Marie Brennan

Solid, rich story (unsurprisingly, it's a Marie Brennan). Fascinating backstory leading to the current crisis - magic came back... Mid-twentieth century? Not sure. It was a hard shift, but in the now of the story the rules have been codified and systems set up to handle things - the protagonist is going to college to study divination, though her parents would prefer she follow them and study ceremonial magic. And then things start to shift, and the why of the original return of magic gets clarified... into a looming crisis. They do handle things stupidly a few times (jump in, feet-first, without consulting adults let alone experts), but that's accurate for college students. The book ends with... the crisis is happening, but they do have tools that will let them handle it. Probably. I need to read the next book.
There's also a prequel (Welcome to Welton), snippets showing how the main characters got to where they are at the beginning of this book - fun to read afterward, possibly useful before.… (mais)

I thought this would be stories either about D&D games or about characters within D&D games. Nope - not fiction at all, it's about how RPGs illuminate writing and vice versa. If you play RPGs, you'd probably find it interesting; if you write fiction at all, you'd probably find it interesting; if you run RPGs, you'll definitely find it both interesting and useful. It talks about different gaming systems and how they differ, both specifically and in concept(s); it talks about making the story, and not railroading your characters, and how to make story on the fly when your players take their characters in a direction you didn't expect or prepare for (and how to prepare for these off-plot angles). It also talks about how the collaborative and immediate storytelling of an RPG game differs from writing a story (not least, the chance in writing to go back and fix that thing that happened wrong two chapters ago and messed up where you are now...), and how gaming can offer ideas and plot paths to the writer. I don't game these days, and I don't think I ever ran a game - but I still found this fascinating on many levels. And of course it's well-written, it is Marie Brennan - depths and lovely wordplay and clear expression of her ideas. Now I'm looking at her other books and wondering how much of them was triggered or expanded by gaming. Fascinating.… (mais)

Digital audio performed by Kate Reading

Subtitle: A Memoir by Lady Trent

From the book jacket: All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, knows 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.

My reactions:
Well, this was a wonderful romp of an adventure. We learn how Isabella became interested in natural history, and dragons in particular. As the only daughter in a family of six children, she struggled to be ladylike, but her curiosity would not be dampened. Her father suggested she try book learning rather than “field work” and when she came of age to marry she was fortunate to find a man whose intellectual curiosity matched hers and who was more than willing to have her continue her research. And that is how they come to take a thrilling expedition to foreign lands in search of dragons.

Isabella is a wonderful heroine. She’s intelligent, tenacious, curious, and determined. She makes sure that she is of value to the expedition by honing her skill at anatomical drawing so as to record the expedition forces’ findings. But she also is a keen observer on her own. Of course, it is she who solves the great mystery at the center of this adventure.

While the time is set in approximately the Victorian era, Brennan has really created a marvelous world where dragons roam. She includes much information about the various sub-species and their differences in both appearance and behavior. I was completely engaged from beginning to end. I’ll definitely continue with the series.

Kate Reading does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. Her diction is clear and easy to understand. She really brings these characters to life.… (mais)