Review: A Menagerie of Dragons (The Gilded Age of Dragons Book 1) by Christina Baehr

About the Book
Ormdale, Yorkshire, 1910

Una Worms thinks nothing of putting out a salamander fire or soothing a feverish wyvern, and she is never, ever late for tea.

At only 19, the youngest daughter of England’s famous dragon-keeping family is the one who keeps life running smoothly for everyone at the Royal Menagerie of British and Foreign Dragons.

But when a mysterious villain infiltrates the menagerie—and even worse, Una’s prodigal sister, Violet, appears unannounced—Una’s tidy schedule is thrown into turmoil, and she will have to confront parts of her past she would rather forget.

Meanwhile in London, restless suffragette Penny Fairweather stumbles across a story that could launch her journalistic career, even as her irritating civil servant brother, Crispin, is drawn into a thrilling shadow-realm of espionage. When both hit the trail of a dragon-obsessed secret society, the Fairweather siblings will have to decide which is more important: their ambitions or their lifelong rivalry.

Next in the much-loved world of Wormwood Abbey comes a new series from Christina Baehr, The Gilded Age of Dragons, set in a dazzling era where mythical creatures must compete with airships for the heart of a generation.

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MY THOUGHTS

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I loved The Secrets of Ormdale series so much and was so eager for this spinoff series that's set ten years later. It did not disappoint! In fact, it was even better than I was expecting.

I loved seeing beloved characters but also loved meeting the new ones too. And I absolutely adored all the dragons!

I liked that part of this story took place in the countryside and another part in London. I liked seeing the dichotomy of the two places.

I enjoyed seeing the ever-evolving family dynamics and sisterly bond between Una and Violet. Things might've been strained, but you could see that the love was still there, as was the hope that things could get better.

Reading this book felt like coming home again. I loved it so much! It was a fun read that also touched upon serious social issues as well. I’m very much looking forward to the next book! Fans of the first series will love it, but people new to it will enjoy it as well. I highly, highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

FIVE STARS