Review: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

It really profoundly irritates me that I've had the opportunity to read this since 2014, when A Natural History of Dragons was first published. Did I read it? No. Did I even consider buying it? No. And this, people, is why I shouldn't be trusted with my Book Blogger Practising Certificate. 

Plot summary: 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.

I loved this book from the very first page. I was completely hooked by the premise which, for some reason, I'd never bothered to take in for three whole years, even though this is absolutely my sort of book. 

Lady Trent writes her memoirs from several decades in the future, when she's clearly an accomplished scholarly adventurer of some renown. In her twilight years, she has taken some leisure time to finally write an honest account in response to the hundreds of letters she receives from young fans, clamouring for details on her exploits. This results in a charming first person narrative that has the benefit of hindsight - the elderly Lady Trent looks back on her younger self with some fondness (and occasionally frustration) and muses on how the world has changed.

Not a day goes by that the post does not bring me at least one letter from a young person (or sometimes one not so young) who wishes to follow in my footsteps and become a dragon naturalist. Nowadays, of course, the field is quite respectable, with university courses and intellectual societies putting out fat volumes titled Proceedings of some meeting or other. Those interested in respectable things, however, attend my lectures. The ones who write to me invariably want to hear about my adventures: my escape from captivity in the swamps of Mouleen, or my role in the great Battle of Keonga, or (most frequently) my flight to the inhospitable heights of the Mrtyahaima peaks, the only place on earth where the secrets of dragonkind could be unlocked.  

This does not interrupt the action-filled plot in the slightest, however. In A Natural History of Dragons, Isabella (as she then was) tags along to the perilous mountain region of Vystrana, at the affectionate sufferance of her somewhat bemused husband. She's slightly out of her depth, but determined to prove that she can be a useful addition to the party due to her lifelong love of dragons.

Isabella's favourite topic is, of course, the natural history of dragons and the narrative spends some time discussing her theories on their anatomy and whether they have since been proved correct. However, as she's writing from a more advanced age, she recognises that are other books (including her own) that detail these issues and so she has chosen to focus on the more personal and exciting aspects of her adventures.

And hey, it's dragons! I'm more than willing to sit through discussions regarding the provenance of a dragon's fiery breath. It helps that the novel is interspersed with beautiful illustrations sketched by 'Isabella' herself. 

The overarching plot relates to the sudden aggression shown by the dragons in the Vystrana region and the potentially related disappearance of their pre-arranged guide. It's a really good story, with some really clever ideas and plot devices that I just didn't see coming.

In short, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about A Natural History of Dragons and I genuinely wish that I'd read this three years ago. I've actually already bought the next two books in the series and I'm eyeing up The Tropic of Serpents already. Definitely read this - it's charming, well-written and a great story.

Visit Marie Brennan's website, or find her on Twitter. 

Review: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass series #3) by Sarah J. Maas

So it's no secret how excited I was about the third installment of the Throne of Glass series - I've been telling almost everybody know that It's Nearly Out. I loved Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, at a recent book signing I learned just how lovely Sarah J. Maas actually is, and Heir of Fire promised to be just as wonderful. The ending of the previous book made me desperate to know more... but it's finally here!

Plot summary: Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien's only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan's Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King's Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan's biggest threat - and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Heir of Fire doesn't have the same sense of instant gratification that was present in Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight - I wasn't instantly hooked and didn't feel the same need to keep desperately turning pages that I'd felt before. It's not that it's bad or anything even remotely like it; it's just that all the characters had separated and gone off with new characters that I didn't know or care all that much about. I wasn't really interested. And I don't like fairies. That doesn't help.

It just didn't feel like part of the same series. The most interesting sections were those about the Ironteeth witches and the wyverns, which is a new plotline unique to Heir of Fire. Incidentally, I'd happily have read that story as a separate series - it's really interesting and quite dark.

My final complaint about the beginning of Heir of Fire is the complete lack of recapping. It took quite a while before I could remember what vow was made to who and which battle had happened when, etc. It may be an idea to skim a plot summary before picking this up, unless you happen to have your ever-suffering mother present to answer every irritating whiny question you have about the previous books. Which I did.

