Audio. Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Raphael Corkhill

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 08-20-19

Language: English

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Fantasy

In exchange for an honest review

I would not say it felt like the previous series. That one was about exploring, and it had this other feel to it. This one is even more scholarly as most of it takes place when Audrey is translating clay tablets.

Audrey is Lady Trent's granddaughter (read the books to find out who Trent is.) She wants to prove her worth as her grand parents are famous, her parents are famous and she has not had her turn yet. So she spends month translating.

Helping her she has Kudshayn, a well I will just say dragonman so you get the point. Their benefactor is an Earl who she does not really know what his endgame is.

There is more but that just comes into spoiler territory.

I liked Audrey. I did want more dragons, and got none, so that is sad. In a way not a lot happens either, it really is hard to explain this one. But it is a fascinating world she has created.

Narrator

She did a good job. I liked her epic clay tablet voice. You have to read it to get that ;)  

The book is a lot more than just a story. There are letters, articles and more. In comes this other narrator for that.

It worked in audio too with all these different formats 

As the renowned granddaughter of Isabella Camherst (Lady Trent, of the riveting and daring Draconic adventure memoirs), Audrey Camherst has always known she, too, would want to make her scholarly mark upon a chosen field of study. 

When Lord Gleinheigh recruits Audrey to decipher a series of ancient tablets holding the secrets of the ancient Draconean civilization, she has no idea that her research will plunge her into an intricate conspiracy, one meant to incite rebellion and invoke war. Alongside dearest childhood friend and fellow archeologist Kudshayn, must find proof of the conspiracy before it’s too late.

Within the sanctuary of Wings - Marie Brennan

After nearly five decades (and, indeed, the same number of volumes), one might think they were well-acquainted with the Lady Isabella Trent--dragon naturalist, scandalous explorer, and perhaps as infamous for her company and feats of daring as she is famous for her discoveries and additions to the scientific field.

And yet--after her initial adventure in the mountains of Vystrana, and her exploits in the depths of war-torn Eriga, to the high seas aboard The Basilisk, and then to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia--the Lady Trent has captivated hearts along with fierce minds. This concluding volume will finally reveal the truths behind her most notorious adventure--scaling the tallest peak in the world, buried behind the territory of Scirland's enemies--and what she discovered there, within the Sanctuary of Wings. 

My thoughts:

The end.

I am sad to see this series end but as Isabella herself says in her memoirs, the truly interesting parts has already happened. And I will take her word for it.

In this one she braves the highest mountains in the world in search of new dragons. And...oh I can't say but there are secrets, revelations and things I did not see coming! Exciting stuff.

I like Isabella, she so wants to explore and learn new things and here she feels she needs to get out in the field again. Her husband is trying to decipher the Draconian language and is all for a trip too. Aww he is so nice.

I wish I could say more about the journey but trust me, it's a good one. And as always I love the way it is written. It feels so real you know, like this really is a memoir from back in the day.

Conclusion:
This is a great series. It is written as a memoir of an inspiring woman who studies dragons. The world is rich and interesting. And as it now has ended, I do recommend it to all and read them in order so you get all her adventures.

Oh and as always, I love the drawings!

Paperback, 365 pages
Published April 25th 2017 by Titan Books
The Memoirs of Lady Trent #5
Fantasy
For review

With fate conspire - Marie Brennan

Marie Brennan returns to the Onyx Court, a fairy city hidden below Queen Victoria's London. Now the Onyx Court faces its greatest challenge.

Seven years ago, Eliza's childhood sweetheart vanished from the streets of Whitechapel. No one believed her when she told them that he was stolen away by the faeries.

But she hasn't given up the search. It will lead her across London and into the hidden palace that gives refuge to faeries in the mortal world. That refuge is now crumbling, broken by the iron of the underground railway, and the resulting chaos spills over to the streets above.

Three centuries of the Onyx Court are about to come to an end. Without the palace's protection, the fae have little choice but to flee. Those who stay have one goal: to find safety in a city that does not welcome them. But what price will the mortals of London pay for that safety?

My thoughts:

This was a sad one, ok now you think omg am I gonna cry? Haha, no, I do not mean SAD, just you know melancholic. But never sad! The Fae have lived and loved London, but the iron has poisoned Father Thames. The railway is destroying more and more. The Onyx court is dying, iron is everywhere. And I do like the Fae, even if they have their share of rotten eggs too. And the Court is desperately trying to find a way to survive.... It's just sad to see them struggling.

