Timeless by Gail Carriger

Book Description:
Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle.

Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire? 

Quickie Review:
This has been a fun ride getting to know Alexia Tarabotti and her handsome, werewolf husband, Conall Maccon, Earl of Woolsey.  Carriger's whimsical and clever humor in this series shall be missed!  This last installment of the Parasol Protectorate series begins approximately two years from where the last book left off with Alexia giving birth to her daughter Prudence and the alarming cliffhanger that showed the baby exhibiting signs that she was capable of taking on the characteristics of whomever she touched, whether vampire or werewolf.

Now an adorable toddler who keeps everyone on their toes, Prudence is a handful.  Only Alexia's touch prevents Prudence from turning into a little fur ball baby werewolf or a speedy vampire with supernatural strength.  This is, of course, what happens in case she accidentally touches her Papa or Lord Akeldama!  Still living in Lord Akeldama's closet next door to give the appearance of having the head vampire raise their daughter, Alexia and Conall have settled the Pack into London.  Soon they are summoned by an ancient Queen of the Vampires, who resides in Alexandria, Egypt.  She has summoned Alexia to bring Prudence to her for a reason that is revealed later on.  They basically cannot refuse to go.  They all head off to Egypt with Ivy and Tunstell (who have twins and an ever so efficient nursemaid) as well as their acting troupe that will perform in Egypt!  Carriger's usual ingenious humor and shenanigans take place as well as many revelations about Alexia's father and butler Floote's role in his past. 

The shipboard journey to Egypt is full of momentous mishaps, some of which are hilarious.  I particularly loved it when Prudence wound up being a werewolf puppy in a pink tulle dress, running around helter skelter!  The Egyptian storyline itself harkened back to Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson, I kept wondering if they'd make a cameo in the book!  Alas, no.  Still, it was a fitting homage for the final book in the series, whether intentional or not.  The plot line itself was a bit murky and complex,  but the aftermath of a desert battle in a hot air balloon is enough to make one's heart stop beating - but not for long.  Minor angst for a short time, I'm glad to say.  Frankly, the whole Plague plot line confused me, but I didn't mind too much for most of their time in Egypt was amusing or exciting.  Between the Queen herself and her macabre situation, the kidnapping of one of the twins and wondering about the identity of the mysterious hot air balloon man, it didn't matter if I knew exactly what was going on or not, it was a fun read!

My favorite part of the book, though, was back in London while Alexia and her family were in Egypt.  I loved the entire Biffy and Professor Lyall romantic storyline, which I anticipated from the last book.  They are sweet together and it was well done and fulfilled all my hopes and dreams! *grin* I also loved the dynamics of the battles between Lyall and Lady Kingair, who has a conniption once she finds out about Lyall's involvement in getting rid of the previous alpha to their pack.  You can thank Alexia's awful sister for starting that whole thing! 

I marvel over the entire world of the Parasol Protectorate and will remember many of these characters fondly.  I do hope we'll see a bit more of these characters in the future, I'd love to know more about Lord Akeldama's background and how he first became a vampire.  I'd also like to see how Biffy fares as the new beta of the pack!  I'd also like to know more about Major Channing Channing!  Ah well, who knows?  Whether we do or not, this is a memorable and entertaining series and I highly recommend it if you are into historically witty paranormals with some romance and steampunk thrown in to keep them interesting!  Miss Carriger has an amazing imagination, coupled with a wicked sense of humor, a great combination.  She is an auto buy for me and I am eager to read whatever she comes up with next!

3.5/5

Series Overall:  4/5

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Heartless by Gail Carriger

Book Description:
Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.

Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

What got off to a somewhat sluggish start turned into a great read, with a satisfying finish that made my head spin!  I loved this latest installment in the Parasol Protectorate series, I think it's the best to date!  Alexia is a pip and nothing can stop her.  Now very pregnant, she is constantly on the go - running here, running there, trying to find out who is trying to kill Queen Victoria.  The plot itself, interspersed with wisps of dreamlike prose from an incoherent ghost, was a bit hard to follow in the beginning, but that was beside the point.  By the end of the book it all made sense.  Aside from that, the best part of this book was the humorous quips and asides that are constant throughout.  Add to that the fantastic cast of characters and paranormal "world" Carriger creates.  All combined, it makes the Parasol Protectorate an original and endearing series. 

