Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memoir by Lady Trent (The Lady Trent Memoirs, 3)

I love that the focus of this book shifted back from political intrigue to mainly dragon research. Following along as dragon biology was discussed was really cool! The speculation on the evolution of Sea Serpents was super cool to follow along with, even if incorrect. I love how detailed the scale drawings were too. The reveal of the stone tablet Camherst found while "touching the dragons" in the second book being a billingual passage was also a really good reveal! I don't care as much for the draconians as I do for the actual dragons but the idea of a key to their language got even me excited! I really hope that gets revisted either here or in a different book because WOW that'd be awesome to read! Speaking of the draconeans, the reveal that the infamously rare Firestone was actually the petrified inner section of dragon eggs was an amazing reveal! Going with that, the reveal that the draconeans had absolutely been taming and breeding dragons was amazing to read! Set up perfectly throughout the books with their admitation for the dragons, the "storage" rooms with no roofs, and the rumors of their control. I do find it kind of funny why the draconeans leaving in a hurry was so mysterious though, they're on a chain of volcanic islands. I feel like there's a very good reason why someone might want to very suddenly leave an island with an active volcano. I also loved the idea of taking back one of the fossilized eggs and checking to see if they could outline the imprint the fetus left behind. The way Camherst was able to make a cast of the embryo was also really cool! I keep saying this but I really hope they get revisited in the future books! The trans character also caught me off guard in this, I wasn't expecting one at all! I'm a bit conflicted as how they were treated in this book though. They're viewed by the native people of the area as people who "refuse to fit the patterned rituals of Keongan life" and as people who are believed to be spirits of a god who fathers monsters and as dangerous people as a result. I appreciated that those assumptions aren't correct to who the character we meet in the book is, but it's still an odd choice to make that the impression the native people have of non-binary people. I also found it kind of funny that this is where Camherst is first introduced to the idea that two men could love each other. The emotions were also captured really well in this. I got a lot more emotional over a pair of poached dragons than I should've. I also loved the chain of "there's no dragons here" they encountered in Va Hing (a standin for part of China), that was such a chilling way to remind people news of the bone preservation had spread. And having the soldiers follow the group up not to stop them, but to kill the dragons themselves hurt to read. The reveal of the Dragonbone Caeliger was also really well done and well set up. It's unfortunate they needed dragonbone to make it, but the ability of flight no doubt gives them a huge military advantage. Even ignoring the ability to shoot from the sky, they'd be able to sneak around much more effectively at night and scout areas out super easily. Also the scene of Camherst lunging from the water on the back of a huge Sea serpent was an amazing ending! I love when combat strategies involve dragons, and the dragon managing to take out a Caeliger was an amazing touch!

I received a free arc-e-book of The Voyage of the Basilisk from Tor on NetGalley. The Voyage of the Basilisk is the third book in the Memoir by Lady Trent series, the first of which is The Natural History of Dragons. I was happy to find out that it was not the last and that there are two more in the series after this. The VofB starts off slowly, the pacing was a tad too slow for my liking and mired in parts by the naming of all the fictional geography--which instead of clearing things up for me, actually confused and irritated me. It was somewhat unnecessarily especially since I couldn't make the connections to the countries/languages she was referring to and their real world counterparts. I'm guessing this one takes place somewhere in the Pacific Islands and the aggressor is Japan. The book would have been a letdown for me except thankfully the pacing picks up in the second half of the book and some exciting action finally starts to happen. Isabella really is an amazing character. She's a scientist with a curiosity of a cat that more often gets her into dangerous situations, and in trouble with foreign governments. In this one, she's actually forced to marry another woman in order to avoid offending her host who believe she's dragon-spirited and is neither man and woman. Since she is female who dresses and acts more like a man, she is then perceived as a man, and therefore must marry a woman to anchor her to this world. This to me, really hilarious. I actually wish she went a little more into this, but alas, there was none. There was some really cool dragon riding, escaping hostile army men via balloons, and diving into a heat of battle. I'm also dying to find out who Isabella married. I hope it's Suhail!

