As a reader of the Kitty and the Midnight Hour series in my late teens, I was very excited to discover a new book by Vaughn and see what she was up to now.

Every word of this book is a love declaration from Vaughn to ornithology. You can see the research and the passion that went into learning about birds and great historical naturalists. It is lovely and made me want to play Wingspan.

The novel follows Beth, a recently widowed woman who was able to pursue her passion for arcane natural sciences in an 1800s era-like world, only "thanks" to her husband posing as the author of her findings. His death throws all of her life and future completely upside down.

This is a very pleasant and fast read with utterly perfect story structure, hitting all the beats at the right time with ideal foreshadowing, pacing, character emotional and exterior arcs. This book could really be used as a teaching device for plotting as it respects the 3 act structure to a T. This is what makes it such a smooth read, but does feel a little mechanic to someone who is familiar with the writing craft.

I would recommend to historical romance and romantasy fans.
I only give 3 stars as romance isn't my favorite genre, but I can imagine this book being adored by romance readers.

This was a beautiful story of forbidden love - both for a passion, thirst for knowledge, and for a life outside of the stifling constraints that is the patriarchal society in the 1800s.

None of our three protagonists are "straight, white, rich men" and so they suffer and adapt under the patriarchy.

Beth enters into a marriage of convenience with Harry Stanley, a renowned member of the Naturalist Society, so she can publish her findings and knowledge in his name, and he can get all the accolades for her work.

Bran West is born to a modest family outside of the big cities but is <b>"a good naturalist and a better Arcane Taxonomist, but his family didn't have connections. Bran had studied with borrowed books and scraped together pennies to follow a destiny somewhere else." He only manages to gain proper respect when he survives a 2 year trip to Greenland with Anton.

Anton Torrance is the son of a British aristocrat and a woman from Bahamas where his father was stationed. Anton fought tooth and nail to get out from under his father's shadow and social standing, declined a job in his father's law firm so he can carve out a name for himself beyond his father's profession and name. But no matter how capable and accomplished he is <b>"the one thing he couldn't control was how they looked at his brown skin: the raised eyebrow of scepticism, the stares of curiosity, the occasional flash of anger that he stood here at all, even after all he'd accomplished. That was why every other detail that he could control had to be perfect, presenting a picture of authority no one could deny."
And you know that "isn't it cute? Their friendship was so strong they lived together, grew old together, and got buried next to each other. Friendship goals!" Yeah, that's Bran and Anton's reality. Having to hide their relationship from the rest of the world, otherwise all their accomplishments will be deminished because of their "disease".

When Harry dies he leaves Beth without the shield of his presence or the 'diversion of children', so she must fight to both hide her powers as an Arcane Taxonomist, balance her new status as widow and evade the social pressure of getting a new husband. Oh My! Think of her reputation if she stayed a widow for the rest of her life, chasing her own pursuits, instead of folding to the expectations of the patriarchy.

And like sharks scent blood in the water, the members of the Naturalist Society scent glory and fortune by swooping in and spiriting away, of what they think is, all of Harry's unpublished research and other odds and ends. Even when Beth refuses she is still hounded by members since they think they can gain nuggets of power from the unfinished research and articles. This is how Beth meets Bran, and Anton. They are of the belief that Harry's ornithological knowledge can help them get the grant for their big trip to Antarctica.

For an Arcanist to gather an ability from a specific animal, it has to be collected/dead, or so it is presented, and the total collection of abilities an Arcanist gathers through life is lost when the person dies. The ability is strongest when an Arcanist names a new species, so everyone is scrambling to move past the frontiers, so they can get fame and power before it is lost to another, including Bran and Anton.

The fascination with Arcanist Taxonomy spills over as Arcanist lore into the rest of society and birds are given meaning, (fx. gulls supposedly symbolizes peace and grace when they, in actuality, are scavengers, but Beth likes them because they can weather storms), and they get incorporated into fashion. Therefore birds are killed for several reasons: hunts, arcane abilities, and fashion. Who doesn't like an entire bird wing adorning your hat? The loss of wildlife is mentioned on several occasions, even a specific extinct Antarctic penguin is mentioned. And is it worth it? Power and fashion in exchange for the entirety of a species?

You can tell a lot, like A LOT of research has gone into writing this book! Not only the Latin names/designations of all of the animals (each chapter is a bird name), but also history, and deep understanding of nature. Between the chapters Arcane Taxonomy is weaved beautifully into historical events, from when it was first discovered, and how it was utilized, which shapes it takes depending upon the user. It is done so well I can do nothing but applaud Carrie Vaughn for her mastery of shaping all of this information into such an engaging story, with the trappings of social pressure on all fronts of society: everything needs to be on the correct shelf and if it's slightly off, you better remove it entirely and hide it away where the reputation can't get hurt.

This book was such a joy to read. 5 stars

In the patriarchal society where Beth resides, the Naturalist Society isn't accessible to everyone. However, she navigates this world by leveraging her marriage to a renowned naturalist to study all forms of nature under his name. As an Arcane Taxonomist, Beth in fact threads a delicate balance between science and magic, drawing power from the life forms she studies.

“To some, Arcane Taxonomy was merely a profession, a set of tools. But it was so much more, the ineffable quality that made the natural world beautiful. It was… divinity. Arcanism occupied a space between knowledge and wonder”

Beth, living her secret life, encounters two other naturalists, Bran and Anton, who are planning the first human exploration of Antarctica. They encounter issues that extend beyond the fictional world created by Carrie Vaughn into our reality. These problems include the potential extinction of species due to the exploitation of nature for aesthetic purposes, which could also result in the loss of Arcane Taxonomy abilities. Furthermore, they also face the metaphorical "witch hunt" experienced by women who dare to seek intellectual, social, and economic emancipation.

Overall, "The Naturalist Society" is a nicely crafted novel that combines elements of fantasy, romance, and exploration, suitable for fans of speculative fiction.


Thanks to #Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to get an ARC for #TheNaturalistSociety in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this book immensely. The writing was beautiful, the descriptions lush. I loved the characters. Pacing was spot-on. I would love to read more of this author.

It was such a good book. I loved every single second of it. So so so good. I rated it 4 stars. Such a unique story. I'm such a fan of this author.