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cloudsinthecupboard's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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
books_n_pickles's review against another edition
4.0
Dang it, I lost my review. That's what I get for stepping away from my computer overnight in mid-review.
Well, the major point was that I felt it was both simultaneously too short--because I thoroughly enjoyed it--and too long. Brennan's worlds feel so rich and colorful, to say nothing of Isabella. Brennan's ability to capture a setting with all the senses is so brilliant that at times I think it may have overwhelmed some of the personalities of background characters. I was also impressed with how much was packed in plot-wise without feeling rushed, at least until the end of the last book.
So, why did I think the series was too long? The fourth book felt a little slow, less world-building-y, and predictable until, and the fifth book took a little longer to get through the winter than I might have wished. Probably if I'd read the books as they published instead of all at once I would have been swept up each time. Actually, I probably wouldn't have gone past the first book, what with my aversion to getting involved with series. So for that reason, I'm glad I only found this series when the last book published.
The books also follow Victorian travel-writing conventions almost to a fault: we have little information about "off screen" characters, which became especially frustrating after Isabella. And finally, I actually wished there were a few more details about dragon study. I shed an internal tear every time Isabella referred us to one of her more scholarly works.
Once again, I am behind on reviews, so I will skip to the quotes and move on. I did read this on a tablet, since I didn't want to take four books with me on my honeymoon, so I don't know what those page counts are based on, as there isn't a print omnibus edition.
QUOTE ROUNDUP
Bursting with spoilers, folks. Read on at your own risk.
Book 2: The Tropic of Serpents
p. 380) The Moulish have few possessions, and little concern for personal property as most of us see it. Their way of living neither permits it nor derives much benefit from it. To own more than you can carry is folly; you will have to abandon it when the camp moves. But most of the things you own--if the "you" in this instance is Moulish--are easily replaced anyway, so their abandonment is no great loss. To try and hoard more than those around you have is a grave insult to social harmony and, I think, to the spirits; it invites ridicule from your fellows and, if that fails, more aggressive methods of forcing you to share. From this the Moulish get their reputation as thieves, but that word belongs to a different world.
See? A fascinatingly different culture for us 'Muricans (though slightly familiar from my anthropology class) with a healthy trace of social commentary for the reader. Brennan is brilliant at this.
p. 386) All those of a given age group within the camp are brothers and sisters, as all those above them are mothers and fathers, or (if older still) the camp's elders.
This is kind of community sounds like a dream, to me.
p. 446) "We have the forest. You are villagers, and our home will eat you."
Wickedest mic drop ever.
p. 491) Despite the unsightly scar on my arm, there was a part of me that thought in delight: I've been bitten by a dragon!
Have I mentioned that I love Isabella?
Book 3: The Voyage of the Basilisk
p. 590) If I had been outrageous on previous expeditions, I found myself surprisingly reluctant to behave in such ways in front of my son. The nobler part of me said that I did not want to set a bad example for him. The selfish part said that I did not want him to think less of me. But which sort of mother would I rather be? The sort who did not go swimming without a proper costume--which in those days consisted of voluminous pantaloons and a knee-length overdress, all in a stiff fabric which would not cling when wet--or the sort who did what she had sailed halfway around the world to do?
"Very well," I said. "Let us go swimming with dragons."
p. 674)
"Will there not be any scandal if she marries me?" I asked--not quite believing that living in pseudo-wedlock with a half-human foreign transvestite was any improvement over spinsterhood.
This is one of a few that I chose just because of how funny I found them. The humor was hard to quote in most places, as it often built up over several paragraphs, but it was often just to my taste.
p. 678) It has been so very long since there was any satisfying scandal about me. I find that respectability grows wearisome after a time, when one is accustomed to being a disgrace.
Book 4: In the Labyrinth of Drakes
p. 841) "Umm Yaqub" was my appellation there: parents are commonly known as the mothers and fathers of their children, and "Yaqub" is the Akhian form of "Jacob."