But this book is not about the court for once. It is about Eliza, who is looking for her love that was taken by fairies. Also, she is in trouble with the law cos of the Fenians. I liked her story, her struggles, and how she never gave up. She really wanted to find Owen again.

The second big POV was Dead Rick, a fae, and honestly, eh, I did not care. He was not doing a lot, he was not doing the nicest things. And I just liked Eliza much more.

I guess this was the end then. A good conclusion to the series, and honestly, they do work as standalones cos there are new characters and the last one took place 150 years before.

Conclusion:
A nice end to this series. Intrigues and a dying land. 

Paperback, 632 pages
Published January 10th 2017 by Titan Books (first published August 30th 2011)
The Onyx Court #4
Historical fantasy
for review

Best of 2016

To be honest, it seems I had a pretty bad book year. Rating wise, my average rating is 2.9! Now that is bad. These days I even try to avoid those ok books, but I guess I finished a lot of them this year. Sigh.

I have read 265 books this year, 25 of those were 4 star books....

Taking a quick look at the list and trying to remember ;) I might miss quite a few

I read:

8 audio books

14 novella/short story

1 graphic novel

And now to Best of

Best Historical Romance

I love HR, I read them for the fun of it, but even though I really like them, they seldom get that 4, because I am very cruel. Therefore I was very surprised when this one got a 4 this year. It was just that good.

Best Fantasy

This is book 2 in a series, and well I have suffered from book 2 syndrome a lot. But here, wow. Such a good book. Even better than book 1! I was impressed. That is how a series should evolve.

Runner-up

I usually do not do this, but when looking through GR and checking my reviews...well, I used the word intense a lot. I mean A LOT! Another series that just keeps getting better.

Best YA

I like how she writes, I liked the darkness of it all, and the world created. Great YA.

Runner-up

This one has not been translated, a shame really.

Best UF

This was one of those where it did take me a while to warm up to the series- But this one was excellent and one of those I need to pee, but F IT! I have to finish this book.

Best Steampunk

Ok, so it might be one of two steampunk books I read this year, and it was fantasy too, but it has to be on this list. Also BEST sidekick cat ever!

Best Er  tic romance

I seldom read this since I skim already in contemporary romance, but I read it, and damn, it was good! It was better than the contemporary romance I read this year. It gets both prizes.

Best Historical Fiction/Horror

This one actually gave me the chills. After having finished it I had to look out the window so no one was watching me. Such a claustrophobic feeling.

Best Fiction

How to be a young woman in a country where women are worth nothing. A powerful story.

And last, Best Memoir *coughs*

My cheat genre pick ;)

Because the series is just so fun and everyone should read it.

..........................................

And last a shout out to

 You all keep me motivated. Thank you!! This is the best challenge to have

A star shall fall - Marie Brennan

The Royal Society of London plays home to the greatest minds of England. It has revolutionized philosophy and scientific knowledge. Its fellows map out the laws of the natural world, disproving ancient superstition and ushering in an age of enlightenment.

To the fae of the Onyx Court, living in a secret city below London, these scientific developments are less than welcome. Magic is losing its place in the world—and science threatens to expose the court to hostile eyes.

In 1666, a Great Fire burned four-fifths of London to the ground. The calamity was caused by a great Dragon—an elemental beast of flame. Incapable of destroying something so powerful, the fae of London banished it to a comet moments before the comet’s light disappeared from the sky. Now the calculations of Sir Edmond Halley have predicted its return in 1759.

So begins their race against time. Soon the Dragon’s gaze will fall upon London and it will return to the city it ravaged once before. The fae will have to answer the question that defeated them a century before: How can they kill a being more powerful than all their magic combined? It will take both magic and science to save London—but reconciling the two carries its own danger… 

My thoughts:

I read book 1, but I did not read book 2. But for me it worked excellent like this anyway. Book 1 took place 200 years before this one and book 2 100 years before this one. And the main character was not born back then. Though there is this other big POV that they do mention was around in book 2, but I really can't say how much. I got to know her here and that was fine.