If you're looking for a fast-paced, fun, interesting adventure story, these books are the way to go. I can't say how refreshing these novels are. They're a perfect combination of period-piece, dragon fantasy, and feminism. Brennan's background as an anthropologist/folklorist definitely shines through as she takes her characters around a globe not altogether unlike ours, in a time/political period similar to the British imperialist era. The main character has an admirable sense of curiosity and drive, and works hard to achieve her dreams against many odds. In her travels it becomes clear that every culture has some sort of special cultural relationship with dragons (actually similar to our own world!), and so in order to study dragons she must learn to navigate the local culture and customs wherever she is. And, being a woman, she learns, with some frustration, that the half of the local culture that she is able to access is the feminine side, making for an interesting narrative and perspective. As a result, these dragon books have just as much to do with exploring cultures, kinship structures, gender roles, and religions as they do with illustrating dragons in this world. Additionally, unlike so many authors of female protagonist fantasy novels, Brennan doesn't waste time talking about the main character's every love interest. There's definitely love in the book - in its many variations - but the more interesting parts of the story (like dragons, adventure, & politics!) aren't thrown aside to make room for the same old romance story we've all read a thousand times. It's so refreshing! The result is a fun, interesting, unique read that I'd recommend to anyone!

I'm not a big reader of series, but I love this one. Brennan's alternative Victorian world is familiar, yet not. She gets the tone right and provides characters that you can care about, as well as reliably involving plots. Each time I've begun another book, I've feared that she'd get predictable, or she'd run out of ideas. Not so far! I'm a science geek, and the fact that Lady Trent is a naturalist adds a depth to the book as she ponders the biology and evolutionary history of her dragons. She is so intrepid that nothing even starts to drag. I'm also a life-long feminist, and I love it when feminism is presented in its full vitality, rather than as some dour, frowning finger-wagging. This heroine struggles with the roles she is assigned. There are costs to the choices she makes. She has real relationships - she's got a son, for heaven's sake! - and it's not obvious to her how to balance them with her driving passion to be a scientist. Again, this is never dogmatic or didactic. She's an actual person with immense drive and thoroughly human feelings, working through very life-like conundrums. Read this yourself, and please give it to kids, both male and female.

This book is part of a trilogy which I will review in entirety since its hard to read just one. The series is written as a fictional autobiography of a naturalist who ventures to remote corners of the planet to study dragons. Set in a period that resembles the Victorian era, Lady Trent travels by sailing ship or on horse back and communicates by letter. The conceit brilliantly incorporates fantasy, history, scientific method and cultural anthropology. In each book the author embarks on an adventure searching out the elusive creatures in the spirit of Darwin on the Beagle. Lady Trent is not the typical fiction hero. For example, she must adhere to the social mores of her time where a woman wearing pants, much less a woman in the jungle wearing pants, is considered scandalous. A mix of Jane Goodall, Margaret Mead and Shirley Temple, the author's quests for knowledge lands her in tangles that test an incredible range of skills. An admirable well-rounded role model, she negotiates diplomatic snafus, overcomes gender discrimination, and confronts wild beasts in the jungle with tact, realism, intellect and a unique spirit of adventure. Whether shipwrecked on a remote island or caught in a war between nations, Lady Trent approaches every obstacle from the scientific perspective of gathering data and testing theories. If there is one criticism, it is that her detailed observations often weighs down the narrative but imagination ultimately triumphs over lengthy descriptions. The inventive story-line and well crafted characters make for a entertaining and informative read.

The Lady Trent Memoirs are my favorite read since game of thrones. Page turning fun! Epic fantasy in an alternative world with some great Victorian steampunk style. Strong female leads grow and evolve throughout this series. I have been foot-tapping in wait for book 4 to come out for months now. Read it and delight in the story, characters, cultures, and world tour.

This is the third installment of this series, and an excellent addition. It reminds me of the epic journeys of British explores of the 18th century, such as Captain Cook. Dragons are presented as natural history in a non-fantasy style. The characters are believable and interesting. Lady Trent, the fictional author, has many interesting adventures and encounters interesting people and places that are very good read! This time the title references the ship used in the voyage taken by the Lady Trent in discovery of dragons and their place in natural history around the world.

