Review: Timeless - Gail Carriger

Series: The Parasol protectorate #5
Genre: Historical paranormal steampunk light funny romance
Pages: 386
Published: March 1, 2012
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Bday
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, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle. 

Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?

My thoughts:

This is the end then, it has been a fun ride, I loved the manners and the witty mind of our dear Alexia. But all good things must come to and end, and I am happy the series ended. Because too many go on and on, and then only get worse and worse. Stop when you are on top is my motto.

What to say that I haven't said before. Perfect manners, I mean how dreadful would it not be if your hair was out of order? Shameful. Witty speech, the cute nicknames that Lord Akeldama uses, Ivy and her hats, Lyall being his usual beta, Biffy working in the hat shop, sexy Conall taking off his clothes here and there to turn into a wolf. Lovely as always. The book is cute and funny, if you have read it then you know what I mean, if not then start at book 1. This is not a series to read out of order.

What else then, well Alexia goes to Egypt to get to the bottom of things. The usual people are around. There are parasol fights, fainting, and a werewolf cub on the loose. This is a family that creates havoc wherever they go.

Conclusion.

I made it short, I just feel that I have said everything better before. I will miss Alexia and Conall.

Cover:

Ugh, I do not like it. Books 1-3 where soooo much better

Book Review: Heartless - Gail Carriger

Series: Parasol Protectorate #4
Genre: Steampunk
Pages: 374
Published: June 2011

Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant. Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

My thoughts:

What is it that I love most about these books? Oh I will tell you, it is because the characters are all so witty and their manners are impeccable. I love the horror when someone does something wrong, like coming to a party in a visiting gown *gasp of horror*. That is why these books rock.

And yes yes it is because of Alexia too. She is the perfect heroine. No soul, all etiquette and how she calls her unborn child the infant-inconvenience. I also love how she adores her oh so sexy werewolf husband Lord Maccon.

And the secondary characters, I love those. Lord Akeldama has become more and more my favourite. I had to warm up to him and he is just the best, lol. And poor Biffy! Ivy is her usual self, not a fan of Madame Lefoux, and who else, oh yes Alexia's sister joins the suffragette movement. I know, shocking! Sit down and have some tea while the shock wears off.

The book has a plot to kill the queen and Alexia is on the case. You will see evil porcupines, learn a tiny bit more about her dad, be invited to tea and see Alexia fight evil with her parasol. All good times.

Conclusion:
I finished this book in a day (much thanks to internet disappearing to my horror, and thunder rolling over the house all day long). But even without all that it is a bit you just read at once. It is funny and a series that should be read.

I need a quote!
".., he actually went around in their room barefoot! Once - and only once, mind you - he even attempted to join her for tea in such a state. Impossible man. Alexia put a stop to that posthaste."

Rating:
Read the series

Cover
I hate it :/

........................................

My last post for Stella over @Ex Libris. This time a joint review of the graphic novel Secrets, Monsters and magic Mirrors

Review: Blameless - Gail Carriger

The Parasol Protectorate book 3

Genre: Steampunk romance
Published: September 2010
Pages: 355

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.

Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.

While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

I have been waiting for this book since that evil cliffhanger in book 2, the one that had me craving this book. It may not have been an evil cliffhanger in this book, but I still want book 4. But the wait, oh so long.

Spoilers from previous books will follow.

Alexia has moved in with her horrible family after Conall threw her out, that wicked beast, but then he is dead, and she is pregnant. To get to bottom of this she heads to Italy and to try to get some answers from The Templars, who hunts all paranormal things, and thinks she is an abomination. She is also hunted by vampires who wants her dead.

Alexia is as fun as ever, she barely escapes an attempt on her life, and what does she do, well duh, she goes to drink tea to calm her nerves. In this book she spends most of her time of Madam Lefroux, who flirts with her, and loyal servant Floote who has some hidden talents. Sadly not much of the book is between Lord Maccon and Alexia for obvious reasons, though it is fun to see him drunk and upset. And to my uttermost sorrow, almost no Lord Akeldama! He is missed for sure.

The Templars, those Italians, tsk. Not the nicest of people.

It is a fun book as always, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Miss Carriger is sitting there giggling while writing. How could she not. She is so witty.

There is adventure, there is teadrinking, and manners. A lady cannot forget her manners even if attacked. I do love this series, and it was a good book that kept me reading, but I did miss Akeldama. And Conall and Alexia meeting again was in my head as it should be, because those two are not normal.

Favorite quote:

"He wore no cravat, to Floote's obvious dismay. Alexia was, perhaps less shocked by the missing cravat than she should have been."

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner : Love

Reason for reading: Won a pick your book at Janna's Blog, yay. She made my day

Final thoughts; If you haven't started this series then do.

"A Novel of vampires, werewolves and afternoon tea"

Review: Changeless - Gail Carriger

 Changeless by Gail Carriger

The parasol protectorate, book 2

Genre: Historical, romance, steampunk, paranormal
Pages: 374
Published: 2010

Alexia Tarabotti, now Lady Maccon, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears -- leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her into the backwaters of ugly waistcoats, Scotland, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only a soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it. 

First oh oh oh, the end! But ok I will not start there, so re-wind.

Alexia is happily married with her husband, well as happy as those two can be, because they love to tease each other for sure. She is now quite fashionable, and people actually do speak about her. Not to mention that she is secretly the mujah in the city. But then the book starts with a bang, a missing husband, a city with no paranormals, well except those camped on her lawn, and Ivy with big news. Soon she puts her foot down and gets to the bottom of things.

I kept marking pages where I found good quotes and then I gave up cos good and funny quotes were just everywhere.

Everyone else was outraged, imagine the wife of an earl appearing at dinner with frizzy hair. Even in Scotland such things were simply not done.

This is one of the reasons why I love this book and series. The proper manners. I kept giggling everywhere when people gasped because someone mentioned shaving or things like that. These things are one of the highlights with this book.

Another reason is the witty language, that combined with my first love and the mix is just simply wonderful.

Of course I do love Alexia too, she is very logical, might be the soulless part, and she loves her manners too. Even if I think she was somewhat changed now. Must be the constant nudity she sees around werewolves ;) And Conall is still mmmmm, what a werewolf!

Lord Akeldama not to be forgotten, I have to love him. And he calls her the strangest things. I have fallen for Ivy, she was so much fun, and she has her romance in this book too. I wonder what happens in book 3? Carriger always has got some great side charcters.

Now where was I? The book is funny, giggles promised! The language is witty, the manners are excellent. The plot is interesting, I the reader do not know who to trust or what is going on. There is romance, and hot werewolves, with a sprinkle of some very proper vampires.

But then the big OMG! The ending, oh how it left me wanting more. I do confess that Carriger is very evil indeed, she made me wish I could invent a time-machine and go straight to September and buy book 3. I need book 3 this instance to find out what is gonna happen. I do warn you, it is somewhat of a cliffhanger and it will make you drool for book 3, Blameless.

Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Lovely.

Reason for reading: own copy.

Final thoughts: If you haven't noticed by now that I loved this book then you haven't been paying attention ;)