The Tropic of Serpents

Reading more of Isabella and her growing family and adventures was once again an absolute delight. The second book in the series did focus much more on the surrounding events and politics and somewhat less on the actual natural history of dragons. 

I don't know how to feel about this since I really did miss it quite a bit. However, the story is great the way it is and for any of the events to be left out would have changed the meaning of the journey and the ending for the characters I think. Regardless I am very excited to read the next iteration. 

2,5 stars.

With these books I'm feeling more and more like dragons are really just the backdrop and it's not good at all.

Isabella finally goes on another expedition after her first, disastrous one. So this time she packs her things, grabs Mr. Wilker, Lord Hilford's granddaughter Natalie and they leave for fantasy Africa, where a local chief of one country sends them into the jungle to bring him dragon eggs, which is not really ideal. But at least they can hang out with the tribes there and do stuff.

Which is exactly what happens. They get to kinda-Africa, different countries have conflicts, it's all told to us, but I personally couldn't be bothered when it was all just “these people hate those and the leader thinks they can beat them, but this caste in society is like this, while this is how they inherit things”. Fantasy words on top of fantasy words. Of course it's a memoir, but that's exactly why it should feel like a personal, approachable story, instead of the cheat sheet you write for a history test based on your 1000 pages long textbook. It made me skim. Not gonna lie. For a story so short the societal context was a bit much and in places overly complicated.
Especially so when the cover has a damn dragon. I want more, I want to see people interact with them, while the story is mostly just the characters hanging out with the jungle tribe and such. We even get introduced to a sinister hunter and... it comes to nothing. Nothing pays off. This is my big complaints about the series; it all feel like nothing. Like nothing matter, like we are being told tiny things (like how in this place Isabella is sent to a menstruation house with other women, where they chat and she meets this suuuuper interesting woman... who doesn't really play any role in the rest of the story). Like seriously, we have a scene where people ritually talk things out.

My other little observation is how the characterisation of Isabella really has its ups and downs. Sometimes she is genuinely empathetic towards Mr. Wilker, a low class man and understands that his status causes him immense hardships in getting ahead in life. Then she goes into “being a woman means constant victimhood” mindset. She claims women are the only ones judged and such.
Which is especially interesting, as she literally does whatever she wants. Some people dislike it, sure, but at the same time nothing ever really happens. Oh, she shouldn't go to a scientist meeting place? She did, everyone liked her. She shouldn't publish a scientific book? She did and it's a success. She is not supposed to go on expeditions? She does, everyone is crazy about her AND she lives off of her work. Oh, some people are starting rumours? Excuse me, she will become LADY TRENT, so not even a reputation will stop her from an immense step up when it goes to status.
So here we have a woman who did a bunch of stuff as a kid without any real repercussions, who married a man she truly loved, who went on expeditions and did scientific work, who could even leave her kid behind as she went to chase what she loved... She would be considered an exceptionally lucky woman and yes, person even today.

It's all sad as... the dragons are really cool! They are all different, with interesting characteristics. It's creative like that, but the ideas are not realised to their full power.

I'm not sure if I want to read the rest of the series, definitely not now. There is just so much stuff that is more rewarding and that utilises its best ideas more.

Good night and show me, don't just tell!

Pros: fun, witty storytelling; engaging and diverse characters, interesting politics, Todd Lockwood artwork

Cons:

This is the second volume of Lady Isabella Trent's memoir regarding the study of dragons. Despite the dangerous political situation in the Talu Union, she requests permission for herself and two companions to visit Bayembe and the Mouleen swamps in order to study the various dragon species found there.

These ‘memoirs' are such a joy to read. This is a character driven novel, told from a lady's point of view. And that lady refuses to adhere to society's norms when it comes to what women are and are not allowed to do in scholarly pursuits. But this isn't a simple story. There's a lot of character development as she's forced to adapt to the customs of the different peoples she meets and come to terms with things in her past.

This series takes place in an imaginary world that has similarities to Earth in the 1800s. While the three protagonists are Scirling (analogous to colonial Britain), there are several natives of different tribes (patterned after African tribes) who play important roles in the book. Each tribe has different political goals, religious beliefs, customs, clothing, skin tones and languages. They all feel intrinsically real. I especially loved that the king of Bayembe had prosthesis that allowed him to walk and was seen as a powerful figure, whose ‘iron' legs made him more than human.

There's a decent amount of politics involved, and while it's not dwelt on heavily, it's necessary as the climax hinges on what the wider world is up to while her party is trying not to die of malaria and yellow fever in the swamps. Even beyond the military and economic politics are the more subtle politics of life, for example, Isabella isn't allowed to join a scientific symposium because of her gender while one of her companions on the trek is barred from the same symposium because he's not of a high enough social class. Similarly, her second companion on the trip has to defy her father, who wants her to stay home and get married rather than ruin herself on this expedition.

In addition to the cover, Todd Lockwood has a series of illustrations peppering the novel itself. These are done sketchbook style and really add to the atmosphere of the book as well as your ability to visualise what's happening.

If you like fun, witty storytelling that's quick to read and thoughtful about representing diversity, then pick this up.