scijessreads

This was one of the books I read at the end of last year. I’ve previously read another book by Carrie Vaughn – Bannerless – that I loved (about a murder investigation in a small post-apocalyptic type community). This one – The Naturalist Society – is a beautiful ode to science and discovery and the power of observation.

One of my favorite things about this book is the magic system. It is “arcane taxonomy,” where identifying something, naming it and discovering it, can allow you to harness its powers. Not everyone has the ability to use the magic, and the society that regulates its use and research is pretty much led by men.

In this story, we get Beth, a woman with the ability to do magic who must use her husband to get her discoveries published. When he dies, two acquaintances from the society come by looking for his work and support for a new expedition they want to take, and find Beth instead. Over time they realize just what Beth can do, and how much they did not know about their friend.

We also get those that would harness Beth’s ability for their own use without her consent, and what becomes a bit of a tangled blossoming of love. This one is almost cozy, but has sharp commentary that very much applies to the current day (unfortunately). I highly recommend this one!