Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 
 While I recommend reading the whole series from the beginning ('cause it's awesome) you can jump in with Labyrinth. It works as a standalone. 
 The Memoir by Lady Trent series follows the adventures of Lady Isabella Trent, a naturalist in a world that closely resembles the Victorian Age in geography (all the countries have different names, but seem to be parallels of our own countries), politics, and social mores. In Isabella's world, dragons are real. There are many different species across the world, and Isabella is devoted to studying and protecting them. Dragons are non-sentient creatures (apparently) that resist being tamed. 
 One thing I love about this series is that it keeps the adventurous tone of good old-fashioned adventure stories (think King Solomon's Mines, Tintin, or more recently Indiana Jones) while challenging the colonialist views that those adventure stories so often embody. Isabella's story is one of challenging gender roles, and her partner (academic, not romantic) is Tom Wilker, who faces similar challenges in the scientific community because of his lower class status. As Isabella travels the world, she shows respect for the various cultures she encounters (and respect for their knowledge of local flora and fauna), and each culture is portrayed as having strengths and weaknesses. 
 Although each book has an exciting adventure component, there are also long periods that are devoted to study, travel, and character development. Just as in real science, most of what Lady Trent does is meticulous and repetitive in nature. The pace gives the books a sense of emotional weight and realism. 
 I adore this series for its world building, fascinating characters, strong narrative voice and sense of adventure, and for the dragons of course. Special mention goes to the cover and interior art, which is by Todd Lockwood. The books would be worth purchasing for the covers alone. They fully cement Isabella's role as a skilled artist and meticulous naturalist in the Victorian style. 
 - Carrie S.