Reviews

The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan

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theinkdrinker's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

redheadsuperpowers's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really do like this series. I haven't quite figured out if it's my love of a BAMF heroine shirking societal roles, or just the dragons. Probably both. I love the way the author describes her settings, and the people that the MC Isabella Camhurst encounters. She gives us a diverse cast, with different cultures cultures, and practices, without the MC coming across as a 'white savior' archetype. As this is a fantasy set in an alternate reality Victorian era, it works be easy to fall past to those type of tropes. My particular fave bit of this book was the intro of Natalie, another young women that Isabelle helps stand against tradition and gives her options other than marriage or spinsterhood at her brothers. I don't like how she seems to dislike her son in this, but she grows in this story, and I am satisfied with the end of this part of the story. It's definitely written as a midpoint in Isabelle's adventures, and would not read well as a standalone.