Soulless

Some say to read this series first and other say to read her Finishing Series first. Check out the authors website, this universe covers 3 separate series and I'm loving them!!

Begin with one generous portion of rigorous byzantine Victorian social mores. Whisk in a refreshingly unique heroine. Carefully add one irascible Scottish werewolf. Pepper with flamboyant undead, mad science and a hell of a mystery. Garnish with parasol. Serve at tea time. Gail Carriger's romp through alternate Victoriana is engaging enough to be consumed in an afternoon, but is best for the palate when savored in small portions. (Since, I started this review with bizarre food metaphors, I don't see the sense in stopping). There are a lot of wonderful details easily overlooked in the comedic pace; snippets of history and trivia I missed the first go `round from laughing aloud. After getting long burned out gloomily devouring Bram Stoker and Anne Rice, Carriger's light-hearted-but-somehow-still-scary take on vampires, werewolves and other supernatural happenings was the perfect foray back into supernatural fiction. Alexia Tarrabotti's narrative is giggle-inducing even at its sultriest, and her counterpart, the werewolf Lord Maccon growls his way through the unfolding story, both shockingly human and charmingly out of touch with human feelings. The supporting characters are equally, boisterously memorable. The plot moves at a good clip, revealing itself neither too slowly nor too quickly. I finished it in the aforementioned afternoon. I can't wait for the second course.

What is a respectable woman of good-breeding supposed to do when accosted by a rogue vampire, and all she has to protect herself with is a parasol? Why, hit him of course! For Alexia Tarabotti, dubbed "soulless" by the supernatural world, things couldn't possibly get worse, until she's attacked by a rogue vampire, who doesn't even know who she is! To make matters worse, Lord Maccon, the Earl of Woolsey and Alpha Werewolf, comes to her "rescue" only to be late, and then confuses matters even more for her. Confused about Lord Maccon and his infuriating attentions, not to mention the mysterious disappearances of the supernaturals around town, Alexia turns to her dear friend, Lord Akeldama, famed Vampire of a reputable age, only to be abducted later because of her relations. Will Alexia ever find out whats going on with all the mysterious disappearances and what Lord Maccon really thinks about her? Or will she just become a mysterious disappearance herself? --------- I absolutely loved this book! I am in love with the world Carriger transports us into. She has a seemless way of combining the most interesting things into one complete world: first Vampires, and parasols, then Werewolfs, and in the Victorian Era no less! You will be enveloped with all the delightful, and colourful characters, especially, Lord Akeldama, in this novel.. and left begging for more! Don't forget to check for Carriger's new book, Changeless, coming in March 2010!

I'll admit that I have no clue where to start when it comes to writing a review for Soulless! I can easily say that it was one of the most fun and imaginative books I've read this year, but there is just so much more to this book in addition to those details. I loved the plot of Soulless. There was a perfect mix of romance, supernatural creatures, and mystery. Gail Carriger wove the different elements of Soulless together seamlessly. When I started reading Soulless, I was astounded - each element of the book is so unique and seemingly separate, yet this debut author found a way to them all together into a masterpiece! The world that Gail Carriger has set her debut novel in is amazing. Alexia brushes shoulders with not characters typical of the Victorian era, but werewolves and vampires as well. I really enjoyed Gail's unique take on the origins of werewolves and vampires. The supernatural aspect that really interested me though was Alexia's own affiction: her lack of soul. When I first read the description, my mind immediately jumped to demon, but Soulless offers a whole new take on what it means to lack a soul... This is also my first foray into reading steampunk, and I must admit, I'm now intrigued. Soulless explores the ideas of traditional steampunk, which is basically a world that people of the Victorian era envisioned the future to be. Gail's steampunk is unique in that many of the advancements that occur are due to the presence of vampires and werewolves. Some popular steampunk books include: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Alexia Tarabotti is one of the most exciting and dangerous spinsters I have ever encountered between the covers of a book. She was simply so much fun to read! I was always waiting to see what trouble and inappropriate circumstances she would find herself in next. I especially enjoyed her verbal sparring matches with Lord Maccon. Two of my favorite characteristics of Alexia is her acceptance of her flaws and shortcomings and her confidence in her own abilities. Alexia is a smart, witty, and unique character that makes me proud to be unique as well! Alexia may be living in a time (and world) much different than that of those who will read her story, but she can still teach girls and women of a today a valuable lesson about being yourself, despite being told that who you are isn't fashionable or correct. The romance in Soulless was wonderfully written. Gail perfectly balanced the social norms of the time with steamy, fun romantic scenes. Despite the fact that they were occuring in Victorian times, the scenes seemed natural. The romance in the book all came together perfectly due to the supernatural aspect of Alexia's world, which made the romance scenes more believable and intense!

Yes, this one's a must-read. Wodehouse meets Jane Austen meets Jules Verne in this uncategorizable, delightful book. You want to laugh? This is your book. You want to identify with a complex main character? Here you go. You want to read a love story, and to settle in for some comfort reading? Here's a book you'll be genuinely glad to read. . . and re-read. This one goes next to Pratchett on my shelf, for sheer fun value. Warning: there will be parasols!

Alexia Tarabotti is a fatherless spinster living with a self serving mother, stepfather, and two half sisters. To add insult to injury, Alexia has inherited her father's Italian blood, making her much darker than is considered "fashionable". Oh, and she has no soul. This doesn't make her much different from other people, except that she can negate supernatural abilities, and she often speaks her mind in a very unladylike way, occasionally even using such terms as "You pea-brained lack-witted ninny-hammer!" Alexia is quite used to being ignored on the fringes of the ballroom, and often escapes to the library in avoidance of such social prejudices. However, things go from bad to worse when her sanctuary is disturbed by a vampire who attempts to bite her (without an introduction!!). In a combination of self defense and anger at her attacker's advances, she smartly taps him with her trusty parasol, thus killing her attacker. When the arrogant Lord Maccon (who is also a werewolf) appears at the scene to investigate on behalf of the queen, Alexia isn't sure which is worse: his bark or his bite. So she fakes a faint (but not before comfortably inserting a pillow between her and the floor). From then on, the relationship between Alexia and the insufferable Lord Maccon begins to get stickier than treacle tart. Further, werewolf loners and vampire roves all over London have been disappearing at a most alarming rate. To make Lord Maccon's job even more difficult, Alexia begins to investigate on her own. Who is behind the disappearances? And where did Alexia last leave her trusty parasol? Soulless is an absolutely delightful debut that combines "urbane" fantasy, romance, and a hint of steampunk. The world building is well done, and I expect it will be fleshed out even more in future books. Victorian era London houses vampires, ghosts, and werewolves, along with its high society. The characters were enjoyable-from a flamboyantly gay vampire who speaks in italics to Alexia's stoic butler (inherited from her dead father) who quickly and efficiently ushers the "Young Miss" out the servant's door during her escapades. Soulless is a laugh out loud ride for the thrill seekers among us-full of twists, turns, and werewolf fur. Just don't spill your tea. Two more books are slated to be part of the Parasol Protectorate series, with Changeless (Book #2) coming out in April of 2010.