This is a spin-off to the Lady Trent Memoirs set two generations after - though Lady Trent is still very much alive. So you get a look at how things have progressed since the end of Within the Sanctuary of Wings. But it focuses on some of the adventures of one of her granddaughters and I enjoyed it much more than I expected (I wasn't seriously worried, but figured there was a risk it could feel like a cash grab.) And this book, while missing illustrations (SAD), is composed of journal entries, letters, translations, and newspaper articles. I really loved the setup and I felt like it had me flying through to find out what the next bit of info would be. I also appreciate that the cast of characters didn't just feel like copies of all those we met in the Trent Memoirs.

If you like the originally series, I definitely think you should give this a spin. I don't know if there are plans to make this a series as well, but I would certainly read more. ( )

Very different from the Memoirs of Lady Trent series to which this is a sequel but still very good in its own right. Letters, diary entries and news clippings are not a style of storytelling I particularly like which is why this only got 4 stars. The story itself is fun and engaging and the format is executed brilliantly, even if it's not my personal choice for a narrative structure. ( )

Really enjoyed this return to the world of Lady Trent, and really enjoyed meeting her spitfire of a granddaughter. Complicated archaeological adventure, involving unexpected moving pieces in a political game that centers on a large cache of tablets and their translation.

Advanced reader's copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

Delightful.

Not so much a comedy of manners as an adventure of scholars, chasing meanings and gleaning truths from a mythic epic written in an ancient language, while gradually discerning the labyrinthine plot laid for them and ultimately outwitting its authors.

Their assessment, transcription, translation, and interpretation of the historical/religious text was my favorite part.

Stands alone pretty well from the earlier Memoirs of Lady Trent books. (I read a few of the early ones but remember little.) ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the 6th book in A Natural History of Dragons series (aka The Memoirs of Lady Trent). I got this as an audiobook through Audible.

Audiobook Quality (5/5): The audiobook was a joy to listen to and very well done. I would strongly recommend listening to this on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.

Story (4/5): This was a well done story set in the same world as the Memoirs of Lady Trent. The story follows Audrey (Lady Trent's granddaughter) as she works with one of the dragonkin (Kudshayn) to decipher an ancient draconic text that reveals many life changing facts about the past relationship between dragons and humans. Of course, things aren't completely straight-forward and it seems there is a conspiracy afoot as well. The story alternates between Audrey and Kudshayn and their lives and the reading of the ancient text itself. This was very well done and I enjoyed it. Some of the parts where the ancient draconic text is being read is a bit long.

Characters (4/5): I absolutely loved both Audrey and Kudshayn, they were fun characters to get to know and I loved learning their background. Both are intelligent and hardworking. The “evil” characters were just as well done, everyone was well filled out and had a lot of depth.

Setting (5/5): The setting in this series is amazing. It’s a very Victorian London type of world but where dragons exist and have recently become a part of daily life. The world-building is very well done and incredibly well filled out. We don’t get to adventure around like we did in the Lady Trent books but I still really enjoy the world. Brennan is an amazing world-builder.

Writing Style (4/5): The writing was well done and easy to follow. The sections of the ancient text are written in a much more formal style and I didn’t enjoy these parts as much because they were so dry...however, the different styles the book was written in were masterfully done. It was very well written.

My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I really liked this and would recommend if you are a fan of the Lady Trent series. I am not sure this would work well as a stand alone book because there's a lot of background that's needed from the Lady Trent series to fully appreciate the story. There is some amazing world-building in here and I really enjoyed the characters. I did miss all the adventure from the first books but was still very happy to have read this and would recommend it. ( )