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Soulless

(Parasol Protectorate #1)

Gail Carriger (Goodreads Author)

3.89 · Rating details · 107,789 ratings · 10,701 reviews

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 Macco ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 357 pages

Published October 1st 2009 by Orbit (first published September 4th 2009)

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Jun 16, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: brain-candy, favorites-all-time, 1800s, pn-shapeshifters, pn-vampires, paranormal-general, read-2011, adult, historical-fantasy, steampunk

Here is a most edifying (and highly scientific) quiz you may use to ascertain whether this novel is one that you will enjoy.

* Is your bookcase overflowing with strong, decisive heroines?
* Do you chuckle over the animated Gorey titles preceding a PBS “Mystery!” presentation?
* Are you fond of the Victorian era?
* Does witty prose make you positively giddy with excitement?
* Have you ever lingered over a bit of lace or wistfully touched a velvet coat?
* Are you delighted when someone brews a pot of te ...more

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Sep 23, 2009 Kelly rated it it was ok

Recommended to Kelly by: RBRS devils

Shelves: fantasy-and-scifi, 21st-century, goth-goth-baby, fiction, romantical, victorian

So, I’ve got something else to blame on Glee. In addition to all the terrible eighties music that I’ve been listening to, and image of that terrible Mozart spaceman outfit gone wrong that they put Kurt in for the Gaga episode, I feel certain that the same people who decide on the structure and performance of that show are the same people who decided that it was okay to release Soulless in the form that I read it.

At it’s heart, Glee is simply a weak, changeable framework for presenting touchston So, I’ve got something else to blame on Glee. In addition to all the terrible eighties music that I’ve been listening to, and image of that terrible Mozart spaceman outfit gone wrong that they put Kurt in for the Gaga episode, I feel certain that the same people who decide on the structure and performance of that show are the same people who decided that it was okay to release Soulless in the form that I read it.

At it’s heart, Glee is simply a weak, changeable framework for presenting touchstones of cultural nostalgia and niche enthusiasms, with interspersed attempts at taking advantage of whatever cultural phenomena have been raking in money over the past few years. The plot, characters and setting all radically and inconsistently change as necessary to allow the producers to put on a show about songs and stories that people feel are an integral enough part of their past or current identity to get them to watch the show each week. The problem with all this is that if you present a musical revue as an ongoing story, then people (at least people like me), will attach certain expectations to the story they’re reading. This is especially true of any genre storytelling- that is, storytelling that will trigger something in the audience’s brain that tells them how to process the joke that’s just been told, how to view the characters, and therefore how to judge the story’s conclusion or lack thereof. Glee is written by three different people who do not seem to communicate well to each other, and following any sort of story gets difficult: one minute we’re watching a mean-but-you-gotta-laugh-cause-he’s-right commentary on culture and the media, the next minute it’s a Very Special Episode that asks us all to sing kumbaya and feel bad for those less fortunate than ourselves. It’s gotten especially jarring over the back half of the first season (I maintain that there were several episodes in the first half that were genuinely good!). These genres do not sit well next to each other, each exposing the weaknesses and downright awful or mean aspects of the other- ie, Are these characters supposed to be simply cardboard cutouts that offer conscious criticism and zippy one liners? Or are they supposed to be real people for me to engage with and treat as I would a real person in that situation? You’ve gotta pick one and tell me what’s up, ‘cause otherwise it’s an uncomfortable and unrewarding viewing experience, and that feeling is gonna outweigh even my undying love for Journey.

I had a very similar experience with Soulless. There’s a lot of genres elbowing for room in here-Regency comedy of manners, Victorian gothic, steampunk, urban fantasy, PG Wodehouse comedy, a bit of SATC, and a prissy bodice ripper (if that seems contradictory, well, just look at the rest of the list!). The author herself talks about this in the little mini interview in the back of my edition of the book, how “suddenly, I was juggling more subgenres than Ivy has ugly hats!” (Oh, don’t worry, we’ll get there in a minute.) Now, I like a lot of these genres separately- and I am aware that there are lots of other people out there who read some sort of combination of these genres, and I saw the hand of the Glee producers at work. Separately, I like all these things. Together?: It’s a Queen medley on top of a Spice Girls cameo with some Green Day background noise, a Broadway power ballad’s notes soaring over it all and whatever the hell that Sugar Ray song was that I now can’t get out of my head- goddamn this idea for a review!- providing the remix beats. Why, Carriger, why must you try to ruin innocent genres who committed no other crime but being so awesome??

Our heroine, Alexia Tarabotti, is a pretty straight up Cinderella/Jane Eyre type, who just happens to have special magical powers (she’s soulless- but there are no downsides I can see to this except that there may be no heaven for you if it exists, but she seems cool with this). She is an Indomitable Fantasy Heroine Who Can Take Care of Herself, and a Wounded Duckling who thinks nobody likes her, even though she is prettier, smarter, wittier and has better boobs than anyone in the room. Now, that trope is pretty tiresome- even Tina Fey doing it ironically on 30 Rock as a commentary on Hollywood standards has started to grate on me. But fine, it’s a genre stereotype and whatever. The problem comes when Carriger applies different standards to the things that come out of her mouth- for example, her treatment of Ivy Hisselpenny, which pissed me off to no end. Now mind you, this is a woman Alexia calls her “dearest friend,” who she visits regularly and spends a good deal of her time with. It slowly emerges that Alexia finds her shallow, stupid and desperate for a man, as well as having terrible taste with all those “ugly hats”.

Now aside from all the “how would she know if she’s soulless?” comments people have already made, I thought that, more importantly, Alexia was not a nice person. I’m sorry I can’t state it in a more nuanced way than that, but it really made me angry. Ivy seemed to be yet another foil to make sure we knew just how Special a Special Snowflake Alexia was, and for Alexia to use for emotional comfort... while being completely comfortable with viciously making fun of her a few pages later. The genre mixing problem shows here because I think Alexia’s opinion of Ivy, the possessor of ugly hats, is exactly how PG Wodehouse might characterize a person in one of his short stories, as so-“And as for Miss Hisselpenny- she wore an ugly hat- we need say no more!” Fine, but as the book goes on, Alexia’s story gets more and more melodramatic and Tearjerking, with involved Gothic plots and character development past the opening farce, and I’m supposed to feel bad for how badly she’s been treated, ie, see her as a real person. And you know what? I don’t like any person if the nicest thing you appear to be able to say about your best friend is that she’s a shallow bimbo who wears bad hats. I’m left to assume the only reason she hangs out with her is because she’s one of the only characters with less social standing than Alexia, so she can feel secure that she’s better than her. Actually, Alexia doesn’t have a good opinion about any other woman she encounters in the book. If all other women are torn down as unworthy in a book that’s, in the end, about women ending up with men, I'm pretty sure I know what the reason is. And it makes it pretty clear to me who really puts the most importance on getting a man. Speaking of which, another example: we hear over and over that Alexia aspires to Lofty Intellectual Ideals and scorns gossipy, shallow women. But then she indulges in gossip later with Lord Akeldama’s (her Sassy Gay Friend) sassy gay chorus (which includes at least one incredibly offensive gay stereotype-the one named Biffy who magically knows how to do her hair in the most current French fashion!), and we’re supposed to see the gossip as naughty, titillating fun that all sophisticates take part in. So now she’s in Sex and the City and Pamela at once? Again, PICK ONE. Because honestly, presented that way, it seems like just another excuse for the author to give her more male attention. In short, she takes funny and good things about various genres and makes them mean and self-serving.

I could go on with the many other similar travesties this book commits, never mind the misunderstanding of Jane Austen, the completely unthinking racism and classism committed while imitating authors from earlier eras, not to even MENTION the insult to the Greek philosophers (which Elizabeth has covered nicely) or science of all kinds. But I think I have made my displeasure clear enough to anyone dedicated enough to reach the end of this review.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go perform an exorcism on Sugar Ray. ...more

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Apr 05, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-all, own, paperback-own

Reread to hopefully continue on!! 2019

*****

I thought the beginning of the book was hilarious. Alexia is something else and a danger with that parasol! She has no problems with whacking people in the head or men in their nether regions! Lol

Alexia is soulless <--- meaning just what I said, she doesn't have a soul and just her touch can take away others powers, such as the vampires and werewolves.

In the beginning of the book she is attacked in the library by a rove vampire. He was starved, had no ...more

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Aug 12, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of steampunk, historical romance, fantasy

Shelves: steampunk, alpha-heroine, victorian, werewolf, heroine-i-adore, supercouple, fantasy, owned-copy, hero-to-die-for, spinster-old-maid

Ms. Carriger, congratulations! This was a great ride. I can honestly say that I laughed myself silly reading this book. This is one of those books that will probably embarrass you if you read it in public. You have been warned! This is the first novel that I've read that managed to cleverly and gently satirize the conventions of historical romance, and it was done in a manner that was utterly irresistible. I have not read any Wodehouse, but I imagine I will like him very much, if he is indeed an Ms. Carriger, congratulations! This was a great ride. I can honestly say that I laughed myself silly reading this book. This is one of those books that will probably embarrass you if you read it in public. You have been warned! This is the first novel that I've read that managed to cleverly and gently satirize the conventions of historical romance, and it was done in a manner that was utterly irresistible. I have not read any Wodehouse, but I imagine I will like him very much, if he is indeed an influence on this author's writing.

Not only did I enjoy the humor, I thought the characters were beyond interesting. Alexia is one of those heroines that will stand out in the reader's mind. She's intelligent, gutsy, fierce, yet ladylike and admirable. Although she has moments where she's down on herself (she seemed unable to accept that Lord Maccon was interested in her, but it totally made sense to me), she manages to be remarkably comfortable in her own skin. I believe that this is a big part of her appeal to Lord Maccon. Alexia is an alpha woman that I really like. She doesn't come on too strong, and she knows her limits. Throwing her weight around is not a tactic that she resorts to. But if you try something, she will make sure you know it's not happening. I liked that she was a woman of her times, in that she was strong, intelligent, and passionate; yet, she possessed the morals and understandings of what was appropriate in her society. Alexia's ability felt very novel to me. I especially liked how she used it when she interacted with the supernatural people in her life, especially Lord Maccon. There's a really good part where Alexia has to get up close and person with a naked Lord Maccon to keep him from changing back into a wolf. And they sure do take advantage of that moment. Naked Lord Maccon, up close and personal, who could blame a girl?

Ah, let's talk about Lord Maccon. Three words: To Die For! I loved him. Not too surprising, since I happen to adore, big, sexy, Scottish werewolves. But it's the whole package with him. I like that he's rough around the edges. Smooth operators bore me. The unpolished, fierce heroes, they get me everytime. Ooh, he had me reading this book furiously to get to the next scenes with he and Alexia. I loved all his scenes, in human and in werewolf form.

Alexia and Lord Maccon had awesome chemistry. This is not really a romance novel, so the reader must keep this in mind. Soulless is more of a fantasy with a very strong romance. If you take that into consideration and enjoy the ride, the romantic moments will be a pleasant surprise on top of the humor and the fantastic elements. Having said that, I loved all the smootchy/getting personal scenes. This book has that element of Victorian romance that I just love. The whole "we are passionately carried away, but this is really improper and I hope we don't get caught" theme really works for me. I loved how they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other. Very appealing! Alexia and Lord Maccon are going on my favorite couples list. No doubt about it.

