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Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5)

by Gail Carriger (Goodreads Author)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 8,122 ratings · 1,190 reviews

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, can not pu...more

Paperback, 328 pages

Published March 1st 2012 by Orbit

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Mar 08, 2012 Katie(babs) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The last book in this very hilarious series was somewhat of a let down. There's many moments of Gail's trademark humor that made these books wonderful reads. Something was lacking. I found the plot dull and the scene with Buffy back in London a big bore. But I do love Alexia and Conall's interactions and their daughter Prudence is adorable. Without Prudence, this would have been DOA.

I may grade it higher when I had more time to digest what I read.

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Sep 22, 2012 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-favorites, alternating-povs, audiobooks, glistening-fangs, historical-fiction, review-copy, so-many-vampires, steampunk, werewhatevers, reviewed-in-2012, audiogo

3.5 stars
Oh, I should have listened to this entire series on audio! It’s a completely different experience. With her great accents and excellent characterization, Emily Gray breathed life into a series that very much needed it in its last installment. She’s done such an amazing job that I’ll purposely seek out other audiobooks narrated by her, regardless of the genre, and enjoy them while driving to work and back. Of all the narrators I’ve come across so far, she and Holter Graham are by far my...more 3.5 stars
Oh, I should have listened to this entire series on audio! It’s a completely different experience. With her great accents and excellent characterization, Emily Gray breathed life into a series that very much needed it in its last installment. She’s done such an amazing job that I’ll purposely seek out other audiobooks narrated by her, regardless of the genre, and enjoy them while driving to work and back. Of all the narrators I’ve come across so far, she and Holter Graham are by far my favorites.

Unfortunately, Gail Carriger doesn’t deserve such praise. Timeless is essentially plotless, and what little excitement there is pales in comparison to previous books. Everything I used to love about this series is gone – even the humor isn’t what it used to be. The Parasol Protectorate simply lost its charm. It’s a good thing Carriger decided to end the series when she did – this is where we would have parted ways anyway. By making Timeless the last book, she allowed me to say my goodbyes with a smile and a little bit of nostalgia, instead of the bitter taste so many authors left me with.

Timeless picks up two years after the end of Heartless. Alexia’s daughter Prudence is an extraordinary child and she’s keeping her biological parents and her adoptive father, Lord Akeldama, very busy indeed. She’s even managed to attract the attention of Queen Matakara, vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive, the oldest supernatural in the world. Alexia, Prudence and their numerous entourage travel to Egypt to indulge Matakara, and hopefully, to uncover Alessandro Tarabotti’s plans for the supernaturals.
Meanwhile, Biffy and Professor Lyall investigate the murder of a Beta, but they somehow spend more time flirting with each other than actually investigating. The budding romance between these two was my favorite part of this book. I loved seeing a different side of Lyall – the reserved professor is surprisingly passionate under the surface, much to my (and Biffy’s) delight.

I never gossip. I observe. And then relay my observations to practically everyone.

After many adventures and several misunderstandings, the relationship between Lord and Lady Maccon is finally steady and calm, but never boring! After all, neither of them is very conventional and Lady Maccon becomes rather restless if she isn’t involved in at least three different conspiracies and secret societies at any given time. But the tenderness she shows her darling husband, and his complete and utter adoration for her turned this book into a satisfying conclusion, despite its many flaws.

You know I have to mention some of those flaws, right? I’ll try to make it quick, like pulling off a band aid. The most important thing is that I wanted more! Many questions were left unanswered and I’m still unclear on quite a few things. The humor… oh, the humor! I used to adore Lord Akeldama and his many fashion experiments, but he, too, became tiresome after a while. Much like the series, he just lost his shine.

In the end, I will go back to the beginning: if you’re considering reading this book, do yourselves a favor and get it on audio. Emily Gray made everything so much more interesting. As for the rest, this is one of those times when saying goodbye isn’t hard. I’m sure Gail Carriger has a lot more to offer, but in a different series and with a new set of characters.

