When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him with the help of her former fiance in this enchanting historical fantasy for fans of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries and A Natural History of Dragons. Mary Anning dreams of becoming a geomagician – a paleontologist who wields magic through fossils – but the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women. When an ancient egg magically hatches in her hands, revealing a baby pterodactyl she names Ajax, Mary believes she’s found the discovery that could change everything. Instead, the Society sends Henry Stanton, distinguished scholar and Mary’s former fiance, to retrieve Ajax as evidence for the church’s doctrine about creation. While Mary distrusts the Society’s motives, Henry claims he wants to help her earn the recognition she’s always deserved. As Mary uncovers the Society’s hidden agenda and Ajax’s true significance, she must decide whether the career she’s always wanted is worth sacrificing the life she’s sworn to protect – and whether she can trust the man who once broke her heart.
