Hillary's Reviews > The Naturalist Society

My second Kindle First read for October 2024. (Two this month!)

This has got to be one of the most original historicals novel I can remember reading...ever. I am definitely not a naturalist or birder of any kind, but I was enthralled with how Vaughn mixed science, the magic of arcane taxonomy, and human lives in late 19th century USA. The amount of research she did is impressive. The character development is strong, among the major characters and even some of the more minor ones.

I very much enjoyed reading about Beth's struggles as an intelligent, intellectual woman at the time. The descriptions of society life ring true, as well as the details of daily life. Similarly, but on a smaller scare, there are the racist incidents Anton has to weather. What a repressed and strict time.

I was less interested in the science aspects...but surprisingly more interested than I would have imagined. Kudos to the author.

My only criticism is that the characters--at times--used 21st century phrasing and vocabulary in their dialogue. I wish an editor had corrected that. I also felt that some of the earlier chapters went on a bit long; they could have tightened up a bit. Still, four stars for the creativity, the characters, and the plot tension in the latter part of the book.