Riley Black (The Last Days of the Dinosaurs) immerses readers in the prehistoric world of the Tyrannosaurus rex in Tyrant Lizard Queen. Black introduces Snaggletooth, or "Snag," as she first gains consciousness and begins to hatch from her egg, then follows Snag's life: playing with her nestmates, being sent out on her own into the world, making a frenemy, and, finally, laying her own first clutch of eggs. Purposefully eschewing the tendency to default to male pronouns, especially for large carnivores, Black ensures that "Snaggletooth stands as the embodiment of both the vicious and the caring."
Black builds a detailed world for Snag based on scientific research on the T. rex as well as other dinosaurs and their descendants that still walk the Earth. As Snag's story unfolds, Black describes a variety of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, all surrounded by a lush landscape. Black effortlessly intertwines the narrative and the science, illuminating innumerable reasons to love a giant, smelly dinosaur.
A different sort of pop science book, Tyrant Lizard Queen will likely appeal to those who enjoy narrative nature documentaries or who still have a favorite dinosaur. Black concludes Snag's account with appendixes diving into the science and reasoning behind the story on the page. Tyrant Lizard Queen tenderly re-creates Snag's life, giving readers an exceptional insight into the prehistoric world through the eyes of the queen of dinosaurs. --Alyssa Parssinen, freelance reviewer and former bookseller