I loved this detail...and the thought that parents can, essentially, choose their own names when they choose their child's.
p. 896) My outraged squawk startled lizards back into the rocks. "It was not a love note!"
"From you? 'A piece of research material' is as good as a lock of your hair, tied up in a scented ribbon."
I may have mentioned that I love Isabella, but I also love her brother Andrew.
p. 897) "Ah yes," I said ironically. "I have made myself exceptional. It is a wonderful game, is it not? Because I am exceptional, anything I achieve does not reflect on my sex, for of course I am not like them. Strange, though, how that division seems to vanish when we are speaking instead of my shortcomings. Then I am a woman, like any other."
p. 910) There were descriptions of my beauty that likened me to a camel--a high compliment in that society, but in my case both unfounded and not at all an aesthetic I could comprehend.
Not quite sure why I found so many quotes in book 4, when I said it was the one I found slowest. Weird.
p. 927) The pronoun pulled me up short. "She? Your physician is a woman?"
Mahira looked scandalized. "Do you think I would allow a man to examine my body?"
When she put it that way, I could hardly say that I took it for granted. As some of my readers may know, the first university in Akhia was founded by a woman--the mother of one of the caliphs--and apparently she had been in favor of training women physicians, so as to uphold propriety while also caring for the patient's health.
If only people had thought that way in the real world...
p. 955) There is a proverb that says, To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If I had a gun, it would shape my thinking; the violent response would always be there.
Say it louder for the 2nd Amendment defenders in the back, Isabella!
p. 968)
Okay, this cold-hearted crocodile loved this love story. Yeah, it was a little obvious it was coming, but little demisexual me appreciated the time it took Isabella to think about this step (even if the delay was more about propriety than anything else).
p. 969) "I do not know what you intended, dearest brother, but you shall pay the price for your interference. Have you no care for your sister's reputation?"
"I--"
"This shall be your penance. You must come with us to the judge and stand as witness to our marriage."
There are certain moments in my life that I treasure. Most of them in one way or another have to do with dragons...but not all. The look on my brother's face in that instant is one of the latter.
I was a little sad that Brennan then rushed through the wedding. I would have loved to see what she would have made of even a simple Akhian ceremony, with her world-building prowess.
p. 978) "We are alone, Suhail. There is no one to see if I throw food at you."
#marriagegoals
Book 5: Within the Sanctuary of Wings
p. 1080) The Mrtyahaima proper lay behind, beyond my vision, rising even higher than I could imagine. Had I seen what I faced while still in Parshe...I believe I would have continued, for my life has been a recurrent tale of my failure to truly understand my peril until it is too late for me to turn back. But I cannot be certain.
p. 1102) "No." Thu sat very upright, then said in a rush, "She wants to know if all four of us are your husbands."
I read about this in my anthropology class: a researcher wrote about a Himalayan culture in which several brothers would marry one woman to avoid splitting up inherited land. Pretty sure it was debunked, but it was fun to see it in here!
p. 1112) A part of my mind was constantly examining my research, asking at every turn, And what else? It was a peculiar feeling. On the one hand, I lamented the loss of my girlish glee, the sense that it was enough simply to learn a new thing and record it for other people to learn. On the other hand, it was also exhilarating, for I was challenging myself to look further, to think harder, to fit what I saw into a larger picture and then tease out its implications.
p. 1160) In my defense I can only say that I had spent my entire tenure in that village either unconscious, in hysterics, or reeling from the flood of new information; and as a consequence, I had the attention span of a gnat: no sooner did I begin pondering one aspect of the puzzle than some equally interesting angle distracted me.
p. 1171) It was hard enough when I must explain myself in my native tongue; in Draconean, I could barely string together an entire sentence that was not about yaks.
VOCABULARY
I used to keep track of new words I learned in each book (even if I could figure it out with context)...at least until I started reading on the subway and pulling out a pencil meant I might elbow someone. It didn't occur to me until near the end of book three that it's much easier to mark words on a tablet.
