Soh Kam Yung reviewed Within the Sanctuary of Wings by Marie Brennan
The end of a lovely series.
5 stars
A fantastic and satisfying conclusion to the series. In this book, an unexpected visitor presents Isabella with a personal tale about finding the remains of an unusual dragon in a hostile mountainous area. With that, and other tantalizing information, she once again sets out to discover the truth behind the claims.
But then disaster strikes, and she is separated from her companions in the mountains. Then she is unexpectedly saved; and at that moment, she knows the world has been changed and the answers behind the questions that have been in the series about the 'dragon people' since the beginning of the series have been answered. But Isabella must first work hard to earn the trust of her rescuers, and then plan how to reveal their secrets to the outside world. But as usual, her plans are disrupted, and it is only with cunning can she hope to navigate the …
A fantastic and satisfying conclusion to the series. In this book, an unexpected visitor presents Isabella with a personal tale about finding the remains of an unusual dragon in a hostile mountainous area. With that, and other tantalizing information, she once again sets out to discover the truth behind the claims.
But then disaster strikes, and she is separated from her companions in the mountains. Then she is unexpectedly saved; and at that moment, she knows the world has been changed and the answers behind the questions that have been in the series about the 'dragon people' since the beginning of the series have been answered. But Isabella must first work hard to earn the trust of her rescuers, and then plan how to reveal their secrets to the outside world. But as usual, her plans are disrupted, and it is only with cunning can she hope to navigate the potential political and military conflicts that build up as the book builds towards it impressive conclusion.
What follows is my opinion of the entire series.
This has been an enjoyable series to read. The first book tempted me with the concept of looking at dragons as a natural part of the world and of a woman who, in an alternate version of the Victorian World, sets out to not only study dragons but to also break the barriers that restrict women of that era.
Well, that temptation has been enough for me to continue the series without regrets. The initial books were light on actual details of the natural history of dragons and of the world Isabella inhabits (a world with new country names but with cultures recognizable from our world) but from the third book onwards, the details have come pouring out, revealing secret after secret of the mysteries that have formed the background of the series and ending with the revelation of the biggest mystery in the last book of the series.
In terms of fantasy, there is very little (apart from dragons) but in terms of science, quite a bit. Not everything is resolved (as is usual in the natural sciences), but enough has been revealed to make the series a satisfying read, although I can well imagine more short stories being written about Isabella's world that ties up the various unknowns about dragon biology that are not yet solved.
In short, this series has been a wonderful series. It will probably not be to the taste of people who want dragons that burn armies to crisp in chapter after chapter, but for those who have a liking for stories with a light overlay of fantasy and attempt to provide a natural explanation for unusual creatures (dragons, in this case), this would be a wonderful series to get into.
