Read Which Series First: PP or FS?

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings)]

Someone has inquired about which series a new reader to Gail's world should read first: the Parasol Protectorate Series or the Finishing School Series? Does reading one ruin things for the other? (You can find the inquirer's full inquiry here.) Let's discuss!

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings)]

I'm inclined to say read them in chronological order (by historical date, not release date). Things like not knowing Vieve's gender or the prototype's future ahead of time might have made FS1 a little more exciting. (I've only read FS1 & FS2 though, so I don't yet know what is revealed in FS3.)

Of course the FS series isn't completely released yet, but I still think I would advise reading what is released before PP.

[Irene]

HI,
I'm new to the group but have loved Gail PP and FS series for some years now.
I kind of liked reading it PP first and then FS.
I keep going back to PP to catch references and/or threads of things to come in FS which makes FS a fun mystery to me.
It also made meeting characters bittersweet because you already know some of the outcome.
Anyone starting the series can start and finish the PP series without stop whereas if they start with FS, they would have to wait an entire year before they could start PP.
These are just a couple of my arguments for preferring to the books in the order in which the books were published over reading them in the chronological/date order.
Irene

[Connie]

I remember reading PP first before FS but after thinking back, if I started FS I don't think it would have made a difference. I mean yes there is a time difference with character references in each series, but the adventures in FS is so much exciting! And there were some parts in the PP series that I didn't like such as book 2 that dragged the story on too much. I really thought the PP series can make do with 3 books but that's just me.

[Jayne]

I read them as they were published. I really feel that reading PP first before FS is the way to go. It's lovely to immerse oneself in the world and then be evinced to the origin stories of some of the characters you grow to love such as Genevieve Le Fou. It is, to my mind, a story that hould be unwrapped slowly and enjoyed as it was revealed to the author and then in turn to us.

[Kriselda]

I read the first three FS and then PP. I don't think it makes much difference, though. Really the only characters that are prominent in both series are Genevive and Sidheag, though a few others are mentioned in both. I kind of liked getting to know Vieve and Sidheag when they were younger first - it added a bit more poignancy to their older incarnations, but it's not going to make or break the stories or the characters if you read them the other way around.

[Susan Pola]

I'm kind of reading both at the same time. I discovered FS #1 at my library. I checked it out as it sounded fun. I was hooked. Requested FS#2&3 & PP from Interlibrary Loan as my little library doesn't have them. PP came and was read, then FS#2 is now being read and PP#2&3 are in transit. BTW I'm buying all in hardcover when tax refund comes.