I'm out of room in this review, so if you really want to see my vocab list, head on over to my blog.
Well, the major point was that I felt it was both simultaneously too short--because I thoroughly enjoyed it--and too long. Brennan's worlds feel so rich and colorful, to say nothing of Isabella. Brennan's ability to capture a setting with all the senses is so brilliant that at times I think it may have overwhelmed some of the personalities of background characters. I was also impressed with how much was packed in plot-wise without feeling rushed, at least until the end of the last book.
So, why did I think the series was too long? The fourth book felt a little slow, less world-building-y, and predictable until
Spoiler
it turned out that the big reveal wasn't about dragonsThe books also follow Victorian travel-writing conventions almost to a fault: we have little information about "off screen" characters, which became especially frustrating after Isabella
Spoiler
was once again close to her son--he seemed almost an afterthought in the fourth and fifth booksOnce again, I am behind on reviews, so I will skip to the quotes and move on. I did read this on a tablet, since I didn't want to take four books with me on my honeymoon, so I don't know what those page counts are based on, as there isn't a print omnibus edition.
QUOTE ROUNDUP
Bursting with spoilers, folks. Read on at your own risk.
Book 2: The Tropic of Serpents
p. 380) The Moulish have few possessions, and little concern for personal property as most of us see it. Their way of living neither permits it nor derives much benefit from it. To own more than you can carry is folly; you will have to abandon it when the camp moves. But most of the things you own--if the "you" in this instance is Moulish--are easily replaced anyway, so their abandonment is no great loss. To try and hoard more than those around you have is a grave insult to social harmony and, I think, to the spirits; it invites ridicule from your fellows and, if that fails, more aggressive methods of forcing you to share. From this the Moulish get their reputation as thieves, but that word belongs to a different world.
See? A fascinatingly different culture for us 'Muricans (though slightly familiar from my anthropology class) with a healthy trace of social commentary for the reader. Brennan is brilliant at this.
p. 386) All those of a given age group within the camp are brothers and sisters, as all those above them are mothers and fathers, or (if older still) the camp's elders.
This is kind of community sounds like a dream, to me.
p. 446) "We have the forest. You are villagers, and our home will eat you."
Wickedest mic drop ever.
p. 491) Despite the unsightly scar on my arm, there was a part of me that thought in delight: I've been bitten by a dragon!
Have I mentioned that I love Isabella?
Book 3: The Voyage of the Basilisk
p. 590) If I had been outrageous on previous expeditions, I found myself surprisingly reluctant to behave in such ways in front of my son. The nobler part of me said that I did not want to set a bad example for him. The selfish part said that I did not want him to think less of me. But which sort of mother would I rather be? The sort who did not go swimming without a proper costume--which in those days consisted of voluminous pantaloons and a knee-length overdress, all in a stiff fabric which would not cling when wet--or the sort who did what she had sailed halfway around the world to do?
"Very well," I said. "Let us go swimming with dragons."
p. 674)
Spoiler
It transpired that their reason for marrying Liluakame to the fellow on 'Opawai was that they did not want their daughter to bear the scandal of being a spinster--especially since Kapo'ono's trading expedition was likely to be a lengthy one which meant Liliuakame would be waiting for quite a while. (She assured everyone most vehemently that she did not mind waiting in the slightest.)"Will there not be any scandal if she marries me?" I asked--not quite believing that living in pseudo-wedlock with a half-human foreign transvestite was any improvement over spinsterhood.
This is one of a few that I chose just because of how funny I found them. The humor was hard to quote in most places, as it often built up over several paragraphs, but it was often just to my taste.
p. 678) It has been so very long since there was any satisfying scandal about me. I find that respectability grows wearisome after a time, when one is accustomed to being a disgrace.
Book 4: In the Labyrinth of Drakes
p. 841) "Umm Yaqub" was my appellation there: parents are commonly known as the mothers and fathers of their children, and "Yaqub" is the Akhian form of "Jacob."
I loved this detail...and the thought that parents can, essentially, choose their own names when they choose their child's.
p. 896) My outraged squawk startled lizards back into the rocks. "It was not a love note!"
"From you? 'A piece of research material' is as good as a lock of your hair, tied up in a scented ribbon."
I may have mentioned that I love Isabella, but I also love her brother Andrew.
p. 897) "Ah yes," I said ironically. "I have made myself exceptional. It is a wonderful game, is it not? Because I am exceptional, anything I achieve does not reflect on my sex, for of course I am not like them. Strange, though, how that division seems to vanish when we are speaking instead of my shortcomings. Then I am a woman, like any other."
p. 910) There were descriptions of my beauty that likened me to a camel--a high compliment in that society, but in my case both unfounded and not at all an aesthetic I could comprehend.
Not quite sure why I found so many quotes in book 4, when I said it was the one I found slowest. Weird.
p. 927) The pronoun pulled me up short. "She? Your physician is a woman?"
Mahira looked scandalized. "Do you think I would allow a man to examine my body?"
When she put it that way, I could hardly say that I took it for granted. As some of my readers may know, the first university in Akhia was founded by a woman--the mother of one of the caliphs--and apparently she had been in favor of training women physicians, so as to uphold propriety while also caring for the patient's health.
If only people had thought that way in the real world...
p. 955) There is a proverb that says, To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. If I had a gun, it would shape my thinking; the violent response would always be there.
Say it louder for the 2nd Amendment defenders in the back, Isabella!
p. 968)
Spoiler
"I--I said a thousand times that I had no interest in marrying again because marriage would almost certainly place restrictions on my life. A widow has freedoms a wife does not. But when I look at you, I do not see obstacles for my career, I see--" My face burned even more. "I see wings. A way to fly higher and farther than I can on my own."Okay, this cold-hearted crocodile loved this love story. Yeah, it was a little obvious it was coming, but little demisexual me appreciated the time it took Isabella to think about this step (even if the delay was more about propriety than anything else).
p. 969) "I do not know what you intended, dearest brother, but you shall pay the price for your interference. Have you no care for your sister's reputation?"
"I--"
"This shall be your penance. You must come with us to the judge and stand as witness to our marriage."
There are certain moments in my life that I treasure. Most of them in one way or another have to do with dragons...but not all. The look on my brother's face in that instant is one of the latter.
I was a little sad that Brennan then rushed through the wedding. I would have loved to see what she would have made of even a simple Akhian ceremony, with her world-building prowess.
p. 978) "We are alone, Suhail. There is no one to see if I throw food at you."
#marriagegoals
Book 5: Within the Sanctuary of Wings
p. 1080) The Mrtyahaima proper lay behind, beyond my vision, rising even higher than I could imagine. Had I seen what I faced while still in Parshe...I believe I would have continued, for my life has been a recurrent tale of my failure to truly understand my peril until it is too late for me to turn back. But I cannot be certain.
p. 1102) "No." Thu sat very upright, then said in a rush, "She wants to know if all four of us are your husbands."
I read about this in my anthropology class: a researcher wrote about a Himalayan culture in which several brothers would marry one woman to avoid splitting up inherited land. Pretty sure it was debunked, but it was fun to see it in here!
p. 1112) A part of my mind was constantly examining my research, asking at every turn, And what else? It was a peculiar feeling. On the one hand, I lamented the loss of my girlish glee, the sense that it was enough simply to learn a new thing and record it for other people to learn. On the other hand, it was also exhilarating, for I was challenging myself to look further, to think harder, to fit what I saw into a larger picture and then tease out its implications.
p. 1160) In my defense I can only say that I had spent my entire tenure in that village either unconscious, in hysterics, or reeling from the flood of new information; and as a consequence, I had the attention span of a gnat: no sooner did I begin pondering one aspect of the puzzle than some equally interesting angle distracted me.
p. 1171) It was hard enough when I must explain myself in my native tongue; in Draconean, I could barely string together an entire sentence that was not about yaks.
VOCABULARY
I used to keep track of new words I learned in each book (even if I could figure it out with context)...at least until I started reading on the subway and pulling out a pencil meant I might elbow someone. It didn't occur to me until near the end of book three that it's much easier to mark words on a tablet.
I'm out of room in this review, so if you really want to see my vocab list, head on over to my blog.
zoeltjuh99's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sailfin's review against another edition
5.0
If I had to choose one series to read for the rest of my life, this would be it.
And I'm a very picky person.
Why? Because it has everything I would wish for:
•An interesting lead, that makes sense in her decisions and follows her beliefs without being ignorant.
•An interesting story, which combines science with fantasy, with mystery, adventures and just the right amount of romance.
•A world full of wonders and one which I would love to explore.
•Fantastic creatures, in all the meanings of the world.
•Believable characters.
•First read is phenomenal, but it only gets better after that.
Also, I tried hard to, but couldn't find any plotholes.
In my opinion, this is the series that any dragon-lover or person admiring the points in my list should read, at least once.
And I'm a very picky person.
Why? Because it has everything I would wish for:
•An interesting lead, that makes sense in her decisions and follows her beliefs without being ignorant.
•An interesting story, which combines science with fantasy, with mystery, adventures and just the right amount of romance.
•A world full of wonders and one which I would love to explore.
•Fantastic creatures, in all the meanings of the world.
•Believable characters.
•First read is phenomenal, but it only gets better after that.
Also, I tried hard to, but couldn't find any plotholes.
In my opinion, this is the series that any dragon-lover or person admiring the points in my list should read, at least once.
cait13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
sruhfbekurvb's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
tense
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? No
4.5
dragonbookhoarder's review against another edition
5.0
Really loved it! while there aren't many dragons in the book, that is expected with how the story goes. I mean the dragons don't come to her right away do they? it builds suspension and that is why I loved it.
ellenreading_theend's review against another edition
3.0
Less about dragons and more about Isabella than I expected, but still an enjoyable read! Plus, look at that cover! I don't feel like I have to pick up the next book in the series RIGHT THIS MINUTE, but I'd definitely like to read the rest of Lady Trent's memoirs at some point!
wyvernfriend's review against another edition
4.0
Probably closer to 3.5 than 4 but better than most 3 star books.
An alternative history in a land that closely resembles Britain (and why bother create a new pseudo-britain when you already have a perfectly good for purpose one there?) in the Victorian era. Lady Trent writes an autobiography of her time with science. Growing up in a time where girls didn't do science in any meaningful way, society stymies her natural curiousity and mental abilities. She fights against it until an unthinking moment causes death to someone else. Then she concentrates on being a dutiful daughter, destroying most of her science. She finds a husband who respects her scientific curiousity and wangles a way to get him on an expedition to investigate dragons, and expedition that will change her life.
It's an interesting story, sometimes felt a little bit strained, but overall kept me reading and wanting to know what happens next. The end felt a bit rushed but overall I enjoyed it and want to read on in the series.
An alternative history in a land that closely resembles Britain (and why bother create a new pseudo-britain when you already have a perfectly good for purpose one there?) in the Victorian era. Lady Trent writes an autobiography of her time with science. Growing up in a time where girls didn't do science in any meaningful way, society stymies her natural curiousity and mental abilities. She fights against it until an unthinking moment causes death to someone else. Then she concentrates on being a dutiful daughter, destroying most of her science. She finds a husband who respects her scientific curiousity and wangles a way to get him on an expedition to investigate dragons, and expedition that will change her life.