Now to the fantasy/steampunk elements. I thought Ms. Carriger did a great job. Initially, I had to get used to the writing style. Like I said earlier, I haven't read too many satirical-styled stories. I had to realize that I couldn't take things too seriously. Once I got into that mode, I was good. This book is an interesting hybrid in that it's definitely a humorous story, but there are some edgy, dark elements, as well. The automaton was pretty darn creepy. I immediately started thinking about golems when it was first introduced. I liked how she took the golem folklore and gave it a steampunk twist. I could completely understand why Alexia found it so repulsive. It was alive, but so opposite from what a living being might be. I liked the adventure aspects. This book made me think of the old school adventure storytellers like Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, although this book doesn't stray far from the drawing rooms and polite environs of London and its suburbs. I could easily imagine Ms. Carriger writing a ripping, neo-pulp adventure yarn. If she does, sign me up! I hope she has a Roxton-esque hero if she does. Hint, Hint. I definitely think this would make a great movie (in the right hands).

Steampunk is a new, but beloved genre for me. When it comes to technical and mechanical devices, I have no imagination. So I have to give it to Ms. Carriger for writing these aspects very well. I had a very good visual picture of the steam-driven, clockwork technology in my head while I was reading. Yet, she didn't overdo it so that I was more focused on trying to picture these devices and not focused on the story.

Vampires and werewolves are the main supernatural beasties in this story. They are very politically and socially-organized, to the degree that they have advisors to the queen herself. I admit, I really had to focus on this aspect, needing to reread a few paragraphs to really gain an understanding of the social structure of the two supernatural groups. But it was time well spent. I liked reading about the social dynamics of the vampire society, divided up into hives, each with a Queen vampire (she's the only one who can make new vamps), and having human servants called drones. Lord Akeldama, Alexia's flamboyant friend who happens to be a very powerful vampire, was a hoot. His fashion sense was outrageous, and he kept me laughing. On the werewolf side, I was enamored with Professor Lyall, the competent, extremely intelligent beta to the Alpha werewolf, Lord Maccon, Earl of Woolsey. I hope to see a lot more of Prof. Lyall. The werewolf pack dynamics were especially interesting to me, werewolf lover that I am. I absolutely love the werewolf salute given to Alexia at the end of this book. I was practically clapping. I think you could see that the vamps and weres were very integrated into society, and a huge part of the governmental workings of the author's concept of Great Britain of the 19th Century. It really gives a different perspective on the British Empire.

Man, this was a great read. If you're coming from a romance or a contemporary urban fantasy background, this book will take you out of your comfort zones, but it's so worth it. Hang in there until you get used to the flow of the language (it's very 19th century), and relax and enjoy the witty humor (it's very funny). You will have a great time. Don't forget to bring your tricked-out parasol and glassicals, just in case. ...more

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Dec 02, 2020 Danielle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Never, in a million years would I have thought this would be a five star read for me. 😮 Entertaining, yes, but five stars, no way... but it was! It really was worth those stars. Thanks to my dear friend Brooklyn for the book recommendation. ❤️ I loved these characters, the setting, the detective feel, the banter, the hot chemistry. 😍 There has been such crap books about vampires and werewolves, but trust me, this was fantastic. ⚠️ I will caution: it does get a bit rated R in a few bits, so this ...more

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Nov 12, 2009 Felicia rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-paranormal, vaginal-fantasy

I wish I had written this book! Only because it combines two of my latest fetishes: Corsets and Paranormal creatures. After the first chapter this book is pretty good, I really enjoyed it (although it's not reinventing the wheel in any way). Nice romance, appealing characters, melding of the two genres was enough to keep my very entertained and up late! I will read another for sure! ...more

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Jun 12, 2019 Jo (The Book Geek) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-throw-from-a-high-building, paranormal, fantasy, steampunk

I am deeply dissatisfied with this book. It was an utter shambles, and I intend to explain why.

I had this book on my to-read list for so long, so I finally set about purchasing it. The cover looks intriguing, and admittedly, I really love the parasol that Alexia is holding. I thought I was in for a delicious treat of a Steampunk style read, with a few vampires thrown in. What I received was a confused mess, in which any plot that ever previously existed, was smothered by this garbage.

The combi I am deeply dissatisfied with this book. It was an utter shambles, and I intend to explain why.

I had this book on my to-read list for so long, so I finally set about purchasing it. The cover looks intriguing, and admittedly, I really love the parasol that Alexia is holding. I thought I was in for a delicious treat of a Steampunk style read, with a few vampires thrown in. What I received was a confused mess, in which any plot that ever previously existed, was smothered by this garbage.

The combination of genres was migraine inducing. We had Victoriana, Steampunk, paranormal and some very cringy romance, but, to top that off, we had some rather ghastly humour, which wasn't at any point actually funny. I was wanting more of a Steampunk feel, but I felt this was attempting to be more on the paranormal romance side. For some reason, some individuals assume that by throwing in a couple of airships and goggles, that there is an instant Steampunk novel. This simply is NOT the case!

It was pretty damn obvious very early on who was going to get it on with who. The fun was kind of sucked out of it by that point. The amusing part is, Alexia has it in her head that she was simply too ugly for any male to give her any kind of attention. But we are told that it wasn't Alexia's parasol that Lord Maccon was mesmerised with. Oh no, it was her "Generous curves" and "generous breasts" Of COURSE it was, silly me! That kind of screamed out Cinderella to me.

It was way too predictable.

As much as I can understand the entire "biting" concept of sexual intimacy, Lord Maccon seemed to take this to a new level. He was constantly, almost in every chapter, sinking his teeth into Alexia's neck. The thing is, Alexia LIKED this. I was almost to the point of guessing exactly what room Maccon was going to bite Alexia's neck in next.