Haley's comet is approaching and with it a dragon that wants to destroy London. This London is the normal London and fairy London. The queen of the Onyx court I got to know in book 1 as she got her throne, but here she is only in the background. This book is Lord Galen's, the human consort of the queen. The one who stands in both worlds (though nothing romantic about it, they are not lovers. It is just a title.) Galen was young, he wanted to save the world, and he was totally in love with his queen. Poor thing.

The book is also about a sprite, Lady Irrith that comes back to the Onyx court. She gets involved in court intrigues, meets Galen and is the one that shows more of the fae world.

The next book jumps ahead again so this is it for this crew.

Conclusion:

It's an interesting series, but I do fear for the Onyx court. Iron and all that you know. The world is changing.

Cover

meh

• Paperback, 595 pages
• Published September 2016 by Titan (first published January 1st 2010)
• The Onyx Court #3
• Historical fiction
• For review

In the Labyrinth of Drakes - Marie Brennan

Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent's expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries.

As is so often the case in the career of this illustrious woman, the public story is far from complete. In this, the fourth volume of her memoirs, Lady Trent relates how she acquired her position with the Royal Scirling Army; how foreign saboteurs imperiled both her work and her well-being; and how her determined pursuit of knowledge took her into the deepest reaches of the Labyrinth of Drakes, where the chance action of a dragon set the stage for her greatest achievement yet. 

My thoughts:

This series just has to be read, it is so wonderful. I love the way it's written and the seriousness of it, and not being serious. Like I said you have to read it.

It's a memoir of a famous dragon naturalist. It's a Victorian fantasy setting and there be dragons...

This is then Lady Trent's memoir. And yes sure you could just jump in but don't. The previous books are too good to miss. You have to read them and see her earlier adventures. Her first one. The swamp one. And the last one where she looked at the mighty dragons that swim the oceans. So yes read those, they are too interesting to miss.

In this one she struggles being a woman in a man's world. But she loves her studies and that brings her to Akhia, and desert dragons....and trying to get dragons to mate.

All while there are other things going on in the world. A big war is brewing...slowly.

And we finally get to see a few of those hints talked about in earlier books, I can't say more but I have waited for those and I was happy. *mysterious giggle*

Just read it. I meant to explain it, I can not do it justice. I like the way it's told, I like the world she has created. I like those tidbits about an ancient culture, I am dying to know more about it, but they still need to discover more. The book is scientific in a wonderful way, because well it's all made up. It's delightful to read and and Trent is so not proper in a proper world. I just wanna squeeee.

Oh oh, and I love the drawings!

Conclusion:

A fascinating world, and a great "memoir": 

Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: April 5th 2016 by Titan Books
Memoir by Lady Trent #4
Fantasy
For review

Midnight Never Come - Marie Brennan

England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow.

In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few.

Two courtiers, both struggling for royal favor, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind these two thrones. When the faerie lady Lune is sent to monitor and manipulate Elizabeth’s spymaster, Walsingham, her path crosses that of Michael Deven, a mortal gentleman and agent of Walsingham’s. His discovery of the “hidden player” in English politics will test Lune’s loyalty and Deven’s courage alike. Will she betray her Queen for the sake of a world that is not hers? And can he survive in the alien and Machiavellian world of the fae? For only together will they be able to find the source of Invidiana’s power—find it, and break it...

My thoughts:

There are two courts in London, and two queens rule England. One Mortal, one Fae. I do like the Fae, and I'd loved to read even more about the different Fae and lands. 

Elizabeth and Vididiana They know of each other. To the rest The Fae ares stories. The tricksters, the fair ones.

Do I like Elizabeth? No, she is always so petty. Did I like Vivi? Gods no, she was one mad cow. You can see my point, things are not better in the Court of Onyx.

I need to get to the point. Lady Lune is sent to the mortal court. There she will gather information. At the same time we have Michael, new to the court and trying to get into Walsingham's good graces. And uncover who a hidden player is at court. The will obviously meet at one point, and maybe even like each other, at the end. Hint hint.

We have political intrigues. A spot of romance. The dangers of the fae. The dangers of a mortal court. And it makes so much sense. Of course the Fae were in the background, this works so well.

Conclusion:

I never expected the conclusion to actually arrive in this book, which was good! But it also makes me so curious what will happen in the rest of the series. 