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Feb 26, 2012 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk, romantic, historical-fantasy

4.5

This is a really fun book, in a fun series, and I almost want to give it 5 stars, but I can't help but feeling just a small sense of dissatisfaction which is keeping me from jumping it with a full 5.

The book starts off very strong. It picks up about 2 years after the end of the last book, and Prudence as a child had me laughing out loud on the train more than once, and Ivy, who's a big part of this story, left me chuckling and shaking my head and just the first several chapters are hysterical...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Dani rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, fiction, guilty-pleasure, sci-fi-supernatural, suspense-mystery, steampunk

"Dandelion fluff upon a spoon" - a term used to describe a floating dirigible owned by a rather dandy of a Victorian vampire in this 5th/latest book of the steampunk "Parasol Protectorate" series. And it pretty well applies to the book series as a whole. These books are some of the most entertaining fluff I've ever read/listened to... and I just LOVE them. I bought the first audio book because it was on sale for $5, and I struck gold. Love Love Love these books... and now I have to wait until Fa...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Algernon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

[5/10] this series has overstayed its welcome for me. it was all right in the beginning, mostly harmless fun with vampires, werewolves ans steampunk gadgets. Timeless feels sadly like fanfic compared with Soulless, the humorous bits forced and the plot very thin, with a bit of conflict in the last 50 pages, and an ocean of trivial pursuits until then.

I'm not very good at writing a synopsis, but Miss Tarrabotti is this time pursuing a mysterious plague that affects supernatural creatures, follow...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Gloria Mundi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternative-history, back-from-the-dead, fantasy, humorous, london, urban-fantasy, vamps, weres, steampunk, ginormous-disappointment

So, another series is over and, I'm afraid to say, for me the ending was just meh. Unfortunately, this appears to be the fate of so many series these days. The Soookie Stackhouse, Georgina Kincaid and Dante Valentine books all immediately spring to mind. Like the first two of these three, the main problem with the Parasol Protectorate series, I think, is that there just was not enough plot for the five books and the series went on for longer than the author is convincingly able to sustain the st...more So, another series is over and, I'm afraid to say, for me the ending was just meh. Unfortunately, this appears to be the fate of so many series these days. The Soookie Stackhouse, Georgina Kincaid and Dante Valentine books all immediately spring to mind. Like the first two of these three, the main problem with the Parasol Protectorate series, I think, is that there just was not enough plot for the five books and the series went on for longer than the author is convincingly able to sustain the storyline.

This last instalment takes place two years after the ending of the previous book with Lord and Lady Maccon still residing in Lord Akeldama's closet. The latter is the legal guardian to Prudence, the infant inconvenience who is now a toddler causing a lot of havoc and keeping Lord Akeldama, all his drones and the majority of the Woolsey werewolf clan on their toes. That is, until Alexia receives a summons from Matakara, Queen of the Alexandria hive and the oldest living vampire and the Maccons, along with the Tunstells and their troupe whom they take along as cover, set out for Egypt where, inevitably, they encounter adversity, mystery and adventure, leading to the series being very neatly wrapped up and tied up with a bow (a very oversize one with pink and turquoise stripes, to fit in with the general atmosphere).

Where with the previous book I was a teensy bit bored, with this one, I was a lot bored. In fact all of the first half of this book was just filler, with the author re-visiting some of the more memorable places and characters from the previous books - the hat shop now run by Biffy, the Woolsey Hive (with notable appearances from Countess Nadasdy and Mabel Dair), the fleeting return of Felicity Loontwill in a flurry of spite, the sudden reappearance of Lady Kingair (in the nude in certain placess, no less!) and a single appearance of Guatve Trouve (to deliver a replacement parasol) to name but a few.

The charm and humour of the earlier books has fizzled to a point where a lot of it read like bad panto tipping over into complete absurdity at several points (yes, I am talking about the hideous trouser ripping episode involving Tunstell and the overabundance of silly names). Most of the book could have been illustrated with images like these:

Not a great visual backdrop.