There were some odd paragraphs written in here, that I just failed to get my head around. Here is one of the most prominent ones;

"He rolled so that she was beneath him. Alexia's ivory taffeta gown was held together by a row of mother of pearl buttons up the length of it's back. The Earl eventually discovered this fact and began undoing with a rapidity bespoke consummate skill in the art of undoing ladies clothing."

This Earl must be a professional at undoing ladies back buttons because it must have been tremendously difficult when the lady is physically pinned to the ground! Lets call it an art shall we Earl?

Soulless seems to have gathered all of my pet peeves, and then mixed them altogether into a 291 page book. To anyone that knows me well enough, I can confidently say that this particular book is sitting on the same shelf as "Uprooted" Aka-In the trash.
However, at least there is one aspect this book did correctly, it certainly stayed true to it's title; it really was entirely "Soulless" ...more

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May 20, 2010 Eh?Eh! rated it it was ok

Shelves: babble-added, rbrs, goodreaders-made-me

Rbrs #4

Remember in grade school, when the teacher would ask for a volunteer to give the first speech or present the first diorama or whatever? Public Speaking - that which is feared more than death. Comparisons were always inevitable. I learned to shoot that hand up like a game of "not-it," so that everyone would be compared to me but my stuff would gently fade in the mob memory. Also, to get it out of the way so then I could relax while everyone else sweated it and got ever more anxious. Soooo, ...more

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Jan 18, 2010 Tatiana rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of Jeanine Frost's "Night Huntress" series

Shelves: dnf, romancelandia

My apologies to all my friends who love this book, but again, I fail to understand the appeal. Like with a few other popular novels I've tried reading recently, this is simply a glorified fanfiction in print. If you ever ask me what I mean calling books "fanfiction," my answer would be, as with the definition of "porn," I can't articulate it, but I know when I see/read it. It's just too gratuitous and lacks substance, depth, flavor, richness, even though it, at times, entertains.
...more

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May 22, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it really liked it

Shelves: should-have-been-bad, kat-s-book-reviews

If you've been on GoodReads for any decent amount of time then you probably know Tatiana. If you don't then she is a very popular, entertaining reviewer with almost flawless taste in books and you should go read and like all her reviews abunch.

Usually, we tend to agree on a lot of books. When comparing books, we generally have an 88% similarity rating which has led me, in the past, to comment that we must be soulmates. So you can understand my obvious distress when I read this book and quite lik ...more

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Apr 04, 2016 Helen 2.0 rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, badass, brs-done, vamps, pnr

If Charlaine Harris and Jane Austen's ghost got together and had a love child, this book would be it.

Soulless plays in Victorian era England, in an alternate world where shifters and vampires have revealed their existence to the common folk (much like a historical True Blood). Our main character is Alexia Tarabotti, a blue-stocking spinster with embarrassingly Italian blood and a preternatural - a human born without her soul. She has the ability to cancel supernatural powers by touch, which help ...more

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Aug 20, 2009 Mir rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Well, the first thing I can tell you is that reading this from a critical, review-writing frame of mind is not the way to enjoy it.

I encountered this book when it first came out, lying on the new release table of the Union Square Barnes & Noble (that's San Francisco, not NY, B&N friends). I no longer live in the City and was visiting a friend who, as it turned out, wasn't home yet. Or answering her phone. Night was falling and I had no way of knowing how much time I would have to kill. This boo Well, the first thing I can tell you is that reading this from a critical, review-writing frame of mind is not the way to enjoy it.

I encountered this book when it first came out, lying on the new release table of the Union Square Barnes & Noble (that's San Francisco, not NY, B&N friends). I no longer live in the City and was visiting a friend who, as it turned out, wasn't home yet. Or answering her phone. Night was falling and I had no way of knowing how much time I would have to kill. This book looked light and amusing. I read it in a corner between stacks, by a window where I had good cell reception. Since I was breaking off every ten minutes to call my friend, I did not notice the choppiness that many people complain of, and in my increasing distraction the self-consciousness of the prose was less evident. The book has a blend of humor and action that was pleasantly distracting as I worried about my friend having had a motorcycle accident or been mugged (don't worry, she was fine). I recommend this for reading in waiting rooms, or while expecting an unpleasant phone call.

On rereading, the flaws are more glaring: the awkward sections of exposition, the self-consciousness of authorial voice, the over-preciousness of much of the humor. However, I still found it a reasonably entertaining story with some good ideas. I appreciate how Carriger plays with genres and avoids certain tropes that alienate readers who normally avoid one or more of the genres in question. For instance, there is enough romance to please romance readers without the "my Throbbing Vulva made me do it" crap that so often makes me want to throw romance novels against the wall. And, thankfully, no rape or pseudo-rape amongst the homage to romance conventions. Likewise, there are some neat steampunkish touches without overwhelming amounts of mechanistic imagery.

Some of Carriger's flaws tread very close to her positive attributes -- her tongue-in-cheek humor, for instance, is often too self-conscious and often crosses into smugness, giving the unfortunate impression that the author is too impressed by her own cleverness. Alexia herself seems in many ways to mirror the flaws in the writing: likable but over-confident in a way that was at odds with her purported insecurities.

