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Turning Darkness into Light

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Turning Darkness into Light

By: Marie Brennan
Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Raphael Corkhill
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A brand-new adventure set in the hugely popular A Natural History of Dragons universe – a delightful Victorian-esque fantasy.

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 Gleinleigh 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, she must find proof of the conspiracy before it’s too late.

“Smart and nuanced…overwhelmingly fun.” 109 on The Tropics of Serpents Action & Adventure Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Historical Mythology
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The style of this book is quite different to the lady Trent books and it took me a while to acclimatise. Once I did, however, I certainly enjoyed the story

So different to lady Trent

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I didn't know quite what to expect from this "standalone" sequel taking place decades after the events of Lady Trent, but in many ways it was just as engaging and delightful. The new audiobook narrators did a great job and I think Corkhill especially had a broad range of voices.

Purely on enjoyment level it took a while for me to grip me, due to the narrative structure of the translation efforts of the epic myth the main characters are working on, but I think it all tied into the overall narrative very well in the end.

Brennan touches upon multiple themes of timeless relevance: history and its role in one's identity and the relations between present peoples, hate & racism, ambition, patriarchy vs feminism, found family and more.

I hope to re-read (well, listen) to this series again in the not too distant future!

Interesting mystery

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I loved all previous books and their narrative but this one felt unique in how differently I perceived the storyline. Listening to the different characters perspectives felt like collecting small pieces of a puzzle which at the end comes together in amazing picture full of details, hidden signs and hints. I congradulate the author for trying new approach to provide novelty in style while succesfully balancing with the familiarity. And as always, I'm left hungry for more.

An enjoyable puzzle story

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4/5

This spin-off from the Lady Trent Memoirs was an enjoyable read. It had intruige, let us delve into the world several decades on and explore it's change. Following Lady Trent's granddaughter Audrey, a story of ancient language, subterfuge and struggling to make the right choices ensues.

The good:
- The characters were diverse and faceted. It was great to see BIPOC and neurodiverse people amongst the main cast of characters.
- The world is as interesting as it was previously and has evolved in a logical way. The problems of this evolution were well described and shown.
- The ancient take within the story was fascinating and intricate.
- The narrative is told through the medium of diary entries, letters, newspaper articles and other similar snippets. I think this worked well for the book and helped to see things from several characters' viewpoints.

What could have been better:
- The story's tone just didn't grab me like the Lady Trent Memoirs did. The action is mostly political and intellectual and I preferred the tone of the original series.
- The pace felt slow for a long time and the point of the plot didn't really kick in until the last third of the book.

I would highly recommend this to fans of the original Lady Trent Memoirs. However, I suggest that Turning Darkness into Light may not be as enjoyable for those who have not read the entire series as it does contain many spoilers. It is good solid sequel and fun to read.

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The story follows the consequences of Lady Trent's discoveries but two generations after and by her granddaughter. It feels more like a professor Langdon version of Lady Trent rather than the typical explorer style of this series.

Extra book

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