Author, Gail Carriger is a true wit.  Her humor, dry and worthy of the Victorian period she depicts, flows seamlessly in and out of the story.  The plot line abounds with understated observations that are just so funny!  Alexia, happily married to her alpha werewolf, Lord Maccon (who I love!) is nearly at her wits end.  About to give birth, she is indomitable.  An inconvenience such as being eight months pregnant does not keep her down! I kept thinking of the phrase, "If you want something done right, do it yourself."  Alexia epitomizes that phrase.  So much needs to be done throughout this book, and the only one that can do it is - Alexia!  (though she is wise to leave certain things to her staff and Lord Akeldama's minions, who really do know best!)

There is so much going on this book, I can't even begin to outline it all.  Pardon me if my review is all over the place. There are loads of revelations coming out of the woodwork!  One of the biggest surprises was in regard to the unflappable Professor Lyall and his past with Alexia's father!  I feel this is definitely setting the stage for a future between Lyall and Biffy who is not a happy werewolf!  All the characterizations of the side characters in this story are great.  Lord Akeldama has always been an amusing side character, not uncommon with gay characterizations.  But in Heartless, he's become a very interesting gay vampire. I love his character and everything about him, he steals every scene he's in, btw.  I find his love for Biffy touching and the fact that they can no longer "be" because Biffy is now a werewolf.  This is, in of itself, a very interesting twist, the unfortunate Biffy must deal with being a werewolf against his will.  It adds another dimension to Carriger's entire paranormal world, which is very well done.  She could have just left it that Biffy is now a werewolf, but instead she's exploring all the sides to his furry dilemma and unhappiness at losing Lord Akeldama.

I personally enjoy the paranormal aspect to these books much more than the steampunk side, which seems to get more attention when the books are talked up.  In the previous books of the series, pages and pages of Madame Lefoux's mechanical inventions led to my eyes glazing over.  (Though, in Heartless, her octomaton is anything but boring!)  I prefer Carriger's world of werewolves and vampires over gadgetry, especially the vampire queen and her hive - and what it means to swarm!  I also like the political rivalry between the queen's and Lord Akedama's vampires. It's all so different and clever!

Getting back to Madame Lefoux, she rubs me the wrong way.  I found her plot line and desire to retrieve her son, a bit over the top.  But it did make for fun reading as a very pregnant Alexia had to avoid Madame Lefoux's giant octomaton throughout the back streets of London before catching a ride on Lord A's flying "gondola" (or whatever it was).  It rescued her in the nick of time!  The imagery of her getting in an out of it was hilarious!  But the whole ghost thing with Madame Lefoux's aunt lost me. 

Overall, I really loved this book.  Although there wasn't much lovin' between Alexia and Conall as some of the other books have had (she is eight months pregnant after all!), their marriage is secure, which is a vast improvement from the last book!  They have many loving moments together, including a familiarity that is evident from being married.  (I love it how he walks around so unabashedly in the nude. *sigh*)  Did I mention how much I adored Conall?  When he and his pack come to rescue Alexia from the octomaton?  Great, great!  (I love it when he's all protective of Alexia.)  

Speaking of the pack, some odd developments occur in Heartless that lead to a major change for the Woolsey Pack, such as it's location and name.  In addition, I wonder what will come of Major Channing Channing.  I like him and want to know more about his past.  I wonder just what's in store for Alexia's incorrigible sister, who deserves a real set down after her latest!  I'm hoping Channing will play a role there.  I'd love to see them wind up together!  She needs someone who can control her and he might just be the werewolf to do it!

A great addition to the series, and I highly recommend it!

4.5/5

P.S.  Does anyone else agree with me that this is a really unattractive cover?  The first time I saw it, I thought it was a joke and that someone had photoshopped a fake cover as a goof!

P.P.S.  Does anyone know how to pronounce Maccon?  Does it rhyme with bacon?  It's driving me crazy!  Maybe someone who has listened to these books on audio can tell me?

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Blameless by Gail Carriger

SPOILERS AHEAD

Book Description:
Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season. Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead. While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

Blameless is the much anticipated third installment of the Parasol Protectorate, the romantic steampunk adventure series starring the very much lately maligned and pregnant, Alexia, Lady Maccon.  Picking up on the cliffhanger ending of the last book, Changless, Alexia flees her werewolf husband, Connall Woolsey, after he denounces her as unfaithful upon learning of her unprecedented condition.  In the alternate paranormal Victorian world in which they live, it is impossible for werewolves to breed.  Hence, Connall accuses Alexia of shacking up with someone else, thus getting himself in a colossal tizzy leading to a permanent state of formaldehyde induced inebriation.
 
Not about to take his sh*t, Alexia packs her things up and with the aid of her remaining friends, escapes to Italy looking for proof that the baby is indeed her husband's (even though she's mad as hell at the lout and wishes the worst upon him). Facing deadly vampires, a single-minded and ex-communicated German professor and a host of Templar Knights, Alexia still finds time to partake and enjoy in the delights of Italian cuisine. The book was a fun read, but disappointing due to the long separation between Connall and Alexia.

In the last two books, their relationship is my favorite aspect of the series.  I just sort of put up with all the steampunk mechanical folderal because I loved Conall and Alexia.  Here, they are separated, in fact he is drunk most of the time and not even around.  She's off defending herself against motorized poisonous ladybugs and inquisitive scientists who want to dissect her and learn why she, a preternatural, can become pregnant with a werewolf's child.  I wanted more of Alexia and Connall - together!  It's not until the last chapter we finally get our wish, but it was long in coming.   I was gratified by the ending when they are finally reunited, yet Connall's gross error and delay in rectifying it just seemed to be glossed over. Are we supposed to believe because he is a highly emotional werewolf and alpha of the pack he's entitled to these kind of lapses in judgment? I did rejoice inwardly with Alexia when she realizes he has printed an "apology" in the London papers, thus making Alexia acceptable again in society, yet by the time they are reunited, there is no climatic moment in which he begs her forgiveness.  It's all just gruff and understood, it doesn't help that all hell is breaking loose and it's kind of hard to talk at that moment either!

Now, of course, it wasn't all bad, but just not what I anticipated or wanted to read about.  It was a let down, particularly since reading Changeless I've become acquainted with the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters and I definitely see the similarities.

As with Amelia and Emerson in Peters' series, the energy needed here to keep the series afloat is dependent on Alexia and Conall’s relationship. To me, all the other side characters, steampunk inventions and silliness come in second to their interaction, hence why Blameless was not as satisfying a read to me.  I can't help but compare my new favorites, Amelia and Emerson to Alexia and Conall - only in supernatural form.  The zest, the appeal - the sheer giddy humor between Alexia and Connall from the last book was sorely missed in this one! I still enjoyed it, but the reason why was mostly thanks to Prof. Lyall's side story as acting alpha while Connall is out of commission on his neverending bender.  His interaction with Lord Akeldama's close and personal friend, Biffy, was also a welcome and thought provoking surprise to what was an otherwise dullish story.  Another figure I find interesting is Colonel Channing Channing who plays an important, albeit covert, role.  I'd like to know what Ms. Carriger has in mind for his future in the series as well..

I've read the reviews that are out there on Blameless and I agree with the overall consensus that because of the separation and lack of banter and simple proximity between Connall and Alexia, Blameless lost it’s fizz and wasn’t as entertaining a read as the first two previous books in the series. But, I have high hopes in regard to the future!  I’ll admit much of the mechanical descriptions were beyond me and not my “thing,” yet I still enjoyed the book and there were loads of funny predicaments, and I loved Alexia's love for pesto (and Connall's aversion to it!), her many one-liners and a particularly delicious image of Connall blithely walking around in the buff.  Yet, I missed what should have been the grand finale in which Connall prostrates himself in undying love and begs Alexia's forgiveness, although something tells me Alexia is not going to let him live this indiscretion down.  Still, I'm crazy about him - the big, hairy lug.

