A little late for my scholarly reading month, yet not quite befitting for the books I did read, The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan is one of those books that I have been hesitant to post given its seemingly untethered relevance to both my scholarly reads and my spooky reads. I thoroughly enjoyed A Natural History of Dragons, and The Tropic of Serpents provided as much enjoyment, but it isn’t so much a scary or spooky read as it is an academic fantasy adventure including dragons, the muggy jungle, and a great many things that could kill you.

Attentive readers 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.

Nevertheless, as you can tell by me posting it during Spooktober, I don’t care to delay my review any further. For the purposes of a curated month of posts (which I am loosely describing Spooktober to be at this point), The Tropic of Serpents is one of the lighter fantasies to grace the collection, creating a lovely balance between the sickening and the splendid for October book recs. Who doesn’t like dragons? Dragons are as welcome in any season as warm drinks and magical realism are. Its plot is more a mature endeavour of fantasy academia though, providing insight into the highs and lows of a number of interactions and established concepts within the story world. I appreciate this as it gives a more nuanced understanding to these fictional fantasy worlds that I find have been skipped in other similar reads (that were no less enjoyable, but less well-rounded).

The character development works well with the time n between A Natural History of Dragons and The Tropic of Serpents, hashing out the tensions, concerns, resentment, and pressures our main characters face, especially Isabella. Her personal growth does much to show where she stands in the present day as she recounts the tale (it’s fun how fictional fantasy memoirs work), and you can see her mature on the page as well as grow into the stages of life she steps into, even belatedly in regards to specific sides of her. She is a main character I can understand, empathise with, and yet she continues to change and show she is not fixed in a certain place or time. Her decisions, though some may be poorly done, do not dictate a finality, and it makes her a very interesting and relatable character in my eyes.

The more I read these Lady Trent memoirs, the more I want to become a natural historian who studies dragons of all kinds. It sounds like such an amazing and exciting task that requires so much understanding for more than just the craft, and it makes me want to read the rest of these novels before the end of the year. I will do my best to control myself though, knowing that at times the slow pacing and academic detail can take me out of the immersion. If you are interested in a dragon-filled academic fantasy adventure series, then you must add the Lady Trent memoirs to your tbr list!