However. The book picks up remarkably quickly after about 25% or so. As in the previous books, there is some beautiful prose and some parts that really affected me. It always irks me to archive these books under the 'Young Adult' review section because some of the twists involved in this story are brutal. They're clever and shocking in a way that I've never seen done before, but it's hardly fluffy YA. Oh, and the attention to detail deserves a mention as well. Certain tiny, trivial events happen that break your heart and make you let out a little gasp. Or that might just be me.

She would not let that light go out.
She would fill the world with it, with her light - her gift. She would light up the darkness, so brightly that all who were lost or wounded or broken would find their way to it, a beacon for those who still dwelled in that abyss. It would not take a monster to destroy a monster - but light, light to drive out darkness.
She was not afraid.

I was a bit disappointed that there's little development of Celaena and Chaol's relationship, which was the thing I loved the most about the previous series (which is surprising for me). I did enjoy her friendship with Rowan, although it was slightly 'Insta-Friend' at one point. However, I much prefer to be teased with the hint of a relationship than have it rammed in my face like some YA books are wont to do.

While I enjoyed learning more about Celaena's past, I actually found that all the best parts (in my opinion) didn't involve her in the slightest. Which is odd, but there you go. There's nothing wrong with her but there was just so much going on elsewhere!

Heir of Fire ended up being just as amazing as Throne of Glass and Heir of Fire. The slightly slow beginning meant that it wasn't quite as good overall, but I finished the page with exactly the same desperation for the next book in the series. I'd actually thought that this was the final installment, but apparently not... I'm just happy Sarah J. Maas writes so quickly!

Read my review of Crown of Midnight, see what happened when I met Sarah J. Maas or read Ellie's review of Heir of Fire at Curiosity Killed the Bookworm.

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

I'm not sure why, but I don't seem to come across dragons in my reading much. I like them (or the idea of them at any rate, having never actually met one) well enough, but the concept seems to have been disregarded lately in favour of an abundance of vampires and zombies. Bring back the dragons! I will happily and gladly read any dragon-y offerings that come my way so get on with it, aspiring authors!

Plot summary: The kingdom of Goredd is populated by humans and by dragons who fold themselves into a human form. Though they live alongside each other, the peace between them is uneasy. But when a member of the royal family is murdered, and the crime appears to have been committed by a dragon the peace and treaty between both worlds is seriously threatened.

Into this comes Seraphina, a gifted musician who joins the royal court as the assistant to the court composer. She is soon drawn into the murder investigation and, as she uncovers hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace in Goredd for good, finds herself caught desperately in the middle of the tension. For Seraphina hides a secret - the secret behind her musical gift - and if she is found out, her life is in serious danger.

Seraphina has a very unique plot, even leaving aside the infrequency of dragons mentioned above. It's mostly of a political nature, dealing with the tenuous alliance between the people of Goredd and the dragons, and there's not much action. However, that's not to say it's boring! There are enough twists and turns to keep fast hold of your attention and the characters are all fairly likeable and interesting.

The writing itself is pretty damn good as well, and I don't mean 'good for a debut author' or 'good for a YA author...' It's just a genuinely well-written book, whatever standard you choose to hold it to. The dialogue seems natural and unstilted, even though this is where an awful lot of début authors fall down. The prose and descriptions of the city are actually kind of beautiful and written in a way that many authors should envy. It seems real and that's the mark of a truly well-written story.

The romance is also done rather well. I can't deal with books that shove it in your face to the point where the original purpose of the book becomes merely a subplot to the relationship, but in Seraphina it's nothing of the sort. It's subtle and gentle and never implies that 'that dragon bit' is less important than the romance. I like it and I actually hope it develops further in the sequel, which is something I never thought I'd say.

If it fell down anywhere, it was the detail. Occasionally something just wouldn't make sense and I felt the little 'clunk' inside my head. Nothing major, just little things like... I don't know, characters suddenly knowing the name of another character without ever asking for it or talking about something they overheard in a language they weren't supposed to understand. It's not a big thing, but it did make the overall novel seem slightly rushed and I can't help but think it would have been a simple issue to resolve.

