Book Review: Changeless

I bought Changeless a couple of weeks after it was released in stores, and it took me a few more weeks to actually pick it up and read it. (Darn you, university!)

Alexia Tarabotti is now Lady Maccoon, wife of the gorgeous Lord Conall Maccoon. Sure, he's Scottish and he's got that whole werewolf debacle, but he couldn't possibly be faulted for that. When ghosts become exorcised and werewolves and vampires lose their supernatural tendencies, Lord Maccoon is off without any warning to his new wife. Of course, Alexia follows her husband's trail and brings along her friends, her half-sister, and her brand new parasol along for a brand new adventure.

How's that for an original summary? ;)

In terms of plot, I think Changeless is better than Soulless. I definitely enjoyed the ride that Soulless gave me, but I think that Changeless was a little more focused than its predecessor in terms of plot and character development. Actually, I predicted some of the events that occurred between the main characters in this book... I just didn't expect them to happen so soon. I think that's definitely a good thing though. I can only compare it to the TV series Glee, bringing the big events closer to the beginning rather than using it as a last ditch plot device in that would be considered cliche three seasons in. On a side note, I did not expect to compare a steampunk urban fantasy with a high school musical TV series. But it works for me.

The characters were in top form again, and there are also a few new characters that the readers get to enjoy. My old favorite Ivy Hisselpenny was definitely the scene stealer of the book, with Alexia's sister Felicity trailing a close second behind her. However, I know I'm probably speaking on my behalf alone but I don't think that there was enough of Professor Lyall in Changeless. I can't explain why, but when I read Soulless and Changeless, I just felt myself being drawn to Lyall's character. Hopefully there will be more Lyall in Blameless, but we shall see. It's a shame, but the only character I don't have any true feelings for is Lord Maccoon. I know I should, but it's like me and Brad Pitt. I recognize that they're both sexy and charming and it's a social convention to drool upon their appearance, but they don't really do anything for me. Truth be told, I like my men skinny and nerdy, so if Maccoon looked like that I'd be swooning. Thus the reason why I like Lyall and Tunstall.

If you recall my review of Soulless, my only qualm was that there was way too much sex and romance for my inner tomboy to handle. I'm a romantic, but I never go out in search of a love story. However, in Changeless the romance is there but it is muted and a little more easy for me to handle. That being said, I'm becoming more accustomed to the more romantic aspects of female sci-fi/fantasy lit. Apparently, Gail Carriger's writing is enough to turn me to the romance Dark Side. (As a side note, I'm now imagining GC as Darth Vader sipping on a cup of tea. I'm going to carry that image with me for the rest of the night.)

This may be a bit of a spoiler, but I'm not ruining anything having to do with the action within the plot itself. I just simply want to say that those who read this should know that it ends in a cliffhanger. But I don't think it was a bad cliffhanger at all. For me, a bad cliffhanger for a book would be trying to pull off the first half of a Doctor Who two-parter in literary form. I feel that the ending was written well. And there is a sneak peek for the next book Blameless which made me giggly.

So for all who are wishing for a good, fun read with well-written and comical characters, check out the Parasol Protectorate. I can definitely call myself a fan now after reading this book.

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/