This review may contain spoilers for the first book, A Natural History of Dragons. 

“Words, I fear, will again fail me as I attempt to describe the environment into which we now entered. But words are what I have, along with my humble

line drawings, and so I must employ my tools as best I can. For it is important that you have a clear sense in your mind of the world I inhabited for the better part of the next seven months, and keep it always in your thoughts as you read of the events that transpired there.”

The Tropic of Serpents is the second volume in the Memoirs of Lady Trent series by Marie Brennan and this instalment made me fall even further in love with Isabella and her adventures. 

Vystrana may have been an expedition full of danger and deep sorrow but the tragedy that occurred there has not dampened Isabella Camherst’s passion for studying dragons. This time Isabella along with her companion, Natalie and fellow researcher Mr Wilker head to war-torn Eriga where swamp wyrms reside. She once again defies social conventions, faces scandalous rumours and shows the world that women too can make great achievements. Though this is not the biggest hardship Isabella encounters, that was only the beginning of her journey. Once in Eriga Isabella truly realises what an unforgiving place they have entered, one which has much political strife and an even more dangerous and hostile environment within its forbidden territory known as, the Green Hell. Throughout, Isabella is put to the test and shows just how far she’ll go to satisfy her curiosity.

There are many feminist themes explored throughout this novel and one of the main ones is motherhood. Isabella Camherst’s forthcoming departure for Eriga delves into the ever challenging relationship she has with her mother. Her and her mother have never quite seen eye to eye, and the very notion of her widowed daughter leaving her son, Jacob, behind to head into treacherous territory is more than her mother can stand. Isabella often recounts how her feelings for her son are complicated. She’s not the nurturing sort, she’s not filled with a deep attachment but she does love him dearly. Brennan shows how complex motherhood can be and there is not a necessarily right way to be a mother. For Isabella, being restricted because of her son could do more harm to their relationship than her leaving for a time. It is not that Isabella is heartless, or does not worry about Jacob should she perish, in fact she leaves him in good hands, it is that she doesn’t want to be defined as only a mother, she has ambitions and means to see them fulfilled. Just as Natalie, Isabella’s friend and Lord Hilford’s granddaughter, doesn’t want to be defined or forced into marriage by her father. These two women together defy the expectations placed upon them and follow their dreams, which is inspiring to all women out there who feel confined.

“I wanted only to study dragons, but first I had to get past the humans, and I feared they might be a greater danger to me than all the fevers of the tropics combined.”

I’m suitably impressed with Brennan for making menstruation a plot point in this novel. In Bayembe, which is one of the destinations our characters stay in during their expedition in Eriga, women who are on their periods have to stay in an ‘agban’ away from the others until they are ‘clean’. (Yes in many cultures periods are viewed as unclean, even today!) Though Isabella feels this an absurdity and inconvenience to her plans, she complies and uses this time to her advantage and learns the ways of the Yembe people, particularly of the royal line. Here is what I love about Isabella in this book, this is the growth I had wanted to see. In A Natural History of Dragons, Isabella had been quite ignorant of the way of life, the language and superstition of the people native to Vystrana, and was rather put-out when she was expected to follow their customs. In Bayembe Isabella is equipped with basic knowledge of their various languages, their climate and their culture, more importantly though she’s much more willing to learn and be respectful, even if she doesn’t agree.

There is rather a lot of political strife in this book, of which I didn’t mind because it was fascinating to see play out in certain scenes. Though Isabella, Natalie and Mr Wilker try to avoid the war, they inevitably become entangled. We soon discover that Bayembe is made up of various races and they are in conflict with Ikwunde warriors, and although Scirling soldiers are present and offer somewhat aid they are mainly there for their own goals. The politics here does get rather complicated, mostly because a lot of names are thrown at the reader, but it is also an important aspect because when entering a foreign country, even just to observe their nature, it is unavoidable to become aware or even involved in their affairs. We see this more as the group travel into Mouleen known as the Green Hell where the dragons they are here to study largely inhabit. 

Now I wouldn’t last two seconds inside the Green Hell with its oppressive humidity, its treacherous bridges, its insect and deadly wildlife, its deadly waters, and yet it was a location I wanted to visit! Mostly because I wanted to see those swamp dragons in all their glory and I’m sure you cannot blame me for loving all kinds of dragons as Isabella herself does. Though the dragons could have featured more, then again I’ll always say that, I loved every moment Isabella observed them. There was a spectacular scene where Isabella goes off gliding to a sacred Moulish location where she stumbles upon a secret of the dragon’s kind, which made me as excited and curious as she was! I also have to note Isabella’s anger and distataste for trophy hunting which a certain M. Velloin partakes in was something I was glad to see included. Isabella may have leniency towards a dragon dying for scientific research to better understand and perhaps help their various breeds but to kill one for sport was something that disgusted her. Which once again echoed my own thoughts too. 

“To kill a creature simply to decorate one’s study is repellent to me, and I cannot help but be repelled by those who engage in such activity. And that abhorrence is redoubled when the hunter’s target is a dragon, for I, as all the world knows, am partisan to their kind.”

The Tropic of Serpents had a little bit of everything from dragons to adventures, hostile environments to complex politics, but at the forefront is one woman’s mission to live out her dream. What’s not to love? This was truly amazing. I’m so excited to see where Brennan will lead Isabella next.

Review copy gifted by  Kabriya at Titan Books—thank you for the copy!
The entire Memoirs of Lady Trent series is available now.

You can order The Tropic of Serpents HERE