It's an interesting story, sometimes felt a little bit strained, but overall kept me reading and wanting to know what happens next. The end felt a bit rushed but overall I enjoyed it and want to read on in the series.
buchdrache's review against another edition
4.0
Auch wenn ich schon meine drei Cent zu »A Natural History of Dragons« verloren habe, dem Auftakt der Lady Trent Reihe von Marie Brennan, möchte ich hier noch einmal ein paar Worte zur gesamten Reihe verlieren, denn auch wenn ich es für mich als nicht notwendig erachte, jeden Band einzeln zu rezensieren, da sich sehr vieles wiederholen würde, lohnt es sich, einen Blick auf alle fünf Bände zu werfen. Ich werde versuchen, es möglichst spoilerfrei zu halten.
Isabella war schon als junges Mädchen sehr aufgeweckt und neugierig und wollte alles über die Welt um sie herum erfahren. Das brachte sie in einige verzwickte Situationen, da ein solcher Entdeckergeist in ihrer unserem viktorianischen Zeitalter entlehnten Welt für ein Mädchen, besonders eines aus gutem Hause, als ihrer nicht angemessen angesehen wird. Doch sie hat einen starken Willen und setzt alles daran, ihrem Lebenstraum, Drachen zu erforschen, nachzugehen. Heute ist sie eine der führenden und angesehensten Wissenschaftlerinnen auf diesem Gebiet. Doch der Weg dorthin war lang und steinig. In ihren fünf Bände umfassenden Memoiren erzählt sie ihre Geschichte von ihren Anfängen als Drachenforscherin bis hin zu ihren größten Entdeckungen.
Jeder Band ist in sich geschlossen und enthält quasi ein Abenteuer. Jedes Mal erfährt der Leser zusammen mit Lady Trent etwas Neues über Drachen. Das sind jedoch keine zusammenhangslosen Wissensfetzen. Sie tragen zum einen zum Worldbuilding bei (immerhin stehen Drachen hier im Fokus der Geschichte!), zum anderen führt jedes Stück ein wenig weiter zu den großen Entdeckungen in Lady Trents Karriere, die ihr ihren Ruhm einbrachten, wo sie am Ende ein großes Ganzes bilden. Einige Themen ziehen sich wie ein roter Faden durch die Bücher, wo sie vielleicht nicht immer ganz dominant sind, aber doch nie in Vergessenheit geraten. Das sind zum einen die Draconischen Ruinen, die Lady Trent auf ihren Abenteuern immer wieder entdeckt, und zum anderen das Thema der Präparation und Nutzbarmachung von Drachenknochen als extrem leichtes und stabiles Baumaterial, was auch von großem wirtschaftlichen und militärischen Interesse ist – und damit eine Bedrohung der Drachenarten durch Ausrottung um ihrer Knochen willen darstellt.
Die Entdeckungen, die Lady Trent macht, beginnen bei den Basics, da in ihren jungen Jahren noch kaum etwas über Drachen in wissenschaftlichen Kreisen bekannt war, bis hin zu unheimlich spannenden Details, die aber immer wieder auf den vorigen Erkenntnissen aufbauen und damit einen konsistenten Wissensfluss bilden. Auch das mit dem roten Faden einiger Themen, die sich durch alle Bücher ziehen, ist sehr schön, da so diese Themen, die mehr und mehr an Bedeutung in Lady Trents Welt gewinnen, nicht hintenüber fallen gelassen werden, sondern ebenfalls ihren runden Abschluss in der gesamten Reihe finden.
Auch Lady Trent selbst ist eine beeindruckende Figur. Sie ist eine willensstarke Frau, sich sich gegen alle Widrigkeiten ihrer Gesellschaft durchzusetzen weiß und für sich und überhaupt alle Wissenschaftlerinnen in einer von Männern dominierten Gesellschaft kämpft. Sie erwirbt quasi im Selbststudium eine große Qualifikation auf ihrem Gebiet, wird aber immer wieder damit konfrontiert, dass sie nur aufgrund ihres Geschlechts auch in Wissenschaftskreisen, wo es ja vor allem um das Wissen und nicht die Person gehen soll, die dieses Wissen besitzt, immer wieder benachteiligt wird.
