Book Review: Soulless by Gail Carriger

Just thought I'd pop in and write a little book review about Soulless, which I read during my spring break. I mentioned it in my previous blog and I wanted to go ahead and dedicate some writing space to it. Soulless is a debut novel written by Gail Carriger, and is the first in a series of urban fantasy books called The Parasol Protectorate. The synopsis of the book according to the back cover blurb is as follows:

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 is being rudely attacked by a vampire to whom she has not been properly introduced! Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire, and the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?--Soulless

Sounds intriguing, non?

Soulless is definitely one of those books that makes me feel more like a girl. And you know what? That's a good thing. Sometimes it's difficult for me to acknowledge my girly side when I'm in geek mode and vice versa. To me, this book [series] is the female counterpart to The Dresden Files. I actually like it a little more than The Dresden Files, but that's something different. You've got your alternate history, steampunk, werewolves, vampires, romance, comedy, action, and of course tea, pastries, and parasols. What more could a girl ask for?

I think the major draw for me was the character of Alexia Tarabotti, who is faced with spinsterhood and is constantly criticized for her Italian heritage and her outspoken ways. She's got such a personality and a life to her that I can't help but like her from the moment the book begins. Character is just as important as plot to me, and maybe even a little more so in certain situations. Especially if it's a woman at the center of everything! That was one of my many, many, many, many, many problems with Twilight--the males outshone the females. But Alexia, the sweet and naive Ivy Hisselpenny and even Alexia's mother had clear-cut characters and they didn't fade into the background, whether or not they were likable. Of course, two of my favorite characters were the extremely flamboyant Lord Akeldema and Prof. Lyall. But Alexia's definitely in the top three, and the rankings change often.

My only issue was the book was that the steamy and sexy parts seemed a little... out of place. Don't get me wrong, they were well-written and I enjoyed reading them. It's just that they kind of got in my way every now and then. But I think the issue is my lack of expertise in the pure romance genre, and this book is a romance as much as it is a steampunk novel, a comedy of manners, and supernatural/paranormal adventure. I do like romantic stories, but I have a lot of tomboy in me still and I can't have a lot of romance in one sitting. It will just take some getting used to. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to fully immerse myself into the pure romance genre of literature, but with practice and time, I could read more books like this. If you need an analogy, imagine that romance is a shot of vodka... for me, it's often better when it's mixed with something else to make an enjoyable experience.

And before I finish, I must take quick moment to praise the author[ess] Gail Carriger. Her gift for writing is very obvious, and she has a lot of verve and potential to become even better. As I was reading, I certainly got a a Jane Austen vibe from her style, but it's also very unique. Even though the subject is kind of dark every now and then, she approaches it with a femininity and whimsy that I haven't seen for a while. (Of course, I've been reading a lot of books written by dudes, but again that's something else.) I'm definitely interested in reading anything else she does outside of the Parasol Protectorate.

So, all in all, it was a good and fun book. It kept me interested with the plot and the characters were intriguing. From the excerpt I've read from the next book, I'm really looking forward to Changeless. The street date is March 30, 2010 and I anxiously await its release.

For more info on Gail Carriger and The Parasol Protectorate, you can visit this websites:
Author's Website: http://www.gailcarriger.com/
Author's Blog: http://gailcarriger.livejournal.com/
Book's Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63457918296
Publisher's Website: http://www.orbitbooks.net/