The Memoirs of Lady Trent Books in Order: How to read Marie Brennan’s series?

A Study of Dragons, from the tiny little sparklings to the large predator reptiles that have toxic breath.

What is The Memoirs of Lady Trent series about?

Lady Isabella Trent is a renowned dragon naturalist created by Marie Brennan. Her study of the legendary creatures has taken her around the world on thrilling expeditions.

Her memoirs take place in an alternate world based on our own nineteenth century and document her different discoveries and adventures. She is a rarity because, at this time, it is hard for women to make it studying dragons.

At first, her gender and class constraints hold her back from exploring her passion, the way that her male counterparts have had no problems pursuing it.

How to read The Memoirs of Lady Trent Books in Order?

1. A Natural History of Dragons – All the world know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. 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 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.
2. The Tropic of Serpents – Three years after her fateful journeys through the forbidding mountains of Vystrana, Mrs. Camherst embarks on an expedition to the 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. 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.
3. The Voyage of the Basilisk – 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. 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. 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.

4. From the Editorial Page of the Falchester Weekly Review – A Lady Trent Story you can read at Tor.com. Isabella, Lady Trent, returns to Scirland with the aim of publishing her research. And yet, given the level of secret knowledge she now possesses, she is reduced to waiting to reveal her new academic discovery until royal decrees can be lifted and a fraught political situation avoided. Enjoy the following collection of letters, found in a trunk of mislaid scholarly documents left behind when she removed to Linshire for the season.
5. In the Labyrinth of Drakes – 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. 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.
6. Within the Sanctuary of Wings – After nearly five decades (and, indeed, the same number of volumes), one might think they were well-acquainted with the Lady Isabella Trent. And yet, 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.

If you like The Memoirs of Lady Trent, you may also want to see our Temeraire reading order, or our guide to Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody series. Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.