After the leasurly self-indulgent intro, the actual story and the wrap up were far too rushed and felt desperate and emotionally manipulative. (view spoiler) But the most disappointing thing of all, is that the main mysteries of the books - the Order of the Brass Octopus, the nature of the soulless/soulstealers (what/why/how are they?) etc - remain unanswered pretty much completely, unless you count the fact that Alexia's abilities are discovered to be cancelled out when she is submerged in water (I am not even going to mark it as a spoiler because, really, after five books, that is what we find out?!?).

Having said that, there were a few things that I liked which saved this from being a one star disaster. While I still feel that too many pages were dedicated to it, I did like the relationship between Biffy and Lyall. It was nice to have a homosexual relationship which was genuinely sweet and not reduced to riduculousness. I admire the fact that Alexia stays human and the elegant solution introduced by Carriger to deal with Connall's immortality and that Alexia never descends to the depth of Bella's vanity to obsess about her aging. But the thing I like most of all is the fact that, unlike in the vast majority of urban fantasy and PNR, Alexia remains very much her own person, with her own separate interests, friends and responsibilities and does not immediately turn into a woman-sized appendage of her virile sexy werewolf of a husband, entirely subsumed into his world, beliefs and persona. I can respect that. And I still love certain characters enough (Madame Lefoux and Lord Akeldama please make your way onto the stage) to be content to simply watch them. I almost feel nostalgic already. Almost.(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Renae M. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, egypt, published-2012, series-finished, steampunk, urban-fantasy, vampires, victorian, werewolves, lgbt

Well, the Parasol Protectorate is most definitely over, and thank goodness! (Except, actually, this isn’t the end, as there is a spin-off series in the works.) I’m afraid that had things gone on for much longer, Gail Carriger would have ruined everything I liked about the early Protectorate novels; as it was, the final two installments in the series were decidedly lacking. Simply speaking, Timeless was not a necessary conclusion to the series, and while it was entertaining, I would have mostly p...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Lisa Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-romance-paranormal, genre-steampunk, genre-shapeshifters, setting-england, setting-egypt, m-audible-dot-com, zzcover-brown, 2012-in-2012-group-challenge, amazing-secondary-characters, animal-cat-in-story, child-children-not-baby-featured, authors-g, authors-c

Alexandria, Egypt
description

I found this Victorian dress on Pinterest, pinned from “Old Rags” website.
Its practical nature would surely appeal to Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon.

★★★★½ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Ah! My little kumquats, I do so love this series. Sorry to see this fifth and final book in the Parasol Protectorate.

Emily Gray does an excellent job with all the various paranormal – and soulless – voices, but she does her best with Prudence, who is now a toddler, making her sound like the...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Penny Watson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Timeless by Gail Carriger

In this final installment of the Parasol Protectorate Series, Gail Carriger serves her readers the perfect cup of tea. Brewed just the correct amount of minutes, served at exactly the right temperature, splashed with the perfect amount of cream, and displayed in the most exquisite china tea set. (And possibly accompanied by a delicious and flaky bon-bon).

I have been enamored with this series for a variety of reasons. It is a charming mixture of humor, steampunk creativi...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Gaije rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books

So, so, so, good, as always. Now it's back to another year of longing for the next, alas.

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Sep 12, 2012 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, toppler-reads, steampunk-victorian

So this is the final book of The Parasol Protectorate as such and I must say that I'll really miss it! Luckily there is the sequel to look forward to that will star Prudence and hopefully some other familiar faces as well!

I loved this book as much as the previous four books of the series. Again Carriger managed to write a witty, interesting and engaging story and it has a nice round ending too it that still leaves much room for further adventures untold.
My favourite part about the book where mos...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Meg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, kindle-books, fantasy-historical, 2013

Maybe my favorite in the series, and I'm sorry there aren't more. I did have one big issue, which is also a big spoiler.

(view spoiler)...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Laura Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, magical-realism

I read this in one sitting - although it is book number 5 in the series the author maintained the sharp dialogue, character continuity and surprises that drew me to the series in the first place. This may be a spoiler, but this is the last book in the series, and it was a satisfying conclusion - I loved the future she mapped out for the characters (even leaving the door open for a series of books about the character Prudence - and the "name" issue made me laugh out loud) and I was dazzled with t...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk, urban-fantasy, arcs-read, read-in-2012, adult, netgalley, arc-via-publisher-or-author, orbit

Want to win your own copy of Timeless? Here's your opportunity!