Ebenfalls sehr schön zu lesen (und eine Ergänzung zu meiner ersten Rezension) ist der Umstand, dass auch die Gegenseite gezeigt wird. Gerade im ersten Band sehen wir auch, was das umgekehrt für Isabellas ersten Ehemann Jacob Camherst bedeutet, eine so willensstarke und eigenständige Frau geheiratet zu haben. Nicht nur Isabella hat mit den gesellschaftlichen Normen zu kämpfen, auch auf Jacob strahlt das aus, von dem nun erwartet wird, dass er seine Frau an der kurzen Leine zu halten hat, was er gar nicht will. Auch ein Ehemann sieht sich in dieser Zeit gewissen Erwartungen gegenüber, die mitunter mit seinen persönlichen Ansichten kollidieren und denen er nicht gerecht werden will, aber mitunter muss, wenn er seine Position in der Gesellschaft behalten will oder gar muss.
Die Charaktere sind alles aber nicht einseitig. Über ganze fünf Bücher haben sie viel Zeit, sich zu entwickeln, neue Erfahrungen in der weiten Welt zu sammeln und erwachsener zu werden. Lady Trent reflektiert das aus ihrer Retroperspektive immer wieder (sie schreibt ihre Memoiren im hohen Alter) und scheut auch nicht, ihre jugendliches Ungestüm in den ersten Bänden anzusprechen. Ich schrieb es schon in meiner ersten Rezension, aber in ihrem Wissensdurst und ihrem Kampf gegen gesellschaftliche Normen erinnert Lady Trent an Shallan aus Brandon Sandersons Stormlight Archive.
Die Abenteuer, die Lady Trent erlebt, führen sie in die entlegensten Winkel der Welt. Dabei erlebt sie eine ausgesprochen spannende und fesselnde Momente. Besonders der letzte Band der Reihe hat es absolut in sich, warum er in meinen Augen nach Band drei der beste Band der Reihe ist.
Alles in allem sind Lady Trents Memoiren ein absoluter Genuss und großer Lesespaß! Alle Bände sind reich illustriert von Tedd Lockwood und sind somit auch etwas für's Auge. Wir haben spannende Abenteuer und tolle Charaktere. Und Drachen! Drachen! Drachen! Drachen! Was will man mehr von einem Buch?
Isabella war schon als junges Mädchen sehr aufgeweckt und neugierig und wollte alles über die Welt um sie herum erfahren. Das brachte sie in einige verzwickte Situationen, da ein solcher Entdeckergeist in ihrer unserem viktorianischen Zeitalter entlehnten Welt für ein Mädchen, besonders eines aus gutem Hause, als ihrer nicht angemessen angesehen wird. Doch sie hat einen starken Willen und setzt alles daran, ihrem Lebenstraum, Drachen zu erforschen, nachzugehen. Heute ist sie eine der führenden und angesehensten Wissenschaftlerinnen auf diesem Gebiet. Doch der Weg dorthin war lang und steinig. In ihren fünf Bände umfassenden Memoiren erzählt sie ihre Geschichte von ihren Anfängen als Drachenforscherin bis hin zu ihren größten Entdeckungen.
Jeder Band ist in sich geschlossen und enthält quasi ein Abenteuer. Jedes Mal erfährt der Leser zusammen mit Lady Trent etwas Neues über Drachen. Das sind jedoch keine zusammenhangslosen Wissensfetzen. Sie tragen zum einen zum Worldbuilding bei (immerhin stehen Drachen hier im Fokus der Geschichte!), zum anderen führt jedes Stück ein wenig weiter zu den großen Entdeckungen in Lady Trents Karriere, die ihr ihren Ruhm einbrachten, wo sie am Ende ein großes Ganzes bilden. Einige Themen ziehen sich wie ein roter Faden durch die Bücher, wo sie vielleicht nicht immer ganz dominant sind, aber doch nie in Vergessenheit geraten. Das sind zum einen die Draconischen Ruinen, die Lady Trent auf ihren Abenteuern immer wieder entdeckt, und zum anderen das Thema der Präparation und Nutzbarmachung von Drachenknochen als extrem leichtes und stabiles Baumaterial, was auch von großem wirtschaftlichen und militärischen Interesse ist – und damit eine Bedrohung der Drachenarten durch Ausrottung um ihrer Knochen willen darstellt.