A number of reviewers had problems with the idea of the main character being "Soulless". I actually found this appealing, as I did not think that the author meant us to believe that Alexia actually lacked a soul as defined as the spiritual or moral aspect of human nature; rather, I thought she was setting up a commentary on authority (religious, scientific, patriarchal) and how it constructs identity for those under it. My interpretation was that the soullessness was a misunderstanding by limited contemporary knowledge of how Alexia's preternatural nature functioned, and that the differences she describes in herself are essentially psychosomatic. She has been told from age 6 that she is abnormal so she believes this and constructs her understanding of herself around this flawed premise. Any actual "abnormalities" on her part have grown out of her sense of social isolation and exceptionalism. In short, she is different because she believes that she is different. The only concrete difference we see is her effect on supernatural creatures. In an odd way this also explains the dichotomy between low self-esteem and confidence in Alexia's personality: on the one had, she is sure that there is something deeply wrong with her; on the other hand, feelings of difference that usually cause individuals to feel that they are "weird" she explains away as due to her lack of soul, and thus not really her fault.

I also thought this might be a bit of critique of High Society, in which an Italian surname is more detrimental to one's status than the lack of a soul. Carriger specifies that Neither her family nor the members of the social circles she frequented ever noticed she was missing anything.

More aggravating to me was lack of period dialogue. Of course, Carriger is hardly the only offender in this regard, but it would have been nice if she had made a bit more effort. Even the prose has an odd feel, as if she had been trying to make it sound a certain way that she herself didn't quite understand. Like the choppiness and excessively long passages of thought during conversations, this is something that could and should be taken care of by a good editor. I thought the book as a whole had a lot of potential and hope that now that the initial excitement of being published has worn off the author will settle down to a more even style. As it stands, I can't always tell whether Carriger is being clever, or really dumb.

********

Edit: it just occurred to me, after reading the Glee comparison in Kelly's review that this was the perfect song to link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Nkq-...

...more

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Sep 07, 2011 Lora rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: I suppose nearly everyone, since I seem to be one of the few who doesn't like it

Recommended to Lora by: too many people to name

Shelves: did-not-finish

*sigh* Boy, am I in the minority here! Every friend of mine has given this at least three stars, and here I am not even being able to finish it. Still, I don't hate this book, so before giving my reasons for not liking it, I will be fair and go over what I did like.

Our heroine, Miss Alexia Tarabotti, hasn't had an easy life. Besides being put on the shelf at the age of fifteen by her mother, she's had to deal with unjust criticism. While the people of today spend countless dollars on cancer-caus *sigh* Boy, am I in the minority here! Every friend of mine has given this at least three stars, and here I am not even being able to finish it. Still, I don't hate this book, so before giving my reasons for not liking it, I will be fair and go over what I did like.

Our heroine, Miss Alexia Tarabotti, hasn't had an easy life. Besides being put on the shelf at the age of fifteen by her mother, she's had to deal with unjust criticism. While the people of today spend countless dollars on cancer-causing tanning beds and spray on tan in a cans that make them look like a walking Orange Julius, in Alexia's day and age it is simply not the fashion to have a little darker skin. Nope, alabaster is where it's at! So as you can imagine, the vampires fit in quite nicely. But not our poor Miss Tarabotti! She has been shamed and ridiculed for even having lightly tanned skin practically since she popped out of her mother's womb. And what about that dreadfully large nose Miss Tarabotti sports? Well, we can't have that, now can we? No, no, no! We'll have to take the hedge trimmers to that thing! Pfft.
As I'm sure a lot of people have, I've been on the receiving end of this kind of backwards thinking that Alexia's received from her family and peers, and it doesn't feel good. So I can sympathize with Alexia. She holds her head — and her nose — high, and lets it roll off her beautifully clad shoulders. I admire that. And . . . I'm afraid that's where my interest ended.

I have read of the neck nibbling (or gnawing, as the case may be) that ensues later on, and, for obvious reasons, I sincerely tried to make it to that part. But I guess even some good smut couldn't make me continue. For me, the writing made this nearly impossible to get into. Somehow it manages to read like fanfiction while still confusing me. I had to reread several passages in order to get even a semblance of what was happening in some scenes.

Besides these reasons, I couldn't get into the world Carriger created and, other than Miss Tarabotti, none of the characters (no, not even Lord Maccon) appealed to me. I realize this could've changed had I given it more time, but as of now I don't have the interest to do so. I believe that 50 - 100 pages is enough to tell if a book is for you or not, and I gave it 80.

To all fans of this series, especially those that are my friends, I'm sorry. I tried. :( ...more

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Jun 28, 2015 Maureen rated it really liked it

4.5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! Alexia is such an interesting character, and the world is very similar to that of TID - WHICH I LOVED.
The whole paranormal aspect was very well done and interesting to read about and I loved all the major characters! The minor characters could have been a bit better, but that's what other books are for!
The story was SO GOOD and very well thought out - a lot of things surprised me, though I did catch some of the foreshadowing.
Can't wait to read the rest o ...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, detectives, fang-bangers, popcorn, ebooks, mystery, punked, 2006-2010, science-fantasy, comfort-food

4.0 to 4.5 stars. VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED is the best way I can think of to describe my reaction to this book. While there are a few urban fantasy series that I really enjoy, it is not my favorite genre, especially those series that could also be classified as “paranormal romances.” This book, while more “Victorian steampunk” than urban fantasy does certainly have a very strong “romance” element to the plot…AND I REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED IT!!

The story takes place in an alternative Victorian Lond 4.0 to 4.5 stars. VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED is the best way I can think of to describe my reaction to this book. While there are a few urban fantasy series that I really enjoy, it is not my favorite genre, especially those series that could also be classified as “paranormal romances.” This book, while more “Victorian steampunk” than urban fantasy does certainly have a very strong “romance” element to the plot…AND I REALLY, REALLY ENJOYED IT!!