3.5/5

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Changeless by Gail Carriger

Book Description:
Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

Simply put, I loved this book.

Second in the Parasol Protectorate Series, I enjoyed her first book, Soulless, but this one was even better.

Alexia and Lord Woolsey, now married, are still enmeshed in the connubial bliss associated with the first few months of marriage. Woolsey can't get enough of Alexia's nubile proportions it seems, and takes every advantage of letting Alexia know just how appreciative he is of her natural endowments, whether it's her body or her brain. Although they are not together for various parts of the storyline, when they are, it makes for great reading! I love the way Ms. Carriger writes, it's so clever and makes me laugh when it comes to Alexia and Connal!

For example, when Connal is in one of his amorous moods and her mind is on something else and she wants to discuss it. Ever the pragmatist, she realizes she might as well just give up and enjoy it:

Alexia sacrificed herself on the altar of wifely duty, enjoying every minute of it, of course, but still determined to pull him back...

His response after he gets his way is just as funny!

"Right," he said, as though he had just finished a refreshing beverage. "Shall we continue on, then?"

*giggles* Oh, how I love him! He knows his wife well and knows she'll want to get back to business and the subject at hand, but that doesn't stop him from making his own demands first - he has his priorities, after all! I love an alpha - whether man or werewolf!

One of the things I love about their relationship is the coy references to the passion that goes on between them. In most cases, this PG version is even sexier than an R rated version. The little tidbits of the earl nibbling down his wife's neck and spine are more evocative of the fun they must be having together between the sheets than if we had a more graphic description of their love life. It's obvious Alexia has no reason to complain in that department, even if she has to sleep during daylight hours and go about her business in the middle of the night (werewolf hours).

Alexia has come into her own in this book, and though she is soulless, not the sort to become overwrought with emotion or overly sentimental, I could relate to her better as a married woman. She has much to deal with now, namely her wayward best friend, Ivy, and her selfish unmarried younger half-sister, Felicity, who never has a nice thing to say about anybody! Alexia has settled into married life well. It hasn't stopped her one bit from noseying about in her husband's BUR business or aiding Queen Victoria as her muhjah (a type of unofficial and secret advisor) on the Shadow Council.

The basic plot of the book takes Alexia to Scotland with her best friend and sister in tow. While there, we learn of Connal's background and his mystery as to why he is no longer the alpha of this former pack, for it's unheard of that an alpha leaves it's own pack, but apparantly Lord Maccon did some years ago. The big question is why. In addition, we find out that there seems to be some sort of moving plague that has left it's mark around parts of London and seems to be en route to Scotland. The plague is attacking all the supernatural beings (vampires, ghosts, werewolves) temporarily taking away their supernatural powers. What is causing this, where has it come from, and how can it be stopped? Alexia, ever the take charge person, is on the case, even if her life is in danger - is someone trying to kill her?

Before leaving for Scotland, Alexia meets a beautiful yet disarming lesbian Frenchwoman who dresses as a man. She is an inventor, although we are unsure if she is good or bad. Is she some sort of spy that is trying to kill Alexia or not? Whose side is she on? Connal, before leaving for Scotland on the family business regarding his former pack, obliquely leaves instructions to Alexia to meet this inventor woman at her hat shop. Alexia does, and the woman had made (at Connal's request) a unique and 007-like parasol for Alexia with a lot of secret weapons and useful tools in it that later come in handy. Madame also seems to make a romantic play for Alexia herself, though Alexia is not interested - she has her highly sexed werewolf husband to consider! But, the main point of the book is that Alexia must get to the bottom of what is causing this plague - and afterall Alexia's joie de vivre is to get to the bottom of everything and fix it!

