Turning Darkness Into Light by Marie Brennan
Published 20th August by Titan Books
Star Rating - ****
Goodreads Challenge - 51/50
I was kindly gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads)
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.
TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT is a delightful fantasy of manners, the heir to the award-winning Natural History of Dragons series, a perfect stepping stone into an alternate Victorian-esque fantasy landscape.
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.
TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT is a delightful fantasy of manners, the heir to the award-winning Natural History of Dragons series, a perfect stepping stone into an alternate Victorian-esque fantasy landscape.
My Thoughts
This book is a standalone story set in the same world as the Lady Trent series but I was assured I could read this book without having read the Lady Trent books and that is what I did. I think people who have read the previous series will be at a bit of an advantage and, after having read some other reviews, apparently there are some spoilers in this book for the other series but I don't mind that and I really enjoyed this one.
I often see Marie Brennan's books described as a 'fantasy of manners' and I love that term. I think it describes this book perfectly. I loved the writing style, it's quaint, not action packed but there's still enough happening to keep you interested throughout. I also loved the way this story was structured using diary entries and letters. I enjoyed piecing the story together in this way. As I said, I think readers of the Lady Trent series will be at a bit of an advantage when reading this as they will have a more solid understanding of the world and the cultures. These weren't really explored in detail in this book as, I assume, the author thinks you will already have this information from her previous books however, this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story whatsoever.
I loved Audrey as a character too. She was vivacious and passionate about both her life and her work but she still had some recklessness in her. Enough to make her fun to read about but not so much that you spent the time rolling your eyes at her actions. I liked how she challenged ideals in this world by becoming a scholar and not joining society and finding a husband etc. and I also really loved that this isn't constantly looked down upon as it is in some books. I loved reading her diary entries as she had a witty nature and her narrative kept the story driving forwards. I wish I knew a little bit more about the Draconeans though but I do plan to rectify this by reading the Lady Trent series (hopefully) very soon.
Overall I thought this was a really fun and enjoyable read with some really great characters. I definitely believe this can be read as a standalone story and be enjoyed as such however, if you are the type of person who likes to know all of the details about the setting and cultures then I would probably pick up Marie Brennan's previous series first.
I often see Marie Brennan's books described as a 'fantasy of manners' and I love that term. I think it describes this book perfectly. I loved the writing style, it's quaint, not action packed but there's still enough happening to keep you interested throughout. I also loved the way this story was structured using diary entries and letters. I enjoyed piecing the story together in this way. As I said, I think readers of the Lady Trent series will be at a bit of an advantage when reading this as they will have a more solid understanding of the world and the cultures. These weren't really explored in detail in this book as, I assume, the author thinks you will already have this information from her previous books however, this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story whatsoever.
I loved Audrey as a character too. She was vivacious and passionate about both her life and her work but she still had some recklessness in her. Enough to make her fun to read about but not so much that you spent the time rolling your eyes at her actions. I liked how she challenged ideals in this world by becoming a scholar and not joining society and finding a husband etc. and I also really loved that this isn't constantly looked down upon as it is in some books. I loved reading her diary entries as she had a witty nature and her narrative kept the story driving forwards. I wish I knew a little bit more about the Draconeans though but I do plan to rectify this by reading the Lady Trent series (hopefully) very soon.
Overall I thought this was a really fun and enjoyable read with some really great characters. I definitely believe this can be read as a standalone story and be enjoyed as such however, if you are the type of person who likes to know all of the details about the setting and cultures then I would probably pick up Marie Brennan's previous series first.
Overall Rating
Great review, Gemma! I've never heard of this series before, but I'm very curious about it. I love the idea of piecing together a story from diary entries and letters, it makes the story seem more intimate in a way. Thank you for bringing this author to my attention, I shall put her books on my TBR. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteGreat review. Sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by the description of "a fantasy of manners"
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I love the cover but this wouldn't be for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat review. The cover is fabulous.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed this book.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, I heard many great review about the Lady Trent series. I'm really glad you fully enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book to read :) I haven't read the Lady Trent series but it's good that this standalone could be read separately. Thanks for sharing your review!
ReplyDelete