I also felt like the fairly intricate plot sped off before I was completely comfortable with the characters and the situation. The world-building is wonderful, but I think I would have liked to get settled a little more with the characters relationships to each other and whatever is going on in Seraphina's head, before being expected the follow the plot completely.

The ending was great, as well. It has a nicely rounded-off ending yet has a clear direction for the second book, Dracomachia, which is due to be released in February 2014. When I finished reading I actually had to go and check that it was a series. I like feeling like I've actually been told a full story and not part of one when I've finished a book.

To conclude, I liked Seraphina and will most definitely be purchasing the second book in the series. Still. I can't help but feel it could have been more - it has a great plot with wonderful writing but the slightly 'rushed' feeling meant that it didn't quite live up to its full potential.

Visit Rachel Hartman's website here or find her on Twitter.

Review: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I just can't believe how heavily I fell in love with this book. I read it every spare second of every day and when I couldn't read it, I wanted to. I liked The Lord of the Rings, but somehow The Hobbit seems to transcend even that. I've spent the last few days deciding exactly where to get Smaug tattooed on my body; my foot seems like the best option, although at the minute my forehead isn't completely out of the question. God I love this book.

Plot summary: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End.

But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo is most reluctant to take part in this quest, but he surprise even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar!

I'll save my film rant for another day; suffice it to say that there is no way in the deepest pits of Hell that this needs to be three films. Part of the beauty of The Hobbit, for me, is how succinct it is and dragging it on and on and on through three horribly stretched out films almost ruins that. Alright, well, I'll save the rest of my film rant for another day, but it's true! Argh.

I got so into this book that I forgot what the fundamental point of the story was, so when Gollum and The Ring popped up I was pleasantly surprised. There are lots of references from here in the LotR books and movies - Bilbo's mithril armour, for example, or how Gandalf came by Glamdring. It's not essential, but it gave me a nice 'Ahhh!' moment every time.

Bilbo is a little irritating, but then I found Frodo just as useless in LotR. Gandalf though... ah, Gandalf. I really think he could have defeated Smaug, stolen the treasure and destroyed the Ring himself, probably without even stopping for tea. Why he feels the need to potter about sending other morons, I'll never know. It was surprisingly easy keeping twelve dwarves all straight in my head, although Thorin annoyed me to a ridiculous extent towards the end. Selfish bugger.

Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don't know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was a Gollum - as dark as darkness, except for two big pale round eyes in his thin face. He had a little boat, and he rowed about quite quietly on the lake; for lake it was, wide and deep and deadly cold. He paddled it with large feet dangling over the side, but never a ripple did he make. Not he.

I got so into this book that I actually squeaked while reading it in Meadowhall Bus Station. I'd got to a part where I was desperately screaming for the men of Lake-town to "FIIIIGHT!" in my head that it came out of my mouth as little "eeeeeep!" and scared the boy next to me so much he literally moved away. The point is, with The Hobbit, you get underneath the book where you care so much that it stops being just a story and starts being a piece of you, almost. Maybe that boy will read it one day and understand.

There are some great turns of phrase in this book and they're genuinely a pleasure to read. Obviously there are plenty of action and mystery scenes, but some of the best lines come from where the characters are sat around smoking a pipe. Because of this, and because there are much fewer 'walking scenes,' it's much more accessible than Lord of the Rings. This originally started out as a series of bedtime stories for Tolkien's children, and it shows.

"Good morning!" he said at last. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water."  By this he meant that the conversation was at an end.

"What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!" said Gandalf. "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off."

"Not at all, not at all, my dear sir! Let me see, I don't think I know your name?"

"Yes, yes, my dear sir - and I do know your name, Mr Bilbo Baggins. And you do know my name, though you don't remember that I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me! To think that I should have lived to me good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I was selling buttons at the door!"

I'm actually disappointed now I've finished it - I'll never have the excitement of reading this for the first time again. And anybody who suggests 'Yeah Hanna, but at least you have the excitement of watching the films for the first time!' gets a swift knock upside the head.

Which is your favourite: The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings?