In which we discover a good deal more than anyone expected

This is the fourth book in a series I started several years ago (before using Goodreads, even) but never finished. I'm aiming to rectify that glaring mistake, because I forgot how much fun these books are. Think dragons in a Victorian-era setting, with a natural sciences approach. It's great fun, funny in places, and I relate a great deal to Lady Trent's societal struggles.

What I liked most about this book (and where some of the earlier books suffered a little) is that you start out almost immediately in the action. There's very little of the "lets build an expedition" minutiae that, while still entertaining, haunted a few of the earlier books. It's a fast, fun, science-y romp in a sandy region of the world, where you're oddly entertained by descriptions of wingspans and breeding methods.