Die Entdeckungen, die Lady Trent macht, beginnen bei den Basics, da in ihren jungen Jahren noch kaum etwas über Drachen in wissenschaftlichen Kreisen bekannt war, bis hin zu unheimlich spannenden Details, die aber immer wieder auf den vorigen Erkenntnissen aufbauen und damit einen konsistenten Wissensfluss bilden. Auch das mit dem roten Faden einiger Themen, die sich durch alle Bücher ziehen, ist sehr schön, da so diese Themen, die mehr und mehr an Bedeutung in Lady Trents Welt gewinnen, nicht hintenüber fallen gelassen werden, sondern ebenfalls ihren runden Abschluss in der gesamten Reihe finden.
Auch Lady Trent selbst ist eine beeindruckende Figur. Sie ist eine willensstarke Frau, sich sich gegen alle Widrigkeiten ihrer Gesellschaft durchzusetzen weiß und für sich und überhaupt alle Wissenschaftlerinnen in einer von Männern dominierten Gesellschaft kämpft. Sie erwirbt quasi im Selbststudium eine große Qualifikation auf ihrem Gebiet, wird aber immer wieder damit konfrontiert, dass sie nur aufgrund ihres Geschlechts auch in Wissenschaftskreisen, wo es ja vor allem um das Wissen und nicht die Person gehen soll, die dieses Wissen besitzt, immer wieder benachteiligt wird.
Ebenfalls sehr schön zu lesen (und eine Ergänzung zu meiner ersten Rezension) ist der Umstand, dass auch die Gegenseite gezeigt wird. Gerade im ersten Band sehen wir auch, was das umgekehrt für Isabellas ersten Ehemann Jacob Camherst bedeutet, eine so willensstarke und eigenständige Frau geheiratet zu haben. Nicht nur Isabella hat mit den gesellschaftlichen Normen zu kämpfen, auch auf Jacob strahlt das aus, von dem nun erwartet wird, dass er seine Frau an der kurzen Leine zu halten hat, was er gar nicht will. Auch ein Ehemann sieht sich in dieser Zeit gewissen Erwartungen gegenüber, die mitunter mit seinen persönlichen Ansichten kollidieren und denen er nicht gerecht werden will, aber mitunter muss, wenn er seine Position in der Gesellschaft behalten will oder gar muss.
Die Charaktere sind alles aber nicht einseitig. Über ganze fünf Bücher haben sie viel Zeit, sich zu entwickeln, neue Erfahrungen in der weiten Welt zu sammeln und erwachsener zu werden. Lady Trent reflektiert das aus ihrer Retroperspektive immer wieder (sie schreibt ihre Memoiren im hohen Alter) und scheut auch nicht, ihre jugendliches Ungestüm in den ersten Bänden anzusprechen. Ich schrieb es schon in meiner ersten Rezension, aber in ihrem Wissensdurst und ihrem Kampf gegen gesellschaftliche Normen erinnert Lady Trent an Shallan aus Brandon Sandersons Stormlight Archive.
Die Abenteuer, die Lady Trent erlebt, führen sie in die entlegensten Winkel der Welt. Dabei erlebt sie eine ausgesprochen spannende und fesselnde Momente. Besonders der letzte Band der Reihe hat es absolut in sich, warum er in meinen Augen nach Band drei der beste Band der Reihe ist.
Alles in allem sind Lady Trents Memoiren ein absoluter Genuss und großer Lesespaß! Alle Bände sind reich illustriert von Tedd Lockwood und sind somit auch etwas für's Auge. Wir haben spannende Abenteuer und tolle Charaktere. Und Drachen! Drachen! Drachen! Drachen! Was will man mehr von einem Buch?
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