A Natural History Of Dragons A Memoir By Lady Trent
Isabella, Lady Trent, opens her memoirs with the adventure that launched her scandalous career: as a young Scirlandian noblewoman defying convention to pursue her passion for dragons, she talks her new husband, Jacob Camherst, into joining Lord Hilford's expedition to the remote mountains of Vystrana. There, amid smugglers, political unrest, and dragons behaving strangely, Isabella and her companions uncover a mystery that sets her on the path to becoming the world's foremost dragon naturalist.
The explorer-naturalist who leads the expedition to Vystrana, encouraging Isabella's scientific ambitions despite the social conventions of the day.
A self-taught naturalist on the Vystrana expedition, initially dismissive of Isabella's presence before becoming her ally.
This is the first volume in a five-book series titled The Memoirs of Lady Trent, which chronicles the life and scientific career of the protagonist.
The interior illustrations and cover art are by Todd Lockwood. In the story, the drawings are framed as Isabella's own field sketches, done in a naturalist style to reinforce the book's conceit of a scientific memoir.
The setting is an alternate version of the nineteenth century where the author uses analogous worldbuilding, drawing upon real-world historical cultures and geography to ground the narrative.
The French translation, "Une histoire naturelle des dragons," won the 2016 Prix Imaginales for Best Translated Novel. The English original was also a finalist for the World Fantasy Award.