I'm not a terribly huge fan of dragons but natural history? The Victorian era? Women who find a way to be badass despite the whole of their society weighing down on them? It's like these books were written specifically with me in mind. 
 In this episode, Isabella mounts her first expedition without her husband, and finds herself caught in the middle of a multi-directional political struggle. And, of course, she and her companions make some pretty wonderful scientific discoveries along the way. 
 As with the first, this book is pretty much perfect. The characters are strong and come through really well, the pacing is spot on, the tone matches the content perfectly. I honestly can't think of a single critical thing to say. 
 I'm seeing from reviews that many people found the book boring, mostly because it spent so much time away from the dragons. I guess I can understand, and it's true that Brennan isn't exactly Anne McCaffrey. It's hard to see how this series would hold any interest at all for readers who just want dragons! and adventure! 
 It is a slower pace, and the dragons themselves are almost incidental to the characterization of Isabella - of her growth, and of her negotiation between the expectations of her gender and the hungers of her personality. But for the right audience (i.e.: me), these books are just glorious.