues.

Just as good as the first Lady Trent novel!

This series hooked me from the get-go, and the second book did not disappoint. I don’t know that I’m brave enough to try memoir-style fiction, but I adore how Brennan juggles it.