The story takes place in an alternative Victorian London where vampires and werewolves exist and have made themselves known to the normal human population. In fact, through there very long lives and special abilities they have become very powerful in society (thinking of them as the aristocracy would give you a good idea of how they are portrayed). The main character, Alexia Tarabotti, is a spinster (at the ripe old age of 26) whose half-Italian heritage and strong-willed personality make here less than perfect marriage material according to London society. In addition to her Mediterranean appearance and her sharp wit, Alexia has another very unique quality…she was born without a soul. This type of person (known in the book as being a “preternatural”) has the ability to completely eliminate the abilities of all “supernatural” creatures that come in contact with her. As another review mentioned, she is like “kryptonite” to the supernatural. I found this to be a very clever and unique plot device (which is hard to come up with these days).

With the above as background, the plot itself is really best described as a comedy of manners combined together with a mystery involving a complex conspiracy involving forces both human and supernatural. Part of the reason the book appealed to me is that the main character reminded me of someone out of a “Jane Austen” novel (whose books I really enjoy). Alexia is smart, beautiful (despite the prejudices of London society), independent and a bit unconventional in so far as she does not always behave the way “society” believes she should. I found the story to be engaging, the characters to be interesting and well developed and the world-building and supernatural elements to be excellent.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and plan to continue reading the series. Highly Recommended!!

...more

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May 20, 2010 Meredith Holley rated it liked it

Recommended to Meredith by: Felicia Day and the creepy comic store guy

Shelves: reviewed, monsters, on-a-dare

Monsters are inevitably campy. That is a rule. You might not think it’s true, but you’re wrong. I’m sorry to be the one to break this to you, but the rule also applies to space. Monster stories and space stories range from those that deny the campiness and try to be really soulful social commentary to those that are hilarious in acknowledging the campiness and still manage to have something brilliant to say. There are levels in between those two extremes, but I’m trying to give you the framework ...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: suburban-fantasy, fanged-and-deadly, stabby-stabby, could-have-been-sooo-much-better, d-oh, facepalm, big-fucking-nope, fat-kitty-judges-you, annoying-main-character, reviewed-2013

Warning. Review might contain minor spoilers. Read at your own risk.

I am very ~~sad~~ pissed because I had so many high expectations for this book. The blurb sounded awesome, most of my friends’ reviews are five and four stars. The cover is good, the author seems obsessed with English tea, which seemed like a cool thing until I read her Q&A at the end of the book. After that it all got annoying because all she does is talk about her freaking tea. You love tea. I get it. Move the fuck on.

I know I’m ...more

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Apr 16, 2018 Phrynne rated it really liked it

I have just had nearly as much fun reading the reviews of this book as I did reading the book itself! There are people who loathed it and are not afraid to say so, to people who absolutely rave about it and can't give it enough stars! Well I am not going to rave but I did like it very much indeed:)

Of course Soulless was written for people like me. I love historical romance, anything to do with Victorian London and vampires (werewolves not so much but I am making an exception for Lord Maccon). Al ...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Ashley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: addictive, i-vant-to-drink-your-blood, romantical, urban-fantasy, alt-history, humor, anglophilia, fantasy, sexytimes, steampunk

Loved it! Loved it, loved it, loved it.

I always get really nervous when I write reviews for books that I have such positive reactions to, especially ones like this one that have such strong personalities. This book knows who it is and what it's trying to do and does its thing with aplomb. I happened to love it immediately after reading the first sentence, but I can understand how if the humor in the writing or the language she uses, or if you don't like romances, or stories with their tongues f Loved it! Loved it, loved it, loved it.

I always get really nervous when I write reviews for books that I have such positive reactions to, especially ones like this one that have such strong personalities. This book knows who it is and what it's trying to do and does its thing with aplomb. I happened to love it immediately after reading the first sentence, but I can understand how if the humor in the writing or the language she uses, or if you don't like romances, or stories with their tongues firmly in cheek, or stories set in Victorian England, or dirigibles, or spinsters . . . or whatever else this story has that I shoved into my brain as fast as I could, if none of that works for you, or pieces don't . . . I could see how you might not like this book.

Of course, if that's the case, I also reserve the right to think you are wrong, so so very wrong. Please go marinate yourself in your wrongness. This book was a goddamn delight from start to finish.

I don't even know what else to say. This book was such a perfect mash-up of things I love, put together in such a very appealing way. I haven't read very many steampunk books, and I usually avoid books about werewolves and vampires unless they are heavily recommended, but the slightly skewed Victorian setting, proceeding form an alternate history where after the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, the world's vampires and werewolves came out of the shadows to live among polite society, immediately caught my imagination. The narrator had this sassy and perfect attitude, and our main character Alexia herself, not to mention the werewolf Lord Maccon, were instantly lovable. I'm not usually into werewolves, but DAMN SON.

It's just, it feels like this book is mine. I can see myself becoming quite obsessed with it. It's honestly not even that great! I mean, it's great. Lies. What I mean is that nothing it does hasn't been done before, but the way it's all put together made it seem like I'd never read anything like it before. I was giggling through half of it and swooning through more, and then being super creeped out, and then back to swooning. Literally the only complaint I have is that the narrator was a bit unidentifiable. It was a closed third person, yet also seemed to be omniscient, and switched from character to character depending on the paragraph. But I was willing to forgive it that slight misstep because SO MUCH FUN.

If you like any of the following things, read this book immediately:

•Sass.
•A story about vampires and werewolves that doesn't make you want to rip your hair out.
•Comedies of manners.
•A satisfying romance between two stubborn, opinionated people.
•Good sexy times.
•Dirigibles, clockwork items, bustles, parasols, carriages and other such items.
•Really creepy bad guys.
•Seriously though the kissing. ...more

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Dec 26, 2009 Dan rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010, funny, christmas-gift, cliterature

After Alexia Tarabotti commits a faux pas and accidentally kills a vampire at a party and falls under the eye of Lord Maccon, the Queen's investigator of the supernatural, she inadvertently gets involved in a plot involving werewolves, vampires, and deranged scientists. Will she be able to survive whatever is going on without suffering further embarrassment?

