Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Nov 15, 2018 ☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, fantasy, steampunk, fantasy-paranormal, fantasy-urban-fantasy, shapeshifters-werewolves, ya-na, vampire, wheel-iii

There were some funny moments. Alexia is a soulless and she can be a danger to the paranormals and she doesn't do too bad with her parasol but she just can'thelp what comessage out of her mouth as well. LOL

A rogue vampire tries to feed off Alexia but since he had no idea about who she was he ends up dead and Alexia becomes an interest to everyone but especially Lord Maccon, who an alpha werewolf and leader of the BUR.

Things lead to another everyone wants to find out who is making all these rog ...more

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Aug 16, 2018 Chaitra rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: manners, paranormal, humor, historical-fiction, romance, steampunk, vampires, first-of-a-series, werewolves, fantasy-of-manners

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read Gail Carriger’s Finishing School series first. Well, I actually didn’t finish the series. I’d cooled on it by #3. #4 is on my to read list, but I’ve not mustered the enthusiasm to pick it up, even after two years. I thought my exhaustion of that series was because it’s aimed at young adults and I don’t do well with those. But apparently not.

I wanted to like Soulless. I didn’t. It was tiresome. I wasn’t very happy to see that though Alexia is older than Sophronia, there is not much differe I read Gail Carriger’s Finishing School series first. Well, I actually didn’t finish the series. I’d cooled on it by #3. #4 is on my to read list, but I’ve not mustered the enthusiasm to pick it up, even after two years. I thought my exhaustion of that series was because it’s aimed at young adults and I don’t do well with those. But apparently not.

I wanted to like Soulless. I didn’t. It was tiresome. I wasn’t very happy to see that though Alexia is older than Sophronia, there is not much difference between them. There’s also way too much emphasis on clothing, I could care less about Lord Akeldama’s beautiful coat when the man is being bled dry. Time and place, in this book there doesn’t seem to be any appropriate ones. It was amusing in the first book I read, it got old very quickly.

Speaking of time and place, the romance. I’m no good at judging it, so I’ll not comment on the quality of it. But as for me, I would have preferred it if both Alexia and the werewolf got dunked in an icy lake from time to time just so the plot would move. I knew this was a romance, so I guess I don’t have an excuse, but then again, I also didn’t expect a poorly written bodice ripper.

I’m also not sure what’s going on with Carriger’s writing when it comes to - uh, darker skinned people? These books are inherently silly, so I hesitate to call it anything, but it’s also brought up too many times that Alexia is olive skinned and therefore will never be married, for it to be entirely okay. Once was enough? Similarly, the over emphasis on Ivy Hisselpenny’s odd taste in hats. And the patronizing way Alexia talks about her. It got so that if Ivy had any good qualities, I forgot about them. There’s also no other dominant female character in the book. It’s Alexia Show all the way through and that’s more grating than I thought it would be.

I will probably read the next book as it works for a few of my challenges, but unless the writing drastically changes, or the plot engages me sufficiently so I forget the writing, I’m done with the series and probably the author. ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Lindsey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: witches-paranormal-magic, victorian-england

Loved every minute of it-so much so, that I sat down to devour this in one day. Alexia, Lord Maccon and the rest of the gang were just so quirky, sarcastic and entertaining. I found the whole Victorian supernatural courtship between Alexia, the soulless, and Lord Maccon, the Alpha werewolf, so comical as they figured out each other's romantic cues. I haven't been so entertained by a book in a long time so I will certainly be looking for the rest of this series.

Just as fun the second time around. ...more

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Feb 15, 2014 Linda C rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, fantasy, mystery, science-fiction, historical-fiction, romance-historical, european, steampunk

In this alternate history, vampires, werewolves and ghosts co-exist with humans in a controlled society with a collaborative security/police force and an advisory council to Queen Victoria. Alexia Tarabotti is something quite different, a preternatural rather than a supernatural being. Her touch negates the soul and turns supernatural beings to their human state while they are touching. When Alexia accidentally kills a vampire she comes to the attention of Lord Conall Maccon (werewolf and head o ...more

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Apr 05, 2017 Olivermagnus rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2024, paranormal, znov-24, steampunk

Soulless is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. It features 25-year-old Alexia Tarabotti who is considered a spinster by her family and society, She has an even more shameful flaw: she’s a preternatural, a human being without a soul.

When a rogue vampire tries to drain Alexia’s blood at a ball, she accidentally kills him with her silver-tipped parasol. Lord Conall Maccon is not only an earl and an Alpha werewolf, but also an agent of BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Regis ...more

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Dec 07, 2013 JoAnne rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, paranormal-witches, paranormal-vampires, steampunk

This is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series. Alexia is at a ball where a vampire tries to attack her but she kills him by accident. The BUR agents, Lord Maccon and his beta, Professor Lyle, show up to investigate. How did they get here so quick? They are both werewolves. As usual, Lord Maccon is upset with her. She did not mean to kill this vampire. He did not understand that he could not feed from her because she is soulless. The vampires lose their fangs when near her. Why was he ...more

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