This is why I read.  This book is why I read…countless mediocre stories, ho-hum stories and sometimes dreck…just to get to a gem like this.  Carrie Vaughn has been a favorite of mine for most of her standalone novels; I just never got into her Kitty stories…maybe someday.

Anyway… Beth Stanley's husband dies in the summer of 1880 and puts her life's work in jeopardy.  This is an era where women are believed to be simple creatures; best suited for housework, cooking and raising children.  This is not an era where anyone will listen to a woman, much less credit her work.  And it was for exactly those reasons that she married Harry.  He was different from all the other men (she was not to know exactly how different for quite some time); he was fascinated with her work and respected her.  And she published her work under his name.  It wasn't the ideal solution but it did mean her work was read and credited.  Beth was a self-taught and naturally talented Naturalist.  She particularly adored birds and may have been the first person to consider just looking at them and writing about them to shooting them and putting their stuffed bodies out for display.

This story takes place in a world where it is an accepted fact that if one truly knows a thing, labels it and catalogues it, then that person is able to take on the power or characteristics of that thing.  Those who practice this art are Arcanists and they study the magic of Arcane Taxonomy.  All of them are men; except those who aren't.  Beth is such a one and she knows she isn't the only one.  She's known a couple but since their magic was small and they worked at being inconspicuous, men were able to successfully ignore the fact that women could also work magic.  Beth's power and talent are most definitely not inconspicuous.

While dealing with the sorrow of her loss, she is desperate to figure out a way to continue her work.  She attempts to send in an essay to a publication, claiming it was finished before her husband died but it was rejected since he wasn't there to defend it.  In the meantime, two fellows of The Naturalist Society who knew Harry well are concerned that his wife won't understand the importance of his work and destroy any remaining works.  But when Bran and Anton abruptly barge into her home making assumptions about her ignorance; she is off-balance and makes a potentially dangerous move.  She shows them her work and defends it.  This, of course, was unexpected for them; but fortunately for Beth, they are not ordinary men, either.  Because of their differences, perhaps, they are more open to the idea that her brain is just as good as theirs.  It does take them a bit of time to acclimate but they eventually understand just why Harry married her and why it's so important that she continue to work and publish. 

Before any of them can see a path forward, Beth's family takes exception to her unladylike activities (leaving the house alone, going to Central Park alone, keeping company with her husband's friends, yada yada) and try to curtail her activities.  Since she has her own money and the status of a widow, she sees no reason to hobble herself.  At the same time, another fellow from The Naturalist Society has reason to believe that Beth is more than she seems; and he is putting together the pieces of discussions he has overheard.  He thinks that if he can ingratiate himself with her family, it might lead to a marriage…of convenience for him.  He had already proposed a plan with Beth that would mirror her relationship with her husband.  But she found the gentleman to be odious and refused him.

Meanwhile, Bran and Anton are working furiously to get funding for an expedition to Antarctica ahead of the odious Ashford; and both of them are investigating Beth's belief that it might be possible to harness the earth's magnetism by understanding the migratory habits of birds.  In this era, the mechanics of migrations is not well understood.  Beth has the anomalous opinion that they use the earth's magnetic lines.  It can be tested if they can make it to the South Pole.  It would provide unprecedented power to the user; hence the interest from Ashford.

On an excursion to a remote mountain town to see birds (and to get away from her oppressive mother and brother), the two men and Beth make an astounding discovery that will change their relationships forever…and it has nothing to do with birds or arcane taxonomy.  And this is what really made this book so terrific.  I really don't want to give spoilers…no, wait, I didn't mean that…I really, really want to talk about this.  If I don't, potential readers won't be as inclined to pick this book up.  Because, so far, this doesn't sound like much more than any other fantasy novel.  But it is so much more!

Harry wasn't an ordinary man; and because of his differences he was able to connect with Beth and respect her.  He was also well aware that she would never get that respect from anyone else; and he knew her work was important.  So, against his personal inclinations, he married her so he could help her.  And Beth was never able to explain to her mother's satisfaction why after three years of marriage, there was no child.  But although she knew Harry was different, she still didn't have a full understanding.  At least, not until that fateful week in the mountains when Bran and Anton explained it to her.  And it was a revelation for them, as well; to understand why Bran's former lover, Harry, actually married a woman.  During that week, the three of them learned they had more in common than not.  The men also figured out that their inclinations did not preclude them both from falling in love with Beth.

Upon her return home, much relaxed and happy, Beth fell victim to her family's machinations to control her and put a stop to her scandalous behavior.  It didn't help that their actions were guided by the odious Ashford who thought he finally had a lever to force Beth into marriage.  While she was initially horrified at the situation; it didn't turn out as well as her family and Ashford might have hoped, apparently none of them credited her with the power she had.  And then she disappeared.

Knowing that her mother would use every resource to find her, Beth knew she had to truly disappear; without even telling Bran and Anton where she was.  This was, of course, devastating to both men. But they were not without resources; their training and Bran's talents ultimately led them to her.  But it wasn't the reunion that any of them sought; Beth had a secret that she needed to protect no matter what.

The two men have a deadline hanging over their heads: planning their polar expedition once they confirm the funding.  But a terrible accident threatens to upset their plans and even the expedition. For Anton it means he won't get the glory he craves, for Bran and Beth, it means no proof of her theory which will have far-reaching consequences for all of science.  I remember almost holding my breath as I read; knowing what I wanted the author to do and worried she might take me in a different direction.  I shouldn't have worried.

I felt it had a slow start; mostly because I didn't really know what I was reading.  But then, as pieces starting fitting together, I could see a plot forming.  Initially, I thought Beth's character was going to be stereotypical; a rich, pampered young woman in over her head waiting for the male figure to save her.  Vaughn did that to me once before in one of her books, I think it was "After the Golden Age".  Beth isn't anything like that stereotype; she isn't even what she always thought she was.  I loved the ideas of Arcane Taxonomy; and the way our protagonists used what they knew to achieve a goal.  It almost, not quite though, made me think of taking up birding.  Mostly what I loved were the three main characters and their stubbornness in pursuing a goal with all their might; no matter the obstacles.  It was a charming and fascinating story.  Long live Vaughn!  May you continue to provide quality entertainment for your fans. Thank you.   ~~ Catherine Book

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