4.5 stars

Much thanks to Orbit for providing me a copy of this for review.

Timeless, the fifth and last installment in the Parasol Protectorate. And the final adieu to Alexia, Conall, Ivy, and all the other colorful characters we’ve grown to know and love. This was actually my favorite installment out of the entire series surprisingly enough. Usually I don’t care for when a series that I’m quite fond of ends; however, it was done so we...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steampunk, fantasy

Abigail (of ATUF fame) has captured the feeling in their usual perfect way:

the main story [..] featured all the hallmark characteristics of this series: Witty dialogue, slapstick humor, impeccable manners, and an indomitable heroine.

All of it is absolutely true. This is a very good ending to a series I've loved. All the threads are cut and the various plots closed. There's a wonderfully romantic future for the main couple and the setting for their lovely daughter. A few side characters add a new...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Doc rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

I'm just an absolute sucker for these books. I love the characters, the mystery and plots, and the imagery that Carriger delivers. Alexia is wonderful, and her family and friends are real to me. In this one, the combination of travel along with the usual twists and turns is compelling. Read them all!

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Apr 07, 2013 Ren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I kinda skipping some part of this book and also not read Heartless first (just read the ending. Yea, sneaky me!) and so intrigue with Alexia and Prudence's future.
So my rating is not final, and I will re-read this again after reading Heartless

BTW, ugh, Lyall and Biffy? o_O Is Biffy already move on from Akeldama after the event of Blameless, I presume?

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Apr 10, 2012 Beth Cato rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in, 2012, parasol-protectorate, steampunk, historical, fiction

I must admit, I was a bit melancholy as I read this final book in the main series. I've enjoyed it from the very start and feel like I have matured along with the characters. Carriger's wit is just as sharp in this volume, but more than that it shows the care she took in forming the main plot across all five books. It's impressive how little elements in the earlier volumes turned out to be of vital importance here.[return][return]Alexia is without question the main character and driving force, b...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Corrina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read my full review at wadingthroughbooks.wordpress.com!

And thus concludes the Parasol Protectorate, at least for now. Finally all of the various mysteries of the series are tied up, and people are as settled as they can get. I’ve enjoyed the gradual expansion throughout the series from the focus on Alexia to watching each of her friends. I’m hard put to pick a favourite character–I do love Lord Akeldama and his outrageousness, but I also have a fondness for Biffy, so much stronger than he think...more Read my full review at wadingthroughbooks.wordpress.com!

And thus concludes the Parasol Protectorate, at least for now. Finally all of the various mysteries of the series are tied up, and people are as settled as they can get. I’ve enjoyed the gradual expansion throughout the series from the focus on Alexia to watching each of her friends. I’m hard put to pick a favourite character–I do love Lord Akeldama and his outrageousness, but I also have a fondness for Biffy, so much stronger than he thinks he is and so devoted to making the world beautiful one accessory at a time, and for Professor Lyall, so quiet and competent and easily overlooked, while so completely ruthless in the name of his pack. And I’d love to see the books turned into a movie just so I could see Ivy’s hats–I’m not sure my imagination is up to the task.

All of the books in the series are fairly similar, with similar strengths. In a less-skilled author than Carriger, it could start to feel repetitive, but Alexia never quite loses her unique charm (otherwise known as bashing people with her parasol, verbally or literally, as required). The books are very visual, with detailed descriptions, particularly of the clothing of the time. The first two books have been published in manga form, with the third on the way–I may have to track them down to see how they have visually interpreted Carriger’s world.

