a natural history of dragons: author interview & giveaway

As part of the blog tour for A Natural History of Dragons, which I thought was “fascinating, uncommon, and full of unexpected bits of alternate world society trivia,” I’m interviewing author Marie Brennan today and hosting a giveaway (courtesy of the kind folks at Tor).

Marie Brennan is a former academic with a background in archaeology, anthropology, and folklore, which she now puts to rather cockeyed use in writing fantasy. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to many short stories and novellas, she is also the author of A Star Shall Fall and With Fate Conspire (both from Tor Books), as well as Warrior, Witch, Midnight Never Come, In Ashes Lie, and Lies and Prophecy. You can find her online at SwanTower.com or follow her on twitter.

On to the interview!

1) A Natural History of Dragons is clearly a dragon book, but it's also a fictional memoir.  Did both of those story elements occur to you at the same time?

Very nearly. I actually thought first about running it as a role-playing game; one of the inspirations was the D&D supplement Draconomicon, and I wondered what it would be like if you had D&D characters going around trying to study dragons, instead of killing them and taking their stuff. But within about half an hour, I was also thinking of it as a novel, and the novel ended up winning out. The memoir voice followed naturally from the setting.

2) Your books are always meticulously researched, and you have an academic background in history, archaeology, myth and folklore.  What types of sources did you delve into for this (slightly) more scientific fantasy?

I tried to take it a bit easier this time, compared to the Onyx Court series . . . which means I only read, y’know, a small stack of books on Eastern Europe, Victorian fossil-hunters, Judaism, and so on. Plus random questions about chemistry, early rappelling techniques -- oh, and the climatology reading that went into figuring out the map and the weather.

I appear to be constitutionally incapable of taking it easy.

3) You've mentioned previously that you'd like to write YA.  I think that A Natural History fits as a YA/adult 'crossover.'  Do you have any projects in mind/coming to fruition that are purely YA?

Interesting you should say that; I actually wondered at one point whether this could work as a YA. The first book probably could, but since the series is going to continue on through Isabella’s life, it will move out of YA territory pretty fast, in terms of her age and what kinds of issues she’s dealing with.

As for your question, I tend to keep future projects under wraps until they become definite, but I do have several things potentially in the works. And Lies and Prophecy, my first novel with the Book View Cafe, is right on the YA border, too -- the protagonists of that one are in college.

art by Todd Lockwood

And now for a bit of fun...

4) Do you have any hidden (or not-so-hidden) superpowers?

I can find things. People will be looking for something they've dropped or mislaid, searching all over the place, and I'll find it in about five seconds.

5) If you could host a dinner party for fictional literary characters, who would you invite and what would you serve?

Oh, yikes. I could spend months wibbling over this -- there are so many great characters, but then the ones I find the most compelling aren’t necessarily the ones I’d want to have at dinner, and then of course I start wondering how they would get along . . . but I’ll say that Francis Crawford of Lymond, from Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles, could be relied upon to make lively dinner table conversation.

6) What books are on your nightstand (or wherever you keep your "to read" pile) right now?

I actively avoid keeping a pile or anything in that vein; the size of it would only depress me. My unread books are shelved with the ones I’ve read, and I just pull things out as they strike my fancy. But since I mentioned Dunnett above, I’ll say that I’ve started reading her House of Niccolo series, and am looking forward to the next book.

Thanks so much for answering those questions, Marie!  I shall have to read the Lymond Chronicles and meet Francis for myself.

Finally… a GIVEAWAY! I have three hardcover copies of A Natural History of Dragons to offer to you, my lovely readers. To enter, simply fill out the FORM. One extra entry will be granted to those who leave a comment on this interview post. Giveaway open internationally, will end on March 3rd, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. Giveaway winners will be selected randomly and notified via email. Prizes are provided and shipped by the publisher. Good luck!

Fine print: giveaway prizes courtesy of Tor (Macmillan).

a natural history of dragons

I’m so glad dragons are making a resurgence in fantasy.  I know they never ‘left,’ per se, but I grew up on the tales of Wrede, McCaffrey, and Yolen, and it is a wonderful to see books like Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina taking home awards for writing.  Of course, young adult doesn’t have a corner on the dragon market, and there have been many wonderful dragon stories in adult fantasy as well.  I’ve just read one of them, and I’m happy to report that it was unique and spell-binding.  Marie Brennan’s A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent is a fabulous tale.

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. 

Marie Brennan introduces an enchanting new world in A Natural History of Dragons.

A Natural History of Dragons is written in the style of a memoir, one by a famous dragon naturalist, Isabella, Lady Trent.  ‘She’ writes from the perspective of a scientist at the end of a long career.  As she examines the youthful interests and experiences that sparked her interest in dragonkind, she also muses on life, love, society, politics, and the progress of technology over time.  In so doing, she shows herself to be a keen observer, a passionate devotee of natural history, and an eccentric who cannot resist the pull of scientific study.

This book, the first in a planned series, follows Isabella from her childhood in the country through her adolescence and on her first expedition.  As is the case with memoirs, it is told entirely through the lens of Isabella’s experience, but it does not suffer from this focus.  Isabella gradually progresses from studying sparklings (insect-sized dragon cousins) to admiring living dragons, to finally joining an expedition to study them in their natural habitat.   The story is also full of hijinks from Isabella’s younger years, falling in love, and coming of age. The common thread through all of this (of course!) is a passion for dragons.  Dragons are the be-all and end-all of Isabella’s existence. 

I found A Natural History of Dragons fascinating, uncommon, and full of unexpected bits of alternate world society trivia and twists of fate.  I felt as if I was reading nonfiction, albeit exceptionally interesting nonfiction (a la Into Thin Air), with the added bonus of fantasy elements and gorgeous illustration.  Todd Lockwood’s art is certainly one of the highlights of the reading experience – just look at this drawing!

art by Todd Lockwood

Beware: these aren’t the awesome but basically tame dragons of lore.  They’re wild beasts that belong to an unfamiliar world, and they will strike close to the heart if provoked.  At the end of the volume I found myself wide-eyed and longing for the next installment in Lady Trent’s adventures.

Recommended for: fans of dragons (all kinds), those who enjoy books that pay homage to the manners and mores of Regency/Victorian England (i.e. Georgette Heyer, Mary Robinette Kowal’s Shades of Milk and Honey), and anyone who has caught themselves wondering about the anatomy and physiology of mythological creatures.

Check back tomorrow for a blog tour stop with an interview with the author (and GIVEAWAY!).

Fine print: I received an e-ARC of this book for honest review from Tor.