Soulless (Parasol Protectorate #1) by Gail Carringer


Goodreads Summary:

Without a morsel of exaggeration, its publisher describes this debut novel as "a comedy of manners set in Victorian London full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking." At the center of Soulless's "parasol protectorate" is Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a young woman who lacks not only a suitor but also a soul. And those are not her only problems: When she accidentally kills a vampire, it begins a series of events that she must set out to resolve without the help of any proper authorities. A charming mass market original.

My Review:

I rated this book as 4 stars on Goodreads but I think 4 stars may have been a little generous. I would probably lean towards a 3.5 or even 3.25.

I struggled through the first half of the book. I'm not sure if it was the period speak that I was hung up on or if I simply was not fully invested in the story. Either way, it was slow reading and I found myself glazing over some scenes.

What I did enjoy were the interactions between Alexia and Lord Maccon! And once I was about half way through the book it turned around for me. I was more drawn into the story and curious what would happen next.

I’m not sure if I will be continuing this series. I will put it on the back burner so to speak and I may or may not go back to it in the future.

4 comments

  1. I admit, I quit before the halfway point. While I love steampunk, too much period-speak, as you call it, tends to bog a story down.

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  2. This was the first steampunk book I've read so I'm a little unsure of the genre.

    Do you have any recommendations for other books in the genre?

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  3. I loved this book. Alexia was my favorite character by far. Her thought processes and observations were so funny and clinical. She was also reminiscent of Amelia Peabody from the series by Elizabeth Peters, which I also greatly enjoy. They are both strong female characters in a society where strength in the fairer sex is frowned upon and also use parasols as effective weapons.

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  4. I haven't read anything by Elizabeth Peters, I'll have to look into her books.

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