It’s always a little sad to reach the end of the story–you have to say goodbye to the people you’ve met on this strange, wonderful journey. The nice thing is that you can pick the book up again, but it’s different when you’re walking a path you’ve walked before than when you are forging through new ground. Still, Timeless is a good ending, as far as endings go. The good live happily ever after, if somewhat noisily in the case of Alexia and Conall. Those who have done wrong, even in the name of the greater good, are punished, but still have the hope of redemption. You can’t ask for more than that.
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Apr 12, 2013 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just sort of happened upon the first book in this series "Soulless", and I was not sure I would like it. The Victorian part and the paranormal part were of interest, but I am not a scientist or an engineer so I thought "Do I really want to try to understand all these sprockets and widgets?" But the idea of blending the Victorian, the paranormal and steampunk was interesting so I read it. It was intriguing and interesting and kept my attention. When I got to the end I was glad to learn there wa...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As with the rest of the Parasol Protectorate series, I enjoyed the story, but found the overall writing to be a bit lacking. I never know whether there's been some laziness on the part of the author or the editor or both for things like this, but it tends to jar me out of a story when I notice sloppy mistakes in a book that's a commercial success. She doesn't capitalize some things she should; she has Scottish characters say "plaid" when they mean "tartan"; she says "several years" to describe a...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Caly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: england, fantasy, lgbt-characters, lycanthropes, period, mystery, steampunk, strigoi

I have put this review off for ages, and partially neglected Goodreads for one reason that is probably one of the most telling things about this series as a whole and this book in particular: I didn't want it to be over. I didn't want to leave the fabulous world of the Parasol Protectorate and slip back into the reality of my life, where I was just a nobody with no life. So, ridiculously, I put it off. Like a child I thought, well, as long as I don't admit I finished it -- as long as I don't put...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Ailsa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been a fan of this series and the world Gail Carriger has created since I read Soulless (the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series). So it was a little bittersweet to pick this one up knowing it's the end of the series, even though we have other books set in the world to look forward to.

In 'Timeless', the questions about the God-Breaker Plague come back again, and this time the characters need to look deeper. Conveniently for that investigation, after a few adventures in London, Ale...more I've been a fan of this series and the world Gail Carriger has created since I read Soulless (the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series). So it was a little bittersweet to pick this one up knowing it's the end of the series, even though we have other books set in the world to look forward to.

In 'Timeless', the questions about the God-Breaker Plague come back again, and this time the characters need to look deeper. Conveniently for that investigation, after a few adventures in London, Alexia & her family are summoned to Egypt. Meanwhile back home, the werewolves are dealing with another problem we had seen in an earlier book (I forget which one) which had been sorted out at the time - that Professor Lyall had engineered Lord Maccon coming down to take over the Woolsey pack. It turns out they have other repercussions to deal with from that.

The short version is, I loved this. I think Gail joins the people like Keri Arthur and Ilona Andrews in my head where I know that I'm going to like the book, regardless of which characters it includes, or what adventures they get up to. We get to spend a lot of time with the werewolves in Timeless, who I always love reading about. A relationship that I was really hoping for did develop, and I'm so happy for the characters involved, and hope we'll see more of that in the spin-off books. Lord Akeldama also gets plenty of page time, and it's interesting to see how, even as an old vampire, he is being affected by changes, and the developments of the world. Akeldama is another person who I hope will be there in the future spin off books, because I think there is more to him, more facets of his personality, than we've seen so far.

As a whole, I felt like the book was.. heavier, than some of the others. There seem to be a lot of things here that are setting up for future things (ie, seeing Prudence's powers, and the restrictions on them), and a lot of things that are tying up this series. It was a very filling book, I finished it feeling pretty contented about everything, and the way it had ended.

Overall, 'Timeless' is another example of Gail Carriger's humorous, engaging style, a good conclusion to the Parasol Protectorate series that also leaves readers eager for the upcoming spin-off books.

I give Timeless 9 stars
[Originally posted by me at The Book Bundle](less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Sho rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 24, 2012 Andi Marquette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-ish, steampunkish-things

In this, the 5th volume of the Parasol Protectorate, many subplots appear to have been wrapped up and clarified. I'm uncertain whether Carriger intends to continue on (I have a few ideas that might be interesting, but of course, I'm sure she's got plenty of her own!), but if she doesn't, this could serve as a wrap-up of sorts of the series thus far.

