A Natural History of Dragons

A Memoir by Lady Trent

By: Marie Brennan

Narrated by: Kate Reading

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Marie Brennan begins a thrilling new fantasy series in A Natural History of Dragons, combining adventure with the inquisitive spirit of the Victorian Age. You, dear listener, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart - no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments - even at the risk of one's life - is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten….All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day. Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

"Saturated with the joy and urgency of discovery and scientific curiosity." (Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on A Natural History of Dragons)

©2013 Bryn Neuenschwander (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Wonderful!

This is one of the best books I've read/listened to in a long time. I'm seriously considering buying a hard copy. Fans of dragons, science, natural history, strong female characters, adventure, travel... should like this. It also has a pretty good twist at the end that I was *not* expecting.

Isabella is a strong, passionate, person who desperately wants to please her family and be a proper lady, yet has a passion for dragons and science. Eventually she gets her wish to study them, heading off with her husband to research them in the grand tradition of Victorian expeditions for science (while the story is set in a fictional world, it's a pretty accurate representation of the scientific interests and culture of the 19th century, which I'm very interested in). The book is narrated by her older, outspoken, and delightfully crotchety self.

The reading was good; it was easy to distinguish between characters, and I was happy that the next book is narrated by the same person. Kate Reading is a wonderful Lady Camhurst.

Fantastic Series!

As a fellow female life scientist and a lover of dragon novels, I was intrigued by this book from the sample. After listening to the first book in very short order, I was on to the next and the next til I finished all four books. I loved every moment of it, and wholeheartedly recommend the whole series.

Not enough about Dragons

I would have like more about the dragons ...mostly about fictitious expedition with tedious descriptions but if you like reading about dragons there is precious little and nothing to suggest they have any brains or personality .
Performance was very good though

If it wasn’t for those pesky kids

I wouldn’t say it was a great story, but it was interesting. It’s basically a Scooby Doo mystery. I had hoped for more.

A fresh new world of dragons.

A Natural History of Dragons is a very new and intriguing take on telling a story involving dragons. As a fan of shows like Downton Abbey, I find that this audiobook is very similar, as much concerning the affairs between people as it is how they deal with the dragons. There is a subtle mixture of mystery, scientific intrigue, truths and lies, drama, and action all laden in a Victorian-esque-era female perspective. It is a very enlightening story that ultimately does a great job explaining how social pressures influence the paths that curious individuals take while trying to explore a dangerous and unknown world. And on top of it all, Kate Reading does a wonderful job reading the story and bringing it to life. She has a particularly great gift at portraying the male character voices in a way that does not make them sound like high school jocks looking to score some smokes. I highly recommend this audiobook to those who like a little bit of drama between the exciting moments of action.

Very fun

Did not anticipate the type of story this ended up being, and was pleasantly surprised with the authorship to make it happen. Certainly one I will be recommending to others.

Adventurous fiction with the feel of a memoir

I loved this listen! The narrator was easy to listen to, didn't have any odd vocal or speech quirks like some do, and differentiated the characters' voices well. I really liked that this book FELT like a memoir written by a natural historian. It just so happened that the protagonist natural historian's focus is...dragons! Without sounding cheesy (too late, right?) it felt like the dragons were real and this woman was just from a different country or something. The detail in the book was awesome and really made the story believable. I also appreciated that the main character was a strong female who had to overcome obstacles that women do face in reality.

This is a outstanding story, 15/15

I would definitely recommend this to any one who likes dragons or anything regarding them as this story is great 15/15 No doubt about it

Unexpected Depth

So enjoyable! I didn't expect it to have such depth. I was prepared for a fun listen, and I definitely got that, but the character development really drew me into the story.

awesome! !!!

happy to have found a new and addicting series the first time. cant wait to read them all.