} -->

Friday 23 March 2012

Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) By Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.





Photobucket
Ren's Review:

 Fans of Historical and Paranormal, must read this.

I regret that it took me so long to read Soulless. Gail Carriger is such at storytelling, although its a little hard for me to understand the story in the beginning, (since she use an advanced English words and English not my native)

People said Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison is the most refreshing paranormal for this year, but for me Soulless is, despite it was published 2 years ago. The story is so original, it has vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and add a new kind in paranormal world, preternatural. Preternatural is not supernatural, nor natural. It can make supernatural seem human.Preternatural’s are different from zombies. They just don't have a soul. Imagine what difficulty Alexia has to endure to become preternatural (and half - Italian too). But unfortunately, she has her parasol to face it all.

This book knocked my socks off despite the slow opening until the middle part, the story flows like when I’m  watching  a movie, which is good! Can I have a parasol like Miss Alexia Tarabotti, so I can catch a werewolf alpha like Lord Conall Maccon? Or befriend with the eccentric vampire Lord Akeldama? *grin*

What I love from this book, despite the steampunk genre that is not my cup of tea, are the characters and story itself. The biggest star of this book of course was Miss Alexia Tarabotti. Born as half italian, a spinster and blue stocking, no wife material, always mocked by her family, especially her sisters,which didn’t break her down and put her in a corner.Instead she is witty, smart and sarcastic. I think sarcasm might be her middle name after all.

“How ghastly for her,” said Alexia, driven beyond endurance into comment. “People actually thinking, with their brains, and right next door. Oh, the travesty of it all.”

Then her bantering with Lord Conall Maccon, a werewolf, the fourth Earl of Woolsey , and alpha of Woolsey pack, I found him cute.

“Mark my words, I will use something much, much stronger than smelling salts,” came a growl in Miss Tarabotti's left ear. The voice was low and tinged with a hint of Scotland. It would have caused Alexia to shiver and think primal monkey thoughts about moons and running far and fast, if she'd had a soul. Instead it caused her to sigh in exasperation and sit up.

“And a good evening to you, too, Lord Maccon. Lovely weather we are having for this time of year, is it not?” She patted at her hair, which was threatening to fall down without the hair stick in its proper place.

It’s interesting to see their relationship work. Alexia is not innocent, but she never guesses Lord Maccon wour could love her, even she makes a mistake in their first meeting which includes a hedgehog. Conall might be old, but when its come to relationships between men and woman, he is clueless like Alexia was. Good thing he have his Beta, Professor Randolph Lyall, who gives the best advice in human relationships. Alexia-Conall’s romantic scenes are not so steamy, but written well. It made my heart so happy when they kissed, lol.. And when finally they declared love to each other :

“Well, my love,” said Alexia with prodigious daring to Lord Maccon, “shall we?”
The earl started to move forward and then stopped abruptly and looked down at her, not moving at all. “Am I?”
“Are you what?” She peeked up at him through her tangled hair, pretending confusion. There was no possible way she was going to make this easy for him.
“Your love?”
“Well, you are a werewolf, Scottish, naked, and covered in blood, and I am still holding your hand.”
He sighed in evident relief. “Good. That is settled, then.”

There are so many interesting character in Soulless who will make you enjoy this story like Lord Akeldama, Alexia's flamboyant vampire friend, Miss Ivy Hesselpeny, Alexia's friend (with horrible taste of hats.) Floote,Alexia's Buttler, Countess Nadasdy, Queen of Westminster Hive or vampire community and many more.






3 comments:

Krista said...

I love this series! I even got my friend hooked on it and she doesn't even read historical romances.

I can't wait to get my hands on Timeless.

Bark At The Ghouls said...

I loved this book too but still haven't made time for the sequels. Damn that TBR pile!

Unknown said...

I have the first 2 books of this series on audio, I don't know why I haven't made the time to listen to them, but your review is very convincing :), so I think I'll move them up the list.
Thanks!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...