The Naturalist Society by Carrie VaughnMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was a breath of fresh air as far as I was concerned. This fantasy/alternate history structured around science and birds, complete with relatable characters that outgrow the limits of their former selves while making you root for them every step of the way, rates as one of the best books I've read recently, and one of the best three books I've read that were published last year.
In this alternate history, magic is wielded by people who follow the discipline of Arcane Taxonomy. This is the art and science of identifying new species of birds and animals and giving them official Latin names, and in the process tapping into the magic of what makes those animals what they are. (For instance, a major plot point is trying to determine how to navigate in the Arctic and Antarctic, by using the abilities of the arctic tern, who migrates between the two every year.) The setting and time period also plays into the story as a whole, as it is set in America in 1880, long before women had any rights. One of our main protagonists is Beth Stanley, an ornithologist, naturalist and arcanist who has developed Arcanic Taxonomy abilities entirely on her own, as women are not allowed to enter the titular Naturalist Society. Beth married renowned naturalist Harold Stanley, who has been passing off her work and research as his. But as the book opens, Harry Stanley dies, and Beth has to completely remake her life.
The other two protagonists are Brandon West and Anton Torrance, another naturalist and expert cold-weather explorer respectively, who are trying to finance an expedition to the Antarctic. They are also lovers, and Anton is of mixed race. All three of these characters are well-drawn and interesting people. Bran and Anton worked with Harry Stanley, not knowing that Beth was really doing the work, and after Harry's death they are drawn into Beth's orbit and realize that she was the one behind Harry's discoveries. The three of them become professionally and personally involved (in fact, they end the book as a polyamorous triad), as Beth struggles to escape both the general constraints placed on women at the time and the specific horrors of her own family. Beth's mother and brother disapprove of virtually everything she does and resent her growing independence, and end up trying to commit her to an asylum. This doesn't last very long as Beth is able to use her Arcanist abilities to break free, but that is the impetus for her to move West to Colorado Springs and leave her old life behind (and also Bran and Anton, briefly, before they track her down).
This entire book is suffused with a love of birds, science, exploration, and discovery, with more fascinating details about birds and other animals than you could ever imagine. (As you may have suspected, the author is a birder herself.) It also is an encouragement for any woman who wants to become her own person and pursue her own dreams. It doesn't have world-shattering stakes as such--the Naturalist Society still exists at the end of the book, even if I rather wanted Beth, Bran and Anton to burn it all down--but our three characters still triumph. It's just a lovely book.
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