Normally, I'm so overflowing with sheer manliness that a book with this much pink on the cover would fall beneath my radar. It sounded inter ...more

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Oct 11, 2009 The Flooze rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone!

Recommended to The Flooze by: Shannon

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, romance_or_chicklit, steampunk, vanquished_2009, mystery, owned, favorites

Recipe for success:
- Liberal amount of Austen & Wodehouse
- Generous helping of the supernatural
- Sprinkling of steampunk
- Heavy dose of humor
- Dollop of romance

Icing:
- One sorely abused treacle tart
- One hedgehog, slightly squashed

What a success Soulless is. No First Book Syndrome here.

Gail Carriger shows that she is a woman with ideas in this alternate history paranormal tale. Not only does she have ideas, but Carriger knows how to execute them. Soulless is a refreshing and wildly amusing new ...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Deborah Harkness rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I haven't had this much fun reading a book in ages. Witty dialogue, believable characters, and a real sense of the Victorian--and steampunk!--make Carriger's book a treat. Off to the sequel! ...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Catherine rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Catherine by: Alisha

Shelves: england, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, romance, series, vampire, soulless, were-shifter, read-2011, audiobook, historical

*Originally read 7/4/10 - 7/5/10*

This book was, quite simply, delightful! I finished it with a big smile on my face and giggled almost continually while reading it. My husband finally banished me to the bedroom because I was irritating him while he watched a movie.

The world that Gail Carriger created was so much fun and so interesting. I loved seeing a familiar government amid the new and exciting facets of it. I loved the set up of the supernatural creatures and the singular abilities of the pr *Originally read 7/4/10 - 7/5/10*

This book was, quite simply, delightful! I finished it with a big smile on my face and giggled almost continually while reading it. My husband finally banished me to the bedroom because I was irritating him while he watched a movie.

The world that Gail Carriger created was so much fun and so interesting. I loved seeing a familiar government amid the new and exciting facets of it. I loved the set up of the supernatural creatures and the singular abilities of the preternatural. Who would have thought that having no soul would be so useful around vampires and werewolves? But my favorite part of the book had to be the interaction between Alexia and Lord Maccon. Hilarious!

Alexia inherited more than her Italian ancestry from her father, she also inherited her soulless state. Alexia is firmly on the shelf and not really bothered by the fact. She goes her own way and ignores her mother whenever she gets too overbearing. Alexia is quite unlike any other woman of her acquaintance. She's witty, opinionated, and pragmatic, but can also be quite fierce. I love how prim she can be about some things, but quite forward in others. Also, her absolute horror about her friend's ugly hats was hilarious.

I really loved how Alexia's soulless state was emphasized. She can dress well, but she never can achieve that extra pop. Her choices always reflect a lack of soul. I thought that was a rather clever point to bring up. I also liked that the soul wasn't necessarily a religious thing. Multiple people had too much soul, although few had as little as Alexia.

Alexia's friendship with the foppish Lord Akeldama was great! He was such an interesting character. His mincing around and speaking with great drama always got a smile from me. I also loved his devoted, little harem. Three cheers to the author for creating characters that I love to pieces! One part that was so sweet was when Alexia went to wake him up to keep her promise. I had a total Awwww! moment.

Lord Maccon was so gruff and sweet. He was the perfect balance to Alexia. I loved when he was ranting about her ignoring him. He kept talking about how it was "her turn" because he made the last move. It was very cute watching him have to be reminded that Alexia is not a werewolf so she doesn't understand what game he's playing.

The sexual tension and eventual culmination of said tension was very well done. It was delicious when they finally kissed.

I can't wait to try the next book! This is definitely a series to pay attention to.

*Updated: I listened to this in audiobook for my reread and absolutely adored it. The narrator was fabulous and really made the story come alive.* ...more

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Feb 12, 2021 Madison Warner Fairbanks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ecopy, hard-copy, romantic-suspense, kindle-ebook, humorous, paranormal, shifters, wolf-pack, audible, diverse

Soulless by Gail Carriger
1st book in the Parasol Protectorate series. Steampunk historical paranormal romance.
Vampires, werewolves and a soulless spinster. Protocol and social etiquette must be observed.

A fun mystery adventure that Alexia must negotiate though it may be dangerous. Just make sure there is tea available. Someone is hunting the paranormal population and Alexia is on the case.
Engaging, humorous, and quirky. A bit sexy. And it does get a bit bloody.
Loved the adventure and can’t w ...more

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Jun 03, 2010 Christine rated it did not like it

Shelves: diverse-and-women-authors, london, fantasy-historical, weres-and-shifters, fantasy-urban

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I should admit two things before I start this review. I didn't finish this book; however, it does not belong on my ick-attack shelf (the shelf for truly bad books). Second, I really wanted to like this book. I really did.

I have several problems with this book. Maybe, I'm the wrong person to read this because I have never read those regency romance novels. The idea behind the book is good. Carriger's gets full points for that (she gets full points for two other things, see the end of this review) I should admit two things before I start this review. I didn't finish this book; however, it does not belong on my ick-attack shelf (the shelf for truly bad books). Second, I really wanted to like this book. I really did.

I have several problems with this book. Maybe, I'm the wrong person to read this because I have never read those regency romance novels. The idea behind the book is good. Carriger's gets full points for that (she gets full points for two other things, see the end of this review). The first problem I had is that Carriger keeps switching between two narrative voices; I'm not even sure she or her editor were aware of this. One voice is very formal, the other less so. Eventually this becomes distracting. It doesn't work and makes the reader wonder about the change.