Yet another delightful fictional memoir for our intrepid Isabella Camherst! As always, I love the fantasy historical style of this series, and this one definitely kept that awesome feel. I really enjoyed the sailing bits in this one especially. I'm a fan of pirate and sailing stories, and any book that can clearly explain careening to me gets a bonus LOL. Unfortunately the pacing in this one wasn't as great as the first two. The start was extremely slow even with the sea serpent dangers, and I didn't get a clear view of what was supposed to be the secret "plot" of this one until easily 2/3rd to 3/4s of the way in and once I did, it was over very quickly. I kept thinking there had to be more book left at the end than there was (which wasn't helped by the excerpt of the next book being a good 10+ pages I think). I just think the beginning should have been a little shorter of a "half" if that makes sense, and we could have spent a little more time with the Princess plotline. Otherwise tho, I definitely enjoyed it!

Purchased as a gift for my partner. She's a savy reader of romance and crime, and she enjoyed reading this book, so I can certainly say she recommends it.

I’ve been anticipation reading Voyage of the Basilisk for some time now. I was utterly in love with both its predecessors and have been saving this for an occasion where I need a serious reminder of why I love reading, and it has not disappointed. This series baffles me though, because I can’t think of another series that could construct its narrative so strangely and still be a success. You see, all the ‘plot’ that is to say anything with an over arching impact on the series, setting the impact of general enjoyment aside for the moment, is delegated to a maximum of the last 10% of the book in each novel of the series so far. This is not a criticism, more something that simply amazes me, as I imagine if another less skilled writer attempted it the result would be, to describe it charitably, really bloody irritating. The narrative decision is even more evident in The Voyage of the Basilisk in particular as Isabella (Lady Trent) is, surprise surprise, on a voyage and the narrative is given in a pocket of interest style. But it is impossible to dislike this book, no matter what you consider most important in a narrative, that is to say; style, world building, character development, sheer excitement in the delivery of set pieces. The style, for returning fans, is nothing new; it is the continuation of the memoirs as told from the first-hand perspective of celebrated dragon naturalist Isabella Camhurst. World building is a more general but larger glossary in Voyage, as this time round Isabella isn’t staying in one place, and I absolutely loved all the travel. Honestly, if Brennan released a work devoted entirely to the modern history of Lady Trent’s world as an audio book exclusive recited by the world’s most boring man I’d still buy it. As for the set pieces, Isabella comes across they are fantastic, as I’ve said, very few attribute anything to the over arching plot; if you consider that to be the politics of what’s happening in this series. However if you consider the plot to be ‘have the best time you possibly can’ then yes, every single event contributes heartily. I won’t spoil because I’m going to recommend you read this yourself, but if treacherous sea voyages, flying machines and dragon riding appeal to you (and if they don’t I’m going to assume you’re the person narrating the audio exclusive I mentioned above), then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this. Then lastly there is the Lady Trent herself, returning readers, be assured she hasn’t wavered in her fabulousness, for new comers let me simply say that Isabella is an irresistible character, she’s the epitome of pragmatism, until it comes to her intellectual obsession with Dragon’s, at which point you might call her mad. As an example; she nearly drowns, and her immediate reaction is to curse that it caused her to miss a dragon sighting. So to returning readers, yes, the adventure is worth continuing. To newcomers, go back and read A Natural History of Dragons, the first in this series, not because you won’t understand, I’m pretty sure you could start at Voyage if you were so inclined. But why would you want to spoil this series for yourself when everything about it has been enthralling and of nothing but the highest quality, so you might as well enjoy the lot?

great series

This is the third book in this series and it's always better then the previous one. In this one our lady Trent sails on the far seas and makes other incredible discoveries. I so love these books and my advise is to listen to the audiobooks too. The narrator is really fantastic

J'aime en général les uchronies; celle-ci m'a particulièrement plu et dans la sous-spécialité "dragons" est à mon avis bien supérieure à la série des "Téméraire" ; le côté féministe et anti-colonialiste est sympa et pas trop lourd.