A Natural History of Dragons - Marie Brennan 
 Rating: 1/2 
 -- About the series -- 
 Lady Trent (born Isabella Hendemore), the renowned dragon naturalist from Scirland, has finally decided to write her memoirs, focusing on the expeditions which led to the most important discovery of her career. Dreaming of becoming a Fellow of the Philosophers' Colloquium, she had to overcome the skepticism faced by every woman scholar of her time and risked her life as she traveled to the far corners of the world to study dragons. 
 "Be warned, then: the collected volumes of this series will contain frozen mountains, foetid swamps, hostile foreigners, hostile fellow countrymen, the occasional hostile family member, bad decisions, misadventures in orienteering, diseases of an unromantic sort, and a plenitude of mud. You continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart--no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments--even at the risk of one's life--is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. If my humble words convey even a fraction of that wonder, I will rest content." 
 - Preface 
 -- About A Natural History of Dragons -- 
 (view spoiler)[This first volume tells of Isabella's childhood (the title refers to the first book she read about dragons), her marriage to Jacob Camherst and their expedition to study rock-wyrms in the mountains of Vystrana with Maxwell Oscott, Earl of Hilford, and his assistant Thomas Wilker. Jacob dies of a gunshot wound after Isabella steals notes on a revolutionary process to preserve dragonbone (both stronger than wood and lighter than steel, but usually decaying quickly). Upon returning to Scirland, Isabella gives birth to a son she named after his father. (hide spoiler)] 
 Beside the narration which was my favourite part, I really enjoyed the relationship between Isabella and Jacob. Their miscarriage was heartbreaking and I loved Jacob so much for supporting her ambitions (starting with the "Great Sparkling Inquiry"). Even her older self agrees that Isabella's passion for dragons (and her "deranged practicality") sometimes leads her (and others) into very perilous situations. It was also nice to see dragons through a scholarly point of view, although their role was quite small in the story. 
 "I believed myself to be ready then; now, with the hindsight brought by greater age, I see myself for the naive and inexperienced young woman I was. We all begin in such a manner, though. There is no quick route to experience." 
 Chapter 7