Here, our intrepid heroine Alexia Tarabotti must journey to Egypt at the request of a seriously ancient vampire queen, the mother of all vampires. Bu...more In this, the 5th volume of the Parasol Protectorate, many subplots appear to have been wrapped up and clarified. I'm uncertain whether Carriger intends to continue on (I have a few ideas that might be interesting, but of course, I'm sure she's got plenty of her own!), but if she doesn't, this could serve as a wrap-up of sorts of the series thus far.

Here, our intrepid heroine Alexia Tarabotti must journey to Egypt at the request of a seriously ancient vampire queen, the mother of all vampires. But it's not really Alexia the queen wishes to see. No, she has heard of Alexia and Conall Maccon's toddler daughter Prudence, who is a "metanatural." That is, she is able to acquire the powers of any supernatural upon physical contact with said supernatural, leaving the latter mortal while she changes into either a vampire or a werewolf. You can see the difficulties this creates when Connall would like to hold his daughter. Fear not. Prudence's abilities can be halted if Alexia keeps physical contact with her, and if there is distance between Prudence and the supernatural after Prudence has touched the supernatural.

So what would a vampire queen want with a toddler with such abilities? Alexia doesn't know. All she knows is that it's not a good idea to blow off an invitation from the mother-of-us-all vampire queen. So off to Egypt she goes, with Conall and Prudence in tow, along with the Tunstalls and their theater troupe, which Alexia hopes can be used as a means to cover the actual reasons for the journey.

But someone or something appears to have it in for Alexia and/or her daughter. And why is one of Lady Tunstall's children kidnapped while in Alexandria? And my heavens, what secrets does Lord Maccon's beta, Professor Lyall, hide? And how can Biffy (he who resents being a werewolf) rise to the occasion to help Lady Maccon and perhaps even Lyall? A reading of this book will ensure these questions and several others are answered.

In this installment of the Protectorate, Carriger's wit remains intact. The character of Prudence and Alexia's interactions with her were completely delightful and sly and, I think, really made this plot, which in places felt a bit rushed to this reader, as if the author were trying to just get it on paper and get as quickly as possible to the ending, where she could demonstrate that she's managed to tie up a lot of subplots, though some remain a bit unresolved. I was disappointed that Lord Akeldama, Alexia's longtime vampire friend, didn't have much of a role in this narrative, and that the strained relationship between Alexia and Madame Lefoux remains unresolved to a great extent, as does the background of Alexia's steadfast butler Floote (though we do get a sense of who he really is here).

There is an intriguing subplot that involves Alexia's dead father -- we learn a bit more about him (but not much), as you'll see, and she ties it nicely into the ancient vampire queen's situation as well as to events in book 2, Changeless. That was nicely done.

Overall, Timeless proved an effective wrap-up thus far in several important respects, delved more into Biffy's character (I really ended up enjoying watching him throughout), and gave us a sense of Prudence, who is by far one of the more memorable toddler characters I've read. Parts of the plot fell flat, and I think Carriger missed an opportunity to delve into this ancient vampire queen and really give us a sense of the kind of power she wielded and her importance to vampire history and social organization. After all, Books 3 and 4 hammered us with vampires and how they operate, and left us with a sense of dread about the leadership. Not so much, here, though there is a truly interesting and delightful twist toward the end with one of the characters that I think you'll enjoy. I won't reveal it here (no spoilers!), but it proved something I totally didn't see coming.

Regardless (hmm...the title of her next book?), Carriger always provides a quick, fun read filled with humor, excellent dialogue, and memorable characters. So though Heartless (book 4) still remains my favorite in the series, I enjoyed the journey in this one.
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Nov 13, 2012 Tabitha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great ending to the series. Timeless starts two years after the previous book leaves off. Alexia gets a summons from Egypt requesting she and Prudence come visit the Alexandria Hive queen. Still interested in the God Breaker Plague, Alexia and her entourage head to Alexandria by boat. On the journey over, Alexia discovers that water negates her preternatural abilities and starts to wonder if Prudence has the same problem. Once arriving in Alexandria, Alexia and company meet the Hive Queen and fi...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Aurian Booklover rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is hard to tell anymore about this, without spoiling some major plots. You better just read it for yourself.
I totally enjoyed it, especially the time in Egypt, the steampunk world Gail Carriger has build, focusing mostly on transportation. I loved the balloon world, and just everything. Alexia and Conall find out more about Alexia’s powers, and those of Prudence. And she finally finds out more about her father. I am glad to say, my suspicions at the start of the book came true as well.
There...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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4.5 stars

