Mike Kanner's Reviews > The Naturalist Society

Carrie Vaughn shifts genres again. She is now venturing into historical fantasy in a novel which echoes Charlie N. Holmberg's Paper Magician series.

Of course, Vaughn being Vaughn, The Naturalist Society shows her own take on the subject.

First, anyone who has followed her for a while knows that she is a great birdwatcher, so the main characters search for the magic with each species. Her use of the Latin as well as the common name as part of the narrative can only be the result of her own knowledge of ornithology. (She has a short addition on bird sources at the end for anyone interested.)

Second, her world-building is centered on the real world to the extent that the fantasy part is believable. She blends history into the narrative both as references by the characters and through short (1 to 2 page) excerpts of what is perceived as authoritative texts. This is similar to what Asimov did in Foundation and Douglas Adams did in The Hitchhikers Guide. The result is creation of a world that is both known and also fantasy.

Third, the relations among the main characters are not the chaste world of Holmberg (this is not a criticism of her series, they are writing for different audiences). Carrie's characters have complicated and very adult romances.

This is listed on Amazon as the first of a two-book series. I have already pre-ordered the second book and cannot wait until it appears on my Kindle.