There are lots of exciting moments in the book, including a nerve wracking death defying fall off a dirigible. I enjoyed the family and pack infighting between the werewolves and Connal. Many interesting and comical side characters added color to the story, a Major Channing Channing, who looks promising for future books, Connal's valet cum actor, Turnstell, who finds himself in love with Alexia's wayward best friend, Ivy. Their reciprocal romantic conundrum is amusing as well as Ivy's fashion faux pas and ditzy commentaries on the strange events surrounding her - she's basically clueless about everything. Alexia's sarcasm made me laugh out loud often and her tart retorts to bitchy sister Felicity were well done. In fact, I admire Alexia mostly for her ability to think on her feet (and off, for that matter) and be the "common sense" person for much of the zaniness that goes on around her. I had some issues with Felicity fading into the background towards the end and I got a bit lost in the mechanical descriptions of transmitters and thingamabobs and that sort of thing, as well as the big wrap up and motivation of the villain and background history of the whys and wherefores, but those are minor gripes, for mostly I really loved the details and witty characterizations thoughout the book. I guessed who the villain was in the story, but it was by no means predictable - as is nothing in this book!

The 800-pound gorilla I'm avoiding is the major cliffhanger and big misunderstanding at the end of it. No spoilers here, but just when things are looking great and the mystery is solved and everyone is happy - all hell breaks loose! Poor Alexia - aargh! To say the least, I was shocked and dismayed and am in dire need of reading Ms. Carriger's next book Blameless as soon as it comes out! I'm not fond of clffhangers and this one is a doozy, but it did ramp the series up a notch for me and gave it a whole new depth, though it has me gnashing my teeth! I really have enjoyed the first two books enormously, the locales, descriptions and details of the Victorian period are first rate and the whimsical homage to steampunk gives it an amusing twist.

This is a promising author and series, I highly recommend it, though if you detest cliffhangers - you're going to be really upset at the end of this book. Still, I loved it and am eager to read on - cliffhangers or no!

4.5/5

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Soulless by Gail Carriger

Book Description:
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.

Before I read this book, I'd never heard of "steampunk." I had no idea what it referred to. Vaguely as I understand it, it's a literary genre that takes place in the late Victorian age, in which the plotlines contain scientists and inventions that use steam in a fantastical kind of way. This book is considered steampunk, but it is also a paranormal involving werewolves, vampires and one other supernatural being, Alexia Tarabotti, who has the dubious distinction of being able to neutralize the powers of said supernaturals. She is considered "soulless." Naturally, being a woman from the upper echelons of London society, accustomed to good manners and breeding, the sensible side of her dislikes this name for her "power", yet her common sense accepts it. She is indeed soulless, but that does not mean she is dispassionate about things. She just happens to be very matter of fact and sure of herself. She is not the overly excitable type, prone to swooning and reaching for her smelling salts, though a certain Connal Maccon, Lord Woolsey does get her heart beating faster!

It took me a while to like Alexia, but it took me a while to get into the book at all since I was reading it slowly, only at the gym in half hour intervals on the elliptical. But, as I got further into the book, I began to read the book more often, not just at the gym, and wound up really liking it! As the above blurb says, Alexia finds herself attacked by a vampire and winds up killing him! A no-no in the alternate Victorian society depicted in this book. In this alternate London, vampires and werewolves are accepted in society. There are "hives" for the vampires and "packs" for the werewolves. One particular werewolf that I loved was Lord Woolsey, an alpha male from the Scottish Highlands that is the head of BUR (they oversee all the supernatural goings on). He and Alexia tangle and butt heads often, and soon more happens between them, which I simply loved! Alexia, labeled a spinster, has a healthy appetite for food - and for matters of a more romantic bent. Lord Woolsey's animal tendencies and forceful manner is a good match for her.

Alexia and Lord Woolsey, along with some of the other interesting side characters in the book are trying to get to the bottom of what or who is killing rogue vampires and werewolves - and why? This is not something that is normal, and it is alarming. There is also someone trying to kidnap Alexia - a strange wax faced man that scares her and haunts her dreams. What is going on - and can Lord Woolsey save her when he's "indisposed" during the Full Moon?

Give this unusual and enjoyable book a try if you're into historical paranormals and don't mind a little romance and sex with naked werewolves! It's well written, clever and amusing. I recommend it!

4/5

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