As the last novel in the Parasol Protectorate series draws to an end it is my sad realization of how much I would miss these characters I have grown to love.

Indeed, the Parasol Protectorate is a good first foray into the world of steampunk. As a new reader of the said genre I could not have asked for a more entertaining series to wet my appetite. Gail Carriger’s ability to transport the reader into her amazing world is enticing and entertaining to say the least. Ms. Carriger combines m...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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At long last I made it to book 5 of the Parasol Protectorate series. This go around Alexia receives a summons from Matakara, Queen of the Alexandria hive and the oldest living vampire. The Maccons, along with the Tunstells and their acting troupe, whom they take along as cover, set out for Egypt where, inevitably, they encounter adversity, mystery and adventure. The entire first part of this book is a retread and filler, with the author re-visiting some of the more memorable places and character...more At long last I made it to book 5 of the Parasol Protectorate series. This go around Alexia receives a summons from Matakara, Queen of the Alexandria hive and the oldest living vampire. The Maccons, along with the Tunstells and their acting troupe, whom they take along as cover, set out for Egypt where, inevitably, they encounter adversity, mystery and adventure. The entire first part of this book is a retread and filler, with the author re-visiting some of the more memorable places and characters from the previous books - the hat shop now run by Biffy, the Woolsey Hive (with notable appearances from Countess Nadasdy and Mabel Dair), the fleeting return of Felicity Loontwill in a flurry of spite, the sudden reappearance of Lady Kingair and a single appearance of Guatve Trouve, in order to deliver a replacement parasol after the two intervening years to name just a few.
After the lazy intro, the meat of the plot and the wrap up were rushed and left this reader feeling emotionally manipulated. But the most disappointing thing of all is that the main mysteries of the books - the Order of the Brass Octopus, the nature of the soulless/soulstealers - remain unanswered pretty much completely, unless you count the fact that Alexia's abilities are discovered to be cancelled out when she is submerged in water. We also spend no time further investigating the BUR or the Shadow Council, or any other aspects of the supernatural world in Carriger’s universe.

Noting all that, there is one storyline in the book that kept me from giving up on it entirely. The relationship between Biffy and Lyall. It was nice to have a homosexual relationship which was genuinely sweet and not reduced to stereotypes. I also appreciated the elegant solution introduced by Carriger to deal with Connall's immortality and that our protagonist never voices any concern about becoming more aged than her love. But the thing I like most is Alexia’s personality remains very much her own, with her own separate interests, friends and responsibilities. I am however ready to be done with Alexia and her world.
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Jul 29, 2012 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the final installment of the Parasol Protectorate series by Carriger. Set two years after the end of ‘Heartless’, Lord and Lady Maccon have had a period of relative peace. Living surreptitiously with Lord Akaldama, the adoptive father of their daughter, life is surreal but has involved none of the usual attempts on their lives. This comes to an end with an invitation from the world’s oldest vampire- an invitation they cannot turn down- involving a trip to Egypt. Meanwhile, someone has ki...more

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About Gail Carriger

Ms. Carriger writes steampunk urbane fantasy comedies of manners to cope with being raised in obscurity by an expatriate Brit and an incurable curmudgeon. She escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning. She then traveled the historic cities of Europe, subsisting entirely on biscuits secreted in her handbag. She now resides in the Colonies, surrounded by a...more

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“I never gossip. I observe. And then relay my observations to practically everyone.” — 96 people liked it

“Scotsmen, she had occasion to observe, often did have nice knees. Perhaps that was why they insisted upon kilts.” — 16 people liked it

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Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5)

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