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Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1)

Gail Carriger

Start date: January 8, 2010

Finish date: February 8, 2010

Discussion: Monthly Book Group

Discussion leader: Gisela

Why we're reading this: Nominated by Gisela, chosen by the Random Number Generator!
Join us on Feb 1. between 10 am-12 nn PST, Gai…more
[close] Nominated by Gisela, chosen by the Random Number Generator!
Join us on Feb 1. between 10 am-12 nn PST, Gail Carriger will be responding to questions on our group discussion.
Scroll down to the Monthly Book Group folder for the discussion thread.

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Monthly Book Group

* Discuss Nominations
By A · 9 posts · 77 views

last updated Mar 04, 2010 11:02AM

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What Members Thought

Oct 18, 2009 Misty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: excited-for, favorites, horror-mystery-suspense-thriller, read-in-2009, cover-appeal, own, humor, historical, sci_fi-fantasy, international-multicultural

Briefly: Read it. Soulless is exactly what I wanted and didn’t get from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It’s a pithy, funny, tongue-firmly-in-cheek mesh of Victorian manners and morés, and absurd occult occurrences. Alexia Tarabotti is an intriguing and amusing MC, completely un-Victorian and yet somehow not out of place. Carriger’s take on Victorian London high society shows a real knowledge of it, while not taking it too seriously. And, man, talk about cover appeal! Love it!
Highly recommended Briefly: Read it. Soulless is exactly what I wanted and didn’t get from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It’s a pithy, funny, tongue-firmly-in-cheek mesh of Victorian manners and morés, and absurd occult occurrences. Alexia Tarabotti is an intriguing and amusing MC, completely un-Victorian and yet somehow not out of place. Carriger’s take on Victorian London high society shows a real knowledge of it, while not taking it too seriously. And, man, talk about cover appeal! Love it!
Highly recommended if you like historical, paranormal, satirical, and/or sexy-silly fiction.

Not-so-briefly: let's get down to business --
Characters: The characters of Soulless, including many of the secondary ones, are vibrant and fleshed out. The main characters are engaging and charmingly flawed. The two main characters, Alexia and Lord Maccon, are irresistible. Seriously. Just try to resist them; I'll wait.
Alexia is sassy and smart, with a strain of Victorian sensibilities that is unfettered by any sort of wallflower-ness. She is not shy or coy or retiring. She is a feisty heroine with modern inclinations, who just happens to expect to be treated like a Victorian lady, smart spinster, some-time sex object, and fan of treacle tart; she doesn't ask much. She's a perfect little bundle of contradictions.
Lord Maccon is every bit the Alpha werewolf, posing as a highly desirable bachelor Lord. He is constantly on the verge of bursting out and doing something deliciously indecorous. The fireworks between Lord Maccon and Alexia are blinding (and plenty exciting -- and loud, as fireworks tend to be). It's a classic love/hate relationship with the added fun of Victorian etiquette and supernatural elements tossed in.

Setting and Plot: The steampunky goodness of Carriger's Victorian England is almost as much a character as Alexia and Lord Maccon. Carriger did her research, and a London slightly different than we may have expected comes to life on the page. The Victorian obsession with the fledgling field of genetics plays a prominent and brilliant role, and the exploding obsession with science in both the working and moneyed classes makes for a suitable, smart and intriguing background to the story. Carriger's idea that these great advancements (logically) are the result of supernaturals is fun and playful, while making perfect sense. There's good conflict, great tension (plot tension and sexual tension *waggles eyebrows*). All said, she has set up a great stage-set to play on for the remainder of the series. Long may it live. ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2009 A rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult, sci-fi-fantasy

I blame Anna Paquin; I can't enjoy this whole Southern Vampire revival.

What I can enjoy is this new stake-and-crumpets Victorian steampunk series: The Parasol Protectorate. It has all the bells and whistles of a Regency romance (parasols, cravats, and treacle tarts); the heavings and throbbings of a historical romance; the fangs, claws, and painful transformations of a paranormal fantasy (yes, complete with a transplanted Highland werewolf in London); and buckets and buckets of tea. Part Charlo ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2009 Kristen Harvey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks, romance-y, paranormal-fantasy, historical-fiction, england, adult, adult-books, british, steampunk, audibleshare

The humor and interesting characters in this novel simply suck you in. I don't read a lot of adult novels usually, but this one mixed historical fiction, humor, and some serious sexual intrigue.

I love the plot as well, involving some serious supernatural creatures, scientific intrigue, and all the beautiful aspects of London society. I love Alexia's character - so brazen and really quite unfit for regular society.

