SFF

The Naturalist Society

47North: Amazon. Nov. 2024. 395p. ISBN 9781662519031. pap. $16.99. FANTASY
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Arcane Taxonomy’s magic comes from labeling everything in nature, and practitioners receive some of the power of the subjects they identify, from plants to animals to weather phenomena. In 1880, Beth Stanley is widowed and unable to continue the work she created and published under her late husband’s name. (Only men are trained to wield Arcane Taxonomy.) Brandon West and Anton Torrance hope to gather funding for an expedition to the South Pole to discover if the magnetic forces could grant a taxonomist their formidable power. They seek to draw on the work of their friend Harry Stanley; then they discover that Harry’s work was actually Beth’s. Now Beth, Brandon, and Anton will try to make her talent available to the world while keeping her safe from those who would steal her gift as well as her freedom.
VERDICT Vaughn’s (Questland) historical fantasy captures both the science and the magic of the natural world, as well as 19th-century sexism. With a unique magic system and engrossing character arcs, this novel will speak to fantasy and lit fic readers alike.
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