The fantasy elements of the novel don't seem well thought. It is true that Carriger is trying to be fresh (maybe, considering the UF genre now, it is impossible) with her idea of a vampire hive and a soulless person. The elements don't work because they don't seem well thought out. To boldy use the lack of a soul as a plot point is an intersting idea, yet any reader could say that Alexia, in fact, has a soul. I also would have liked to see more of Alexia's thoughts on the matter (at least in the first 125 pages). It doesn't cut it just to have her read Greek philosphers and she's fine. The vampires, despite the use of the hive, are just like every other vampire and so are the werewolves.

Worse, Carriger uses, or seems to, every single UF cliche about heroines in the first 100 pages. Alexia doesn't think she is pretty, but she has a beautiful body. She's exotic because her father was a heathen Italian (why her mother would marry a heathen Italian is never explained). This is unique point one. She is soulless (something not even her mother knows about her, though Alexia was told at a young age). That is unique point two. She reads more than the average lady which makes her, somehow, knowledgable about sex even though she is virgin. That's unique point three. She is better than her airhead family. Unique point four. Her soulless state is unusal; she is the only soulless one in the area. Unique point five. She designs her own parsols. Unique point six.

Someone put her out of my misery.

At times it seems that Carriger is trying to be cute and funny. She almost is, and I believe the idea would've worked better in a shorter format. Sadly, much of the cute and funny comes across as annoying. As a novel it only makes me, once again, realize how good Jane Austen and Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Aurora Leigh And Other Poems are in terms of style. Carriger is drawing on both these works and comes across as a poor last place finisher.

There are, however, two very good things that Carriger does here, that while not ensuring this book or a series a second chance, will make me look for her work outside of this. The first, and most important, is that Carriger gives Alexia a true friend, Ivy. Both women interact with each as equals even though each has a flaw that annoys the other. I liked that. The other is that Carriger presents a relationship of equal that is not a silly love triangle. Because of this, when Carriger writes something outside of this series, I'll check it out. ...more

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May 08, 2015 Shannon (kitchandpages) rated it really liked it

Actual rating *4.25 stars*

I had such a fun ride with this book. The characters and relationships are what got me excited and eventually I just fell in love with it all. It started a bit slow for me and I would have liked a bit more world-building, but I loved the story overall and will definitely be continuing the series in the future!!

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Nov 23, 2016 Jilly rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, vampires, urban-fantasy, werewolves-and-other-furry-shifters, steampunk

You all know how much I hate Steampunk. It always feels forced. Someone decides to write a historical romance and then adds in a bunch of cogs, flying machines, goggles, and automatons to ~~make a giant mess~~ turn it into Steampunk. So, this one almost got drop-kicked into the DNF pile a couple of times.

This book is very tongue-in-cheek. We have a heroine who is more worried about social niceties, proper manners, and quality clothing than the fact that she is attacked by a vampire and has to deal w ...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Lois Bujold rated it really liked it

And also its four sequels in the series, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless and Timeless. (I sort of wanted this to have three more sequels, to be titled Hapless, Feckless and Gormless, but it was not to be.)

I had read the first of these last year, and thought, "OK, I know what this is now, that's enough." Besides my general ongoing reader's-block, neither Steampunk nor Paranormal Romance/Vampires&Werewolves are to my usual taste, and this has both. It also has romantic farce, however, which is, a ...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Lisa Kay rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Lisa Kay by: ✿Michelle✿, Sans, Lady Danielle, Carolyn F., Melanie

Shelves: reviewed-by-me, authors-g, authors-c, genre-romance-paranormal, genre-fantasy, genre-steampunk, amazing-secondary-characters, m-all-romance-dot-com, genre-romance-love-laughter, series-p

★★★★½ Soulless is my first foray into the world of “steampunk.” Well, other than the writings of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, read to me by my adventurous mother.

Dirigable from Ms. Carriger’s website.
dirigeable

I will be honest and say I just didn’t see the appeal until somewhere around the middle of the third chapter. Maybe I was too focused on figuring out the subtle world building to sit back and enjoy the ride until then. (Unsure what a claviger, drone, or dewan was, I do still wish there had been a glo ...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Mpauli rated it really liked it

Shelves: orga_read-in-2013, genre_steampunk, topic_vampires, topic_werewolves, genre_paranormal-romance, setting_london

50 Shades of Shock

by

Miss Ivy Hisselpenny

Dear surveyors of literature,

I must warn you politely in advance. If you might easily be offended by frivolous behaviour like holding hands in public or scandalous activity such as talking to unmarried men without a chaperone, I urge you to avoid your eyes and seek fullfillment of your literary gusto elsewhere.

The tale of my good friend, Alexia Tarabotti, is of a nature highly inappropriate to discuss in such a frank and open environment as in this review ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Does anyone know any other books that contain dandy/aesthete characters like Lord Akeldama?	4	34	Apr 15, 2021 09:17PM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Carriger - Soulless [Feb 17, 2021]	104	31	Apr 02, 2021 10:42AM
A Million More Pages: BOTM 2018 - Soulless - Starts 6th January	23	63	Nov 04, 2020 09:59AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Carriger - Soulless [Jan 24, 2020]	129	43	Jul 30, 2020 07:06PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA - Supernatural/Mystery/Victorian - Female detective investigates the supernatural in London. [s]	3	22	Feb 18, 2020 03:36PM
AFDSAFDSAFSDAFDSAFDSAFDSA	1	4	Jul 29, 2019 06:26PM
fdsafdsafdsafdsa	1	3	Jul 29, 2019 06:23PM

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About Gail Carriger

Gail Carriger

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Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate and the Finishing School series. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea. Join the Chirrup for sneak peaks of upcoming gigg ...more