Definitely a must-read. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 05, 2009 Vickie rated it really liked it

Shelves: booksthatmakemegowow

I was intrigued by the reviews I'd read on this one, immediately added it to the WWBL...and it really didn't take long for it to be on Mt Git'r'Read...then not long for it to be in the stack that went with me on the roadtrip to Virginia.
I liked the premise that this was Victorian England and werewolves and vampires were an accepted part of society. Alexia is dryly funny and I could see myself being friends with her, soulless or no.
There was more romance (sex) than I'd anticipated, but it wasn' ...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Lexie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-owned-read, review-blog-pr, first-in-series

When trying to figure out how to categorize Soulless all I could really think of was 'Historical Paranormal Romantic Spoof'...because honestly everything and everyone, in the beginning of the book, was so over the top for their stereotype. Alexia was so in your face blue-stocking and Lord Maccon was so abrasive and beastly that you couldn't ever think they were anything else. The characters mellow however (or their personalities grew on me to an alarming degree that I should be ashamed to admit When trying to figure out how to categorize Soulless all I could really think of was 'Historical Paranormal Romantic Spoof'...because honestly everything and everyone, in the beginning of the book, was so over the top for their stereotype. Alexia was so in your face blue-stocking and Lord Maccon was so abrasive and beastly that you couldn't ever think they were anything else. The characters mellow however (or their personalities grew on me to an alarming degree that I should be ashamed to admit to enjoying immensely) and the story itself is twisty and fun.

Aside from being a pain in everyone's butt, Alexia is a humorous (in a dry, dark way) and intriguing character. She really doesn't care one wit about anything--whether that's her natural disposition or learned behavior to save herself its not clear--in a defined way. She cares, but doesn't invest herself is perhaps the better word. She prefers to have delicious food and prefers to have intellectual conversation, but if neither is present she finds a way to amuse herself (usually ending up in trouble).

Lord Maccon--Conall--is a brute of a man and he took the better part of the book for me to get used to. I didn't actively dislike him, but he grated on my nerves with his overbearing personality. I much preferred Lord Akeldama with his flouncy exuberant mannerisms and 'Oh darling you did not!!!' ways of speech. Professor Lyall, Conall's Beta (second in command of the pack and Conall's balance) was all right, but a little too milque toast for my liking. He did have a fine moment of blistering anger/irritation though.

The romance between Conall and Alexia was the most amusing part of the whole book. Admittedly if they had just snogged when they first met they'd both have gotten to the point quick enough but as it stood between them neither could have seen what was right in front of them if they hadn't some well meaning and overly interefering friends. I think though there was inherent disadvantages for them both--Conall couldn't seem to remember how to court a human (or at least not-Pack) female and Alexia took everything at face value (more or less).

I confess to being totally confused by the whole 'Soulless' thing, or indeed the entire idea of the quantity of soul being what determined if someone becomes a supernatural or not. At one point its remarked that maybe too literal is the right term, but I can't be certain if that was meant as a sly joke on the author's part or not. I kind of understood it somewhere in the last third of the book, but there was so many theories, facts and discussions going on about the subject I might have gotten mixed up.

I was very interested in the mention of America. This is alternative history paranormal shennighans going on and there is some talk of it, but with the source being highly suspect (as we later find out) I'm not sure how much of what he said about America's view on Supernaturals is true. And then also Alexia and her companions are so thoroughly British that you can't count on their opinions of their lost 'cousins' very much.

Book 2, so far titled Changeless, has a short excerpt in the back of Soulless and according to Carriger's website is scheduled for an April 2010 release. I am looking forward to it with great interest and can only hope one of Alexia's parasols is included! ...more

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Jun 04, 2009 Emily rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal, historical, 2009-10, steampunk

So much fun to read! Soulless is a comedy, romance, paranormal, historical fiction! I really loved the characters and was totally sucked in by their originality, especially the preternatural Alexia. I also loved the Steampunk creativity and imagery.

Soulless definitely exceeded my $7.99, mass market paperback expectations! Like Gail says on her blog, "it costs as much as a Starbucks latte, but lasts a lot longer." And I'll say it's a whole lot more satisfying.

I can't wait for more in this serie ...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Angela rated it it was amazing

So good. I cannot wait to read the others!!

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Nov 25, 2009 Pixie/PageTurners Blog(Amber) C. added it

Eh, I heard so many great things about this book, maybe I just had really high hopes. But I am a few chapters in and I am just not liking it - I think I have a problem with "getting" the British humor. I will keep reading, hopefully, it will pick up soon. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 19, 2010 Sabrina rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, jane-austen-fan

This was a fun novel that had such a interesting twist.. it took me a little to get into it and when I did I could not put it down. I look forward to the next one.

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