The Naturalist Society

In an alternate version of the Gilded Age, where those with talent can manifest the characteristics of the natural world, Beth Stanley has allowed her husband, Harry, to take credit for her skills. A woman, especially a woman of New York society, is not allowed to practice these arcane arts. But her husband has died, and with him, the life she had built as an academic under his name. When Bran and Anton, friends of her husband, come to call and pay their respects to the grieving widow, they quickly deduce Beth's secret. Both men are enthralled by Beth, complicating their own romantic relationship and their future plans to explore Antarctica. Vaughn's prose is captivating and the story begins slowly, almost meditatively, echoing Beth's own grief and solitude while building a compelling magical system. The tale grows more adventurous as Beth herself begins to open up to the world and allow Bran and Anton into her heart. Vaughn's latest (after Questland, 2021) is perfect for anyone who enjoyed the science and magic parts of the His Dark Materials series and longs for more.

Bestseller Vaughn (the Kitty Norville series) tackles women's rights in this delightful romantic fantasy set in Victorian-era New York. Self-educated ornithologist Beth Clarke secretly practices Arcane Taxonomy, or nature magic, that she derives from the identification of bird species. But women are not permitted to join the Naturalist Society and New York society requires Beth to marry and play dutiful housewife instead. She and her husband, Harry Stanley, have an arrangement: Harry publishes Beth's essays on birding and arcane taxonomy under his name so that her work can be seen. When Harry dies suddenly, however, Beth is at a loss. Will she continue writing under Harry's byline or is there a path toward emerging from his shadow? Fortunately, Harry's old friends Brandon West and Anton Torrance are there to help. With the men's support--and a growing attraction between all three of them--Beth unlocks her true potential and finally breaks free from societal strictures. Vaughn spins a moving tale about the hardships that women faced in the late 19th century, while also introducing an inventive magic system that hinges on the pursuit of knowledge. The result is an adept and provocative feminist fantasy. (Nov.)

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.--Kristi Chadwick