Week 44 Review: The Naturalist Society

From Goodreads:

In this magical tale of self-discovery from New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn, a young widow taps into the power that will change the world—if the man's world she lives in doesn't destroy her and her newfound friends first.

In the summer of 1880, the death of Beth Stanley's husband puts her life's work in jeopardy. The magic of Arcane Taxonomy dictates that every natural thing in the world, from weather to animals, can be labeled, and doing so grants the practitioner some of that subject's unique power. But only men are permitted to train in this philosophy. Losing her husband means that Beth loses the name they put on her work—and any influence she might have wielded.

Brandon West and Anton Torrance are campaigning for their expedition to the South Pole, a mission that some believe could make a taxonomist all-powerful by tapping into the earth's magnetic forces. Their late friend Harry Stanley's knowledge and connections would have been instrumental, but when they attempt to take custody of his work, they find that it was never his at all.

Tied together by this secret and its implications, Beth, Bran, and Anton must find a way for Beth to use her talent for the good of the world, before she's discovered by those who would lay claim to her rare potential—and her very freedom.

My Review:
I had a wonderful time reading this book! I love her writing, and the synopsis sounded really interesting to read! I really enjoyed reading about Beth, Brandon and Anton, as they dealt with the fact that she was the mind behind her husband's "work" and how to utilize it now that he's passed.

I felt so badly for Beth, she was so happy to marry him, not that they were really in love, but because it meant that she could continue her work on documenting nature. Then he dies only a few years later, and she's left adrift, and her plan to slowly present herself as the leading mind is squashed right away in her first attempt to start it.

The magic in this world, with the names of nature, was really interesting to read about. This is a time where the known world is much bigger than the unknown, meaning it's harder to find something new, and while things aren't critical, the writing is on the wall.

Watching the 3 of them work together was really fantastic! I was really interested in their dynamics, especially given that Bran and Anton were in a romantic relaitonship from the very beginning of the story. So that was an interesting part of the book to read!

This was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read more by Carrie Vaughn, and the sequel, which I didn't know this was going to be a series until after I started writing this review! I'm so excited for more from this world! 

Author: Carrie Vaughn

Series: The Naturalist Society #1
Read: October 29th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a Historical Fiction 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: 47North
Published: November 1st 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars