The Tropic of Serpents

Reading more of Isabella and her growing family and adventures was once again an absolute delight. The second book in the series did focus much more on the surrounding events and politics and somewhat less on the actual natural history of dragons. 

I don't know how to feel about this since I really did miss it quite a bit. However, the story is great the way it is and for any of the events to be left out would have changed the meaning of the journey and the ending for the characters I think. Regardless I am very excited to read the next iteration. 

2,5 stars.

With these books I'm feeling more and more like dragons are really just the backdrop and it's not good at all.

Isabella finally goes on another expedition after her first, disastrous one. So this time she packs her things, grabs Mr. Wilker, Lord Hilford's granddaughter Natalie and they leave for fantasy Africa, where a local chief of one country sends them into the jungle to bring him dragon eggs, which is not really ideal. But at least they can hang out with the tribes there and do stuff.

Which is exactly what happens. They get to kinda-Africa, different countries have conflicts, it's all told to us, but I personally couldn't be bothered when it was all just “these people hate those and the leader thinks they can beat them, but this caste in society is like this, while this is how they inherit things”. Fantasy words on top of fantasy words. Of course it's a memoir, but that's exactly why it should feel like a personal, approachable story, instead of the cheat sheet you write for a history test based on your 1000 pages long textbook. It made me skim. Not gonna lie. For a story so short the societal context was a bit much and in places overly complicated.
Especially so when the cover has a damn dragon. I want more, I want to see people interact with them, while the story is mostly just the characters hanging out with the jungle tribe and such. We even get introduced to a sinister hunter and... it comes to nothing. Nothing pays off. This is my big complaints about the series; it all feel like nothing. Like nothing matter, like we are being told tiny things (like how in this place Isabella is sent to a menstruation house with other women, where they chat and she meets this suuuuper interesting woman... who doesn't really play any role in the rest of the story). Like seriously, we have a scene where people ritually talk things out.

My other little observation is how the characterisation of Isabella really has its ups and downs. Sometimes she is genuinely empathetic towards Mr. Wilker, a low class man and understands that his status causes him immense hardships in getting ahead in life. Then she goes into “being a woman means constant victimhood” mindset. She claims women are the only ones judged and such.
Which is especially interesting, as she literally does whatever she wants. Some people dislike it, sure, but at the same time nothing ever really happens. Oh, she shouldn't go to a scientist meeting place? She did, everyone liked her. She shouldn't publish a scientific book? She did and it's a success. She is not supposed to go on expeditions? She does, everyone is crazy about her AND she lives off of her work. Oh, some people are starting rumours? Excuse me, she will become LADY TRENT, so not even a reputation will stop her from an immense step up when it goes to status.
So here we have a woman who did a bunch of stuff as a kid without any real repercussions, who married a man she truly loved, who went on expeditions and did scientific work, who could even leave her kid behind as she went to chase what she loved... She would be considered an exceptionally lucky woman and yes, person even today.

It's all sad as... the dragons are really cool! They are all different, with interesting characteristics. It's creative like that, but the ideas are not realised to their full power.

I'm not sure if I want to read the rest of the series, definitely not now. There is just so much stuff that is more rewarding and that utilises its best ideas more.

Good night and show me, don't just tell!