Cover

meh

Paperback, 480 pages
Published November 13th 2015 by Titan Books (first published May 1st 2008)
Onyx Court #1
Historical fantasy fiction
For review

Voyage of the Basilisk - Marie Brennan

Devoted readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoirs, A Natural History of Dragons and The Tropic of Serpents, may believe themselves already acquainted with the particulars of her historic voyage aboard the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk, but the true story of that illuminating, harrowing, and scandalous journey has never been revealed—until now. Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found. From feathered serpents sunning themselves in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics, these creatures are a source of both endless fascination and frequent peril. Accompanying her is not only her young son, Jake, but a chivalrous foreign archaeologist whose interests converge with Isabella’s in ways both professional and personal.

Science is, of course, the primary objective of the voyage, but Isabella’s life is rarely so simple. She must cope with storms, shipwrecks, intrigue, and warfare, even as she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons.

My thoughts:

Like I said before, this series is so delightful!

It's written as a memoir by a famous dragon naturalist. There are also a few drawings (lovely ones by the way.) The whole book just reads perfectly.

Isabella is in society's eyes truly scandalous. I love her. She does her own thing. She loves dragons and she loves studying them. Because what are dragons really? How are the different species connected? Were they tame in the old days when the Draconeans ruled? So many questions she wants the answers for, and hey so many questions I want too. A natural history of dragons, awesome. And even if she is not a historian I love the bits of the Draconeans, the old ruins and legends.

In this book she travels to many places in her world to learn about dragons. the feathered ones, the sea ones, and more. And of course she gets in a bit of trouble because a sea journey is never easy. The book kept me hooked to the end and it was with a sigh I finished it since I wanted more. But alas, not even a blurb for book 4 yet.

Conclusion:

Beautiful artwork, fascinating personalities and a story that pulls you in. I do recommend this great series.

cover

Nice

Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: March 27th 2015 by Titan Books
Memoir by Lady Trent #3
Fantasy
For review

Memoir of Lady Trent 1, 2 - Marie Brennan

You, dear reader, 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. . . .

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

My thoughts:

I honestly did not know what to expect from this one. It sounded intriguing but how would it be?

Oh it was lovely, absolutely lovely. Set in a world akin to our own, except they have dragons. But I liked how it could be our world, our countries, and at the same time not. I liked how she was sent to have her season and get a man. I liked how she, Isabella, was fascinated by dragons. She wanted to learn, but she was a woman. A naturalist, no, not a woman's job. And I liked how she wanted a man for his library...good girl ;)

After getting married there is the real adventure. Where she gets to see dragons in the wild, and tell her tale. Because this is a memoir, and yes I could totally believe some woman 200 years ago wrote it. But as we do not have dragons, alas, it was only a fantasy novel.

The closeness to our world never gets to close. Cos that is a pet peeve of mine, why invent but do not go further? Here only the names of people are similar (like oh she is English, he is Russian), and certain other things. But it still is totally her world, her creation, and it was a lovely and fun creation.

I do look forward to reading more of Isabellas's adventures. 

Paperback, 335 pages
Published February 14th 2014 by Titan Books (first published February 5th 2013)
Memoir by Lady Trent #1
Fantasy
Library

Three years after her fateful journeys through the forbidding mountains of Vystrana, in which she lost her husband, the widowed Mrs. Camherst defies family and convention to embark on an expedition to the savage, war-torn continent of Eriga, home of such exotic draconian species as the grass-dwelling snakes of the savannah, arboreal tree snakes, and, most elusive of all, the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics.

The expedition is not an easy one. Accompanied by both an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave oppressive heat, merciless fevers, palace intrigues, gossip, and other hazards in order to satisfy her boundless fascination with all things draconian, even if it means venturing deep into the forbidden jungle known as the Green Hell – where her courage, resourcefulness, and scientific curiosity will be tested as never before. 

My thoughs:

Just as good as book 1 if not better :)

3 years has gone by since book 1. Isabella still wants to study dragons. She is dealing with the aftermath from book 1; the loss of Jacob, and the birth of her son. But that is not what this book is about.

Nope, Isabella goes on another adventure with Wilkins and a runaway heiress. There will be dragons, studies and scandals brewing.

I so like Isabella, she loves her dragons and I like discovering things about, well this world's dragons, and I like how the book is written and I can't wait to read book 3 :) 

I am recommending this series.

Paperback, 345 pages
Published June 20th 2014 by Titan Books
Memoir by Lady Trent #2
Fantasy
Library